A/N: Good evening as I post this! Really wanted to get this chapter out before September 1st, and I'm sticking to that. This does mean that a certain event several people have been waiting for will be the beginning of the next chapter instead of the end of this one, but that works out. I want to make is as best as I can, and not rushing it will be important.
That said: read, comment, critique, all that fun stuff! I had some good criticism in the last chapter, and that is exactly what I'm looking for! Can't improve without it, ya know.
There were many things Thancred had wanted to learn how to do when he and the others first came to Remnant. Among them, was to learn how to pilot the airships that these people had created, these Bullheads. There were other kinds of airships of course, with there being many different models of just the Bullhead, but then there were the warships he had seen on his scroll.
What he didn't imagine was that his teacher would go about it with a deathwish in mind.
He frowned as he looked at the plethora of dials, switches, sticks, and buttons with some amount of urgency, while Gretchen cackled rather loudly in the seat next to him. His one hope for a helping hand was dashed when he heard the soft giggles coming from behind his seat, where he knew Summer was watching over Urianger and G'raha Tia.
Their bullhead, procured from Shade Academy after Gretchen and Summer revealed themselves to Headmaster Theodore, was much more advanced than the old Valean model that the others had taken. With the newer tech came more complexity, and was in no way similar to the various magitek platforms he had experimented with in the past. Regardless, he tried his best to stabilize their ride, failing until Gretchen at last reached forward and flipped a switch on the upper dash board. The effect was immediate, as he was relieved to find that he could control the Bullhead much easier.
"You couldn't have done that before?" Thancred grumbled, earning a toothy grin from the copilot.
"Nope. I like to see strong men struggle. It tends to humble them more than any rough handling on my part can do."
He shook his head at her words in defeat, knowing at once where her mind was headed.
"You're almost as bad as Aran. Mind you, that is no compliment."
"Almost as bad? And here I thought I was making progress with the kiddies gone. How can Aran be any worse?"
"She'd have been touching something or someone by now." Thancred deadpanned. "Her skill with a blade is outmatched only by her lack of decency at times. Truly, she has no shame."
He knew he had said something wrong as he watched her face light up.
"Skill with a blade, eh? Would you by chance have-"
"I think you've teased him enough, Gretch. Let him be." Summer's voice sounded. "How much longer until we reach Vale?"
The last thing she said immediately made Thancred cringe as he heard Aran's impatient 'Are we there yet?' sound inside his head. When the woman couldn't use aetherytes for transportation, she was a terror on her companions' psyche. Full glad was he to not have been on the ship bound for Kugane with Aran. Thancred shook his thoughts aside and looked down at the instruments in front of him before giving up.
"We should be there by nightfall." Gretchen supplied helpfully, earning a nod from the Scion.
"So…" he heard Summer begin. He glanced back and noticed her watching the Exarch closely. "Why is he covered in Dust? Or I guess crystal, as you say?"
Thancred opened his mouth to answer, then realized that he wasn't entirely sure himself beyond a point. But he did know it had something to do with his link to the Crystal Tower.
"Back in our home, he linked himself to an ancient construct called the Crystal Tower. It's an artifact from a bygone civilization called Allag, meant to harvest aether from… well, it boosts his strength by a large margin. The caveat of such strength is that he's bound to remain near it, or otherwise suffer some dire consequences. This is why we need to get him to Y'Shtola and Aran as soon as we can. If his body is falling apart at the crystalline bits, then his life is at risk. And seeing as I'm rather useless when it comes to manipulating aether these days, there is nothing I can do. Honestly, I probably wouldn't be able to do anything even if I were still aetherically sensitive anyways. My skill sets lay elsewhere."
He heard the frail woman hum to herself in thought, her mind clearly working at something until she spoke again several minutes later.
"If your friends are unable to help him, then I might know someplace we could take him."
Vicki's, a well known Café within a high-class residential district of Vale, was filled with mostly quiet chatter. Most of the furniture within the establishment had been moved to accommodate a rather large number of people at the request of Y'Shtola Rhul, the Archon and known patron of the café. The owner, fittingly named Vicki, had acquiesced immediately upon seeing Y'Shtola in person before the rest of her party arrived early in the morning.
Aran, dressed in a tight black t-shirt (Alisaie and Alphinaud were in shock, having never seen their mother-figure wear normal clothing) and jeans while wearing her gauntlet and bandages to hide her affected arm, sat comfortably while sipping from a white mug. Despite her long night and no sleep, her eyes shined brightly enough to hide the fatigue she felt. The dishes of her breakfast sat in front of her, piled neatly together. She was flanked by Y'Shtola to her right and Alphinaud to her left, at what was undeniably the head of the makeshift seating arrangement as the result of a joke. Next to Alphinaud sat his twin, followed by Emerald, Ryne, Cardin, Sky, and Dove. Then came Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora, the latter two of which were stuck in an argument that to Aran's understanding, had no correct answer and both of the participants were well aware of that fact. Sun, Sage, Scarlet, Neptune, Blake, Weiss, and Winter Schnee were next, deep into a conversation about the Schnee Semblance's use of glyphs and summoning alongside Sun's own Semblance. Beside Winter sat Amber, then Coco, Velvet, Fox, and Yatsu. Finally, an empty seat sat, and between it and Y'Shtola sat Emet-Selch, though his attention had not been upon whatever conversations were taking place at the table.
It was the first time the majority of Aran's students and friends had gathered in one place since the invasion, and also the first time any of the Beacon students had seen her in that time, minus her own team and Pyrrha. When they had first seen her, Aran was legitimately concerned about being crushed by the strength of their hugs. When they finally decided upon their seating arrangements, Alphinaud and Alisaie were properly introduced to the crowd as being part of the group that Aran and Y'Shtola were members of in Erza. Emet-Selch, or Hades as she had introduced him previously, she had stated shared a long and complex history with herself, though he was not part of the Scions. She instead simply stated that they were members of a council of eld, though she gave them no timeframe nor hints as to what council.
Emet-Selch had frowned at that, though it seemed to be one of disappointment in himself. And she knew why he had done so, recalling the conversation they had upon her return to the safe house. She was in the process of removing and cleaning the gore off of her equipment, the sight of which strangely hadn't caused any commotion as of yet among anyone in the streets or in Junior's club. Part of that was likely due to the cloak.
"It's time we had a talk." Emet-Selch stated, arms crossed. Aran looked up from the task of cleaning and reapplying the necessary oils to her right pauldron, seated as she was in a small wash room upon a chair. Her cuirass, helmet, gauntlets, and other pauldron rested orderly beside the shower head she was using for rinsing her equipment, while her gambeson, chemise, and bra were slung over a railing to dry alongside her cloak. It left her upper body bare, but the Ascian who spoke to her was clearly not interested in her assets at this time.
"What have we to speak of, Emet-Selch? Where we are now has nothing to do with your actions against me in the Source and the First. For whatever reason, Alphinaud and Alisaie trust you, and I cannot fathom the why of it. I dare say I don't even know your reason for joining them on their quest to come here, knowing full well that you would have no way to return. What of your plans for the First? For the Source? What is Elidibus doing even now, while we are trapped here to solve Remnant's problems before we can even find a way to return to our own?" Aran asked, glaring at the Ascian without ceasing the cares of her armor.
