"By the Brothers, my fucking head," Yang groaned as she lay on particularly uncomfortable bedding as her eyes flickered open, and everything blurred around her. "Why does it feel like my head exploded?"
"It would have if I didn't intervene when I did." A slick voice commented before she felt two cups thrust into her hands. "I wouldn't normally trust someone when they say this, but swallow. You'd feel a bit better. Can't do much about the concussion you might have. Need actual doctors to deal with that."
"Ugh, thanks." Yang groaned pitifully, lightly shook the cup to hear a few pills in one, and felt water splashing within the other before popping the pills in and swallowing them with a quick drink. "Gah, I barely recall what happened. Everything is a blur…"
"Are Nora and Ren okay?" Yang frowned as she thought about who was with her, and the male voice was not Ren's or any other man she knew.
"Can't say for sure where they escaped to, but they managed to get out of dodge from what I can tell and weren't captured." The voice responded in a seemingly uncaring tone. "Well, at least that's what I can tell from what I've seen from their reactions. They're more paranoid than normal and sending undercover agents out from the looks of it."
"Making my life really difficult here, ya hear, brats!" The voice grumbled in annoyance as Yang rubbed her eyes as she swore she had heard the voice before, even if it was only once. "Had to come in and blow the cover I had managed to build already! My posey is now trying to cover our tracks and ensure I wasn't spotted saving your sorry ass!"
"The kid would not be pleased if I let one of his Huntresses get their brain matter stained on the cement, I'm sure of that. Not after everything Trivia sacrificed to make sure you succeeded to get this far."
Yang felt her blood run cold, and her body stiffened. While it hadn't been so long since she had thought about the woman. The impression she had made was lasting, yet the way this man spoke of her…
The way he used her real name so endearingly led her to believe…
"How did you escape?" Yang recognized who she was talking to.
She gnashed her teeth as her vision remained blurred. As it began to focus, she saw a blob outline of a man in white. And if she thought she saw correctly, there was a black blur on top of an orange puff of what she could only assume was his hair. "You were in prison and locked up tight."
"Been keeping information from you on his end, has he?" Roman tapped his cane, his voice full of amusement as he said that. "I didn't think he had that in him. The kid is more of a manipulator than I thought! I give him full props for that!"
Snarling and shaking her head as she tried to clear her vision, but it seemingly was not working, Yang cursed. Something was wrong, and she wasn't sure what it was. And shaking her head did not help as the world spun, feeling the earth beneath her as she lost her balance. She managed to grip the stiff surface of the bedding she was lying on to keep herself upright. "What the fuck are you talking about?! It has been a hectic few days, and I just got back from the hospital, so I have no idea about half of what was going on outside!"
"Well, you weren't the only one out of the loop." Roman's voice chattily responded as the white blur moved to what looked like a covered window with light shining through very softly but blotted out. "I'm certain he hasn't even told his missus about helping me escape, so informing the rest of you would only come later, naturally. Why would he tell you before her?"
"Naruto did what?!" Yang bit back a curse and clutched the tough bedding hard, almost tearing at it to keep her balance as she wobbled in place. "What was he thinking?! That is the dumbest thing he could have…"
"Hardly." Roman chastised the dragoness in response as he peered outside the window. "You're still alive when you shouldn't be. With one word about not trusting the ironman, he is already making moves to figure out what is brewing and stumbling upon what is happening. My release is already paying dividends, even if it wasn't for the intended purpose. However, given what he said, I'm starting to agree myself…"
"There isn't a shot in hell he's getting out of that marriage with everything going on. All this takes the focus away from his intended goal and forces him into an unhappily ever after. It's almost too well orchestrated; I hate to admit it. How the hell did the Schnee bastard and Gold set this all up so perfectly?"
Yang winced as everything around her spun, and her stomach churned from the sensation. If only he knew about Fate and everything the Goddess had been orchestrating and changing history behind the scenes. So she grimaced as she swallowed back the bile that was trying to push its way up. "I don't think he is, and I hate to say this…"
"As much as he has been used in this scheme and knowing he has been involved with those at play here, I think something more is going on here. I think they're turning on him…"
"Now that'd be something." Roman mused and tapped his cane against the floor repeatedly. "That would make sense of what I have been seeing as they've been using more Mistral Trading Company Dust. Despite Atlas personnel being around, I hardly saw any Schnee Dust Company markings, and it is the largest distributor in the world. And with the large amount they had…"
"Where did they get it? Seems like it's time for me to make a grand heist here soon to figure some things out."
"Oh no," Yang groaned at hearing that and feeling her stomach churn heavier than before. "Oh, my head is making this so much worse. Is there a bucket or something?"
"Hey, hey, hey! None of that here! If you start, I'm going to leave!" Roman started before seeing the queasiness and how off-kilter the blonde-haired girl seemed and began to hear gagging and gurgling as the blonde held her hand over her mouth. "Oh shit."
"Not on the bed! I'm still making arrangements to get something nicer! I'll be right back!"
And with a quick turn, Roman rushed to find anything he could use to salvage the situation as effectively as he could.
Waiting like this was uncomfortable. However, he had done everything else he could do for now.
Ren stood in the reception area of the emergency wing of the closest hospital he had access to in Vale. He would have loved to have managed to get to Beacon to have Professor Peach and the medical staff their help, and they were on their way, but it was going to be tough to explain exactly what had happened to Nora that caused her to be in the condition she was in.
He already did everything he could and called everyone to inform them of their condition, glad he had contacted Naruto first. He was absolutely right; keeping information tight-lipped over the scrolls was paramount if Atlas was involved. Technology was their strength, and they could constantly be monitored thanks to the amount around them daily, so it was wise to give only what was necessary. It only confirmed his thoughts, and from the edge in his friend's voice, he seemed to have found something on his end too…
A lot of intel was needed to go over.
"Ren!" Jaune snapped him out of his thoughts as he turned to see Jaune enter the reception room with Coco, Fox, and Yatsu trailing behind him, looking concerned about their friend's wellbeing. "What happened? What's going on?"
Wincing, as he didn't want to have to explain things too many times, Ren cast a forlorn expression as he looked downward. "We encountered something at the old White Fang base and weren't expecting it. I'll explain more when everyone's present, and we have privacy."
