Hello there! Important message time.

So, since 2020 began my life has gone through a number of tumultuous events that have forced me to reexamine my trajectory in life. For those of you who don't know, my chosen path is that of a writer, screenwriter specifically. And for one to even have a chance in that business, they need to produce a portfolio of original work. I have created some work, but I need to create more and fine-tune the ones I have. That, in addition to the rigors of college, has forced me to reexamine just how much time I've been putting into fanfiction. It is time I believe well spent and will continue to spend, but I must reallocate my efforts if I am to have any hope of creating a successful career. I do not intend to stop writing fanfiction, I started all my stories because I want to tell them and I intend to finish them. By some changes are necessary.

1. I will be freezing my Pat reon. To those of you who don't know, this means that the page itself will stay up and all the Teasers Chapters and Story Ideas will still be available to Patrons, but there will be no monthly payout. If my schedule is to be as mercurial and inconsistent as I expect it to be in the future, it would be unfair and irresponsible to have money involved in the equation in any manner. I will create and post the February Teaser Chapter, but after that I will likely not be active there.

2. The monthly poll stories of 'The Third Faction' and 'One to Find All' will change to a joint bi-monthly drop. This has been brewing for a while as it has become apparent that my beta for Third Faction Draconic and I simply need more than one month to produce a chapter of that story. In this manner, if all goes as planned, I will spend one month writing Third Faction, then I will send that chapter to Draconic and he will spend the next month beta-ing it while I write One to Find All, and then both stories will have their chapters posted when ready that month (Feb., April, June, etc.)

3. I will do my best to keep to my update schedule, but as mentioned in Point 1, I am doing this so that I have time to work on my original projects. Due to school, family, or those projects, it is entirely plausible that circumstances may end up causing chapters to be late, sometimes by longer periods. I will do my best to avoid such occasions, but I cannot make any promises.

All this said, I must repeat: I have NO intention of leaving any of my stories unfinished. I tell these stories because I want to tell them. They make me happy and knowing they are enjoyed by all of you just makes it even better. For Reading, I cannot thank you enough.

Now then, on with the chapter.

"Well, I must say, I'm impressed," Sienna confessed. "I didn't think you could do it."

Hazel chuckled, his enormous frame seated in one of the crimson armchairs of her office in the White Fang's headquarters. "I don't blame you. Only our best could have handled it."

"Aw, always a charmer, aren't you Hazel," the voice emanating from the first of the two Seer Grimm, the voice of Esper Rosenflos, cooed. "I'm just glad we were able to make sure Gretel didn't die in vain."

The towering human's face fell, but he still managed a melancholy smile. "Yes, her and Gretchen both. Thank you, Summer."

"I do what I can, old friend."

"And you have done exceptionally well, my dear," the voice within the second Seer said, a darker voice that made Sienna's fur stand on end yet also steadied her heartbeat at the same time. Though the fur was far more noticeable when the Grimm turned on her. "Though, the crucial question at the moment is whether it is sufficient proof of our power for Lady Khan?"

As much as she prided herself on strength, Sienna couldn't help but gulp in the face of the strange Grimm. The fact that she was in the presence of the black creatures without fighting for her life was a sensation she'd slowly gotten used to over the last few months. This particular species was not like the rest of its kind, created by Salem specifically to act as communication outlets. She had little doubt she could easily kill the both of them. Their allies and master on the other hand…

Sienna had seen firsthand what Hazel was capable of against Adam, and Esper Rosenflos was now the undisputed ruler of Atlas (maybe she'd finally be able to make that pigsty a safe haven for faunus). To know that this darker voice, this Salem, commanded them so easily… well, she was suddenly a bit more understanding of why Adam was so willing to usurp her in a bid to take a seat at the table. The possibility of such patronage, such power. It was intoxicating.

And yet, his own fate warned of the dangers of such ambition. Adam had hoped to stand as one of the Gates and High Leader of the White Fang, but now he was a mere zombie, forced to divulge the names of his co-conspirators. Co-conspirators that her new allies had a purpose in mind for, one she did not concur with. The safer thing to do would be to keep her mouth shut and go along with it anyway… but Sienna had never been willing to sacrifice what she thought was right for what was safe.

