Author's note: I wrote this chapter this time. Hopefully I won't have to get somebody else to write one for me again. That sucked. Oh well, on to the insanity. End author's note.

Cinder lay on a stone bed in a dark room, the only light coming from her glowing tattoos as she created glass figures in front of her. They were shaped like the ones who fought against the grimm during the invasion, the one with the giant sword, the woman with the giant boomerang, and the one who generated the wall of fire. She placed them on their feet and stared at them for a few seconds before smashing them to pieces with her right hand, sending glass shards all over the floor. A knock came from the door and it opened, revealing her trusted subordinate, Emerald Sustrai.

"Salem has called for a meeting," she stated. Cinder stood and walked out of the room, followed by her devotee. After several minutes of walking through many halls and corridors, they came to a large door near the outer wall of the palace. Emerald held the door open as Cinder stepped through. The one-armed woman took her spot at the table and Emerald stood behind her next to Mercury, who had arrived earlier.

Cinder looked around the room at all the others waiting for their master. Hazel Rainart sat across from her with his arms crossed over his chest and eyes closed. Tyrian Callows was one seat to the right of Hazel, sitting with his knees close to his chest and feet on the chair with his tail wrapped around his waist. Arthur Watts was across from Tyrian, checking things on his scroll. What those things were he would never say, but that day he looked particularly irritated with what he was seeing. They all sat in uncomfortable silence before Salem came through the door, causing everyone to stand.

The Pale Witch seemed to glide across the floor as she passed behind Cinder, the air temperature gradually dropping and sending shivers down her spine. Salem slid to the end of the table where a throne of purple crystal sat and raised her hand for everyone to sit. "Cinder." The silky voice of their leader came out slowly. "Would you explain to me what happened at Beacon?"

"Of course." Cinder stood quickly. "It was going very close to the plan, I destroyed the CCT, recovered the full maiden power and killed Ozpin. But a group of people came out of nowhere and started massacring the grimm. They stopped the charge on the city and killed the dragon. One of them did this to me," she said, referring to her missing arm and her burned face. "She didn't seem to have any power at all, semblance, magic or otherwise, but was able to best me in combat. They are extremely dangerous." Salem raised her hand, signaling her to stop.

"Very good. It seems you failed to retrieve the relic, but considering Ozpin was based at Beacon I'm not surprised you were unable to locate it. You have not failed me." Cinder sat back down. "But, these new people do pose a serious threat to our cause. We will have to accelerate our plans before they can get to the next school. Based on what they were able to do, the Greater Grimm will have to be awakened. Hazel, meet with the White Fang and convince them to help us, I don't care how you do it. Tyrian, they should be heading to Haven soon. I want you to intercept them and attempt to kill them in their sleep. We must take them out as soon as possible, otherwise they could foil my plans and I will have to wait until they all die. Watts, take Emerald and Mercury and look for the spring maiden. Cinder, come with me while I prepare a gift for you."

Patch Island

Tai's Front Yard

Qrow finished his story and waited for the group of Japanese to say something, the tension in the atmosphere almost suffocating. Finally, it was Inuyasha who spoke. "That didn't give us much more then we already knew, so I want to see Ozpin."

"Unfortunately, he was killed during the attack, so I'm afraid that won't be possible," Qrow responded.

"Wait," Weiss spoke up. "The Headmaster is dead? How is that possible? He's supposed to be the best of the best."

"Even the strongest can be defeated when surprised," Sango answered. "If it was the woman I fought on top of the tower then that would make the most sense. She had a kind of power that seemed stronger then what you people possess, almost like magic."

"But, magic doesn't exist," Blake stated.

"Are you serious? You saw Miroku's Kazaana didn't you? And what Kagome and I did to the dragon in the city? What Shippo was able to do to the advancing hordes? How can you say there is no magic when you've seen it with your own eyes?" Inuyasha stood as his anger began to rise. "If after all you've seen you still can't accept it, then you will be of no help to us."

"Magic may be real where you come from," Blake stated as she also stood to challenge the Hanyou. "But in this world, it doesn't. That is a fact."