"This isn't the appropriate place to do it."
Frowning as she remembered hearing about what happened at the White Fang base and events leading up to their training before the festival dance, Coco pondered what they could have run into.
Was it possible that the Black Fang was now holed up in the base? That seemed unlikely and a mistake on their part. It would be one of the first places Vale's police and Huntsman would look after such a marquee event within the Kingdom. Why put yourself at risk when there may still be resources or something valuable hidden within?
If it wasn't them, what could it be? That made the possibilities more intriguing and worrying as Nora was a tough customer, and for her to be injured was a worrying sign. Nevertheless, knowing she was in capable hands, at the very least, she took care of what she could. "How are you holding up?"
"Worried," Ren answered honestly as he grimaced and finally took a moment to take a seat and contemplate everything that had happened. "With what transpired, we're in a lot more trouble than I think even Naruto realized. But, we made the right decision to act…"
"But I now fear what the consequences of that decision will be." Ren laced the fingers of his hands together and planted his chin against them. "I do not think we are ready for something of this magnitude."
"Dude, what did you find?" Fox looked alarmed as he gazed in the direction of Ren. "We travelled to the farming village to see if anything there would lead to any clues, but we came up empty and were on our way back."
"Where is Yang?" Coco added as she noted that the blonde dragoness was suspiciously absent and narrowed her eyes as she didn't hear anything about her over the call either, only hearing Nora was in the emergency room.
Ren winced as he withdrew his scroll. He had hoped he had received a message back from Yang, but everything remained silent. He dared not call her. Given the situation and conferring with Naruto, he did not want to give away her location and risk her safety to try and see if she was safe. He was willing to part with his and Nora's as a hospital was relatively safe if they were tapping the scroll and listening in.
"Safe, I think." Ren gave the only answer he had currently after what had happened. "We were separated, and while she was hurt too, she got to safety. She isn't answering because of what's happening on her end."
"Yang was injured too?" Yatsu looked surprised before looking quite uneasy about what he was hearing. "That isn't good. She is strong…"
"Strong enough to take down one of the largest bounty criminals in recent memory on her own," Fox recalled hearing during the event a few months back that Yang was credited with claiming Ironwall's bounty. "From what I knew, that monster was a beast, and Huntsmen were leery of pursuing him without backup. I know her semblance is a trump card most don't have but damn. Thought that was the reason why they didn't hesitate to promote her straight to a Huntress. It was a hell of an achievement."
"Strength doesn't always matter." Ren sighed as he looked downtrodden and shook his head. "And we were in a situation where it could have been far direr. We were…"
"Now, what do we have here?" A voice drooled out and drew the attention of everyone in the room to see a young man with a deep shade of purple hair standing at the entrance of the waiting room with a smirk on his face, flanked by a young woman with flowing, medium silvery-white hair and a thick, muscle bronzed lad with no hair in the slightest. "I had heard through the grapevine that something had happened to one of the contestants of the Vytal festival, and I dare say we had to check it out."
"Wouldn't want one of your opponents to withdraw so soon, would we, Bole? Flora?"
"Vi…" Yatsu sternly spoke as he looked at the young man, for he quickly recognized him and informed his friends who it was at the door. "Why are you here?"
"I believe I just said my reasons, didn't I?" Vi grinned as he cockily entered the room with Bole and Flora flanking him, placing his hand on his right hip before he snidely remarked. "Wouldn't it be ever so devastating that a team from Beacon would have to drop out? I would love to watch you two crush the spirits out of their peeping little eyes."
Ren's eyes narrowed as he stood straight up, his hands fingering both the handles of StormFlower. His comments set off alarms, and he was ready to fight his way out of there if need be. He wouldn't think they would be bold enough to start a fight here in the hospital, but this guy was the one that shot Naruto in public. Everything was on the table, and he didn't like that.
This guy was a wildcard.
He was prepared in case anything happened. He would not let harm come to Nora or his friends.
"And how is it that you know that she was hurt?" Ren asked as he kept his calm but kept his attention firmly on the purple-haired leader of the group, analyzing him in case things soured. "She was only admitted in the last half hour, and I had called my friends and professors. Even the media doesn't act that quickly when they get a hold of information…"
"So where did you get your information from, I wonder?" Ren narrowed his eyes as he stared straight into Vi Vendor's silver eyes. "Was a certain general involved?"
"Oh, I see you want to do this here." Vi grinned as his eyes glinted in glee as he locked eyes with Ren. "I have no trouble doing this here and now. You don't have a chance to stop me. Just think about any time you spar with your friend Pyrrha…"
"And realize she only beat me because I wore metal that day."
"Okay, seriously, the fuck is going on?" Fox commented as he heard the hostility in Ren's voice and could feel Yatsu's tension, and after hearing that tidbit, he was seriously off-put. "But my friend raises a valid point. How the hell do you know about our friend's condition? We just got here and hightailed it as soon as we got the call."
"Doesn't make sense for anyone else to beat us here outside of Naruto or the professors, as they were contacted first. Even if a paparazzi were to spot Ren bringing Nora in and recognize who they were, the news wouldn't have spread that quickly." Jaune added in confusion as he didn't like what he was hearing, and he, too, was ready for something to happen.
He didn't know if he could handle it; he was ready for something to go down and had his hand inch closer to Crocea Mors' handle if things turned ugly. And from the sound of things, it was heading down that path.
"It doesn't really matter." Vi grinned as his hand slid to his sword handle, ready to draw, while his aura danced in his eyes as he stared directly into Ren's flickering eyes. "Because after we're done here, all of this will be covered up as an unfortunate accident, and everything we continue to go without you…"
"I believe it won't, young man." A voice echoed as a tap on the floor caught everyone's attention.
And all eyes were drawn to a silver-haired man holding a cane and a young green-haired girl with brilliant red void eyes, the man looking quite pensive as he walked into the room from the other entrance. "My students happen to be my top priority, you see, and any direct threat made toward them is a threat toward me."
And suddenly, the man's brown eyes narrowed as the glasses on the bridge of his nose tilted on his nose as his vision focused on the group leader. "So I suggest you take a moment to think wisely about your next course of action. Retreat is often the better course of valor, as the old code says."
