(A/N) Aaand here's the third chapter in a row that's late… yaaaay…

I don't have much else to say up here except to say thank you to those who voted in the poll; it ended with 11 voters (1 for guest reviews only and 10 for continuing on as I have been). So yeah… enjoy the chapter!


Volume Two

Chapter Ten – Through Passing We Achieve Immortality


/-\ Ruby Rose /-\


I paused on my way to class just after I'd left the mess hall. Pyrrha had done a pretty bad job of hiding the fact that something was wrong this morning, and I'd caught her several times just staring at us and her teammates. Then again, knowing the decision she had to make… I couldn't exactly blame her.

What gave me pause, however, is that she pulled Jaune away from the group. "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up." I told the four others around me. They nodded, used to me doing things like this by now. A moment later, I was standing off to the side of the dining hall. I didn't have to wait long for a tear stricken Pyrrha to run past me, a very concerned Jaune on her heels.

She ducked out of sight, allowing him to run straight past her, before she composed herself and marched herself towards the Headmaster's office. She walked right past me but was so distraught that I doubted she'd notice anything short of a boulder in her path.

I pushed off the building, leisurely walking towards where Jaune had run off to. As I predicted, he doubled back, his previous concern having morphed into genuine fear for his partner. "Ruby!" He shouted, running up to me. "Pyrrha just… she just ran off! We've gotta find her!"

I crossed my arms. "I'm sorry, Jaune, but I can't let you do that."

"What do you mean, you can't let me do that?!" He shouted. "She's been acting weird all morning and then pulls me away after breakfast and just starts talking crazy! Ruby, I think she's having a mental breakdown! She might… she might do something!"

I shook my head. "I know exactly where she is right now. Trust me when I say she won't get the chance to hurt herself." I sighed. "She's just got some… issues Ozpin is helping her with. She'll be back before you know it."

"…Issues?" He asked, his voice still fearful.

"She wouldn't tell me what they were, but I'm sure she'll be back soon." I lied. "When she does, though, she might need some cheering up. Do you think you can do that?"

"I…" He sighed. "I've just got this feeling that something's really wrong, y'know?" He said, pausing for a moment. "But you haven't been wrong before… so I'll trust you." He laughed uneasily.

I kept my expression schooled. "Good." I said, already planning for the fallout. "Let's get to class, then. Wouldn't want to be late."


/-\ _ /-\


My eyes fluttered open, blearily recognizing two figures hovering above me. "She's coming to." The woman said.

"H- hello?" I asked, my voice sounding completely foreign.

"Are you alright, Miss Nikos?" The man asked. I started to sit up, just now realizing I was laying on the ground. The woman tried to stop me, but Ozpin cut her off with a wave of his hand. I looked around, confused, for a few moments before he spoke again. "Do you know where we're at?"

I turned to him, brows furrowing in thought. "I believe this is… the vault?" I said. "It sounds right, but might I ask what it contains? No, what it contained. Past tense."

He frowned. "How much do you remember?" He asked, not answering my question.

I paused in thought. "I was afraid." I finally said. "We were descending in an elevator after I'd given that girl an ap- no wait, that was an illusion. The little girl disappeared and then we were in the elevator, then I ran from a Nevermore while a Deathstalker covered our-"

"That is enough, Miss Nikos." The woman said.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because that is your name." She said. "You are Pyrrha Nikos. Do you not remember?"

My lips pursed. "That… doesn't sound right." I said. "Well, it does, but it also does not."

"I see…" Ozpin let out. "Is the name Amber Autumn more accurate?"

I paused in thought. "It does ring a few bells…" I said before shaking my head. "But no, that doesn't sound right either. You said my name was Pyrrha Nikos?" He nodded. "Then that is the name I shall use; at least until this mess gets sorted out."

"Very well." He said, frowning. "For what it is worth… I'm sorry to have put you through that ordeal."

I blinked. "Ordeal?" I asked, shortly before my eyes widened in recognition. I remembered being afraid; feeling like I was about to die but choosing that death so others wouldn't have to face the same fate. I remembered climbing into a pod and then… nothing. I turned around, still sitting on the ground, and saw the pod sitting a few feet away, the machinery sparking intermittently.

"I see you remember now." Ozpin said, drawing my attention. He sighed. "There is one thing I must know, however… did it work?"

"What do you mean?"

"Hold out your hand." He said, softly. After a moment's hesitation, I did so. "Focus on your palm; picture a small flame there. Feel the fleeting yet loving warmth as it wraps around your fingers. Picture the flame's blueish depths gradually shifting to yellow then orange as it travels away from your body."

