Chapter 12: Divide
Remy buried his face into his hands, letting out a frustrated groan.
"Nothing?" Corvus asked, taking a swig from a flask.
The other faunus shook his head, tossing his Scroll to the side. "Nothing."
"Without that CCT Tower…" The Vale huntsman started.
"No way to call anyone outside the city. No way to call any of the other kingdoms. We're shit out of luck."
"…And no way to tell anyone what actually happened here."
The duo sat quietly for a few moments, before the White Wolf looked up to the taller huntsman. "No Ozpin?"
"Not a hint. Flew back around the tower- nothing. That dragon might be dead, but it's still attracting grimm by the dozens. Wasn't safe to get a closer look. The kids said that he disappeared after the blonde and Nikos went down to some sort of vault under the school. They left and he fought the woman. She came out. He didn't."
"…Did you see my brother?" The younger huntsman finally asked after a moment.
"Yeah."
"…And?"
"He… didn't look great."
Remy shook his head with a growl. "That little idiot."
Corvus nodded agreeingly, taking another drink. "This ain't great, White Wolf."
"No-" The Platina's eyes shot back to his new companion, hardening. "What's this about a vault."
The corvian faunus shook his head. "No clue. Oz had his secrets- shared a little bit with me, but not everything. This is the first time I'd heard of it."
Remyngton shook his head again, letting it fall. "I told Rainier what kind of man Ozpin was."
"Yeah…"
The duo lapsed back into silence, watching the activity unfold around them; the safe zone was abuzz- airbuses coming and going, soldiers seeing to the injured. More private crafts came and went, picking people up and whisking them, ironically, to the safety of waiting outside of the city.
The faunus looked up as what seemed to be the last transport shuttle from Beacon neared, carefully settling down, soldiers rushing to it. The ramp opened, but for a long few moments, no one stepped out, some medics instead entering.
A few seconds later, they exited, before heading back in, stretchers in hand. When they returned, they were carrying Yang and Ruby, both the girls still unconscious. Blake followed after the blonde brawler, and slowly, the rest of the huntsmen began to file out, exhausted faces covered in the soot and grime of battle, huddling close to one other.
The two veteran huntsmen shared a knowing glance, before Remy rose to his feet, marching towards the students.
He stopped short of them, giving them their space, yellow eyes meeting yellow as Rainier caught his gaze. The White Wolf looked to the side, shaking his head, swallowing hard. "Dammit, Pup." He muttered, returning to his perch on the supply crate.
Rainier stared after his brother for a long few moments, before turning back to Weiss, arms wrapped around each other. "…You should go check on Ruby," He managed to mutter. She looked back up to him, mouth moving for words for a moment, before he bowed his head, continuing. "I… I need to go find Daria…"
And Nash.
Slowly, she extricated herself from him, shakily following after her leader, holding his gaze for a moment. "…Stay close." She said quietly, mustering a small smile from the faunus.
The smile dropped the moment she turned away, Rainier looking back over his shoulder at his friends as they milled about… lost.
Without a word, he began to drag himself away from them, not looking once to his brother, in search of his leader.
The medic buzzed around Lance, Oracle slung over his back, piggyback style, somewhat roused to consciousness, but still loopy with exhaustion.
"Sir," The medic said, his face resolute. "I need to see to her."
"She's got aura exhaustion and her arms burn like hell. She's fine." The swordsman shot back, not budging an inch.
"That's fine, but-"
"Lance…" Oracle muttered. "It's fine… I'm not goin' anywhere."
He looked over his shoulder at her for a few moments, before sighing, letting the medic take her, giving him a grateful nod, before carrying her over to the make-shift field hospital. He watched her go until the medic laid her down, the gunslinger quietly beginning to answer his questions.
The blonde huntsman sighed, combing his hair backwards, turning to his other teammates. "Ul," He said. His partner didn't even react. "Ul. Ulysses. Brotha-" He waved his hand in front of the hulking huntsman's face- and the larger teen immediately lashed out, grabbing the outstretched limb, glassy eyes shooting to Lance's own.
