AWOOOOOOOOOO, MUTHAFUCKAAAAAAAS! It's your favorite dragon coming at you from Bumfuck, Nowhere USA! I'm still stuck here. Work sucks. Another of my collectable glass dragons shattered today, leaving only one left intact, because apparently the universe hates me. But at least I'm back on the fanfiction wagon. And I'm not messing around now that I'm back. Things are going down in this story right away.

Also, for those who haven't looked at my profile, this is the Week of Solora! To celebrate my return to FF, I'm posting every day for seven days. Tomorrow, you'll be getting an update to my poly!CFVY series, "Espresso Shots." And, later this month, I'll be participating in Rose Garden Week, meaning you'll get seven days of Oscar/Ruby oneshots.

But wait! There's more! The backlog for "Shattered Moon" is all done. Including this, there are eight more chapters to go. And, since I want you guys to get the conclusion you've been craving, I'm updating this puppy twice a week until it's finished. So, the next few weeks will have Werewolf Friday AND Werewolf Sunday. That's right, folks! By the end of March, this fic will be marked Complete.

I won't hold you guys any longer. I know you've been missing your werewolfy goodness. Enjoy!

Pyrrha sat on a couch in Ozpin's living room, wincing as Ruby bandaged the wound on her leg. Her eyes were fixed on the blonde-haired, spectacled human woman, who stared back with piercing green eyes. This was apparently Glynda Goodwitch, another Elder. Qrow and Taiyang had already caught her up with the situation.

"So," Glynda murmured, not blinking as she continued to eye the werewolves in the room one after another. "How do we proceed with this, Ozpin?"

"Carefully," Ozpin replied. "We cannot allow anyone to panic, and need to introduce this idea slowly."

"We don't exactly have the luxury of taking our time, Oz," Qrow reminded him. "Not if the werewolves are going to attack us tonight."

"They're weak," Pyrrha said. "But so are the humans. It'll be suicide for everyone involved. If we can convince both sides of that, we may have a chance."

Ozpin raised a hand. "I said slowly, but I certainly didn't mean that we're going to take our sweet time. We just need to go about this in a delicate manner." He eyed his stew pot, which was already half-empty. A plan was starting to form in his mind.

"How much meat and potatoes did you bring?"

In the end, they were able to fill the bottom of the community pot that was usually used only for large festivals. Water was brought from the creek until the pot was totally filled. People gathered around as Glynda lit the large bonfire in the center of town and set the thin, meager stew to bubbling. "Bring everyone who's hungry," she called.

Of course, the entirety of Vale quickly gathered in the center of town, including Jacques, who wondered why a gathering had been called without a prior meeting of the Elders, Hawk, who was squinting suspiciously at Ozpin after having found no Grimm near the Arc residence, and James Ironwood, who immediately asked where Glynda and Ozpin had gotten the food.

Ruby, Yang, Pyrrha, Qrow, and all the others remained hidden in the southern forest. The betas' ears were perked, waiting for Ozpin's signal.

Ozpin refused to say anything until every gathered man, woman, and child had a bowl of stew. The broth was little more than mildly-flavored water, and the re-cooked dried meat had almost no taste. Still, everyone devoured their shares as if they were consuming the kingliest feast imaginable. Most abandoned spoons altogether, slurping hungrily from their bowls like dogs.

Ironic, Taiyang thought a little dryly.

Glynda gently turned away those who approached for seconds. "Let your stomachs settle," she urged. "We have an announcement to make, and the pot isn't going anywhere. Everyone will have more before tonight." A shadow crossed her face as she couldn't help but wonder if this would be the last meal of everyone in Vale.

The crowd shifted impatiently, wanting more food. Thankfully, their hunger had abated enough to keep them somewhat calm. The same couldn't be said for the other three Elders.

"What is the meaning of this, Ozpin?" James hissed under his breath. "And why weren't we notified?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Jacques declared, not bothering to lower his voice. "What is this meeting about?"

"The survival of Vale," Ozpin replied smoothly. He stepped forward, fixing his gaze on the townsfolk. "Look at us! We're starving, wasting away, fighting useless battle after useless battle, and the only thing that will change come winter will be a drastic increase in the surety of death. I will not stand by and watch my home become a ghost town. Thankfully, I have a plan. First, we will cancel the post-full moon hunt."