The man sighed and leaned against the doorframe. He glanced behind himself to ensure that none could hear them, though he knew that everyone else was asleep.
"A great many things, actually. First and foremost however, I can't help but notice your obvious hostility now while you were being reasonable before. And Emet-Selch, still? We know each other more than well enough to use our names in private. Our titles are unbecoming of us, Aranaea."
The Traveler of eld paused her ministrations for a moment.
"Why indeed? I am not petty enough to cause a rift in how we work together and how others work with you - because let's face it, if the natives of Remnant knew of my feelings towards you, they would not work with you - based on my personal hatred. I will remain civil while others are present and perhaps even as pleasant as I have been thus far out of respect for our first relationship as close friends, but do not mistake that for forgiveness which you have not received. And that is not who I am. Aranaea is shattered, sundered. I am not whole, nor would I forgive the Convocation even if I were. I did my duty as Azem for longer than any other who filled seats in the Convocation, and was cast out for doing so simply because it was not what you all wished to hear. No, I am Aran now. Ancient, but not. A Viera, Hyur, and many more. Sundered, but patched together into an abomination of a soul that did not wish to be brought together but still fulfills the duty of Azem, traveling among our creations and making friends and allies to solve the problems that would have taken the Convocation years to decide to take action upon. We may have been close, Architect, but you threw away everything that made our relationship work. Not just once, but twice, with one of them even being what you had long hoped for. Do you understand, Hades, how much you fucked up? How little I trust anything you say?"
A nearly inaudible gulp was heard from the man as he closed his eyes for several moments. When he opened them again, they were locked on to Aran's own, displaying a calm that she knew was practiced. The sorrow that hid behind them however, shocked her.
"I am aware, being the one who orchestrated certain events. I was a fool, am a fool. But I did not have the experience that you did. None of us did. I was the only one who truly knew you on the Convocation, and I placed more trust in my own experience than in your own. Yet, you did not provide an answer to our peril. Simply telling frightened people that they can't do something does not work if you do not provide a logical explanation for why they shouldn't do it. But I digress; there are other, more important topics you raised.
"Any plans I had are now gone. No longer am I beholden to Zodiark, but that does not mean that my soul and aether are no longer twisted and corrupted. Elidibus will play at being hero as he always has since the Sundering, not even being able to remember the why of his self-given duty. Once he realizes that neither myself nor his wayward pawn - that being you, of course - have returned to the Source, he will brave the past and enter my recreation of Amaurot." Emet-Selch ignored the look of curiosity that Aran gave him. "In the Tempest, I recreated the Final Days as an illusion, of sorts. If you were to go there now, you would find a number of familiar faces. Nothing more than Shades, but it was… comforting, I suppose. And a good reminder for what it was I fought for. More importantly however, I left several crystals behind, along with one who would ensure they would be found by either yourself, or Elidibus. Memories of who we are. I even created one for you, in secret, knowing that the other members of the Convocation would cast me out if they were made aware of its existence. You must understand that Elidibus is not who he once was. This Elidibus is one that never met you as Azem, raised as he was near the end, but he was given a duty which has all but consumed him. When he finally breaches my place of comfort, he will be reminded of why he was given his duty. What I am more worried about is the sundered, and how they will act without the leadership of the unsundered to keep them in line. Should Elidibus rally himself instead of disappearing, then there may be a chance that the chaos reigning in Garlemald could be settled. Elidibus may even help your friends. But should he not… well, even you can guess."
Aran nodded slowly, placing her pauldron down next to the other. She reached for her sollerets next and began doffing them as she thought of a proper response. Emet-Selch reached into his pocket and approached her, before sliding something orange down next to her. She glanced at it and frowned, recognizing the constellation etched into a perfectly circular crystal as her own. She nearly recoiled in shock upon recognizing it as a soul crystal, though much more refined than those used in Eorzea.
"You know who you are. But you are not what you once were. You may be more skilled with various weapon disciplines now than you were before, but perhaps you might learn something from yourself. Your magicks are noticeably less than they were, and not nearly as controlled as I recall them to be. Mayhaps this will help. Hythlodaeus presented it to me, in order to give unto you. I confess, I never thought that I would, especially as each incarnation proved to be a larger thorn in my side than the last."
Aran stared at the crystal, blinking several times before she gingerly picked it up. Hythlodaeus, like Hades, was a close friend. Close enough that she had given to him a crystal to teach him of what she learned on her travels, an honor that she hadn't even given to Hades. Of all the Ancients, Hythlodaeus had been her closest confidante; Hades had been a very good friend, but even he turned his back on her. Hythlodaeus never did, trusting in her over the Convocation after her exile.
"Fret not; your crystal refused to even speak to me. A precaution you took, I imagine, though I will admit to not knowing how you did it."
No response came as the Warrior ran her thumb over the constellation in the crystal. After several moments more, she placed it into her glamoured bag.
"Thank you for returning my gift. Have you ever found a fragment of Hythlodaeus?"
The Ascian shook his head.
"No. Never. Mitron and Loghrif, most certainly. Fandaniel as well, though he's a bit rough around the edges. Still theatrical as ever, that one, though insanity has overcome him. Elidibus has had a hard time keeping him in check. But never our old friend. Why do you ask?"
Aran sighed as she began to vigorously scrub at a spot where one of her sollerets folded.
"I'm confident that I've found him. Though he seems to have weathered the sundering rather well, all things considered. I do believe this fragment of him is not one of fourteen, but of a smaller amount. Mayhaps even as few as two or three."
As she spoke, Emet-Selch seemed to lean forward in… not quite excitement, but certainly intrigue.
"Who is it?"
"Pyrrha Nikos."
Indeed, the Ascian had looked at her in surprise. But it was at that time that she had clearly dismissed him, and so he left.
Which now left them barely looking at each other, one in disappointment and another with a self-loathing tint to his gaze when they would.
The atmosphere grew quiet as the door at the entrance opened, admitting a tall blonde man that most of them were by now at least semi-familiar with, even if they didn't know who the renowned members of Team STRQ were. Aran wasted no time in waving Taiyang Xiao-Long to the empty seat nearby.
He complied immediately, trudging over with a grin that the Warrior knew meant good news.
"When you said that everyone would be here, I didn't quite think you would manage it on such short notice. I'm impressed!" The man said loudly, his grin reminding Aran of Ruby. Despite appearances, this was actually the first time she had met the man face-to-face. That wasn't to mean they didn't know about each other; his daughters had made sure that both were aware of who the other was, and how much they meant to the girls over the school year.
"I aim to please," Aran answered with a smile. She waited until he received some much-needed tea from Vicki before asking what she was wanting to know. "I would take your grin to mean that Ruby's prosthesis is working for Yang?"
What little conversation was going on by that point died down to hear what Tai would say.
