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Beta-ed by xenosaiyan

Qrow had thought he knew all the reasons he disliked Atlesian Specialists. They were uptight, self-important, and arrogant. They thought that just because their kingdom had created the CCT, that automatically meant they could walk all over everyone else and decide how they lived their lives. But now? Now, he understood the real reason his gut boiled whenever he saw one of those ridiculous white uniforms.

They were crowding up his favorite bar.

"And that was when I stabbed the Vacuo bastard up his rear end! Probably couldn't sit in his tent for a week!" a redheaded woman with dark yellow eyes chortled to a table full of white coat wearing still. While any other group might have burst out laughing at what was presumably a hilarious, if slightly racist to Vacuoans, story, the squad of specialists just raised their shots and chuckled a bit before sipping their drinks. Sipping! It was ridiculous!

Of course, Specialists refusing to completely cut loose even in their off hours was hardly a new thing. Why they had come to his favorite dive bar of all the establishments in Vale was another, far more vexing mystery. One he found the answer to huddled away from her peers at the back corner of the bar counter.

He wasn't sure he'd ever seen Winter Schnee look so disheveled. Her prim and proper bun still held its basic form, but there were more than a few strands of snow-white hair out of order on the normally pristine head. Her jacket, which he didn't think he'd ever seen with even a single button undone, was now open down to the third from the top. The ever-proper Ice Queen had her elbow on the counter supporting her lagging head, her glazed eyes blankly staring at the half-finished food and drink before her.

Qrow was hardly above kicking someone when they were down, he liked to think it was his specialty, but seeing his usually collected sparring partner so out of sorts was quite… disconcerting. And since he knew the feeling of discovering the whole 'magic is real' thing quite well… damn it.

He saddled onto the stool next to the specialist. "You know, when I told you about this place, I wasn't counting on you inviting a whole squad here."

Predictably, Winter sneered. "They wanted to celebrate their arrival before the final rounds tomorrow. They asked for a suggestion. I make it a point to avoid coming to Vale whenever possible to avoid you, so this was the only place I knew. Now leave me be, Qrow. I'm in no mood for company."

"You see, you say that. But you're also eating fried jalapenos and whiskey, which is a cry for help if I ever saw one."

"It was the only thing resembling a vegetable on the menu." Winter picked at one of the deep-fried peppers, her finger coming away wet. "I did not expect the grease."

Qrow smirked. "And the whiskey? I'd think a Schnee could at least afford top shelf?"

"I tried wine first, that always seems to do the trick for mother. But I didn't feel anything. The bartender said this would have more alcohol, but it tastes disgusting."

"You don't drink for the taste," Qrow said. "You drink for the excuse."

"Excuse?"

Qrow shrugged. "Sure. To be social, to have fun, to forget, to not be yourself for a few hours, there are lots of reasons to drink, but they're all excuses. I'm guessing you're hoping for one that's let the world make sense again."

Winter looked away. "I am a huntress and a Specialist of Atlas. I don't need the world to make sense."

"But it's still disorienting when it suddenly doesn't. Leading you here," Qrow finished. When Winter still didn't meet his eyes, he sighed. "Look, I'm the last person to say this, but coming here every night isn't going to make your sister's new skillset any more believable."

"She can kill gods. Gods are real. Magic is real, and I can't tell anyone because it's classified, and I still don't know the whole story because the general won't trust me with it," Winter ranted in a whisper, careful even as discombobulated as she was to not be overheard. "The world seems to have rotated onto a new axis, so what do you suggest I do, Branwen?"

Qrow took a deep breath to keep the instinctual snarky comeback from shooting out of his mouth. Winter was being defensive about the whole thing, but he was more than aware that suddenly finding out the world wasn't as small as one thought it was wasn't an easy process. The Nikos girl was as demure as they came, and she had barely kept it together after they'd asked her for help with the Fall Maiden problem right before Yang's match. Hell, he, Raven, and even the usually never drinking Summer had all hit a bar when Ozpin had first told them the truth. Of course, that didn't help, the only thing that had was…

"Talk," he told Winter. When she merely raised an eyebrow at him, he continued. "Look, you don't like me, and I don't like you. But, like it or not, I'm in the know. We're on the same side. If you can't talk to Jimmy because you're worried he'd think less of you for not acting like a perfect little soldier, which he wouldn't by the way, you can talk to me."

"So you can belittle and insult me?"

Qrow rolled his eyes. "I promise I will do my best not to make fun of your… Atlas-ness. Now what's really got you worried?"

That got Winter to finally meet his eyes, even if it was an icy glare. They held their furious stare for several seconds before the Schnee finally sighed.

"Ozpin believes that there is someone behind the recent White Fang activity, who assisted Roman Torchwick, correct? And that someone even more dangerous is backing them? Can you at least confirm that much for me?"

Qrow frowned but nodded. It seemed Ironwood had let Winter know the basics of the Salem situation. Would have been hard to convince Winter to get info from Weiss if he hadn't, so Ozpin probably wouldn't mind.

Winter gulped. "And this backer… do they have… have magic, like Weiss?"

Qrow caught his hand before it could start shaking, memories of his last trip to the Grimmlands, of the horrors and curses he witnessed, of the flames of hell he'd barely dodged on his escape flooding his mind.

"Of a sort," he replied. "It's a bit different, doesn't rely on the same energy and is called a curse, but it's just as dangerous, if not more."

"And, this person… they'll come for Team RWBY because they're in Fairy Tail? They'll come for Weiss?"

"Oz hasn't let me know all the details, but essentially, yes."

Winter sighed. She took a long swig of her whiskey, enough to make even Qrow raise an eyebrow, before slapping the glass back on the counter.

