Another update before Volume 6! Despite wanting to wait…I cannot help but continue the story of Team HERO as much as I can lol. I will start responding to reviews here before each chapter.

Constipated Genius: Thankfully, the armor does come off, otherwise that'd be very awkward lol. He just has no idea of its sinister purpose as an insurance policy against him while wearing it…

Lelouch of Zero: Horatio knows that Ruby would never have shot him on purpose, though he did witness what her Silver Eyes did to Cinder…and how it changed her from the woman he met.

C0rrupted1: Lol, yea, I put that picture up not even thinking that it'd be a spoiler if people noticed. xD Don't worry, the road through Mistral is long and gives much time for…reflection. Not the name Ember as that I chose that to reflect his loyalty to Cinder…but Knight of Cinders was indeed a Dark Souls reference and felt very fitting for the situation.

Batomys2731: I am so glad you like the relationship built between them. (Glances back and forth) Horatio?...Ember does not know this…Horatio…(glances back and forth) xD. Indeed, despite everything she's done, all he wants is to keep her safe and prevent anything like the fall from happening again.

Amelia: I've seen your reviews dating back to my original work but could never respond due to you being a guest (wish I had thought of responding this way sooner lol), but I wanted to say your reviews and enjoyment of my story is so appreciated! I hope to never disappoint. :) And on that note…onto the story!

Olivia twiddled her thumbs, she had been sitting in that tree almost an hour. She should have been back by now. The uneasy sniper adjusted the body armor she had adopted since departing from Patch. It was more cumbersome, but that was for the added protection it offered. She wore a sleeveless vest woven from thick fibers specifically made to resist Grimm claws and teeth. Her arms were bare, but that was mostly due to the warm climate as it would have been unbearable otherwise. Her trousers were equally solid with a sturdy belt full of pouches all in the same camouflage color scheme of her previous gear.

Olivia had not been able to cut her hair in some time and it was showing. Her bangs had to be styled to stay out of her eyes, the ponytail was much larger but that wasn't what had her uneasy. Almost half of her hair was now a platinum-silver coloration and she found another strand or two extra each day. Up until then, she had managed to convince everyone it was from stress but that wouldn't hold up much longer.

The pacifist sniper friend of yours might not have made it.

"She made it," she muttered to herself despite the fact it was not necessary. "We just have to wait."

I'm good at that, do you know how unbearable being unheard for years can be with nothing to do in this boring space between your ears?

"I'd prefer you go back to being just there."

Aw, now why is that? I thought we could be friends. Besides, doesn't the idea of having someone else watch your back put a…smile on your face?

Olivia's attention shot down to the limb she was sitting on. She had been completely unaware that her left hand had been carving a smiley face into the wood. Reflexively she clenched her fist, more troubled than she had been before.

"Iiiiiinccoommmming!" She heard a familiar red-hooded huntress in the distance as she came barreling through the nearby trees. A whirlwind of red rose petals preceded the collapse of trees behind her. Even from the distance she was, Olivia could see it coming.

Ruby was moving through a combination of her semblance and momentum from Crescent Rose though it was just for show. Since setting out, she kept it loaded with blanks, powerful enough to propel her through the air, but not enough to harm a fly.

She is still blaming herself…

Behind her was the monstrous form tearing down the forest in its pursuit of the young huntress. It was as tall as the trees; Olivia spotted what she thought was a boulder hurtling towards Ruby, only to realize it was in fact a limb of the colossal titan.

You've gotta be kidding me! Was this thing at a rock quarry when she caught up to it?

Ruby leapt through the trees, there's no way she'd reach the kill zone in time at that pace. She'd have to get closer and hope the others could keep it busy while she located its weak point.

She had to be quick…

Farmstead in Mistral…

The young boy shot up in his bed, panting heavily with sweat pouring down his face. The nightmare again, that was the third time this week. He could never recall all of the details, just something about fire…and darkness all around him and a laughter that cut him to the bone. Fortunately it always faded given time, by breakfast it would be out of his head.

At least this time it seemed to have held off waking him until morning, he could spot the sun shining through the barn window. He had even beaten the rooster, maybe he could finish a little early. Sliding down the ladder from the loft which he called his room, he threw open the doors and looked over the acres surrounding his aunt's house and barn. It was hard work, but he felt a great sense of accomplishment for what he did.

His aunt would no doubt be getting up soon to have food ready; it was up to him during that time to make sure everything was shipshape. He got to work, watering the crops, ploughing the portions that were his responsibility and finally feeding the animals. To his dismay, he noticed another chicken missing...tracks led away into the woods. It was the third that week.

I need to find who is doing this...

At long last he had completed his tasks and dragged himself towards the main house. The fresh smell of breakfast assailed his nose as he opened the door, all of his work was finally about to pay off.

