A/N: Welcome to what I think is definitely going to be the longer chapters in this story. Most of the time I'm probably going to average closer to 5,000 or around that but that might change depending on how long these take to come out. This one might be the last until school ends officially so I'm making it a bit longer. Anyway hope you enjoy.

Chapter 8 – Leaping at Shadows

-Jaune Arc-

I'd heard stories of course, yet my first impression upon entering the great city of Mistral was of how small I felt, surrounded by towering monoliths and grand buildings the color of cleaned bone and mottled sky that if anything were only magnified in the light of the sun cresting the horizon.

My own home city state of Sanctum was large yes, but uniform, nothing too fanciful or unnecessary to distract from its singular cause of producing the finest warriors Remnant had ever seen. After passing dozens resplendent mosaics and intricate statuary that seemed to grace every corner with a sort of unique beauty and grandeur I couldn't help but prefer this to the bleakness of home.

Of course the massive horde of citizens pressing in on every side cheering our praises and doing their best to catch a glimpse of the valiant sons and daughters of Sanctum who had defended their borders didn't help matters. The city guard having passed word of our coming, creating a crushing throng that acted as our guides through the city tossing brightly cut cloths and flower petals at our feet as the air practically thrummed with excited energy. We did make quite a show in or bronze armor and crimson cloaks, marching in unison to the time of an ingrained cadence.

Fath…the Commander, had hoped we would have been able to reach the city in darkness, avoid the fanfare entirely, however travel back to the Imperial capitol had been slow going what with scattered Grimm and enemy combatants still roaming the countryside. 'Not that they had been much trouble…' I thought, standing just a few inches taller as I tried my best to copy my sires example. We arrived in victory, and in my opinion a bit of glory never hurt anyone, in moderation of course.

Sparing a glance towards the man several dozen feet and armored bodies ahead of me I noted his face, a mask of resolute authority as he led my fellows and I on horseback at the head of the column looking every bit the king he was. His daughter I might be, but I had not yet distinguished myself enough to earn a place by his side just yet, my spear still newly blooded in combat. Still new to the horrors of war…

Suddenly for the briefest instant I was back in the thick of battle, screams deafening on all sides, my vision clouded by dust, the sour metallic tang of blood and acrid smell of sweat assaulting my senses…I shook my head fervently to clear it, earning a sharp rap on the side of my helm from a similarly armored woman to my left, a touch of concern on her stony face that I waved away quickly with a small smile I didn't feel.

'Get a hold of yourself…' I shook out my head in an attempt to clear it, catching sight of a small girl with canine ears atop her head staring at me in what could only be described as awe, or maybe she was merely impressed with the column in general but still '…set an example.' I wasn't a sniveling fearful child no…no I was a warrior of Sanctum, a veteran of a full engagement and half a dozen smaller skirmishes, I would stand tall, fearless.

The parade march continued on like this all the way to the foot of a massive building that could only have been Haven, the crown jewel of Mistral, the seat of her Emperor. My Commander stopped his horse at the foot of a massive staircase that acted as entrance to the building holding up a closed fist up as he dismounted, plumed helm clutched in the crook of his arm and smoothing out his short blood red curls. Upon that signal every warrior in step behind him halted as well with discipline unrivaled, spears held at our sides bringing a hush over the crowd.

'No…not us.' I realized as a short procession came into sight at the head of the stairs, a whole cadre of guards dressed in ornate brightly colored armor that put even our crimson and bronze to shame made their way down the steps escorting a small cluster of robed older men and women who carried themselves like officials, and at their center…

"Peleus!" A blue haired young man in vibrant crimson and purple robes raced from the group as soon as they'd reached the street, embracing the commander with a wide grin on his face and a resounding laugh at the shocked expression that crossed the other man's face. Understandable when one noticed the simple golden circlet he wore across his forehead "How are you faring my friend, trying to sneak into the city before the sun's even risen. One almost thinks you intended to report and leave without even a simple greeting."

This was him then, Aureus, the recently anointed Emperor of Mistral and leader of her sister cities, a man who could build cities or raze them with but a simple command. I hadn't known what to expect of such a person, but the bouncing, laughing figure clapping the Commander on the shoulder hadn't even come close to the intimidating giant the recent stories and rumors made of him. 'He seems a kind man at least…'

Rather than shrug away from the contact, Peleus merely bowed his head low acknowledging his presence, "I wouldn't dream of it Imperator, I merely wished to report our success as soon as possible."

"My father had warned me you the only man he knew who would turn down a parade in your honor."

"Indeed, I was saddened to hear his condition had worsened so suddenly, for him to be taken from us is a grievous loss."

"For myself and the Empire as well, my friend." The blue haired man frowned slightly, looking exasperated at the show of deference, at least until his guards tried to draw him back away from the military leader, their eyes watching him warily in a way that sent the warriors bunched around me stirring like a Grimm preparing to pounce.

They needn't have bothered worrying, questioning his loyalty; in fact, it was arguable that the Emperor had been safer nearer Peleus than his own guard. According to the stories I'd heard both from my sire and told around the camp fires on the way here, the previous Emperor Titus had been a true hero who had reportedly saved my father's own life many times as hard as it was to believe. What was certain was that the two had been close friends ever since then both on and off the battlefield, the Lord of Sanctum immediately pledging our army when his friend's son had called for aid dealing in suppressing the rising threat of the Soulless which many suspected had gathered in response to the Empire's sadness over the death of its beloved leader.

