Author's Note: Hey and welcome to the official chapter 8 of this fic. It's been a while, but thankfully this chap updated in time due to it being winter break. I'll be going back to college next month so the next updates might be slightly delayed depending on how much school work I have. Anyways let's onto the replies shall we?

Combine117: Haha Minato drives everyone around him crazy, it's the truth

Emoprotagonist: Weiss is going to have to answer to both her dad and sister about that and Yu is gonna be caught up in another clusterfuck as per usual. That's IF all the girls agree Mitsuru should be his wife, I can't see them all seeing eye to eye on that one. Yes I loved that curry pot scene too, I originally had a segment where Yu and Weiss cried while hugging each other seeing Akira's persona nuke the announcer knowing that that was supposed to be them in her place. Hhaha thanks and I hope you enjoyed your New Years too, pft I can only dream of making that chapter canon…

Raychii521: lol have you seen how the three act? They would bully him to death, even Yu would bully him. This story was built around the idea of a three person team.

As always please review and tell me your thoughts

PACT

The sound of hard chalk rhythmically beat against aged black board, shaving off vague specs of dust as it trailed across plain obsidian, steadily pulling the inhabitants of the room into a studious, methodical trance. Many eyes glued to the center of the room, where often they would be introduced to their topic of the day. And today was no different.

Professor Port stood proud and tall, his posture straight, and one hand making complicated motions across a fully diagrammed board, gliding across large swaths of information outlined in the lecture.

"Ah, this section will be focusing on a whole new different type of Grimm! I remember my first encounter with these humanoid like beasts! It was the end of autumn and my team were called in on a scouting mission" He posed like he was holding a two handed rifle, triumphantly shooting at the empty air "And then that was how I managed to take down their entire army with one precisely placed shot!" He failed to catch the attention of many of his students, instead, all averted their gaze to the digital clock.

"Ugh...how long is this gonna take" Jaune groaned, planting his head squarely on the desk, his arms wrapped around his face while his notes where brushed carelessly to the side.

"Psssst, Jaune. Look at what I made" He gazed over to see Nora showing him a poorly sketched picture of their professor, earning a small chuckle from the male. However, no matter how much he tried to relax, he found himself always ending up in the same corner of the room. Slowly his eyes drafted to a silently seated group of four. A girl wearing a large black bow sat ideal, staring into space, her actions closely being mimicked by her companions. All notebooks empty, all faces white as if watching a spectator only they could perceive.

"Jaune, are you alright?" He felt Pyrrha edge closer to him, a similar air of concern not too different from his own graced her fair features.

"Y-yea" he responded unsure himself. The classroom was less populated than usual.

"Have you noticed too?" The Mistral champion watched the four, "They've been acting like this for a while now" Pyrrha whispered, now hearing the sharp ring of the school bell which sent the entire class into a wild stampede out the door.

"Do you think something might have happened? I haven't seen Minato and others either" Lowering themselves behind the desks, they saw the Professor approach Ruby, handing her several packets of notes and a pat on the shoulder.

"Quite possibly" The redhead saw Blake and Weiss file out with the rest of the bustling student body, leaving only the two half sister behind.

"Ruby, it's ok. It's not your fault" They heard Yang, but only vaguely in the empty classroom.

"B-but I promised-!" Ruby's voice broke, yanking at the fabric of her skirt.

"And you did. You made sure he didn't do anything stupid by himself" Her older sister said rather stern.

"Should we leave…?" Jaune mumbled, the situation was now getting uncomfortable.

"I feel that is for the best" Pyrrah replied back, quietly lowering her body even more among the desks to avoid detection.

"Still...I wonder what happened" Jaune mused absentmindedly to himself, feeling a strange heaviness overtake him. Crawling under the row of wooden desks, he carefully maneuvered his way across the room to the entrance, however, just as he was about to reach his goal, he heard a sudden pop come from the direction of his right hand, gluing him in place.

"Who's there?" Yang twisted around and snapped to attention. Jaune quickly pulled back, revealing a stray pile of potato chips left by the last of the tables in the classroom. Soon, he registered heavy footsteps stomping his way and he felt Pyrrha yank him up from the floor and into the light.

"H-hello again!" He saw her awkwardly wave at the irate blonde with a nervous giggle.

"Hey guys, long time no see!" Jaune stuttered, imitating a similar tone to his partner's.

"What are you two doing here?" Unlike her usual cheerful self, there was no warmth in her voice.

"We were uh, picking up some stuff we left behind!" Jaune scratched his head, his eyes darting to his forgotten notebook two rows down. "Yep! I left my notes, need them for the exams you know?" His act only worsened the aura around the already agitated blonde. She opened her mouth, but was stopped by her younger sister.

"Yang, I don't think they're here to make trouble. Jaune and Pyrrha are our friends!" Ruby held her sister back, trying to be the voice of reason.

"We're sorry if we overheard anything we should've have" Pyrrha said, softening. The pale circles around the eyes of the two siblings were enough for the redhead to be more than concerned.

"Yea! We were only worried about you guys…" Yang held onto to her stubborn nature, forcing the blonde to explain further explain himself "Ever since Monday, you, Ruby, and everyone on the team seemed really…"

"Sad? What about it?"

"Yang, stop it" Ruby urged, "How is pushing everyone away going to help?"

"So dragging more people into this mess well?"In that moment, Jaune witnessed the most pain stricken face, a face that should never have been worn by such a young girl. It was as if she had lost something, or rather been betrayed by someone precious in her life. Confusion and hurt written across her very soul.