"When she showed me her magic, the power to slay gods, she froze the entire pavilion we were sitting in. Your niece cut away a third of that Mercury boy's aura and nearly burnt him alive in a single shot," she muttered. "Their magic is already equal to the most powerful semblances I've ever seen, and I don't think we've seen the limits of what they can do. Is this backer more powerful than them?"

"Yes."

Qrow loved his nieces, but he had seen the forces at Salem's command, the power at her command when only two of her Gates and their guardian were ready. Even if Ruby's eyes were Spirit Slayer, even if Yang was a Devil Slayer, Team RWBY wouldn't stand a chance against the Eclipse Etherious. Especially not the Ophiuchus.

Winter clutched at her forehead. "I always knew that Weiss would be in danger if she became a huntress. I thought I'd come to terms with it. But this… this is more than just killing Grimm or protecting kingdoms. This enemy is coming for her, specifically, an enemy so powerful the General has summoned an entire fleet to confront it and still isn't sure it will be sufficient to stop them. My little sister is a target and I don't know how I could possibly help her. I'm so… so…"

"Out of your depth?" Qrow finished. He unclipped his flask from his belt and took a sip. "I've been dealing with this craziness for nearly two decades now. Trust me, that feeling isn't going to go away."

"Then how do you deal with it?" Winter pleaded. "I've seen the way you are with your nieces. You must be as terrified for them as I am for Weiss. How do you handle it, knowing that such power is coming for them?"

Qrow looked down, suddenly very interested in the veneer of the counter. Winter's question was one that had haunted his mind for years, since back when Team STRQ was still a team, Ozpin's elite huntsmen, doing everything they could to keep the maidens and Relics out of Salem's grip. Back then, he'd been a fool, blinded by the adventure and arrogance of youth, thinking his was a story of redemption, a pair of twins who rose above their murderous roots with the help of a loyal jokester and their guardian angel leader.

But then his twin had run straight back to those roots, the jokester's loyalty was never repaid, and their guardian angel had tried to kill the devil all on her own. And paid the ultimate price for it. Ever since then, Qrow had thought the answer to the question was to stay away from the people he loved whenever possible, so his semblance couldn't hurt them like it had Summer and Tai. Of course, it wasn't like Salem needed his help to doom the world, she was plenty powerful enough to do it on her own if Oz wasn't always standing in her way.

So, he'd stand with him, at his old headmaster's side. While Glynda was his right hand, keeping his scepter aloft and reinforcing the order it provided, he would be the left, Ozpin's dagger in the dark, venturing where a respectable public figure could not go to fight the good fight. It was a place to belong, a just purpose, a life of doing good, unlike the tribe. And even if it cost him his life, he'd do whatever he could to protect Ruby and Yang and the world they lived in. Even if he could never be a part of it.

"Don't worry about it," he finally answered. "Or do worry about it but know that it's not inevitable. The backer, she'll strike eventually, but we can stop her. The world wouldn't still be turning if we couldn't. Right now though, is the calm before the storm. There is nothing we can do, so relax a little. That way, when the time comes when there is something you can do to help that little clone of yours, you'll be able to do it without regret."

He took another swig from his flask, inwardly preening at his little speech. Summer herself couldn't have done a better job if he didn't say so himself.

It must have done some good, because the Ice Queen actually chuckled, cracking the smallest hit of a smile. She passed her fried jalapenos to him. "You want these? I'd finish them but… they have so much grease."

Qrow smirked, his hand already reaching out. "Motivational speech for fried food? I've heard worse deals."

Unfortunately, another hand reached over his own to snag the peppers.

"Hey!" he said. "Hands off you jerk!"

The hand curled back into a mouth, specifically the mouth of the redheaded specialist who'd been telling the story earlier. She wore the same uniform as Winter, only with even more of the buttons undone and her fiery hair running down past her shoulders.

She grinned at Qrow as she stuffed the peppers into her gullet. "Oh yeeaaeeh, cuume ann ge'um."

"What?"

Winter's smile disappeared. "For gods' sake, swallow, Tremaine."

The redhead did just that, licking her lips after she finished. "Right, thanks Win! But seriously, don't use my last name when I'm flirting."

"Flirting?" Qrow squeaked, banging on his throat as a drizzle of whisky went down the wrong pipe.

Winter sighed. "Qrow Branwen meet Ana Tremaine, the Specialists' version of you."

"As in?"

"She's a drunk," Winter looked turned to the redhead. "Tremaine, meet Qrow Branwen. He is over a decade older than both of us."

"Hey! I'm not old!"

Ana smirked. "Hey, a silver fox is still a fox. Can't let my old leader have all the action."

Qrow was no stranger to flirtation, he'd had many a wonderful night with many an innkeeper, but the fact that a Specialist, drunk or not, was the one doing it left him flatfooted. So much so that he latched onto the first bit of information he could that wasn't confusing.

"You two were teammates?"

"Yup! Team White, W.H.T.T," Ana said. "Me, Win, my sister Driz, and our friend Holly. Best team Atlas has ever seen."

"And I still can't get you to stop with that ridiculous nickname," Winter hissed. "My name is only two syllables. You don't need to shorten it."

"Oh, would you rather I just went with Ice Queen like everyone else?"

"Ha!" Qrow laughed as Winter's face reddened. "So even your own people do it!"

Winter growled. "And just when I thought you might have been tolerable." She rose from her stool, setting a small pile of lien bills on the counter. "I'm going to turn in for the night. You should too, Tremaine. The general won't accept jet lag as an excuse if you're here all night and late to your post tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah, will do, Win," Ana waved, her former leader marching to the door. However, the redhead whirled around right before she could leave. "Oh wait! I almost forgot. The Council Chairwoman said to cut loose a little. Those were her exact words, so you got to do it."

