So, uh... long time no see? Been a hot minute, but long story short: joined the Coast Guard, got injured in boot camp, passed bootcamp with a month delay, been at my new unit for 4 months getting qualified, and now my life is normalizing once more. Mixed in with all that was a general loss of inspiration in writing, which I've attempted to beat out with a bludgeoning hammer as seen by this chapter. It's... frustrating, because I feel like its just lacking a certain something.

But I may be overthinking everything. Who knows. Anyways, here's to all of you who have stayed following this. There's only a few more chapters left, and with that, things are going to get more fast-paced in things happening. Not as much fluff as usual, even if I only try to use it sparingly, anyways. This is the meat and bones, people. Shit happens. Thank you everyone for continuing to follow throughout this drought. 'Preciate ya.

The Vytal festival, which had been on their calendars practically since arrival at the school, had finally begun. Most were in great moods, but at the back of everyone's mind was the tragedy of the breach and the lives that had been lost. It was certainly on the front of team RWBY's mind, given that it directly resulted in their inability to participate in the festival.

It was at the forefront of his mind, and he grit his teeth in anger as he imagined just who had hurt Weiss so dearly, and how he would pay them back tenfold. And he would. Someway, he would find them, and he would hurt them. Both because they deserved it, and because he wanted to.

Crushed bones, skin melted, soul shattered… every variance of pain would be felt; he swore it so.

Still, there were other things to focus on. Despite the somber mood of his more immediate friends, they had come to watch regardless. And the facility they were watching these fights in? It was incredible! It was a floating colosseum. Yes, it floated high in the sky amidst the clouds. While he didn't see much practicality in it, he would admit it was cool.

Sibyl plus team RWBY, in addition to Sif, all had been present for team JNPR's match. And what a match it had been! The most impressive thing to him, again, had been how the colosseum changed. The fighting environment varied based on random chance. He'd already seen it change from a desert to more.

Team JNPR, headed by Jaune and carried by Pyrrha, had made short work of their opponents. It was of little to no surprise; Jaune, since being tutored by Pyrrha and occasionally himself, was not a worthless sack of flesh who swung his sword in a manner akin to a hollow. He had some skills now, enough to not be a deadweight, at least.

Ren and Nora were impressive, the latter especially so given her strength. She had hammered the other team, literally, out of the arena. All in all, the bout had been interesting but never in doubt. Team RWBY had cheered, as was polite to do, but their hearts weren't in it. Sibyl hardly blamed them. They wanted to be down there. They deserved it, too.

Sibyl sighed as team RWBY approached team JNPR in the "waiting" area for participants between rounds. Sif trotted along as Ruby's side, the wolf's sword being sheathed. He was happy to note that he wasn't getting too many stares anymore- Weiss had pointed out to him earlier that, when his hood had been down, people couldn't help but stare at his wrapped-up head and ear. Truly, hoods were a blessing. The winners were in good spirits, as was to be expected. All hugs and smiles, which grew slightly more strained when they noticed team RWBY's arrival.

Yang, never one to shy around issues, cleared her throat and started speaking. "Alright, let's get this out of the way," she began, marching up to Pyrrha and the rest of them. "Yes, we're mad we can't participate. No, you don't have to apologize or feel awkward."

She smirked, crossing her arms, "Just be glad that your only real competition for this stupid tournament is disqualified, because next year, you're going down." Pyrrha gave a kind smile while Nora's eyes lit up, a grin stretching across her face.

"Jaune," Ruby began, the attention of the group shifting to the younger of the two leaders, "you were amazing!" It was high praise for a mediocre and or average performance, but the group was able to read between the lines: Jaune had done amazing for him.

"Heh," Jaune began, chuckling uncomfortably, "It was everyone else. I just sort of… tagged along."

As those around began to give assurances that Jaune most certainly was not a tag along, Sibyl finally noticed that Weiss had frozen beside him. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Sibyl decided to not make things worse for Weiss. Instead, he gave a brief nod at Blake before grabbing Weiss by the arm, gesturing with his head behind them and towards two others he had located in the room: Sun and Neptune, along with the rest of their team.

Hopefully they might make for a more relaxed company. Making his way across the room, once he was close enough, his voice boomed out in greeting, "Sun, Neptune!" He was unable to keep the grin off his face when the both of them spotted him, Sun's face in particular lighting up at the sight of himself and Weiss.