"Yang, please calm down. We won't ask you to talk about this", Pyrrha begged, "Especially if it's something you don't feel comfortable sharing" But then she halted, a strong chill cooling the blood in her veins. Sharp hot daggers pierced through deep pools of green, even as the top among her peers, she could tell the animosity from the blonde was deadly. Silently, lilac orbs meet bright emerald, and after one more glare, she heard a loud thump and Yang speed out the classroom door.

"Guys, I'm sorry...it was my fault" Ruby sniffed, her tired expression seemed to draw a blank at her sister's abrupt departure. If only she had just known more, if only she hadn't bothered with his investigation.

"No, no, Ruby, it's alright. I'm sure she just has something on her mind" Jaune assured, taking a seat along with the rest, being the only three that remained.

"Jaune it's not that, I…" She stumbled, looking down at her lap, unable to articulate even the simplest of words, feeling a cancerous lumps spread from her throat, stopping her entire body. She made no eye contact, only mumbled as if talking to herself.

"Again, it's ok if you don't want to share with us" Pyrrha said worried, comforting her peer with a gentle hand on her shoulder. It reminded her of her childhood days in Mistral, where her mother would do the same.

Ruby slowly lifted her head, a whirlwind of thoughts flashed all so quickly across her dull silver eyes, then she began to speak "Jaune, Pyrrha...what if you did something, and you know it's your fault?" she had failed to protect him, in fact, she had hurt him in the end.

A growing sense of discomfort creeped ever so slightly up his back. He carefully searched for the reply "Then I would...try to apologize for what I did, no matter what everyone else thinks".

"T-then what if they don't listen? What if they don't accept your apology at all?" Ruby sat still, her voice only a soft whisper among the quiet of the large lecture room. Remaining unheard among the absent masses.

"Ruby, Is this about Minato…?" the Mistral champion watched the young girl turn, eyes wide, mouth agape, vague indication of tears forming on her cheeks.

"We noticed how him and his team were absent for these past few days" Jaune said worried, the lights in the room dimmed ever so slightly, letting them sit along a row of shadows.

She nodded, "If I hadn't done the thing I did, he wouldn't be in the hospital right now…" Ruby curled up in her seat, wrapping both arms around her legs. She had the image burned into her mind, a pale bluenette lying unconscious in a white hospital bed. And no matter how much she tried, he would always ignore her calls. It brought up a certain memory of her past, a memory of visiting a certain grave stone, in a certain forest.

"Hospital?" Pyrrha almost jolted from her position, a hand covering her mouth.

"Am I a bad leader?" Light fell away from her face, "I called my team to help, but we ended up only causing even more trouble in the long run" looking away in shame, she sought to hide away from the world, a world so cruel to wipe away any last remnant of humanity.

"No you're not!"

Ruby lifted up her head, startled, meeting fierce green eyes in sea of monochrome. "Pyrrha?"

"I may not know what happened, but I can say for sure that you did the right thing" Standing noble with pride, the redheaded warrior offered a helping hand, "If I saw my peers in trouble, then I wouldn't have hesitated to call friends for help"

"B-but I"

"Pyrrha has a point. It'd be bad if you left them alone actually" Jaune added with a soft smile, becoming mellow himself.

"And it's a good thing you came too" A sharp voice echoed through the deserted classroom, a flood of light engulfed the empty darkness, illuminating a familiar smirk in its wake.

"M-minato?" Ruby sat in place, unable to move from the shock, feeling her body completely freeze of what might be a realistic illusion. Behind him were a few others that she came to recognize, the comforting silhouettes of her teammates and friends.

"We were wondering where you went too. Do you know how long we had to look for you?" Weiss snarked, standing next to a recovering Yu.

"Sorry we kept you waiting" Blake filed in along with the rest, followed by Akira.

Gingerly, she felt someone nudge at her shoulder "You should go, we'll be right here" Pyrrha whispered in encouragement. Warm hot tears streamed down from her cheeks, her eyes shimmering like the many brilliant stars in the sky. The two older students room sat and watched her transform into a torrent of red, speedily charging into the smirking blunette, ramming him into floor, crashing into the tightly assembled crowd at the entrance, kicking up waves of accumulated dust from the carpet.

"Ow!"

"Watch it!"

"Ek!"

"G-get off!" All bodies hit the floor at once, forcing everyone into one large dog-pile while the cries of a certain girl traveled beyond the distant halls of the school.

"Minato! I'm so glad you're ok!" Ruby tightly wrapped her arms around the boy, rubbing her soaked and reddened face against his own, "I-I was so worried that you'd never wake up!" Wrecking her mind for words, there were so many things she wanted to say, but what came out was only a broken string of mesh mashed sentences.

"Ack! You're squeezing me…" Noticing how the rest of his face was a similar shade as his hair, his younger sibling let go.

"Umm! Uh, Sorry about that…" Ruby let out a nervous giggle, lightening her death grip, eventually letting go.

"Maybe try to hug him normally next time" Akira dusted his pants, fresh from a faceplant on the school carpet. When she finally came to her senses, she saw the mess she had made on the floor, but it only made her chuckle.

"Hey, what's so funny about me landing on his face!" Weiss puffed up, moving away from Yu, who remained unaffected by the accident, a smile plastically plastered on his face.

"No one noticed until you brought that up Weiss" Blake teased, the Faunus giggling ever so slightly at the sudden yelp coming from the flushed heiress. This only made Ruby laugh more.

"S-so what's so funny about this anyways?!" Weiss raised and stomped her foot several times, "T-they just woke up, shouldn't you be-"

"I know Weiss" Wiping away the last of her tears, Ruby faced the group with her a cheery grin, "But we haven't had time to relax like this in a long time, it's just...I wish we could do this more often"

Everyone tensed, yet there was silent agreement among all that were affected, with expressions ranging from relief to deep contemplation colored across the group. Then, two new shapes emerged from the hallway.

