(A/N) Another one that's later than I hoped it'd be, but this is also quite easily the longest chapter of Volume 2 (7.4k words), so hopefully it balances out. There are a couple of announcements to kame before the chapter, though. Firstly is that I've put up a poll on my page about how I'll be doing review responses from here on out; second is that I did actually draw Valkea (even if the drawing isn't the best) so there'll be a link at the end.

With that out of the way, enjoy!


Volume Two

Chapter Nine – Eyes Up, Guardian


/-\ Ruby Rose /-\


I sat in one of Beacon's many gazebos overlooking Vale, the occasional airship passing through my field of view. I sighed, looking down at the rose emblem I held and was about to speak to it when I heard a soft knock at the door. "Come in." I said, not bothering to stow the memento.

"Hey kiddo." My uncle greeted, plopping down on the bench next to me.

"Hey, Qrow." I said, relaxing my posture. "So, what're you doing here?"

His eyes glanced down to the emblem before a sad smile crawled onto his face. "Y'know, your mom used to come here when we were still in school." He said.

"I can see why." I said, pausing for a moment. "How's dad taking the news?"

"That his wife and daughter are alive? Wonderfully. He's started doing things he hasn't done since… you know." He said. "Little things that always bugged her but never really bothered him; things like oiling the door hinges, sealing drafty windows, y'know..." He smiled for a moment, but then his face turned serious once more. "But one thing I've gotta ask… do you know when they'll be back?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "No idea. You said mom disappeared the same time I did, right?" He nodded. "Well… that means her and Yang probably aren't on Remnant anymore…"

He raised an eyebrow. "So? You found your way back."

"Yeah, but I honestly have no idea how I did. It was probably the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me." I gazed down to the emblem. "Here I am, sitting on my ass at school while they're probably in the mud fighting against the Covenant. Or worse, they're just eeking out an existence on some uncharted planet." I sighed. "All alone." An even darker thought wormed its way into my mind; one where they were captured by them and-

I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. Looking to its owner, I saw the concerned expression on Qrow's face. "…I'm sure they're just fine." He said, patting me on the shoulder before letting go. "But as much as I'd like to sit here and think about them all day, I wanted to ask you something."

I motioned for him to continue. Not really feeling like talking at the moment.

"Oz's sendin' me on a mission, a long one, and I'm leaving tomorrow." He pushed off the bench. "So, I was kinda wonderin' if you'd like to go to Vale with me."

I raised an eyebrow. "Got something in mind?"

"Not really." He lied, evenly. "Just wanna spend some time with my niece." He said, truthfully.

I looked at my watch before shrugging. "Eh, sure, why not. Guess it beets sitting here moping all day." I said, hopping up. "Ready when you are."

I sent a text to Weiss as we headed out, knowing she would inform the rest of the team where I was if need be. Qrow nodded, leading me to the airdocks. As we crossed the courtyard, I couldn't help but notice the occasional student stare at me. This had been happening since I started teaching and it was seriously starting to get on my nerves.

I was used to the stares when I was in my armor, but without it… I sighed, hoping that they would start minding their own business eventually. Thankfully, it wasn't long before we boarded the shuttle to the city. We sat down, the drone of a newscaster present in the background. "So, what are we doing?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Just hangin' out. Maybe got to a store or two."

"No offense, but I kinda hate shopping."

He smirked. "I've got a feeling you'll be fine with thi-"

"BREAKING NEWS!" The tv interrupted, causing us to both look towards it. "Our correspondents in the Valerian Council Building have reported that the council have received a missive from the Council of Mistral. The kingdom in question has announced that they are officially closing their borders, effective immediately."


/-\ Cinder Fall /-\


I screamed in rage, my entire body erupting in flames. "THEY DID WHAT?!" I shouted at my subordinate.

Emerald grimaced. "They… they closed the borders, ma'am."

I closed my eyes, still seething in fury, as I tried to get my powers under control. "Tell me. Are Haven students still allowed to attend the Vytal Festival?" I asked through clenched teeth as the flames receded back into my skin.

"I… I don't know, ma'am."

I exhaled through my nose, my breath coming out as steam. "Fetch me my Seer. Leo was supposed to prevent this from happening. I need to remind him of his duties to us."


/-\ Ruby Rose /-\


Several people gasped in reaction to the news; others broke out into hushed whispers.

"The Mistralian Council has stated in the missive that they have, quote, 'come to the conclusion that their people will be left alone if none of them aggravate the aliens', unquote."

"They're just sticking their heads in the sand?!" I shouted, drawing a few glances. My head fell into my hands. "Atlas didn't provoke the covvies and look what happened to them." I muttered, tuning out the rest of the broadcast.

"So what do you think they will do next? You've certainly got the most experience out of anyone here." Qrow asked.

I shrugged. "They'll attack again; there's no doubt about that."

"That's not exactly comforting…" He muttered.

"Witherson's probably doing what he can to get us prepared for that." I said, attempting to reassure him. 'But there's only so much a single world can do…' I thought as I relaxed into my chair.