"Or don't." A much older voice came from the little girl as her red void eyes gleamed with malice and ill intent. "I haven't played in a while, and you might be fun to tear apart and experiment on. My last silver eyes experiment didn't stay together too well. Fell apart at the seams, you may say. Then a tiny bird came in and stole my prize before I could claim it myself."
"What the fuck?!" Vi staggered back a few steps, looking at the small girl with a piercing gaze focused on him. "What are you?"
"To you? A Goddess!" Salem laughed as an overwhelming, ominous black energy pulsed around Tealle's frail body and surged around the room, coating everything touched in negativity. "One meant to conquer and rule this world! Come at me, silver-eyed warrior! Meet the same fate as your brethren befell over the centuries!"
"Death at my hands!"
And to his very eyes, her image morphed and changed, transfiguring into that of a woman with the palest white skin he had ever seen. Yet, her laughter carried the same haunting tones, and her red void eyes bore deep into the recesses of his soul. And saw thousands upon thousands of Grimm lining alongside her and…
Vi bolted past Ozpin and Tealle with Bole and Flora behind him.
He wanted nothing to do with the image he saw.
"Coward." Salem huffed as the malevolent pulse ceased, and she closed her eyes. "The other silver eyes would have come at me. She has the fortitude to stand on her own two feet. It still seems most Huntsman are poorly trained if they can't overcome such basic instincts."
"That was a little much." Ozpin retorted as he took a few steps past the witch in the child's body before halting just past her, giving her a slight glare but silently reprimanding her. "You are vulnerable until you have reconstituted, and the child is merely your vessel until then."
Salem flinched, and Ozpin raised his eyebrow at her reaction. "Oh, have you been lying? That's a rarity. Or should I better assume that you haven't corrected anyone in assuming that your resurrection is different from my own as it benefits you that they don't know? Then again, I didn't correct anyone when they first brought me the news of your body's destruction as it hadn't been thoroughly destroyed like that since…"
"Well, a little after my second technical death."
"Only she knows. The rest need not know as it allows them to act accordingly…" Salem hissed as her void eyes narrowed and glared up into the wizard's as he somehow was aware of a period of time he should not have. "For the time being, things must play out this way, and I need to play my part."
"So you are in the same position as I was and have to withhold the truth." Ozpin scoffed before he sighed deeply, knowing the feeling of being forced to do it for so long. "It is quite tiresome, I know. At least you won't have to do it for long. This journey is starting to come to a close."
"Professor?" Coco looked confused as she stepped toward them, looking very concerned with everything that happened and knowing more about Tealle, and she wasn't sure how this was working out. "I'm glad you are here, but why is…"
"There is a lot to explain, but I sought him out of my own volition. We need his assistance if we are to succeed." Salem explained before she held her hand on her temple and winced. "I have stressed the limits of my control over her body. I best cease control of her and let her rest. Large one, if you wouldn't mind, she will need to be carried. She won't have any strength when I give her control back."
"My students have names." Ozpin twitched in annoyance at Salem's order before sighing in defeat as he turned his attention to Yatsu while Salem's distinct markings began to fade from Tealle's body. "Daichi, if you would. Young Miss Tealle here is going to need your assistance."
"Right." Yatsu frowned as he was unsure of what was happening, especially after this morning and what had happened with the witch, but now seeing the headmaster with her was concerning.
But he also wasn't about to let a little girl collapse onto the floor and caught Tealle as the wicked witch let her possession fade. The green-haired girl blinked briefly, her eyes heavy and weak with everything blurred before she fell forward into his grasp and passed out.
Ozpin sighed as that would only complicate things, as he would have liked her to be awake at least to have some communication with Salem to be open when needed. However, she had been taxing the poor girl past her limit. Turning his attention to Ren, he gave a reassuring smile as he walked over to the boy. "You made the right decision to call Peach. She informed me of what was happening, and I came straight over."
"Now, I would like to be informed of what was happening, but…" Ozpin's gaze turned to the room entrance, and he brought both hands to his cane and sighed. "I think I need time to sort a few things out, first and foremost."
"Isn't that right, Naruto?"
Naruto growled at the headmaster's presence, but seeing Tealle present alongside him only made him narrow his eyes. What had the witch accomplished, and what exactly was her game here?
For now, he wasn't getting an answer from her. So he grunted as his eyes glistened at the headmaster of Beacon. "Yeah, we do."
"And we can start by explaining why you did not tell me everything after Christmas? If you knew back then, how much of this could have been avoided?" Naruto clenched his fists as he walked over to the headmaster, looking him directly in the eyes, and his anger was evident.
Ozpin sighed as he knew it would be a long road to repair the bridges he burned. But he had to start if they wanted a chance.
It was for the sake of Remnant.
"You know why now. How much worse would everything have become if you knew about Fate and the shifts before you were ready to handle that knowledge? Before those around you that you love and care for could deal with it?"
"I knew the best course of action was to let you naturally come about it and let you do what you do best." Ozpin stood his ground and kept his gaze on the blonde faunus. "I knew how perceptive you were, and it would turn you against me and even my own people against me. But what choice did I have? It was what was best for Remnant as at the end of the day…"
"That is what I desire. I want a better life for the people of my world. Even if it means I have to sacrifice everything to make it happen." Ozpin stared at the young man with cerulean eyes who glared right back. "And I gave up everything knowing what Fate was doing to ensure you would succeed and save Remnant once and for all. I made sure I ostracized those who I trusted most to make sure they were where they needed to be to protect and save Vale!"
"You knew this was going to happen?!" Naruto's eyes widened before they fiercely focused on the wizard. "And you let James usurp your command in defense of Vale knowing that? And you didn't fight it?!"
"You act as if I knew exactly what was going to happen, which is untrue. I merely acted accordingly when the shifts occurred. I prepared for what I saw as the changing tides of my memories." Ozpin stated simply as Naruto frowned at his response. "This entire time, you have been focusing on how to thwart Fate's plans when in reality, it is fallacy to do so when she can simply correct the mistake before you even decide to rebel."