Ulysses stared for a disconcertingly long time, before he blinked hard, recognition flooding into his features. He released his partner's hand, shying backwards slightly. "I- I'm sorry-"
"Hey- you're fine," Lance said, holding his hands up to him. "Easy, big man. Breathe. Look around. We're safe. You're safe. You're with friends now. Easy does it."
The brooding huntsman complied, looking around at the safe zone, the tension flooding from his muscles. He stumbled backwards, falling to sit on a small crate, burying his face into his hands, taking a deep shuddering breath. He sat quietly, not deigning to move.
Lance sighed, turning from his partner to his leader. "Captain. Captain. Captain," Shinai looked up, blinking himself out of his own trance. "You good?"
"I… yes."
The blonde didn't look convinced, but gestured over his shoulder to Oracle. "I'm gonna go sit with O. You good?"
Shinai nodded wordlessly, getting the swordsman to hesitantly turn, marching towards his friend. The samurai watched him go, before turning back to the airbus.
Jaune, Nora, and Ren slowly walked from it, the leader still shaking, clutching Pyrrha's crown tightly to his chest.
Pyrrha.
Shinai watched them pass, Ren and Nora giving him a quick, remorseful glance, their own eyes filled with tears, before ushering the blonde leader to a solitary spot, sitting him down and holding him close.
A wave of memories washed over the samurai- his and Pyrrha's first meeting, their finalist battle; his first loss. Reuniting at Beacon. Everything they had done since, every moment they had spent together. He swallowed hard, tears welling in his eyes, gripping the shards of Shi En tightly, trying to draw some semblance of strength from the remains of his beloved blade.
Pyrrha.
Instead, he simply sat down next to Ulysses, the two huntsmen staring off emptily at the shuttles flying to and from Vale.
Daria jerked to attention as Rainier rounded the corner- her face fell in horror, dark eyes widening as she took in his condition. She shot to her feet and dashed towards him, holding him close in a tight hug.
He didn't return it, standing limply before her, staring passed her at Nash. The boy was laid up on a bed, sleeping, his hands wrapped heavily in cloth, form covered in multiple blankets.
Daria turned from him, following his gaze. "He's…" She sighed, taking a steadying breath. "He's alright. His hands are… they're messed up, pretty badly. But he's gonna be okay otherwise. They called his mom before the tower went down. She'll be here shortly."
"…He's leaving."
"…Everyone is," She whispered, averting her gaze. "…Just a little earlier than expected," He said nothing, getting her to take a step back, looking him over. "Is that your-"
"No."
"Are you alright?"
His jaw trembled, pursing his lips hard. "No."
"Rain… Rain, I'm so sorry, I should have-"
"I held him in my arms as he died," Rainier hissed- though, not in anger, his pent up emotions finally beginning to spill from him. "I didn't know his name, or who he was, but I saw his face- and I can't forget it. I held him in my bloody arms,"
She said nothing- simply reached out and took her hand in his. He immediately ripped his limb free, looking back and forth between his teammates. "I- I need to go think."
"Rain-" She started.
"Please," He pleaded, voice wavering. "…please."
Daria stared at him for a moment, before hesitantly nodding. The faunus didn't waste any time, turning on his heel and limping his way back through the safe zone.
Weiss rushed forwards as Rainier came back into view, slowing to a stop before him, hands placed onto his chest. "Rain…" She began.
He swallowed hard as he looked down at her, face falling as the worst flashed through his mind. "What- Weiss-"
She sighed, looking over her shoulder. The faunus followed her gaze-
To a man standing tall near the edge of the safe zone. He was a middle aged man, pale, finely combed hair and bushy mustache stark white, eyes pale blue; he was dressed in an immaculate white three piece suit and shoes, a pale blue shirt under. He was staring at the two of them impatiently, pale eyes disapproving as he and the Vacuoan locked gazes.
The faunus looked back down to her, a frown finding its way to his face. "Weiss, what's…"
"I'm leaving." She said quietly.