Carrying an old coffee cup in one hand and his staff in the other, professor Ozpin appeared with his loyal secretary at his side. "Although there is a time for play, I'm afraid we'll have to shelf those plans for now Ms. Rose" His tone was grave and devoid of life, already finishing his previous batch of coffee that hadn't even cooled to a drinkable temperature. The wispy smoke and aroma from the brown liquid wafting inside into the dark classroom, where he gave an understanding nod to the two bystanders, before dismissing Ruby and the rest.

"Professor Ozpin…? Is there something wrong?" Jaune stood up, his tall figure obscured in the blackness.

"Mr. Arc, Ms. Nikkos, please don't mention any of this to the others"

Countless feet collided against marble flooring, ushering in a line of students into a geometric juggle of sliding blocks and cube like towers as far as the eye could see. Lines of glowing white ran across every surface and cut into the many corners of the box like arena, forming a futuristic battle ground. Hot golden dust clouds boomed from the ceiling of the matrix like room, forming in fast zig zag like patterns, exploding and taking down countless towers threatening to smash into its master, as a bright yellow figure blazed across the entire setup, igniting upon hundreds upon hundreds of dust rounds that fell from above like shooting stars, spewing a shower of hot volcanic fire.

"Is that Yang?" Ruby narrowed her eyes, peering at erratic golden dart above, her head practically shaking from side to side to keep up.

Ozpin nodded, finally seeing the blonde leap from a close tower, her landing forming a miniature quake that rocked the entire floor, her eyes bloody red from all the action. Only the older man remained completely unphased by her sudden appearance.

"Minato Arisato! I challenge you to a dual right here and now!" Yang raised her hand in a dramatic gesture, pointing at the bluenette to step out forward. There was an unexplainable rage radiating from her aura, screaming a thousand unspoken questions and dialogues.

"W-wait! What?" Weiss furrowed her brow, "I thought we were here for explanations"

"Sorry Weiss, but this needs to come first" Yang snapped, bumping her fists together, sending an excess wave of fire to repel everyone back.

"Are you sure about this Ms Xiao Long?" Glynda offered her the last chance to back out, before, setting up a see through barrier between the bluenette and the bystanders.

"Trust me, I'm more than ready!" Yang huffed.

"Is this really a good idea?" Blake whispered to Akira, who stood wordlessly to the side, barely even paying attention to the two figures in the distance.

"She wants to prove herself. There's no stopping that" The male Faunus replied back, now leaning against a wall. They both watched Yang shot off a barrage of rounds at her older brother, who remained in place, the bullets barely inching him backwards.

"What are doing?! Fight me!"

"No, I meant going up against Minato" Blake clarified.

Minato blocked an oncoming blazing fist of fire, heading straight for his head with his bare hand, causing the girl to lash out again.

"See how he's looking at them?" Akira gestured at their headmaster, who was keenly focused on the aggravated sibling pair behind the barrier. No longer did he hold the aura of a normal man"It was partly his idea to have them fight, Yang only needed a small push after her outbursts"

"No…" Blake mumbled, yet the more she saw Ozpin's calculating eyes, the more she began to unravel his professional persona. It was like he was a completely different person from the one they've known. His sharp and focused features more resembled something akin to the king of Vale than it did a kind old headmaster. "Why he want them to fight? Especially like this"

"Easy, to test out that idiot's real ability in combat"

Running at the bluenette again, Yang delivered a flurry of punches by going for a right hock that was easily avoided by the other then followed by a side knock that was supposed to nail him on his cheek, only to be dodged again as the persona user lowered himself in a fraction of a second that would have been difficult for even the most hardened professionals to perceive. Transforming into a sonic fast blue blur, the brawler felt something slam her to the ground in one brutal collision that managed snuff out half of her aura and bounce her entire body against the cold pavement.

"Eeep!"

"A-are you ok?" Minato found himself hurrying to her side, alerted by the sudden flicker of her golden force field. "That's enough, you're going to hurt yourself-" Kneeling down, he tried to reach for her hand when he felt the force of his own power send him tumbling to the floor a few paces away. Not only did he fail to check her vitals, he was also with an enraged golden fireball reflected in the vision of her silver eyes.

"Why do you always hold back like that?!" Yang flared up again, a tint of red invading her once pure yellow energy. "Am I not strong enough huh? Can't I have an honest match with my own damn brother?!"

"Yang please, I don't want to-"

"Hurt is that right? Hurt me? Well you sure are hurting me right now Minato!" She charged at him again, leaving a sparkling tail of explosions in her wake, a thousand words unspoken and an infinite well of emotions bottled up from their time as a family. She drew her hand back and feinted when she saw him raising his guard, drawing him in for a moment before she retracted her fist and instead smashed her forehead against his with a loud crack, catching him with full force and off guard. "All this time I thought I was catching up to you! All this time we trained together as a family and I thought I was getting somewhere. Did you think I was that weak?!" She smashed his body into a row of cubes, completely obliterated the remaining towers with her human punching bag.

"Ms Xiao Long, that's enough!" Glynda shouted, shaking at the Aura trackers in her hands. By absorbing just one blow from the blunette, Yang was able to take her brother's Aura meter to a low red.

The brawler remained silent.

"You are going way too far!" Weiss called out, but was ignored like the rest.

"Is is really necessary to beat him all the way?" Yu reasoned, his hands edging closer and closer to his katana.