To suspect him of treachery was a dishonor to treat our Commander, our Lord, as such but again the tension was diffused with another hearty laugh from the Emperor himself. "I see we'll want to continue this inside I suppose. Be sure to bring her along as well, she is here, isn't she?" If anything his smile only grew at the sight of the commander nodding reluctantly, gleefully clapping his hands together like an over excited child, "Of course how could she not with a father like you? Splendid! Now come along." He started up the stairs again followed by his retinue, only when he had nearly crested a quarter of the way did I realize the commander was calling something out, a name...

"Pyrrha! Daughter!"

I jumped hesitating just long enough for the woman next to me to elbow me out of the crowd, hissing for me to get a move on, a humorous expression on her face that I noticed was shared by most of the other troops around us. Amazing how quickly a warrior of Sanctum can go from murderous to amused, a show of the harsh yet rewarding lifestyle we all ascribed to and what one day I hoped to learn.

"I expect to see you here in five seconds or so help me…!"

"Yes Commander! My apologies." I hastened to reply, practically sprinting to the front of the throng towards him trying my best to block out the playful snickers rising up as I passed, face likely as crimson as the curls packed tight beneath my helm very much aware of an entire city's gaze following my every step. It was with no small bit of pride that I managed to walk upright regardless of the scrutiny, coming to a halt before my father. "Reporting, Pyrrha Nikos of the First..."

"Your name is Pyrrha Nikos, First Princess of Sanctum and my daughter. The Imperator has requested my presence within the palace to report on the movements of the Grimm Horde and has asked that you accompany me." He said with all the crispness of a drill master, green eyes staring into my own like a hawk seeking prey, "He's been eager to meet you for quite some time, you will come along and hold yourself to the highest standard, understood?"

"Y-Yes Father."

The words stunned me for a few moments, how could they not? Princess I might be but in Sanctum a child, even royalty, earned their place by virtue of their honor and their arm, not distinctly by birth as was common in most other societies. I would be judged in the trials of war and would either earn the right to take my place as my father's heir, or die a glorious death in battle as was expected of me, so had it been since I first picked up the spear at seven and the shield at ten. To have those privileges returned to me now, even for a short period, was simply…

Of course my own shock had hardly mattered, and soon I found myself kneeling beside my king in a room larger than most homes of the buildings I'd seen during our march through the city, lined with broad marble and gold pillars, the ceiling an ornate tapestry depicting scenes from the Empires founding from the jaws of destruction at the hands of the Grimm hordes. Before me Aureus sat looking down at me appraisingly, hardly seeming to listen to my father's report though with the sheer number of scribes and other military officials clambering for information and posing questions I was certain his presence in this matter was little more than a formality.

What shocked me was just how young he was, barely older than I and with the entire weight of a civilization on his shoulders. 'It must be quite a burden to bear...' I couldn't help the flush creeping across my face at the way his blue eyes took in my features, red curls cropped haphazardly around my chin to better fit underneath my helm, limbs more muscular than feminine…wait, since when have I ever cared…

"Rise and shine Jauney!"

"Uaagh!" my eyes shot wide open as a near deafening boom echoed in my ears and bright lights assaulted my senses, my limbs splaying out in all directions which only served to make my short fall to the ground that much more awkward and painful.

'Not again…' I grimaced irritably as I realized I was in what looked to be the same guest room I had used in Weiss' mansion, attempting to bring up a hand to massage my freshly aching skull only to find even those small movements were enough to put fresh tears in my eyes as my body ached terribly, 'No, that's not right.'

I was uninjured from what I could see, the small burns and scrapes I'd sustained fighting Berserker and her Master had vanished, magically if I was to guess, however my Magical Circuits responsible for governing my own meager abilities burned in a way they hadn't since I first came to Beacon, especially the hand that bore the Command Seals which felt as if someone had tried to gouge the flesh out with an ice cream scoop.

Upon close inspection I discovered one of the marks that had made up the twin crescent moons had vanished leaving a stained crimson bruise that certainly hadn't been there before. Then it all came back to me, Lancer and Rider fighting Berserker, Archer vanishing after Weiss' order had gone through, fending off those fire familiars from Weiss when her Mana had bottomed out… In fact, the last thing I remembered was one of the creatures blasting me aside with ease, raising a clawed hand to strike down the defenseless heiress where she stood. Then there was a burning pain in my hand and…

"You okay Jauney?" I glanced up from my hand to find light green eyes staring back at me from a frowning face framed by orange colored hair. "I didn't clap too loudly did I? My caretaker used to always do the same to get me and my friends to wake faster but perhaps…" she frowned, obviously having underestimated what a full strength clap from a being such as a Heroic Servant could amount to, at least judging from the broken glass and audible ringing in my ears. 'Are those car alarms?'

"R-Rider wha…?" I had barely enough time to say, or wonder why the Servant was in my room wearing what could barely pass as pajamas, before the door to the room burst open allowing a crimson and bronze colored figure to race into the room and snatch me up in a hug that threatened to send me tumbling back into unconsciousness if I hadn't taken a quick breath. "P-Pyrrha!" I coughed, ignoring the use of her title in favor of the name I knew her by complete accident, though if she was annoyed it certainly didn't show.

"Jaune I'm so happy you're okay, after you passed out I…" she said quickly in a desperate tone before freezing, turning her eyes to Rider curiously before looking back at me, her face reddening. "Jaune?"

"Pyyrha." I gaped, noting the same eyes, the same skin, hair, all of it from that strange dream…

"NORA!" Rider cried out suddenly surprising both of us, Lancer hurrying to leap away only for me to collapse back on the ground face first as my legs collapsed from underneath me.