"…Oh."
"I'm sorry," She said. "I have to go."
"…I see."
"Rain-"
"Will I see you again?" He asked, voice wavering, trying in vain to keep it steady.
"I… of course. Why wouldn't-"
"I don't know," He whispered, head falling to rest against her own. "I don't know."
The duo stood for a long few moments, before-
"Weiss," The man called out, voice clipped and even. "We need to go if we're to make it back to Atlas in time."
She looked back over her shoulder at him, before meeting Rainier's pale yellow eyes. The heiress reached up, unclasping her necklace, bunching it up in her palm, before handing it to him. "That's a promise. I'm going to want this back,"
He hesitantly took it, swallowing hard as she slowly began to back away. She stopped, then lunged forwards, pulling him into a tight hug, giving him a deep kiss. "Be safe," She whispered as she pulled away. "I'll see you again. I promise."
She turned on her heel, walking swiftly towards her father, hugging herself- not seeming to register Rainier's jacket thrown over her shoulders still. She turned back to him on instinct, the two nobles sharing one last glance before she passed her father, marching into the brilliant white shuttle waiting behind them.
The Atlesian and Vacuoan stared off for a long few moments, their gazes mirror glances of disdain. The man turned his nose up, before following after his daughter, the ramp shutting behind him.
Rainier stood motionlessly as the craft took flight, quickly souring out towards the horizon.
He didn't move even long after it was out of sight.
"Rain," Remy said quietly. "Rainier."
The younger Platina turned to him, eyes watery. "What."
"It's time to go."
Rainier sucked in a hitching breath. "Rem-"
"There's nothing left for us to do," The White Wolf said quietly. "I'm leaving. This is your last chance. Please. Just come home. You don't need to stay here. Just come home."
The younger faunus stared at him for what felt like eternity, a single tear falling down his face-
And he nodded once.
Remy nodded back, striding forwards to clap a hand onto his shoulder. "We've got everything we could get from Beacon. We're good to go whenever you're ready." He walked passed his brother towards the white and gold craft waiting off to the edge of the zone, exchanging a nod with Corvus as he passed.
Rainier watched his brother go before taking in a shuddering breath.
"So that's it, huh?" Lance asked huskily, getting the faunus to turn in surprise. "You're out?"
"I…"
"Don't," The swordsman muttered, arms crossed. "Just go, man. If you need to go, just go."
"Lance-"
"Don't make this harder on either of us," Rainier stared at his friend for a moment, before bowing his head, turning. "You know, you head to Tear's Fall, that's it, right?" Lance called over, getting the Vacuoan to stop in his tracks. "Weiss is gone too. There's no way for us to find you. That's it. Unless you wanna take a happy skip back over here, whenever the hell they fix this place up- if that's even possible. It's probably not! You're not gonna see any of us again!"
Rainier didn't raise his gaze, shoulders slumping. He wordlessly began walking forwards, leaving Lance standing alone.
When he turned the corner, Daria was already standing, staring at him with wide brown eyes, her crestfallen face telling him that she already had heard.
"…You're leaving?" She whispered, voice disbelieving.
"Daria…"
"Please. Please say you're not leaving."
"…I have to."
"Why? Why? Why can't you stay?"
"Because this," He gestured around them, shaking his head. "This isn't what I signed up for. This isn't what I wanted."
"Rainier, please," She pleaded, stepping towards him. "I can't lose you."
"And I can't stay," He hissed. "Everything that I've worked for in my life- for this? To die here? I told Ozpin, I wasn't going to fight some shadow war for him. And I won't-"
"Rain-"
"No, listen to me for a moment. I told you who I was- I am not a fighter, I am not a soldier- I can't stay here, I can't do this," He went quiet for a moment. "…My father always said that Vacuo was the safest kingdom on Remnant. I'm going to see how true that is."