"Sis, please stop it! It's not Minato's fault! He had to hide from us for a reason!" Ruby begged, her hands clawed at the invisible well, banging and crying against what seemed like the protective barrier separating her and the rest of her family "It was to keep all of us safe!"

"Garudyne!" Suddenly, the air started to shift showing specs of green energy swirling in the atmosphere, swiftly forming into a cyclone that tore at many cube like structures in the arena, consuming them into the raging green whirlpool. Feeling the wind knifing into her Aura, Yang held onto the side of a tower to avoid being sucked in. Her messy golden mane danced in the wild winds, being tossed and flying in multiple different directions as it harshly obscured her vision. Similarly, the airlifted parts of dress, barely preventing the girl herself from being thrown inside the deadly vortex.

"That boy! What is he thinking!?" Glynda's grip grew tighter and tighter on her tablet, her breath growing more shallow at the sight of Minato's Aura gradually dropping lower and lower until it reached a blood chilling zero percent, letting out a sickening crack from within the savage vortex of racing winds. Without much more time for consideration she desperately pleaded with the headmaster, who appeared still appeared unphased, sharply gesturing at the ground with her hand "Ozpin, I demand you release that barrier right now-!"

"Hold it Glynda, the real fight's beginning right now" Akira stepped in, blocking the instructor from interfering any further.

Slowly the wind dissipated, fading from a frightening tornado to a chilly present breeze, revealing a dual sword Minato with a confident grin on his face.

"Good, now let's have a proper fight" Yang cracked her neck, taking a stance that reminded the blunette of a certain silver haired boxer. "I'm going to show you that me and Ruby can protect ourselves!" Going for the head start, she blasted off using the power from her gauntlets, riding the motion forwards while Minato threw himself ahead with a green wind lifting him by his feet. Quickly, with a burning passion in her deep red eyes, each accelerating at each other, each getting closer, until both readied for their finishing blows. Yang narrowly avoided an oncoming slash, yet her ordeal wasn't over because soon her eyes were blinded by a hundred more when she tried to deflect his singler strike. Refusing to give in so easily she continued to push her luck resulting in a couple more clumsy futile collisons, forcing her to dance around deadly metal and charged fire. Her muscles screamed, her body ached, and with only bare adrenaline carrying her through, she could take no more and made one fatal mistake of not noticing a red blade barreling down from above, knocking the wind out of her lungs and downing her in the blank of an eye.

"Yang!" The crowd blared out from the other side of the wall, a choir of voices ringing in her ears. However she paid them no mind, instead, she looked to a blade hovering above her eyes.

"Hey, we could keep going if you want" She could hear someone say, lifting her head, she was greeted by a genuine smile. The moment felt surreal. In all her years living with family, she had never seen him display such a calm expression. No more smirks, no exggaerted grins, no stupid gags that would usually drive her up a wall. For the first time, she was seeing a real part of Minato, a real part of someone who had hid who he was for years. Wordlessly getting up, she squeezed him in a tight tearful hug.

"Thanks, I needed that…" She blurted.

"Sorry for lying to you guys for so long"

"It's alright. I'm over it"

"Are you sure?

He felt a hand slap across his face "ouch.."

"Of course I'm sure. And from now on, we'll protect each other as a family"

"What?" He earned another hand "Ek!"

"You aren't alone anymore"

"So where should we start?" A row of people stood among a collection of gears, each component moving ever so slightly, recording each second in the passage of time. Once again they were all lead back into the headmaster's office.

"When we're done mopping the floor" Minato said, twirling a wooden mop in his hands.

"Get back to work!" Glynda slapped her wand harshly against her hand, "Next time you two should think harder before batting under such extreme circumstances! Purposely depleting your aura to fight? Are you out of your mind?" The women ranted on without taking much time for breaths, her face as red as the rage in Yang's eyes from before.

"He proved he could fight without it ok?" Yang plunged her mop into the water.

"I have will have this office spick and span by the end of the hour! You two are lucky I didn't have you clean out all the classrooms instead!" While Glynda lectured in the back, the others could be seen preparing the room, from closing the blinds to opening up a holo projection screen.

"Isn't she being a little too hard on them?" Blake said to their headmaster, who watched from afar with a kind smile.

"Don't worry, she does this because she cares" He earned a frown, "I'll have my turn soon enough".

"Can you actually connect these two?" Yu curiously eyed three ancient looking laptops, laptops from old brands he recognized.

"Of course not. It's too outdated" Akira connected his scroll to the projector "But I've managed to salvage some information and transfer it over"

"If only Microsoft could talk with Marcosoft right? I can't imagine how much technological advancement our world might have had if we brought back some of Remnant's achievemnets" Yu chuckled, finding it hard to believe he had been born to this world's equivalent of Bill Gates.

"Tough luck doing that. The feds would probably eat all that shit up before you could do anything" Akira scrolled through a section pictures, letting it fully manifest on the holo screen, earning a few gasps of amazement.

Being projected proudly into the air, rendered the world map of an otherwise alien world, a world much larger and diverse than their own. Starting from vast lands of North American, to the more carved up lands in the East, the map was littered with mysterious markings and hundreds of kingdoms.

"Are all those labels for each separate kingdom?" Weiss gestured to the many bold kanji displayed on each land mass, ranging from large swaths of territory to miniature states the size of the city of Vale. The amount of diversity between the borders was a surreal astonishment along the countless colorful flag designs for each nation. Some displayed simple patterns, mean while others had emblems, or intricately designed animals adorning their space. It made her open her eyes to the infinite possibilities of what could be, or how insignificant humanity was in the grand scope of what seemed like an endless possibility for words beyond her own.