With how detailed he was, it wasn't difficult at all to picture what he was describing. Strangely, I felt… something deep within my body shift. A small stream of energy flowed from my chest, down my arm, and out my palm, where tiny embers began to gather.

He sighed in relief. "That will suffice. Thank you, Miss Nikos."

I stopped picturing the flame, the river of energy flowing backwards to its source in an instant. "It's… strange." I said. "It felt like I'd done that a hundred times."

"You are not too far from the truth, Miss Nikos." He said, standing up. "Do you think you can walk? We have much to discuss, and there are far more comfortable places than a concrete floor in this academy."


/-\ Jaune Arc /-\


I glanced at the door for seemingly the thousandth time this class and still found myself wanting. I tapped the desk impatiently, completely unable to follow Port's ramblings. Glancing at my teammates, it seemed that they were in similar positions. Nora chewed on her pen while Ren stared blankly at the Grimm posters in the background.

Team RWVB was… not quite calm, but they weren't exactly panicking either. That new girl didn't seem phased, but then again, she probably didn't even notice Pyrrha was missing. Weiss and Blake did occasionally glance at the door but were otherwise able to pay attention for the most part. Ruby, though… she seemed completely unconcerned with what was going on.

It was kinda unsettling, to be honest. I sighed under my breath. 'Maybe I am thinking too hard about it…' I thought. 'But still… I just can't shake this feeling.'

"ATTENTION!" The intercom suddenly boomed. "Would Team JNPR as well as Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Blake Belladonna report to the Headmaster's office? Again, Team JNPR, Miss Rose, Miss Schnee, and Miss Belladonna to the office."

I blinked, looking around for a moment before gathering my things and heading out with my friends. "So…" I began. "What do you guys think this is about?"

Ruby shrugged. "I don't know." She said, evenly.

Suddenly, Ren spoke up. "They called Team JNPR; not all of us individually." He said. "This might involve Pyrrha, too."

"Actually, you're probably right." I sighed. "I just hope she's alright..."

We walked the rest of the way to the office in silence, eventually reaching our destination. I smiled in relief when the elevator doors opened and revealed my partner. "Pyrrha…" I said, rushing forward and enveloping her in a hug. She stiffened and didn't return the embrace, causing me to pull back after a few moments. "Pyrrha? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, but… have we met?" She asked. I stared at her, so completely caught off guard that I couldn't speak. She squinted. "I… feel like I've met you before but can't place where. I am having a few memory issues as of late, though."

"I'm afraid that what Miss Nikos says is true." A voice said. I turned towards it, just now noticing Professor Ozpin sitting at his desk.

"What's going on?"

He stood up. "Something which we are not at liberty to discuss, I'm afraid."

I physically recoiled. "What do you mean not at-"

"Mister Arc, please." He interrupted. "Allow me to explain." I crossed my arms, making a 'get on with it' motion. "Thank you. Now, forces that are bigger than most people in this room are at work. Unfortunately, fate determined that Miss Nikos had a part to play in its infernal game. There were… unforeseen consequences to her acceptance of her role."

"Besides memory loss?" Ruby asked, oddly calm.

He shook his head. "Fortunately, that seems to be the only side effect as of right now."

I sighed angrily. "Is she… is she going to get them back?"

"Things are coming back… slowly…" My partner said. "From what I can tell, what memories I do have are quite… disorganized. Tell me who you are. It might jog my memory."

"I'm… I'm Jaune Arc. Your partner."

Her brows furrowed for a moment. "Jaune…" She said slowly. "Wait, are you the clueless one?"

My jaw dropped. "Wha-"

Ruby burst out laughing. "Yeah. Yeah, he is."

I blushed. "I'm not that clueless…"

"Jaune, Pyrrha's liked you from day one and you-"

"Ehem." We all turned towards Ozpin. "As much as I understand you are teenagers, we really do have more pressing matters to discuss." He said. "Now, I have given Miss Nikos the rest of the week off to recover and I will be extending that same courtesy to the rest of Team JNPR in hopes that you help her." He paused. "Team JNPR, you are dismissed. Please lead Miss Nikos back to your dorm, as I doubt she remembers the way."

"You would be correct, Gran- err… Professor."

I glanced at her, confused, for a moment before shrugging. "C'mon, let's head back, Pyr."


/-\ Ruby Rose /-\


I waited until they'd gone to speak again. "So, what was that?" I asked.

"One of the late Amber's quirks." He said. "In her last few years, she'd taken to calling me her grandfather, though I still do not know why."

Weiss rested a hand on her hip. "So it was at least moderately successful, then?"