/-\ Emanuel Witherson /-\


The duo of Warthogs that carried my bodyguards and I came to a halt just outside the perimeter of our destination, a gate guard coming up to the lead vehicle. Some papers were exchanged, along with some words that I was too far away to hear correctly, before we were waved through the now-open gate. As we passed the gatehouse, I noticed a good-looking sign that stated the company's name; The Prismarine Airship Company.

We passed a gigantic pit on the way to the main building, a bulbous ship with four equally incomplete wings dangling down into the abyss contained within. I'd estimate the pit to be approximately one-hundred meters long, the ship's incomplete hull maybe a dozen meters shy of that on each side.

The building we were approaching was L-shaped, the protrusion branching the airship pit with the other, elongated portion. Soon enough, we arrived at the grey building and were greeted by a small security detail; all of them open-carrying either a pistol or a shortsword.

My Marine detail disembarked first, keeping their rifles in their holsters but keeping their heads on a swivel. Next, both myself and the Misriah engineer I'd brought with were quickly ushered inside. When we'd taken in that small civilian shuttle back on Reach, I thought the men and women on it would be a burden. I was glad to be proven wrong, as the half-dozen engineers aboard proved especially capable of maintaining our parasite craft.

Back to the present, the guards we'd brought with were mainly for security to and from the factory, so I left them in the lobby. After a brief introduction to the plant's supervisor and chief engineer, the four of us were led to a catwalk overlooking the production floor. The cavernous room was easily three stories tall and even had several massive ceiling-mounted cranes, though despite how impressive it was, most of the factory floor itself was barren.

Sure, there were three active assembly lines, but there was room for a lot more. I crossed my arms. "Might I ask, Mister Quicksilver," I started, addressing the Prismarine supervisor. "why does your facility have so much empty space?"

He shook his head. "Ah, that is simply because airship demand hasn't been what it used to be during the Great War."

I hummed. "Well, I have a feeling you'll be getting quite a bit more business than usual." I turned my attention to the Misriah engineer beside me, whose eyes darted from machine to machine below us. "So, what do you think of the whole operation?"

"I think its basic by our standards, but workable." He said. "Yeah, probably wouldn't be able to make Pelicans or Albatrosses right off the bat, but I can see Falcons and Hornets rolling off these lines pretty quickly."

The supervisor raised an eyebrow. "I'll have you know that Prismarine airships are among the finest in the world."

The Misriah engineer gave him a deadpan look. "My colleagues and I have looked at the Bullhead schematics you've sent us and, with all due respect, they're… underwhelming at best." He said continuing before the Prismarine men could retort. "Don't get me wrong, I like its cargo carrying capacity and the durability, but it only has six passenger seats, light armament, can be outrun by helicopters, and is more expensive – in terms of material – than three Falcons."

Both of the factory's representatives stood there speechless, and I wondered for a moment if he'd just took a revolver and shot our entire visit in the face, but then he opened his mouth and continued. "Which is why we at the Misriah Armory Corporation would like to lend you some assistance in designing a new, more capable light aircraft that could better serve the needs of both Vale and Remnant as a whole."

The Prismarine employees stood silent for a moment, before excusing themselves to an office nearby. I looked to the Misriah engineer. "Do you think they'll take it?"

He shrugged. "Probably." He said. "I know if the roles were reversed, I would."

"Let's hope so. We'll be needing a lot more equipment for the war than what we brought with us."

The engineer nodded. "Definitely." He paused. "Wait, weren't we supposed to visit other factories today?"

I pulled up my datapad. "No, just this one for today, though the council is working on getting us in with Thornycraft shipbuilding as well as some tractor company by the name of Steele Company."

He raised an eyebrow. "A… tractor company?"

I nodded. "Turns out, a lot of the equipment needed to make tractors can be used to make tanks, too."

Before we could continue the conversation, our hosts returned, their faces neutral. "Gentlemen," the supervisor began. "when do we start?"


/-\ Ruby Rose /-\


Eventually, after walking for quite a while, Qrow tapped my shoulder. "We're here." He said, turning left abruptly and heading into a shop. I blinked, recognizing the place, the déjà vu only being compounded when a familiar blacksmith looked up from the counter.

He smiled. "Qro-ho-how! Good to see ya!" His eyes trailed to me. "Oh, and good to see you too, ma'am! How're your weapons and armor holding up?"

My uncle and I shared a glance before shrugging. "Didn't know my niece did business with ya, Vulk."

"She's your niece?" He asked, surprised. "Can't say I see the family resemblance, but oh well. What brings you two to my shop today?"

Qrow leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Well, we're here to get the girl a nice deadly weapon." He said with a smirk. "Y'know, usual uncle-niece things."

I gently tapped Onyx Rose on my back. "This one's pretty reliable. Why do you think I need a new one?"

"Well… back in the uhh…" He cupped his mouth conspiratorially. "the one place…" He whispered. "you mentioned that all you needed to kill entire armies of those things up in Atlas was a gun, a knife, and a good scythe." He smirked. "Well, you've got two of those things, and I figure it wouldn't hurt for you to have the whole set."

I hummed. "Well, I can't think of a reason why not; getting more weapons is always a good idea." I said.