"Yes, unlike Remnant we had over one hundred nations" Yu pointed to the map, directing the attention of everyone to a small string of land in the east, "This is the country of Japan, where all of us originated from"

"Wow, imagine a Vytal between all of them," Yang joked. The thought of hundreds of nations all participating in one big sports tournament both racked and excited her mind.

"We didn't exactly fight, but I guess we did have something similar to the festival" Minato recalled, feeling mellow "It was called the Olympics, where each country would come together and win various sports competitions with their best athletes"

"So who won the most recent one" His sister imagined herself competing as one of the contestants, being watched from potentially millions of from the alternative universe.

"There were two countries that stood out, China and the United States both won the most medals out of every other nation" Minato labeled which country was which on the map, showing the US in the west and China in the east.

"What? No, it was Russia that topped the charts along with Great Britain" Akira eyed the bluenette as if he had gone insane, "We are talking about 2008 yes?" Both him and Minato exchanged bewildered glances.

"No way, my was family closely following the Olympics that year, the winners should have been Germany and Japan with the most medals" Yu protested, throwing the room into an awkward silence.

"Perhaps you are all correct" Ozpin sipped from his drink, his words turning several heads. "You all did claim to come from a different world other than Remnant" It only took a few seconds for the realization to dawn on all three, each of their faces being thrown into a different level of shock. Soon Akira sprung up from his seat.

"Quick, tell me who was your prime minister in 2008" The raven haired boy asked, no demanded.

"Taro Aso" Minato said confidently.

"Takashi Yoshida" Yu crossed his arms adamant.

"Makoto Kaname"

"Does this mean all of you also come from different worlds?" Ruby jumped into the conversation.

"That would make the most sense…" Yu gazed from one Wild Card to the other, now it all made sense. All three of them had come from separate, but alternate realities. However, it was the realization that they all could have succeeded in one of their potential respective timelines that pained them the most, the guilt stabbing unforgivingly into their hearts.

"Then is there a possibility of your abilities varying from person to person?" Gynda questioned, "I would also like to know how your previous worlds relate with your current abilities"

"Yea, each summon so far seemed exclusive to one person" Weiss had memorized the unique form of Izanagi and Thanatos. The differences between the two were night and day.

"How about let's answer one at a time" Akira slide to a blank screen, drawing out a small diagram with his fingers, showing two stick figures, labeling one Remanant and then other Earth. "In a way you're right that our abilities differ from each individual, as each of us has a different 'persona' to begin with"

"Is that the given name of your powers?" Ozpin chimed in, noticing the symbol for Aura and the soul on the Remnant figure, and the same thing for the Earth drawing, except Aura was replaced by a second figure floating above the first.

"Yes, and each soul from our world is capable of summoning one if they met the right conditions" Minato added, "You could say it's similar to Semblances where you have to unlock them"

"Fighting without an Aura…" Glynda mumbled in hesitation.

"But Personas do make up our lack of Aura and Semblance with a similar effect. As a Persona user, it makes the summoner far more resilient than a normal human" Yu explained, "Additionally, some spells can give you added protection in combat"

"For those spells you mentioned. Since the White Fang already appeared to wield some form of these magics, is there a chance they could replicate your more support based abilities? Healing? Protection? So on?" Ozpin hoped and prayed his enemies didn't achieve the upper hand. "Moreover, you three retained your Personas when you transfered over to Remnant, could there be a likelihood that Remnant based souls may obtain a 'Persona' as well seeing all three of you were able to generate both a Semblance and an Aura?" The thousand year old soul scrutinized the three, not one movement escaped his keen eagle like eyes.

"I'd say yes to both" Like his headmaster, Akira returned a similar chilling sentiment, "Theoretically both could apply. Items that mimic our healing and protection can exist with the right entities offering their help"

"Personas come from the sea of souls and our Shadow selves. I wouldn't be surprised if Remnant had a sea of their own" Yu stopped, seeing the countless looks of confusion, "Back home, every soul had a shadow, basically the deepest and darkest aspects of a person they refuse to accept. Personas in this sense are a tamed version of those shadows manifested into reality"

"And since Remnant souls also have a lot to hide too, it's likely you all have shadows of your own as well" Minato closed off the explanation.

"Can you tell us how you awakened yours?" Blake shifted her gaze to Akira, wondering how someone like him had managed to tame his 'Shadow'. If it was supposed to be the deepest and darkest aspects of soul, then she wanted to know how to face that part of herself. The part she had neglected for years as she ran from her responsibilities.

"I'm curious as well. Summoning something like that out of the blue must have taken a lot out of effort" In a way, Weiss could relate, yet it was more of her semblance than anything that she had asked.

"Yes, please do Team MAY. Maybe this could help advance our operations in the future. I would also like to hear your thoughts on these entities you mentioned" Ozpin sipped from his cup. However, instead of receiving an answer right away like before, he noticed all three at his last words.

"We...had no other choice at the time" Yu searched for words, yet his mind began to draw a blank. If only any of them had a say. If only they had the option to back out.

"It was either do, or die" Akira averted his gaze, allowing a moment of vulnerability to shone through for the first time.. Blake was sure she saw a sad memory flash in his eyes. Out of all three, Minato was the most silent, a lump gathered in his throat while he struggled to keep his broken form.

"Minato…?" Ruby sat the boy down along with her older sister, gingerly patting him on the shoulder.

"These poor kids" Glynda glimpsed from one boy to the next. At first she thought she'd found their keys victory, but now it was clear this great power came with an astronomical amount of baggage. Her heart tightened. Why must they allow children to go to war? Why were all of them so welling to throw their lives away without a second thought?