"She doesn't operate like mortals. Time and space are abstract and meaningless to a Goddess such as herself. The only reason you have succeeded in stopping her plans so far is your ability to stumble through shifts and that she can't go back further to erase Blake. At some point in time, she must exist and make her plans work in the continuum."
"Wait…" Naruto took a step back, his eyes narrowing as he grimaced and reached forth and gripped his temple, the rest of his friends doing the same. "What…"
"Why does my head suddenly hurt?" Jaune exclaimed as he swayed, and everything in the room began to spin around him and felt highly nauseating.
"Because Fate altered course, and your memories have been changed due to events of something that didn't happen previously," Ozpin explained as he tapped his cane on the floor; a soothing green aura washed over the room temporarily, and everyone slowly stopped spinning. "She was unsuccessful; I see your collar is still intact, meaning you are mated to young Belladonna. Congratulations, by the way. Should have happened after the dance, if I'm being honest."
"A tragic mistake as my vigilance lacked for a night when it should not have."
"Fate turned back in time to kill Blake?!" Naruto narrowed his eyes before pondering over everything Ozpin was informing him. "Hold on, if what you are saying is true, at any given moment, she deems someone is no longer pertinent to her cause and she sets up a shift that would lead to their demise at the moment they were no longer useful? And then we carry on and act as if it didn't happen and there was nothing we could do about it?"
"It's happened quite a few times to Salem and me, unfortunately. As Champions, we are directly immune to her intervention thanks to our connections to the Brothers, but those around us are less unfortunate. And I've had to watch my memories change because of it." Ozpin lamented as he looked away with a forlorn expression. "I have seen some quite horrendous changes because of it, and I still have vague memories of what it was like before…"
"Like how the White Fang wasn't militant under Sienna's reign. How Jacques wasn't even a councilman, or there wasn't even a world council before, and the Kingdoms only had their separate councils." Ozpin started listing the changes he could still remember as he winced, recalling an ancient soul to help make sure he didn't get his memories crossed.
"Or how dear Raven suddenly changed her personality? Perhaps this is something you noticed yourself? Why would a woman that abandoned her children for seventeen years suddenly return and try to raise her friend's daughter, I wonder?"
Narrowing his eyes and growling deep in his throat, Naruto took a deep breath as he kept his blood in check. It wanted to flow, and he couldn't let it get out of hand. But as he heard everything Oz stated…
"So, what's the plan?" Naruto gritted his teeth and looked directly into the headmaster's eyes. "How the hell do we stop something that controls the very foundation of our lives?"
"We don't," Ozpin responded simply as everyone in the room sank into themselves, unsure what they could do, and Naruto looked ready to burst as his skin tinged red.
As tension hung in the room from his pause, he finally spoke again. "At least not until we know there is a way to restore your full power so we can stand on even ground. You are the key. You always have been. It was why she tethered your powers to her and kept them bound and sealed away as she feared them. She wanted you under her control because she feared the prospect of not having a being of your strength standing against her."
"Because then we need every Maiden to open the vaults and get the artifacts to stand up to her might and trap her in this realm."
"That is the only way we can stop Fate and put an end to this once and for all."
"Ah!" Ruby stretched as she looked upon the night sky; the storm had passed earlier, and having finished working on Dragonslayer and Crescent Rose, she felt she needed to cool down and enjoy the brisk night air. "Feels good…"
"Considering you were working by flames for hours, I imagine." Raven's voice came from above and behind Ruby, red eyes curiously gazing down at the figure stretching below her as she pecked and groomed her feathers.
It was a force of habit when she assumed this form. She didn't know why. Maybe it was simply instinctual?
"Talking bird!" Ruby jumped back in surprise as she turned around to see the bird and looked surprised at the giant black bird before she squinted her eyes and huffed. "Oh wait…"
Raven fluttered down and landed on Ruby's head in annoyance, cawing at her before pecking at her head. "Ow! Stop that!"
And with a few flaps, she flew into an empty alleyway before returning as her usual self, rolling her eyes at the freshly disheveled appearance of Rose. "I see what you inherited from your father."
"I get that… A lot." Ruby muttered as she tried to brush out her rumpled hair, finding it starting to grow out a bit more and realized it had been some time since she had gotten a haircut. "Hair needs cut."
"Looks fine to me. You have your mother's looks. You'd look better with longer hair. Trust me." Raven commented as she walked over and combed through Ruby's hair. "You won't get away with the same hairstyle. At least not right now. Something tells me you might look better by sweeping your bangs to your right side. Think the boys would go crazy over that. Or gals depending on your preference. I know you look up to Qrow, and he swings both ways…"
"He what?" Ruby's eyes opened wide as she took a step back at that bit of information and looked distraught.
She thought all those times Yang talked about that she was messing with her to get revenge! Now his sister was telling her about it too!
"Oh, you didn't know? Shall I tell you about the infamous skirt incident?" Raven grinned as she fondly recalled the memory and had a dreamy look about her. "Let me tell you, he may have tried to preserve his public dignity and masculinity after the event by saying it was a kilt, but he fawned over all the attention he got during it. And he pulled off a skirt so well the entire day while shaking his tail feathers…"
"Too much!" Ruby shouted and waved her hands before her, shaking her head wildly as she didn't want to hear anymore.
It was like when her father tried to tell embarrassing stories about her mother and himself to others in front of her. She didn't want to hear about that! Sure, it was kind of funny, but they were her parents, and uncle Qrow was the same! Their odd quirks were for them to deal with!
And she didn't want to hear anything about that or what they did in bed! That was for them and only them to know! Why did it keep getting brought up before her?! She didn't care what they did as long as they were happy!
Happy…
Like she wanted to be. Like she thought she should be.
As she thought she had found the one…
Looking downcast and turning away dejectedly, Ruby sighed as she looked off toward the view of the nearby ocean. It reflected the starry night sky, but it was also ominously shadowed by thunderstorm clouds that had just passed. And it seemed to suit her mood perfectly as she leaned against a nearby fence to take in the sight.
"Ah, that forlorn expression," Raven smirked as she joined the daughter of her ex, and her friend looked upon the scenery herself, letting the breeze gently whisk through her hair. "I am guessing you have a special someone in mind, but unfortunately…"
"He's taken."