"It's… actually even better than we imagined. The procedure took most of the night, but Yang fought through the pain like a champion. She slept for a couple hours before declaring that she needed to go for a walk. Which she did successfully, under the watch of a few physical therapists and Mulberry."
The students who knew Team RWBY cheered loudly, then began to ask questions about the girls. Under the table, Aran felt Y'Shtola give her thigh a happy squeeze before she leaned over to whisper.
"I'm glad she's going to be okay. It's nice to see something come together like this, without violence and without someone trying to take advantage of it. It seems like we've had far too little of these kinds of victories in the last few years."
The Viera nodded and smiled, until the questions barraging Tai finally began to die down. It was then when Cardin seemed to ask the question that had been on everyone's mind.
"So Aran, I've been wondering… how's your prosthetic holding up? Is it another experimental design like the one you and Ruby designed for Yang?"
One of her ears twitched as she cocked her head. The Scions and Emet-Selch recognized the twitching as a sign of irritation, though none of the others had seen her truly become irritated enough to read the action accurately. Her voice remained happy however.
"What do you mean? Ruby designed the prosthetic, I merely aided her research by sharing something I had been working on in Erza. The actual creations and blueprints were all her own doing."
Ryne raised an eyebrow in imitation of Aran before speaking over Cardin.
"Perhaps, but she wouldn't have gotten as far as she did without you. You give yourself far too little credit for your actions. And don't think I didn't notice your avoidance of Cardin's question about your arm."
A sigh escaped from Aran's lips. The Scions and Ryne were adamant that she shouldn't hide her arm from their closest allies, and it seemed that even now, Ryne was unwilling to drop the subject. Deciding that her friends had finally won something over her, Aran rolled her eyes and began to fiddle with the gauntlet.
"It's not a prosthesis, in any case. With the ability to manipulate aether to a level that Hades and myself are capable of, there comes inherent risks. One of those risks is the channeling of too much of a certain kind that it begins to twist and corrupt the aether around it. In my case, I possess an unnaturally large amount of Light aspected aether, enough that it should have corrupted me. Earlier in the year, you seldom saw me use aether for spells of any kind while I used aether that was not aspected towards Light in order to regulate it, with the aid of Ryne and Y'Shtola. The result of losing control of it, of letting it corrupt anything around it… well, you all saw what happened to Mercury Black. He became what we call a sin eater, a creature capable of threatening anything around it. I had no choice in the matter; it was kill him or be killed. Regardless, during the final moments of the invasion, I did lose control once more. This time, over myself, as opposed to my surroundings."
As she spoke, Aran finished fiddling with her gauntlet and removed it. The bandages covered her hand, leading her to begin to unravel them.
"Prepare yourself. It is fairly unsightly."
Blinks and gasps came from the rest of the table as her deformed hand and arm came into view. As before, Y'Shtola's reassuring grip on her thigh encouraged her to keep going until the entirety of the deformation was laid bare. Alphinaud and Alisaie pointedly looked away, having already seen what happened. When she removed the last of the bandage from her shoulder, the Warrior lifted her arm.
"The process of turning into a sin eater, or in my case a Lightwarden, is never partial like this. I have Hades to thank for containing the corrupted aether into a single part of my body."
Hades said nothing, though he did roll his eyes. It was Alisaie who spoke up with a genuine question.
"I have been wondering about something since I first saw it. Do you know if harming something with it has the same effect as a sin eater? Does it corrupt the injured party's aether like a sin eater?"
"It doesn't." Ryne answered immediately. Most of the table didn't fail to notice Y'Shtola's sudden interest in the fresh cup of tea she had in front of her. "She and Aran came to me after… a mishap of sorts. The damage to Aran's flesh has already been done, but her aether has since untwisted itself due to whatever it was that Em- Hades did."
When Aran opened her mouth, Y'Shtola sent her a glare.
"There are children present, o' lover mine. Do not say what I know is about to leave that mouth of yours."
A shrug was all that answered the Miqo'te, though Aran didn't say what she was about to. Strangely enough, it was Taiyang that stood up and approached the Warrior, taking a closer look at her arm.
"This… is something Summer would have liked to see. It reminds me of what she could do with her eyes to Grimm almost, though there's enough difference to maybe suggest a different method of delivery of what she did. It also only affects Grimm as far as I know."
"Her eyes?" Aran's lover inquired. "What was special about them?" They had some inkling from Ozpin and Qrow about what they were, but another perspective wouldn't hurt.
The man crossed his arms in thought.
"Summer and Ruby have silver eyes. While they're not widely known, silver eyes are a trait of a clan of warriors relevant to Remnant's past. They possess some sort of ability to combat Grimm rather effectively, kind of like some legends you might hear." Tai glanced at Amber as he said the last part. "It's not really something that can be taught by those that don't have the eyes, so I haven't even touched the subject with Ruby. Still, I've always found it ironic that due to Qrow, Ruby uses a similar weapon to one of the most renowned Silver-Eyed Warriors. He based part of his fighting style and his weapon around a former Huntress who went by The Grimm Reaper, though Raven thought it was stupid."
"None of us from Erza can say much on that matter." Aran stated as she grabbed for the soul crystal Emet-Selch had given her last night. She held it up for Tai's inspection, though most of the table looked at it in curiosity. "Most of us take our first steps in learning an advanced discipline through the use of these soul crystals. Cardin knows the efficiency of such constructs firsthand, but I'm also positive that he has noticed it comes with its own set of challenges." The confused look on the Remnites' faces was swiftly clarified as Weiss asked the question they were wondering.
"How does a Dust crystal help with that in any way, shape, or form?"
It wasn't Aran that answered, but Emet-Selch while Taiyang took a seat once more.
"Quite simple, really. What she holds is not a Dust crystal. It's a soul crystal, containing the memories of those that it has traveled alongside. While Dust is condensed aether, a soul crystal is not a mere substance; it's a container. They're quite commonplace among Eorzeans - Erzans, whichever - as well as those that fought against them, such as the Garlean Empire, and even isolationists such as the Isle of the Learned, Old Sharlayan. In most cases, these memories are just that: memories. But in some cases, they take in more than just the holder's experiences. Those with more anima and aether than usual often impart unto these crystals pieces and impressions of their very souls, making them much more than mere vessels for memories from which to learn. The crystal Aran has bequeathed unto Winchester is a fine example, beyond the very same one she now holds. They become more akin to a teacher, a living being, than just an object to learn from. Even now, Winchester likely hears the soul crystal whispering to him."
All eyes turned towards the suddenly nervous young man, who simply nodded in response. Then he wet his lips.
"Hades is right. Some of you have seen a few things that I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise, and it's the crystal that's helped me learn them. And the voice I hear is undoubtedly Aran's."
The Warrior smirked as her shadow seemed to lengthen beside her and take form. Only Y'Shtola and Emet-Selch noticed before the entity spoke, though the voice also came from Aran's mouth.