The shout of outrage that burst from Hawk was almost overshadowed by the collective sigh of relief let out by the Huntsmen and their families. Not quite, though. "You would throw away a chance to wipe out those beasts once and for all?!" Hawk raged.

Glynda's eyes glinted. "Did you not just hear our Huntsmen, Hawk?" She looked at the townsfolk, who lowered their heads shamefully. "No, don't be ashamed!" she urged. "You are right to not want to fight anymore. You are practically dead on your feet, and we are to blame for that."

"No!" Jacques snarled. "Those blasted monsters are to blame!"

"They are no more blameworthy than we are," Ozpin retorted. "And they are not monsters."

There was silence then. People gaped at the most respected of the Elders, wondering if they had just heard him correctly. Jacques and Hawk looked about ready to have simultaneous heart attacks. James was staring at Glynda, as if hoping that she would jump in and say something sane and sensible to counter Ozpin.

Instead, she nodded. "It is true. We have wasted so many lives, so many years, and so much energy fighting an enemy that we never had to fight in the first place. Meanwhile, the Grimm grow ever stronger, attracted by the hopelessness growing in both us, and our neighbors in the forest."

"Neighbors?!" Hawk snarled. "You speak as if you suddenly see these creatures as something other than the Grimm-tainted monstrosities they-" He stopped suddenly, his eyes widening as he pointed a shaking finger at Ozpin. "You… You didn't kill that werewolf, did you? The one I chased down near town?"

There was some confused, angry muttering in response to this. Hawk's eyes hardened when Ozpin calmly met his gaze. "You let it go!"

Ozpin nodded. "Yes. I let her go."

Some of the crowd surged forward while others, uncertain but still loyal to Ozpin, tried to push them back. Over the din, Ozpin cried out: "Yes, I let a werewolf go! And I bring her forward to talk to you now, so that we may enter an era of peace that is likely our only chance to survive this winter!"

In the forest, Pyrrha gripped Jaune's hand tightly. This was it. There was no way to go about this calmly. They all had to emerge at once and hope that the townsfolk would at least be stunned enough to listen.

As one, the pack and their Huntsmen friends stepped from the trees, walked down the path from the forest, and entered the center of town. A thick silence descended over everyone as the humans and Faunus of Vale took in the sight of the newcomers. There were some whispers as the exiled Huntsmen were immediately recognized. Then, the townsfolk saw Ruby, Blake, and Fox, saw their exposed bites, and noticed the distinctly feral look of many of the others, including a heavily-scarred Weiss.

A few people fainted, while some herded their children away. Others, however, came forward.

Winter, the Arcs, and Taiyang met their families halfway, intermingling with the other humans, Faunus, and werewolves effortlessly. Winter touched Weiss's shoulder. Taiyang wrapped a protective arm around Ruby and Blake each. Qrow stood close to Sun, Neptune, Sage, and Scarlet. The Arc family gathered around Jaune and Pyrrha. Little Silvia, sensing the tension in the air, wrapped her arms around Pyrrha's leg and stared wide-eyed at the crowd, which was starting to hum like a hornets' nest.

The king hornet was Jacques, who let out a wordless cry of rage and betrayal, pointing at Winter and Weiss. "Our own priestess, my last daughter, has been tainted by these creatures!" Angry tears coursed down his bitter face. "How could you, Winter? After what those monsters did to your mother?!"

A flash of sadness appeared in Winter's eyes, then vanished as she firmly shook her head. "God calls for us to forgive our enemies, Father. Besides, the werewolves you see before you are too young to have been the ones to kill Mother. And those who did only saw her as a Huntress who was trying to kill them."

"They shouldn't have! Not after-" Jacques hesitated, glancing at the townsfolk before deciding that it was preferable to taint his wife's memory than risk losing his last (in his eyes) blood relative to corruption. "Not after she let that one beast go!"

There was a shifting in the crowd, followed by a gasp from Pyrrha. "It was a Schnee," she exclaimed.