'Why is it always me!?'

"…and that's our current situation." Weiss finished succinctly to the room at large, settling back into her armchair with an exhausted groan while I did my best to come to terms with what had happened, nibbling at the assortment that had been prepared for me after the chaos of Rider's wakeup call had died down. "While we did manage to repel and likely injure Berserker, her Master is still alive and now unfortunately knows the three of us by appearance at least."

"And Archer's still missing." Ren added from his own place sitting cross legged before the fire side, eyes closed deep in some sort of meditation though obviously light enough that he could still converse. "I trust you've tried to summon her back here?"

Weiss blanched angrily, hand curling into her fist as she glared down at her wrist where her own set of Command seals were inscribed. "Of course I have, but that dolt seems to be blocking me somehow. She won't respond to my call."

"Of course she won't." I was surprised to hear Lancer's voice growl from over my shoulder where the Servant had stood protectively over me since I'd been able to stand on my own again. "You dishonored her, forcing her to flee from battle like a coward leaving her comrades to their fate. What's more you stopped her attempts to save her flesh and blood after having that relationship so twisted before her. It's little wonder she won't heed the orders of one obviously so lacking in understanding."

"I am her Master if you haven't forgotten, and I won't be talked down to or belittled by a mere familiar, Heroic Spirit or no!" Weiss snarled, staring daggers at Pyrrha and then at me, the best I could do was give her a nervous shrug and avoid meeting her gaze, "I made the only choice I could at the time, if I hadn't utilized that Command Spell Archer would've likely been killed by that monster."

"You didn't even try to trust in her judgment!"

"She was completely irrational, attacking you and Rider even. I wasn't willing to take that risk, and in return for saving her life now she's run away like some petulant child!" Weiss retorted, Lancer looking like she wanted to smite the heiress where she sat but I quickly intervened, voicing a question that had nagged in the corner of my mind.

"How did you do that, make Archer do what you wanted." And great there she was staring at me as if I were an idiot again. Even the enforcer had broken his trance to look at me with a stunned disbelieving look on his face. "What, I saw that Cinder woman do it too. Something about Command Seals?" I was getting a little annoyed now, my eyes narrowing, "Hey, will you stop looking at me like that. No one's ever given me a rulebook and seeing as how I had to focus more on getting a roof over my head rather than going to see the Headmaster I don't exactly have an instruction manual and Lancer can only help if I know to ask!"

Wow that felt good to get off my chest, Weiss even looked somewhat impressed by the outburst. 'God am I really that pathetic…' She did wind up dropping the judging look, shifting into more of a sullen apologetic expression that didn't exactly feel much better.

"You're right and I apologize for that, an oversight on my part." She said, making a point of not looking me in the eye as she raised her wrist and rolled up her sleeve revealing a snowflake shaped mark that seemed to possess the same smudge mine did. "These stigmata that appear on our bodies is more than just a marker declaring that we were chosen by the grail or a link to our Servants, but also a means of drawing upon three command spells."

I glanced down at my own, the small mark still tingling slightly with the presence of not just Lancer but Rider also nearby. The hammer wielder was apparently guarding the house, more out of apology for attempting to "shock" me awake as she put it.

"With each one comes the power of a single absolute command that will temporarily, depending on the nature of the order, override the will and intention of a Heroic Spirit. Unlike Hypnotism however these orders can cover a variety of bases allowing me for example to summon my Servant from feasibly anywhere in the world to my side in an instant, push her power far beyond what it would usually be able to in the pursuit of a goal, or even commit suicide if I so wished it."

All right I was with her until that last bit, my look of amazement at the things carved into my hand turning quickly into one of abject horror and revulsion. I suddenly wanted them gone, and Lancer could sense it, putting her hand atop mine in an attempt to comfort me. It helped…sort of. I put my plate away, suddenly not very hungry after all. Meanwhile Weiss reached for a smoking cup of what looked to be tea.

"So why don't you just use another one, force Ruby back here like some slave." I didn't mean to sound so bitter or for Weiss to flinch as she did but I couldn't help it, the thought of owning another person so utterly, even a familiar was just disturbing.

"She can't risk using another seal for something so pointless." Ren said this time, drawing my attention, "A master only gets three Command Spells before their Servant can no longer be considered fully under their control. She'd be considered a Master yes but if Archer decided to leave or even betray Miss Schnee if she thought it would benefit her in the long run she could do so without fear of reprisal. The Servants have their own stake to fight for in this war same as the Master's and the same prize at the end of the road."

So, though they were in many ways no different from the common familiars I'd seen in classes, the Heroic Spirits still fought for the chance to have their wishes granted as well. 'I wonder what Lancer wishes for.' I looked up into the emerald green eyes, her face reddening as she looked away embarrassed, likely knowing full well what I was thinking. 'Something to ask about later, if she's going to fight so hard for my dream then the least I can do is fight for hers as well."

"Honestly I'm surprised this is the first you've heard of any of this, I mean you did use one didn't you?"

"I did?" I glanced down at the sigil wonderingly, slightly panicking now. What had I made Lancer do, something embarrassing, maybe when I passed out... "I mean I remember my hand hurting right before I… my face reddened as Weiss' hand went to her forehead, kneading it with a shaking sigh. "W-What?"

"Figures the first time you think to use a Command Seal would be on accident, and for something so pointlessly vague and…and selfless." She said begrudgingly, red faced.

"It did have the desired effect, just…well, it did have unforeseen side effects." Ren corrected the heiress, causing the girl to laugh stonily though certainly not out of amusement.