"Sibyl, Weiss!" Sun exchanged back, smiling wide before turning to Weiss and pausing. He raised his hand towards his forehead, the thumb resting at the center of his palm before he gestured outwards and extended the thumb up.

Blinking, it took a few moments for Sibyl to register what it was. It wasn't a homemade gesture- and many people had done those with Weiss, as certain basic meanings were easy to convey through gestures. Rather, what Sun had done was the formal way to say 'hello' in sign language. Himself and Weiss, along with the rest of their team, had begun to study sign language. It was difficult to learn, and frankly, there was only so much one could learn in a short period.

Still, they had gotten several basic phrases and greetings down, and it seemed Sun, too, had done what he could to learn in a short time period.

Weiss seemed to notice at around the same time as him what Sun's gesture had meant, because the creases on her forehead ceased, and her shoulders sagged slightly, no longer so tense. She returned the gesture hesitantly, adding a few of her own thereafter; hands on her chest before extending them outward, palms facing up, before pointing at Sun himself.

Sun gave Weiss a long, blank look before turning to Sibyl for help. Chuckling, he decided to oblige.

"She asked how you are, Sun."

"Oh!" Their friend exclaimed, laughing lightly. He gave Weiss a thumbs up and a grin, which helped alleviate any worries Weiss might have had that she was wrong in her gestures. "Sorry. I only learned the other day about Weiss's uh, hearing issues," he explained, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "wish I knew more, but hey, I figured some is more than none?"

Sibyl nodded in appreciation, wracking his head for a few hand signs that would properly convey "he's sorry" to Weiss. In the end, Sibyl managed to remember them, and Weiss waved the words, or gestures, off.

"Thank you, Sun," Weiss spoke, knowing that neither himself nor her yet knew how to convey anything more complex, "It's very sweet."

He shrugged, thinking nothing of the kind gesture. In fact, judging by how uncomfortable he looked, he probably thought he wasn't doing enough. A testament to his character, if nothing else.

"Anyways," Sun continued on, finally gesturing back to his teammates- including Neptune- who had watched what was going on with patience and confusion, "these are my other teammates! Scarlet and Sage," he introduced, Scarlet being a boy with red hair, while Sage was an individual of darker complexion with interesting tattoos around his neck.

Sibyl, noticing Weiss getting lost, moved back next to her and pulled out his ever-important notebook, writing out their names before pointing at the name each one held.

A few words were exchanged, but while it was obvious Sun and Neptune both knew how to act around Weiss, the other two were off-put… so Sibyl decided to pull the plug on their interactions before Weiss felt any more out of place. Walking forward and grabbing Sun by the forearm and up to his elbow, he pulled his friend in close and gave him a strong pat on the back before separating.

"I'd wish you luck, but we both know you don't need it." The two shared a grin as their arms dropped.

"You got that right. This is going to be a breeze," he claimed, giving a brief stretch.

"I'm sure it will be, given that the only team you need worry about is JNPR. Do try to claim victory while you can; next year, team RWBY will be involved, after all." Sun gave a laugh, though it faded after a few moments.

"…Try to take better care of yourself, big guy. Me and Neptune arrived late the other day to the breach, but we saw you and Weiss." Sun paused, letting the words settle. "I was worried. You've been through enough already with all that stuff in the past," he added, gesturing mindless with his hands as he tried to find the words to explain. Of course, Sibyl knew what he was trying to convey.

Not a stranger to making promises he couldn't keep, Sibyl nodded gravely. "I'll try."

After a long stare down and a nod, Sun's face returned to its natural, grinning form. He gave a goodbye wave at Weiss; Neptune gave one as well, along with Scarlet and Sage. They seemed nice enough, all things considered.

"What were you two talking about?" Weiss asked as they walked along, and he debated whether or not to lie. In the end, he settled on telling the truth. He reached for his back pocket, receiving his notebook, and wrote out in quick, sprawling letters:

'He and Neptune came across us at the breach. He expressed his concern and asked that I take better care of myself.'

Weiss nodded, resting her face on his shoulder. "You should take better care of yourself," she agreed. They were within staring distance of team RWBY, but he noticed Weiss's feet had stopped churning. Giving her a sidelong glance, she averted her gaze. "Could we just… walk somewhere? Somewhere other than here?"