He nodded. "She does, indeed, possess the Maiden's powers. Or at least what her assailant was unable to take."

I hummed in approval. "Alright, how much did you sugarcoat it?" He raised an eyebrow. "I want to know any more downsides that might come up between now and… whenever. Just to be prepared."

"While I understand that to be a wise strategy, I'm afraid I do not have any more information to give." He clasped his hands behind his back. "In all my years, I've never seen it turn out like this." He muttered.

I raised an eyebrow. "Implying that you've seen similar situations."

He froze for a moment before sighing. "I suppose it would only be a matter of time before you found that out as well." He said. "To segue into the answer… have your friends told you the Story of the Seasons yet?"

"The one with the old man and the maidens that's basically the mythicized version of the Maidens' origin?" He nodded. "Yes. They've filled me in."

"Well what if I told you… that I was the old man in the story?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'd tell you that's impossible because that was hundreds or possibly thousands of years ago. Now how is this relevant?"

"It may be impossible for a single Human life…" He said, ignoring my question. "…but what about multiple lives?"

"Reincarnation?" Weiss asked.

He nodded. "I… well, to put it simply, I am cursed." He said. "My body may be only slightly older than yours – relatively speaking – but my soul?" He sighed. "I stopped counting at a thousand. The calendars have reset several times since then."

"And how do we know you are not simply lying?" My partner asked.

"That is a very good question, Miss Schnee. I suppose you will simply have to take my word for it, though my expertise on the matter of soul merging should be proof enough."

"So that's where you were going with this." I said.

"Indeed." He said. "Every time I die, my soul automatically seeks out a like-minded companion and, for a time, my soul and theirs inhabit the same body."

Blake blinked. "The Man With Two Souls…"

He nodded. "Penned by a dear friend of mine who has since passed. While he did… embellish a tad, it is based on true events."

Weiss cleared her throat, cutting off our teammate's visible fangirling. "You can pick his brain later." She said, before turning back to him. "I'm assuming the whole 'two souls, one body' situation doesn't last forever."

"You would be correct. Once I regain 'consciousness', for lack of a better term, my soul automatically begins merging with my host's." He sighed. "It can take anywhere from months to years, but it is inevitable. And most certainly not my ideal scenario."

I crossed my arms, eyes narrowing. "So what is your ideal scenario?"

He ran a hand across his face tiredly. "Honestly? For me to have stayed dead the first time. Before any of… this happened." He shook his head. "But that is irrelevant, and we can only look forward from here on out. On that subject, Miss Rose, I am approving your request. On the condition that Miss Nikos is included in your little sparring sessions."

Weiss blinked. "Wait, wha-"

"Done, but don't change the subject." I said. "How is Pyrrha's soul merging thing different from yours?"

His face remained neutral. "First of all, it is much faster than any I'd experienced." He said. "That in and of itself isn't bad, at least as far as I am aware, however… the memory loss is new."

I raised an eyebrow. "So you've never forgotten anything from your soul merging with someone else's?"

"Nothing more than the Human mind would normally forget." He said. "This situation is… unprecedented. Though the stakes called for drastic measures such as these, I wish we did not have to resort to them." He sighed. "We should hope that her memories are merely disorganized, but there is a very real possibility that Pyrrha Nikos as we once knew her… is no longer with us."


/-\ _ /-\


The journey back to the dorm was… awkward, for lack of a better term. Each one of us remained silent for the entire time. I chose to pass the time by looking around, slightly intrigued by the looks of this place but more so, I was interested in scratching that little itch in the corner of my mind whenever I looked at certain places.

That itch seemed strongest when I looked at a random balcony on the student dorms, though I have no idea why or even what it was trying to tell me. However, the itch I'd felt while looking at that paled in comparison to when we finally reached the dorm.

I shook my head at the door, trying to clear… something from my mind as Jaune opened it. My teammates gave me a worried glance.

"I'm… fine…" I said.

"I- If you say so, Pyr…" He said before leading us inside. I paused just inside, scanning the-


A girl bounced on the bed, happily eating pancakes as her companion tried to get her to stop.


-room…

I blinked, continuing to survey the room until my eyes landed on- "Nora?"

The ginger in question perked up. "Yeeeeeeeeessss?" She asked, practically teleporting two inches in front of my face.

I flinched slightly before stepping away. "Is… is that your name?"

She deflated slightly but kept her megawatt smile. "Uh-huh!"

I stayed silent for a moment, at a complete loss for what to say. "Umm… that was all." I said, lamely.

The girl hummed for a moment before she suddenly lunged for me. I tried to spin out of the way, but quickly found myself hoisted into the air and thrown onto a bed. I started to stand up and-

…suddenly found myself pinned down.