"This is what we came here to do!" Daria cried. "We're huntsmen! We're here to help people, to be protectors-"
"No, you are here to be a protector!" He snapped, eyes going dark with anger, misplaced or not, gesturing furiously at her. "You want to know what I came here to do, hm? I came here to succeed, to be the best damn fighter this school had ever seen. I came here to prove to my family that I was worthy of the name Platina. I didn't come here to find a new family, I didn't come here to protect people, I didn't come here to save the world! I am not a hero! I am a coward- when things get difficult, I run. Away-" He leaned towards her, baring his teeth, tears welling in his eyes. "Congratulations, you have finally met the real Rainier Platina!"
He took a few hard steps away from her, the fight flooding from him as he leaned against a stack of crates. His leader stared at him with wide eyes, tears falling down her face silently. After a moment, he shook his head. "I'm leaving. I'm sorry, Dearest Daria."
Without another word, he stormed away, meeting his brother on the walk to their ship.
"FINE!" She screamed, charging a few feet after him out into the open. "GO! BE A COWARD! LEAVE! GO RUN BACK HOME, WITH YOUR TAIL BETWEEN YOUR LEGS! WE DON'T NEED YOU!" She glared after him, face a mix of pain and betrayal. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"
Rainier stilled for a moment, his shoulders beginning to shake, his resolve crumbling around him. He began to look over his shoulder- before Remy clasped a hand onto him, squeezing comfortingly.
"Let her go." The elder Platina muttered quietly.
The younger faunus' head fell again-
And the brothers continued to march on.
Daria collapsed onto her knees as she watched him go, breaking down into sobs as the Platinas' ship took flight, soaring off into the dark night.
She didn't move for a long time.
Qrow leaned against the wall, staring down at Lance and Oracle with a raised brow. "So," He said quietly. "Rough night, eh?"
The blonde swordsman gave him a withering side eye. "The hell do you want?"
"Just wanted to check in on you guys. Nights like tonight are hard for guys like me- guys that've been doing this a few years," He looked over the safe zone, nodding. "For what it's worth; you kids did good. A whole helluva lot better than you probably should've done, all things considered."
"Gee, thanks," Lance muttered. "I really appreciate it. We done here?"
"It might not feel like you guys did anything worthwhile," The veteran huntsman continued on, unfazed. "And it probably feels like you guys lost, and that's fair... losing people... it never gets easier- but a lot of innocent people got out safe because of you guys. Take some solace in that, even if it's not much," He went quiet for a moment, the two huntsmen staring out over the bustling area, the crowd slowly thinning as more and more people left. "The blonde kid, the one that fought that Vegas guy, left. Got picked up by his mother. Most everyone else is gone too, at least out of the city. But you kids are still here."
Lance looked over at Oracle, shaking his head. "…I don't have anywhere else to go, really. Dunno about her, but she's out like a light. No one's come to collect, yet," He peered passed Qrow, to where Shinai and Ulysses were still sitting. "Don't think they've got anywhere to go either."
The Vale huntsman nodded, staring off in the distance, mulling a thought over. After a moment, he gave his younger counterpart a heavy sigh, looking back over to him. "Well… I suppose… Tai wouldn't mind a few guests for a couple days. Least till you guys figure somethin' else out."
"…What?" Lance asked, eyebrows furrowing.
Qrow gestured towards the field hospital with his head. "I'm takin' the girls back to Patch here soon as they get cleared. Rest of you kids are free to come with, bunker down for a while. Just a thought."
The swordsman turned to his unconscious friend for a moment- before nodding. "...Aight… I'll go check with the others."
"Alright. We'll leave here in a few. Come find me when you're ready."
"Hey, Branwen," Lance said quietly, head bowed. "…Thanks."
The old huntsman smirked. "Don't mention, kid. You did good tonight." He stalked off towards his nieces, hands buried in his pockets.
"Blake's gone too."
Lance looked up as Sun approached, the faunus' tanned face resigned. "…She is? Seriously?"
"Took off not long after we got here."
"Well. That's shitty."
"Yeah."
"…And?"
"Oh, just lettin' you know I'm going' after her."
"…Seriously?" The Vale warrior asked, blinking.