"You have most certainly proven your capabilities," she said. "But I will not give my blessing to the destruction of Haven Academy, or the death of its students."

"Good," Salem smirked within the bulbous Grimm. "We don't want you to."

… huh?

"You asked me to send all those who sided with Adam to attack Haven?" she muttered.

"Yes. All those who sided against you," Esper pointed out. "Thanks to Intelligence's efforts, it is public knowledge that you and Adam had a… falling out over Beacon. Release a statement that they're attempting to follow in their beloved Blood-Soaked Bull's footsteps without your approval, and no one will think you were involved."

"No, they'll just think I'm weak and can't control my own followers," Sienna growled. "The White Fang will never survive such an embarrassment."

"Then let it die," Salem declared.

Sienna's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Let it die," the pale woman repeated. "The Fall of Beacon has already irreparably tainted the White Fang's reputation. As you said yourself, even disowning young Taurus will not help, save maybe on Menagerie. Maintaining the organization will bring you nothing."

"So, you expect me to just cast it aside?" Sienna challenged. "What about my men? Those who stayed loyal to me and the cause through thick and thin? Do you expect me to reward their faith with betrayal?"

"Well, my suggestion would be to reward them with well-paying positions of power in the Atlas military and government, help me craft policy to ensure no faunus is ever oppressed in this kingdom, and later the world, ever again," Esper replied. "The benefit to you and Adam being such dynamic symbols is that the public doesn't know anyone else, and those that would make it their business to know nonetheless are under my command. To make a better world, we must ensure there is mutual, equal respect between humans and faunus, so we can focus on our true enemy."

"And you think they'll just go along with it?"

Salem shrugged. "They stayed with you when faced with Taurus. They believe in you."

Sienna scowled, but the dark witch was not wrong. Those that had sided with her over Adam in the coup were either the old guard that had stayed with her after the initial split with Ghira, or moderates who had joined the Fang just to get food on their tables or just didn't see another way to survive in a world that treated them like second-class citizens. If Esper really would be pushing through her reforms, neither group would object to joining the Atlas government and working to improve their people's lot if there was visible progress. Especially if Sienna herself supported it.

The tiger faunus had spent a decade fighting for her people. Just as Ghira was a symbol of the nonviolent early days of the White Fang, she was the symbol of the era of fighting back, of forcing humanity to recognize that they deserved respect. And if Adam had succeeded in his ambitions, there was no doubt he would have become a symbol of hatred and spite, a White Fang more concerned with power than doing anything resembling good. Yet, his attempted ascension had forced the organization to a turning point, one the demonic cabal of wizards that had taken over a kingdom suggested she use to put it in the ground.

"I'll need some time to consider the offer," she said. "And even if I do agree, it will take a few days to get everything in order with my followers for their trip to Atlas."

"That's perfectly alright," Esper smiled. "And if you do decide to join us, my agents in your ranks can help organize the trip."

Sienna's eyes widened. "You have spies in my followers?"

"I'm COMMAND ESR. I have spies everywhere."

"Regardless, you need fear no reprisal should you refuse our generous offer," Salem assured her. "We will require a pact of nonaggression in that case, however. We don't want to step on each other's toes. However, should you accept, Hazel will gladly escort you here to the Grimmlands in order to complete your ascension to the Gates."

Hazel raised an eyebrow. "Shall the Lord Ophiuchus and his partner be handling Haven alone then?"

"Hmm, they could," Salem hummed before shaking her head. "But that would require End to use far too much power and we do want Haven to still be standing when everything is over."

"What about Cinder and her friends?" Esper suggested. "Three Gates plus the guardian should be more than enough to handle anything the kingdom throws at them before my forces arrive."

"True, but they haven't mastered their abilities yet."

"Training can only do so much in that regard. End will be right there watching over them. Let them stretch their wings, see what they can do."

"I suppose. Very well, I'll have them set out tomorrow. Ensure your forces are ready to play their part."

"Of course, my queen."

Salem smiled and turned to Sienna. "I hope you shall be joining our family very soon, Lady Khan."