Winter actually paused for a moment. "I will… take that under consideration. Please give her my best if you see her before I do."

"Will do!"

With that, the Ice Queen left the bar.

"The Council Chairwoman?" Qrow asked. "What's that about?"

"Esper Rosenflos, friend of the general's, old mentor from our academy days," Ana explained. "Winter really looks up to her."

"Really? Do you?"

Ana shrugged. "She's better than my mom, that's for sure."

A dangerous glint appeared in the redhead's dark yellow eyes. She slipped down into Winter's former seat. "Now then, since the Ice Queen wants me to get some rest tonight, how's about you and I settle our business?"

Having recovered from the shock, Qrow finally registered that a bombshell redhead was flirting with him. Specialist or not, that wasn't something a man just passed up, especially when her open coat was as… unencumbering as it was.

"You're not really drunk, are you?" he inquired, just to be sure.

Ana grinned. "Don't worry, silver fox. I might play things up to mess with Win, but I hold my booze better than most. I am fully aware. And fully looking for a fun time."

Alright, good to know. He wouldn't want Ruby or Yang to be taken advantage of while they were intoxicated, so he was glad he wasn't doing it to someone else. Plus, it was generally a dick move on principle and in practice.

He leaned back in his stool. "Alright then, let's settle our business. You owe me some fried food."

Ana smirked. "How about a drink instead?"

"That'll do. That'll do nicely."

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"Mam, is everything alright?"

Cinder set down her tablet, shooting Emerald a confident smile. "Of course. Why so concerned?"

To most, the Team CMEN dorm would have felt like a powder keg just waiting to go off, the light of the shattered moon ominously intruding through the slit of the window. Neo had wisely made herself scarce, laying the groundwork for her infiltration of the Atlesian battleship where Torchwick was imprisoned. Emerald and Mercury could not even do that, both of them sitting stock still on their beds, the former out of devotion, and the latter knowing that his relevance to their recent debacle made fleeing her presence… unwise.

To Cinder, this was how the world should be, awaiting her every command, too terrified to even begin to conceive of harming her, of taking what was hers ever again.

Emerald shared a worried glance with Mercury, but when her partner looked away without providing aid, the thief was left to explain her words alone. "Well, it's just… the plan failed, didn't it?"

"Failed?" Cinder chuckled for show, it wouldn't do to let her minions believe her unsettled. "Well, you are correct that our opening move has been deflected."

It was irritating how often that seemed to be happening lately. First, Roman had been forced to execute the Breach several days ahead of schedule, before she had the time to shut down Atlas' defenses so the Grimm could ravage the city with minimal resistance. And now, her gambit to use Mercury and Yang Xiao-Long to provoke negativity between the kingdoms had gone awry as well. Despite her outward calm, Cinder was absolutely rankled by the constant crinkles in her schemes.

It all led back to them, Team RWBY. Those four had no idea she had any ill intentions and yet they had proved to be the most constant thorns in her side. From the tournament, to the Breach, to that very first night Ruby Rose had tried to thwart her robbery. Once was happenstance, twice was a coincidence, but three times? Something bigger was going on with those four, and she didn't think it was Ozpin, at least not entirely. Her mistress had instructed her to give them that book, they'd disappeared for three days, and when they'd returned, they'd had magic. She'd sensed it long before Xiao-Long's display against Mercury. They must have been quite confident they had nothing to fear if they had not hidden their energy like she and Ozpin had.

Still, why had Salem deliberately sought to strengthen them after the Breach? Was she impressed that the four had derailed Cinder's gambit? Did she think that stroke of blind luck made them worthy to be candidates, that they were worthy to stand beside her?!

Cinder felt heat rising in her hands, the maiden's power reacting to her fury. She took a deep breath and shoved it back down before it gave away her location. A full maiden's power would bleed ethernano no matter how well controlled, but with only half its strength she could manage it easily enough. Qrow had likely told Ozpin Amber's assailant had infiltrated Beacon, but he wouldn't have any idea who it was unless she lost control. And she would not lose control.

Like Teacher had always said, one needed to keep their eye on their goal and understand what methods were available to reach it. Emotions had no place on the battlefield and would only get in the way.

"The plan itself is still well on course," she told Emerald and Mercury. "As irritating as Team RWBY's interference has been, it has ultimately caused no irreparable damage. We'll have to have Adam and his men rile up the Grimm physically to compensate for less negativity, but after Nikos' match tomorrow there should be more than enough to push everyone over the edge. As long as you both do your jobs, everything will turn out exactly as planned."

"Of course, mam," Emerald nodded.

"Will do," Mercury said. "But I was wondering—"

"What did I tell you both before?" Cinder growled. "Don't think. Obey."

Mercury paled. "Right, right. I'm all about obeying. But… Xiao-Long, she got her magic from that book, right?"

"Obviously, you idiot," Emerald said. "She certainly didn't use it when Neo was kicking her ass on the train."

"Heh. Don't know how she makes that story so funny without talking," Mercury chuckled. "But anyway, I was thinking, if that book could make them that strong, why not give us a turn with it?"

Cinder narrowed her eyes. "Are you asking for magic, Mercury?"

"Um… yes? Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing."

Cinder scowled, but at least he still had a healthy fear in him. "The book has been returned to my mistress. If you wish to take the matter up with her when we are done here, you will be free to do so."

Mercury gulped. "Your boss? Great, will do."

"But, Mercury," Cinder said, slipping a hint of honey into her voice. "There are powers in this world far greater than mere magic. The incident this afternoon was not your fault, but I expect you to do everything in your power to ensure a similar situation does not arise. Do that, serve me well, and well, I'd be more than willing to sponsor the both of you as candidates for my mistress' Gates."