"Perfect timing Oscar," a dark-haired woman welcomed him. She was sitting across from a steaming plate of eggs, bacon and other assorted breakfast staples. The boy hopped into the chair, greedily digging in with only a nod of thanks and a wide smile on his face.

"Fhe chikhins were a little on…"

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

Oscar hastily chewed his current food and swallowed quickly. "The chickens were a little on edge today," he explained again much clearer. "I found another missing leading off away from the farm."

"Oh no," his aunt groaned. "Was it a Grimm or bandits?"

"I couldn't tell, none of the traps were sprung and the tracks were muddled," Oscar leaned back, taking quick bite of bacon.

"Be sure to stay away from the woods for the next few days," she warned.

"But...but we can't keep losing livestock like this!" Oscar stressed. "I can check it out, I can..."

"It is too dangerous, it's not like we're hurting for food," his aunt asserted. After what happened at Beacon and the rest of Mistral…bringing back a missing chicken or ten wouldn't be worth it if anything happened to you."

Oscar couldn't argue with her, not after what they'd heard. Even the rare information that came through sounded bad with Grimm attacks, White Fang and bandits taking advantage of both. He had to agree that remaining around the farm could be for the bes…

A loud knock at the door broke his thought process. "I'll get it," he volunteered, hopping up to his feet.

Hanz and the other hands got here early, maybe they can think of what to...

Oscar froze as he pulled open the wooden door, it was definitely not Hanz.

The man standing outside was about six feet tall armored from head to toe in a type of black steel. His face was obscured by an equally dark helmet that had…wings? The breastplate was mostly covered by a wide cloak though a heart-emblem he was unfamiliar with could barely be seen beneath. The young farmhand stood unmoving at the intimidating sight before him. The weapon on his back was enormous…

The armored warrior started chuckling behind his helmet, his voice reverberating loudly and drawing his aunt to the door.

"I did not mean to scare thee, my apologies," his speech was quite odd to Oscar whose fear had now been replaced by confusion. "I was hoping that a friend of mine may be staying here or perhaps passed by."

"Who…is your friend?" His aunt asked, lowering her voice to a more sultry tone, brushing the bangs from her face.

"An old classmate," he boomed, though his voice held no malice. "She is fond of red combat skirts, black hair with red tips, carries a large scythe…wouldn't be much older than this one." He motioned towards Oscar with his gauntleted hand. "She would have been with several others."

"I'm afraid no one like that's come by," she assured him. "Though it's early in the day, if you stay…maybe for dinner, perhaps they will show up."

Oscar silently groaned.

"That is a generous offer ma'am; however I am afraid my associate is not a…people person."

Glancing out past the armored shoulders, Oscar spotted another man standing at the far end of the road. He was taller and sleeker than their visitor with a single long braided ponytail going down past his waist. They couldn't tell for certain from the distance, but he seemed to be smiling in such a way that felt…wrong.

"Also, they would have been in a rush, huntress work and the like. I wish you both a good day." Nodding his head as if tipping a hat, the stranger turned, starting down the path away from the farm.

"If…" Oscar's aunt started. "If your friend is a huntress, there were some bandit warnings reported in Shion village before the CCT Tower went down. It is quite a ways off on foot, but perhaps they went there seeking work."

"That is greatly appreciated," the knight bowed low, his cloak flapping in the breeze. "You have my sincerest thanks ma'am."

"Please, call me Melanie, don't be a stranger if you pass by again."

Oscar rolled his eyes as he aunt swooned at the stranger's words. His heart rate was just now getting back to normal. It wasn't so much the newcomer that caused his spine to shiver…but the eerie distant smile of his traveling companion. Somehow, despite never having seen the heart-shaped emblem before, Oscar could not shake the feeling that it looked familiar.

Down the Road…

"Well?" Tyrian asked as his armored ally returned. "Do they know anything I can…coerce from them?"

"No, they do not as I told you," he replied flatly as he motioned to continue along the path. "There is some activity in a village a few days out. We can continue looking there and en route."

Tyrian giggled, barely restraining himself. Taking one final glance behind he looked over the quaint farm, burning it to memory in the off chance the village didn't pan out and he'd have to return. He added it to the list.

Salem's servant had donned a large trench coat, it was best to look as inconspicuous as possible when traveling the Mistral countryside. Ember stood out far more, though with his antiquated-looking armor beneath his wide cloak, most passersby seemed to be mistaking him for a Huntsman donned in armor reminiscent of the beasts they hunt. They had no idea it was in fact to instill the image of his Maiden in all that knew her.

"So, which ones do you want?" The unsettling man muttered once they had gotten a fair distance away. "When we find them."

"We are only here for Ruby, remember she is to be unharmed." Tyrian slumped his shoulders acting as if Ember had said nothing he could have chalked any error up to forgetfulness. The sneer returned soon enough to his face.