"What? What was the order!?"

"Jaune, when you were fighting that witch's familiars there was a moment when you wanted something, wanted it so badly that your will manifested with the use of your first Command Seal in the form of the order "Protect Weiss Schnee" Lancer voiced, stepping forward while the heiress was now doing her best to vanish into her teacup. "Doing so allowed me to draw upon the power the Seal provided and what remained of your own and utilize a Noble Phantasm, a piece of my legend in a way that aided me in dispatching Berserker."

"Well that's…good, right?" Noble Phant-what now? My head was spinning just trying to keep up with what I'd apparently done while also trying to figure out what the issue was that had Weiss acting so strangely.

"Stupid, overly noble, infatuated dolt of a…" the murmuring was starting to get at me now, my crush's face twisting as a nerve bulged over her eye.

The enforcer stepped in again, this time spinning in place with a small but genuine grin. "Remarkable actually, usually such a broad order wouldn't have been able to amount to much more than a small boost in a Servant's stats, helpful but not enough to allow Lancer to pull off what she did. You must have quite a lot of natural ability, as well as a strong will, to have empowered it so." The compliment was well…unexpected, seeing as I wasn't much used to receiving them in the first place, let alone from someone like this.

"T-Thanks, but I don't really know about all that."

"Well you would have to be, seeing as it seems the command still hasn't ended."

"Say what now?" Lancer shifted on her heeled feet uneasily, glaring at Weiss who at the moment looked as if she'd tasted something sour, cup rattling in her grip.

"Indeed it seems by virtue of your command Mast…Jaune, I now feel the inexplicable urge to protect the Lady Schnee from all harm, or at the very least am now much more willing to act in her defense. In fact, I doubt I would be able to even consider taking an action against her for the foreseeable future."

Oh, the explained it perfectly. Weiss Schnee was a lot of things, a beautiful young woman, a talented Mage, and above all prideful and independent in her own way. To have someone, anyone but especially an enemy, be sworn to protect her as if she were some child or victim to be pitied as if she couldn't help herself would be…oh man.

"Umm, sorry."

-Ruby Rose(Archer)-

'Impressive.' I praised reluctantly as my leather clad feet landed softly in the uppermost treetops overlooking the wide sprawling valley beneath, my cloak easily blending in amongst the blood colored leaves native to the region as the sun peeked over the horizon coloring the sky a light crimson.

Forever Fall…to think it had likely been centuries since I last stood here as a young girl in truth, bright eyed, ready to take on anything the world could throw at me. It was remarkable how even after all that time I could still navigate the old trails, avoid the same loose branches and natural hazards, as if like the leaves ever trapped in Autumn this place was trapped similarly in time. Well, except for the massive mansion constructed from black lacquered wood, almost more comparable to a castle than an actual house putting even the Schnee compound back south in Vale to shame. Such a structure had certainly not stood here all those centuries ago, a product of the world of magic where Grimm no longer ruled the lands and made any expansion outside of the kingdoms a foolhardy endeavor at best, suicide at worst.

In life its size would've drawn awed looks even from my traveled eyes, though now as a Servant with a basic understanding of Magic as presented by the Grail, I could now see just how remarkable it truly was. The structure itself supported by a veritable host of ghostlike familiars patrolling the grounds supplemented with well-armed guards patrolling at regular intervals, this encased within an utterly massive bounded field that had likely taken years if not decades to direct and manifest, the power for it drawn from the area's natural leyline itself.

Infiltrating such a place unseen would be daunting, even for Assassin or even Caster I figured as I did my best to try and determine any possible points of entry, a weakness or flaw and coming up with nothing. Dispelling it was out of the question, I would need at least the full strength of my Noble Phantasm just to pierce it which would only alert any Magi that survived the assault within and leave me weakened in the face of retaliation.

On that note I had to suppress another cold shiver as Weiss' will tried to assert itself again, her thoughts nagging at the back of my mind dully and my own circuits feeling the strain while the heiress tried to supply her own mana to supplement me. I denied it all, the commands too weak without the use of another command seal, a waste I hardly suspected the heiress of risking just to bring me back before her without real cause. As for Mana consumption, the Archer Class' ability Independent Action allowed me a great deal of leeway in how much "control" my Master could exert over me, more so than other servants at least.

A holdover from my shy anti-social streak as portrayed in my legend, my B-Rank rating meant as long as I kept out of strenuous combat I should be able to manage on my own without Weiss for a little less than two days, maybe two and a half if I pushed myself before being forced to depend on her again.

'More than enough time to do what I need to do.'

Yang was down there; I could almost sense it even if I knew rationally there was no way I could've been sure. The witch had hidden her tracks well, using magic or some other means of disguising her movements after retreating from Lancer's Noble Phantasm, a stoke that had devastated her battlefield and most of the surrounding area besides. Unfortunately for her I wasn't called a "Huntress" for nothing after all, and tracing her here had been merely overly difficult, not impossible.

Facing my…my sister, or more accurately the thing that she had become, wasn't an option even injured as she might be. Her master having proved herself a difficult enough foe judging by what I had sensed from Weiss before dulling the bond, and my own limited reserves might not be equal to the task of fending her off. The only option would be to kill this Cinder Fall in one move, eliminate her and sever her connection with Yang.

'Uncle Qrow would've called this foolhardy and reckless in the extreme.'

I brought Crescent Rose into being, the bladed bow clutched firmly in hand as I readied my leap only to hesitate as the entire wood seemed to shift around me. On instinct I retreated back, covering over a mile in distance in a heartbeat, my bow extending into a long wickedly sharp scythe, "Show yourself!"