"Yeah," Sun shrugged. "My guess? White Fang just cut her best friend's arm off. She's probably off to go get revenge, and what kinda friend would I be if I let her go off on her own?"
"A pretty shitty friend," Lance rose to his feet, and the two huntsman embraced. "Keep her safe, alright? And stay safe yourself. You guys are good people, and I'd hate to have to come kick your ass, aight?"
"That, I actually can do. Catch you on the flip side, Zaffre."
The faunus leapt over the swordsman, bounding off into the night.
Lance watched him go for a moment, before turning down to Oracle. "Alright, cowgirl. Let's get you out of here."
"Thanks for lettin' them shack up for a few days." Qrow said, leaning against the counter. The kitchen was fairly well sized, its walls and floor warm in color- red trees swaying lightly in the breeze outside, sky a vibrant blue with the fading of autumn.
"No problem. These kids could catch a break right now," Tai shot back, leaning against the island across from the huntsman.
Taiyang Xiao Long was a touch shorter than the other man, but stockier, skin suntanned dark, paling yellow hair messy around his head, stubble and a soul patch spreading across his jawline. He was dressed in a short brown vest over a tan dress shirt, fingerless gloves cladding his hands, cargo shorts and sneakers covering his legs; a red bandana was wrapped around his left bicep, his right one printed with a dark tattoo of a stylized heart.
"Besides," He continued. "Friends of my girls are more than welcome."
Qrow nodded, placing his flask onto the countertop. "Couple of them, though… that big guy's got that glassy look. I'm worried about him."
"It'll take a couple days," Tai said. "Those kids shouldn't have had to go through what they did."
"…Yeah… but I've got the feeling that it's not over."
"You too?"
"Call it that STRQ instinct."
The two old teammates turned to the doorway to the kitchen, warm light bathing the room as the sun continued to rise.
"...I guess." Tai muttered
"Whatever you want to call it… this mess is just beginning. Things are gonna get a whole helluva lot worse before they start getting better."
The blonde teacher said with a sigh. "You think they're gonna keep going?"
"You kidding?" Qrow snorted. "Those kids stayed at Beacon until we had to drag them kickin' and screaming back to Vale. Give them some time to figure out what they're fighting for. They'll get back up."
"I hope you're right."
Oracle flipped through the TV's channels boredly- some buzzing with white noise, others landing on old reruns and talk shows. Finally, she simply turned it off, tossing the remote away. She turned to Lance, the swordsman sitting next to her, looking at his Scroll with a frown. "You seen Daria today?"
"No," He muttered back. "She hasn't left the guest room."
"Should…" She trailed off with a sigh, gaze falling.
"I don't know. I don't know. She needs some time, I think."
The gunslinger nodded slightly, before turning her gaze to the ceiling. "…I'm gonna go check on Ulysses."
"…Aight… just be easy on him."
The door to the attic slowly opened with a creak, light shining in to bathe the dark room. On the other side, sitting against the wall, Ulysses blinked slowly, gaze not rising from the floor.
"…Ul?" Oracle asked, stepping in. "Big man?"
"Go." The giant muttered lowly, still unmoving.
"Ul- it's just me."
"No. It's not."
The gunslinger blinked, mouth falling. She swallowed hard, turning to leave her teammate be. She stopped, turning over her shoulder slightly. "…There's food downstairs if you want any."
He said nothing for a long moment. Oracle sighed, stepping out of the room, softly closing the door behind her.
"Look at you," A deep, gravelly voice muttered disdainfully. Ulysses looked up- as a man stepped out of the shadows. He was pale, eyes lined in thick, dark rings; a thick, bushy beard covering most of the bottom half of his face. The man was hulking, standing well over seven feet, frame wider than even the huntsman himself. He was dressed simply in a loose, beige shirt, baggy cargo pants tucked into work boots. "A year ago, you would have torn her to shreds."
"You're not real." Ulysses muttered, turning his gaze away from the man.