Nodding in agreement, he whistled briefly to get Sif's attention; it also caught Blake's. He gestured vaguely with his head outside and seemed to get a confirmation nod from both the wolf and huntress.

Perhaps some time alone would be just what they needed.

"Winter?" Weiss wondered aloud, her voice as loud as a mouse but far more pleasant to the ear. Sibyl blinked at the familiar name; it was her sister, of course. A sister he had made a rather poor first impression on at that, given he'd been under the assumption that she was going to rather forcefully return Weiss home.

A rational assumption in his mind at the time, but Weiss usually spoke of Winter favorably. He was prone to moments of buffoonery, as Weiss preferred to call them. A bit too quick to thrust the blade; it was one thing that coming here had yet to change. He was confident in his thoughts, perhaps too confident.

Giving Weiss a long look, he followed her line of sight until it was gazing at one of those flying dropships far above, this one a bit more exotic than the ones he'd seen transporting civilians at an earlier point. They were on the ground at Beacon as of then; Weiss had led the way, and when they got to one of the ferry ships taking people to and from the arena, he remained silent and simply followed her aboard.

Truthfully, getting away from the Vytal Festival was a relief. The crowd… it was too large, too loud. It was more people than he could imagine existing, and yet, he knew it was nothing compared to the entirety of Vale. The world was large- far larger than Lordran ever had been.

Still, he had trouble shaking the feeling something was wrong. The feeling in his stomach hadn't gone away, even after leaving the stadium. There was a presence on the edge of his senses, slipping in and out of detection. Perhaps he was just being paranoid?

Doubting his gut had never worked out for him before, though. He needed to stay alert, try and figure out just what was distracting-

"C'mon Sibyl, Winter must be on there!" Weiss called out to him, shaking him out of his thoughts and already moving ahead of him, tugging on his arm all the while. He tried to fight it, but ended up smiling as he allowed her to pull him along. It was pleasant, being pulled around and wanted. It was also unfamiliar.

So many things were unfamiliar these days..

Hardly any time had passed before they were at where Winter's vessel was landing. Weiss tightened her grip on his arm, pulling him super close and trying to maintain her stoic facade all the while. Couldn't look too happy; someone might be watching.

She wasn't nearly as uptight as she used to be, but sometimes she fell back into old habits.

Winter, the woman of the hour, soon exited her dropship, drawing looks from all around as some robotic guards followed behind her. He could appreciate their presence; metallic men weren't all too different from the iron golem, after all, and it seemed humanity had managed to harness a much lesser strength and put it within these beings. He had seen them work during the breach. A great many lives had been saved thanks to their arrival.

He could respect Atlas for such contributions, if nothing else.

Blinking and coming out of his own thoughts, he tried to school his features as Weiss pulled him closer to Winter. Winter's eyes bore into his own visible one, and he returned the gaze with a bit of embarrassment. He had nearly slugged her in the jaw, after all.

Winter finally broke their staring contest, turning to Weiss and softening her gaze. Sibyl felt his lips pull up at the sight, impossible to contain his attempt at stoicism. Such had never been his style, anyways.

"Sibyl, Weiss," Winter greeted, being sure to speak slowly so her lips might be read by her younger sister. As easy a method as any, provided Weiss was given time to process and stare.

"Winter! It's great to see you. I wasn't sure if you'd be staying for the festival, given we're not going to be… in it, but…" Weiss's excitement stumbled to a finish as she spoke, gaze turning towards the dull-looking concrete below. Winter opened her mouth to respond, and she might have even spoke had Sibyl not cleared his throat.

Really, was he the only one who thought around here? Granted, Winter had hardly spent as much time around Weiss as he had, but still.

The older sister settled on placing a hand upon Weiss's shoulder, squeezing firmly. Sibyl turned his eyes away from the moment, not particularly interested in impeding upon family matters. The tender moment passed in due time, and before he knew it, the three were walking in a comfortable silence along the walkway.

Winter explained her being here in simple words that Weiss could easily read: she was here for Sibyl, at Ironwood's request and per their agreement on sharing his magics for the good of all.

Indeed, Sibyl had been wondering when they'd finally push that agreement of theirs along. It seemed such a time had come, and his feelings on it were decidedly mixed.