"The voice you hear is Fray, a splinter of my heart and soul devoted to the defense of myself and my friends at any cost. I hold within me a thirst for violence and blood, and while I can control it most of the time, Fray is the personification of that bloodthirst. I have lost many people in my life. Some of them have struck my heart much harder than others, and it is Fray's actions which have helped me resolve the inner turmoil which was ripping me apart. Haurchefant, Ysayle, and many others besides, they're always going to hurt. But with closure, you realize other things as well. Fresh losses always open a wound in your heart, and moving on will take time. But you will overcome the loss, stronger than you were before. It's much like taking someone's life, though the emotion that remains behind is different. With death, I feel regret and sadness, which eventually becomes hope and happiness. When I take a life, I feel revulsion and disgust. If that life was taken for good cause, the disgust settles mostly, but the revulsion remains. It's important that we keep holding on to such emotions, lest we become monsters in our own right. I do not claim to be a paragon of virtue, nor would I ever entertain the thought. I have revelled in the death of others in my bloodthirst, but the cause…"
Aran cut herself off, motioning towards Fray instead who finished the speech alone.
"The cause is because I know that there is one less person in the world that would harm me and mine. You have started down the path of a Dark Knight, Cardin Winchester. Is this one that you can walk, head held high?"
The young man nodded without hesitation, face resolute.
"Good."
And then Fray was gone, slipping back into Aran's shadow.
"And thus, you understand what a true soul crystal is. Any questions?"
Several hands were raised, but Aran ignored them as she smiled and began to wrap her arm. Alphinaud reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll and smiled while .
"Good news! Thancred, Urianger, and G'raha will be here tonight, along with our former hosts! A relief to be sure, considering the states of G'raha and Urianger when we left."
Both Aran and Y'Shtola nodded, though it was clear that the Warrior's mind was on something else. Alphinaud and Alisaie glanced at one another before shrugging, while Ryne frowned in confusion while also trying to hide her excitement at seeing Thancred and Urianger again. The object of their actions blinked and rubbed the back of her head.
"Sorry, that's great news that they're arriving. I'm positive that Y'Shtola and Hades can figure out how to bring them back to us, but right now I have something serious to discuss with everyone present."
Her embarrassment quickly faded as she stood, looking each of the room's occupants in the eyes before speaking once more.
"Vale is at war with Atlas, and in no small part due to my presence. I will own up to this, and I fully intend on finishing what I've started. I don't expect anyone here, Scions included, to follow me into this conflict of mine, but the fact remains that simply by associating with me, you will become a target if you aren't yet already. So here, I must deliver an ultimatum rather suddenly, and for that you have my deepest apologies. Those of you who want no part in this conflict, I would ask that you leave now, and I will spread a rumor of a disagreement between us in order to keep a target off your backs."
Her gaze focused on the youngest members of the group, as well as the elder Schnee.
"Make no mistake. Lives will be taken. The lives of soldiers, good people that just follow orders, unlike a band of terrorists. War is a monstrosity, and it is not clean, nor ethical. There will be disagreements within your friend groups and families. Some of you may even be disowned or disinherited. But this is a choice that is wholly yours to make, and I would not seek your companionship unless you are sure of the road you walk."
Y'Shtola nodded and smiled, speaking before anyone else.
"I for one, would find no better place than to be by your side." Alphinaud and Alisaie nodded in agreement as their smiles joined Y'Shtola's. No words were needed from them; the Scions have long since been able to understand one another without speaking. The next to speak was Ryne.
"I would be glad to remain with you as well, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one."
As she finished, Cardin and his team smiled.
"You would be hard-pressed to get rid of CRDL. We stand with you. Missing our fourth member, I wanted to ask if you would take my team under yours as Huntsmen-in-training like how Team RWBY is now."
A pondering look came from Aran. True, RWBY would be sticking with her instead of returning to Beacon courtesy of Arget's 'Completely Legal Field Promotion and Reassignment of Assets', as would JNPR. But she had left the choice up to the teams themselves on if they would accept her or return to an academy. A smile bloomed as she nodded in acceptance.
"Of course. So long as you recognize that we will almost exclusively be working in the field, instead of from books."
Cardin nodded gratefully, followed by Sky and Dove.
Pyrrha inserted her own decision to Aran's ultimatum as Weiss opened her mouth, causing the younger Schnee to huff.
"I don't speak for the rest of my team, but I'm with you to the end. I refuse to be left behind."
Jaune made to speak, but Nora's shout overrode him.
"Yay! Pyrrha's going to help us break people's legs, Ren!"
"I… don't think it's going to be as innocent as that, Nora. Perhaps-"
"Nope! We're going to break some legs. Aran's going to let us this time."
The rest of the group shook their heads in amusement as the duo began to debate, though Jaune just sighed and nodded to Aran, signaling his decision.
"Well then, I suppose I don't need to tell you that Atlas will not go down easy." Weiss stated at last, drawing an inquisitive eyebrow from her older sister. "At this time last year, there wasn't any reason to think open war would be a concern in my youth, unless it was with the White Fang. My father and I never agreed on many things, but this was one of them. And I'm sure he would expect me to side with Atlas in any case. But… I've learned more about the world in this last year than I feel I have in most of my life. More than my father would approved of, and definitely more than he would have let me if I were still in Atlas. He won't be happy that I'm still here in Vale, but that's not my problem anymore. If he wants Whitley to be his heir, then that's fine by me; it's time I start forging a new meaning for the Schnee name. I think I'll be starting that with helping Aran Vinland."
Winter nodded approvingly.
"If my little sister is set on this course of action, then I suppose that means you're stuck with me too. I need to make sure she doesn't bite off more than she can chew. Besides, Clover and Marrow are still here. Perhaps I'll see if we can't figure something out like what we were doing as Ace Operatives."
Blake's ears twitched as she made herself heard.
"I would like to stand with you too. I have connections you might be able to make use of in Menagerie, and besides that, I have a feeling that Ruby and Yang will be with you too. You helped me when I needed it, I would like to be there for you as well."
Beside her, Sun smiled and gave a thumbs up to the rest of his team. Sage and Scarlet rolled their eyes, but Neptune returned the gesture.
"Sounds like we're in agreement over here too! Point to where you need us, madame boss-lady! Just, uh… make sure you leave us some time to get back here from Haven, you know?"
One of Aran's eyebrows rose at that, while her tone turned slightly frosty.
"Madame boss-lady? How old do you think I am?"
Sun didn't back down, and instead just grinned wider. The sound of Emerald clearing her throat interrupted them.
"Have some class, monkey boy. Don't talk about an elder's age, especially a female's. I hear they are rather sensitive about that topic."
The clear ribbing at Aran's expense made her eye twitch.
"Watch yourself, girl. With age comes experience and a mind that can leave you groveling."
The green-haired thief simply smiled. It was clear that she was enjoying herself more now than she had with her previous companions, even if most of the students at the table still cast her suspicious looks.
It was Coco who spoke up next.
"I know I speak for Team CFVY when we say that we're with you. Unlike most of the others here, though, we'll be going back to Beacon when the time comes. Though I do recall hearing that you're getting rather tight with Professor Goodwitch, so I'm sure you could pull some strings if you need us. Speaking of, when are you heading back to Mistral, Sun?"
The monkey faunus shrugged.