"That's the spirit, kiddo. So, what're you thinkin'?"

I paused in thought. "Well, most of all, it needs to be reliable." I said. "So that means very limited mechashift capabilities; Onyx Rose is enough of a pain to maintain already." I shrugged. "Plus, if I keep carrying all my weapons, that leaves room for this to be a specialist weapon."

The blacksmith looked up from the counter, writing down what I was describing. "Sounds easy enough, any special features?"

"Well, scythes have long handles, right? Why not use it for a sniper barrel. I could really use one of those."

He scribbled down something. "Alright, so a scythe with a built-in sniper and no mechashift mechanisms. Do I have that right?"

"Ye-" I paused, cutting myself off with a hum. "Actually, how much would it compromise the integrity of the weapon if we added a joint that allowed the scythe head to collapse against the barrel, and for the barrel itself to be partially retractable?"

Vulk laughed. "Ma'am, as far as huntsman weapons go, that'll still be the strongest weapon I'll've made in a good while. I mean, look at your uncle's Harbinger, or even your own weapon!"

I nodded. "Alright, it's settled, then. How much do I owe you?"

Qrow stepped forward, his hand waving. "Actually, Ruby, I've got this."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You don't have to buy it for me if you can't afford it."

"Pfft, afford it, she asks." He chuckles. "Kiddo, I know for a fact that Beacon's stipend isn't enough for you to afford this. Plus, thanks to you and Winter tellin' me Short Stack and Firecracker are alive, things are finally lookin' up for me. So I guess I feel like I owe you this much, at least." He smiled.

I shrugged. "Alright, if you want to buy it for me, I guess I won't say no."

He flashed me a smile before going up to the counter to settle up with the blacksmith. Unfortunately for me, he seemed to feel the need to haggle the price somewhat, and I was forced to awkwardly wait while he and the smith hashed out the details.

At least I didn't have to pay for it…


I walked away from my uncle's temporary room, just having said goodbye to him after our little outing. I checked the time and shrugged; I had enough time to get one more thing out of the way before supper. With that thought, I strode towards Winter's dorm.

A few minutes later and the door creaked open, revealing my unofficial teammate. "Can I help you, Ruby?" She asked.

"Yeah, is Chrys here?" She raised an eyebrow before stepping aside and motioning to a bed behind her, the woman in question playing on her scroll while laying down.

"Yeah?" The Maiden asked, putting the device down.

"Can I come in? I've… got a favor to ask. A couple, actually."

She sat up. "Sure, what do you need?"

I strode inside, closing the door behind me. "Well, the easier part is that I want you to use your semblance to fix up my helmet." I said. "If you can do that, that is."

She raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't work on inanimate objects; only machines." She said. "But out of curiosity, why not ask for the full set?"

"Well, the inanimate part won't be a problem. The helmet alone is probably more complicated than some aircraft." I crossed my arms. "What would be a problem, though, is if you tried to put on my armor. Which I think you need to do, if I recall correctly."

She nodded. "Yeah, I would. Why, what would happen?"

I shrugged. "Oh, you'd only rip yourself apart." I said, drawing a confused glance from both occupants of the room. "MJONIR, that's the technical name for my armor, works by amplifying reaction speed and strength. That means that every minuscule, involuntary twitch your muscles makes gets amplified. So say you put on the suit and want to snap a salute to your superior officer, but you're not used to the reactivity and you break your hand on your helmet." Their faces wrinkled in distaste. "But it doesn't stop there, because you flinch from the pain of breaking your hand… which gets amplified and breaks more bones, which causes you to flinch even more, and so on until enough of your vital organs get punctured by bone fragments that you die." I crossed my arms. "So yeah, I'm not going to ask you to put that thing on."

They both stared at me, mouths agape. "But…" Winter started. "How in the world are you able to wear it, then?"

"Because I've got augmentations that increase my reaction speed and coat my bones in carbide ceramics. I can handle it."

"What do you mean by 'augmentations'?" She asked.

I shrugged. "I mean just that; my body was augmented to be better. I'm stronger, faster, more durable, and quicker on the draw than just about any Human that has ever lived." I paused. "But we're kinda getting off track, so about the helmet…" I trailed off, looking at Chrys.

"It won't do… that thing, will it?" She asked.

I shook my head. "The helmet is just about the only part of the armor that's safe for everyone to wear."

She shrugged. "Well, I guess I don't see why not. I mean, my semblance doesn't need any actual effort to work, so I'll just wear it to sleep or something."

"Sounds good, but there's one more thing I need to ask of you."

She raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I need to learn how to fight Maidens."

They both blinked. "Might I ask why?" Winter asked.

"Because of people like Raven." I said. "She might not've actually killed Yang, but she's still a bandit and she'll need to be put down. Especially with the kind of power she has." I crossed my arms. "And that's not even counting the whole Amber situation."

Winter hummed. "You're not wrong; perhaps I should ask the same favor."

Chrys laughed nervously. "I mean… I'm not that good with my powers. I don't even know if I could take both of you on at once."

"Then fight us individually." I said. "It's better practice for us anyways."

