Scions of Remnant

by Solthrin

The aether of the Lightwardens has been pressing Aran's limits for days now. She hoped the end would have come with the Lightwarden of Kholusia, only for it to flee. Now, the Light has begun to push past her breaking point. What happens when it breaks her control? Apparently, she finds another Shard. Rated M for gore and situations in future chapters.

15. Chapter 15: Battle of Vale, Part 2

A/N: Hello again! Finally got some time to finish writing this, so here we go, a week late! You have my apologies.

That said, this chapter does have some sensitive stuff within it, but I included a warning before it for those of you that would like to skip it. I understand completely that people would not want to read graphic content, even though I myself have no problems writing it or reading it.

Please give me reviews! I love to hear what you folks have to say, I thrive off of it whether it's bad reviews or good. With all that taken care of, enjoy the second part of the Battle of Vale!

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The Bullhead carrying the Scions and Pyrrha landed at Beacon's dock with little trouble, much to Aran's surprise. She was fully expecting to have encountered some form of anti-air from the White Fang. As the group disembarked, she took a glance at Ardbert who walked beside her yet said nothing. Behind her, she could hear the door to the cockpit slide open, followed by a familiar gait. She ignored it.

Exiting the Bullhead was a sobering experience for anyone that hadn't become used to the reality of war. Lined up on the docks, covered for respect as much as to protect them from the elements, were a number of corpses. Judging by some of the smaller bumps that were covered, the fatalities were more than just students of Beacon Academy. Family that was visiting their sons and daughters and older brothers and sisters perhaps. They were positioned so that the sun, now fading in the distance, would not fall upon them. There was the occasional individual or small group of individuals that sat or stood next to a shrouded corpse, though not many. And all of them were armed.

A quick glance up revealed why; even now, Ironwood's fleet -what remained, anyhow - battled the airborne Grimm.

Pyrrha, Aran felt, was adapting rather well for seeing such a thing for the first time. But of course, it wasn't truly the first time for her. She had seen the reality of war through Aran, felt blade sinking into flesh to end a life in a bloodthirsty slaughter when Aran unchained the darkest parts of herself. Even felt the very emotions Aran herself had.

That made her frown in thought. Nobody's Echo has been so… personal, not even Fordola's unrestrained perusal of her experiences. There was something else going on that yet remained veiled from her sight, and it rankled her. Her attention was quickly drawn away as she noticed several people approaching the Scions.

Team CRDL, minus Russel, followed by Maven and Glynda, as well as a woman that looked like an older Weiss. A Schnee then, most likely her sister Winter. Aran knew immediately that something was wrong, judging by Cardin's troubled look.

"Team ARY!" Glynda called out, her appearance decidedly a little more disheveled than she probably would have liked. The cuffs of her sleeves were stained red in places, indicating that she had likely either aided in corpse removal or in the medical wing. Knowing the woman, Aran would guess that she had done both. "I'm glad to see you're all safe and sound." She glanced at the new faces and raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps some introductions are in order. And then perhaps an explanation for your fellow students about what you did at Amity."

Aran recognized the look in Glynda's eyes; they needed a boost to morale. Clearly, something had gone wrong in the defense of Beacon, even if the line of corpses didn't give that away. The Warrior nodded and stepped aside.

"Miss Goodwitch, the twins are Alphinaud and Alisaie Leveilleur, two very close friends of mine from Erza. Practically my children, if I'm being honest." Beside her, Alisaie frowned as her face heated up slightly, while Alphinaud pointedly looked in another direction. Neither denied her claim however, much to Y'Shtola's and Glynda's amusement. The claim of the twins that looked to be near the same age as Ryne raised the eyebrows of CRDL, though they said nothing. "Beside Miss Goodwitch is Maven Arseth, a fourth year student of Beacon. We worked with her on a mission a while back. I can only guess that the white-haired woman is Winter Schnee, the sister of a friend of mine."

"A pleasure, Miss Goodwitch." The twins stated in unison as they shook her hand.

"Just Glynda, if you would. And the dour fellow in the back?"

Aran finally glanced back at Emet-Selch, studying him for nearly a minute. His demeanor was quite different from what she had expected; before, he followed them out what she believed was an actual sense of boredom and to keep tabs on her. Now, she could practically feel the determination in him to do… something. He stood a little straighter when she first looked upon him, his eyes hardening with surprising resolution. There was no threat, no mockery, not even contempt as he looked into her eyes. He was, she decided, the closest being to the person she remembered before Hydaelyn and Zodiark.

"His name is Hades. He's… akin to myself, after a sense."

At that, the twins looked at her in surprise. Y'Shtola and Ryne had already wiggled out some stories of things before the Planet was divided; by now, they were privy to the Ascian's name beyond his station. But it was the Ascian's reaction that impressed Aran.

Emet-Selch's eyes looked upon hers in recognition, true recognition, before smiling. Not the mockery he had always adorned before, but a smile that bespoke an amount of trust she hadn't seen since before his appointment to the Convocation of Fourteen.

"And you are no longer beholden to Zodiark, I see."

Alisaie blinked as she looked back at him.

"Wait, it actually worked? He overcame being tempered?"

Aran shook her head.

"Not quite. He has managed to shift it, not remove it. To my knowledge, there is no cure to tempering Alisaie. I would never lie about that, believe me. That said, there are minds far more scientifically inclined than mine. Y'Shtola's and Urianger being prime examples; I may have experience, but I will never be an equal mind to them when it comes to the theoretical. My expertise lies in the practical and physical."

Emet-Selch nodded his head in agreement.

"Such is as it has always been, and such is, I believe, the reason for your seeming tendency to accomplish what should be impossible. Without a solid grasp on boundaries, you have no preconceived notion as to what should and shouldn't work. Nonetheless, you are correct. Suffice it to say that if you keep proving to me that you can do as you say, then I shall continue my endeavor to find some way to remedy the ailment. However, I will not hesitate to praise you for what you've done with Amity; even Louisoix was unable to create such a thing to repel Bahamut's Teraflare, even with the aid of the Twelve and his… status."

"Bahamut was… significantly larger than Amity. And I wouldn't know, I was missing for a couple years with some form of amnesia." Aran stated with a raised eyebrow. Not the full truth by any stretch in regards to herself, but nobody needed to know of her actions during that time frame. Emet-Selch shrugged.

"Either way, you had no such help. You used a nearby aetheryte crystal, and your own wits and aether. Most impressive.

Aran's attention was drawn to the shocked faces of those who were unaware of what they were talking about.

"How large was this… Bahamut?" Glynda asked. "Was it some kind of Grimm?"

Aran shook her head.

"No. It was a creature of the same vein as Ifrit." Aran held her hand up, forestalling the questions from the Scions. "We haven't the time to explain it now. What's happened? I've been told the White Fang have been trained in the usage of Aura?"

"Indeed," Glynda answered. "The White Fang members we've fought so far seem to be fully trained Huntsmen and Huntresses. And they have no qualms with killing innocents."

"Or students." Cardin muttered. At once, Aran understood why Russel was not with them and why they all looked broken. That they stood here at all spoke of the resolve that had been instilled in them over the course of the year.

"I see." Y'Shtola muttered, frowning. She may not have become close to any of the students besides Pyrrha and to an extent Amy of MOAT, but she had trained beside and traded jokes and jibes with most of the first-year students. "Are there any other losses among those we know?"

Glynda nodded solemnly. "BRNZ has three confirmed deaths and one MIA, that being Nolan Porfirio. Team MOAT has been missing since yesterday, but it's very possible that they've spent the night in Vale proper. Their parents came to see them, and it is not uncommon for students to stay in the city with them for the duration. Along with them, there have been two teams from Atlas KIA, a team of third years from Mistral, and there are several teams from Shade missing, although they may be in the same boat as MOAT. Aside from them, a team of fourth years from Beacon have sustained a loss. Dolan has taken over as their leader, you might be pleased to know."

Aran shook her head.

"Racist or not, I wish death on very few people. Every loss of life is a blow to the world as whole, entire works that will never be created and events and lives that will never come to be."

Surprisingly, Emet-Selch nodded in agreement with her words. She decided to speak to the Ascian at length when she could; clearly, the man had changed quite drastically over the last year.

"Nevertheless, are there any standouts among the White Fang?"