"I don't really know. It sounds like things are getting rather heated between Queen Orgold and Headmaster Lionheart, if what we've been hearing is true. Most of the foreign students here have been offered a place at Shade Academy though, by that Councilman Xanth guy. Guy gives me the creeps, but it sounds like his actions are mostly governed by Shade's Headmaster rather than him. Which makes sense, since Vacuo's system of government is mostly the survival of the fittest. Theodore is the best Huntsman in Vacuo, which is why he's the one in charge of the education of Shade's students. 'It is the duty of the strong to guide the weak', so on and so forth."
The Scions present all tensed as they began to bore holes in the faunus with their looks. Sun became aware of it in an instant, throwing his hands up in surrender while giving them a pleading gesture. Y'Shtola took charge of the explanation.
"We know someone else who took to that philosophy. It started as a noble goal, with him searching for war orphans in a region known as Werlyt, and a few others besides. He adopted quite a few that he felt had promising futures ahead of them, and raised them as his own. The man's name-"
"Is Gaius Baelsar." Aran took over, shooting an apologetic look to her lover. "The children, mostly, turned out decently enough. I had the fortune of knowing a couple of them that chose a path separate from his and fled Garlemald. They're dead now, but I tried my best to keep an ear out when I could for information before coming here. The point we were going for is that his vision slowly warped itself away from the original intent, turning him into a warmongering Black Wolf."
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely, I believe is the phrase you've taken to using in the past." Emet-Selch interrupted, though Aran simply nodded. "And it is a phrase that rings true. We are straying from the important conversation. I will stand by your side for as long as you will have me. The Architect stands loyally united with the Traveler once more; use me as you will."
Taiyang shrugged and leaned forward.
"I can't really say I know you all that well, but Qrow's vouched for you when we had a similar conversation. And, you helped my daughters. Both of them. And I know that they're both itching to get out and do what they can to help you. While I haven't exactly spread my reputation to become known throughout Remnant like Qrow has, I also haven't let myself get rusty either. I'll stick by you so long as my daughters do."
With that, everyone's eyes shifted to Amber, whose face was still fairly gaunt from her ordeal. It was also inconveniently buried in a croissant when she felt the attention of the table shift to her, causing her to pause her chewing and look around. Most of the students had by now met her at least once or twice as she hung around Team ARY before the invasion, though they weren't really sure who she was beyond a relative of a Vytal Festival champion and that Aran had somehow saved her from something.
"What?" She managed to get out after swallowing. "I figured my presence here said everything. Ozpin wanted me o adhere to certain rules, and I've decided they're stupid. You can count on me if you need support, Braylor be damned."
The Dragonsong released a breath that she wasn't aware she had been holding and smiled in relief.
"Then I thank you all for your support and confidence. And as much as I would love to stay and chat with all of you, I think a visit to Ruby and Yang wouldn't be amiss. Taiyang?"
The man nodded and gave a rakish smile that reminded Aran of Yang.
"Just Tai is fine, but I'm not sure if Ruby will be awake. She was up for the better part of two days trying to make sure her designs were accurate to what she wanted out of them, as well as triple checking her craftsmanship."
Pyrrha Nikos was lost in thought as she watched the majority of the group stand up and begin to filter out of Vicki's after Aran's departure. It wasn't until Jaune cleared his throat that she even thought about who remained in the café besides herself. A quick glance revealed herself and Jaune for obvious reasons, Hades, and Amber who had returned to devouring an admittedly disturbing number of breads and pastries with an even more unsettling smile.
"So, uh… I've been meaning to ask you something for a little while now, Pyrrha." Jaune began, blushing slightly. "I… thought I would ask if you would like to go out sometime. Like… on a date?"
The champion sighed internally, knowing that this was coming at some point or another. She had previously hinted at her interest in Jaune, and it hadn't faded. But the time just seemed… wrong.
"I would be delighted to go out with you Jaune. But right now, it would have to just be as friends."
The blonde blinked in confusion.
"Oh… uh, okay. Well then… that's perfectly fine, I mean, but I thought I was reading into things right for once."
"And you were. I do like you. But right now, Aran needs me. It would be unfair to you and myself if we were to try something romantically involved only to find that I can't devote the time required. I want to be able to focus everything into making something work, and I cannot do that while Aran's at risk. I'm sorry."
Jaune frowned and pulled his hands together on the table.
"But… she has so many people helping her. We'd be able to make something work; I don't need all your time and dedication, you know. Besides, Aran somehow makes things work with Y'Shtola, and neither of them really have any free time either."
Hades cleared his throat to draw their attention.
"It's not as simple as you believe. To hold Aran as an exemplar in such circumstances is… idiotic. Nothing about her is the norm, including her romantic life, and even you should understand that. I believe what your companion is trying to say is that it is ultimately the safer gamble for a lasting relationship if you let it form after things have settled down. She is not telling you no, and she is not shutting you down. She is saying yes, once you both have the time and dedication to devote to a true relationship."
As he finished, Hades looked surprised to have intervened at all. Then he stood and walked out.
Pyrrha smiled at Hades' words. He was… very different from Aran's memories. The Hades she had seen wouldn't have bothered even talking to them.
"But," she said upon seeing Jaune's still-confused look, "I would love to do something with you, Jaune. What time are you thinking?"
How Y'Shtola had found herself inside a club that was actually open during the day, she would never know. It was without a doubt attributed to her lover's proclivity for the night life, even during the day, but she would never cease to be amazed at how the Viera would convince her to join her in such establishments regularly. The Miqo'te snorted internally as she remembered going to a strip club happily with her lover several months ago, only for Ryne to have followed them.
The trip to Junior's club had started with their departure from the café. The group had thinned considerably, leaving the two lovers alone with the exception of Taiyang. Unlike when they had gone to Vicki's early in the morning, it was now nearing midday and the streets of Vale had become much more populated. It took no longer than three minutes before someone had pointed out the Dragonsong's presence among them, though the woman had prepared for her first public appearance mentally beforehand.
What should have been a fairly quick walk towards the district where Yang was located turned into a much longer walk as people kept trying to stop and thank their hero, who simply nodded and waved in response. Not even Eorzeans were this irritatingly persistent in knowing the Warrior of Light, Y'Shtola mused. And so they arrived an hour and a half later than they intended, though it ultimately mattered little.
They arrived to find an exhausted looking Ruby slowly tinkering with Yang's leg.
The conversation was extremely short, mostly because once Ruby set down her tools, she fell forward onto Yang's bed and fell asleep. The older sister simply smiled, though her own cheeks were occasionally twitching in discomfort.
"Painful connection?" Aran had asked with a knowing smile.
"Maybe a little." Came Yang's reply. "Still hurts, but Ruby and my doctor say that my Aura should have finished healing the nerve endings into the prostheses by tonight. I hope they're right."
The Warrior shrugged.
"Don't ask me for answers, I haven't spoken to your doctor. If that's what they say, then I'm sure that will be the case. I just hope you know that I'm gonna be picking on you rather hard to get you back up to scratch."
A chuckle came from Tai, drawing their attention.