I laid there for a moment, unsure of what to do while my other two teammates stood still. The ginger was hugging me. It felt… nice… Something in the corner of my mind told me to return her embrace; that the ginger- that Nora was a friend. A dear one.

I slowly did, cradling the smaller girl in my arms. After a few moments of staying like that, she released me and sat up, pulling me along with her. I readjusted my uniform, which was slightly disheveled, and glanced around the room. All my teammates were giving me worried looks.

"Pyrrha…" The blon- Jaune started. "What… what happened to you?"

My gaze fell to the floor. "I'm afraid I can't really say."

"But why?" He asked. "You've been acting weird all morning, then you go and pull me away from the group and tell me-" He stopped, eyes going wide. "…to help you remember who you are…"

My eyes squinted in concentration. "I don't seem to remember that."

"Well, it's what happened." He said, matter-of-factly. He brought his hand to his chin in thought. "Do you remember what happened on Friday?"

I paused in thought. "Some vague feelings, yes. Sorrow, relief, shock, nervousness, but most of all… joy." I said. "I don't remember anything about the actual events themselves… just how they made me feel."

"We went on a date."


"Hi, I have a reservation for… Nikaea?"

"A… you-row?"

I giggled. "It's a sandwich, Jaune!"

"Oh my gods! I'm like… your biggest fan!"

"So… next weekend?"

"That sounds grand, Jaune. It's a date."


I blinked, finding myself to be sitting ramrod straight on th- my bed. "…We did…" I let out.

"You remember now?" He asked.

"Somewhat." I answered, causing his smile to droop slightly. "Flashes coupled with emotions, but very little in the way of solid memories."

"Well… do you remember what happened at the end?"

"You asked me on a second date." I responded instantly.

He chuckled. "Yeah, even if… no, that doesn't matter." He muttered. "Well… whaddaya say we move it up a bit? We've got the week off, so... tomorrow for lunch?"

I thought about it for a moment before shrugging. "I don't see why not."

"Great! Let's switch into our regular clothes and then we'll go shopping for the food."

The other guy (Ron? Ran?) cleared his throat. "Actually, Jaune, it… may not be wise to have her leave Beacon in her…" He paused. "condition."

I blinked. "Might I ask why?"

"It's because there is a high likelihood of someone recognizing you." At my blank look he pulled out his scroll, showing it to me a few seconds later. Pyrrha Nikos refuses summons to Mistral! The first headline read. Pyrrha Nikos has a SECRET LOVER! The next claimed. Pyrrha Nikos: Expecting?

"…I think I'll stay here." I said, not wanting anything to do with whoever wrote… that. "If that's alright with you."

Jaune shrugged. "Yeah… that's probably a good idea. Hey Ren, can I uhh… get your help with that, then?"

He glanced at me. "If Pyrrha thinks she can handle Nora while we're gone."

I glanced at the ginger, who was busy staring unflinchingly at the wall. "Actually… I was planning on going to sleep soon, anyway."

They stared at me for a moment before shrugging. "If you say so." Ren said. I nodded and went over to the dresser to- "Wrong one."

I blinked. "I'm… sorry?"

"You share a dresser with Nora; it's the one on the other side of the room."

"Top half's mine!" She shouted, causing me to flinch slightly. I quickly walked over to the other dresser and retrieved some pajamas, ducking into the bathroom to change.

The first thing I saw in there was a face; my face reflected in the mirror. I walked up to it, setting my clothes on the sink, and began getting an actual look at myself; the first I could remember. I just… stared for a minute, still not entirely believing that I was looking at myself.

A small part of me screamed that I wasn't. The skin should be a shade darker; the eyes should be brown along with the hair; the chin shouldn't be that pointy. That small part of me had a perfectly constructed image of what I should look like. A different, yet equally small, part of me took one look at that image the other had constructed and threw it out in its entirety, telling me that what… who was staring back at me in the mirror was correct.

I sighed, a thousand questions running through my mind. 'Maybe I'll get some more answers tomorrow…'


/-\ Ruby Rose /-\


I exited the elevator, coming into Ozpin's office. "My, that was quick, Lieutenant Commander." He said, sitting at his desk with Goodwitch and Ironwood at his side.

I shrugged. "Witherson already had me coming here to ask you something. I was right outside the building when I heard the announcement."

"That would explain it." He said before gesturing to a pot on his desk. "Coffee?"

"I won't say no to that. Got any cream and sugar?"