"It dares to speak!" Jacques gasped, reaching for his weapon, his eyes darkening when Jaune moved to stand in front of Pyrrha. "I see you bewitched the Arc boy!"

"I bewitched no one!" Pyrrha growled. "And your wife should be honored for what she did! The wolf she spared was my mother. Because of that act of mercy, I was taught to never harm humans or Faunus, and grew up with a wish to see us come together as friends."

She looked to the rest of the town, who shrank back under her gaze. "I have seen it happen in other towns, in other forests, and I know that peace can be achieved here. I mean to challenge Cinder, the leader of the wolves in the northern woods, and take control of the pack. Most of them have no wish to fight, and are every bit as hungry and tired as you are. If we can all just step back and think, no one else has to die on either side!"

"I befriended two of them on my own," Taiyang added, speaking over the rising voices of the gathered crowd. "They brought me food that wasn't tainted by their blood or saliva for over a month." He didn't bring up being warned about the upcoming werewolf attack, as more panic was not needed in that moment.

Ozpin raised a hand, waiting for the shouting to quiet down. "If you will listen, your fellow citizens of Vale will tell you what happened both before and after young Miss Schnee's sudden transformation so many months ago."

"Oh, no!" Hawk snapped. "We aren't going to listen to those demons, or their corrupted puppets!"

"Wait." James Ironwood's voice was quiet, but it still demanded attention, causing a brief hush. He walked forward, fixing the werewolves, Pyrrha in particular, with a suspicious glare. He was thinking what many of the other townsfolk were likely thinking: They aren't acting like savage animals. This one speaks just as well as us. If they were truly Grimm-like…but is this an act of deception? Are they simply more cunning than we previously thought?

His eyes fell on the youngest Arc child, who was still gripping the lead wolf's leg in what she surely thought was a protective gesture. That sight brought a slight tenderness to James's eyes, and he inclined his head. "Let them speak. Then, we'll decide what to do."

Jacques sputtered, Hawk cursed, and several townsfolk shouted, Cardin's voice being the loudest, but the Council now had a majority in favor of listening, so everyone ultimately quieted down and did just that.

The entire story was told, in full, by everyone. There were few interruptions or corrections. They were well-practiced in telling this tale by now. And, this time, there were no omissions. Jaune clearly and proudly told the town about his love for Pyrrha, and his intention of becoming a werewolf when this ended.

Johann gave his son a long look that held sadness, but no surprise. He had felt something between Jaune and the she-wolf when he had first met her. He didn't like it, but he couldn't say much against it. After all, Pyrrha wasn't a monster, nor were the other werewolves. Johann just had to allow his mind and heart to catch up with what he already knew.

Silvia gaped up at Pyrrha. "You're gonna be my new sister?"

Pyrrha smiled. "Yes. I hope you'll have me."

"Yes!" Silvia said, hugging Pyrrha's leg still tighter. "I got a werewolf sister!"

The story had to stop then, because the muttering of the crowd had hit a fever pitch. Hawk took a step forward. "Priestess Winter!" he urged. "You can't really approve of a human falling in love with a beast! Surely, the Maidens will not smile on such a union."

Winter's eyes glinted angrily. "Watch your tongue, Mister Winchester. Don't forget that my sister is right here, and that she became a 'beast' in the exact same way Jaune intends to."

Hawk scowled, but ultimately backed away from the priestess's glare.

Taiyang and Qrow talked about their meeting with Ruby and Weiss soon after Corsac's group was retrieved, about Weiss's injury, about the fact that they weren't attacked once in spite of everything they had done to try and kill the girls. Qrow bowed his head as he thought back to that fight, jumping a little with surprise when Weiss touched his hand and smiled at him, reminding him once again that she forgave him.

The story went on, and Jacques laughed out loud when the vampires were mentioned. "Impossible! Such creatures are only legends."

"Really, Father?" Weiss said, rolling her eyes. "Shapeshifting man-wolves and creatures of darkness that feed of negative emotions are real, but vampires are just too farfetched for you to believe in?"

"Do not speak to me!" Jacques snapped. "As far as I'm concerned, my youngest daughter died during that full moon in spring!"

Weiss winced visibly.