"Both of us, mam?" Emerald piped up.

Cinder shot her a kind smile. "Of course, Emerald. Beacon is only a steppingstone after all. I'll need you by my side as I climb to even greater heights."

A light blush rose to the thief's cheeks, Mercury smirking at the display. "I… I won't let you down, mam."

"See that you don't."

The goal, for now, was the Fall Maiden. She could not survive the pain of using the Ascension Chamber like Tyrian and Hazel had, and she could hardly count on Watts to finish the upgraded model any time soon either. Which meant she needed the maiden's power to complete her evolution and stand at the Queen's side with Teacher. To do that, Team RWBY was not her main obstacle.

Ozpin was. Ozpin had hidden Amber. Ozpin was keeping her from her birthright. And to get it, and retrieve the Relic of Choice for her mistress of course, she needed to make him show her where it was. It would take some doing, but it was entirely plausible. The man was paranoid, rightly so given the overwhelming power he had held off for millennia. He knew Salem had agents in Beacon, and if she pushed him, say with a Grimm invasion, he would fall back to defend what he knew was the real target. And since she had eyes throughout the school thanks to her Black Queen Virus, she'd see exactly where that was.

Of course, riling the Grimm up was a task in and of itself. Salem held influence with them, but ultimately, they were creatures of the God of Darkness. She could control them within her domain of the Grimmlands, but outside there they would resist her touch, the natural enemy of their lord. And she was quite adamant that this was Cinder's mission. She would not do it for her.

So, she'd begun small, having Roman and the White Fang perform their robberies to set an atmosphere of unease and vulnerability within the city, as well as aggravate human-faunus relations at the same time. Then, the Breach, a sizable, but ultimately manageable shock to the populace, erasing their faith in their kingdom's invulnerability. Taken together, it created an undercurrent of dread going into the Vytal Festival. As much as people tried to reassure themselves watching their future protectors show their strength, they couldn't help but wonder if these children would be enough. Atlas' fleet and the newly arrived Specialists had only helped with that atmosphere. After all, if the greatest kingdom on Remnant was sending so much of their grandiose might, what exactly were they expecting to fight?

The negativity was in the air and the Grimm smelled blood. Whatever little gloom had been lost to Team RWBY's intervention could easily be recouped. The stage was set, and all they needed was one last shock to raise the curtain.

Cinder reopened her tablet and double checked that she had done everything needed to set Nikos against Ironwood's little toy. It would be ridiculous if all her plans crumbled because she forgot a keystroke.

Of course, she hadn't, it was her after all. But it would be good to check over the garrison and make sure she knew where all of Ozpin's pawns would be. He might have brought in a few extra agents with the recent Specialist Squad—

Cinder's hand froze, her fingers ghosting over the list of newly arrived Specialists she'd retrieved from Ironwood's scroll. Her golden eyes widened and locked onto a single name.

Tremaine.

"Mam? Mam! Mam, stop!"

Emerald's cries pulled Cinder out of her stupor, her eyes blinking away smoke that hadn't been there a few moments ago. A glance beneath her revealed the fire that had ignited upon her bedsheets. She furiously waved her hand and the flames disappeared, leaving behind only ash atop her mattress.

Mercury and Emerald were both pressed against the opposite wall, only just recovering their breath.

"Mam," the green-haired thief spoke tentatively.

"Emerald, go outside and use your semblance to keep anyone from entering the room," Cinder commanded. "Mercury, change these sheets."

"Right," the cocky assassin replied. "Will do, boss."

Cinder rose and strode out of the room, Emerald taking up her position at the door as she left. The fire hadn't lasted long enough for the smoke detectors to go off, but Ozpin or Team RWBY might have sensed the surge of magic if they'd be looking for it. She'd have to head all over the school and throw up a few decoy signals to keep them off the scent. One of the few benefits to having only half the maiden's power was that it could be cloaked.

It was amateurish, reacting as she had. Ana would get what was coming to her in time, just like the rest of her family. But at the moment, she was irrelevant. The Specialists would be stationed at the school, so they wouldn't interfere with Mercury and Emerald's tasks on the Coliseum or Neo's on the battleship. Her emotions regarding that ant would do her no good. They would not help her achieve her objective.

To strong. To be feared. To be powerful.

To never be beaten or weak again.

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"Yang! I need more glue down here!"

"I'm still putting up the ribbons, sis! Just have Weiss freeze your stuff on!"

"Ice melts, you dolt!"

"Really? Even the god killing kind?"

"It's still ice! Argh! Where is Blake?"

"She said she was going to read that book Erza lent her. I'll go see if she can take a break to help."

"No, wait, Ruby—"

"Ah, ah, ah, don't you dare leave if don't want to lose that glue, Xiao-Long!"

Erza chuckled, Yang's indignation as Ruby charged back into Fairy Hills proving more entertaining than it probably should have. Team RWBY had taken a day off from their training to work on their float for the Fantasia parade, the girls predictably bickering just as surely as they progressed. Of course, Blake, not wanting to spend her one day of rest from Mira's training doing more work, had instead holed herself up in the team's room with the book Erza had lent her.

It had been a bit surprising to find out the calm, collected huntress shared her taste for more… risqué literature, but Erza was not about to leave Blake without a substitute for her 'Ninjas of Love'. Besides, this way, if the time ever came when Erza ended up on Remnant (a possibility she could hardly discount given Fairy Tail's propensity for unexpected happenings), Blake would be willing to let her borrow her library in return. It was a win-win!