He nodded, producing them from under his desk. I quickly sat down and poured a liberal amount of cream in, plus five sugar cubes. He raised an eyebrow but didn't say what was clearly on his mind. "Why don't we address what the good commander has to say, hmm?"

I took a sip of my coffee. 'A hell of a lot better than the shit I got in the UNSC…' I thought before turning to him. "Oh, he wants to know if you can spare any experts on your tech. We recovered a hard drive from Atlas a while ago but haven't been able to make it talk to our computers. He thought that maybe an electrical engineer would be able to help with that."

"I'll see what I can do. Is there anything else?"

I quickly checked my datapad. "N-" It dinged. "Well, speak of the devil, I just got new orders." I said, opening the file. "Alright, he wants to know if there's some time the UNSC can hold a PR rally."

"I'm afraid it's beyond my purview, though I can put in a request with the council on his behalf."

"Much appreciated." I said, continuing to read the document. "Wait… that can't be right, he wants me in my armor. The thing's way too busted to actually work."

He raised an eyebrow. "If it's a PR event, does it really need to be functional? Or can it only look functional?"

I blinked. "Actually… yeah. It doesn't need to work. I've already got Chrys working on the helmet with her semblance. All I'd need for the armor would be some plastic, a torch, some paint, and maybe some sandpaper."

He nodded. "All of those can be found in the school's workshop. Is there anything else the commander needed?"

"Nope, that's all he had. So why'd you call me up here?"

"Two things." He said. "Firstly… how is Miss Nikos doing?"

I shrugged. "Haven't seen her all day, but since Nora started screaming about her eye being on fire this morning… probably not very well." I said. "Jaune would probably know more, though, seeing as they're probably dating at this point. At least, that's what I think is going on… I don't exactly have much experience in that field."

"I'll make a note to consult him." He said.

Ironwood cleared his throat, gaining out attention. "We still need to deal with our morale problem, Ozpin."

"I was getting to that." He said before addressing me directly. "Lieutenant Commander… I'm sure you've realized by now that spirits are… low in Vale. And I sincerely doubt you haven't seen what consequences that has on this planet."

I crossed my arms. "So you're looking for advice on how to improve the citizens' morale." I said, less of a question and more as a statement. They nodded. "You'd probably be better off asking a spook from Section Two, but I know a few tricks. First and foremost, we need a victory."

"And how do you propose we do that, given what the Covenant did to Atlas? We don't know when, where, or even if they'll show their faces again." Ironwood asked.

"It doesn't necessarily have to be against them. Just a victory." I said. "But they'll definitely be back. Once they find a world, they won't rest until every single Human on it is nothing but dust in the wind."

They were silent for a moment, taking in what I'd said. "So this victory you mentioned…" Ironwood started. "What did you have in mind?"

"Gimmie a minute." I said, pausing in thought. I sat there, mentally trying several different strategies until I found one that could work. "The Grimm have been pushing us hard since the invasion started. We need to drive them back from the city walls and kill as many as humanly possible. We'll record it and give the highlight reel to the news; things that show young huntsmen and huntresses killing Grimm after Grimm and not suffering any injuries."

Ironwood hummed. "While I like the thought of it, where do you propose we get the manpower? The VDF isn't equipped for that kind of offensive, and both the rangers and huntsmen are already spread too thin."

"If the Grimm didn't invade Atlas, it wouldn't've fallen when it did. Because of that, we can't afford to be picky; we just need them gone. The students at Beacon will be enough."

"You want to send students on a mission like this?!" Goodwitch shouted. "Some of them haven't even gone out in the field once yet!"

My face remained impassive. "I know a lot of them aren't ready for it, that's why we pick and choose who will come. We'll use the top ten first years, top thirty second years, top half of the third years, and all of the fourth years." 'They'd have a better chance than we did at Pegasi Delta, after all…'

"But they're children! They aren't ready for this."

I crossed my arms. "The covvies won't wait until they are." I said, darkly. "We need the Grimm gone, and this is the only thing shy of orbital bombardment that'll do the trick." I turned to Ironwood. "How many Atlesian students made it here?"

"Not many. A hundred-and-fifty out of six-hundred."

"We'll need all the help we can get with this op. How many do you think could handle it?"

He sighed. "The ones that did make it are some of the best Atlas Academy had to offer. Anywhere from a hundred to one-twenty-five."

"That brings us up past three-hundred." I said, turning to Ozpin. "It's your call, Headmaster."

He remained silent, chin resting on his hands in thought.

"You can't seriously be considering this, Ozpin…" Goodwitch said, earning no response. "Ozpin, they're children!"