"Excellent agility, and an interesting weapon for someone bearing the title of Archer." A brisk voice rang through the woods, stern yet inquisitive all at once, the sheer sound of it making me feel as if I were back in front of one of my old instructors, the means ones rather than my uncle. "But headstrong, remarkably headstrong, foolishly so."

Whoever it was confident at least, but lacked the raw combat presence of a warrior like Lancer and Rider or the sheer killing intent that had oozed Saber in waves. Instead in their place was a haughty air of superiority and knowledge, supplemented by a sudden upswing in the magical aura radiating through the are measured in orders of magnitude that made Cinder seem a fumbling dabbler in comparison.

It was power that had not been seen since the end of the Age of Hunters, birthed at the start of the crowning Age of Sorcery where Mankind had first learned to wield the force which would lead to its salvation only to be forgotten in the power struggles that followed in the Time of Strife. Power that could only have been wielded by one being in this present day…

"Caster, I presume." I murmured as a figure appeared in the tree above me in a flash of purplish light, heeled boots pressing into the branch delicately while green eyes glared down at me harshly from behind a pair of silver wrought spectacles.

'And to think I thought this would be easy.'

-Velvet Scarlatina-

"Soooo…" Coco raised an eyebrow as she leaned further into her seat at the long table, her gaze intent on examining the raven haired girl across from her currently doing the best she could to disappear face first into the hefty tome she clutched almost reverently, "that's uh…a lovely bow you have on Miss…I'm sorry what was your name again?"

The girl only gave a short, barely audible huff as she turned the page, smoothing the fringes of her academy provided skirt with a free hand before settling back to her reading as if the fashionista of a mage hadn't even spoken just as she had ever since we had all sat down together.

As expected, Miss Adel took this lack of common manners with her usual grace, as in she clutched for the handbag next to her intent on using it (and the weight influencing charms she'd woven into its crafting) as a bludgeon. Thankfully I was able to abort the motion with a hand on her own and a broad, if forced, smile on my face.

"Don't you remember? This is Bella, the old friend of mine who transferred in from Menagerie last month." I kept my voice as calm and soothing as possible, relieved and guilty to see the telltale signs of slight confusion and instant acceptance as the glamor took hold yet again. "I could've sworn I mentioned her before. She's the one letting us use her room while ours is being refurnished."

It was a risk using something like this on another skilled mage but I had been careful, bending the truth just enough so that it didn't inconvenience her life in anyway or make her accept something totally outlandish. The best, most effective glamor's and hypnotic suggestions always were those that changed the least and seeing how it wasn't my specialty better to go with the simplest course.

"Refurnished? Oh right that. Well you never mentioned she had the personality of a board!" Coco grumbled under her breath before her trademark smile came back full force at the sight of my momentary pout, doing her best to cheer me up "Of course you were pretty much the same when you first arrived and look at you now." The smile turned into a sly grin as her hand clapped me hard on the rear making me bounce almost like an actual rabbit, letting out a yelp of righteous indignation. "Introducing friends, and is that makeup I see? My, my now if only you'd wear those cute outfits I helped you pick out we might start getting…"

"C-Coco!" I rounded on her, face reddening from anger and embarrassment while my friend merely doubled over laughing, dabbing at her eyes lightly with a well-manicured hand. Just like that my embarrassment subsided, replaced by something almost akin to awe.

Coco Adel, a powerful, and more importantly well-connected, mage in my year who had taken on the loathsome and unpopular task of being my best friend since our first week here at Beacon. The Academy unlike many organizations across Remnant was fully supportive of equal rights meaning Faunus, even those like myself with a very noticeable animalistic trait in the form of two long rabbit ears atop my skull could attend and, with a fair amount of dedication and hard work, become famous and well respected members of the upper echelons of society. Many Faunus had passed through Beacon's halls, of course the most successful possessing a wealth of knowledge and pedigree both physical and magical while I was a part of only a short, mixed lineage. A mutt even among the lowest of the low at least in terms of the complicated and often bloody hierarchy established within the magical community.

"Ah there's the reaction I was looking for. You're positively adorable when you're flustered, know that?" She chuckled to herself as I sat myself back down, playing with my breakfast salad while trying to avoid the stares her little scene was drawing.

By all common sense the girl beside me should've been avoiding me like the plague, but then that was Coco, 'Years later and still calling herself my friend, setting her own standards for what's popular and "fashionable" despite what anyone else said.' She did what she wanted without fear of reproach or judgment, a real queen type, I was lucky to have her. There were many far less kind after all, speaking of which…

The raven haired girl was the first to react, amber colored eyes flashing up from her reading to stare behind me just as I felt a warm, calloused hand wrap around one of my ears in a vice grip and tug the delicate appendage forcing an involuntary squeak of pain from my lips from the combination of near excruciating pressure and distortion of hearing. 'Not again, please not again!'

"Morning freak, disturbing my morning as usual I see." Cardin's arrogant voice hissed in my unobstructed ear sending a cold shiver down my spine before another tug burned it away in another trill of pain. "I don't know how things usually run in that barnyard you animals call a country but here in Vale we try to be more considerate of our neighbors, otherwise things can get a bit messy, especially with no White Knight around this time."