"Adam Taurus, of course. He's the one who targeted BRNZ. Nolan was already missing by that point, but Qrow and Torchwick stopped him from killing another Shade team that was present. There's also a wanted scorpion faunus named Tyrian Callows; this one is responsible for the deaths of the two Atlas teams. Winter and Maven here were the only survivors from that incident. It's also believed that he was the one responsible for placing explosives in the dorms." To emphasize her point, Glynda motioned towards the line of the dead.

Aran recognized the name; he was a part of Salem's court, and was often utilized as what they had deduced to be her personal attack dog. An assassin that seemed to revel in brutality with the unhinged mind and skills to make it work.

"Bastard's tail is poisonous. Be careful if you find him; the poison is the reason for the loss of the last person from those teams." Maven informed them.

The Scions nodded, before Aran motioned towards the Academy. As one, they began to return to the tower.

"And any report on numbers of the rest of the White Fang?" Alphinaud asked.

Glynda regarded the male twin with a sideways glance for a moment.

"An estimated twenty three left. They've pulled back for the moment, hiding out and likely regrouping for a focused assault. Originally, we counted forty of them with the addition of four Paladins, although Qrow and Torchwick made quick work of the mechs. James was… irritated with their loss, and thinks they could have been recovered instead of destroyed."

Aran waved away Glynda's concern.

"What Ironwood wants would put everyone in danger. The man strikes me as a self-absorbed autocrat that believes only his own plans will work."

To the side, Winter cleared her throat and drew their attention.

"The General just wants what is best for everyone involved. The safety of the people is his first concern, and so far Ozpin has been putting the safety of distinct individuals above that of anyone else. Is it no wonder then, that General Ironwood is irate? Truthfully, I came along to greet your landing to hopefully understand why Ozpin and Weiss place such great faith in you. So far, I am unimpressed."

Behind Aran, the Scions bristled at Winter's words. Alisaie's mouth opened to retort in Aran's defence before a hand from Emet-Selch landed upon her shoulder. She glanced at the Ascian and was surprised to see a quiet fury lurking behind his eyes.

"Perhaps, Miss Schnee, it is not Aran to whom you should be looking. You examine her with biased eyes, looking for faults when you should instead be searching for what she has accomplished. Which, I will inform you now, is far more than you shall ever accomplish with your own ephemeral existence. Cast your gaze instead to those you would call your leaders, and search their own actions with the tinted lens with which you would examine others. I, and all those who are present, would stand beside Aran to the very end. She has earned the right for us all to stake our lives for hers, because all of us owe them to her in one form or another. I would also speak for the Scions here and say that if Aran does not endorse someone, there is a reason for it. She has never been wrong in the past, and it has saved countless lives. Do not presume to state otherwise without infallible proof."

The eldest Schnee of her generation was taken by surprise from the steel in the Ascian's voice, though she did manage to frown from the man's challenge.

"And what about what we witnessed before everything went to hell? She's capable of turning people into monsters!"

This time, it was Ryne who came to Aran's defence. The smaller woman marched from near the back of the group to step even with Aran and Winter.

"Anyone is capable of creating monsters from people. Look at the White Fang for a perfect example. Men and women who were once probably just as tolerant of Humanity's ignorance as Aran, have been warped into creatures capable of killing innocent people and children - not only humans mind you, but fellow faunus as well - by the corrosive words of a few individuals. I'm sure Atlas has done the same thing, poisoned the minds of people willing to help faunus against the people who at this time need compassion the most." The Oracle looked at Aran aa she addressed her next question. "Do you need any time to rest?"

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. Anything else we need to know, Glynda?" Aran asked. Beside the instructor, Winter looked annoyed.

"The teams that were on Amity are being directed to help the defense against the Grimm. Beyond that, Qrow thinks he might know where a number of the terrorists are hiding. Something about recognizing one of them from our Academy days.

As the group entered the Academy proper, Aran was surprised to find a nervous bustling crowd. Most of them, she knew, were first year students from each of the Academies. Glynda caught her surprise.

"We're doing our best to keep the first and second year students out of harm's way. Peter's doing rounds to make sure no White Fang members manage to plant bombs of any kind near this amphitheater."

The Warrior blinked for a moment before raising an eyebrow, much to Glynda's amusement.

"The man may tell embellished stories, but he's a far more dangerous combatant than any of the other instructors. He won't be the one to tell you this, but he's by far the most durable and skilled Huntsmen teaching at this Academy, myself included. Once this crisis is handled, I could tell you more."

Aran nodded before another question came to mind.

"How did the White Fang take down Ironwood's ships?" She asked. Her answer came not from Glynda, but Torchwick as he strode up to their group. It was clear that the students around recognized him, with most giving him glares or otherwise moving away. His mocking attitude was gone, replaced by steel that Aran hadn't thought to see in the man.

"That would be the work of the rest of the Dust I told you they didn't load on to the train. Neo went out to examine the wreckage, and each one she's found bears the same evidence."

"And when did she become an explosives expert?" Y'Shtola asked. Torchwick shrugged, though he did tip his hat towards her.

"I don't know everything that woman's done, and I'm confident I don't want to. But, she knows her stuff and she doesn't lie to me or Aran. Actually, I'm rather jealous that she trusts another as much as she does me."

He grabbed his scroll from his pocket and opened it, evidently reading a message. A frown made itself known as he lowered his device.

"We've got some trouble. She spotted an unmarked Bullhead heading our direction, with a very familiar black haired woman in its pilot seat with another man. She claims his name is Arthur Watts, but he should be dead. Most likely means the White Fang is about to strike again, letting her slip inside Beacon unnoticed."

The Viera crossed her arms, pondering a course of action. Beside her, Emet-Selch and Y'Shtola stood at her flanks even while Alphinaud took a similar pose to Aran. Pyrrha began to pace, much to Torchwick's irritation if his raised eyebrow was anything to go by.

Alphinaud would never admit it, but he had stolen his pose from Aran in the first place, something that Alisaie even now would jest about in private.

They stood that way for several moments, until Aran snapped her fingers in realization.

"Of course! Glynda, we already know what Cinder's after. We need a full protection detail on Amber."

"She already has one. Ozpin and Ironwood are watching over her personally, along with a Kingsguard pair. Ironwood was wanting to assign the Ace Ops to her detail as well, but Amber nearly burnt him to a crisp when he mentioned it."

"What are the Ace Ops?" Aran asked Winter in curiosity.

"We are Atlas' top special forces unit. I'm a member of them as well, though I'm often sent on solo assignments. Just as well though, they work best together. I feel I tend to throw them off balance more often than not."

Aran nodded.

"And what are they doing now?"

"Defending Vale. Last I heard, they were sent to the industrial district."

Emet-Selch chuckled slightly as he saw one of Aran's ears tilt. The chuckle, quiet as it was, drew the attention of those around him aside from the woman it was aimed at.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just watching Aran plan an entire warfront from beginning to end. Truly, I missed seeing her brilliant mind for warfare being put to use."

"Never forget who led Garlemald to victories most would think impossible," Aran muttered. Beside her, Pyrrha cocked her head in a very Aran-like manner.

"You roasted anyone that opposed you." The Mistrali Champion stated, copying Aran's voice and tone.

"It's a valid tactic!" The Warrior defended, casting a withering glare towards her offender.

"She's not wrong. It certainly worked better than many of the other things I've tried. Back on point however, do you have a plan of action?" Emet-Selch redirected.

"I do. Amber's protection detail is significant, but it wouldn't hurt to have someone in the shadows. Y'Shtola, Ryne?"

"I'll make sure she's safe, so long as you promise me that Alphinaud and Alisaie stay with you. Meager as his healing artes are, I know her abilities as a Red Mage are more than sufficient. I would prefer you have them on hand with your tendency to get hurt lately." Y'Shtola answered, earning a nod of agreement from Ryne. Beside them, Winter nodded as well.

"I'll join them as well. General's orders."

Aran nodded, then turned to Torchwick.

"I'm going to aid Qrow in his pest extermination with Pyrrha and the twins. You, however, are going to join Y'Shtola and make yourself known to Amber's detail. That will draw Taurus to the same place that Cinder and her ally are wanting to head towards. There are enough people there with the skill to at least hold them off until Qrow and I finish our task. Y'Shtola, how much aether is left in Ardbert's crystal?"

The Miqo'te brought out the crystal, now glowing quite dimly compared to earlier.

Aran bit her lip as she took it, glancing at Ardbert who stood partially off near a pair of lightly wounded students. He seemed to sense her gaze, as he looked back to her and smiled, giving her a nod in the process.