He was to the huntsman's side in a heartbeat, hand grasping the smaller man's wrist, holding it high, a furious snarl crossing his face. "Does this not feel real?!" He spat. "Do I not feel real?! As far as it matters to you, boy, I am very real."
He threw the huntsman's captured hand back to him, and when Ulysses looked up, the man was gone.
The brooding teen let loose a frustrated growl, burying his face into his hands, gripping his hair in two white knuckled fists, stifling a scream.
Daria stared out of the window idly, watching leaves fall from the trees, covering the grass in gold and red. Tears welled in her eyes for a moment, before she grit her teeth, blinking them away.
"Daria?" Gail asked quietly.
The leader turned over her shoulder to the archer in the doorway. "…Hey, Gail."
The taller huntress slowly walked in, hands folded in front of her. "H… how are you?"
"… I'm tired."
"Me too."
The girls stared at each other for a few moments- before Gail's face twisted into a mask of misery, falling to her knees and burying her face into Daria's sheets. The short leader jolted in shock from the sudden collapse, holding her hands out to her friend. "G-"
"They're gone," The archer managed to sob out, pulling her leader into a hug. "Nash, Rainier, Pyrrha- they're all gone."
"…Gail-"
"-I can't have anything good," She continued on through her tears. "I find you guys, and you're so good, and you loved me for me, no matter what- and I find a home, where I belong, and it's taken from me- and so many people are gone, or hurting and there's nothing I can do…"
Daria returned the hug, pulling her friend close to her. "…You've got me."
The archer nodded against her leader, not able to quell the waves of emotion washing over her. The two remaining members of DRGN sat for a long while, Daria soothingly clutching Gail tightly.
"You've got me."
Shinai stared at the leaves falling around him, exhausted purple eyes idly tracing their trajectories to the grass below. After a while, his gaze drifted to Shi En laying before him.
The two shining halves of the blade stared back up at him, his reflection starkly obvious in the steel. The samurai swallowed hard, raising his gauntlet into the air-
And the blade stayed motionless.
His shoulders slumped, head falling to rest against his chest, a breath he didn't know he'd been holding spilling out from his lips. Slowly, he reached up, unclasping the gauntlet from his arm, letting it fall limply to the ground beside him.
He turned his gaze to the sky. "Why?" He asked quietly, husky voice pleading. "Give me an answer. Give me something." There was no answer; simply the rushing of wind around him, autumn leaves trailing beside him, before coming to rest onto the ground.
The samurai stared around him for a while longer, finally rising to his feet, the steel blades clutched tightly in hand, as he marched back to the house.
"Yang's up." Oracle said quietly, cheeks stained with tears. Lance turned to her, blue eyes widening.
"Gods, O- you alright?"
The gunslinger stared off into space for a moment, before slowly shaking her head. "…No. No, I don' think so."
He watched her carefully, picking his words carefully. "…Or-"
"It's all shit, ain't it?" She asked, chuckling weakly, drawling dialect deepening. "Everythin's gone to shit."
"…Yeah," The swordsman muttered. "Is she okay-"
"Nah. Nah, she's not. She's not at all."
Lance sat for a moment, before shaking his head. "…O… you got anywhere to go?"
She sniffed hard, a small smile on her face. "...I wanna say yes... but I'm here. With you. This is where I need to be."
"Aight… just checkin'."
"What about you? Think your step-"
"No," He bowed his head. "No, I think that bridge is pretty burned to shit by now."
"Just a couple of kids with nowhere to get, eh?"
He managed a small smile of his own. "...Yeah. Guess we are."
Ruby shakily stumbled from her room, the windows outside dark, pale moonlight shining in. She swallowed hard, leaning against the wall for support.
"Hey, Rubes." Lance said quietly. Her gaze shot to the side, to where the swordsman was sitting on a windowsill, idly tossing an apple into the air, before catching it. He didn't turn to her at all, peering out to the dark night outside.
"Lance," She said quietly, stopping in her tracks. "I'm-"
"It's been three days. You're awake," He shot back. "That's all I care about."