"No, no. I fully agree with you, I'd be telling her the same thing if you didn't beat me to it. Would you be able to spare her for a couple days though? There are a few things about our fighting style that I still need to teach her, now that things are getting more dangerous."
Aran nodded in tandem with Y'Shtola. It was something they were expecting; Yang's style, in the Scions' eyes, seemed to be lacking the lethal touch that Pugilists and Monks were known to possess in the Source. It seemed that Tai was now going to complete her education.
Using a spare piece of parchment on the table, Aran wrote a note to Ruby, asking her to meet later that night at Vale's airport. With a quick exchange to Tai and Yang that invited both of them along as well, the lovers left the room and found themselves humming near the exit of the hospital.
They knew that when that door opened, there would be a crowd waiting for Aran. Instead, Y'Shtola turned them around and made for the rooftop, pulling out her scroll and sending a message to Blake, asking her to meet them near an herbalist's shop in a seedier portion of Vale. Her response was immediate, stating that she was on her way.
All of the students that opted to stay with Aran would have their educations finished. Blake was no different, though her mindset was likely the only one among any of them except for Ren to handle what she wanted to pass on.
Utilizing the rooftops of Vale once more, Aran had grabbed Y'Shtola by surprise and they found themselves reaching their destination half an hour later where Y'Shtola spotted Blake leaning against the building they were going to enter.
"Glad to see you're here already," Aran stated with a smile and a wave. "I really should have worn something to hide my identity."
Blake gave them a shrug and a warm smile.
"I was actually only a district over, helping with some reconstruction on a faunus housing complex. And perhaps you should have. Why did you want to meet me here?"
"For furthering your education. What we're about to teach you stays between you, myself, Y'Shtola, and Ren once I've dragged him here as well. Understand? I don't care if your team asks you about it, but the specifics should remain private."
Blake frowned, but she nodded in agreement.
"Good. Follow us."
The moment they entered the shady establishment, strange aromas nearly caused the faunus to gag. Aran noticed, stopping to bend over and whisper into her ear loud enough for Y'Shtola to hear.
"Think of something that smells vile, but not vile enough to make you gag. Keep your mind centered on it and you'll be able to handle the stench."
Doing as Aran suggested helped Blake a surprising amount. Once she was sure she wouldn't be overwhelmed once more, she followed Aran further into the shop until they stopped at a variety of plants that looked out of place, though well cared for.
Without hesitation, Aran began to take a few clippings while waving over to the shop's owner, who was watching them carefully. She was an old woman, wearing earthy colors with a hat that reminded Blake of Coco's, though it had a pointed leaf sewn into the side.
"Ah, you're back again I see. And with someone else this time? A young protégé, perhaps?"
The lovers nodded as Aran handed a green rounded leaf that had purple veins to Blake.
"Indeed. This one and one other. I'm intending on teaching them some botany and alchemy with Y'Shtola's help. Both healing and poisons, lest you think I'm training assassins over here."
The old woman merely waved a hand in their direction.
"Bah. Assassins, healers, confectionaries, I don't care. Just so long as they pay for their materials. Prices are going up, what with your turning our forests into ash-covered wastelands."
Aran had no response to that, so she simply motioned Blake to join her. When Blake began to listen to Aran's explanations of the various plants they visited, which parts were useful ingredients, and how to harvest them most efficiently as well as in a way to leave the plants alive, she had thought she would be overwhelmed. Instead, she found herself listening with rapt attention, absorbing the information like a sponge. When Aran asked questions, she answered them correctly, and in turn asked her own questions when they came up.
Blake had asked at one point why Aran was the one doing most of the work, while Y'Shtola mostly observed or took an odd sample here or there. The answer wasn't one she was fully expecting.
"While some of what I'm going to be teaching you is common knowledge for botanists, alchemists, and other such professions which could be found in various tomes, the majority of what I will be teaching you comes from my tribe in the Range. Traditionally, we pass on such knowledge through apprentices. To teach one not of the tribe would be akin to committing treason in the Kingdoms. While Y'Shtola knows several of these secrets, it is my goal to pass on the entirety of this knowledge over the coming years to Ren and yourself, time permitting. Some of these secrets will have far more effective variations already in circulation at common knowledge, but many of them do not. Poisons in particular."
By the time they were done, Blake was surprised to see that it was nearly six in the evening. Aran handed off their ingredients to her in a large basket, and told her to take them to wherever she was staying and make sure they would be ready to be used tomorrow in order to make a variety of ointments, balms, salves, poisons, and potions.
With a smile and a wave, Aran and Y'Shtola left Blake to her own devices and made their way to Junior's club. Outside, they met Qrow, where they had previously agreed to meet in order for them to go meet Raven. Before they left however, the women went into the club and grabbed Junior's attention.
"Tell Moira Sol to meet me at Beacon. There will be others coming with me."
Junior nodded, looking like he wanted to say something, but he held off and waved her away. Shrugging, Aran left with her lover and motioned for Qrow to lead the way.
"And here I thought we were going to have some fun before getting back to work." Y'Shtola joked, glancing at Aran.
She shook her head in amusement.
"If you really want, we could embarrass Ryne some more. I'm sure we would have enough time if we were quick."
To their amusement, Qrow cleared his throat.
"Actually, we really don't have that kind of time. But we should probably at least go get your gear, Aran. I don't trust my sister farther than I can throw her."
Aran simply patted a spot near her belt.
"I have it all right here. I'm always prepared with protection, Qrow. Can you say the same?"
The man's mouth opened to retort, but Y'Shtola was faster.
"Now now, lover. You have to keep in mind that his Semblance probably renders most forms of protection useless. But, that might not be a problem for much longer."
Blinking, Qrow's mind shifted from the gutter to what the white-haired girl was saying.
"You've found something?" He asked.
"Created something, more like. Aran and I were working on this for a few months, but it was Hades who gave us the last clue unintentionally. Crystals clearly can be used to unshackle one's aether, as Cardin can attest. But your Semblance is quite different with how it's always active. I chanced upon Clover Ebi speaking to Hades, and Hades happened to reply with something that made me think about what we were doing wrong. Instead of unshackling your aether enough to allow you to control it completely, we should have been looking at how to shackle it enough to where you can still magnify its effects when desired, but otherwise be rendered inert. To finish the construction of what we're creating however, we will need Urianger's expertise. I am likewise unsure as to how this will affect your shapeshifting."
The male Branwen twin looked at her in both shock and happiness; not many people knew about Qrow's hatred for his own Semblance, but he was glad that these two did.
"Y'Shtola… I… Thank you. Both of you."
"Make no mention of it. Now, I'd best be getting back to our accommodations. There are still a few things to finish on the subject before I pass it on to Urianger. He'll need something to keep his mind occupied as he's recovering, after all."
Pulling her lover's lips down to her own, Y'Shtola found herself straightening out her robes as she left the two with a smile.
Raven cursed silently as she kicked at the ashes surrounding the ruins that usually held Ozpin's relics during Beacon's Initiation. Her mask hung on her belt, leaving her face bare except for where some of her bangs decided to fall due to the wind.