Taking the crystal, she turned and held it out to Alphinaud, who glanced at her in surprise.

"You want me to take his crystal?" He asked in surprise.

"Yes. Something tells me we'll need it, and if my dreams are anything to go by then you'll be the one who needs to use it, you and Alisaie both. Don't let the dim glow get you down; this crystal still possesses a staggering amount of aether. Don't use it unless you absolutely need to." She glanced at Ardbert, an action she knew that at least her companions over the past year were more than familiar with. Alphinaud and Alisaie however, turned in confusion. Ardbert himself nodded to Aran with a smile.

"He'll know what to do when the time comes, Aran." Ardbert stated mysteriously, earning a nod.

Emet-Selch cleared his throat.

"And what would you have me do?" He asked.

Aran shrugged before she answered.

"Whatever you can to help, if you're so willing. Though I will be the first to admit that I am unsure why you're helping. You've never been one to get your own hands dirty when you can avoid it."

The Ascian rolled his eyes, putting his hands on his hips and straightening his back slightly.

"I'll have you know that I have no problems with getting my hands dirty. Regardless, it wouldn't be the first time since coming here." He glanced around at a couple of the wounded students that could be seen, nodding to himself. "I'll start with these few souls I suppose, then move on to the medical wing if this facility possesses one."

The twins looked at the man as if he had grown a second head.

"Excuse me," Alisaie broke in, "but are you saying you can heal?"

"Of course he can," Aran answered for him. "Anyone possessing the… creative touch, can heal." The Warrior could feel the judgement coming from her lover in an instant, only for her feeling to become confirmed.

"Oh really? Then what's your excuse? I don't think there's a single person in Vale, perhaps maybe Remnant who didn't see what you created 'neath Amity."

A blush crept up on Aran's cheeks.

"I… well, you know the whole theoretical that's applied to most magicks? My problem is that -"

"She casts her spells through sheer force and amount of aether, using her will to force it to do what she wishes." Emet-Selch interrupted, something in his mind clicking into place as he thought of the earlier conversation on this topic. "It's why she's so formidable, and can seemingly do the impossible. Because theoretically, what she does is impossible. There is a reason that Aranaea was a member of the Convocation of the Fourteen, why she was always feared in a direct confrontation. The sheer amount of aether she possessed was… daunting, to say the least. It makes sense, now that I have a direct confirmation of what it is you do."

Aran cast him a withering glare.

"As I was saying, my problem is that this only pertains to destructive magicks and apparently creative ones as well. I had never sought to try it with creation in the past, and I hesitate to even think about trying to create a living creature in such a way. I can still create barriers, however."

The Ascian nodded next to her sagely, before Cardin cleared his throat.

"Right, I understood all of that about as much as I understood Ryne's explanation of your magick in the first place. But we're on the clock, so shouldn't we be moving out?"

As he spoke, Emet-Selch raised an eyebrow as he caught sight of Aran's Dark Knight crystal clutched in the boy's hand. He shrugged, then turned to go to the first wounded student.

The Warrior glanced at her companions, getting a nod from each of them. Then she brought her linkshell up to her ear.

"Qrow, where are you?"

---

(Gore and disturbing torture aftermath warning. Skip to the next line break if you don't wish to read this.)

Bryne Vermillion wrinkled his porcine nose in disgust as he watched a madman torture the last of the Beacon students they had captured the day before.

Tyrian, Taurus had told them his name was. And that he would be leading their cell, while Taurus himself took several of the higher ranking White Fang with him to another location.

The scorpion's actions were brutal. Effective, without a doubt, but disturbingly more brutal than they needed to be. The proof lay in the room that had previously held four living captives, while only one yet remained. That wasn't to say their bodies were gone, merely… scattered. Once they were all undressed and tied down, the only way to tell which limb originally belonged to which torso - even that was a stretch, in one case - was by where the limbs were tied down at.

What bothered Bryne more was the fact that this monster in front of him held regard for the fact that these four students were all faunus as well. It was as if Tyrian wasn't didn't even care about his own kind.

He could tell that the girl Tyrian was beginning to carve up had broken mentally. She offered no more information, no more pleads for mercy. Certainly no more begging for them to release her teammates; that one had stopped when Tyrian mutilated the canine faunus that looked to have been her brother. Truthfully, Bryne had decided that her mind had broken in that moment.

Of course, the girl had brought it on herself. Even the turquoise haired monkey girl had given up a small amount of information when the threat of something most vile made itself known. Anything they did to the female canine however had yielded no results. Her mind was astonishingly resilient, even when more vile tactics had been used in an attempt to make her talk. Still, she remained silent even as her teammates begged for them to stop. Information finally came when her brother finally broke at seeing her suffer in admirable silence one two many times. The result was nearly half of that Atlesian general's fleet going up in flames from bombs either smuggled aboard or placed by operatives.

Tyrian's strange blade lifted from the girl's side and began to move towards her arm when someone pounded on the door to their hideout, which happened to be an abandoned Grimm shelter constructed before Vale ever had walls. It was large enough house upward of fifty people comfortably, mostly underground, and the walls were heavily reinforced to stop Creeps from burrowing into it. Bryne had used it years ago when he was a student at Beacon as a place to do things the instructors would look down on: drink, drugs, even bring the odd chick down. But nobody should be knocking on the door, as everyone was inside.

"Weapons!" Tyrian shouted, cackling maniacally as he turned towards the door. The nearest two faunus were immediately on guard, rushing over to reinforce the entrance.

It was for naught, as the doors turned to ashes in a split second, a vortex of flame quickly surging into the bunker and claiming the lives of the two faunus. Such was the intensity of the heat that no screams came forth as flesh and bone yielded to the flames as easy as the doors.

Bryne wondered for a terrible moment if the flames would continue on and claim all of their lives until they faded only a moment later. Through the smoke, a number of figures dashed into the room.

"Huntsmen!" One of the White Fang cursed behind Bryne. But that didn't seem right to his eyes. There were five of them, and two appeared to be rather small to be Huntsmen. His eyes did widen when he recognized the other three though.

"Vinland and Branwen! Don't hold back!" He ordered. Of the White Fang invasion force, there were twenty eight of them left. Taurus had taken with him eight of their number, and two of what were left had just been turned to ash. That left Tyrian, himself, and sixteen Huntsmen and Huntresses against these five interlopers that would dare defend Beacon. They should have this in the bag, no matter Qrow Branwen's and Aran Vinland's reputations.

Of course, things rarely went how one would expect. The moment Aran had entered the room, her gaze had landed upon where Tyrian was standing. Where an almost tangible flame of retribution had rested before in her eyes, a look of rage had quickly overtaken it.

Bryne's mind saw that she knew their prisoners immediately, though judging by Tyrian's quick pounce forward, he had missed it completely. A shame, the porcine faunus thought, that the madman would miss something so vital. Bryne began to edge his way slowly towards the surviving prisoner as he watched what should have been a slaughter of the five intruders turn into anything but.

The form of the Mistrali Champion seemed to dance with three of the White Fang, proving her title of Invincible Girl to be earned. His illusions of her possessing some form of naiveté due to her age and lack of experience were shattered as she batted a large sword aside and kicked in its owner's knees from behind. A quick double slash shattered the faunus's Aura before the shield came down and shattered her neck with one clean blow before the champion was dancing with her other opponents. The two younger people, whom Byrne had dismissed as unimportant, began to unleash a wrath he had not expected from ones so young.

The boy had at his side some form of creature, glowing brightly and utterly destroying the two faunus that had chosen him as their opponent. The small creature became the focus of his opponents, a mistake it seemed as the air around him began to glow much like the small creature. A scream let him know that one of the faunus was most likely injured.

The girl, so much resembling the boy in appearance, did anything but in combat. Rapier and some kind of Dust crystal he couldn't identify in hand, she fought the three that had gone after her with nimble but deceptively strong strikes. The first faunus to engage her, a bat faunus, found himself speared through the gut, his Aura shattered near instantaneously. The girl showed absolutely no remorse as she unsheathed her weapon from flesh with a jerk, ripping the weapon out of his side. This one, Bryne knew, was fully capable of ending a life and dealing with the consequences, even at such a young age. Judging by the look in her eyes, she had done so many times.

But those three were nothing compared to Aran and Qrow. Tyrian had engaged Aran the moment she had entered the room, followed by five of the remaining faunus. The others had gone after Qrow, most of which he recognized as having gone to Beacon with the famed Bandit-turned-Huntsman and himself. To say Qrow was a bit of a bastard back then was an understatement, but he was nothing compared to that bitch sister of his.