Sacred vows, broken… but if they were broken for a noble purpose, perhaps it was alright? Complex questions, indeed. He sometimes felt as if he was drowning, overwhelmed by everything. How he sometimes longed for simpler times…

As the three continued on in a peaceful silence, a sudden metallic clang sounded behind them. Sibyl tensed up, one hand reaching for the Silver Knight Straight Sword he had kept at his side, unknowingly startling an unaware Weiss.

"Hey!" An irritatingly familiar voice sounded, and as Sibyl fully turned around he blinked, because standing there was one Qrow, the very first person he had seen upon entering this world. "Ice Queen, keeping some different company these days, eh? Finally realize only robots, family, and… uh, weird hooded people can stand you?"

Qrow either didn't recognize him, or was playing a fool. Truthfully, it was hard to tell.

"The company I keep is of no concern to you, Qrow." Qrow laughed at Winter's reply, giving the robotic head at his feet a good kick and sending it off to the side.

"See, I think it is. I've gotta watch out for the people you keep around you; you might just go and betray them, like your boss." His eyes narrowed and Sibyl tensed up, putting a hand in front of Weiss. He needed to stop this before it got out of control.

"I'm not sure what you're implying, but-" Winter's hand reached down for her weapon as she responded, and Sibyl stepped in, grabbing a hold of her wrist firmly. She glared at him.

He wasn't very intimidated.

"Winter, he is goading you. He's not very good at it," Sibyl added, giving the man who'd found him so long ago a long look, "but he likes to think he is, and persistence is key to such things."

Qrow, annoying drunk that he was, stayed staring for a few moments before blinking, leaning forward and examining Sibyl from a distance with squinted eyes. After a few moments of impolite staring Qrow leaned back and whistled, "Damn, kid. You look worse than when I picked you up, and that's saying something."

Winter took a threatening step forward, but Sibyl couldn't stop laughter from bubbling out of his throat. "True enough, Qrow. You also smell worse than I remember," he said, feigning a sniff and putting a hand on Weiss's shoulders in an attempt to relieve the tension in her body, fraught with confusion.

"Yeah, well... " Qrow took a quiet whiff of himself before shrugging, "I don't keep much company these days either. And the company I do keep just had the fucking rug pulled out from beneath of him," he drawled out, his eyes sharp and as calculating as the blade on his back as he watched all of them for a reaction.

"Stop this, immediately," Sibyl instructed, looking between the two feuding adults before him. "It's embarrassing to set such bad examples in front of a crowd such as this. We are all comrades, regardless of what methods we use to defend this world. Perhaps we ought to act like it?"

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Relax eyepatch," he drawled out, "I wasn't going to start anything."

Sibyl raised a brow.

"No, really, I wasn't! I was going to make her be the one who started it."

That, Sibyl found much easier to believe. "Semantics don't suit you, Qrow. Now, do you have a proper reason for bothering a family reunion, or do you simply relish taking joy out of any situation?" Sibyl asked, to which the old drunk grumbled, but gave no real response.

"Fine, fine. Go do whatever the hell… wait a minute, just what are you doing with two ice-queens?"

Winter cleared her throat, attention turning to her. "I am here per Ironwoods request; he wishes to bring Sibyl aboard one of our vessels for research purposes." Qrow muttered something under his breath, shaking his head in irritation before gesturing at Weiss.

"And her? And, hell, why hasn't miss prissy uttered a word this whole time?" Sibyl sighed, putting an arm around the 'prissy' heiress of his heart.

"Weiss was rendered deaf in defending Vale during the breach; she is also my girlfriend, as you people say. I'd prefer that you watch your tongue when speaking of her." Qrow stared at her for a moment, eventually settling for giving a respectful nod.

"Huh. Not too bad, kid. I prefer a bit more, uh… in the chest, but not bad." Winter's brow twitched in irritation as Qrow rolled his shoulder. "Well, fine, I'll let you two go do whatever it is Ironwood wants to do with you. I'm going to go get something to fucking drink," he muttered, giving Weiss a long look. Sibyl noticed it easily.

"Don't fret in your own way, Qrow," he said, unable to stop his free hand from clenching. "She shall recover from her deafness, and I shall find whoever hurt her so… and hurt them much, much worse."