"She'll only be unharmed until we get her back to YOUR mistress. I am sure she will be quite grateful and willing to shower all of her good graces upon you like she did before we left…"

Ember turned, gripping Tyrian's collar and pinning him to a nearby tree, cracking its trunk slightly from the impact. His eyes burned behind his helmet, even Tyrian could sense it.

"Do…NOT…talk about Cinder like that EVER again. Salem only needs ONE set of eyes on the road."

Tyrian raised his hands defensively, still smiling all the while as if he did not take the threat seriously. "Of course of course, I had no ill intent. After all we both serve the same Goddess in the end. If my lady spent as much time with me as yours did I could die a happy man."

Ember released Tyrian and continued their path forward, Shion village was quite far, and they would have to travel with little rest to reach there in a reasonable amount of time.

"So…how did you join our merry band?" Tyrian asked, surprisingly composed as if he were truly curious. "Her Grace did not deem to tell us."

Ember glanced over surprised, deciding to humor him while they were stuck traveling together, he looked up at the sun as he thought back.

Months ago…

Horatio Soplar paced outside the door, a chair had been provided for him but he could not use it. The doctor had been working on her for almost three hours with no updates to her condition, any longer and he would go mad!

His own injuries had already been tended, from what Watts explained he'd been unconscious for a week of treatments and was commanded to stay in bed but there was no chance of that. He did not trust a single person here, the only ones he felt at least had Cinder's best interests in mind were Emerald and Mercury to an extent. If Emerald had not volunteered to assist Dr. Watts he would have forced his way inside long ago. His chest still burned from the wound and it hurt to breathe too deeply even after he'd reconstituted his aura…but he pushed it aside.

The lock clicked, snapping Horatio towards the door as it slid open revealing Dr. Watts and Emerald.

"She…will make it," he confirmed. Horatio pulled the man into a bear hug before he said another word, thankful beyond words.

"And?" He asked after backing away.

"As you well know, her injuries were extreme. While I commend your attempt at first-aid there was nothing to be done. Her left eye was unsalvageable. Her throat was also badly maimed, particularly the vocal cords; I estimate it will be some time before she can fully speak again. I am also uncertain as to when exactly she will awaken…even with her injuries I would have expected her to regain consciousness by now."

Horatio looked shaken but much of what was said he had expected.

But she's alive.

"I will discuss with her Grace what we can do about her lost arm though there is no further risk of infection. For now she absolutely must remain in bed while she regains the energy to rebuild her aura. Her healing will be expedited once that is done. She will also need assistance with all daily activities including food and water." With those final words Dr. Watts took his leave and started down the hall eager to wash his hands.

Horatio stepped into the room, it was smaller than he imagined. There was an ornate glass window overlooking the unnatural landscape with a single bed near it in which Cinder now lay. A chair was in the corner near a wooden desk he couldn't imagine would see much use. The chamber was lit by a series of candles perched atop the eerie purple crystals. There was a bookshelf but it was empty, Horatio hoped she would be moved to nicer accommodations after she recovered.

Cinder was sleeping as soundly as possible; she was bandaged from the waist up as well as the left side of her face. Her remaining arm was lying at her side flexing randomly as if she were dreaming.

"Did they give you a room?" Emerald asked with a yawn, she looked exhausted.

"Yea, but it's on the other side of the Keep so I doubt I'll be using it very much," Horatio replied, pulling the chair towards the wall closer to Cinder's bed. "I'll watch over her tonight, you get some rest. I can basically fall asleep anywhere. If….when she wakes up I can get her breakfast."

Emerald looked him up and down; clearly she did not trust him yet. He couldn't blame her; they had been enemies until recently. After how she and her team had pulled the wool over their eyes so totally at Beacon he couldn't say he trusted her either.

"I'll be back in the morning," she advised almost as a threat. "I'll be the one assisting her with most of the daily routines…like changing her bandages."

What kind of men have you met to think that low of me?

As Emerald left the room with a wide stretch of her arms, Horatio got to work finding a comfortable position to sleep in. The desk was not large enough to lay his head down on and was much too hard. As much as he would have liked leaning against the bed, if Cinder did awaken she would likely kill him. In the end he settled for a slouched sitting position. After a short while his eyes started to feel heavy as he drifted off to sleep despite the awkward arrangement.

He did not know how long he had slept, but was jolted awake like a bullet. The room was noticeably colder, even in the dark room the ambiance appeared…too dark. He could see a great shadow looming over the bed, twin red eyes burning at the sleeping girl in the night. Lighting one of the nearby candles he focused on the form.

It was her.

"Oh, I am sorry for waking you," Salem apologized as her visage was revealed. "I thought you would be in your own room, are the accommodations not to your liking?"

Horatio calmed himself before answering the woman who even Cinder feared.

"I cannot answer that," he replied truthfully. "I have not seen my accommodations since I was allowed to walk the keep. You must be Cinder's…mother?"