She hadn't wanted to speak to Qrow, or anyone really that he would associate with. But Aran… she was an enigma. She was powerful, perhaps more so than anyone else she had seen. She wasn't afraid to kill. And most importantly, she had somehow turned almost the entirety of Ozpin's faction to her side in little more than a year. The only two members she could think of that weren't were Ironwood and the cowardly Lionheart.
The fact that she had been training Yang and Ruby had nothing to do with her interest. Not at all. Though she would admit that it stung a bit to know that Yang's search for her had mostly stopped at this moment due to the faunus's influence. Still, she knew that she had no right to that kind of jealousy. She wondered if Summer would have felt as she did, before throwing that thought to the side.
Summer would have been happy to have made another friend, and Ruby was little different from her mother. They were both beyond socially awkward, though Raven couldn't claim that she wasn't; Summer at least still liked people as a whole.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the sound of feet crunching through ash were heard. Two pairs it sounded like, though one was much heavier than the other. Qrow and Aran, then. It was about time; their Bullhead flew overhead five minutes ago.
With a flick of her head to clear her hair from her vision, her eyes settled on the pair she had asked to meet her. Qrow in his usual attire sans his flask, and Aran in the armor she remembered from the day of the invasion with its peculiarly overly-large featherlike pauldrons. They halted their approach roughly ten feet away from her, but didn't say anything.
They stood this way for several moments until Qrow made an exasperated sigh.
"What do you want, Raven?"
The female Branwen placed her hand on her hip as her focus shifted between the two.
"I want the survival of the tribe. I want the power to make sure nobody can threaten them. And I want to know who this woman is that you've allowed to become so close to my daughter."
Qrow glared at his twin.
"The tribe, sis? You mean the band of thieves and murderers that refuse to find another way to live? How many villages have you destroyed or left for dead for the Grimm? How many innocent men, women, and children have you taken as sport for hunting or pleasure? Why do you think-"
"Enough playing like you've never participated in it!" Raven yelled. She took several steps forward and shoved her fingers into his chest. "You were born to it the same day I was! You found more enjoyment in it than I ever have! And then Mom sent us to Beacon, and you changed!"
Qrow looked ready to draw Harbinger, and his fingers moved to do just that until Aran's voice was heard. It was barely more than a whisper, yet somehow seemed louder than the twins.
"Keep professional about this, Qrow. It's clear she's riling you up."
Raven could honestly say that she never thought she would see anyone besides Ozpin be able to stop her brother from doing something. But she was surprised that Aran could.
Qrow stepped away from Raven.
"I never took joy in what we did. But I had to look the part, didn't I? Otherwise, the chief would have left me to die or killed me herself. Beacon was my freedom from that lifestyle. And it was for you, too. So why did you go back?"
"They're family."
"And so is Yang, dammit! And don't deny that you never watched Ruby either, I saw you more than once watching them together."
The woman crossed her arms and began to pace.
"I did what was expected of me. I made sure Yang was safe, just as I'm making sure that Summer's offspring stays alive. I don't hate her, Qrow. I don't hate any of you. But Mother was leading our tribe to destruction."
Qrow mirrored his sister's actions.
"I'm aware. That's why we killed her in the first place. But how long until the tribe moves on from Anima again? How long until Mistral or Vale take action to defend the people?"
"They haven't yet, and they won't start now."
Aran cocked her head.
"Really? Vale has plenty of its own resources. But look around you right now. Where are we standing?"
"In an ashland." Raven answered with a roll of her eyes.
"And what was it before?"
"A forest."
Aran nodded.
"And what is Vale preparing for right now at this very moment?"
It wasn't Raven who answered, but Qrow.
"Open warfare. Which requires many kinds of resources, including rations for deployed troops and anything with medicinal properties. Which would happen to grow… in forests."
"And Anima happens to be forested and has its own workers in the form of villages. In addition to coin," Aran continued, "what else might these villages ask for?"
Raven blinked as she understood what they were saying.
"Protection. Dammit."
Aran nodded and began to walk forward. Raven stepped aside when it was clear that she wasn't approaching her, but going around.
"Keep talking to yourselves, I've some business to handle inside these ruins." As the faunus shook her head, Raven was positive she could hear the woman cursing Ozpin.
The ruins oddly reminded Aran of Ranka, though without the animalistic depictions and reverence. No, what made her think of Ranka were the aether conduits which flowed through these stones. That she never noticed it before, she would attribute to the fact that she had never actually been in them. ARY didn't need to grab relics, after all.
The upper structure barely looked to be standing. It was without a doubt in part due to her own actions in burning whatever wooden supports had been built here before in an effort to preserve the ruins.
No matter. Aran found what she was looking for rather quickly. A large stone doorway, closed as it awaited power to activate it. Aran wasted no time as she reached forward and pushed against it, flooding it with the aether it so craved. She smiled as it drank deeply, before being siphoned off to flow through the starved conduits and finally began to rumble open. When it was open enough for her to step through, she released the stream of aether and proceeded forward down a rounded staircase that belonged more in a tower than an underground facility.
The place smelled of death. Not of a decomposing body, but of stale, corrupted air that has been left to its own devices for a great many years. Aran took no chances and withdrew a mask she had been working on for Ryne; it was meant to help her stay underwater with Aran and Thancred, and thus was enchanted to help separate oxygen from any other substance it was in. She never thought that her little gift would prove handy in dungeoneering as well, but she wasn't going to pass it over if it meant avoiding some long-forgotten or never before encountered illness or poison.
After securing the rebreather to her head, she continued down until the stairwell ended at an arch. Even with her enhanced eyesight, the darkness was becoming too much. She swiftly brought out a torch and lit it with magic as she passed through the arch. The light flooded the large room behind, making Aran halt her progress and cock her head at the massive statue in the center of the room.
The statue in question nearly reached the ceiling, and was definitely humanoid in nature as well as dressed in robes similar to those of the ancients, though more decorated despite its face being long-eroded. More startling to her was the fact that it seemed… familiar. And then it dawned on her, as she saw the longsword and shortsword sheathed at its side, while its arms were crossed and its right hand open as if expecting something to be dropped into it.
"That's… me?" Aran whispered softly. "But why? And how?"
Glancing around revealed the walls to be covered in stained glass. Or they would have been, if the majority hadn't been left in a multitude of pieces over the time they've been here. The room itself was spacious, extending back nearly a hundred yalms, and besides the statue of Azem, only had pillars to fill the space. At the foot of the statue, she recognized a table upon which she could make out several object, but her intrigue was elsewhere. Her eyes roamed back to the only two remaining pieces of glass on the wall, and she decided to start her exploration there. Both pieces were on the right-hand side, and not too far from each other. She carefully made her way over, careful not to step on any of the glass fragments on the ground.
The first depicted herself as Azem and another white-robed figure, striding side-by-side as if in conversation in a field. Around them were smaller figures in comparison to the Ancients, all looking to be Hyur. Notably, all of them looked to have silver eyes, as did the white-robed Ancient.