Though, given the familiar cloaked figure that was approaching her as she rested in the shadow of an oak tree, perhaps it was not the best time to be thinking of such fantasies.

"You don't have to sneak around here," she reminded him. "No one in the guild would report you after everything that happened at the Games."

The figure, the emblem of Crime Sorciere plain to see on the front of his armor, came up next to her. "Your victory attracted more than a few new members who would not be nearly so inclined." He tilted his head towards Team RWBY's float.

Erza smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about them recognizing you."

A sculpted face that had once ranked quite high on Sorcerer Weekly's most desirable wizard bachelors raised an eyebrow at her, his intricate and distinct crimson birthmark stretching as he did so. It wouldn't surprise Erza if there were still some girls out their collecting his wanted posters.

"They're from another dimension," she explained.

"Another dimension? Like Mystogan?"

"Pretty much. Though, they'd thought wizards were… well… a fairy tale before they met us."

Erza sat down in the shade, leaning against the tree trunk as it swayed in the wind. She patted the grass beside her. "Now stop trying to be mysterious. Unless Meredy has finally convinced you to get a magicmobile, it's probably been ages since you were off your feet. This is probably one of the few places you can rest easy. So, relax."

The cloaked figure paused for a moment, but soon he sighed and took a seat beside her, pulling back his hood just enough for her to get a clear look at his face.

"Thank you. It… hasn't been easy to relax lately."

"Still no sign of Ultear?"

Jellal shook his head. "We'd hoped she'd turn up with time, but it seems her letter really was her final goodbye."

Erza placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. She had mixed feelings on Ultear. The woman had brainwashed Jellal into committing horrible acts, set in motion events that had led to both Simon's death and immense suffering for both her and her friends. But at the same time, she was Gray's foster sister and had saved all their lives by restoring the Tenrou Tree during their battle with Hades. After that, she had saved Jellal from the Magic Council and done everything in her power to atone for her sins, even sacrificing her life during Future Rogue's attack on Crocus, if her final letter to Crime Sorciere was to be believed.

In the end, it was the guild's tenants that led her to choose to mourn the woman. She had been one of their most vile enemies, but in the end, had chosen to be their friend. For Fairy Tail, that meant a great deal. Besides, if Jellal, who had been made one of the most wanted and hated men in the world because of her machinations could forgive her, why shouldn't she?

"How have the two of you been?" she asked. "Are you alright without her?"

Jellal shot her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we'll manage. Besides, there are far more important matters we need to deal with."

"What do you mean?"

His pensive frown returned. "Doranbolt shared some information he got from Cobra during the battle. The gate of the netherworld has been opened. Tartaros is on the move. Since then, there have been spikes of Zeref's magic all across Fiore and minor dark guilds have been disappearing without a trace."

Erza scowled, her eyes glancing towards Weiss and Yang, the pair now engaged in a tug-o-war over the glue bottle between them. Jellal noticed her stare and raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you suspect them in something as well?"

The Titania nodded. "Those four fell into the guildhall out of a black and gold portal. According to them, it was conjured from a book that had, among other things, Tartaros' emblem on it. At the moment, they're trying to get strong enough to go after them."

"After knowing nothing about magic their entire lives? Best of luck in that endeavor."

Erza shrugged, a proud smile blossoming across her face. "You'd be surprised. They've got a long way to go, but three of them are natural Slayers."

Jellal's eyes widened. "Three Slayers? Naturally? From a world without magic?"

"I know," Erza chuckled. "If their fourth member hadn't had Take-over, I'd wonder if everyone from their world could use Lost Magic."

A small laugh escaped the blue-haired wizard. "Wouldn't that be a sight."

"Indeed."

It was nice, to be able to laugh together. After everything they'd been through, all the pain, all the torment, all the deeper emotions that neither of them were ready to fully deal with yet, it was truly a gift to be able to just sit back on a warm sunny day and enjoy each other's company.

Alas, they both had greater responsibilities, and thus such peace could not last.

A frown crossed her face. "Jellal, do you know anything about Silver Spirit Slayer Magic?"

"I can't say I do," he replied. "I imagine it is similar to the other Slayer types, correct?"

"Normally," Erza mused. "Ever since the first day they arrived, Ruby, their leader and my student, held great potential with that power, even if she is focusing on Requip at the moment. It was what powered the book that brought them here."

"I see," Jellal remarked. "Her eyes are the source, right? They did feel similar to Lucy's keys."

"They do," Erza confirmed. "But on the day they arrived, there was more to it. A tinge of darkness, that faded soon after. It almost felt similar to… well… the Eclipse Gate."

Jellal's brow furrowed. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Erza's eyes narrowed. "Why? Has something happened?"

Jellal was silent for a few moments before sighing. "The remains of the Eclipse Gate. They were stolen."

"What?!"

"The Royal Family has been keeping the news quiet. If word reaches the Council, Doranbolt's entire coverup could be in danger. I only know because he contacted us to see if we knew anything."

"Do you think it's Tartaros?"

Jellal shrugged. "Maybe. They'd certainly have the power to do it but… I don't know. The guards were all knocked out, but they were left alive. Tartaros isn't usually so merciful."

Erza frowned. "Perhaps moral outlier? A more noble agent than normal? Their Hoteye, Azuma, or Meredy?"

"Perhaps. Or there's a new player with their own agenda—"

"Erza!"

The two wizards' heads swerved around as a storm of rose petals rushed out of Fairy Hills, depositing Ruby right before the two, clutching a book with a sword on the cover as her eyes watered.

"Uh… yes, Ruby?"

The red hooded girl pushed forward the book, the title reading 'An Almanac of the Most Mystical Swords in the World'. Erza's face immediately paled, especially when she saw Blake dashing out the dormitory herself.