Salem tilted her head at his statement. "Is that what she called me?"

"Once," he confirmed, remembering their discussion by the cliffs of Beacon. "When the discussion of family came up."

"How precious, she has never called me such a title in person. Is that why you are here despite standing with my enemies not so long ago, you consider Cinder family as well?"

"Why was the attack on Beacon necessary?" He dared to ask and avoid the awkward question. "I want to understand."

"I may see fit to explain the circumstances of our conflict. But only if you are more first honest with me boy. Why...are you here, in this room specifically?"

"I-I merely felt more at ease here to ensure Cinder's safety."

Salem chuckled as if he had told a whimsical joke. "She is absolutely safe here. No one would dare enter my domain unbidden…after yourself of course. This is the safest place in all of Remnant."

Except from you.

"Even so, as long as it does not…displease your Grace, I would prefer to sleep here." Horatio sighed in relief at remembering the title Watts had used in reference to her.

Salem looked him over, resting her chin on her hand in thought as she glided about the room.

"I see no harm in it," she finally replied with a smile. "It would do well for our Maiden and Guardian to become more acquainted with one other."

Horatio glanced up at Salem sheepishly. "You know about that?"

"Dear boy, I have been facing Guardians for a VERY long time. I know how to tell when I have one in my midst just as surely as you'll be able to tell a Maiden in yours, in time."

"So what now then?"

"You are no threat in this place even if you meant to be one. I cannot say if my agents could have found young Cinder in time to save her from her injuries without you. That alone has earned you the right to not be judged by the poor decisions of your predecessors."

Horatio swallowed hard, being in front of her was intimidating. He had a feeling even his abilities would not help him here. Had Cinder told her everything about him?

"You may think of this keep as your home for the time being," Salem continued. "The entire first floor is yours to do with as you will, but do not attempt to access any above or the castle beyond…it is forbidden. Also it is best to not venture outside, my Grimm may not be so kind unless I have given you leave or am with you." Horatio nodded his understanding of the restrictions. "Is there anything you desire at this time?"

"I…just wish to ensure she recovers as quickly as possible." He stood to his full height, adopting some of the over the top archaic speech mannerisms he acquired when nervous. "I could not prevent this, I won't fail her again."

Salem eyed him up and down, no doubt analyzing every fiber of his being as her gaze looked through his body and soul.

"You truly love her."

Horatio held his composure; unnerved by how well he was acting on the outside, he had changed more than he cared to admit.

"No need to answer, it was not a question."

Salem glided around the bed until she was directly in front of him, his feet had turned to ice the moment he'd first seen her and would not move. Slowly and with surprising gentleness she embraced him, cupping the back of his head like a child's. Her sleeves were so large they almost completely encompassed Horatio in their folds.

"Welcome…to the family."

Present Day…

"That," Ember admitted to Tyrian. "Is a long story."

Patch…

Roland slowly climbed the steps with a food tray in hand. He made sure to avoid the second step from the top, that one was always so squeaky it could wake the entire household. Too many times he had fallen prey to that board.

He stopped at the door towards the end of the 2nd floor hall, checking his scroll he saw that it was two minutes to seven in the morning, he had a moment to spare. He hadn't even seen her since the first day awake when she'd ordered him from her room, was Yang still avoiding him? He knew she'd need time from the get go…but it still hurt all the same.

The tray in his hands had a single plate with a bacon omelette pre-cut with a side of toast and juice. With the snow having recently melted, he had been able to pluck a fresh sunflower for the first time in weeks and had it sitting in a small glass partially filled with water. It would keep it vibrant until she moved it into the larger vase within.

7:00...Game face

"Room service!" He called out as the time struck seven exactly, rapping on the door several times with the back of his hand. "Chatteau de Roland is open!"

"Thank you," came a weak response from within. He waited outside the door several seconds but there was no further reply. As usual, she wouldn't open the door to retrieve the food until he was out of sight.

"Anytime!" He called back, doing his best to retain the chipper tone of voice as he laid the tray in front of the door. "The kitchen is always open!" With noticeably slower steps, he retreated back down the stairs, uncaring at the annoying squeak of the step that plagued his stay at Patch.

Finding the kitchen, Yang's father Taiyang, or Tai for short, and Pyrrha were already nearly finished with their meal while his own sat there still hot but untouched. Throwing a smile to them, he took a seat and dug in.

"How's uh…" Tai started, doing his best to act nonchalant. "How's she doing?"

"She…sounded better," he replied, reaching for any positive he could think of as the young man picked at his food. "A few octaves louder, that's a good sign."

Tai nodded his understanding, swallowing the final bite of his food before taking his dish to the sink. "I'll get yours too Pyrrha."

"Thank you Mr. Xiao Long," Pyrrha pushed away from the table and stood, a loud clunk accompanied her steps.