Of course he wanted revenge for the incident earlier in the week, eager to make up for losing out on his little torture games. But for him to actually be bold enough to make a move with Coco around…

"Hey back off Winchester!" Coco got to her feet, this time her hands wrapping around the handle of her bag only to be shoved back into her seat by one of the bully's cronies Russel Thrush, sporting a Mohawk and a sinister grin, her sunglasses clattering onto the hardwood table. "What do you…watch it creep!" The thug merely cackled gleefully, looking to his leader for approval like some eager puppy. With a start of fear, I realized two other figures at the peripherals of my vision flanking Cardin.

Of course a naïve, desperate part hoped someone might come out from the crowd same as Jaune Arc had previously, of course he was a strange boy by any standard in the same breed as Coco, and unfortunately just as rare. There were witnesses yes, but most merely turned away trying to focus on their meals while others actually cheered on.

"Adel, still hanging out with the dregs? Poor form for a lady of your stature, what would your family think?" the large young man shot back in reply heedless of my friend's hate filled grimace, tugging again almost as an afterthought, the pain almost head splitting at this point, the beginnings of hot tears trailing down my face. "Leave off and I promise not to do anything permanent to your offending little pet here.

I hated it, loathed it, how powerless I was. Senior or no Cardin was well within his "rights" as he saw it, his family easily making more in one week than my entire lineage probably had in three generations with enough influence to make my future a living hell if he didn't just decide to stage an "accident" with his magic. I'd done nothing to deserve this, and neither had the other Faunus I'd seen him torment, each of us powerless to… 'Oh no…'

"And who are you supposed to be?" One of Cardin's stooges had clambered over the table and was now looming over our third companion trying his best to look frightening but the girl wasn't having any of it, still in the same position she had been since sitting down, the only sign of movement her eyes as they traveled along the pages. "Hey I'm talking to you!"

"And I'm trying to ignore you, and failing." She told him flatly, her voice calm and graceful though it carried a hint of underlying menace that set the boy back a step, face paling. "As for you human, release her now and this can end without pain on your behalf."

You could've heard a pin drop in the silence that had followed that statement, Cardin shoving me roughly away to fall to the stone floor as he advanced on the bookworm, propping a leg up on the bench leaning forward over the table to glare at her.

"What did you say to me? Didn't quite catch that." His voice had the same air of amusement though now it carried something much darker. And, to the shock and disbelief of all around including myself, his target didn't acknowledge him anymore then she had his fellow. "You a freak as well, huh. Sky, Dove, make her lose the bow will you, maybe a few other things while you're at it." Spoken with all the air of a man who thought he could get away with anything and everything he set his mind to.

His thugs hesitated for a moment, looking to one another for a moment and then at their target before moving in. For her part she didn't even move to react, merely sighing irritably as a hand reached out for the bow. "Fools."

A sudden outcry made them flinch back before they could do more than graze her however, all eyes traveling down the hall where two young men walked, one with blue styled hair and alchemist's goggles while the other was dark skinned but still possessed brilliantly blonde hair and a natural smirk. Most noticeably however was the swishing simian tail behind his back that marked him out as a Faunus. Apparently the two had just gotten lunch and were sharing some joke as they neared the scene, the blue haired one trailing off awkwardly behind his friend trying to pull him back away but failing miserably.

'Neptune Vasilias and…' my arm burned slightly as the young Faunus came closer, his laughter trailing off when he noticed everyone staring at him, and his strange choice in wardrobe.

The boy's shirt was completely unbuttoned leaving chest was on show for everyone, revealing rows of muscled flesh, sleeves rolled to his elbows to show powerful tanned biceps. In comparison to most it would be rather impressive, unfortunately Cardin had just moved in front of him from his place at the table, towering over using his height and bulk to dwarf the other man almost completely while Russel flanked him.

"And then I said she had a…uh, is there a problem?" the tanned boy glanced from Cardin to the scene unfolding before him, eyes narrowing slightly at the two flanking my still reading companion, her face stony. "These guys bothering you?"

"By all the… it's like there's a damn infestation or something, how do they keep letting you freaks on the premises?" he said in sheer mock amazement when he saw the blonde talking to the bow clad girl rather than himself, drawing a few laughs from the nastier faces in the crowd as he passed his tray to the stuttering Mistralan beside him. "Look I'm busy enough with the pair here so move along if you know what's good for you."

"Nothing I couldn't handle." The bookworm spoke up to Cardin and the others surprise, responding to the blondes question casually, "Leave."

"Aw c'mon, I haven't had the chance to cut loose since arriving. Please."

Winchester moved to block his view, his smile gone, replaced by a cold snarl. "Listen to your pretty friend's advice and shove off freak."

"Uh yeah, never was one for sound advice." The Faunus chuckled to himself, Neptune face palming before the entire room gasped, Cardin's friend taking the opportunity to lash out with a right hook that raced for the Faunus' cheek. Mohawk laughed loudly as the blow connected but the sound died when he realized it didn't hit the intended target, his foe's hand having risen up in the blink of an eye to catch the blow while keeping his dark grey gaze on Cardin's own, barely even noting the stunned attacker. "Well that wasn't very nice."

In the next instant Thrush was flying through the air, impacting hard in the middle of a table occupied by terrified first years, his arm at an odd angle. Cardin was on the ground wheezing, clutching for his side where the mysterious newcomer had planted a knee hard and fast, the limb having moved faster than even I could follow and I'd had a near front row seat, skirting back along the floor to get away from the shivering bully.

The pair surrounding his friend gaped openmouthed as the Faunus grinned, back flipping gracefully so he sat crouched on the tabletop looking between them. "So…who's next?" All it took was those words and a last minute look at the barely stirring Russel to send the pair scrambling from the hall as if a dragon were on their heels. "Hmm, guess not. Lame." He glanced down at Bella who was staring back looking furious, "How's it hanging beautiful."