The rabbit faunus swung her blades in an intercepting arc from two of her opponents. Her armored foot lashed out into a knee, dropping one of them and opening him up to a fatal blow from Memory. No longer did she have to hold back her blows, and the ruthless efficiency of a seasoned soldier came to light with a frightening speed that defied what should have been possible. A quick glance to Pyrrha revealed that the champion moved very similarly, though not as practiced.

Qrow was even more ruthless than he was all those years ago, Bryne decided. The man's scythe was death, as evidenced by those he laid low in the short amount of time that Bryne had spent observing others. His reputation was most definitely earned.

Bryne's foot brushed against the canine faunus' leg, prompting him to draw his own weapon, a butcher knife, and cut away the chains that held her. Getting a firm grasp on her, he hoisted her up and held his knife to her neck in preparation for his plan to get away.

Then he realized that the fighting had stopped, Tyrian's maniacal howling in pain and fury fading in the distance from the doorway. The White Fang Huntsman looked up from his hostage, surprised to find all of his allies dead or dying with Tyrian's tail lying on the floor. Noticeable were a number of ash piles that now littered the floor, as well as a red and orange aura permeating the air around Aran.

"Don't move, or the girl's dead!" Bryne demanded. He was proud to keep his voice from shaking, though his hopes of getting out alive were quickly dwindling if the fury permeating the faces of each of these people was anything to go by.

The rabbit faunus from Erza began to step forward, eliciting a tightening of Bryne's grip and holding his weapon closer to her throat.

"Not another muscle!"

Aran's eyes scanned the scene around them, taking careful note of the gore and viscera that littered the ground around then. He watched her nose seem to twitch as she absorbed every detail and take in the smell of every bodily fluid that had permeated the area.

She did stop, much to his relief. His hope even began to recover when she sheathed the smaller of her blades, at least until she raised her hand and grabbed at the Dust crystal adorning the larger of her blades.

When it began to glow red in her hand, he knew the outcome of this standoff for certain. Defeated, he shoved the girl forward, where she landed on several pieces of her brother.

"Kill me already, dammit. Don't keep me waiting."

And yet, the woman still just stared at him in fury, the crystal's glow turning from red to an unnatural white.

"She's losing control!" The male twin stated with urgency.

Both Pyrrha and Qrow shifted their feet, glancing at one another until they spoke in unison.

"Let her."

Both of the twins looked at them in shock.

"It is not our place to be judge, jury, and executioner. He has surrendered, and shall be treated as the war criminal and rapist that he is." The female twin said. At her words, Bryne found the strength to speak once more.

"And what makes you think I'll let that happen? My death is the only path!"

He charged forward, leaping over the girl at his feet and lunging towards Aran.

For a moment, Bryne thought he would actually manage to plunge his knife into his target. Then he knew no more as his flesh and bones turned to ash.

Aran seethed in fury, focusing on reigning in the rage that threatened to erupt. Her mind settled on Amy, allowing her to shove aside her anger in place of worry. The girl hadn't moved a muscle since she was pushed forward.

When Alphinaud stepped towards the canine faunus, Alisaie grabbed his shoulder and shook her head.

"We don't know her, and it's highly likely she wouldn't want to see a male. Let Aran and Pyrrha handle this."

The Warrior gave Alisaie a nod of thanks as she approached the fallen woman, casting a few looks around for where her clothes might have ended up. When she could find none, she motioned to Qrow for his cape. The man gave it up without complaint, and she was even pleasantly surprised that it lacked the scent of alcohol.

She quickly wrapped Amy up in the fabric and hoisted her up into a bridal carry, motioning with her head to a corner where all of the Team MOAT's weapons were laying, likely cast away with little regard. Once more, Qrow proved himself reliable as he crossed the gore without hesitation and grabbed the weapons.

The Warrior gave Amethyst a quick look over to assess her wounds, using Qrow's cape to wipe away any blood and other fluids as best she could until the girl could be bathed properly. Any physical wounds found were mostly superficial, though she truthfully was never concerned in that regard. The blank look that the elder Priya twin gave was enough for Aran to recognize someone that was dissociated, their mind mostly shutting down except for what was vital for survival. She had seen it many times, whether it was her own people after a raid that managed to make its way into the Range or the aftermath of Garlean and Eorzean occupations. Regardless of which army acted as conquerors or liberators, it was the people who suffered most when people sought revenge or to prove their superiority. Arenvald flashed to the front of Aran's mind, the product of only one of an unknowable number of such atrocities.

"Pyrrha, lead the way back to Beacon. Make sure they're all dead Qrow, then join back up with us after you've searched for any information."

The man nodded and headed towards a group of nearby bodies. As the group left the bunker, they could hear Harbinger's shotgun.

---

Ozpin watched Ironwood pace in his office with plain frustration. The General was absorbed in his scroll, directing his forces as best he could while ignoring the looks of Ozpin and Amber, as well as those of the two small robed frames that were Amber's Kingsguard detail. Off in a corner overlooking Beacon and Vale, Y'Shtola and Ryne stood conversing too quietly to be overheard.

The two Kingsguard were both elderly, though Beacon's Headmaster knew better than to underestimate them. It was him who first appointed the elderly figures to their roles after the Great War after all. Even so, Ozpin was surprised to see that they were still in service at their ages.

Taric Creed and Lupo Ray were heroes among Huntsmen, though they had disappeared from the face of the public some thirty years ago. Their stories and fame were slowly forgotten by the newer generations, until they had faded into obscurity.

The Headmaster's scroll rang, startling Amber. Ozpin gave her an apologetic smile as he picked it up and found his caller to be Qrow. He answered.

"What is it, Qrow?"

"The majority of the White Fang has been eliminated, but there are a couple complications. First and most relevant to you, Taurus wasn't among them, and there were less than there should have been. Aran has a source that spotted an unmarked Bullhead going towards Beacon. It is possible that Aran's assailant is on board, a man named Arthur Watts, whom I'm sure both yourself and Jimmy are familiar with. With him seems to be Cinder Fall, our wannabe Fall Maiden. On top of this, Tyrian Callows got away, but not without Aran taking her pound of flesh in the form of his tail. It's likely that they're meeting up to assault your position directly."

Ozpin nodded slowly.

"Very well. There haven't been any sightings or mention of Hazel?"

"Not that I've seen or heard. I'll run his description by Aran and her friends from… Erza, that recently arrived."

That piqued the Headmaster's curiosity. He hadn't heard of Aran having allies that recently arrived.

"When did they get here? How many of them are there?"

"Three of them, and they arrived when Aran saved Amity. Look, they're not important at the moment. Team MOAT wasn't in Vale with their parents, they were captured by the White Fang for information. Their families died in the initial capture."

Ozpin blinked. He knew the parents of that team; several of them had been graduates of Beacon themselves. "And the status of Team MOAT?"

"Tortured and killed, except for Amethyst. From what I'm seeing here, the younger Priya twin was the first to die, after being forced to watch his sister… yeah. That gave the Fang the information needed to sneak explosives onto Jimmy's ships last night. Trevel was the next, and Maya was kept alive for Tyrian's sadistic enjoyment. Amethyst got the worst of it though, and is being brought back to Beacon's medical wing by Aran. Don't piss her off, her control is wavering."

"Noted. Thank you for the report Qrow. Truthfully, I wasn't expecting you to keep me in the loop after how close you two have gotten."

"It wasn't for you. I just don't want to see anyone else hurt more than they already are. Except maybe Jimmy. Make no mistake Ozpin, I don't trust you as much as I used to, but I don't think you're a bad person. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone has their own views on what those mistakes are."

Before Ozpin could respond to Qrow, one of the elderly Kingsguard spoke up.

"Thirteen individuals with hostile motivations have entered my range of divination."

Taric, then. Next to him, Lupo was the next to speak.

"Their emotions are too far set on violence. I can do little to dissuade them from their intent."

That announcement caused Ozpin to sigh. Taric's Semblance, like Qrow's, was passively active at all times. Within a certain range, the man could sense emotions while Lupo possessed the ability to influence the emotions one felt, if they weren't fully set on that emotion. A most effective pair, even at the age they were at now.

"Nonetheless, I thank you Qrow. If I may, would you kindly send Aran and her allies this way after ensuring Miss Priya's arrival to the medical wing? We seem to have a rather large number of intruders coming this direction, and I'd sooner keep this game stacked in our favor."