He sighed. "I do not see another alternative, Glynda." He said, taking a long sip of his coffee. "The Lieutenant Commander is correct; Atlas wouldn't've fallen if the Grimm hadn't intervened. The same thing cannot be allowed to happen here." She opened her mouth to protest but was cut off. "I dislike this turn of events as much as you do, Glynda, but this situation is more desperate than any I've seen before. Please put in a request to the council for Grimm heatmaps, they would be a great assistance in planning this offensive."

She scowled. "Yes, Headmaster." She ground out before getting up and leaving.

"If you need logistical support, the UNSC can probably help with that as well. An Albatross can carry a surprising amount of food and ammo."

"I'll keep that in mind, Lieutenant Commander." He sighed. "I hope she comes around…"

"You know she will." Ironwood reassured.

The room stayed silent for a moment, but I had more to say. "There is… another thing that needs to be done."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "I hope you do not mean to suggest that we divide our forces."

I shook my head. "No, this requires a bit more of a… delicate touch." I said. "We've been getting reports that the White Fang are being increasingly paranoid about their operations. Our agent says that they're compartmentalizing information and she can't find out much more without raising suspicion."

"That is worrying indeed. I assume you have a plan to counter it?"

I nodded. "If someone were to… accidentally let some valuable, yet coincidentally false information slip into the hands of a known spy and then trail them to wherever they went…" I trailed off.

Ironwood caught on immediately. "The spy might lead them to a new source of information…" He paused. "I'll assign Specialist Schnee to assist you in any way she can, Lieutenant Commander."

"Not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but I work better on my own for this kind of thing."

"Very well, Miss Rose." Ozpin said. "Please keep us appraised of whatever you find."


/-\ Valkea Khan /-\


I listened intently from my bunk; the team having turned out the lights almost two hours ago. I'd been laying still, struggling to stay awake, for the entire time, waiting for the right moment. I'd been hearing only my teammate's breathing for the last few minutes, so I very quietly rolled over to check on them. Across from me, Ruby lay facing away while the Schnee slept peacefully below her.

How she could manage that, I had no idea, but it was a moot point. I carefully peered over the edge of my bed and saw Blake also sleeping, a book pressed up against her chest as an ear flicked. I took a slow breath, holding it as I quietly crept down from my bed. I inched my way towards the door, grabbing my rifle and go bag on the way out.

I slowly let out my breath as the door clicked shut behind me. I wasn't out of the woods yet, but I was closer. There was no way in hell I'd get away with changing into my regular clothes in the dorm's bathroom, so my first destination was the communal shower. I doubted anyone would be using it and half-to-midnight, anyway.

I was correct, and a few minutes later, I was well on my way to the camp. As I walked through the courtyard, I debated on which location to go to. I could go to the one in the Industrial district, as it was the nearest, but that safehouse had very little of anything going on and was primarily a recruiting ground.

Another alternative was the one deep within the Emerald forest, but that one was several dozen miles away from the city and I wasn't sure if I could make it there and back in time for my little outing to go unnoticed. That left only the Forever Fall base. I nodded; that one even had a long-range antenna…

I shook my head; it was usually the branch's leader's responsibility to contact the High Leader. 'But then again… I technically am the leader of the Atlesian branch. Not that it exists anymore…' I thought, bitterly.

I pulled a map out of my bag, one with very rough coordinates on it. The were so rough, in fact, that they weren't coordinates at all; they were just circles drawn on the map with red marker. I did the basic orienteering required to figure out a vague direction and slid down Beacon's cliff into the red forest. It wasn't long before I found a path going roughly the direction I needed to go and set off at a light jog, allowing my mind to wander slightly while still keeping an eye out. This was Grimm territory, after all.

As I traveled, my thoughts eventually drifted to Adam, and Blake's obvious dislike of him. Sienna made it abundantly clear that everyone unarmed or surrendering were to be spared. In fact, while she encouraged violence itself, she hated lethal force and absolutely abhorred it when it was unnecessary. "Do what you must, but no more." I said, repeating the mantra she'd drilled into my skull.

I wanted to believe that Blake was just making up stories about him to discredit the White Fang, but something about the way she said it… Even if she'd buddied up with a Schnee, I couldn't just write it off. I blinked as another thought came to me. 'Was Adam so bad that he drove a Belladonna to run to a Schnee for help?'

I shook my head. Grimm territory was certainly not the place to be thinking about this shit. I tried to force myself to think happy thoughts, but honestly… I drew a blank. 'What do I like doing?' I asked myself, now realizing that nearly every waking moment was dedicated to the White Fang in some way, shape, or form. The only thing I could think of that could even tangentially be considered not explicitly for the cause was hanging out with my sister…

…who was Sienna Khan. High Leader of the White Fang.