Among the gifts left behind by Esmerelda was what at glance looked like a silver boot up to just below the knee filled with fluid. It was a variation of the sleeve Roland had worn himself to deal with his broken arm. It seemed to be helping, yet Pyrrha was still unable to put any real weight on her heel without it. The technological prowess of Atlas was far less effective dealing with an injury caused by a Maiden. Despite the restricted movement she could achieve without pain, Pyrrha was never idle. If she wasn't helping Tai around the house she was meditating in the yard or doing limited exercises to keep in shape. Roland joined her to keep in practice and occasionally try to catch a glimpse of Yang from her window, so far he had been unsuccessful.

"I can help sir," Roland offered, approaching the sink with his own plate once he had inhaled his food.

"That won't be necessary," Tai shot him down. "You just go out and do…whatever."

"It's no problem," Roland pushed. In all the time since arriving at Patch he had done virtually nothing but practice and meditate. Talking to Yang through her door had become more one-sided as of late. He had planned to work on his shield a dozen times, yet once he actually saw it split in two...the drive left him. He didn't want to face it, at least not yet. "I did a bunch of housework back home; dishes, laundry, yard work, babysitting. I could even walk Zwei, put me to work sir!"

Tai sighed at his words, sounding quite frustrated. It was painfully obvious he was trying not to look at the young huntsman.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Yes…I mean no…well yes," he corrected himself several times before turning around to lean against the sink.

"Considering we are stuck together for the duration sir," Roland swallowed hard. The two had been tiptoeing around each other since he got there; if they would have any chance of not killing each other by the end…they had to talk. "I'd feel better if you just tell me what's wrong, I can take it."

"Just, look at it from my perspective kid," he started, eerily calm. "I send my little girls off to Beacon to become huntresses, one of the most dangerous professions in the world. I know they can handle it; I prepared them as best I could...no issue. I get updates sure, they are good girls and they keep in touch with their old man."

Roland nodded with Tai's assertions; he knew full well Ruby especially used her scroll to call home as often as she could to the point the battery never lasted.

"Then, I watch Yang get accused of assault mid-match during the tournament, and before I can even do anything about it all chaos breaks loose and my…" he paused as if to prevent his voice from breaking. "My girl shows up home missing an arm, acting more withdrawn than I've ever seen her...with a boy she's been dating nearly a year whose name I didn't even know. How would you feel?"

Left out? Frustrated? Angry? Confused?

"Hurt," Roland answered truthfully. It took every ounce of willpower not to look away. "I should have talked to you sir, I should…"

"Neither of you did kid, I just want to know why."

Roland sighed, leaning forward onto the table for support. "We meant no disrespect, we just…we thought we had more time."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Yang is amazing, I have no other word for it," Roland tried to articulate his thoughts as best he could. "I just...didn't want to shake things up, push her away just when I was getting to know her. The only reason my parents even met her was because my sisters stabbed me in the back." He chuckled, stopping upon realizing he was the only one. "My point is...I wanted to make sure I was worthy to introduce myself to you considering how I met her mother..."

Tai took a step back, eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"You met Raven?"

"Briefly, she saved my life and made," he paused to choose his words carefully. "Shall we say, a strong incentive that I should get stronger to prove myself to Yang. Especially after the fight sir...I still have a long way to go."

Tai's eyes narrowed somewhat as his features softened at the statement, with how mature Yang acted, he often forgot she was still just a seventeen year old girl. He was her old man, as if she would come running to him about her first boyfriend. He couldn't remember how long it'd taken to approach his family about Raven. How did she get to meet Yang's first crush before him?

"My family met Yang at the Vytal Festival, it wasn't fair to you sir." Stepping around the table, Roland bowed before Tai causing him to shirk back at his actions. "Mr. Xiao Long…if you will have me, I would be honored to have your blessing to court Yang going forward."

Tai just stared at him, Roland was bowing at nearly a forty-five degree angle, face down and locked on the floor. This was the same kid who, with no hesitation whatsoever, had offered to literally give up his arm for her only a few weeks past.

"Get up kid," Tai finally ordered, unable to stand the sight of someone halfway down on their knees in front of him. "Grab a towel, I am pretty sure her opinion is what matters most…but you can earn your way to an answer by drying some dishes for me."

Anima Forest…

"Bad…landing…strategy!" Ruby shouted in between each branch she struck on the way down from the tree, the enormous Grimm still on her tail.

The golem towering over the trees made of massive boulders was a Geist Grimm, a rather unorthodox breed that could possess inanimate objects to use as its body. The only sign that it was in fact a Grimm was the giant one-eyed mask infused to its chest. With a titanic swipe it sheared the tops off the trees Ruby had been perched upon but the slippery huntress ever stayed one step ahead.

"She's got it into the glade, distract it!" Jaune shouted as Ren and Nora took off from their hiding place on the forest floor.