She sighed. "I mean, I'm not all that much better than Amber, to be honest."

I crossed my arms. "Her assailant didn't get all her power. If we can beat you, then they should be no problem. Plus, if you really aren't that much better than her, this is good practice for you too."

She stayed silent for a moment, lips pursing in uncertainty. "Where would we even spar? The training rooms are under 24/7 surveillance and anyone can just… walk in during a match."

"What about the vault?" I asked, keeping my voice quiet. "We could ask Ozpin if we could practice there; there's even more room down there than in one of the sparring rings."

"It seems logical to me." Winter said. "Will you be inviting the rest of your team? Minus… you-know-who, of course."

I paused for a moment before shaking my head. "They might be good, but if I got thrashed around against Raven, they won't stand a chance." I crossed my arms. "Maybe when they're older and have more experience under their belts, but not now." I glanced back at Chrys. "So, sound like a plan?"

She sighed. "…I guess I can't always expect to be in the air. I'm in."


/-\ Pyrrha Nikos /-\


"What are you doing out here, Pyrrha?" I heard, causing me to jump slightly.

I shook my head, looking to the source of the voice before putting on my patented Champion's Smile. "Oh, I'm just waiting for Jaune, Blake." I said.

She raised an eyebrow. "And you're dressed up because…?"

I blushed. "I'm not that dressed up…" I said, gesturing to dress. "But… we're going out, actually."

She gave me an incredulous look before shrugging. "Well, congratulations." She said, lamely, as she disappeared into her team's dorm.

Almost in sync with Blake's disappearance, my own partner opened the door beside me. "Alright, I'm ready." He said, looking somewhat dorky combining a regular polo shirt with his school uniform's tie. "So umm… why do I have to dress up, again?"

"Oh, it's because the place I have picked out is…" I trailed off, trying to find the right words to describe it. "…not quite high-end, but also not really your average pizzeria either."

He blinked. "Didn't you say we were going to a café?"

I blushed. "Well… maybe I just wanted to dress up a little…"

"Eh, I guess I've heard worse excuses. Anyways, let's get going. I dunno about you, but I'm starving!" He said with a smile.

I chuckled, still nervous about today, before leading him onwards. We made some small talk before the flight, though he was a little apprehensive boarding the airship. Thankfully, I'd thought ahead and handed him two little yellow tablets. They appeared to work, as he wasn't hunched over the garbage can the entire time, but he did still feel a little woozy.

Soon enough, we walked through the city towards our destination. I was still getting used to the… new look of the streets. Ever since Atlas fell, the number of homeless people within the kingdom skyrocketed; inhabited cardboard boxes, campsites, discarded trash, all were much more common now than before the Fall. And that's discounting the actual people themselves. Most dressed in what were obviously once ornate suits and dresses, but now adorned gashes and scuff marks from combat; things that such finery was never meant to handle. Some even had blood-stained rags or cloth scraps tied around their wounds.

Eventually, we reached the quaint little café I'd found last semester. The exterior was the same as I'd remembered, save for the fact that a large man now stood beside the door. His shirt didn't have to say 'Security' for me to know what his job was. He gave us a glance as we approached, muttering a polite greeting before opening the door for us.

There wasn't a receptionist, so I flagged down one of the waitresses. "Hi, I have a reservation for… Nikaea?" I said, using my alias. People wouldn't bat an eye at 'Nikaea'.

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you're the one who actually made a reservation? Uhh… sure, follow me." She quickly led us up to the roof section where a pre-set table awaited us, menus and all. "I'll give you two a few minutes to decide." She said as we sat down.

I breathed a sigh of relief, turning to my date. "Just curious, have you ever been here?"

He shrugged, pouring over the menu. "Eh, not really. You?"

"A few times, yes." I said, chuckling. "They're nice here, if a little unobservant." 'Though that's a bonus to me…' I added mentally.

"Oh? Well, what's good, then?"

I smiled. "Well, they make a pretty good gyro, but personally, I've been thinking about their lamb stew since breakfast." I said. It wasn't a lie, per se, I had thought about it since breakfast, but it wasn't my main concern about this date.

"A… you-row? What's that?"

I giggled. "It's a sandwich, Jaune. The composition varies from place to place, but here they use lamb, tomato, onion, and a yogurt sauce on pita bread."

He stared at me blankly. "Yogurt… on a sandwich?"

"It's surprisingly good." I said, shortly before a different waitress approached us.

"Are y'all ready to order?" She asked.

I nodded. "Indeed. I'll have a medium order of lamb stew with a side of-"

"ATTENTION!" I heard someone shout over a loudspeaker. All three of us looked over the edge of the roof and onto the street, finding the speaker perched atop a double decker bus with men stationed at each corner. All the figures wore green trenchcoats and had swords at their hips; a golden six-pointed star on their chests confirming them as VDF Rangers.

"Atlesians!" The speaker continued. "The council of this fine kingdom has heard your plea, and a way out of poverty has arrived!" A number of homeless people perked up, some walking closer to the bus. "Some of you may have heard that the council has gifted a parcel of land to the United Nations Space Command outside the kingdom; they have expressed a great wish to settle these lands but lack the manpower to do it properly. That is where you come in!" He paused, allowing the whispers amongst the growing crowd to die down.