"Why did you only give Blake this?!" Ruby wailed, her teammate coming up behind her. "I want to know about the most mystical swords in the world too!"

Erza really didn't want to have to tell her protégé that the book in her hands contained very little about swords, except in chapter twelve when the warlord's turned into an Adonis to rebel against his master for the sake of the maiden… which was not important at the moment. While it was something she'd found a great deal joy speaking with Blake about, she'd never had someone she could talk with it about, it was also a subject she really didn't want brought up around either a fifteen-year-old or especially Jellal.

Fortunately, she had prepared for such near discoveries.

"I… am… so sorry, Ruby," she stuttered. She quickly snatched the book from her student's hand and with a flash of light, transported it to her requip space. An instant later, it was replaced with a tome that was actually about swords, one she had stored away to switch out with her raunchier novels if she was ever caught reading them. "I just thought this one would be far more interesting to you."

Ruby took the new book and a bright smile broke out across her face. "Spears, Scythe, and All Kinds of Mystical Polearms? Awesome! Thank you, Erza!"

The Queen of the Fairies grinned at her pupil. "You're welcome, Ruby."

"So, who's this guy?"

Once again, Erza paled, her futile hope that Ruby and Blake wouldn't notice the other person clearly sitting next to her immediately proven false. She needed an excuse, a reason for him to be here that wouldn't provoke the justice seeking huntresses' instincts. She turned to face Jellal, his face as panicked as hers.

"He's… he's…"

"I'm… I'm… uh…"

"He's my fiancée!" Erza shouted. "He's my fiancée… Siegrain! He's my fiancée Siegrain."

Jellal's cheeks instantly went red. Erza had about a moment to feel a hint of vengeance for when he used a similar ploy on her, before she realized exactly what she'd said, and her face turned the same color as her hair. Not only was it far too close to certain emotions she did not want to deal with at the moment, but even as a cover, it was pitiful. Ruby and Blake had been at Fairy Tail for weeks, with the former spending nearly every day with her. Now, she just suddenly had a fiancée that no one had ever mentioned before? Who in their right mind, or even a Fairy Tail mind, would ever believe such a ridiculous excuse—

"You have a fiancée!" Ruby squealed. "That's amazing! Why didn't you tell us you were getting married!?"

"Yes. Why didn't you?" Blake added, far more sardonic.

"Um… because…" Erza stuttered. "Because… uh… I've just been so distracted with everything that's been going on it… slipped my mind."

"And I've been away," Jellal added hastily. "On a job. A very… very dangerous job. Full of… danger."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "Really?"

"We're so sorry!" Ruby wailed, falling down to her knees. "You were so busy helping us that you had to neglect your fiancée! We're so, so, so, so sorry!"

Blake smacked her hand over her face.

Erza's eyes widened. "It's… it's alright, Ruby. None of that is your fault."

"But—"

"There is no shame in needing help, Ruby," Jellal cut in. He took the young girl's hands in his own and helped her to her feet, flashing her a gentle smile. He rotated her palm until her guild mark was turned up. "This mark means you are part of the Fairy Tail family. Sometimes, people need to make sacrifices to help family. But even if it is a burden, those who need help should never feel shame for needing help. Everyone does now and again, and friends will be willing to lend a hand."

"Oh," Ruby noted, now much calmer. Even Blake looked impressed by the speech. "Well, thank you any way. We'll try to make sure you guys get some time with each other from now on."

"Thank you. That is very considerate of you."

"Oh! You haven't met Weiss and Yang yet! You're gonna love them!" Ruby cheered, tightening her grip on Jellal's hands.

The former Wizard Saint immediately paled. "Wait, what—"

The pair were consumed in a cloud of rose petals, near instantly reappearing beside Weiss and Yang, whose glue fight had evidently escalated to raising ice and fire at each other by the time their leader appeared before them with the wanted fugitive.

Blake turned to Erza. "Well, he can give quite a speech."

Erza chuckled nervously as she rose to her feet. "He was in politics."

"And you're marrying him?"

"He was one of the good politicians."

"A rare catch indeed," Blake noted. "Though, I don't think hijacking a Magic Council Weapons Satellite and trying to resurrect the most evil wizard of all time would qualify him as 'good'."

Erza sighed. "How'd you know?"

"Other than you being horrible at lying? I've been looking over wanted posters trying to find anyone that can lead us to Tartaros," the cat faunus explained. She nodded her head to where her teammates were greeting the leader of Crime Sorciere. "So, why are you sheltering Jellal Fernandes? From what I read, he and Fairy Tail, you especially, have a turbulent history."

"Because he is innocent," Erza defended instantly. "He was brainwashed. His actions during the Etherion Incident… they weren't his fault. And even then, he's been trying to atone for them ever since."

"Atonement, huh?" Blake mused, looking down. "I know how that feels. But still, are you sure you can trust him? I've known someone I thought was good, who I believed in more than anything, and… I saw him take a turn for the worse. And by the time I realized what was happening, it was far too late."

Erza placed a comforting hand on Blake's shoulder. She didn't know exactly what Blake was referring to in her past, but she could tell she wasn't speaking without experience. Just like Erza, she'd watched someone she'd loved become a monster, and had to take a stand against him. And yet, the Titania sensed the huntress hadn't been so lucky as to find out the man she'd loved had merely been being controlled the entire time.

"I won't say he has been without mistake, but he has more than proved himself," Erza assured her friend. "He is a good man."

"Are you saying that because he is, or because you love him?"

"The… the former. Obviously," Erza declared, her face red once more. She glanced away from the cat faunus, a resigned frown on her face. "Besides, even if the latter was involved in my decision, in any way, he doesn't think he's 'worthy' or whatever. He'd just claim he had an obviously fake fiancée and we'd go right back to dancing around everything."