He snorted, shaking his head at Sibyl's words. "You better, kid."

With that, he went his separate way. Sibyl blew a bit of air at the antics, and settled for being happy he was here to defuse whatever escalation might have occured between Winter and him. Conflict between friends was something he had never been a fan of. There was too much evil elsewhere to interfight.

"Sibyl, when you do find whoever hurt my sister," Winter said, voice suitably chilling, "make it slow."

He nodded. He could do that, and for whatever reason, her words had sparked the feeling from earlier to return, and given his more alert state of mind, he was about ready to snap and follow that damn source until he figured out whatever it was-

"W-what is going on? Who was that?" Weiss questioned, brow furrowed. Gah. His suspicions would have to wait. Weiss drew his attention with such a cute look too easily.

As they continued walking, Sibyl took the time to write out the incident with Qrow in more detail for Weiss to digest. He was mostly upfront with the details; she did not need to feel left out of anything. Though, the final words he exchanged with Qrow and Winter kept out. Promises, he found, meant much less when spoken about.

A true promise was kept in the soul, and he promised to render whoever had hurt not only Weiss herself, but the people of Vale into a smashed, red pastry on the floor. No matter the cost.

Even she had to admit, it was… odd watching Sibyl be tested like some sort of rat. She couldn't hear, but it was obvious whenever General Ironwood leaned forward into the mic he was giving instructions to Sibyl. She had watched in fascination that had never ceased since the day they had met in that courtyard as he went through spell by spell, pyromancy by pyromancy, and finally, a few of his more deadly miracles on a multitude of captured Grimm.

The General had been waiting for them upon arrival, and greeted them with no small amount of enthusiasm and gusto. She was glad to see that, at least. She had heard rumors that Ironwood was a… stern man, but he seemed as if he just wanted to help. A rare breed of person in Atlas, a land that only seemed to care about appearances. His attitude, combined with someone who had the resources and drive, was a very good thing. She could admit to admiring him.

And it was very noble of Sibyl to lend aid, especially since he considered some of these arts sacred. It was easy for him to spread pyromancy and sorcery; he always said those two arts deserved to be had by all. Fire was meant to spread, so who was he to stop it? As for sorcery, only tyrants kept knowledge to themselves, and what was sorcery but the ultimate pursuit of knowledge? But his miracles… they were a different breed. Special, more noble, more… well, she didn't know how else to describe them.

Miracles were perhaps the best way to describe them, actually. Because every time Sibyl conjured a bolt of lightning, something just… changed. He went from Sibyl to something more. It was like watching a figure more than a person.

She almost giggled, the only thing keeping her silent being that Winter and Ironwood were so nearby. That was her boyfriend. The smile on her face nearly hurt.

Truly, she was lucky, and ever since Sibyl's arrival, things had taken a better turn. She dared to hope these days. Things could change. Things could get better. And while these thoughts drifted in her mind for a long time, they eventually left.

Slowly, the mood began to shift, and Weiss cursed that she couldn't hear any of the hushed words discussed by those beside her.

Her sister certainly picked an interesting boyfriend. Hearing about him was one thing; seeing the entire range of what he was capable of? It was entirely different, and nearly overwhelming.

It was incredible to think he'd already begun teaching others these arts to great effect. Especially her sister, she could only imagine Weiss casting that 'Crystal Soul Spear' which had smashed and decimated an alpha beowolf without any difficulty.

What he was doing was downright evolutionary. These advancements would change the whole world, not to mention sorcery was the only thing that had saved her sister from certain death. Had she yet to thank Sibyl for that? Perhaps she should.

Still, as interesting as all of his abilities were, something was bothering her. Something that just failed to make sense.

"They seem oddly aggressive," Winter observed, cocking a brow in how every Grimm that came at Sibyl came with unnatural hate. Even more, whenever he looked at one, they would get even more wild. She'd heard that Grimm would act more aggressive around negative emotions, but to her knowledge, Sibyl wasn't all that negative. And, besides, if his negative aura was that high, it would make more sense for every Grimm on the ship to aim for him regardless.

But no, it was only those he looked at that seemed to lose what little sense they had.