"We are all aware of the uh… job shortage, here in Vale. But outside the kingdom? Where the UNSC are? That, my friends, is a land full of opportunity! The UNSC does not care if you're Human or Faunus, just that you desire a life away from the gutter!" A few people started cheering in the crowd, though it seemed most were still uncertain. "So come with us! We will take you to a place where you will be fed, clothed, and given warmth in preparation for your new lives!"

As the speaker put down his megaphone, several people walked out from the crowd and headed into the bus. All three of us stood and watched silently for a few minutes as people, in their ragged clothes, began scrambling towards the promise of a better future. Oddly enough, a lot of Humans were stopped by the Rangers standing guard at the bus's doors and turned back, none of the Faunus being given the same treatment.

"That was… interesting…" The waitress behind us said, causing us to turn back to her. She cleared her throat, putting on a simile. "Anyways, where were we? Oh yeah, what'll you have, mi-" She blinked. "Hang on a minute, are you Pyrrha Nikos? The Pyrrha Nikos?!"

My heart sank at the mention of my name. "Indeed, I am." I said, instantly dropping into PR mode.

The girl squeed; actually squeed. "Oh my gods, I can't believe you're here! I'm, like, your biggest fan!"

I smiled, resigning myself to meeting another one of my quote-unquote """biggest fans""". Hopefully the media wasn't around to hear that…


I yawned as we entered the dorm building, the sun long having set while we were out on the town.

"Yeah, I'm beet too." Jaune said. "Hey, d'ya think Ren got Nora to go to bed early today?"

I chuckled. "I'd sooner believe Grimm were peaceful." I paused as we got into the elevator, gripping my arm across my body. "I… had fun tonight…" I said weakly.

He laughed. "Pyrrha, I'm not that dumb." He said, causing me to stiffen. "I mean, c'mon, as soon as the waitress figured out who you were, you stiffened up and acted like you were reading from a script. Then you did it for the next one, and the one after that, and then that old guy who used to be a huntsman, and then-"

"I get it, Jaune." I snapped. My hands flew to my mouth. "I'm sorry…" I said as the doors opened. "I just… is it too much to ask for one day where someone doesn't recognize me?"

He hummed. "Well… maybe we can try again?" He asked. "I mean… if people keep recognizing you in the city, why don't we have our partners day in the forest?"

I froze in my tracks. 'Is he… asking me out on another date?' I thought. "I mean… I'd love to, but then we'd have to deal with the Grimm." I chuckled darkly. "I'm honestly not sure which is worse; them or the paparazzi."

He blinked. "Oh, no! I mean the one on top of the cliffs. The one Ruby takes us through in the mornings."

"Well in that case… that sounds grand!" I said, a genuine smile crossing my lips. "When were you thinking?"

He hummed. "Well… we don't get our next stipend until Sunday and we'll have to go buy the groceries, so… next weekend?"

My heart sank a little, realizing immediately that I may not be… me at the time. But there was a chance that I could still be, so I smiled and said, "That sounds grand, Jaune. It's a date."

"Yeah, sure. A da- wait a minute." He paused, his hand just about to grip the doorknob. "A date date?"

I blinked. "Umm… yes?" I let out. "Isn't that what we just went on?"

"That was a date?!"


/-\ Blake Belladonna /-\


I closed the door behind me, leaving Pyrrha to wait for her date. While I waited for them to leave, I plopped down on my bed and plucked a book off the shelf at random. I wasn't actually going to read anything, I just needed to look busy while I thought of how I was going to approach the girl currently curled up in her bunk above me. She'd been in here since Goodwitch's class a few hours ago, all of us deciding to let her cool down alone for a while. Though, I had a feeling that Ruby was watching her somehow; wouldn't want a likely spy to have free reign over Beacon, now would we?

After only a minute or two, my Faunus ears heard Jaune and Pyrrha start heading out. I sighed internally; now was the time. I got up, put my book away, and turned to the girl in question. "Valkea?" I asked, shaking her bed slightly. My enhanced hearing picked up the girl muttering about our other teammate. "Valkea, Weiss isn't here. It's just me."

She paused a moment before slowly sitting up, her mirrored eyes full of fury. "What do you want?"

The venom in her voice gave me pause. 'Ugh, why did I have to do this, again?' I thought before sighing. "I'd… like to get to know you a bit better." I said, only half-lying. I was certainly curious, but if Ruby and Weiss hadn't told me to talk to her, I'd've contented myself with watching from afar.

She studied me for a moment. "…Why?"

"Because if all goes well, we'll be on the same team for the next three and a half years. I'd like to know if I can count on you." Saying that felt sour on my tongue, and I purposefully did not mention her being my partner. That was Yang's position and I won't replace her; especially not when she's on her way home.

She stayed silent for a moment, contemplating my words. "Fine." She finally let out, dropping down from her bunk. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, actually… if you don't mind… I'd like to go somewhere a little more private."