Blake's eyes widened. "Like Raiders and Maidens 3?"

Erza whipped around to meet Blake's eyes. "Exactly like Raiders and Maidens 3! How did you get so far so fast?"

"I stayed up all night!"

"It's so great, isn't it?!"

"I know! The maiden's quest is so detailed, and the jester is actually funny! That never happens!"

"Ooo…"

"What?"

"No, I don't want to spoiler anything…"

"Tell me!"

"They have a you-know-what scene in book five!"

"Really?! Yes! My ship!"

"I know!"

"Hey! What are you two squealing about over there?!"

Erza and Blake both froze at Weiss' shout.

"No—Nothing," Blake called. "Just… dark guilds. And evil magic. Tartaros and stuff."

"Oh, okay."

Both wizard and huntress sighed in relief. Their eyes came to rest on the rest of Team RWBY, who seemed to be bombarding a panicked Jellal with questions, no doubt about how his romance with Erza had begun.

"You should tell them who he really is," Blake told her. "They deserve to know."

"They do," Erza agreed. However, a mischievous smirk rose to her lips. "I'll do it after he leaves. Let him squirm for a bit."

"You sure that's a good idea."

"It's part of his atonement. He'll love it."

Blake frowned. "No one loves atonement. It's just something that has to be done. To make sure our sins are never repeated, even if we have to die for our mistakes to save our friends."

Erza's eyes widened. She grabbed Blake by the shoulders and wrenched her around to face her, the cat faunus' amber eyes flashing with confusion as she went only to freeze under Erza's glare.

"Blake, I don't know what you went through in the past, or what it is you're trying to make up for, but I will tell you right now to forget such thought," she commanded. "Your friends, your team, love you. They accept you for who you are. So don't make them suffer by throwing yourself away out of guilt. There may come a time when sacrifice is necessary, but until that time, you don't die for your friends. You live for them. Do you understand?"

The normally collected huntress was shattered before Erza's words. "I… I… But, I've done so much wrong. Hurt so many people. Including Weiss. And if I cause any of them to get hurt—"

"Face the bastards together and make them wish they never messed with Fairy Tail," Erza said. She shot Blake a reassuring smile. "You are not alone, Blake. So don't try to cut yourself off with shadows of the past."

"I… I'll try."

Erza pulled her into a hug. "That's all anyone can ever ask."

For a few moments, they just stood there embracing, the Black Fairy and her Queen, not so different as others might think, but strong nonetheless.

In time, they pulled apart, Erza grinning a wolfish smirk. "Now then, let's go watch my 'fiancee' squirm."

Blake managed a small smile and the both of them walked over to the float to join the others, all the world seeming just a bit brighter than before.

RWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYFTFTFTFT

The roar of the crowd. The glow of the lights. The mechanical cacophony of the stadium's shielding systems coming online. The announcer's voices booming throughout the arena. All the eyes of the world squarely on her.

It was a situation Pyrrha had been in a hundred times, and yet for the first time since she'd come to Beacon, she'd never felt so alone.

She'd been grateful not to have been called up during the first day of the singles round, she'd hoped a good night's rest would have given her more insight into the choice before her, but she found her head no clearer than it had been when Ozpin had first taken her into the vault.

It had certainly been a lot to take in. Discovering the Headmaster and Professor Goodwitch had some sort of secret society with General Ironwood, Ruby and Yang's uncle, and who knew who else would have been a day in and of itself, but to find out that they also knew about magic? She'd thought Team RWBY had only found out about it because they'd gone to that other world. Still, the small hints of power she'd felt coming off Professor Ozpin and Qrow had lent credence to their claims.

And whatever doubts she might have had were more than put to rest when she'd seen Amber.

When she had managed to collect together enough ethernano to perform the brief spell she had, there had been a warm, soothing feeling in her chest, like a match burning against a cold night. When Ruby had showed off against Nora their first night back or when Yang had finished off Mercury, whatever mystical sense they had taught her had felt strong steady torches emanating from the huntresses, blazing defiantly against a sea of darkness. When Ozpin had told her of the maidens, she'd thought that they'd be about that strength, mighty enough to be worthy of the Headmaster's praise but weak enough that it could still be suppressed enough that neither she nor the more experienced Team RWBY could sense it.

But then she'd entered the vault.

Instantly, a rush of heat had washed over her like she had stepped out into the Vacuo desert, her life placed endangered by a power beyond what she could ever hope to understand, a force of nature bearing down on her soul. She'd seen Amber, floating half dead in her pod, but the mystically the broken girl felt as if she were the sun itself, not just beating back the darkness but annihilating it entirely. The air was longer parched with only scattered patches of ethernano but bulging with it, a reservoir nearly overflowing.

Ozpin had explained right after that the vault, like those that hid certain items at the other academies, was made to hide magical signatures, so it had been the perfect place to hide Amber since her condition prevented her from regulating the half of her power she still possessed.

Half. That churning supernova of raw magical energy was only half her power.

And someone had actually managed to put her in this state when she'd had it all? Someone who now had their own half? Who could possibly be that dangerous?

Ozpin and General Ironwood had put forth their offer then, an entreaty really. They wanted to put Amber's power in her, to fuse the other girl's soul with her. Both of them were upfront that they had no idea what the process would do to her, two of the most powerful men in the world confirming her worst fears that she might lose who she was if she went through with it.

To Pyrrha, losing that, and everyone who she cared about was a thought more terrifying than anything. Her mother, Aunt Rouge, Ren, Nora, Team RWBY… Jaune… if she did this, the Pyrrha they knew might cease to exist. She'd lose them. She'd be more powerful than she could have ever imagined, but alone once again. In her mind, it was far from a trade up.