"I have a theory," Ironwood said, apparently having noticed the same thing she had, "lets see how honest our friend can be." Crossing his arms before leaning into the nearby mic to speak, Ironwood was more tense than she'd seen in a long time. "Mr. Sibyl, do any of your magics have… unnatural effects on the Grimm, such as drawing their aggression?"

Behind the glass, Sibyl shifted before speaking into the mic that had been attached to his collar. "It is no magic of mine, General." It was obvious he was leaving something out; Winter didn't need to be an Atlas specialist to see that.

"Do you have any idea on what it could be?" Ironwood continued to press, and Sibyl seemed to spend a moment internally debating something before he sighed.

"It is my damned eye, infected with the abyss." He spat the word- abyss. What did it mean? "I noticed it some time ago, when myself and Professor Port went on a hunting trip. The Grimm are drawn to the abyss like moths to a flame; perhaps their own dark essence is originated in it," he inquired with a shrug.

"So it acts like a beacon," Ironwood rumbled next to her, his eyes lit with something. "Mr. Sibyl, this is an incredible breakthrough. Your other magics might help turn the tide, but if we could harness the… abyss, as you call it, we might very well be able to-"

"No." Sibyl declared. His voice was off, not as warm as she was used to it being. "The abyss, General, is not to be touched."

What were they talking about? His eye? She hadn't seen anything odd about his eye… though, the other one was always covered. It seemed there was something hidden beneath that eyepatch.

"Don't be a fool, Sibyl- this abyss, it could be used to draw all the Grimm into one massive trap, wiping them clean! It could save millions-!"

"No!" He hissed, turning towards the glass and punching it, hairline fractures spreading all across the window that let them gaze into the chamber. "The abyss is not a tool, General. It cannot be controlled. It cannot be used. It is meant only to consume, to corrupt. To willingly use the abyss is to willingly damn oneself to its sickness, something far, far more deadly than even the hordes of the Grimm."

Ironwood scoffed. "So you're scared of it? You're not in your world, Sibyl. Whatever society fell to it in your time, we are not them," he said, gazing hard at Sibyl from the other side of the glass.

Your world? What in Remnant were they talking about? Ironwood, he was making it sound like-

"I have slain the Gods themselves, Ironwood. I ventured into the Abyss, an endless sea of black void, and even conquered the Father of the Abyss himself. Don't you dare accuse me of being scared of anything. You stand here, patronizing me, when you yourself are a child. An ignorant child who has only grazed the depths of despair in the pitiful form of the Grimm. They are but beasts, Ironwood. The Abyss is something more primal. Something to be abandoned, forgotten and moved on from."

"There are more factors at play than just the Grimm," Ironwood growled, face red from being insulted. Winter kept quiet, but… what were the other factors?

"And if you think the Abyss is the answer to any factor, you're a bigger fool than I thought. Have you not spoken to Dusk?" Fists clenched, Ironwood grit his teeth and cleared his throat.

"We will speak on this later-"

"No," Sibyl interrupted Ironwood, and Winter almost intervened at the disrespect. The only thing that stopped her was how out of her depths she felt. "There will be no discussion on this. I am already breaking sacred vows, throwing lightning spears at dumb beasts for science. You have pushed me far enough, Ironwood, and I even admire it. But I will not bulge. The abyss is off limits."

Winter could tell Ironwood's mind was still thinking of the possibilities, but he decided discrecion to be the better part of valor. "Very well. I believe we are about wrapped up here. I thank you for spending your time here and assisting us. As agreed, upon the fixing of Weiss's hearing, I'd like to receive what you've written on these arts."

Sibyl gave a single nod, moving over to one of the doors on the far side. Weiss was already rushing out to meet him, entirely confused and uncomfortable with what she had witnessed in silence.

Resisting the urge to go out there with her sister, she kept her facade cool. Her mind was racing, but being a Schnee had taught her how to deal with internal thoughts.

"Sir?" She questioned, giving Ironwood a side glance.

"He's a fool. The abyss could be used to fix all our problems. He's stubborn, but even the most stubborn can be made to see reason, one way or another."

Winter could have sworn she heard something, and realized that it was probably just commotion outside.

"But, I'll respect his wishes," He assured, though he still looked quite peeved. "Even if I do want to discuss this with Ozpin," he added.

"What is the abyss? I feel as if I've missed something important," Winter wondered, hoping she might be kept in the loop. Ironwood trusted her, afterall.