The bulbs of both Seers promptly faded to blackness and the demonic creatures floated off. Sienna let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, the fur of her ears flattening against her head.

Hazel sighed and passed her a glass of brandy. "If it helps, Lionheart has delayed the school year. No students will be present when the attack occurs. The only ones who will be harmed will be Taurus' followers."

Sienna snatched the tumbler from him and sipped from the top of the amber liquid, the alcohol burning as it flowed down her throat. The warmth was welcome after her talk with the Mother of Grimm. "I know that. It doesn't even really matter if the attack succeeds or not. It's just one big piece of theatre, a smokescreen to take the Relic of Knowledge without raising suspicion."

"And with it in hand, we are one step closer to victory," Hazel reminded her, setting the brandy bottle down without taking any for himself. "With the lamp, we can obtain the locations of every Fairy Sphere, including the one we need for the Queen's stratagem. After that, it's just a matter of uniting the world in alliance."

"Or conquest," Sienna noted.

Hazel frowned. "With any luck, we'll be able to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed."

"Unnecessary bloodshed…" Sienna murmured, chuckling as she took another sip from her drink, memories of another time drinking next to a different bulky man rising to the surface of her mind. "Honorable, kind, and not wanting anyone to get hurt. You're a lot like my friend Ghira, except he walked away from the fight instead of following it through to the end. Oh, and he's a faunus while you're a human. Not sure if that makes it even more impressive or not."

"It's an honor to be compared to him," Hazel said. "Ghira Belladonna has done fine work for the world."

"Indeed. Though, he never could have stomached the things you and your master have allowed," Sienna replied. "How did someone like you end up serving Salem anyway?"

Hazel's face darkened. "It's a long story."

Sienna nursed her drink. "We're to be allies, correct?"

"You haven't said you'll join us."

"Convince me," Sienna challenged, flashing the man a wide smirk. "I've seen your strength, and you've told me at least some of your plans. Give me a personal sell."

Hazel held her gaze for a moment. If he desired, he could squash her like a bug, and she wouldn't be able to do a thing to stop him. But he was an honorable man, and though such a person's anger was to be rightfully feared, it would not be so easily provoked. In the end, just as she'd planned, the large demon man sighed.

"I began as her enemy, stifling her efforts under the command of a foolish wizard. But when he sent my sister, who was still a student, into a fight he knew she couldn't win, I… lost myself. I stormed the Grimmlands, determined to put an end to what I thought was her evil," he explained. "And there, she opened my eyes."

"To… what?" Sienna inquired. "Because otherwise that statement is sounding very brainwashed."

Hazel raised an eyebrow. "You run a terrorist organization and you're asking me about indoctrination?"

"Don't avoid the question," she commanded, though her tone kept the matter joking. It wouldn't do to have him think she was being impertinent.

"The Queen told me the truth, showed me what Ozpin had kept hidden," Hazel replied, his brow furrowing fury at the mention of the fallen (or not so fallen) huntsman. "He has the entire world endlessly fending off Grimm, recruiting children and indoctrinating them into thinking they'll be heroes. Perhaps they are. But they, and my family, died for nothing. The Grimm do not end. A day, a year, a century. Eventually, no matter how the arrogant wizard tries to prevent it, the kingdoms will fall to them. And every person huntsmen have ever given their lives to save will be slaughtered anyway."

"That's a pessimistic way of looking at things," Sienna noted. Though, she couldn't say he was wrong. "How's Salem going to change that? If she really doesn't control the Grimm, how is she going to stop them?"

"By cutting out the source. Something Ozpin is too much of a coward to even attempt," Hazel growled. "One of the most important traits in any warrior is the ability to adapt. If a strategy has proven itself insufficient, only a mad man keeps sacrificing lives on its altar. We must keep moving forward, and make sure Gretchen, Gretel, and everyone else the Grimm have ever killed did not die in vain."

Sienna pursed her lips, emptying her glass as she considered Hazel's words. The idea of changing strategy if the previous one proved ineffective was not a new thought in her mind. She'd used it herself when arguing with Ghira about the necessity of violent resistance to human discrimination. Boycotts and rallies only did so much when the oppressors didn't care about their voices. Sometimes, the only course was to fight back. And yet, if Adam's actions, and their immense popularity, were anything to go by, fighting back was quickly coming to mean genocide, one way or the other. She could not allow that.