The two had certainly changed in the months following the fall of Beacon. Ren now wore his hair down which had grown quite long nearly reaching his waist. His green attire was similar to that worn at school, however now had long tailcoats and was sleeveless save for the bands running from his fingers up to past his elbow closed in place with a metal armlet. His weapons remained the same twin green pistols.

Nora's outfit was relatively unchanged though she had ditched the overlapping armor in favor of a blue short-sleeved jacket with her hammer-emblem printed on the back. The heart-shaped opening in her white undershirt had a single slash through it as a result of the battle at Beacon. She had refused to give up her pink combat skirt. With an ever-cheerful grin on her face she proceeded to start lobbing round after round of pink grenades.

The volley exploded into its back yet did no real damage, whatever the Grimm had done to command the stones around it appeared to have reinforced their durability as well. Ruby continued to distract the creature, whirling around it with her semblance and preventing it from focusing on the others. She may be unwilling to shoot Crescent Rose…but that didn't mean she was useless in a fight. She had gotten so much practice with her semblance as a result of her insistence against firing a single live round.

"Try getting him to turn around!" Jaune called out from the ground. He currently had no shield or sword and was doing little more than running around the border of the fight.

Ren leapt to the peak of one of the remaining trees and took off into the air. With both blades extending he spun like a saw blade into the top of the Geist Grimm, his weapons scraping off its rock-hard exterior without piercing.

"I got it!" Nora called out, running directly at the monster head on, hammer extended. Showing no fear, she performed a two-handed swing at the same time it brought a stone-arm down upon her. She didn't even need the dust injectors Esmerelda had left with them at Patch. She had a handful preloaded with lightning crystals in her pocket just in case.

The herculean huntress won the exchange, the arm shattering into boulders and flying across the field. An especially larger one went hurtling towards Jaune, before it could impact Ruby leapt in front, slicing it in half down the middle. She may have sworn against using Crescent Rose against anyone she could hurt…but she had no qualms against using it on anything else to protect her friends.

A loud gunshot echoed, causing birds that had remained in the area to scatter to the winds. A massive anti-armor shell whizzed past the team, impacting the now-undefended mask of the Geist. Despite an amazing shot from Olivia beyond the Grimm's vision, only the upper right quadrant shattered. The effect was noticeable however, as portions of rock sloshed off reducing the size of the beast they fought.

"Did you see that?" They heard Olivia cheer over their scrolls. A second round fired, however the Geist was ready, blocking it with a remaining arm. "Oh come on!" She had forgotten to switch off transmit when venting her frustration.

Nora was frantically dodging, after the first hit, the Grimm was not allowing her a chance to power up a second. Again and again it pounded the dirt, each hit closer and closer to hitting home.

"We just need to shatter the rest of it!" Jaune called out, nursing a bruise on his head where a chunk of the rock Ruby deflected had chipped off and conked him. "Ren, Ruby…Rose Flowers!"

Ruby ran ahead, grabbing Ren by his arms who turned with a nod of approval. In a flash she activated her semblance, the two transforming into a red and green tornado heading straight for the Grimm's mask. The phantasm-monstrosity was learning, however and turned to face them, a new, ghastly almost skeletal black arm emerging from a portal where the first had been. Jagged fingers with razor-sharp white talons extended, it reached out to grab the incoming children.

Before impact, Ruby deactivated her semblance, swinging her scythe to block the incoming attack. Crescent Rose caught the hand, allowing Ren to go flying forward, landing directly on its face. With nowhere to grip, he had to be fast. The moment his feet planted into the stone, he brought his pistols to bear, performing a cross-slash splitting the remaining mask into pieces.

Ren plummeted to the ground, only to be caught by the timely intervention of Nora. She held him almost like a bride, grinning wide at her childhood friend's current position. She could not rest easy, however as the presence of the Grimm dispersed, the unstable tower of rocks began to crumble. She narrowly dodged out of the way, still cradling Ren in her arms.

"We did it!" Ruby announced proudly, leaning on Crescent Rose as the others gathered around the remains.

"Another victory for Team JNRRR!" Jaune proclaimed, setting one foot atop a nearby chunk of rock and standing proudly. After a few seconds he glanced left and right as if realizing what he had just said. "Alright Ren, y'know I think you're onto something…it…it's just not sounding great anymore."

"RNJRR is always still an option," he allowed a grin remembering their previous discussions of what they should call themselves as a team.

"ORRNJ is still viable too!" Olivia's voice crackled over the scroll as she made her way to rendezvous with them. "That one is actually a color!"

"But wouldn't you have to be the leader for that one to work?" Nora pointed out.

"And I would be willing to shoulder such a heavy burden," she sarcastically responded after an uncomfortable moment of silence.

A Few Hours Later…

Ruby shook the village elders hand; despite the clear joy in their actions he retained his composure as befit his station. The rest of the team stood behind her proudly as they were recognized for their deed.