"Yu, it's ok if you don't want to talk more about it" Weiss saw him visibly shake, concerned glances were traded around the office, as if asking if it was really ethical to keep going.

"No, Weiss, I'm fine…" Yu take in a deep breath, an ocean of sadness threatening to overwhelm the Wild Card, yet this was not the time to stop yet. It was his mistake after all, a mistake he aims to not make again.

"We can exchange sob stories about this later. What matters now is that we deliver the information" Akira turned to his leader and then back to the headmaster, "Ozpin, it is alright if we left him out of the next part of our explanation?"

"That would be for the best Mr Kurusu" The thousand year old man saw the bluenette practically crumble before his eyes. Although the others remained oblivious, he was sure the distressed aura he gave off was the sign of a haunted soul. In fact, it somewhat reminded him of his own. Haunted from years of witnessing death and trauma, unable to finally rest in peace for his all his work.

"Akira, back then when we talked…" Blake carefully picked her words, "these entities you mentioned now, could they be the gods you talked about?"

She saw him quietly nod.

"Gods that can assemble their own armies, and mess with humanity. I won't be surprised if there were using the White Fang for their own gains"

"Their own gains? There's no way the White Fang would be deluded this easily. I've seen how they work in the Faunus community" Blake retorted, there was no way that man would let go of his goal this easily. However if he was offered even more power…

"Ah but if their goals aligned Ms Belladonna" Ozpin challenged, his face as cold as ice. "Please, if there's anymore you know about the White Fang, do tell"

"I-I only know one of their most of them are dead set on their goal of wiping out humanity" At her words, she could see both Weiss and Yu cringe. Yet Akira's next words sunk her heart even deeper.

"Remember how I told you how these gods love to bring humanity to its knees? A deal between the two would be a prefect match made in hell"

"And how can you be sure these 'gods' are here Mr Kurusu, Mr Narukami" The old man leaned in, now showing signs of wear on his face, his age now beyond normal human comprehension and eyes miserable from the apathy passage of time.

"The Shadow Grimm" Yu began, "I'm sure Akira had mentioned this before, but their ability to use complex magic can only come from a shadow controlling god. Although we have no idea how they managed to fuse both species together"

"Shadows? Didn't you say earlier that they can only come from souls?" Ruby questioned.

"Alongside Shadows from the soul, there's another type that roams around freely similar to the Grimm. They'll attack anyone aimlessly if encountered" Yu curled his hand into a tight fist.

"I see...so somehow the White Fang managed to obtain these creatures and used them for their own gains. Are there any gods you both may have faced back on Earth that may fit this description? " His question left a thick layer of anxiety in the air. All attention shifted towards the two lone figures standing in the center and as they did, all held in their breaths, and eventually one of them spoke.

"That's the thing...we have no idea"

"Minato? Minato…?" Ruby gingerly shook her paling older brother, who sat petrified among the bursting elements and hellfire. A stray stream of pure fire scorched the earth a few feet away, staining the once pristine tiles of the arena floor. Without a formal reply, his head bobbed slowly up and down, an unreadable expression on his face.

"We can get you back to your dorm if you want" Yang sat with the rest, an enraged Akira engulfing himself in azure flames just on the other side of the clear wall. A winged shape of solid reds and blacks taking form, springing from the deepest depths of his soul, gathering a dark energy in its hands.

"No, I'm good" He whispered, showing a little of his left eye in that messy tangle of blue that was his hair. "We need all the training we can get. Just bad memories is all...I just need five more minutes" Giving a bitter grin, he slouched into wall.

"Bad memories? Do you mean ones from your previous world…?" Morbidly, the hooded girl imagined what they could have been, yet at the same time she thought it was better that she didn't know. So instead of dwelling, she focused her attention on the fight before her.

"How long have you been these...flashback?" Yang carefully danced on the subject.

"Since I was kid" Drowning in an ocean of solid black, he struggled to catch a few pockets of air before being pulled under again. Each time he tried to squirm and thrash, the bitter taste of iron and shadow would always drag him back in.

There was no one there to help him in that lone, dark sea.

"Then how about you talk about it?!" snapping out of his daze, he looked to sisters, who both displayed equal degrees of impatience, twitching eyes matched by irate frowns.

He opened his mouth in protest in the void.

"Minato, how is bottling all that inside going to help?" Ruby chided bluntly, "You've been holding onto this for years. What would mom say if she saw you like?" Exhaustion, frustration, and worry all passed through her voice. If only the deceased huntress had known about the sobbing boy in the rubble wasn't crying about his lost village…

"I…" he choked on black water, unable to speak.

"You've always been there for us" Yang put a hand to her chest, "Come on, it's time for us to be here for you, like I said, we protect each other as family" Remembering back to those freezing nights where the house was covered under a thick cover of night. Where mother was no longer there despite her cries, she yanked on his arm and in that moment he felt something force him out that cold murky water.

"There's no way we're going to let you suffer anymore!" Ruby grabbed his wrist, together they forced that dreadful ocean to recede, if only for a bit as the three soaked in its stormy obsidian waters.

Speechless, their brother stared wide eyed.

"So please, tell us what's wrong" Ruby and Yang smiled as the small group of three embraced each other.

"Ack! S-s-s-stop it!" Yu thrashed about in a tight choke hold with his opponent's arm squarelly locked onto his neck. His hands aggressively clawing at Akira's death grip while his legs wildly thumped against the floor.

"Not until you admit defeat and take back what you said about my cooking!" The dark faunus clenched his teeth and increased the force on the other's neck, resulting in a surge of lighting coming from his victim.