Further slumping into the fence for being so transparent that Yang's mother, who had hardly been around, could tell what was going on with her, Ruby bit her lip. Her hands trembled against the wooden stakes before simply nodding.
It was all she could do. She didn't want to verbally admit she had fallen for Naruto again after giving up on her crush and letting Blake and Naruto have their space. Then everything happened, and she suddenly saw him at that moment and…
She knew.
And she couldn't have him as it would tear apart her friendship and her already strained team. Blake had to figure out this wedding and how to deal with Weiss being interjected into her and Naruto's life now that they had mated and…
Adding her presence to the issue would only complicate things and worsen everything for everybody. And no one needed that.
"Tch, you kids, and your stupid made-up rules. Just share and be done with it." Raven rolled her eyes at Ruby and turned her head in the opposite direction. "You are really like your mother, but then again, even Qrow conformed. It's stupid, and it only causes pain. If you love someone and someone else loves them too, share the bounty and find your own solution to how to split the love. It's that simple. The rules of civilized society still don't make sense to me."
"What?" Raven turned to see a pair of irate silver eyes gazing upon her in annoyance. "I am telling the truth, girl. You think I didn't offer to share Tai with your mother, knowing she had feelings for him even as we married? To share with my brother? To keep our team as one family?"
"Before I returned to the tribe, I tried to forge my own tribe…" Raven admitted as she stared directly into Ruby's eyes as she took a step back. "I knew Qrow, Summer, and I were going to be absent most of the time, and with the tribe looming, I wanted to give myself a reason to stay behind before I learned the truth about Salem, and I took the coward's way out and ran away with them knowing their tribal nature would keep me off the radar."
"I wanted my own tribe. One not bound by their rules and not bound by the rules of society either, but no one else saw it that way. So I was left alone, so I left as at least in the tribe, I could live by my rules and Summer…"
"Could have your father." Raven wistfully finished as she turned away, looked out to the ocean, and sighed. "In my cowardice, I gave up everything knowing that your mother would be there for Tai and Yang. I knew Qrow would be there too. All because I was selfish and wanted all of us to be together as one family without realizing…"
"We already were."
"So don't make the same mistake I did, little Ruby. Recognize what you already have and be grateful for it." Raven sighed in a defeated tone before a light smirk crossed her face as she suddenly reached over and ruffled the silver-eyed girl's hair. "And besides, you are all still kids, you especially! You shouldn't be making life-altering decisions like this! Live a little! Find a cute girl or guy! Make mistakes!"
"Wait, don't make that mistake, or Tai will kill me! Make sure a condom is worn or some sort of protection is used!"
"Ew, ew, ew!" Ruby pawed and batted away Raven's hands defensively as she gagged at the thought. "Not like that…"
"Not what your scroll history says." Raven grinned as she pulled out a scroll and browsed through it with a grin. "Did you know that deleting does not eliminate what you searched for, and it still pops up on the bar? So you are into guys, I see."
"Oh my? You do have your mother's tastes!"
"Give me that!" Ruby blinked past Raven in a flurry of rose petals, snatching her scroll in horror as she looked at the screen and saw what her sister's mother had pulled up on her scroll and looked back, mortified. "Oh no…"
"Don't tell dad!"
"Oh, your secret is safe with me. He wouldn't believe his adorable little angel would search for such naughty things even if I told him straight to his face. Now Qrow, however…" Raven grinned as Ruby narrowed her eyes upon hearing where the corvid was leading and didn't like it.
Was this how it felt when she did this to Yang?
This was horrible!
"Deal?" Ruby held out her right hand with her eyes squinting at her raven-haired mother of her sister.
"Oh, so you're playing the game now?" Raven smirked as she accepted Ruby's hand and nodded in agreement. "Of course, my dear. I won't tell your dear uncle under one condition."
"Where's his hidden booze stash? He's sobering up. He owes me for a bet we made long ago that he never paid me back on, and it's time he paid me back. He won't need it anymore either, so all those vintage brews will end up going to waste, and I happen to have a few sellers here that we might split the lien fifty-fifty. Shall we?" Raven concededly smirked as she conned the young Ruby into her scheme.
Freezing for a moment, she would have to betray Qrow's trust, something she never would do. An evil smirk graced her lips as she nodded. "I've seen it."
Raven smirked proudly. Oh, corrupting her little girl was easy. She'd make a glorious bandit out of her yet!
"Good."
It had been a long time since he had stepped foot in the shipyard. While it was only four months ago, it felt like a lifetime for him. So much had happened in that time, and it was difficult to come to terms with everything happening. However, being here reminded him…
This is where he and Blake essentially started their journey together when they were waiting for him to come to steal the Dust back then.
The irony was that now he was coming to meet him here for information.
At least, unlike Rainbow, it seemed like they took care of all the damages done here that were inflicted by the White Fang, himself, and Trivia. Including this metal shutter door he was pretty sure Trivia threw through him. "Ah, good times. That was the first time I ever got to test my semblance seriously. And now it's a bittersweet memory given everything that has happened after…"
"Got a few others that need to hear this, Roman. If you don't mind, you can come out." Naruto commented as he looked around the warehouse; memories returned to him, and he bit back a laugh. "Shit, they still haven't found some of my bombs here. Neat, those will be useful later."
"Might need to package those for later!"
"How the hell do you have so many bombs?" The annoyed voice of one Roman Torchwick responded as he appeared from behind one of the many containers within the warehouse, one of his hired goons walking behind him, assisting a wobbly moving Yang as he tilted his head and motioned toward the ninja.
"That would be me." A voice came out from behind Naruto, and the tapping of another cane announced Ozpin's presence as he slowly walked into view with Ren at his side and a tired Tealle in front of them. "He kept requesting them while he worked at Beacon, saying he was running low or out of them, and I'm beginning to see why."
Roman narrowed his eyes at the presence of one of the councilors of Vale and the headmaster of Beacon. He didn't like the fact that he was here. This was liable to make things quite complicated.