She crossed her arms. "If this is your idea of coming on to-"

"I'm straight." I said with a faint blush. "What I meant is that sometimes… the walls have ears." I twitched my Faunus trait. "For instance, Team CRDL is down the hall speculating about what's under your mask."

She paused. "…I see your point." She said, tersely, as she hopped off the bed and grabbed her rifle. "Just don't try to kidnap me again. I will shoot you if you do." She reached towards the door to open it.

"Wait." I said, giving her pause. "That team down the hall is pretty racist; I'd rather avoid another confrontation."

She raised an eyebrow. "Another confrontation?"

"Ruby broke their leader's arm when he grabbed a Rabbit Faunus by the ears." I said, knowing that if she was part of the White Fang, she'd likely approve. I saw surprise flicker over her face for a moment before she nodded. I moved to the window. "This way will be less confrontational. And faster."

A moment later and I was on the ground, my landing about as noisy as a pin drop. Valkea's, however, was more akin to dropping an anvil. I glanced at her a moment, noting that her specialization was definitely not infiltration, before leading her into the forest. Specifically, in the exact opposite direction of the bunker; I wasn't leading a spy anywhere near the team's safehouse.

After only a few minutes of jogging through Beacon's surrounding forest, we arrived at the place I'd stashed Gambol Shroud. I slowed to a standstill, trying to make it seem like I'd randomly picked this place, before holding up a hand and listening intently for eavesdroppers. After a moment, I nodded. "This should be far enough; just keep your voice down." I said, leaning against the tree that I'd hidden my weapon in.

She crossed her arms. "Alright, so what'd you wanna talk about?"

I sighed. "You know who I am, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I was in the White Fang."

Her posture shifted. "Are you still in?"

I shook my head. "I never really agreed with Sienna's methods, but I did stick with them for a few years after my father stepped down. Actually, I left about a week before Beacon started, last semester."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why? She only cares about the good of the Faunus."

I nodded, the possibility of Ruby being right about her growing by the word. "I know she does – I wouldn't've stuck around so long if she didn't – but her violence… it only turns the Humans against us."

"Are we supposed to just lay down and accept their racism, then?"

I paused. "I… I don't know." I finally said. "I know what Jacques Schnee does is wrong and there're people that can stop him, but don't. Maybe there is an acceptable level of violence, but I know for a fact that Sienna takes it too far." I shook my head. "Maybe other cells are different, but Adam takes it beyond even what Sienna thinks is acceptable."

"Adam? The one in charge of the Vale chapter?"

I nodded; any suspicions of her loyalties firmly settled. "Do you know what he did on our last mission?" I asked, rhetorically. "It was supposed to be a simple job; hit an SDC train for its dust and then the rest of the cell would help carry it away. Then after we hit the first car, he changes the plan and wants to blow up the train. I asked him 'what about the crewmembers' and he just asked, 'what about them' with a scoff." I sighed. "So I detached the car with him on it and ran away. I couldn't be a part of murdering people that just wanted to get home to their families."

We stood in silence for a moment. Valkea's eyes darted side to side, her posture shifting unconsciously. "You… you know there were racists on that train, right?" She asked, weakly.

I shrugged. "Probably, but there were also innocent workers on there. They'd already lost their cargo, a lot of AK-130's, and an experimental spider droid. Nobody needed to die to make our point."

"Nobody needed to die? What about on our side? The Schnees have killed thousands of us!" Her eyes welled up with tears, but she wiped them away. "Including my own parents…" She glared at me. "I won't let the Humans push us without pushing back. And I'm certainly not going to be friends with that Schnee you've buddied up with."

"Valkea…" I let out, sighing. "I'm… I'm sorry you had to go through that, but fighting the Humans this way will only make things worse for us." I pushed off my tree. "For every Human the White Fang kill, that's another family that doesn't have their father or mother or son or daughter come home. Do you really want to inflict what's happened to you on other people?"

She stood shock still for a moment. "I…" She muttered, but didn't continue the thought, instead opting to pace throughout the clearing. Finally, after several minutes, she stopped and faced me, but did not look me in the eye. "I won't forgive the Schnee…" She said weakly.

"Just get to know her." I said. "If a Belladonna and a Schnee can make up, I'm sure you can too."

She raised her head and tried to glare at me again, but her gaze didn't linger long. Instead, she wordlessly turned around and walked out of the clearing. She didn't go back the way we came and I briefly entertained the thought of following her, but ultimately decided it would be better to leave her be. Once my enhanced hearing couldn't hear her footsteps anymore, I smacked the tree next to me and caught my weapons out of the air as they fell. I sheathed them as I walked away, a part of our conversation sticking in my head.

'What is the right way to achieve equality?'


/-\ Pyrrha Nikos /-\


I lied awake in my bed, having woken up some time ago. Tomorrow… today was Monday, and the headmaster expected my answer to his question of 'do you want to maybe die by having someone's soul shoved into yours?' I shivered; the thought still disgusted me, but…

I sighed, getting up for another glass of water just as I'd done a few times during the night. I walked silently, retrieving my drink and returning to bed a moment later. Just as I sat down on my mattress, the alarm on my scroll started going off. With yet another sigh, I shut it off, the others slowly getting up.