"...I trust you Winter. And while usually I would hesitate, given how close he is with your sister and the latent threat he presents, I feel you deserve to know. But this is strictly classified," Ironwood warned her, and she nodded seriously.

She would never betray Ironwood's trust.

As she learned more and more about Sibyl, the more she wondered. And the more she wondered, the more she worried.

Blackmail was so unsavory, which might explain why he enjoyed it so much. His original plan had been a bit more complex than the one that had just gone off without a hitch, not to mention far more risky. He had to thank that insufferable Qrow for getting those he had been spying on for sometime now to speak so openly.

Their previous idea of spying on Ozpin, sneaking into his office? It had even made him sweat a little bit, but Ironwood? That was much, much simpler. Luck had been on his side lately; he had been worried they might have to use Emerald's semblance to foster a scenario which might be enough to scare little Sibyl off.

Instead, an enchanted ring and a bit of sorcery had been all he needed to slip through and trail his targets for hours. Well, that and a few timely distractions.

Sibyl, much as Chester despised the bastard, was sharp. Several times he'd looked in his direction, stared at transparent air a bit too closely before something grabbed his attention. Luckily, that damnable girl kept him so very, very distracted. He would have to track her down later, and thank her… personally.

Slipping his ring of fog off, Chester whistled a happy tune as he wandered into their dorm. The kids should be out doing whatever it was Cinder had likely tasked them with. Perfect, given his good news was about to set a particular mood.

His lovely was sitting patiently on her bed, scroll in hand. She neither blinked nor rose a brow when he entered the room. "How'd it go?" She asked, idly swiping at something, and he gave a chuckle.

"Oh, the General hung himself with more than enough rope." Reaching into his coat, he grabbed his scroll that had been recording audio from the moment he snuck onto that ship where Sibyl had been tested like the wild dog he was.

Cinder took the scroll with a raised brow, and Chester quickly fast-forwarded to the most juicy bits.

He couldn't contain his smirk as the words that would damn Vale were spoken. "He's a fool," General Ironwood spat out, anger seeping, "The abyss could be used to fix all our problems. He's stubborn, but even the most stubborn can be made to see reason, one way or another."

They ignored his next sentence- a simple edit was all they'd need to make a fool of Sibyl. But, in the event more was needed…

"Given how close he is with your sister and the latent threat he presents, I feel you deserve to know."

It was a goldmine! They had General Ironwood recording, betraying Sibyl's trust and trying to turn others against him. Oh, and Winter's reaction to learning that the 'ol chosen undead could snap, go insane and possibly kill her sister?

They had everything they needed. All Emerald would need is a few hours to cut the tape up, get the juiciest bits… and a concerned, old friend would approach, explain that he'd overheard some concerning info while taking a stroll through Beacon.

Sibyl would be suspicious. Rightfully so, too, but suspicion or not, he'd be too worried. If he got to the tipping point but didn't quite fall, that's where Emerald's specialty would come in.

"Well, you really outdid yourself," Cinder purred, giving him a shiver-inducing look.

"Perhaps a reward ought to be in order?" She laughed at his words.

"Perhaps."

"You can't be serious, Ozpin." Glynda said, eyes narrowed. It had been a very, very long time since she ever doubted the man in front of her, but here she was. The very idea- the manipulation, the conniving-

Ozpin hummed at her words, digesting them as he always did. It was infuriating. "Ironwood has brought to me an important piece, Glynda-" No, this was not happening. She was not going to deal with these chess analogies. Ozpin needed a reality check. These were kids. They weren't Salem. They were supposed to have standards!

"Stop. They're not pieces on a board, they're children. Children who happen to trust you; children who I deal with quite often. Children that I care about!" She was out of breath, her riding crop clenched so hard in her hand she worried that the metal itself might get crushed. Ozpin shook his head sadly, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Please, Glynda. I don't intend to abuse the advantages that come from this position. Despite what you seem to think as of late, I am not Salem." It was getting harder and harder to buy that line these days. "Sibyl needs to be kept in check. Sibyl, additionally, is one of the strongest beings in Remnant. It makes sense, and it works out for everyone. I don't intend to manipulate them into being my puppets; rather, I'm trying to make the most out of every situation.