"Oh yeah?!" Taiyang shouted, folding his arms. "Well, that's your loss! Weiss is marrying Ruby, so that makes her my daughter! No take backs! I'm her only dad now!"

"Tai, please," Ozpin murmured, nodding significantly toward the sun. "Let us finish."

When the story ended, the sky was turning pink and the Huntsmen and werewolves who knew of the coming attack started to shift restlessly. Still, Ozpin retained his calm demeanor. "As you can see," he proclaimed. "We have been wrong about werewolves all along. They are no more good or evil than any human or Faunus, and can therefore be reasoned with. There is blame and death to share on both sides. If we are to survive the winter, regardless of species, I propose this: First, we must make peace with the pack residing in the forest by any means necessary. If their leader wishes to talk, I will speak to her. If not, Pyrrha will fight for leadership and negotiate this new peace with the Council. Second, we must open the trade routes through Burgundy again. Clearly, the people there are not demon-possessed, but rather far ahead of us in their thinking."

Glynda folded her hands. "We need food and protection to survive the winter. Otherwise, we must abandon Vale. I know no one here wants that, but we must stop fighting endless useless battles before going to bed hungry. If we continue on our current path, we will surely die."

Ozpin looked at the sky once more, and let out a sigh. "And, we need to decide quickly. The werewolves will be coming here tonight. If we meet them as friends, then we may all have a chance of surviving."

The uproar was immediate. Women drew their children close, sobbing. Huntsmen scrambled for their weapons and started toward the forest.

"Wait!" Ozpin shouted, his voice ringing above everything. "Stay calm, please! Don't forget the Grimm!"

"You are with those monsters!" Jacques accused, glaring wildly at Ozpin and Glynda. "This was all a ruse to waste time until those beasts arrived!"

"Oh, please," Glynda snapped. "If that was the case, we wouldn't have said that the werewolves were coming."

"We are trying to keep the Grimm from coming here!" Ozpin said desperately. "They've been distracted by the werewolves until now, but we need to be calm! If I had told you this at the beginning, you would have attacked Pyrrha's pack without question, and nothing would have been solved!"

Some of the crowd calmed down, seeing the sense in Ozpin's words. The rest, however, were quickly turning on the very people they had been listening to minutes ago. Whispers of "Possessed" and "Still wasting time" rose like ugly clouds of poisoned mist. Slowly, the townsfolk shifted until those agreeing with Jacques and Hawk stood with their backs to the northern forest, their fronts and weapons pointed toward those loyal to Ozpin, the exiled Huntsmen, and the werewolves.

Hawk drew his sword, pointing it at Ozpin. "I won't shed unnecessary blood when we need to save our strength, but you and your devils' spawn are to leave Vale immediately."

"Hawk, listen to yourself!" Ozpin snapped. "If you send us away, you are dooming those who follow you! You will not survive this attack without us!"

"At least we'll die in God's eyes!" Cardin shouted, brandishing his mace. "At least Heaven will be waiting for us, unlike you! Traitor!"

Echoes rose around Cardin of "Traitor!" and "Blasphemer!" Hawk and Jacques's followers stepped forward. The werewolves and exiles, not wanting to hurt anyone, stepped back.

Ozpin shook his head helplessly. "Everyone, please-" When an arrow whizzed by his ear, he knew hope was lost. He stayed behind until everyone else had retreated into the southern forest, gave the remaining townsfolk one last sad look, then followed.

…..

The clearing was too small for the gathering that clustered there that evening. The air was thick, heavy, and silent.

Ozpin looked at the townsfolk who had followed them into the forest, not sure whether to feel heartened or horrified at how many there were here, at how many had been left behind. "Where's James?" he asked.

Glynda shook her head. "He stayed behind. I think he was willing to see reason, but he wasn't going to abandon Vale. He'll fight to the death to protect it, even if it's a fool's quest. You know how he is."

"Yes, I do," Ozpin sighed before turning to Pyrrha. "I'm so sorry."

Pyrrha looked at the townsfolk, many of whom were watching her intently. "We persuaded so many people… Why couldn't the others agree?"