She swallowed again, silver eyes softening as she stared at the crestfallen swordsman. "…Well… kinda awake."
He snorted, catching the apple and freezing in place. "…Rain's gone. Nash's gone; Blake, Weiss. They went home. Everyone else did too. Just us."
"…I know."
"Your fam catch you up?"
"Yeah."
He turned back to her, blue eyes ringed in red, dark bags hanging under them, face flat with exhaustion. "...I'm sorry, Rubes."
"What?" Her eyes widened. "Sorry about-"
"...Pyrrha."
"…Oh."
He bowed his head. "...I shoulda went up there. I shoulda been faster. We shoulda figured this shit out before-"
"It's not your fault," The former leader of RWBY said softly. "It's not anyone's fault."
Lance's eyes hardened as he stared at the floor. "…If it's not our fault, it's someone's... and someone's gonna die for it."
"…What are you going to do?"
"…I… I don't know. I'll figure it out," He hopped from the ledge, marching away from the girl. "Night, Rubes."
Daria stared down at her bag, filled with whatever clothes she'd recovered (and hand-me-downs Ruby and Yang couldn't wear anymore). She shook her head, face filled with resignation, as she rose to her feet.
"You're out of here, then? Qrow asked, leaning against the door frame.
She jolted at the huntsman's sudden appearance, before sighing. "…I've... I've taken up your guys' hospitality long enough. I… my parents are probably worried about me."
"So, you're just gonna… run home to mom and dad?"
The former leader of DRGN's eyes shot up to him, alight with fury. "As opposed to what?"
The veteran huntsman looked over his shoulder for a moment, before stepping in, satisfied the coast was clear. He shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugging. "...Alright, your parents can't yell at me if I tell you, so I might as well; these people, the ones who attacked Beacon? They're still out there, and they're not done."
"What…" Daria looked away, frowning. "You... know who did this?"
"We don't have a lot of names, but we do know that it's a large group, and we know what they're doing," At her inquisitive look, he nodded. "Dividing the four kingdoms. It'll be easier to… do whatever it is they want to do next if they don't have to worry about all of Remnant's wrath comin' down onto them."
"So… what are you-"
"We know that they're heading to Mistral next. But we know that something's brewing in Vacuo. After that, it'll be Atlas. And when they're done… there's not gonna be anywhere else to run to."
"You're saying-"
"-That you can run home if you want. No one's gonna stop ya. No one's gonna fault ya. But there's still a war to be fought, and Remnant's still in danger. I'm not gonna tell ya to go fight these guys; but I'm gonna tell ya that if ya still want to fight, we could use all the help we can get."
Daria looked away, hands tightening around the jacket in her grip. "...Vacuo. What do you mean something's brewing?"
"We've got reports of White Fang heading further west than they've been in half a decade, and they're not exactly going about it in a polite way, and we now know that the Fang's working with these people," Qrow looked her up and down. "...If you can get to Shade, find the headmaster, shore up the capital's defenses... we might have a chance at keeping what happened here from happening there."
"...You got any other advice?"
"You've got a good team here. Take them with you. Give them a purpose. Brothers know that you all could use it," The huntress nodded, looking to the floorboards below, gaze forlorn. He watched her for a moment. "...And if you're going after the wolf... be careful. There's a good chance he'll have an answer for you that you won't like. Sometimes it's best to let the past die."
"...Right." She whispered.
Qrow nodded, turning to leave. "Beacon's gone. Oz's gone. But we're still here, kid. And we'll keep fighting till the fight's over- because that's what huntsmen do. Catch ya later." He exited, closing the door softly behind him.
Daria stared after the old warrior, dark eyes slowly hardening, gaze turning to the ringblades beside her. "To Vacuo, then."
Oracle knocked on the door, staring into the spacious room, Yang's back turned to her. "…Hey, Yang."
"Oracle." The blonde muttered.
The gunslinger's gaze drifted to the brawler's right arm, her face falling slightly. She swallowed hard. "…We're leavin'."
"Fine."