She pinched her nose. This is why debating Ozpin was pointless. He got so caught up in everything he never focused on the little things. Yes, he wasn't Salem, but sometimes, he stooped to her level. "We both know she'll accept," Glynda said, and Ozpin nodded.

"Of course she will. And she will be the safest of all the maidens, given Sibyl will never leave her side." This was Weiss, though. She didn't deserve to get involved in all of... this. Sibyl had enough on his plate, anyways, and he might single-handedly end this silly shadow war of theirs indirectly. Why did they have to get even more entangled? Why couldn't children just be children? Glynda was tired. She remembered before Sibyl showed up, before she got so... close with some of her students. Before, it had been more easy to wave off some of Ozpin's actions. Now?

"How many maidens have ever been happy, Ozpin?" He was silent, contemplating the question. It was all the answer she needed.

"It will be different," He assured. "Maidens often feel isolated, as well as though they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. She will have Sibyl, and Sibyl... well, I daresay he's stronger than a maiden." Empty words were all it took for her to consider ruining her students- and her friends, no matter how young- future. She could see a world where everything worked out. Where Sibyl and Weiss save the world, and are happy doing so all the while. She could even see it giving Sibyl the fulfillment he so desires, absolving him of his stupid guilt.

She sighed. Life was disgustingly awful. "What about the abyss? You don't actually agree with James, do you?" Ozpin shook his head, and she felt a great deal of relief. At least Ozpin wasn't that desperate.

"No. I've seen and heard what the abyss can do. Some things aren't meant to be trifled with." Good, at least that was one worry off her back. The nerve of James, to have marched in here earlier and try to talk about Sibyl as if his sickness was just a tool to be used for some brief victory. He didn't even realize that Sibyl could also be their worst defeat. All it would take is for him to reach the tipping point and fall the wrong way.

"Good. Just... Ozpin, we both know something is going to happen. I know why you're trying to do these things," she said, grasping at metaphorical straws to try and figure out her point. "Please, don't forget to protect them, too. They're your students first." He nodded sagely, looking out his office window and onto his school.

"Everything I do is for them, Glynda. I wish them the very best."

Weiss stared at the stars above, her face marred in a thoughtful frown. Sibyl has, in an uncharacteristic moment, requested some time alone. Given that it was so uncharacteristic, she had actually been more than willing to give it. It was obvious- and a complete mystery- as to what had him so on edge. Clearly, whatever had happened with Ironwood, which he had only explained to her in very sparse details, had been about as serious as it seemed.

Maybe he was having another breakdown about his vows again? He always said certain miracles meant a lot to him, and he had shown his entire arsenal to General Ironwood. Still, Sibyl would be upset with himself, not so… nervous. It was odd, and she cursed her lack of hearing a thousand times over. If she had been able to hear what was going on, she might have actually been able to make sense of her current situation.

Instead, here she was, wishing she was half as useful as Sibyl had been in assisting her. Not to mention she barely had an idea on what had happened with the Vytal festival! She genuinely had no idea on if Sun's team had advanced or not, and the finals were just around the corner! Life was such a mess as of late…

Weiss jumped out of her skin as a hand laid itself on her shoulder, quickly turning around and getting into a rough stance for a potential fist fight unsheathing her blade and facing her foe. It was him; she'd never forget that mask. She snarled, not taking a chance to give him even half a second to-

She blinked. Her strike had been blocked, and as her vision cleared itself, she realized the person she had just almost assaulted was Headmaster Ozpin! Her face lit up red, and she scrambled to sheath her blade while apologizing- with words she couldn't hear- at the same time.

The Headmaster. It was the headmaster, and she had just tried to skewer him with-

As tears formed and she sniffed, a gentle hand laid itself on her shoulder. She dared to look into the headmaster's eyes, and he offered her a gentle smile. "I'm so sorry," she said through choked breath, probably, "I just- I saw him and-"

Ozpin waved away her worries with one hand, giving her a gentle rub on the back before reaching into his back pocket and offering a small note. She took it, wiping at her eyes before squinting to read it.

'Do you believe in fairy tales?'

Once more, thank you to everyone who has continued to follow this even after such a long drought. You loyal, as they say. Review or not, entirely up to you!(Though shout-out to the two people who PM'd me that finally managed to get me to iron out this chapter)