"I wouldn't say that." The group turned to Qrow. "Magic has existed for a very long time, longer then anyone can remember, even Ozpin."

"What do you mean by that?" Blake questioned. "Ozpin is only in his fifties at the latest. He couldn't possibly remember that far back."

"This latest person is only in his fifties yes, but Ozpin is much older then that. The Gods gave him a magic power that makes him reincarnate into another like-minded person whenever he dies. It's how he's been able to keep an eye on humanity for as long as he has, and he's the Old Man in the tale of the Four Maidens. He gave them more then half of his magic so they could help him protect the world."

"That's a pretty fucking stupid idea," Inuyasha stated blatantly. "Why would he give away that much power all at once? Especially now that your enemy has one the four parts that he seperated."

"I agree," Shippo added. "If he had kept it, he would've had it to fight against the siege and wouldn't have died. It does make you wonder if he even planned ahead at all." The fox shook his head at the idiocy.

"Speaking of planning ahead," Sango interjected. "We need a plan. They've attacked one out of four schools that trains warriors to fight against the grimm, why would they do that?"

"According to Ozpin, there are relics hidden beneath each of the schools that can destroy or save the world if brought together. He said it is of utmost importance that Salem not get them," Qrow stated.

"More mystical shit that we have to keep away from somebody," Inuyasha growled, clearly annoyed.

"You've had to do that before?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, about thirty years agao, we fought a demon called Naraku that was going after jewel shards to make himself more powerful. He got all of them in the end but we still managed to kill him," Inuyasha responded. "Go figure we would have to do the same thing just a few decades afterwards. Has the one here been taken yet?"

"Not likely," Tai continued. "If they did have it, there would be no need to continue the assault, and since your appearance, Salem will probably send stronger grimm and more skilled people."

"Then we'd better find her as soon as possible," Kagome finished. "But she might be going after the other schools as well. Qrow, have you been able to find where her people came from? We should head there next."

"Yeah," the old huntsman answered. "I traced them all the way back to Mistral, that's where their papers came from. We would have to take an airship, it's the fastest way there, but all the ones here are either being used to old back the grimm, or have been destroyed already. Not a single one can be spared."

"Alright then." Inuyasha stood up again. "We leave first thing tomorrow morning. Most of us still need to rest from all the fighting throughout the past few days, and we need to gather supplies for the trip."

"You mean we're not coming with you?" Weiss questioned. "I want to make the people who destroyed my school pay for what they've done."

"Do you think you can keep up with us? Unless you have some sort of vehicle that can fit everyone, I don't think you'll be of much help," Inuyasha shot back.

"Inuyasha," Kagome stood too and got right in his face. "If they want to come, we should let them. They know more about these creatures then we do."

"That's why Qrow's coming with us. In case you haven't been able to tell, he's got way more experience then they do and he knows a lot more about the enemy. He has more authority and he knows exactly where everything is."

"In there defense," Qrow got to his feet as well, "they need to know what's out there and more combat experience as well as training. They are all going to be three years short if this continues and they won't be able to fight should we fail."

"Please," Inuyasha spat, "like a woman with magic slightly above that of an ogre would be able to beat us. If she needs humans and grimm to do the work for her, then she can't possibly be that powerful. Even Naraku, the coward that he was, was still strong enough to collect a majority of the jewel shards on his own. If this bitch was really as big and scary as everyone makes her out to be, then she would be able to do it all herself. You guys may be normal humans but this Ozpin guy certainly isn't if he has whatever the fuck kind of bullshit to keep himself alive."

"Inuyasha," Sango stated. "I agree with Qrow. If we take them with us and help train them then they will be better able to fight. Their abilities are unlike any we've seen before and may prove handy in trying times. At the very least, we need to spar with them to see where they are and how far they still have to go."

"I agree with Sango," Kagome said. Inuyasha grumbled and scratched his head.

"Fine. We start after lunch. Come and get me when you're done." He jumped onto the roof of the house and to the other side.

Kagome sighed. "It's decided then. You will be coming with us."