Silence reigned for a few moments until a slightly angry Qrow responded.

"She's contacting Torchwick and sending him in your direction. Glynda's busy coordinating a response to the Grimm that have begun making their way through Jimmy's and King Braylor's defenses with the students still at Beacon, so I wouldn't count on her being able to provide much help. But let me be clear Oz, the lives of these people are no game. Perhaps that's why I respect Aran so much more than you. Nothing serious is a game to her."

The mention of Glynda was another surprise for Ozpin. Was he truly so blind as to not see that one of his closest confidants had turned to another for leadership? Perhaps there was more to Aran's form of fighting against Salem than he knew, or was unable to see with his many years of experience. And yet, she had clearly proven her worth of their trust, so he couldn't even be upset with the change in his allies' allegiances. It was something worth thinking on, when he had more time to think on it.

"Headmaster Ozpin?" Taric asked, drawing his attention once more. He nodded to the man to continue. "There's another person here as well, bearing no hostile intent. But they are… overly curious, with a dislike aimed at you. But the curiosity is overpowering it, and I believe our resident Erzan Vinland is the object of her obsessive curiosity."

"Today truly is a day for surprises." Ozpin answered. He was confident he knew who this unknown quantity was. And her presence was indeed most curious; it wasn't every day that Raven Branwen risked the attention of her brother and Ozpin both in order to satisfy her own curious nature. Perhaps she had somehow gotten word that Aran was more or less tutoring her daughter? If there's anything that would get Raven to enter Vale or Beacon, it was her daughter's well-being.

The Headmaster lowered his scroll, seeing that Qrow had hung up. He turned to Ironwood, who even now had mostly tuned out what had been said in favor of keeping his soldiers on the ground coordinated.

"James?" Ozpin asked, finally bringing the man's attention to the room he was in.

"Do we have company?"

Ozpin simply nodded, looking towards the elevator.

"Indeed. Perhaps we should relocate to the basement."

"But the Vault-"

"Is in no danger of being opened. Even should Amber fall, Cinder and her allies do not possess the intelligence to even find it. No, I suspect the only people capable of doing so in such a short amount of time to be the Erzans. Besides, we have someone that might make at least one of them rethink an assault."

Amber chuckled lightly.

"Cinder won't give a rat's ass about Emerald."

"I was referring to Hazel, actually. Let us go."

---

Doctor Oobleck watched the Erzan who introduced himself as Hades with interest as he moved from person to person within the medical wing. Oobleck himself was called in to help Holly simply due to demands for personnel licensed to dispense medications. While the study of history was his primary vocation, he was also a licensed nurse, mostly due to the fact that the study of the human body may be pivotal in ancient ruins; evolutionary cycles were most fascinating when combined with changes to architecture.

In fact, such a discovery was about to come to light as he watched Hades perform his healing magicks. The good Doctor had been pondering the ruins in the Emerald Forest for years, with little to show for it until the arrival of the Erzans. The first thing to come to light was the similarity of their written language to the one found engraved on a number of walls within the main structure that Ozpin felt the need to place his Initiation relics in. Then came the application of the Erzans' Auras being significantly different to that of modern Remnant. The ruins possessed a long-since-destroyed form of transporting energy to move doors and activate things that no longer functioned. But no matter what was done to try and activate the initial process, it remained inert.

Until one of the Erzans used their abilities within the ruin. The defunct system seemed to prime itself, as if ready to accept the same energy it was meant to transport. Then it dawned on the good Doctor that it was meant to transport aether, the Erzans' term for the souls that everything living thing contained. But why did such an ancient ruin, dating back thousands of years, respond to the Erzans? Or, more properly in the language written in the ruins, the Created?

And now, as he watched Hades once more simply create flesh and muscle to replace that which was damaged, did he realize that the implications of who the Erzans were was much greater than simply people who lived on a different continent.

Creation magick. The Created. Erzans were not simply the people who came before, they were the first, the original creations of the Brother Gods if those myths were real.

Oobleck dropped his coffee in astonishment.

---

Ruby Rose spun her scythe expertly, shearing off the arm of an Ursa before removing its head with a flourish and a trail of rose petals. She landed back on the streets of Vale breathing lightly as she scanned around for her next move.

She had once cursed Aran's training along with the rest of her team, but now she fully understood the necessity of it. She had now doubt that had they not gone through it, they would be dead tores by this point. She glanced down as her boot kicked something… soft. Seeing the severed leg caused her to tense, but she locked away the terror she felt at seeing the sight, putting it in a place in her mind to think about at a later time as she had heard Ryne talk about doing when she needed to focus. Right now, people still living needed her.

Team RWBY's position was near one of several breaches in Vale's wall, supporting a mix of Valean and Atlesian soldiers with the aid of some Atlesian Knights. The robots were indefatigable, yet their numbers were growing thin. Useful though they may be, they were not the most intelligent of things and rarely used any tactics beyond advance and fire unless they were being directly controlled.

Alongside Team RWBY stood Team NDGO, who had originally been trying to flee Vale when RWBY found them. After a few choice words from Ruby to Nebula Violette, the team's leader, the team was shamed into helping defend the city.

As they fought through Grimm horde after Grimm horde, it became increasingly clear to Ruby that their training had paid off. The team from Shade was already nearing their breaking point, having taken point with RWBY in an attempt to spare the soldiers from being forced into close combat.

"We're clear! Move up to the breach!" Ordered a sergeant from behind the students.

That was another problem, Ruby had realized. All of the Atlesian officers had fled towards central Vale, where General Ironwood was attempting to muster his scattered forces. This left the Valean soldiers mostly on their own, with the exception of the Atlesian soldiers who refused to abandon the citizens of Vale. This had revealed a rather glaring flaw in the Atlesian forces: their officers were loyal to Ironwood, while their soldiers were loyal to the people. The invasion had widened that rift to the point of mutiny, though in these circumstances, the young Rose had been thankful for it as it meant they had nearly a platoon supporting them and even praising them for their help, even though they weren't licensed Huntresses yet. It was humbling to Ruby, reinforcing her decision to lock away her emotions for the duration of this… betrayal. Aran's words floated through her mind, though she doubted the woman would ever realize that words spoke of in mere passing for a completely different reason would have such an effect.

Don't let your emotion cloud your actions, Ruby. Put them aside and deal with the now with a clear mind. Tests aren't as scary as you believe them to be, especially when you take a step back and realize that you're only stopping yourself from performing at your best if you let that fear take control.

Ruby aced that test in Professor Peach's class that day.

As the soldiers began to rush forward to take advantage of their temporary lull in combat, the rest of Ruby's team began to gather until a pained cry was heard somewhere off to the east in a patch of rubble created by the debris of a destroyed airship.

As they approached, along with NDGO, they heard the cry again. A quick search revealed a middle-aged man pinned to the ground by a sharp piece of metal from the ship, running through his gut. Anything below the shrapnel was obscured by rubble.

"Hold on, we'll get you out!" Ruby stated as she tried to think of a way to free him. But no matter how she looked or tried, she simply couldn't find a way to do it. A look to her teammates revealed nothing, though she did see Blake look away with sadness in her eyes.

The man's pained and pale face gave another cry, urging Ruby to give him another look over. He was clearly in pain, though he wasn't fully conscious.

There has to be some way to get him out!

As another minute passed, her searching grew more and more frantic, until the cat faunus finally stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. Ruby tensed as she looked up, finally seeing the looks on her team's face.

"Ruby, I don't think we can help. The best we can do is end his suffering." Blake stated slowly.

Her eyes widened in horror.

"No! Nononono, there has to be something we can do! We can… we can… what if… maybe he might… but can we..."

Yang and Wiess came up to their leader and placed their own hands on her shoulders. Yang glanced at Blake and nodded.

The faunus swallowed the bile that rose in her stomach and nodded back, reaching for Gambol Shroud while approaching the man. Thankfully, he wasn't aware of what was happening. The closer she came, the more confident in her choice she became as she scanned the extent of his injuries. The rubble had completely pulverized his lower extremities, a fact that she was glad Ruby had missed. With her enhanced vision, she could see the shards of bone mixed in with the muddy ground beneath the man.

Then, she heard Ruby's muttering for her to stop. Blake hesitated, wondering if she needed to dodge out of the way. Instead, her leader's words shocked her and the others present.

"No. Let me do it Blake. It should be my burden, not yours."