"We truly can't thank you enough," he smiled before finally releasing her hand.

"Just…doing our job sir!" Ruby replied though hesitated in her enthusiasm before giving a quick two-finger salute. With her cheerful demeanor, Ruby was the perfect one to represent them with the villages they assisted.

After arriving on the mainland from Patch, the five had set out towards Mistral and Haven. Along the way they had gotten…sidetracked. It seemed that Grimm were threatening everywhere and they couldn't just ignore the nearby villages. They had been too late at the first…the team still remembered the Grimm overrunning the buildings, fire everywhere. It had been far too reminiscent of Beacon.

"We were afraid we'd have to relocate," the elder chuckled, the stress of the last week lifting slowly from his shoulders.

"Well, we are on our way to Mistral," Ruby offered despite the incredibly delay it would cause. "You could always come along with us if you don't feel safe."

"I thank you for your offer, but you kids aren't from around these parts. Anima is a large continent and I'm afraid our people would never survive the long trek to Mistral. It may be safer in the kingdoms, but we prefer our way of life."

Stay and die…with the Grimm moving in this area I give this village a month, three at best…

Olivia quickly punched the side of her head, silencing the voice. The others turned at the sound, but by the time they had she was standing there innocently looking around confused as if she had no idea why they were looking at her.

"I just wish we could pay you more," he lowered his head as if in thought as to how it could be accomplished.

"Our previous arrangement is more than sufficient," Ren asserted, glancing over the Jaune who replied with a nod.

Not Far…

"There you go son!" The burly horned-faunus blacksmith slammed a breastplate onto his counter. "It's gonna be heavier than you're used to, but you'll thank me the next time you go up against a set of claws!"

The armor was much thicker than the one he had been wearing since his first day at Beacon. For one thing it actually covered all of his chest and not just the top and shoulders as his old did. Gold and bright red metal lined the shimmering white of the armor.

"Wow, uh," Jaune fumbled with his words at the sight of the armor forged of his design with Pyrrha's fragments of Miló. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't gotta say anything! Just put it on! I'll go get the rest." With that last word the blacksmith disappeared into the back.

"Well," Olivia sneered, leaning around to look Jaune in the eyes. "Put em on!"

"Oh…right," he stuttered, stepping forward to the counter and sliding off his current chest piece. "I…guess I was going to grow out of it eventually." He smiled at the set that had served him for so long.

"A sign of progress," Ren added his words of wisdom.

"Progress…right," still hesitating to don his new armor, he turned around to his friends. Ruby's eyes shot wide open as she saw his hoodie he'd been wearing beneath.

"Wh-what is THAT!" she cried, still sputtering with laughter she could barely contain. Beneath Jaune's armor was his black hoodie, and printed on the front was the head of a large white rabbit complete with ears and everything.

"What…this is what I always wear!" Jaune fell into defensive mode. He had never even realized that throughout all of his time at Beacon, no one other than Pyrrha, Ren and Nora had seen him without his armor with the hoodie. His face was turning red.

"It's a cute little bunny rabbit!" Ruby was incapable of containing herself. It was the first time in a while they had seen her as cheerful as she used to be all the time.

"Is that…Pumpkin Pete?" Olivia snickered a little, far more composed than Ruby though not by much. Jaune nodded quickly an affirmative.

"Wh-what did you do? Send in a bunch of box tops?"

"Yea…fifty! How do you think I knew Pyrrha's face so well?"

Ruby lost all control, cackling like a madwoman she fell backwards, only being caught by Olivia as she continued laughing. Turning around she buried her head in Olivia's chest, doing her best to hold back and failing miserably.

I swear if she doesn't shut up I am going to take her own scythe and shove…

"Can't have a huntsman without his weapon!" The blacksmith called out as he returned. "Made all the modifications you asked for!"

He produced Jaune's upgraded Crocea Mors unfolded right there on the counter. The sword was sheathed within the confines of the shield which double for both purposes. As with his armor, intertwined red and gold trim ran along the border and the handle of the blade was now a vibrant gold. What stood out more than anything, however was the adjusted Arc emblem on the front. The moon-shaped sigil was now angled towards the northwest quadrant with a familiar red-javelin emblem overlapping it. Between Jaune and Pyrrha's intertwined emblems, it appeared like a red spear was impaling a crescent moon.

"That was some fine metal you brought me, the red and gold went well with the white. I was surprised at how much I got out of those pieces you provided. Where'd you get it from?"

"From someone…very important to me," Jaune replied with a solemn yet still somehow goofy grin on his face as he thought of her waiting back in Patch. "She thought that I could make better use of it."

"We'll give you a moment to change," Olivia assured him, ushering the others out of the shop at the realization that Jaune's lips seemed to be quivering.