"We're headed to Vacuo."
"Fine."
Oracle stared at her old friend for a long few moments, before sighing, turning to leave. "…See ya, bimbo."
Yang didn't even flinch.
Daria looked up as Oracle exited the house, her backpack shouldered, face crestfallen. The gunslinger slowly closed the door behind her, emerald eyes meeting brown. The two huntresses exchanged small nods.
"Be safe, you guys." Ruby said quietly, stepping forwards.
The former leader of DRGN gave her a small smile. "Course. What kinda friends would we be if we didn't?"
The two girls embraced. "Really crummy ones."
"What are you gonna do?" Daria asked, taking a step back.
"I… I don't know," Ruby sighed. "But… Uncle Qrow… mentioned that Haven might be in danger. If… there's a chance we could help, then-"
"We're marchin' all the way across Sanus," Oracle said, tipping her hat back. "I figure you could figure how to get over to Anima… with some friends, of course."
"I…" The shorter huntress' silver eyes lit up. "Yeah. You're right."
They looked around them- at Gail, Shinai, Ulysses- before the diminutive huntress sighed. "You guys ready?"
"Ready as we'll ever be." Lance nodded, blue eyes hard.
"Alright. Let's go then."
The six huntsmen turned from the house, beginning their march westward- to the warm deserts of Vacuo beyond. Ruby stood at the door until they were long gone, waving goodbye to her friends.
Her head held high, she turned and resolutely reentered her home, face set with determination.
"A smaller, more honest soul… it's true that a simple spark can ignite hope, breathe fire into the hearts of the weary. The ability to derive strength from hope is undoubtedly mankind's greatest attribute. Which is why I will focus all of my power… to snuff it out. How does it feel, knowing that all of your time and effort has been for nothing? That your guardians have failed you? That everything you've built will be torn down before your very eyes? Your faith in mankind was not misplaced. When banded together, unified by a common enemy, they are a noticeable threat. But divide them, place doubt into their minds, and any semblance of power they once had will wash away,"
Nash slowly sat down onto the old bed, the springs squeaking obnoxiously as he put his full weight down. Slowly, he raised his hands up- one halved, the other removed entirely. His face screwed up in agony again, stuffing the offending limbs back into his pockets.
"Of course, they won't realize it at first. Like you, they'll cling to their fleeting hope, their aspirations. But this is merely the first move,"
Rainier stared out of the window, blank yellow eyes watching as the landscape raced by; the last remnants of green disappearing, great dunes of sand beginning to rise from the ground. Remy turned over his shoulder slightly to his brother, face twisting in concern, before turning his gaze back forwards.
The Queen stared forwards unblinkingly, hands placed on the balcony's bannister before her- she was stark white, jagged red lines lining her flesh, pale skin matching her hair pulled into an intricate bun, dressed in a flowing, loose, black robe. She looked out from her keep to the barren landscape beyond; its rocks and soil dyed a deep red-purple, the sky glittering in a similar unnatural dark purple, moon an ominous pale red.
"This is the beginning of the end, Ozpin," Salem said, black and red eyes going hard as she stared out at the horizon. "And I can't wait to watch you burn."
-Volume 3-
A/N:
Sobbing.
Absolutely crushed.
Volume 3, nearly a year later, is finished.
The Beacon Arc, nearly three years later, is finished.
Book 1, nearly three laters, is finished.
I feel empty.
Thank you guys all for sticking with this, this long. If you've managed to get invested in this labor of love of mine long enough to get here, you're the best, and my favorite. You. Yes you. Thank you. I've poured so much damn time, effort, and, well, love into this and I'm proud of my little studmuffin. If I made any of you laugh, smile, coo, maybe cry, or get absolutely furious (like my partner in this endeavor did over the last couple of chapters (he really hates Vegas)), then I've done my job, and nothing feels better than that.
But we go forward; we must keep moving on.
Book 2, Shadows Over Vacuo has begun to release! Find it on my page and continue these crazy bastards' story.
Love y'all,
Cheers,
Infernokota