Nearby, Yang suddenly spun around, punching a dent in a tree. "UGH! How are some people so STUPID?! They are literally throwing their lives away for nothing!"

Neo touched her arm. "Yang, don't injure your hand again."

"I suppose we can bring everyone here back to Obsidian," Dew spoke up. "We'll have to build more residences, but with the werewolves hunting for us and the trade routes being so good…"

"Are there enough inns in Burgundy and the surrounding towns to hold everyone till winter ends?" Qrow wondered.

"Why are we talking so easily of running away?!" Johann asked angrily. "Are we just going to leave Vale to die?!"

"They made their choice." Qrow shrugged. "What can we do?"

"Go back!" Johann insisted. "Fight those wolves off!"

"Dad, weren't you even paying attention to the story?!" Jaune groaned. "Killing the werewolves won't help!"

"But they're attacking us!"

"After how many times we attacked them?!"

"Both of you, stop it!" Joan snapped, stepping between the two. "Shouting at each other won't solve anything!"

Blake's ears flattened as she activated her beta powers. "The wolves are on the move…" A shiver went down her spine as she felt something else. "And so are the Grimm."

A few townsfolk started to weep. Pyrrha growled softly in the back of her throat. "I can't," she snarled. "I can't just walk away!"

Jaune looked at her with concern. "Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha turned to Jaune. "I don't care if half of Vale will try to kill me. Once I'm transformed, I'm going back and confronting Cinder. I won't ask anyone to-"

"Stop right there!" Weiss snapped. "How many times do we have to say that we're with you?"

The rest of the pack was nodding. "There are kids back there," Ruby pointed out. "They didn't get to decide whether they stayed or left. And some people are just scared and don't know what to think. They don't deserve to be wiped out."

"And I saw the wolves in Cinder's pack!" Pyrrha insisted. "I know that most of them will stop fighting at the first opportunity."

The Huntsmen were already readying their weapons. The werewolves started removing their clothes in preparation for the transformation. A few from all groups volunteered to remain behind to keep the non-combatants and children safe. Everyone set their sights back on the path to Vale as the sun began to sink behind the horizon, making way for the purples and grays of night.

"So, we're going to go into battle with Cinder, whatever werewolves decide to fight us, all the Grimm in the surrounding forests, and probably half the town?" Qrow groaned, even as he drew his sword. "This was not how I planned on dying."

The sun set, and the werewolves transformed. The townsfolk let out varying sounds of wonder, disgust, and horror. Some were brave enough to reach out and touch the fur of a nearby wolf, drawing back quickly with a shudder afterward.

Pyrrha turned to Jaune, her ears flicking, her eyes full of worry. This was the battle they would need to survive if they wanted peace. This was it.

Jaune placed a hand on her cheek, then pulled her close and kissed her. This time, he didn't kiss her brow or cheek, but pressed his lips directly to her muzzle. He felt her fangs on his mouth, tasted fur, blood, and a subtle spice that tingled on his lips. A shiver went through him when her large tongue ran over his mouth and slid briefly against his own tongue. He heard his father make a strained, disgusted noise, but couldn't bring himself to care. His head felt lighter than air for a moment, and he drew back in time to see a tear trickling through Pyrrha's bright red fur.

I will get us through this, Pyrrha promised silently, savoring the taste of Jaune on her tongue, imagining it was the lingering flavor of a legendary elixir of strength and luck. My human. My mate. I will get us through this. She touched her black nose to his, then turned to her pack and let out a mighty howl before running into the trees, feeling and hearing thunderous footsteps and pawsteps around and behind her.

This was it. Whatever happened during this battle would decide whether the long quest of the werewolves and the exiles of Vale would lead to a hopeful future, or a sudden, bloody, and tragic end.

Getting right into it. I figured it was about time, both for the final confrontation and a mouth-to-mouth Arkos kiss. Next week is the last big battle of this story. After that…well, you'll just have to wait and see.

My P/atreon is back up, and now has a one-dollar option for those who want to show support, but can't afford to throw a lot of money at the screen. It's Solora Goldsun, as always, and I'd recommend taking a look at the updated reward tiers.

It's really good to be back, guys. I hope you enjoy what I have for you in the coming months.

Peace out!