"So," the horned-metalworker started up. "Any idea what you want to do with your old armor? The material is still top notch if a bit outdated in its design."

"You know," Jaune smiled as he had been thinking ahead. "I was hoping you could do something else for me…"

Outside the shop, the remaining four awaited the return of their friend. Nora and Ruby were practically giddy at the new armor and equipment for Jaune, he had sorely needed it. Fortunately, they did not need to wait long. Jaune emerged from the shop, his new armor glistening in the sun as he stepped out of the shade. Along with the chestpiece, he had thick gauntlets that stretched up to the elbow. There had even been enough extra armor for both shoulders. Proudly, Jaune drew his sword and extended the shield, showing off to his team.

Olivia could not help but notice a red sash tied around his waist, it was clearly the same Pyrrha had worn with her own huntress attire.

Did she include that in the bag of goodies she gave to Jaune?

"He cleans up alright, wouldn't you say?" The blacksmith chuckled, clearly pleased with his work.

Olivia let out a sharp whistle of how impressed she was at his change from Beacon. He may have acted the role of leader before but now he looked it.

"I still think a grenade launcher would have REALLY brought the look together," Nora added her opinion cheerily.

"Or a gun of SOME kind," Olivia groaned, realizing his sword looked scarcely different from before. She missed the grin from Jaune out of the corner of her eye.

"Team RNJRR is ready to go!" Ruby pointed forward towards the road ahead.

"Team JNRRR!" Nora growled.

"Still not a color," Ren sighed heavily.

"ORRNJ is still an option," Olivia could not resist.

"It doesn't matter what we're called," Jaune stepped up to stop the quarrel. "As long as we're together."

"You kids sure you don't want to stick around?" The aging faunus leaned against the wall. "You've been real good to this town."

"Sorry," Ruby apologized. "But we have another mission."

"Make it to Haven, no matter what!" Nora could not resist ensuring her voice was heard.

"We've heard the next village over has a working airship."

"Hmmmm, no way to know for sure," he warned the teens as they set off for the road. "Signals were bad enough out here before the tower went down. We haven't heard from Shion village in quiiiiiiite a while..."

Docks…

"Excellent work and good luck," a familiar Atlesian general concluded as his voice died out over the scroll. The young woman clicked it off and slid the device into her satchel beside an obscured white and blue uniform. Esmerelda Moto sighed as she stepped onto the ocean liner soon to set sail from the coast of Sanus, her curly auburn hair catching a strong gust of wind and whipped across her face.

I finally get to come back…only to leave again, she mused, enjoying the feeling of the breeze while brushing the hair from her eyes. This will be an awkward reunion.

The weather was infinitely preferable to the climate in Atlas, though she may only have thought that way from being accustomed to such warmth. It had been years since she was on the sea…her nose flared at a brief memory of the salty air associated with it. It was quite a large ship bound for the island of Menagerie, such armed vessels and airships were the only ones with a chance of getting past the Grimm explosion worldwide. Even then, fewer and fewer were getting through.

"Welcome aboard young lady!" We'll be setting sail soon; an older gentleman with a full yet groomed white beard greeted her. Based on his uniform he was undoubtedly the ship's captain. "Calm seas for the most part, the trip should be smooth all the way.

"Thank you captain," Esmerelda bowed slightly in greeting. "That is good to hear."

She knew the captain truly had no idea how their voyage would go, but he was being smart. With Grimm being attracted to the negative emotions of humans and faunus, he was no doubt greeting passengers himself with such a statement to put them at ease. After all, the captain should be the most trusted and knowledgeable person on the ship.

With any luck…he'll turn out to be right.

Esmerelda looked down at her new attire, feeling a bit out of her element. She wore a sleeveless sky-blue crop top with black straps that created an x-shaped pattern across her chest and grey trousers. With the shortness of the shirt leaving her midriff bare it was a tad more revealing than she was used to, but remaining inconspicuous was part of her trip and it was common wear on Menagerie. She had also opted for fingerless black gloves that would cushion blows in the event of a melee fight.

She had her weapon reduced to its scimitar-form hanging off her hip fastened securely to a black belt. As a former student of Beacon she was permitted to carry it in case of sudden Grimm attack. Not wanting to delay, she made her way below deck to locate her cabin towards the bow of the ship.

Unfortunately, it was her haste that prevented the member of Team HERO from noticing a familiar black-ribboned faunus boarding the ship not far behind her, also oblivious to her presence. And even further behind, another passenger followed obscured by a great black cloak who, despite looking incredibly conspicuous, was not noticed by the crew or fellow passengers on the long trip to Menagerie…

Team RNJRR…ORRNJ…JNRRR…our heroes continue on their path to Haven, unaware of the hunters tracking their movements. Scattered across Remnant, will the friends and comrades be able to stand against their individual demons both internal and external? Only time will tell, as always, Read and Review…but most of all Enjoy! :D