Naruto grimaced as he quickly moved over and had Yang's arm draped over his shoulder. "Shit, I only heard from Ren about what happened. The damage is far more serious than I could have thought…"
"Blake, if you would so kindly quit hovering above us, I'd appreciate it. And if you brought the fairy dude, see if he could do anything about this?" Naruto called out as he looked up above and directly toward where he felt his mate and the presence of Weiss and saw a flicker of blue light. "I'm guessing you overheard the call this morning if you made your way here…"
"How could I not?!" Blake hissed as she jumped down from the rafters above as a fairy floated to check on Yang, and Roman narrowed his eyes, wondering how long she had been stalking him. "Why the hell did you not tell me you helped him, of all people, escape? That seems like crucial information, Naruto!"
"Um, maybe because I did it right after our fight! You were kidnapped on an island full of Grimm!" Naruto countered as he growled back at his mate before he adjusted and kept Yang steady as she stumbled alongside him. "A lot happened very quickly, and there wasn't any time to mull over the details, even today, as I'm sure you are aware. I figured this would be a great place, and I'm glad you showed up because I can't exactly call…"
"What does that mean?!" Blake hissed as she assisted in helping keep Yang steady and turned to Puck as he started feathering his elven dust from his wings onto her head. "I swear if that is something else…"
"What do you have against me?!" Puck responded in a pouting fashion before he noted a few others walking into the warehouse and became excited. "Tealle! You are okay! I am so glad and…"
"Who is this?"
"That would be Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon, one of the council members of Vale, and the technical general of Vale's standing army when one is called into action." A new voice announced as a figure walked out of the shadows to reveal herself, acknowledging the elf as she spoke.
And emerald eyes burned fiercely as a good witch hesitantly joined stride with Ozpin and walked beside her former boss. "Ozpin, how are my students?"
"As good as ever, Glynda." Oz retorted and briefly smiled upon seeing the Huntress. "It is a delight to see you are healthy and taking care of yourself. How is the new job treating you?"
"It has its ups and downs, but overall I'm faring well," Glynda responded while keeping her emerald gaze focused on the man in a white suit with a deep frown adorned on her face. "A massive down currently comes from this man escaping his cell, and I fear somehow that someone in this room may have caused his escape."
"What the hell is going on?" Roman questioned everything as he looked upon one of the council members of Vale and the headmaster of Beacon; his eyes dangerously narrowed when he specifically saw the chief of police walking beside him. "Okay, in fairness, I know Vale is being silently invaded, but I have integrity to uphold here! I don't work with the law under any circumstances!"
"It's bad for my image." Roman flexed his hands and sighed in contempt, knowing there wasn't a way out of this, but he needed to vent. "Things I do to be the most well-known criminal of all time…"
"Stupid war getting in the way of my dreams. Neo, wherever you are, you better not be laughing your ass off at me…"
"Vale is what?!" Blake snapped her head toward Roman as Weiss gently landed beside them, having taken a slightly safe jump, and her eyes were wide.
Glynda immediately stepped from Ozpin's side, as she had not expected him of all people to be here as well, upon hearing that news and gave a side glance toward Naruto and then directly at the criminal that had escaped her high-security facility. "Explain. Qrow directed me to come here tonight, saying I would be informed what was happening after he came and wrangled an assassin that nearly killed a highly valuable suspect regarding Gold's case into hiring a hitman, among many other accusations."
"Well, he did that again. Winter and I stopped him from assassinating the Schnee family." Naruto commented, and Glynda's eyes narrowly turned towards the blonde faunus as Weiss gasped, her icy blue eyes glistening in terror at hearing what had happened, her hands covering her mouth as she had not received any word from her family about this happening. "I'm sure those reports should be arriving on your desk soon, I'd imagine. Oh wait, they already should have, considering it was several hours ago."
"I think you might need to find out who was sent to the Schnee manor and depose them," Naruto added as he screwed up his nose and glared at the elf who was still dusting Yang. "Okay, that stuff does not smell very pleasant, you know! It's tingling and is about to make me sneeze!"
"I can't do anything about that!" Puck roared in annoyance before grumbling under his brief. "Everyone is so ungrateful. Even Guts. Why do I put up with all this?"
"Little guy, I think this is awesome for what it's worth," Yang responded as her head started to clear, and her footing was far sturdier than it had been moments before. "We're all just agitated, that's all."
"Yeah, I apologize." Naruto sighed as he rubbed his nose to keep himself from sneezing. "You are doing us an amazing service with this healing magic or whatever the hell you are doing. It's appreciated."
Puck, full of vigor, perked up and smiled back. "All right, now that's what I like to hear! I'll get this done, and you'll be back in fighting shape in no time! But my dust is starting to run low. Think you can stand on your own for now and give my wings some time to recover?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling better. Everything is clearer. I can see straight." Yang shook her head, looked around, and sighed in relief before she winced as her legs still felt weak. "Still a bit wobbly. Unfortunately. Bitch did a number on me, and I think my nerves are slowly recovering."
"Seems like it." Blake grimaced as beating Yang in a straight fight was tough when she used her aura despite her lack of defense against kicks. "You're going to have to fill us in later on what happened."
"The hell is going on, by the way? I can't see shit, and she's just getting better? What?" Roman blinked in confusion at the sight and was baffled that she was recovering seemingly instantly.
"That would be due to their new elf comrade," Ozpin explained as he looked over the small blue light with a bemused expression. "It's been quite some time since I've seen an elf, as they are rare and reclusive. The majority of humanity cannot see them as they don't believe in their existence and, as such, aren't capable of observing and interacting with them. As a result, their amazing properties and magic become next to impossible."
"Belief is a strong force. The unfortunate fact is that most adults lose it when they grow up. The elves and their people would benefit humanity greatly if we simply believed in their existence, and they could help us more." Ozpin sadly shrugged before his focus returned entirely to the auburn-haired man wearing a white suit. "However, this conversation has strayed a little off topic. I suggest we return to why we are truly here."
"It seems my Kingdom is being invaded, and we are the last line of defense as an old friend has lost his way." Ozpin sternly gazed at the Roman and tightened his grasp around his cane, showing he was here for business.
"Oh, it most certainly is! Come and check this out!" Roman threw his hands in the air before motioning everyone to follow him to where he had walked out of and into a small office in the warehouse.