I shook my head, brows furrowing slightly. 'Who cares if that's all I wanted to do.' I dismissed the entire line of thought, instead thinking on what to say to Sienna when I called her. I checked my watch; it'd be around lunchtime for her now since she's still in Anima.

Soon enough, I neared the rough location of the compound. I stopped for a moment, changing out my bandana for the Grimm mask that I kept in my go bag. Unlike the ones most of my brothers and sisters wore, this one was the full-face variant that extended past my chin.

Soon enough, I found a rock with our mark engraved into it; two slashes in the form of a 'V' with another one leading upwards from the center. I nodded to it, tipping up the rock to find a laminated piece of paper beneath with exact coordinates listed.

Pulling out my map, I saw that they weren't far away and headed there as well. After less than twenty minutes, I was being stared down by a quartet of guards, all adorning the same mask and uniform identifying them as true freedom fighters.

"Who are you?" One said, arms crossed. "I haven't seen you around before."

"And you won't; I'm on a mission from Lady Khan herself, and I require the use of your communications array."

They stared at me blankly for a moment before one of them turned to another. "Hey uhh… why don't you go get Adam? I think this is above our paygrade…"

That one, a Goat Faunus, nodded and scurried off. I didn't really know what to do after that, so I just stood there awkwardly. Ten minutes of agonizing silence later, and a familiar edgelord rounded the corner.

He eyed me warily, a hand instinctively drifting to his waist where a sword sat. "I'm told you're on official business from High Lady Khan." He said. "Come in, we'll discuss it further."

I nodded, following him inside the small compound. The base itself was only a few buildings; a large main one surrounded by smaller shed-sized structures dotted along the wall. One of those sheds, however, held a large antenna array. However, he took me into the main building, quickly shutting the door behind us once we were inside a room off the lobby.

He crossed his arms. "Speak." He commanded.

"As I'm sure you remember-"

"Today, please."

I blinked. "Very well. I'm our spy for Beacon and I'm here to make my report to Sienna."

He studied me for a moment, face unreadable behind the mask. "Fine. I'll take you to the communications room where you can make your report to both her and myself." The Bull Faunus led me back outside and towards the antenna shed. I was kinda put off by how rude he was, but I suppose I probably woke him up or so-

"OWW!" I heard someone shout. Whipping my head around, I saw a glimpse of someone on the roof; a man wearing a white coat and bowler hat holding a rock. "Which one of you ani-" He was quickly pulled down and silenced.

I turned back to my guide. "What was that about?"

"It was nothing." He insisted, practically dragging me towards the radio shack. Soon enough, we were inside the dimly lit shed, the only thing of note were several computers haphazardly bolted to the floors and/or walls. He strode up to one, pressing a few buttons before motioning me forward. "Be quick, I have many important duties to see to."

I raised an eyebrow under my mask but couldn't follow up before a person on the other end picked up. The otherwise blank screen flashed to life, revealing someone I didn't know. "Connect us to Lady Khan, I have an urgent report for her." I said.

The person nodded and a few moments later, was replaced by the visage of my sister. "Valkea." She said, her expression schooled. "Your report?" I could see the happiness in her eyes, but completely understood the need to keep her face neutral.

I bowed. "I have been told to keep my report brief." I said, subtly glancing at Adam. "So I shall simply state that the situation has changed in Vale, and requires your personal presence."

She raised an eyebrow, but Adam cut off any response she may have had. "That will not be necessary, High Leader." He said. "My men and I are perfectly capable of handling the situation without your intervention."

She frowned. "If your men are so capable, then surely you wouldn't object to my presence at a rally. Morale is important, after all…"

"I simply mean to say that your time may be better spent elsewhere, Lady Khan."

She crossed her arms. "'A leader who does not make time for her men shall find herself in command of cowards rather than soldiers.' An old proverb, but appropriate in this instance." She said, nodding. "I shall arrive in exactly one week. Prepare."

"My Lad-" The connection winked out. His fist clenched and he whipped around to face me. "I am in charge here! You should've told me you were planning to invite the High Leader to my doorstep!"

"I tried to tell you of my intentions, but-"

"You're dangerously close to challenging my authority, sister." He sneered. "Leave. Now."

I nodded. "Yes, Brother Taurus." I said, turning and exiting the shed and immediately heading for the compound's exit. On my way out, however, I saw two brothers escorting another Faunus in chains. I raised an eyebrow and approached them. "What is going on here?" I asked the lead guard.

"This person has willfully harmed our cause; he will face judgement. Move along."