But if this threat was as grave as her teachers said, then they would all be annihilated if they had no defense against it. At least this way, even if she lost them, they'd still be alive. She didn't want to be alone, but Pyrrha Nikos did not let others down.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how one looked at it, Professor Ozpin had rejected her immediate answer. He didn't want her jumping into the matter carelessly. She'd need to give him an answer by the end of the Vytal Festival, but she'd have time to think it over. Saying "no" was a perfectly acceptable option to her teachers, without shame or judgement.

But if she didn't accept, they'd just have to find someone else to do it. They'd asked Pyrrha because they'd thought she was the most suited of the candidates they had. If she refused, she was just signing someone else up to die, deferring responsibility for her loved ones' safety to someone else, just because she was afraid to lose them. She was being selfish. She was letting everyone down.

But she didn't want to lose everything.

She'd talked about it with Jaune earlier in the day, as she could while being sworn to secrecy. She asked him if she believed in destiny, a goal to achieve. It was a childish interpretation, one her mother had told her of when she'd confessed to feeling destined to be alone, the Invincible Girl, forever isolated. Her mother had refuted that instantly, saying that she if she wished to have friends, then she needed only seek them out. Because no one was destined to be alone.

Pyrrha had wanted to be a huntress, to help people. She'd wanted to have friends, to not stand alone. Jaune had advised her not to let anything get in her way of her destiny, but he hadn't realized that she was worried that he was what was standing in her way. And she didn't want it if she had to give him and all her friends up to get it.

She'd burst into tears at the contradiction and when he'd moved to comfort her, she'd lost control of her semblance for the first time since she was twelve years old. She'd smashed him into the wall by accident and fled when she'd finally set him down. She'd have to apologize eventually but… but… but not now. She needed to clear her head. She needed to do the one thing she knew she could do. Fight.

Thus, she had returned to Amity Colisuem and found herself face to face with her opponent.

"Salutations, Pyrrha Nikos! It's an honor to finally meet you. This is going to be so much fun."

Pyrrha did her best to return Penny Polendina's enthusiasm, giving a slight wave back. She'd never spoken with the Atlas girl herself, but she knew she was good friends with Ruby. Hopefully that meant she'd be a skilled warrior. Pyrrha may not be anyway close to figuring out how to use her magic at will, let alone in combat, but she still the finest warrior in Beacon, even among the older students, and her semblance was a potent ability in its own right. It usually took Yang, Nora, or an entire team to give her a battle she had to actually try in, the rest just allowing her to go through the motions of her training. The only person she'd ever faced who overwhelmed her in combat, forced her to unleash every skill and trick in her arsenal, was her mother.

She needed that now. She needed Penny to be strong, so strong that Pyrrha had to devote every ounce of her being to beating her. She needed to get lost in the fight so she could find some clarity in the rest of her life. If that could happen… things would get better. Yes, that was it.

After this fight, everything would get better.

Or so she thought.

A few minutes later, when Penny's broken metal body clattered to the arena floor, she learned just how wrong she was.

The viewscreens all around the coliseum went red, the symbol of a black queen chess piece shining across them.

"This is not a tragedy. This is not an accident…"

Pyrrha didn't hear the rest of the speech, she barely heard the crowd start to scream when it finished and Grimm began to attack the stadium's shields. She merely fell to her knees, her blank as the world came crashing down around her.

I expected this chapter to be so hard to write, since it was essentially just setting the stage for the Fall, but it actually turned out to be a treat. It was fun getting into all the characters heads.

Qrow and Winter's scene was a way of both showing how the elder Ice Queen is dealing with her newly opened eyes, Qrow delving a bit into his worldview, and introducing an OC. I am absolutely terrified of writing OCs because I am firmly of the opinion that fanfiction is for reading about the characters you already love in new situations. That and I'm not sure if I can write a whole cloth character capable of being entertaining next to those I love so much. Rest assured, Ana Tremaine and those that follow in her footsteps in the story will very much be low to mid-tier supporting cast at best. This story is about the characters of RWBY and Fairy Tail, not anyone else.

Cinder's scene was a nice way to break down just how much careful planning had to actually go into stirring up the Grimm for the Fall and just why she wanted the White Fang to be her goons. I'm not the biggest fan of canon Cinder, but I hope to do more with her here than I did in my previous story. Unless Volume 7 comes out with new details about her, I've got a backstory and motive set that will hopefully fit with her canon actions and leave room for growth moving forward.

I had so much fun writing the flashback this chapter. From Erza and Jellal having a moment and discussing the movements leading up to events both canon and unique to here, to hiding the smut from Ruby, to Revenge of the Fake Fiancee, to Erza and Blake bonding over smut, to their discussion on atonement, it proved to be a wealth of character interaction for me.

And finally, Pyrrha sets the stage. With no frame-up of Yang, Ruby had no reason to suspect foul play, and thus the girls are even more unprepared than before, as well as having no idea what Emerald can do or that Team CMEN is behind the conspiracy (since apparently, no one can tell it is Cinder's voice over the mic in canon. Eh, she didn't talk to any of them that much, that's excusable). Make no mistake, even though Team RWBY has magic, they are still as massively outgunned by a full maiden as they would be by Dragonforce Wendy. They are more powerful, but that does not erase the danger they're in.

An extra huge thank you to my patrons: ArcherMcMuffin, Gregg Tracton, Keith Traction, StabKingPro, Annaya Chan, Nora Okonus, Paula mandel, and Carl Li.

Thank you for Reading! I hope you enjoy what comes next!

Go Forth and Conquer!