Filtering into the small room, a small parchment was laid out on a desk, and Roman tapped a spot to draw attention to it. "I've only been out for a short time, but man, you guys needed me out, I tell you! You've let things in the city's dark underbelly get way out of hand! Even you! I thought you were some kind of wizard at stopping crime!"
"Well, you only drove it deeper underground and made it nearly impossible to track!" Roman glared at Naruto momentarily, who bore a sinister gaze back at him before tapping the parchment again. "Because of your work, many of the syndicates had to find different ways to handle things to stay off your radar. Unfortunately, it made tracking down my old contacts a pain in the ass. When I found my old Spider friends, oh boy, was I in for a rude awakening!"
"The freaking Mistral army was hidden underground and ready to take over Vale, most likely at some point during the Vytal Festival's climax!" Roman proclaimed before pointing straight at Ren. "The boy can attest to that! He was there at one of their new bases! I believe you guys cleaned up that old White Fang garbage heap, the filthy animals!"
"Watch your tongue!" Blake hissed as her golden eyes flickered angrily toward the criminal they had previously captured.
"Take it what you will, my lady, but I hate everyone equally, so there is no prejudice here. You are all worthless as far as I'm concerned. I know which side to choose, as I would rather be on the winning side when everything is said and done!" Roman proclaimed before turning the parchment around for all to see as Blake hissed madly at him.
Roman carried on uncaringly. "Their numbers, by comparison, were small a few weeks ago, noted by my old friends in Spider. But the uptick shows their growth and how quickly they prepared and brought everyone in. They are getting ready to move, and I am certain it is about to happen. I would say it will most likely happen on opening day or better yet…"
"During a certain exhibition match, don't you say?"
"No wonder Gold seemed enthusiastic about setting up an exhibition match with Vi and Naruto." Ozpin frowned as he looked at the parchment, and Glynda furrowed her brow. "It would be an excellent time to strike. With all the fervor and ruckus already going on with the festival, the wedding tacked on top of it. Now the hero of Vale opening the tournament up with a match against their Kingdom's greatest rival as tensions never really ceased between Vale and Mistral, only were patched up and unduly forgotten due to the threat of the Grimm."
"If this is true, it seems Mistral never forgot or forgave Vacuo or Vale for their defeat in the war. It makes a lot of the business moves of the Mistral Trading Company over the years make sense." Glynda gnashed her teeth at the realization of it. "Building one of the most monopolized companies in the world that has its fingers in everything. Helping drain all the Dust from Vacuo, leaving them without any natural resources. Hell, one of their CEO sons left years back and now is the head of its leading competitor, Schnee Dust Company."
"It seems all too convenient that now Atlas is in control of our Kingdom's defense, and suddenly Mistral's army is beneath our city, ready to take us in less than two weeks!"
Weiss flinched at the mention of her father, and her shoulders sagged as she couldn't defend any of that. Then, she withdrew into herself, hearing what was happening and seeing what looked like information on soldier numbers and pictures of Mistral soldiers being taken. How had this happened while they were out on patrol?
How did they not see anyone coming into town?"
And her father was in business relations with these men and a fellow councilman with Gold. How could she justify anything that was said here about him? With what he was doing to her, Naruto, and Blake? Everything was so wrong!
Feeling a warm arm wrap around her shoulders in a comforting manner, her icy blues snapped up to see Naruto giving her a simple side embrace as he focused on what was being said. But at that moment, it meant so much to her.
He stood beside her during her time of need. She was thankful for that.
"And with your dear old ironman using his cover as the Kingdom's defender, they could all slip in unnoticed via the old tunnels blasted by yours truly here. Then they cleared them out using construction and fixing of the area destroyed by the previous leader of the White Fang as a clever ruse to keep people from the area from noticing what was happening here and to cover their tracks so any odd noises could be blamed on construction." Roman shook his head as such a simple notion easily covered up the operation.
"They have to have other bases besides that one. They don't plan on taking Vale with just one base." Naruto frowned as he looked at the information with narrowed eyes. "They have to have more than that because, by the time it was figured out, there would be enough of an uprising they could be pushed back with the number of Huntsman and Huntress that call Vale home just like any Kingdom and be in for a fight they wouldn't want."
"Only one other would be necessary," Ozpin responded with narrowed eyes as he looked at the parchment. "And given the numbers, they have one. An army can easily overwhelm a Kingdom from two strategic points. Given where this base is, they will be able to keep a substantial portion of the population under control as most of Vale's populace is still within the lower sectors. Now it is a simple matter of where the other base is hidden, and I think I have an idea of where that would be."
"After all, if they were picking up on your habits, they figured out where you don't travel rather quickly." Ozpin turned to Naruto, who furrowed his brow for a moment. "Then again, it was a tactic used against faunus before to conceal their human presence in urban settings during the war."
Blake was the first to swear, as she understood what the headmaster meant, knowing her history quite well. "By the Brothers, they're hiding in the sewers to cover their tracks! That was a despicable tactic then, and it is now!"
"Taking advantage of one's weakness is the same as using one's advantage over another. There is no difference. Faunus have an advantage in the dark but can be overstimulated depending on their adaptations, thanks to their high senses of smell or hearing. It makes tactical sense to take advantage of what you can when one of your major threats holds such adaptations." Glynda retorted and narrowed her eyes. "So we are under threat of invasion? And James is in on this?"
"Atlas special ops attacked Nora, Yang, and me when we uncovered their base by complete accident," Ren informed Glynda, causing her emerald eyes to sharpen, hearing some of her favored students were endangered by her old friend's overzealous actions. "They did seem to try and peacefully handle the situation, unlike the Mistral soldiers…"
"That wasn't happening. The sniper was ordered to kill when the opportunity presented itself, as soon as your heads popped up if I hadn't taken him out. They wanted to leave no traces of being found out." Roman interrupted and informed them of what he had learned.
Naruto winced and groaned upon hearing that, releasing Weiss's shoulder and gripping his temple. "Fuck me. I'm probably the cause of that. Qrow and I confronted Ironwood about Merlot…"
"Wait, Merlot?" Ozpin blinked as Glynda's eyes grew considerably, as that was not a name she had heard in years. "I think I need a few details about how he fits into the picture. And how did he survive the Mount Glenn incident is a better question."