The faunus turned in silent contemplation, ignoring the warning looks that Yang sent her.

Contrary to Aran's belief that most of them were innocent and naive, most of the first years she spent time with were well aware of what their future occupation entailed. A shorter life expectancy, understanding the need to kill to protect. Even ending a life for mercy. Blake understood it most of all among them having the past she did, except for Pyrrha. She had done her best to open the eyes of the others of this fact the moment she had seen the birds that Aran wanted them to bond with, understanding exactly what her plan was.

The only person she hadn't gone over it with was Ruby, but only because of Yang's insistence. The elder sister was worried about her charge, and understandably so. Yet, somehow Blake knew that Ruby perhaps understood better than them all in her own special way. And now she was proving it, as well as the fact that she may be the most mature out of all of them when it came to this topic. Following her gut instinct, Blake ignored Yang's warning.

"Strike a clean blow. You don't want to cause more pain than he's already in."

Ruby nodded, pulling away from her sister and partner. She pulled Crescent Rose from her back and ran her hand along its edge as she approached the man.

Idly, she thought about how she had never seen herself taking a life of any kind, under any circumstances. Then she remembered a train filled with explosives, and the people she had thrown off it. It pained her as she realized what she had done unknowingly, but now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. A voice that reminded her of her mother's sounded off in the back of her mind, praising her for keeping herself together in a time of adversity. Compartmentalizing, so that she can deal with the here and now and face the consequences after. She first learned about it from Uncle Qrow recently when she asked him why he drank so much and how it didn't affect him in the field. Only now was she realizing that the term was the exact same thing that both Ryne and Aran had told her about. She could break down later; right now, Vale needed her and her team. And this man needed peace.

She raised Crescent Rose, thinking of something to say. Then Aran and a past conversation about spirituality came to mind. Would such a prayer even sound right coming from Ruby's mouth?

"May the Brother Gods shelter you. Be at peace."

A minute later saw the teams slowly returning to the front line, silent as they all looked upon the youngest of their number with mixed feelings.

Standing on a rooftop near them, and having watched all that had happened, was Raven Branwen. Interesting, she had thought, to see a copy of Summer having already learned to put the fallen to rest. It had taken Summer up until her final year at Beacon to make the same decision as her daughter made now. Raven turned her head to look upon Beacon's tower, before turning into a raven and flying away moments before another tremor shook Vale.

---

Aran, Pyrrha, Alphinaud, and Alisaie carefully strode into Beacon's medical wing, the Warrior ensuring her passenger's modesty despite Amy's blank look. Only a few moments after she entered she noticed Doctor Holly waving her over to a private room that looked to have been hastily cleared and cleaned.

The moment they entered, Holly had the door closed and was ushering Aran to deposit Amy on the bed.

"How bad?" Holly asked, unwrapping the girl while checking her eyes for any reaction.

"Non-PERRLA, completely unresponsive on the way here. Major physical trauma from torture, but it's the mental I'm worried about."

Holly nodded quickly as she bustled around the room as only a medical specialist could. Then, she began to usher Aran out of the room with an expression that brokered no argument. The moment she was out, the door slammed closed behind her.

Her companions were watching her expectantly, causing her to shrug as she addressed them.

"Let's leave her to it. Cinder and her allies should be here any time now. Actually, I'm surprised they aren't here already."

As if her words were a summons, a rumble was felt through through the building, causing everyone to look around.

"That's likely our uninvited guests. Shall we?" Alphinaud asked. They all nodded and began to make their way back to the entrance of the medical wing. Along the way, Emet-Selch attached himself to their group. His arrival was greeted by a nod from Aran, causing him to give a small grin even as the Warrior held a hand up to her ear.

"Y'Shtola, what was that rumble we felt?"

"The elevator was blasted apart to allow Cinder's faction access to the basement. They haven't - wait, they've just landed down here. Cinder, Taurus, your assailant from Amity, a few men and women dressed in White Fang uniforms. We'll hold them off as best we can for now, but Ozpin and Ironwood are adamant about keeping Amber from helping."

Aran shook her head in disappointment. The woman may not be fully recovered physically, but her control of aether was still well refined. The Maiden's abilities may have been half drained, but she should have been able to make up for this through her own Aura. Everything she and Y'Shtola had seen pointed to there being no reason a Maiden couldn't overcharge their gifts with their own Aura; perhaps it simply hadn't been thought of before?

She shook her head to clear her mind and smiled as she found Torchwick catching up to them on their trek through Beacon's halls.

"Anything to report?" Aran asked the criminal mastermind.

"Maybe. Neo's getting worried about the repeated tremors in Vale, and it's even worse for the people. It's attracting more and more Grimm, while the Valean and Arlesian forces are beginning to falter. I've contacted every single person I know that can help defend the city, and my people finished transporting everyone off Amity, where the Huntsmen and students were pressed to aid in repelling the Grimm. Even so, I don't think it's enough. Neo showed me what's out there, and there's simply far too many Grimm. They won't stop coming." The man's voice had thankfully dropped to a near-whisper, so as to avoid spreading even more fear among those they passed.

"It might be time to think about evacuation." Torchwick finished.

The only response he received from Aran was a tightening of her lips. From behind them, Alphinaud spoke up.

"Retreat is not an option; this is their home. Rest assured, we will ensure their safety, even if we must contemplate something we had thought never to use."

Beside him, Alisaie shot her twin a surprised look.

"That's why Aran gave you… but, would it even work here outside of the Source? Surely, he can't-"

Surprisingly, it was Pyrrha who answered the female twin's question.

"The Lifestream is present throughout all of the Shards, if what I've seen is true. It will work."

"Great! Really! But… would someone mind filling me in on what we're talking about here?" Torchwick pleaded. His question would remain unanswered however as they came to the entrance of the elevator. True to Y'Shtola's word, the carriage had been blown apart to reveal the shaft. The Scions and their allies exchanged a nod, then moved towards the hole. Before they jumped in, Aran turned to Pyrrha.

"Stay up here and watch the entrance. I don't want anyone to be buried alive down there."

The Mistrali Champion nodded, understanding immediately the need to have their exit secured.

Behind them and unseen, Emet-Selch watched. He nodded slowly to himself and turned away, opting instead to walk towards the entrance of Beacon. His eyes rested on the distant peak of Mount Glenn as he crossed his arms and frowned.

There lies not just something terrible, but another creature besides. A Grimm of some kind to be sure, and the largest he has seen yet. But there was something else as well, something that didn't belong on this Shard. A summoned creature, no doubt feasting in the Grimm's aether.

His mind wandered to Aran's mention of Ifrit. If one such summoned creature existed, then this was likely another, yet he wasn't confident in knowing which one it could be. Not the shadow of the Meracydian Dragon, to be sure, but it was still large enough if what he felt was an indication.

"Oh, the things we do for love," the Ascian muttered to himself. Gathering himself, he took flight towards the distant mountain, taking care to avoid the Grimm and airships on his path.

He would do what he could to keep the creatures confined for the time being, but he could not keep them there for long.

"Hasten thy actions, Azem. The cost of dallying shall be steep indeed."

---

They fell for what felt like a minute. When Aran's eyes picked out the ground fast approaching, she thrust her hand holding Memory forward to fill the remaining portion of the shaft with wind. The result was the slowing of their descent until they touched down softly.

The basement where Amber had been held for months was a battlefield. Half of the overhead lights had been shattered, either by bullet or by the simple fact of that portion of the stabilizing structure having been destroyed. There were several broken bodies laying in various places, though not all of them were enemies. Aran could easily pick out two crumpled forms wearing bloodstained robes laying among three others that belonged to White Fang members. Any other unknown members of the terrorist organization were either leaning against a wall unconscious or otherwise attempting to staunch blood flowing from wounds.

Ozpin was fighting Cinder it seemed, while Ironwood exchanged blows and taunts with the man that had attempted to assassinate Aran. A nearby pile of rubble looked to be shifting, and near it lay the fallen form of Winter Schnee. Unlike the Kingsguard, she still took shallow breaths, though she was not conscious.

Y'Shtola was dancing around Adam Taurus, provoking him with taunts and smirks. His katana was dripping with blood, though none of it seemed to be Y'Shtola's; it was likely one of the Kingsguard's, if not both of theirs. He seemed to be rather winded, indicating that his fight with the Kingsguard before Y'Shtola had been not as easy as it likely seemed.

Ryne was fighting with a previously wounded Tyrian Callows, whose mouth was practically frothing in madness and desperation.