"Uuuugh, it's Monday already?" Nora said, yawning. "Reeeeen, rewind time!"

He shook his head, smiling fondly. "I can't do that, Nora." They bickered good-naturedly at each other for a few minutes before Nora disappeared into the bathroom. Meanwhile, I just sat on my bed.

I felt someone sitting next to me. "Hey, you alright, Pyr?"

I sat there for a few moments, trying to force the words out. "I… Ye- N-" I paused. "Just… a lot to think about, I suppose…"

"Is it about what happened on Friday?"

"No… not really…"

He scooched a little closer to me but didn't actually touch me. "C'mon, somethin's buggin' you, and Doctor Jaune's here to help."

"I am available too if you need me, Pyrrha." Ren said from the corner of the room. "And I'm sure Nora would lend you an ear as well."

A sad smile crawled onto my face. "You guys are the best teammates I could've ever asked for." I said, a solitary tear rolling down my cheek. "Have I ever told you that?" They stood silent as I wiped away my tear. "I… I can't tell you what's bothering me. Hopefully someday… but not now."

"Pyrrha… something's really wrong, isn't it?"

I nodded silently.

"Well… is there anything I can do?"

"…I appreciate what you're doing, but…" I sighed. "Just go get ready. I have a feeling that I'll be taking a longer shower than usual this morning."

He gave me a worried glance, but slowly got up and started going through his morning routine. A few minutes later, Nora stepped out of the bathroom and I took her place. As it turns out, I was right, and only a firm knock on the door telling me we were going to miss breakfast got me out in time to eat.

Even though I had absolutely no intention of going to class, I still put on my uniform, though it was a bit less orderly than I usually kept it. In addition to not caring about class, I also just… couldn't with my hair this morning and ended up just leaving it down.

My teammates kept shooting me worried glances as we walked throughout Beacon's grounds to get some semblance of a meal before they left for Port's class. "Ah, Miss Nikos." I heard as we entered the dining hall. "The headmaster will see you now."

I sighed. "Missus Goodwitch… can I please just eat one last meal with my team first?"

She pushed her glasses back into place, weighing my request. "Fine. But as soon as you're done, come to the office." She said before walking away.

"Sheesh, what was that about?" Jaune asked.

I played with the hem of my skirt, pretending not to hear him. Soon enough, we all sat with our meals in front of us. I ate slowly, savoring each and every bite of bacon, waffle, and crepe that I took. Eating wasn't the only thing I did, though; I looked at my friends, taking in each and every single detail of their faces.

Ren had a very faint scar running from his chin up all the way to his left eye that I'd never noticed before. Nora's eyes were ever so slightly different colors; one almost imperceptibly bluer than the other. Jaune's ears weren't level with each other; the one on the left a little higher than its partner. And, of course, Team RWVB (minus their newest member) were here as well. Looking closer, I noticed Blake's ears tended to twitch at the slightest noise, though the movement was subtle. Weiss, while she had the scar over her eye, also had a smaller one (just as invisible as Ren's) that extended down from her bottom lip. Ruby's eyes, meanwhile, almost glowed with an unseen power.

Far too soon, we finished up our meal and had to leave. Before we did so, however, I grabbed my partner by the jacket and pulled him off to the side. He gazed at me with a deeply concerned look in his eyes, but I silenced any words with a finger on his lips. "Jaune…" I started, my voice cracking. "I… I might not be the same when you see me again." I paused, doing my best to hold back my sobs. "Just… help me remember who I am… please…"

I buried my face in the crook of his neck, allowing myself just a moment of rest before pushing off him and running away. I quickly ducked behind a corner, allowing him to run past me before shakily heading off to the headmaster's office.

Goodwitch was waiting for me in the lobby and escorted me upstairs. I took a deep breath as the doors opened, spilling us out into the room where Ozpin awaited. He sat at his desk, chin resting on his hands. "I would say 'good morning', but, well… I highly doubt this has been one for you, Miss Nikos."

"You would be correct, Headmaster." I said.

He sighed. "Have you made your decision?"

I nodded. "My choice remains the same. I will become your Fall Maiden."

He remained silent for a moment, his face impassive. "I see." He said in a grave tone before rising from his seat. "Let us get underway, then. There is no sense in delaying any further."

"Right." I said. "I'll… follow your lead, Headmaster."

He nodded wordlessly, leading us back to the elevator. We all stood in silence as it descended into the depths of the earth. Too soon, the doors opened and released us into the dimly lit vault, and too soon did those disgusting pods come into view.

As I approached them, every fiber of my being began to pull me in the opposite direction; it was almost like my own semblance was pulling me away like the weapons I'd so often manipulated. Ozpin approached the control panel, tapping a few buttons and causing the unoccupied pod to swing open with a hiss.

But I just… couldn't will myself to take the final step. I didn't want to, but I knew I needed to. Suddenly, Ozpin spoke up behind me. "There is still time to change your mind, Pyrrha." He said. "No one will fault you for walking away from this."

My gaze lowered. "If Ruby can so willingly give herself to become Humanity's sword and shield… then so shall I." I said before finally summoning the strength to actually step into the pod. Before I knew it, the door had closed on me.