Moving on to the next one, Aran found herself frowning as she took in its details. There was enough space for perhaps three more pieces of glass to be between these two. As previously, Azem held a place of prominence near the center of the piece, though this time, her swords were bared. On either side of her stood the Hyur from before, also armed with an assortment of tools to be used as weapons. Their eyes were now glowing, while on the opposite side of the glass stood not one white-robed Ancient, but two. She didn't need to remember what happened to know that the Ancient was now a sundered Ascian, with both halves now pitted against her. Surrounding them stood creatures of shadow which could only be Grimm, with a few Hyur visible in random places looking to be standing against Azem.
"So what happened?" Aran wondered. She had no memory of this, nothing to even point to her ever having been here. But if there were sundered Ascians here, then this would have had to have been after the summoning of Zodiark and Hydaelyn. After she had been sundered.
"So my shard here stayed busy. And apparently kept the physical remnants of my old body."
She turned abruptly to the table at the foot of the statue and rushed to it, hoping that what lay there were the true objects.
A folded robe, much too large for her current form, lay neatly to the side. Another robe, almost identical except for its size, lay next to it. Without thinking, Aran's hand darted to both pieces of fabric and caressed them with care.
They were real. They were hers, and still possessed the numerous enchantments that had been folded into their weave. They lay dormant now, with no one to leech aether from in order to fuel them, but they were there. In the center of the table sat three more objects.
The first two were her swords in their strange sheaths. Like her current gunblades, the swords were hooked towards the front both for armor penetration and for the style of swordsmanship they required. Unlike her gunblades, there was no aetheric converter; instead, they held crystals which condensed aether around them into something akin to a slug. The materials used for the weapons were likewise far beyond reproduction at the Planet's current state, even by the likes of Cid and Ruby.
She slowly ran her hands over them, nearly shaking in joy at being reunited with something that she had held so dear to her. She had assumed them lost, much like everything else. The only weapon she knew to still exist from her time was Emet-Selch's Callandor, and that was only because the weapon was bound to and stored inside his soul.
Hands still quivering in excitement, she pulled the longer of the blades free from its sheath and smiled as the velvet hue of the blade was revealed to gradually turn a nearly bloody violet as it neared the tip. Unlike her gunblades, it was double-edged, though the backhanded edge was golden.
"You haven't aged a day…" Aran muttered, giving the blade a once-over to ensure the craftsmanship of the blade and hilt were still workable. Giving the blade a flick, she nearly squealed in happiness as it whistled through the air. She quickly replaced it in the sheath and grabbed for the smaller robe which would fit her more appropriately.
Primarily black, it was similar to an Ascian's robe trimmed with gold and purple intertwined lace. It jingled as several metallic charms were jostled together against the small intricate golden chains that held them to the garment. The charms themselves were nothing more than symbols of status among both the Convocation, and those of their creations. None were relevant anymore with their destruction during the Final Days. The chains however, would be flooded with the aether of the one who wore the garment to render the fabric of the robe as resilient as armor. She recalled Hythlodaeus attempting to wear it at one point, and could do so for no longer than a few hours before he doffed the garment and asked how she was capable of wearing it constantly.
Still, they were the robes worn when Azem rode to war for her allies. They were iconic, and she would not let them go to waste. She stuffed them, and the larger one as well, into her bag before she grabbed the baldric holding her weapons and donned it over her armor with some adjustment to allow both blades to hang off her left hip. She almost felt bad for Memory and Spite, but she promised herself they would find a new home and not be set aside to decay on a rack. She removed both of the gunblades from her back and stored them away.
Finally, sitting in the center of the table, was a pouch she was unfamiliar with. She reached for it cautiously, trying to sense for any aetheric abnormalities. When she found none, she finally touched it and opened it. As she looked inside, she growled.
An ornate golden crown, embedded with red jewels, rested inside along with a tome. She pulled the tome out, leaving the crown as she was already certain that she knew what it was.
The Tale of an Adventurer and His Many Lives, an Autobiography, was able to be read on the front of the book, causing Aran to roll her eyes. She flipped open the cover, expecting to find an index of some kind. Instead, she found names with numbers next to them. Frowning, she looked through the names until she had to flip the page. Eventually, she found what she was looking for: Ozpin. When she turned the page once more, she realized that she was indeed looking at an index on the last page. Closing the tome, she tucked it away into her own bag, along with the crown. Upon looking up from her task, she realized that there were words engraved into the statue.
"Herein lies Azem, beloved savior of our souls." Aran read aloud. "Remember her sacrifice, her duty, and her burden. Remember her final words, to be passed down through memories of the Sylver Guardians. Remember us."
She cocked her head and frowned. Sylver Guardians? Perhaps the Silver-Eyed Warriors that Ozpin was so big on, if the murals were any indication. But how did she save their souls? If only she could remember. With one last read-through of the inscription, she nodded.
She turned away and began to leave, until she stopped to look at the statue of Azem one final time. While it may not be the last time she was here, as she most certainly wanted to get those pieces of glass put back together somehow, she wanted to make sure she remembered the statue. Then she left, her hand caressing the pommel of the longsword in excitement.
Oscar Pine looked around the train station hesitantly, grabbing his pack from the seat behind him.
"Are you sure about this?" Oscar asked the voice in his head. This… Ozma.
"I'm positive."
He walked towards the train and began to board it.
"But… I've never even really been away from home! How will I know what we're doing in Vale?"
"We will do just fine. But we're not going to Vale."
Oscar halted in his tracks.
"What?! Then why are we taking a train to Felden?"
"There's going to be something there we need to grab. Don't worry, I'll handle it if you're not feeling up to it. And then, from Felden, we can make our way to some… acquaintances of mine. Everything will be okay, Oscar. You have my word."
The boy rubbed his arm nervously before continuing forward again. Thankfully, there weren't any other people boarding.
Raven and Qrow stood side by side as they waited for Aran to come back out from the ruins.
"Seriously? They can't be that big." Raven muttered. "She's been gone for nearly an hour."
Qrow shrugged.
"You'll get used to it."
"If I decide to take you up on your offer. I might very well still say no."
"Please. You'd have been gone by now if you weren't going to accept it. Besides, there's a surprise tonight that you don't want to miss."
The female twin glanced at her brother and deepened her scowl.
"I hate surprises, Qrow."
"You always have. Regardless, I promise this is one you will regret being absent for. Oh, there she is."
Seeing the woman leave the ruins was a welcome relief for Raven, if only because the tension between the twins was beginning to grow again. She didn't fail to notice the new weapons hanging on her side, however.
"Find what you were looking for?" Qrow asked. Aran nodded as she looked between the twins in askance.
"Ah, yeah. She agreed to work with us a bit, though the tribe's gonna have to settle for something else. Mainly, harassing Jimmy's outposts instead of the villagers of Anima."
Raven said nothing in regards to their agreement, opting instead to change the subject.
"My brother insists there's something going on tonight. Care to enlighten me?"
"Tut tut, that would be telling!" Aran said with a big smile. "We can't be going and giving away such an exciting event, now can we?" Her smile faded as she walked past them. "Now come along, we don't want to be late. We need to get to Vale's docks in… half an hour."