I blinked. "Willfully harmed- what are you talking about? We don't incarcerate fellow Faunus."

"Pfft, news to me." The prisoner said, earning a rough slap from the guard behind him.

"Shutup!" The lead guard told him before turning back to me. "Move. Along."

"I would do what he says." I heard. Glancing behind me, I saw it was, once again, Adam. "I told you to leave."

My eyes narrowed, but I sighed. "Fine. I'm leaving." I turned and walked out the gates, feeling their stares on me the entire way. I frowned; something was very wrong here…


(A/N) Actual word count for V2Ch10 – 6,666. (I know, right?)

Not all that much to say here, just a couple things. 1) Valkea's starting to catch on that something's a little… fishy in the Vale WF. 2) I had quite a bit of trouble trying to figure out what approach I would take with Pyrrha. I've been reading RWBY fics for much longer than I've been writing and in all that time I've found one (1!) story where she actually gets the Maiden powers… and that one just copy/pasted Ozpin's reincarnation mechanics onto her. So yeah, I wanted to do something a little different, but not entirely foreign. Hence the occasional flashbacks throughout her scenes in the chapter.

Anyways, that's all I had for exposition, onto the reviews!

Shadow Walker of Fire said – "Nice chapter. So is Ruby's sniper-scythe going to look like cannon or your own version?"

It'll be my own version; this one won't be mechanically complex enough to magically shrink into a small box like Crescent Rose can.

Mid Level Fighter said – "Oddly enough, I was re-reading this whole story from the beginning when the new chapter notification came out. This one was a bit slow, but exposition chapters usually are.

Blake talking to Valkea seemed a bit rushed, forced even. Blake is usually portrayed as more subtle, even though your version of her had a hair trigger on her mouth early on. Ruby can get away with poking the proverbial bear because she, outside her armor, can break a Brute's neck in hand to hand. Blake's style is a lot like her personality, cautious. Trying to covert a zealot is a slow, delicate, and ultimately volatile process, which is one thing I dislike about RWBY's jumpy episodic pace making things either progress slowly over multiple seasons, or happen instantly, as with Blake and Weiss becoming friends. But enough about that.

Now the obligatory shout-out to Oblivious Jaune, and his Partner, Indecisive Pyrrha. Not even a kiss before she runs off? She had him in a dark corner, pressed against a wall...

Now for the actual question of my rantings: Remnant manufacturing UNSC hardware is all well and good, but will they be Dust powered? If so, orbit is out of reach. I personally think that they might have other natural resources, like fossil fuels and material for nuclear reactors (fission and fusion), but never even looked into it because they have Dust. A scan from the (insert name of flagship i can't remember) in orbit could easily detect radiation signatures from nuclear materials on planet or elsewhere in the system.

Saying that prompts another question: what is your mental image of the Remnant System? Other planets, asteroid belts, comets, the star. All of these are undefined. Their sun could be considered a the same class as Sol, but that is just boring. If everything was made by Forerunners, the system could be very interesting to both the UNSC and Remnan scientists.

Keep up the great work."

Blake went in there knowing that it could turn volatile and that's why she chose an environment that hampered Valkea heavily and also had her weapons close at hand (if not visible).

I went back and forth for a while on having her kiss him or not, but eventually decided against it because they'd only had an awkward "I thought it was a date but you didn't" outing, whereas in canon they were kinda-maybe-sorta dating for the entire Vytal Festival.

All vehicles produced by Remnan factories will be dust-powered for the time being; the timescale they're working on kinda demands that they get equipment out as quickly as humanly possible.

What I told you about the still-unnamed Remnant system in the response isn't necessarily accurate anymore. I'll be writing a small thing over on the SB thread (where all the lore shit goes because FFN is kinda dumb about it) once I get the creases fully ironed out.

Guest 001 said – "Didn't Atlas own Amnity Coluseum, wasn't it up in Atlas during the attack!? What even happened to it!?

The Guest 001 and 002 questions were actually mine, so thanks for answering them! Glad to see you agree with me on wondering why there were no Paladin's in Volume 7!"

IIRC it's housed on Vytal island when not in use, but idk if that's true for sure. Atlas certainly took it in canon after the Fall of Beacon…

Guest 002 said – "Why were the Rangers turning away so many humans!?"

-Whistles innocently-

C313st14 said – "I've enjoyed this chapter as much as I've enjoyed all of the others but I've got a question: is the flood making an appearance at some point in this series?"

Glad to hear it! Very likely not, though.


Aaaand that's it for the reviews, and thus, I must bid you adieu for the moment! See y'all in the next chapter (called 'Lone Wolf' atm, but that might change)!