Behind them all, in front of the machine that had kept Amber alive for months, stood the Fall Maiden with Emerald Sustrai at her mercy, a knife to the dark-skinned girl's throat. The young woman looked shattered, betrayed, as if her entire life had just been turned upside down as she stared at Cinder in disbelief and mounting rage.

It was only a moment later, when some rubble near a wall began to budge, that Aran knew anything about the monster of a man named Hazel.

He practically exploded out of the rubble, Dust crystals protruding from his skin and his vision set solely upon Beacon's Headmaster.

"Ozpin!" The man bellowed. Behind them, Aran caught Y'Shtola's eye and nodded, their plan already worked out.

Y'Shtola quickly Rescued Aran, pulling her to her Miqo'te lover just in time for Aran to parry Adam's attempt to take advantage of Y'Shtola's momentary distraction. Then, Aran plunged herself headfirst to Ozpin's defense with a Rough Divide.

So intent on Hazel were Aran and Ozpin that they failed to see Cinder leap back and form a bow fashioned from glass held in the grasp of a prosthetic arm. A moment was all the woman needed to draw and release, her arrow shattering into many smaller pieces directed towards the Headmaster.

Even as Aran's blades made contact with Hazel's frame, his Aura strong enough to hold back even Aran's impressive strength, Ozpin gasped as his own Aura shattered. Before Aran had arrived, he had been fighting both Cinder and Hazel, one of which was perfectly capable of standing up to the Headmaster. Adding the power-hungry woman into the equation had pressed him far more than he cared to admit, and now it had finally bested him as several glass shard pierced his flesh and brought him to the ground.

The Warrior ducked beneath Hazel's retaliation, her eyes darting to her allies as they attempted to reach the individual conflicts.

"A fine day to you. Can't say I know your name, though." Aran stated, avoiding another punch from the large man with a twist. Her smaller weapon aimed at Cinder as she slowly approached Ozpin's fallen form and fired a Lightning Shot, forcing her attention to the Viera. "And don't think I've forgotten you. This time, there's no Ruby to save your head."

She disengaged from Hazel with a leap, landing in front of Ozpin. The large man she had intercepted eyes narrowed.

"Hazel Reinart. Step aside girl, I only care for Ozpin."

The Elezen twins' eyes widened as they heard the man, but they said nothing.

"For what reason?"

"He killed my sister. So now I'll kill him, in every body he chooses to inhabit. I won't ask you again, get out of my way."

Aran glanced between her two opponents, slowly forming a plan.

"No, I don't think I shall." Hazel growled angrily, stepping forward once more at the same time as Cinder. "Fray, would you care to come out and fight?"

Darkness gathered from Aran's shadow, stopping both Hazel and Cinder as the Darkness began to take on a shape. One that was very familiar, with the exception of the armor and weapon. When the darkness finally faded, a figure in heavy armor stood, lack of a helmet revealing the face of Aran. In her hands was a very large sword planted into the ground, with her hands on its pommel. An ancient knight she looked like, with a toothy grin that promised death.

"Such is our lot. What else would I do, when the safety of others is at risk? I am with you, for we are the same. Give me the man known as Hazel. You and Cinder have unfinished business."

Aran nodded, donning a smile not unlike that of which her darkness made manifest wore. Her visor made hers more menacing as she cocked her head slightly.

"Let's play."

---

Torchwick had thought he had seen the dark depths that Aran could sink to even if she chose not to, the bloodthirsty aura that could almost will those around her to share in her bloodlust when she let it show.

Of course, this was before he knew that she could do… whatever it was she did just now to create a copy of herself. It wasn't just an illusion either. The Aran which wielded the massive sword was fully corporeal, taking and delivering blows to the man who named himself Hazel that would have felled the strongest of Grimm that Torchwick had faced in his life.

He shook his head to clear it, focusing instead on Adam Taurus. The faunus was still unable to hit Aran's lover. Melodic Cudgel came up as Roman took aim beneath the White Fang leader and pulled the trigger.

The explosive projectile caught the faunus off guard, though his reaction was extraordinarily quick as he was launched into the air. Blush came to bear immediately, firing a spread of Dust pellets towards the criminal. The man ducked to the side, smiling as Taurus began to devote his full attention to him. All part of the plan, though he was admittedly hesitant to trust the white-haired magic lady with something as important as his life. Especially since she didn't even know what the plan was. Did she hear or even see the large crow that had flown into the chamber shortly after Aran's party had landed?

His worry was misplaced. Within moments of an enraged Adam Taurus engaging Roman and beginning to overwhelm him with embarrassing ease, Y'Shtola's chakram struck true. Aether flared over his Aura and pushed him several meters past Roman, surprising him with how much it had drained his reserves. He turned with a growl, holding Wilt and Blush in front of him to absorb any follow up attacks. When none came, the bull faunus shifted around carefully to keep an eye on both of his opponents. With his attention so focused, he failed to react in time to the crow's caw before a boot made impact with the back of his skull.

He toppled forward, Aura flickering dangerously until Qrow's other boot made impact with his temple, followed by a point blank blast from Harbinger's shotgun. His Aura shattered as the faunus was thrown forward to Torchwick's feet. The faunus attempted to get up weakly, until the criminal mastermind sneered and gave him a savage kick to the head. Then he turned and whistled to himself, watching the woman he had willingly thrown his allegiance to face off against the woman that attempted to force it.

---

Raven watched her brother's actions with curiosity, perched atop a ruined support beam. Normally when he fought Salem's pawns, he went for the kill. What had stopped him this time?

Her avian head cocked in contemplation. Perhaps Taurus was not in league with her directly. If what she had heard of Aran was true, and her idiot brother had bought in with her, then perhaps the rabbit faunus had a use for the terrorist and wanted him alive.

Regardless, the majority of her attention was not on her brother. The one figure who held that honor, or perhaps two figures, was Aran Vinland. An unknown, and potentially a Maiden if the rumors were true. The question was, which one? Spring and Fall were out of the question, and it likely wasn't Winter; Ironwood wouldn't allow that kind of power out of his grasp. The only logical conclusion was that Aran had somehow obtained the Summer Maiden's power, though that didn't add up either. She could still feel the bond to the person nearest to Gretchen, which meant she had to still be alive. Her protector would have died without her caretaking otherwise.

More importantly at this moment however, she was watching the rabbit faunus make fools out of her opponents. Cinder Fall could do little more than survive Aran's onslaught through impressive agility and willingness to take risks. Something that both Raven and Aran knew would not promote her survival for long. The other Aran, the one that the original had called Fray, fought with a bloodlust that the original did not have.

Or didn't she? Perhaps she kept it hidden, buried beneath layers upon layers of discipline. Yes, now she could see it. She wouldn't have been a bad fit among the Branwens, Raven decided as she saw the fights progress. Maybe Qrow finally found a skirt he couldn't hike up, and decided that she was worthy enough to replace Summer in his mind?

She clicked her beak as she watched the one called Fray deliberately take a charged blow from Hazel and merely smile as darkness coated her blade in response, unphased by his second strike as it sailed into her armored gut. If anything, her smile widened. Then a flurry of blows rained down on the man that had no right to be as fast as they were. Even Hazel, tough a combatant as he is, was unable to weather the barrage. His Aura broke with a final thrust that sent him careening into a wall near Ironwood, Watts, and a white haired boy with… pointed ears?

A quick glance at the young woman faring decently well against Tyrian revealed nearly the same attributes and face, though obviously female. Raven shifted her attention back to the fight between the Atlesians.

Ironwood's firearm was nowhere to be seen while his prosthetic arm hung motionless at his side. It appeared that Watts had disabled it somehow, and judging by the General's grudging look to the boy, had been saved by the pointy eared young man holding a grimoire of some kind while being flanked by some kind of creature made from what Raven assumed was his Aura. Probably an unclaimed Schnee bastard, though Raven didn't know how one, much less two Schnees, could have gone unnoticed. Both looked to be the same age, so likely twins, but they looked to be only a couple years younger than the eldest Schnee sister. Back then, Willow had still been seen fairly regularly in public and the only children she had publicly shown were the known siblings. Perhaps these two were branch members then, not publicly known.

Whatever the pointy-eared Schnee's relation to the main family, she had to admit that he was definitely more experienced and willing to kill than most his age. His version of the Schnee Glyphs were… different. Different did not mean ineffective in this case however as the summon crossed the distance between the young man and Watts with surprising speed and latched on to the rogue Atlesian's left arm. Distracted, the man didn't see the glowing blast that came from the bastard Schnee that hurled him next to Hazel, shattering his Aura as well.