"He did. Kidnapped me, restrained my power from the girl, kidnapped the girls as Fate brought them to an island he was hiding on as he continued his foolish pursuit to control the Grimm. Everyone rescued us." Salem's voice echoed from Tealle as her eyes reflected of the red void as she glanced up at Naruto. "Did you possibly confront the Iron One about his technology and the droids?"
"Yes? He was the only one who had access to the tech level. He admitted he had contact with the man." Naruto frowned as he tried to gauge why Salem was suddenly interested in his confrontation with the Atlas general.
"Indeed he did, but there is another player involved, and with all this going on, I'm sure my dear Arthur is involved somehow. That device on poor Tealle's neck was too well made to be Merlot's doing." Salem reached up and rubbed the center of her chest and neck where the device had rubbed Tealle's skin raw and was still sore despite Puck's healing dust.
"Stop messing with it! You're making her wounds heal slower, witch!" Puck yelled as he fluttered over and glared at the possessed Tealle, unafraid of her dark and magical powers.
He had faced worse.
"Oh, that guy." Roman grimaced as he remembered meeting Arthur once when he was around Cinder, and while hearing an adult woman's voice, a powerful one that crept him out, coming from a young child, bothered him; he noted there were a lot of strange things happening at the moment. "I know him. He's been using my old Spider acquaintances too. From what they said, he seems to be lurking around with a massive dude in Vale and are seemingly enlisted in Mistral's forces."
"Oh, this will not end well for me if Arthur and Hazel are here." Ozpin grimaced as he felt his impending doom was upon him. "Of all times and everything happening, I need Miss Nikos to be sure of herself right now…"
"She is an inferior Fall Maiden, and you know it. The true successor to Fall is in this room, and you and the boy are refusing to let her take her place." Salem countered, drawing the scorn of Naruto and Ozpin while everyone else looked on in confusion.
"Okay, what the hell am I missing? Care to explain? Anyone!" Roman chastised the entire group for leaving him out of the loop when his eyes snapped outside at movement before his eyes darted back to the group. "Does anyone have Atlas tech on them?!"
"What? I mean, I do, but…" Weiss started as she drew her scroll and looked confused when Naruto immediately snatched it.
And in an instant, he snapped the scroll and tossed it out of the room, his sensory going wild as he was too focused on everything happening in the room. "They tracked it! We're surrounded!"
"What?!" Blake roared as the sizzling sounds of beam rounds began to unload and tear apart the room, everyone ducking for cover and flipping what they could to shield themselves as pieces of furniture were being set ablaze from the heat of blasts. "They're using Atlas tech against us! Not only that, they're tracking us through our scrolls?! How the hell do we fight that?!"
"Going back to basics, Miss Belladonna!" Ozpin commented over the roar of gunfire that filled the room before his eyes focused on Naruto, and he gave a simple nod. "I think you know what to do."
"I'll cover you."
"I know my powers are bullshit, but so is your magic! So let's do this!" Naruto roared as he pulled out a detonator, and everyone's eyes lit up wide in realization.
And a single button press and a green light enveloped the room they were in.
Everything had turned out horribly. He didn't want any of this to happen. He just wanted Remnant to be at peace.
James wanted nothing more than that as he looked upon Vale from below in his airship. This Kingdom and its people deserved protection just like everyone else. Gold and Mistral wanted this, and he would have washed his hands clean of it, but…
He would have complete control by the end if he played his hand right and could steer and protect Remnant with all his might. It was a calculated risk but one he was willing to sacrifice for. Even if it meant losing everything…
Ozpin…
Qrow…
Glynda…
All of his trusted comrades he respected throughout the years more than anyone else.
Then there was the boy that came from nowhere. The one that had unyielding power and drive not unlike his own.
Naruto Uzumaki.
He held that young man in high esteem because of what he had seen in him and what he had accomplished in such a short time. And his willingness to do what needed to be done…
And now they would be pitted against one another, and it was a shame…
James, for once, was not confident. He knew he stood almost no chance in a direct confrontation as the power gap was absurd. If he could temporarily neutralize the threat he and his group of friends had worked so hard for years to put down, he knew his chances against him were slim at best. And he was only getting stronger and building a small special force.
It would only be a matter of time before he would have a Kingdom-level threat behind him, and he knew it. And that was if he didn't consider Naruto that level of a threat on his own if he was capable of besting the witch single-handedly.
A subtle subterfuge would be necessary and the only way he could defeat the faunus. He would have preferred that. He would have liked to keep them safe and out of harm's way during this. It would have been better if he could have avoided the conflict.
But Gold had to be overzealous, call a hit on him, and then overstretch. Now he had dragged the entire Schnee family into this affair. It would only draw his ire further and make things more difficult. He was skilled in the shadows too, but if he was forced to be direct, he feared the consequences…
Ironwood's eyes snapped to the bay to the shipyard. It was wracked with engulfing and thunderous explosions that triggered shockwaves throughout the Kingdom of Vale. He watched as booming clouds of smoke rose into the air, buildings in the distance were leveled, and shipping containers ruptured. Fire sparked from these, burned across, and caught more buildings on fire, and his eyes narrowed.
He kept tracking the few Atlas scrolls left amongst their possessions to keep track of the whereabouts of Naruto and his group to see what they were up to. They were most likely weary of communicating as they were rightly concerned about him tapping their conversations, which he was. So if there was this level of destruction and carnage…
"Gold, stop making moves without my knowledge!" James cursed as he slammed his fist on his console before hitting several buttons. "Get the fire suppression team there immediately! We're going to have to cover this mess in a hurry!"
"How many soldiers just perished because of that idiot's mistake?!"
Hope You Enjoyed the Chapter
Next Updated is Posted on My Profile.
For Those who have no idea about those references to Christmas in the second scene or Fate bending time to try and kill Blake.
Fated Holidays.
My dear Guest Reader, who asked who was being held in the Police Station.
It was the assassin that failed to kill Naruto at the start of the Volume when back to Rainbow.