Yu summoned a bit of his semblance, but it was no use even as the waves of electricity traveled across Akira's body and his own. "Never! The school's cafeteria food is better, shit-!"

"What was that you tasteless shit?!"

"Mr Narukami, I suggest you surrender to this one. Not even I have the power to save you for your fate" Ozpin kneeled down to the heir's level, pretending to pity the boy, a plate of half finished curry in his hand, to say the man was won over was an understatement, "Really, the flavor of this dish is quite splendid"

"I think you let him go this time" Blake stood watching with a deep sigh, next to a defeated Weiss who looked away with a hint of a giggle threatening to escape as she covered her mouth.

"Fine, but he only gets a free pass this time" Akira loosened his grip and set his half dead friend free, who gladly gulped down a massive breath of fresh air, "Be glad I know how to show mercy"

"Pft, I'll you show next time" helping himself up, Yu turned his back and crossed his arms in a faux dramatic display of pride.

"Now if all of you are finished, I suggest students preparing for the semester finals all return to their dorms" Ozpin jest, or rather appeared to. "Remember, it will be coming up next week"

"Our use of this training room won't be officially on record will it?" Weiss asked, checking a sign in page with each team attendance on her Scroll. The list recorded every individual class and student visit starting from the first week of the semester. Hundreds of names were listed, but in the records she failed to find theirs for this particular meeting.

"Correct. From now on, our sessions will be completely omitted from the official school records" The headmaster explained, "Similar to our gatherings from before, all involved will kindly be asked to keep all information divulged confidential"

"That reminds me, what do we tell everyone when we're here?" Blake stressed, "It would be pretty bad if people started asking questions" unbeknownst to most, her shoulders had a light shook that imitated someone being caught in the cold. However, she felt a gentle hand soothe her wandering mind.

"It'll be alright" She heard a familiar voice whisper, releasing a bit of tenseness next to Akira.

"True, we don't really have a good excuse once our finals are over" Weiss frowned. "Studying could be a good guise for now thought. No one would be caught dead flunking their exams this early in the year"

"How about we say it's an after school club then" Minato walked over with Ruby and Yang, a gentle smirk spreading across his face.

"Beacon already has tons of student run activities, saying we're having a club meeting might be a good idea" Yang suggested, noting how a majority of the people on campus regularly attended multiple clubs run by the upperclassmen.

"Our school is known to have the second highest concentration of clubs among the four kingdoms. No one would be interested in a new start up anyways" Ruby chuckled nervously. Before her arrival at Beacon, she had furiously researched the school website from the welcome page, all the way down to their student life activities.

"Hmm, that certainly is an interesting proposal. Sadly it will still be unofficial from the school's perspective. Are you all ok with that?" Ozpin offered, "In addition, we will also use this time to plan our next moves against the White Fang"

"Yea, we can do that. Do you guys think we should give it a name too? It'd be pretty weird if someone asked" Yu mused out loud, opening up his Scroll to the school's website.

"Didn't we just say it's not supposed to be unofficial?" Akira challenged.

"Hmmm maybe it's better if we registered after all. Ah! I've thought about the name too! Let's call it SEES! " Minato put a hand to his chin, mimicking a famous statue, gaining the attention of everyone.

"Are you insane? Calling it that name will only paint big red targets on our the backs if we're not careful" Akira scolded, a serious frown appeared on his face "Not to mention we'll be seen by the rest of the world too"

"Exactly!"

"What!?"

Minato yawned and then lowered his voice, his smirk morphing into a manic grin, "If our enemies recognize that name, then they'll definitely get the warning message. Not to mention it'll fool them into thinking there are more persona users here than there really are"

"May I inquire as to who this SEES group used to be Mr. Arisato?" Ozpin too assumed a similar state of mind, his demeanor growing serious.

"Back home one my friends started up a club called SEES to fight shadows. If anyone aiding the White Fang knew that name then they would drastically shift their tactics against us in the long run. We used to be a pretty sizable group" The bluennette explained, "It's a pretty risky tactic but if we can make them believe us then we really can take them by surprise"

"Wouldn't that make them over prepare themselves" Yu turned to Weiss and the others.

"We'll be fine. The strategy is to use intimidation and misinformation right? I'll say it's even better than hiding ourselves if it means making them panic over nothing. I don't sit well knowing we'll be doing shady stuff behind the scenes" Weiss assured the gray haired Wild Card, "What do you think Professor Ozpin? Shall we execute this suggestion?"

"Blake, Akira, everyone else?" The headmaster's glaze traveled from student to student, gauging their individual reactions.

"I guess it's worth a shot if it gets us one step closer to the enemy" Akira sighed. Instead of going to them, it might be even easier if they came to their home turf of Beacon.

"We're both cool with it" Yang gestured to both her and Ruby, who backed Minato completely, "If anyone comes then we'll make sure to end them quickly"

"No objections here" Yu shrugged, "If it gets them moving, even better"

"Ms Belladonna?" Ozpin patiently waited for the dark haired beauty, instead receiving no reply. Until she jolted awake from her daze.

"O-oh yea! I don't mind" the dark huntress blurted out, having a look of a deer caught in the headlights. The greying headmaster called out again, causing her to confirm her answer.

Pulling up the official registration page from a screen, Ozpin cleared his throat "So, if we all are in agreement, then I will proceed to input all required information" Combing through multiple densely detailed pages of agreements, he typed in his own name into a blank box.

"You're going to be our sponsor professor?" Ruby watched the older men diligently glide through several more pages with his hands, his pupils speedily shifting back and forth consuming the information on the page.