Amber eyes glared back at him, followed by an audible huff of disapproval.

"You know you love me." He flashed her a thumbs up, rocking back on his heels as he readied to jump again, a large dark figure rising up behind him with a roar.

"Watch out!" I cried too late, Cardin successfully bringing one of the cafeteria's heavy wooden trays down on the back of the fighter's skull so hard it shattered and shook the entire table, the bullying mage let out a haughty laugh only to pale as the tanned boy looked over his shoulder, tail sweeping a few splinters from his hair, easy smile leaving his face.

To his credit Cardin almost made it to the door leading out into the main hallways, almost…

"WHY!? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!" I put my head face first into my hands as I curled up at the foot of my bed, ears drooping almost comically as they always did when I was nervous.

The Servants had taken up various posts across the moderately sized room, the raven haired shadow, Blake, took a spot on Coco's now empty bed still devouring her latest novel, a different one since breakfast, her catlike ears now full on display in the privacy of the room. Meanwhile the target of my exasperation, the blonde Monkey Faunus Sun, lazed back comfortably on the brown leather couch my roommate had acquired and had hauled in, his golden tail swishing back and forth as he chewed on a banana he had "borrowed" from the kitchens.

"In front of the whole room, the whole academy, revealing yourself just to…gah!" I fell back limply, raising a hand to pull at my uniform sleeve concealing the heart shaped crimson sigil engraved on the back of my wrist. "You shouldn't have done that Assassin."

"What, they started it? Besides that lot had it coming!" The monkey defended himself, tossing the banana into the air only to be caught deftly by his tail before glancing over to me. "They were bullies, one of them had even hurt my Mistress. If anything I was fulfilling my most sacred duty as a Servant to protect you."

"You did it for fun." He shot the offending cat Faunus a disgruntled glare which she accepted with the same aloofness that appeared to be her present expression. "Don't sugar coat it."

"Hey I…!"

"You just showed your face, any of the other masters, the other servants, you just gave them a huge advantage!" I interrupted them before the two could start arguing again, or more Sun could start, Blake resolutely not one to get involved in petty squabbling.

"It's all good, not like anyone could've snapped a picture of me. I'm Assassin remember? Unseen and easily forgettable, it's in our nature." He announced proudly adopting a smug grin and a shrug of his broad shoulders.

"Presence Concealment doesn't work like that." Blake cut in, deflating her comrade's gusto like a popped balloon, "People can still take pictures of you, albeit a bit distorted, and they can remember what you look like especially seeing as your rank in the ability is so poor."

"Oh…really? Huh."

The book snapped close with such force it made me jump though Sun looked unperturbed, if anything the reaction made him happier, "Idiot, how could you be unaware of such an important fact!?"

"Just forgot I guess." He tapped his head, leaning over to look at her, "Maybe I thought I'd just become instant ninja like you."

"Unfortunately not, still a showy fool as ever with no thought for subtly."

"Well sorry for not exactly having been famed for "sneakiness" in my legend!" he shot back, finishing off the banana and tossing it in a perfect arc at the trashcan to join the few dozen other remains of his previous meals. "Not even sure how I qualified for this Class, guilty by association I guess." Those last words contained a trace of bitterness I wasn't quite used to hearing in the usually upbeat Warrior's tone.

Strange, from what I researched "Sun Wukong" was supposed to be a brilliant tactician when it came to covert attacks during the Faunus Wa…Rights Revolution, famed for many shadow victories that had kept the fledgling movement in Menagerie alive. 'I suppose that doesn't mean that would translate to his personality.' I wondered sourly, examining his choice in attire.

Even when he was bothering to try and blend in like his cat eared friend, the Monkey Faunus insisted on exposing his chest and abs for all to see, some ancient Vacuoan custom he'd said. Most modern magi tried to keep up at least a modicum of physical conditioning, the stereotype of the frail wizard shut away in his tower a dying breed, but to flaunt himself like that so…openly, the muscles... I looked away pointedly, just looking at the man sending a blush across my face same as just about everyone else who saw him up close. He couldn't help but draw attention to himself.

"Still it was dangerous, you know those boys will ask questions now. If they can still use their mouths that is…" Blake muttered darkly, "I had the situation handled, there was no need for you to jump in."

"Look I've dealt with bullies like this before, they won't dare spread it around that one man embarrassed them so badly." Sun countered with a smirk, "And as for the crowd, who's going to believe a story like that? By the end of the day the general consensus will be that those guys got jumped by some rival group or something else more plausible. Rumors are fun like that."

It was a weak argument but the other Faunus said it with such sheer confidence that I couldn't help but take his word for it, at least for now anyway. 'No telling what the other Masters will think, despite what the "General" consensus turned out being.' I was in a dangerous spot, had been since the moment those sigils had appeared on my hand and the Headmaster had called me to his office and explained the situation in detail.

Unlike most of the other combatants in this "Holy Grail War" I had no sprawling network of informants, no grand resources to draw on. All I had was my own dogged determination and a slight talent with Projection and Material Generation Magic, which had at least made some of the more difficult components for the Summoning ritual easier to obtain, and much more recently the loyalty of Assassin, considered by most to be the most mysterious, and weakest, of the seven Classes of Servant I'd researched. 'Mysterious is right at least.'

Rather than face the other Servants head on, Assassin was more suited to the shadows then open combat as the name implied, a cowardly or dastardly hero that avoided conflict with the Servants and sought instead to eliminate their Master and source of being. Still they had to get past the other Servants first to be anywhere near effective.