A manic howl drew Raven's eyes to Tyrian's fight. The man had been backed up against a wall, his eyes darting between his opponents with desperation. Several cuts and blood flowing from a rather large wound in his abdomen had shown that his Aura was shattered, yet the demented faunus even now still fought with what amounted to religious fervor. The female Schnee twin darted in quickly with her rapier, lethal intent clearly visible. To the exhausted and injured faunus' credit, he managed to block several of the stabs, yet finally succumbed when the rapier severed several tendons in his arms, then his legs.

The female Branwen twin turned her attention to Aran and Cinder, the former clearly more skilled and experienced than the latter. While Raven could say that Cinder certainly was a skilled combatant, it was easy to see that her emotions could quickly take control over her practiced skill. Something that Aran had taken advantage of as soon as it became clear.

Even with Cinder's full fury behind the glass-like twin shortswords she wielded, Aran didn't budge an inch when she blocked or deflected the woman's attacks.

"Give up, Cinder. You've failed again."

The would-be Fall Maiden roared in fury at Aran's words, redoubling the strength she lent to her attacks to little effect.

Aran sighed as she once more deflected the woman's attacks.

"Then you have chosen death."

The Warrior's retaliation was swift and brutal. The next time Cinder swung her blades, Aran darted forward with a boost from her armor. Memory slammed into Cinder's shoulder and forced her to her knees with the hook before Aran's knee made impact with her solar plexus repeatedly. Her smaller weapon's pommel slammed into Cinder's temple twice, before a rising strike from Memory finally shattered her Aura and sent her reeling, a crimson ribbon flooding the air she had traveled through.

Aran glanced down at the woman as blood began to pool from the gash crossing Cinder's torso in disappointment, ignoring the black-haired woman's attempt to rise again. With a shake of her head, Aran turned to read the rest of the room, before her gaze locked on to Raven.

The bandit made a decision immediately, turning to take flight.

---

Aran watched the raven fly away and up the elevator shaft with a raised eyebrow, then glanced at Qrow. He had seen the bird as well, bringing a scowl to his face until he turned and rushed to Ozpin's side. Others in the room did the same except for Ironwood, Torchwick, and the twins who instead began to round up anyone still alive. Amber released Emerald, who simply folded onto her knees without a sound.

The Headmaster of Beacon was pale, and Aran understood why as soon as she could get a view where the man had been wounded.

By sheer luck or an amount of skill that was unseen through the rest of the fight, Cinder's glass arrow splinters had pierced his right brachial and his carotid arteries before dissolving into particles. The amount of blood lost was near-fatal, and judging by Y'Shtola's shaking of her head, there was nothing she could do to save the man.

Upon the Warrior's approach, Qrow and Amber turned to her as she put away her weapons.

"He's asking for you, Aran. It's important."

Aran nodded as the others moved away to make room for her to kneel. When she did so, Ozpin's eyes locked on to hers with surprising clarity. He lifted the hand holding his cane, now retracted within the engraved clockwork hilt.

"Take it." Ozpin muttered as her hand wrapped around the hilt. "I'll be asking for it back soon enough, but keep it out of Salem's hands. With it, she could destroy a Kingdom." Ozpin's eyes glanced in Ironwood's direction before he attempted to lean in closer. He failed, prompting Aran to lower an ear. "And be careful with James. Without my presence, I fear he may take… drastic actions. Brayden may rightfully feel betrayed by the orders James gave to his soldiers, you must stop them from starting another Great War."

Aran nodded slowly, earning a smile from Ozpin. He gave a weak nod as he stared into her eyes, then they glazed over.

The Warrior closed his eyes and rose to her feet, drawing the eyes of those around her. She glanced at the hilt in her hand with a frown, then placed it in one of her bags.

"He's dead." Aran stated. Qrow nodded and glanced at Ironwood, who was dragging a bleeding Tyrian over to Hazel, Watts, and Adam. The general turned his head towards them as he felt Qrow's eyes upon him and glanced down to Ozpin. His jaw clenched and his Aura seemed to flare for just a moment as his Semblance reinforced his will. Then he turned away, his mind clearly already working on his next move.

Aran glanced back at the elevator, pondering the best way to get back to the top. Seeing her expression, Qrow gave a weary chuckle.

"We can grab on to a track built into the side of the wall. It acts as both a ladder and an escalator, as a failsafe against, say, the destruction of the elevator itself. It won't be hard to get back up."

Those gathered around nodded just as another tremor rocked the ground. Unlike before, it didn't subside. After a few moments, it dawned on Aran that it wasn't just persisting, but growing stronger.

---

Emet-Selch growled as he felt his barrier failing.

"Damned creatures! Stay down!" He muttered angrily as sweat trickled down his face. The mask of Hades was visible as a barrier that had taken inspiration from Aran's earlier accomplishment, cracked in multiple places around and within Mount Glenn.

Mount Glenn. It was far more than what it appeared to be, Emet-Selch had found out. In fact, buried beneath the mountain, deeper than the underground remnant of a failed settlement, he made a most curious discovery.

Azyz Lla, or rather, a piece of it. Something that had no business being present on this Shard, as he was fairly confident that the Allagans had never traversed Shards, aside from Emperor Xande's pact with the Cloud of Darkness. More importantly, this piece of Azyz Lla possessed something that promised a troubling future for Remnant: the fossilized corpse of Tiamat, lacking both of her eyes. More troubling was that she seemed to have freed herself from the Allagan device that she had willingly imprisoned herself in, as well as the prayer-like position her corpse had been found in. Somehow, this Shard possessed something that belonged to the Source, yet time seemed to have been vastly accelerated here. Perhaps certain things in the Source had been mirrored here, though he could not say for certain.

What he did know is that he desperately hoped that she had not summoned another Bahamut.

His focus returned to keeping his barrier up, but it was for naught. Another hit was all it took to shatter his barrier, along with the mountainside.

The Ascian was thrown back forcefully, only barely righting himself before he splattered against the ground. He looked up and cursed once more as he began to dodge falling rocks, taking flight and rising above them. Once he was clear, he glanced down to get a clear view of which creatures had been freed.

The first, true to his guess, was perhaps the largest Grimm he had seen, even counting those he saw when the Planet was whole. More importantly, it was a dragon of some kind. But that wasn't what worried him.

Upon its back was the Primal form of King Thordan and his Knights. Shining clearly in Thordan's sword was another Eye, likely to be Tiamat's. Even more troubling was the second Eye embedded within the lower center of Thordan's breastplate, reminding Emet-Selch of the Eye of Sabik contained in Allag's Ultima Weapon.

"Well… this isn't good." Emet-Selch muttered to himself, turning to head back to Vale as fast as he could. He hoped Aran had a plan for this.

---

King Braylor flourished his axes as he cleaved through Grimm after Grimm. Beside him fought a number of Huntsmen loyal to Vale, as well as his own Kingsguard and several students from the various Academies that had been attending the Vytal Festival.

The tide before him was unending, a fact that had begun to wear down his mental fortitude. Every time he looked, it seemed as if the Grimm tide had grown rather than shrunk, despite the fighting that had taken up most of the day. He pulled back when he heard the whistle signalling a line change, allowing the front line to swap out with a relatively fresh batch of Huntsmen and Huntressess.

That they had even managed to keep a relatively ordered line of combatants organized had been a miracle, though he had seen a number of defenders be overwhelmed by sheer numbers, allowing Grimm into his precious city. It was those Grimm that most of the students had been tasked with hunting down, rather than let their inexperience get them killed in the front lines.

He was dragging his feet wearily towards his command post, an inn that had been hastily converted to serve his purpose. Its owner gladly provided food and a place to rest for a few minutes to anyone fighting.

As Braylor's feet brought him near the inn, he felt another tremor and stopped, waiting for it to subside. Only this time, it wasn't subsiding.

He glanced back towards Mount Glenn and gasped as he witnessed what emerged from the mountain, now crumbling inward.

He hastily reached for his scroll before cursing, remembering that the device had been crushed by a charging Boarbatusk alpha. Thinking quickly, he dashed into the inn.

"A scroll, somebody get me a damned scroll! Now!"

A nearby Atlesian Huntsman fumbled before producing his, shocked at the King's outburst. Braylor took it without hesitation as he dialed in Aran's scroll number.