"Yes Ms Rose. There is no other soul in this Academy capable." Finally after scrolling past many more walls of text, his hand hovered above a confirmation button "Since this is a group being formed officially by students, I would like you and friends to do the honors" The older man backed away from the computer, allowing multiple hands to float above the large green button.

"Ready guys?" Yang crowded into a circle of people, all with racing hearts and nervous faces.

"Of course I am" Weiss answered arrogant, but there was something more mixed in with her tone of voice.

"Yea…" Blake placed her hands atop the other two's.

"Let's all do what we can" Yu joined in.

"Whatever" Akira squeezed between the bodies in his way, shoving his arm in.

"If it means saving the world, then it needs to be done" Ruby said nobly, slowly being the last to join.

Everyone pressed down all at once.

In that moment all hearts raced, and all consented to accept their collective fate, whatever that might be in the end. Whether it was to be taken down by the enemy, or coming out on top, in the end, it didn't matter as all who participated would share in a similar ending. And in that moment a strange foreboding, yet hopeful bond formed between all seven individuals.

"Welcome to SEES!"

"Something wrong?" Dispersing from the crowd, Akira caught up to Blake who halted in her steps. Through the winding halls and confusing layout of the large Beacon campus, he managed to track her down. She turned to face him, wearing a frightful gaze that spoke more than ever about her fears. Although she decided to stay, the pressure was beginning to crush at her mind.

"I...no, not much" She refused to tell, or rather she drew a blank.

"You're still here so that's reassuring. Are the White Fang bothering you again?" At the mention of that certain terrorist group, disurbed memories started to resurface from her checkered past, unable to hold them in any longer. Her ears twitched in irritation behind the safety of her dark bow.

"What about them? We have to stop them at all costs right?" her voice cracked, betraying her front. A hand placed on her other arm, making her look as if she were going on the defensive.

"Not with that fear of yours we won't" All the world slowed to a crawl "You're afraid of what they might do with that power afraid, or even what that god might do to humanity"

"W-what?" She took a few steps back. It was like looking through a mirror, a mirror that zoned in on her greatest fears. How was he able to so easily read her mind?

"Ruby and the others told me back when my team infiltrated the warehouses that it was your idea to botch our operations. At the meeting in the office you were also the one to raise concern on the White Fang again" Akira pushed, his voice remaining both flat and firm.

She flinched, becoming more skittish at each word that left his mouth "Yea, and? I merely grew up around peers supported their cause. It's not hard to know what they're up too. You're in the Faunus community too right?" Feeling her hands tremble, she refused to face her past sins. Yet, the more she wanted to run, the more they reared their ugly heads when she saw him raise his Scroll.

"Blake, I'll be blunt and say this, I don't gave a fuck where you come from or, who you used to be. But please do a better job at hiding information even a grade schooler could find" Daugther of the former leader of the White Fang, the Belladonna family could be minor celebrities in the Faunus world. "I had a feeling I've heard your last name your somewhere. The rest was just some bullshit guesswork from your reactions"

"Y-you did a background check?!" Finally she erupted from her shell, coming out at full force. No, he didn't need to know, no one needed to know. It was a curse that she would forever bare alone. Something she could never come back from. "What is wrong with you? So what if I'm the daughter of the leader of the former White Fang?!"

He put his foot on the ground, "You're avoiding the subject Blake. Like I said, I don't gave a fuck of who you used to be"

"Then why did you look into me?!" She spouted back, her face becoming tomato red and her voice morphed into a desperate cry. A tidal wave of anger crashed against her mind until she was left with only her basic primal instincts, devoid of all rational logic. He was trying to use this information wasn't he? He wasn't going to reject her for her crimes just like the rest of the world where they would all shune her to hell-

"Because I care Blake!" He boomed through the barren halls, his voice was enough to snap her out of her chaotic thoughts. His hair spiked and his ears shot up until he resembled a mad cat, but he suddenly mellowed with sad eyes "Because one day you're going to regret not facing up to your past demons…" Lowering his hand, she got a subtle glimpse at his Scroll again, however this time, it showed a lone boy standing among an otherwise crowded city street. The negative spaces inside felt empty, as if implying something was supposed to be there to begin with.

"Akira…" Blake's amber eyes softened.

"You're right, I shouldn't have dug up your past"

He slowly turned until she was facing his back.

"But please think about this carefully. Sometimes, self redemption isn't enough"

Dust, layers upon layers of dust drifted aimlessly in the pale light, swaying endlessly in the soup of stagnant air. Books sprawled across multiple ransacked shelves, mixing in with broken pieces of brown wood and other debris that littered the aging storefront, conjuring up the image of what could have been the formation of a cursed cyclone ripping across this singler building amidst an otherwise peaceful city. Destroyed volumes upon volumes of worldly knowledge lay scattered on the darkened floor, some holding the grand mysterious of Remnant, while others detailed more common pieces of information of the everyday, all carelessly tossed aside for their owner also lay so apathetically on the same cold concrete.

Dead crimson eyes reflected in that dull pool of red next to the body, the colors meshing together so well that the young man found it hard to see his own eyes. His silenced pistol still warm from the barrel and a small hint of ghostly smoke danced and weaved in the dark atmosphere, eventually taking on a life of its own in the blackness.

And beside him stood a menacing female figure with fiery golden eyes.

"Good job Goro. Now let's move onto our next target"

And there goes Akechi. Vol 2 will be officially starting next chapter and there will be even more crazy crap as our characters unveil what really is going on behind the scenes. As for most of this chapter, I found it extremely hard trying to fill in time before v2 and decided to develop the characters just a little more seeing there was no way I could leave some things hanging, especially with Blake's run away personality or Minato in general. Yang also got some needed polishing along setting the groundwork of the new SEES.