Yet, could she destroy the White Fang to do it? She remembered the days when it was just her and Ghira in a hut with an idea. She remembered when Kali joined them, and others soon after, going from kingdom to kingdom, bringing supplies to starving faunus and getting shot at for doing it. She remembered editing her old friend's speeches and organizing their supplies. Even the arguments that eventually led to their split and her taking sole command of the group, she looked back on with a degree of fondness. They had built the White Fang together, and it was something truly beautiful, something that gave hope to thousands even after Adam's actions had tarnished it. How could she throw that away?

Ghira had. They'd shouted and screamed at each other for hours, but in the end, her old friend had stepped down rather than compromise his beliefs. He had walked away from the White Fang to do what he believed would better serve their people. Whatever their differences on whether that belief was correct, she had always respected that about him. And here she was hesitating to do the same thing.

The White Fang or her people. It wasn't even a choice.

"I'll do it. I'll join you as a Gate," Sienna proclaimed, setting her empty glass down on the table. "But there is one detail I'll need clarification on."

"Name it," Hazel replied.

"How are you going to claim the White Fang has been destroyed without declaring me dead?" she inquired. "I may not be as infamous as Adam, but I've done too much for Atlas to be able to just let me go free."

A small smile crossed Hazel's chiseled features. "We have multiple contingencies for just such a situation. One is for Esper to claim you dead without a body. With her current control, she'd hardly need to provide a body."

"But it wouldn't be as solid without one," she noted. "And there would still be the chance I'd be seen, and everything would collapse."

"Indeed. Which is why I personally suggest an alternate approach," He raised his tree trunk of an arm, vibrant yellow fur coating the appendage. "I didn't have this before I ascended."

Sienna raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"The process of becoming an Eclipse Etherious by its nature changes the body. Those changes are usually contained in our unreleased state and so long as our books remain undamaged and untampered with, our minds will remain sound," Hazel explained. "However, if we could take advantage of the process to modify your face slightly, it would remove any threat of your being discovered."

"Interesting," she replied. "And my body to present to the public?"

"Hell's Core is constantly creating new Seers and Scarabs and testing new demonic forms for possible ascensions. Manufacturing a substitute for your original form will be a simple matter for the Queen."

A long smile blossomed across Sienna's face. "Well then, a toast. To the better world to come."

She poured herself another brandy and made to give him one, but he held out his palm to decline. "I'll gladly join the toast, but I don't partake."

"Really?" the tiger faunus said. "Can Eclipse Etherious not get drunk?"

"I wouldn't know. I've never tried," he confessed. "I don't like the taste."

"Maybe not with cheap beer, but this is Atlas Brandy," Sienna smirked, pouring him a fifth of a glass. "If we're going to be allies, you're going to need to lighten up."

Hazel frowned. "The work we do requires focus."

"You can't keep focus all the time," Sienna advised, raising her glass. "You've done your job. You've won me over. Now, relax."

Hazel sighed, but he raised his brandy. The two clinked their glasses together and downed the alcohol to seal their alliance. The Gate promptly spewed out the drink, the very expensive brandy spraying across the office. The big, bad Eclipse Etherious that could flatten armies broke out into a round of coughs.

"Still tastes disgusting," he sputtered.

Sienna couldn't help but laugh. He really did remind her of Ghira. The big oaf could only keep down his wife's tea without burning his throat.

She wondered how he would react to the public announcement of her 'death'. He'd probably give her an earful when she finally tracked him down and told him the truth. But by that point, his daughter would be on the Gates with her, so he wouldn't get too mad, they'd have made the world a better place by then.

She pondered whether she and Blake would be in the Grimmlands for their ascensions at the same time. Tyrian had to have taken her off Menagerie by now. With the Albains out of the way, what could delay them?

RWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYFTFTFTFT

"Are you sure it's here, my lady? It is far enough out of the way that the Queen's previous searches wouldn't have located it, but still…"

"I have the guildmark. You don't," Blake scowled, the light of the shattered moon shining down from the sky. The desert winds kicked up wisps of sand that floated through the night. "It's here. I can sense it."

Her plan to tell Tyrian there was a Fairy Sphere in the Grimm-infested desert and get him to escort her there safely had worked perfectly. The Deathstalker nest she'd been training with for the last few months was conspicuously absent, though given her mad companion was ecstatic at the chance to retrieve another Fairy Tail member for Salem and the Grimm arm she was wearing to shield her own immense terror, there just might not have been enough negative emotions to attract them back from wherever they stay the night. Thus, it was only her and the even more terrifying scorpion.

Even still, the Fairy Sphere was right above them. And if she could break it open, whichever of her guildmates was inside would be able to help her fight off Tyrian. Granted, there was an immense risk with such a plan. If the friend that came out wasn't strong enough to help her defeat the Gate, he'd drag them before Salem and they'd both suffer whatever insidious tortures she had in store.

But, if someone more impressive than her came out, such as a certain anti-devil mentor of hers, a redhead Queen of the Fairies, or even a withdrawn blond with an affinity for electricity, they were going to paint the desert sands with scorpion guts.

She pointed up into the heavens, the sphere of magic invisible to her eyes and blurry to her mystical senses, but there, nonetheless. "There. Now we just need to open it."

"Excellent!" Tyrian cackled.

Blake cringed at the madman's display, unsure if she was supposed to be terrified or disturbed. "Yeah, well… just give me a moment. The only thing I've got that's powerful enough to bust it open isn't exactly something I have experience—"

"Hahahaha!" Tyrian laughed, thrusting both his hands and tail into the sky, an ominous orange glow emanating around all three appendages. A trio of sand pillars, each sharing the shine, rose from the desert floor and shot into the heavens. They smashed into the area of the Fairy Sphere, the gigantic golden orb suddenly visible as the guild's symbol blazed through the night.

Blake's mouth dropped open. "Ho… how?"

"I would never force a beloved friend of the Queen to do something that I could handle myself," Tyrian proclaimed. "That would simply be ungentlemanly."

"But… I thought you needed to be a guild member to open one."

"Only a member of the guild can sense them. Any sufficient surge of magic can open them," the madman explained. "The only reason the Queen has only found one over all these millennia is that searching every scrap of sky on Remnant is a tiresome endeavor and she has a multitude of responsibilities to attend to. Hell's Core and the Ascension Chamber didn't perfect themselves!"

"Ri… right."

In hindsight, that did make some sense. Wendy did mention something about it if she remembered correctly. Probably escaped her mind, what with her tendency to think everything was up to her alone and trepidation about her transformation. She'd still have to get over the latter if she was to survive Tyrian.

But she wouldn't have to do it alone. Not only were Sun, Ilia, and her parents mustering the Menagerie guard at the wall, but she was about to get backup in the form of one of Fiore's finest guild's very strongest—

"Yaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!"

The golden glow of the Fairy Sphere faded and a thin figure plummeted from the sky, screaming in terror before she smashed into the sand dune.

Blake's eyes widened and she felt a flash of utter panic grip her. The figure that had fallen… had long, blonde hair.

"No," she muttered. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no…"

The yellow-haired girl flailed her legs and tugged herself out of the dune, spitting sand as she maneuvered herself into a sitting position.

"Ah… ah, ehew," she sputtered, as she expelled the grains from her mouth. Her brown eyes scanned the desert, widening when they locked onto the cat faunus. "Blake!"

"Lucy," Blake replied miserably, catching Tyrian's wide grin out of the corner of her eye. "We're fucked."

Blake wanted a Five-Star Mira, but the gacha gave her a Lucy. (That's how gacha games work, right? Never actually played one).

So, kind of worked out that this chapter only needed to be short transition chapter. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have had the time to get anything out.

An extra huge thank you to my patrons: Gregg Tracton, Annaya Chan, Keith Tracton, Nora Okonus, KefkaesqueXIII, Christian Howard, SanyaBane, Matthew Blevins, and David Wayman.

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

Go Forth and Conquer!