"Are you ready, Pyrrha?" He asked, his voice muffled by the pod. I silently nodded after a moment's hesitation. "I… need to hear you say the words."

"…I'm ready, Headmaster." I said, closing my eyes…

…only for them to shoot wide open mere moments later.

It felt like a thousand knives were piercing every square inch of skin; like something was forcing its way both past and into my aura at the same time. My body, long hardened from over a decade of hard training, physically curled up from the pain.

I screamed.


(A/N) And it seems Pyrrha has made her decision. There were a lot of hard scenes to write (especially the date one) but that actually wasn't one of them. Turns out, Konungens Likfärd is a great song to listen to while writing about someone who thinks they're marching towards their death.

I know I promised to show the result of Nora's Nevermore-wrangling expedition, but, honestly, that's better suited as an omake, which I haven't written yet. When it's done, I'll put it at the end of whichever chapter I'm writing next, but you'll be able to see it earlier on the SB version of this story (along with an ONI dossier that I'll be writing on the VDF Ranger Corps). This is just simply because SB allows people to make a distinction between an actual chapter and an omake (instead of FFN's "Everything is a chapter whether you like it or not" approach).

Lastly, don't forget to vote in the poll and here's the FFN-friendly version of the Valkea drawing. I have to do this because this site is stupid and will exterminatus any links it sees, so yeah, just remove the spaces and you're good to go. imgur gVVsBOh

Anyways, onto the reviews! Though I think I'm going to try guest-only again because boy are there a lot of them.

Guest 001 said – "Watts just met his match! Wish we could see him try to explain this failure to Salem! The wait for Spirit of Fire to arrive is KILLING ME!

At least they know that Yang and Summer are alive!"

Maybe another omake is in order. Goddamn, that's what, like 5 I've said I'd write now? I should really get on that.

Guest 002 said – "Spirit of Fire will be able to fix Ruby's armor!

Have you read up on all the new UNSC Halo Wars 2 units, cause I would REALLY like to see the Mark 2 version of the Cyclops Mech to replace the now lost Paladin Suits!

Speaking of which, we have yet to see ANY Paladin suits in Volume 7, why is that!?"

I have read up a little on them, as a follower and fellow author sent me quite a detailed breakdown of all the UNSC HW2 units. Some of them will be included, but others not. I do have other plans for the successor to the Paladin program, though.

That… is a very good question. Maybe Atlas discontinued their development after the Beacon incident? Maybe they didn't want to waste them on Mantle? Idk, there're many possible answers.

Wolffang said – "This may come of a little cold but I'm kinda glad that atlas fell not because of the people dying but what the surviving Atliesians could learn from this failure because let's face it most of them are arrogant as hell hopefully the UNSC can and probably literally beat the arrogance out of them plus this invasion saved Ironwood from going mental."

It is a little cold, but as Roman Torchwick says "The real world is cold!" And you're completely right that basically any sense of Atlesian supremacy was taken out back and shot in the face repeatedly. Even someone as fanatical as Cordovin would start second-guessing their opinions if their supposedly great and invincible kingdom fell in ~8 hours.

Guest 003 said – "It is too bad that Winter can't see the same videos the WBY saw for the Fall Of Reach, it would give her A LOT of context!"

Indeed it would, but yeah, I don't feel like rewriting FoR; one reaction fic is enough for this lifetime.

Guest 004 said – "So the the Forerunner based Crescent Rose can still be made just Aurora Heralds Infinity will not do much but Resplendent Notion shud know how to make Forerunner alloy so the Hard light based Scythe blade and a Z-750 binary rifle for the Sniper part. Also you could have Constructor Sentinels help out with making it as well help fix the spirit of fire and all other just shut like the rods paved in red and ruby armour as well Assembler Sentinels a shit ton of them and to Finley one Retriever Sentinel to get the stuff they need to make it."

Maybe in the future the as-of-yet-unnamed scythe will get upgraded, but there won't be any Sentinels coming to Remnant. Also, aside from the slipspace drive, the Spirit isn't actually damaged in this AU, as the CPV-class sent to destroy it was preemptively neutralized by Summer and her Freddy Krueger expy.

Michael said – "Nice chapter, and congratulations hoping to see more in the future"

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this one too!

Firewyrm2 said – "Haven't read the new chapters yet but I seriously want to see some flashbacks of interactions between Ruby and Master Chief (perhaps she could see him as a mentor). Also, I'v learned that only the Elites left the Covenant (they don't join up with humanity until Halo 3 though), I honestly think it will be hilarious to see Ruby's jaw drop at the news. Finally, why haven't the Drones (the 7th and final race of the Covenant to be introduced) appeared yet?"

They haven't had very many interactions over the years, but I'll think about it. Oh, she'll find out about the Schism eventually, and yes, it'll be fun. I originally had something planned for them to make a hive under the ruins of Atlas, but that kinda got scrapped with that arc. They might show up and they might not, it just depends.


Aaand that's all for this chapter! I do, actually, know the name of the next one this time, so I'll see you all in 'Through Passing We Achieve Immortality'.