'Just my luck.' I'd lamented at the time, however even with these walls stacked high against me I still knew behind it all. 'The Holy Grail, the power to make any dream a reality, even one like mine hopefully.' I grimaced as I examined my index finger, the small scar from where I'd cut it during the ritual still present despite my attempts at healing it.

Weakest class or not, it was impossible to say for sure without testing them against another Servant, honestly the fact the Servant is a "Them" makes my Assassin unique enough. Each embodying an aspect of a once great movement whose name had since fallen into the realm of infamy. Aspects of combat, stealth, murder…

"I-I…fine, just please try and keep your head down. At least until we have more information on who and where our opponents are first." I said with a heavy sigh, raising my head to gaze at him, relieved to see the reluctant acceptance on his face, and then there was the flicker of guilt. "However that doesn't mean you need to stay shut up in here." I explained quickly, the Servant's face lightening up in an instant. "I was surprised to see you with Mr. Vasilias, when did you two meet? You were supposed to be out gathering intelligence."

"Oh you mean Neptune? Yeah we met up between one of his classes while I was trying to track down Lancer's master." So that's where he had run off to then. Sun had been more than a little upset at my insistence of dealing with Cardin's tormenting nature myself, in fact I'd almost had to use a command seal to keep him back before. "I explained I wanted to thank his friend for helping you the other day and it turns out the two were roomies, even let me stick around playing these Video Games, it was incredible."

Why, why did someone like Jaune have to end up in the war? I'd been stunned when Assassin had reported the true nature of Lancer's mysterious Master the night before. Blonde scraggly hair, lean built, a general nonthreatening Aura about him, not many other mages it could have been?

'Not only that he's a major threat.' I remembered, thinking back to the scenes of destruction playing across the media from last night's gathering of servants. From what I'd been able to learn, Lancer had not only engaged and fended off Berserker, but had also formed an alliance with the infamous Weiss Schnee's Archer as well as that strange boy's Rider. That made an alliance of three Servants, THREE, it was a catastrophe.

Thankfully that negative train of thought was quickly set aside as both Servant's heads perked up in time to a slight tingling in the seals on my arm signaling the presence of another figure having entered the room. "Mistress." A deep voice intoned from the far corner of the room that I'd purposely arranged to have shrouded in darkness for this very purpose, allowing for my Servants' unique travel ability, From Shadows, a useful trick that allowed them to move long distances in full concealment to perform duties such as this, making it perfect for scouting assignments which this particular aspect of the Assassin Class Servant White Fang excelled at. "I'm proud to inform you I was successful in my task."

"Excellent work Tukson." I congratulated, standing up to better face the large dark haired man stepping into the light, hazel eyes glowing even in the more brightly lit space. "I was worried you might've run into some trouble."

"If Archer had been present I might well have had some difficulty…" Tukson explained, catching an apple Sun's tail had snatched up and thrown with ease, "though it seems she still hasn't returned to her Master's side at least not to my observation, forcing her depend on Lancer and her own Master for protection. Meanwhile Rider and her partner seem content to follow his lead as well."

"This Jaune guy must be pretty impressive if he's managed to gain this sort of support." Sun wondered aloud, grinning at his fellows, "Might want to bother meeting him after all."

"He seems more "lucky" rather than "impressive" from what I could tell." Tukson added, shrugging his shoulders looking bemused, "Lancer is certainly an impressive servant however, not one to take lightly."

'No, of course they wouldn't.' I thought sadly as the trio began discussing strategy, a task I was more than happy to let them handle given my inexperience. Instead I turned my thoughts to the poor boy I might just have to sacrifice for my dream. 'A world where Faunus and humans are equal, where none stands above the other. A world without bullies like Cardin or the Schnee Dust Company.'

Weiss Schnee, the heiress and benefactor off a company that broke the backs of the Faunus people and even now grew fat from their labors, a target I would have no hesitance in eliminating, a quality I was certain Assassin would share.

-END

A/N: True to my word here's another chapter of Fate: Beacon and proof that I can still write this story without letting it fall away again. This is sort of a mop up chapter after the chaos of the last one, everyone's still reeling.

Ruby's off on her own without Weiss, Velvet's marshaling her own forces and "organizing" the obligatory Cardin beatdown (Yes all of those other Faunus including Tukson are technically Assassin, seeing as Hassan-I-Sabbah doesn't exist in RWBY and Fate/Zero proved multiple Assassins can exist in concept, Tukson was a sort of last minute addition to the Trio, his character was never fleshed out so it gives a good opportunity to experiment. Also yes Sun was a member of the White Fang in this fic, it's ancient fanfic driven history but the organization, similar to canon RWBY, wasn't always bad. Not to mention there are heroes in Fate with false legends attributed to them.) though you have no idea how tempted I was to make Neo, Mercury, or Emerald that Class but unfortunately they all have their own roles to play later. And all the while Jaune's still confused as to what the hell's going on as are we all.

Also this might be a running theme but personally I don't see how mages in the war can look down Caster as a threat until later, maybe it's just because we always seem to have the perspective of Saber who's basically magic proof. They might not be one of the big classes but give them traction and Casters just outright (literally) break the game. I'm just starting to appreciate the potential in a class generally populated by "heroes" that can make all the flashy stuff the haughty modern mages do look like child's play in comparison.

Anyway, hope y'all have a good day and always feel free to leave a comment, I know RWBY well enough but mixing it with Fate and making it work is a whole different monster entirely.