Got another short one for this one, but writer's block decided to smack me in the face again. Also, got a few other things coming up in a couple of months that I need to watch for. It's nothing big, but it is harder to focus now. That being said, I won't let it delay me.

Let's begin, and turn up the heat!

Aya laid in bed with her Master. Father had said not to worry when he'd left, that she was to stay with Master and defend him.

She stretched out with her legs, laying them across the armour she knew was covering his own, as she wrapped her arms around his torso. She wouldn't normally have been doing this, but she'd seen Father doing this too, and he'd said the closer he was to Master, the faster he healed his hurts. So she copied him.

It had been about a minute since the Master had stopped whispering. Now, nothing but the occasional crackle from the white lights disturbed the silence.

It was peaceful.

How long was it now before the Master woke up?

Father had mentioned something about two keys that Master would need. First, the Master would be a Night Walker once the last piece of the puzzle was in place for them, then these keys would truly awaken them. What were they?

She remembered the riddle that Father had given her, when she'd asked.

'What is most precious to the one who has it? And what is most precious to the one who doesn't have its counterpart?'

She had no clue. Maybe she wasn't meant to know.

Aya didn't mind as much. Some things hurt to know.

She felt a hand patting her head softly, and smiled into the armoured chest of her master.

"How goes..." she took a light breath, running out already, "...it, Father?"

Another arm snaked around her body. Her father didn't answer. She reached out and grasped the hand now holding her.

It was armoured?

Aya looked up to where Master's head was.

A gold, helmeted head stared back at her, the pitch black visor impenetrable, until it tilted to the right a little, resuming her surprisingly soft pats on the head.

"Master?" Aya called out softly. A pause. Then it nodded, though from the position Aya was in, it looked more like a jerk of the head. She could feel it moving now, the arm around her gently leaving her, Master's chest slowly slipping out from underneath her. She squirmed up to where the pillows were, popping out from under the duvet just as the Master left it. He stood up, slowly, before stretching his arms out sideways, then up, in a movement resembling the hands of a clock.

He then turned and knelt by the bedside, only a soft clink of his knee hitting the floor sounding out in the room. Aya reached out a hand, and he took it slowly in his grip of plated steel.

"How are... you feeling?" Aya asked him, as she felt his fingers gently squeeze her own. He released one of his hands and held it in a thumbs up gesture. "That's... good."

The master pointed at her, tilting his head.

"I'm... fine... just a bit... tired." Aya replied. The other hand let go, and she watched him, withdrawing her hand under the duvet. He reached over and patted her head once again, before reaching and pulling the other pillows towards her, shifting her slightly as he tucked her in gently, no movement overly quick or rough. Once he was done, Aya was as snug as a bug in a rug, and then some. "Thank you." she said quietly, and he nodded, before turning away from her.

Aya closed her eyes as she heard her father's voice.

"So you still have a soft spot, master." Vade said. "Welcome to your world."

A low hiss was the last thing she heard.

Weiss awoke slowly, as if waking up from a deep sleep. People were talking.

"...even if you didn't, you still did last night!" she heard Ruby saying.

"Both of you, calm down." Yang's stern voice. "Ruby, what were Weiss and Blake saying?"

Weiss blinked a few times to clear her vision, deciding that now was the time to speak up.

"I think we were saying the same stuff, last night, Blake." Weiss said, sitting up, greeted by the sight of all three of her teammates. Ruby was in a chair, a pouting face on her that, while cutely childish, also filled Weiss with a small level of irritation at the source. Blake's face mirrored Weiss' thoughts, and Yang looked annoyed too. The former's pout vanished when she turned to see Weiss awake, shortly before she vaulted into the heiress' arms. She patted Ruby gently on the back as Ruby buried her face into the heiress' neck.

"Weiss, what's going on?" Yang asked, moving into her field of view, a look of annoyance on her face.

"I honestly don't know, Yang." Weiss responded. She was a little surprised at the lack of fear in her heart at talking to Yang when she was like this, but really, she was just tired. "I was hearing things last night, then Ruby came in and told me Blake was sleep-talking the same stuff that I was hearing. I went, and listened." She met Blake's amber eyes, seeing an almost searching look upon her. "You were, Blake. After that, nothing."

"She passed out." Ruby continued, looking up and at their two teammates. "I got her back into bed, and went to find someone. I ran into Ozpin, who came in here after taking Goodwitch somewhere. She was sleepwalking, and saying the same things as you and Weiss!"

"I never sleep-talked before now, thought." Blake said, resigned, turning away.

"You guys haven't heard the rest!" Ruby looked very adamant to Weiss' eyes. "When Ozpin came in, he listened to the words you were saying. He told me about this story for children, and about how it was connected, then Vade shows up and-"

"What?" Weiss interrupted, drawing Ruby's frightened eyes. "What was he doing here?"

"Ozpin knows him." Ruby answered, slowing down a bit. "Him and Ozpin used to be friends, but something happened. Anyway, Ozoin called him to help, but then when he listened, he said that... that you and Blake were marked by something called 'the Night Walker phenomenon'. When Ozpin asked him what he meant, he said that Ozpin had been 'checkmated', whatever that means."

Checkmated? Vade had said that to Ozpin? So they were enemies?

"But the worst part is what he said next. Do you guys remember Emerald and Mercury from that team that came from another school?" Ruby asked. Weiss remembered, and recollection flared in Yang's eyes. She saw Blake's bow twitch. "Vade killed them both. Ozpin said so."

"He murdered them?" Weiss said, in disbelief. Vade was many things, but Weiss wouldn't have taken him for a killer. Overly creepy, maybe, but not a murderer.

"Yes." Ruby replied, her eyes showing fear beyond what Weiss had ever seen. "He then said that he didn't know why Ozpin had called for him, and when Ozpin said that he'd been doing... something with us, he said 'enjoy my master's rebirth'. I don't know what that means, but-"

"I'm going to see Ozpin." Yang announced, turning away. "We all deserve a few answers for this."

"I'm going too." Weiss piped up.

"No, I'll go with Yang." Blake said. Weiss turned her eyes away from Ruby just as the crimsonette hugged her tightly again, and glared at Blake. The faunus' eyes met her own with a steely look that reflected no opportunity for negotiation.

"Why not me?" Weiss asked, as Yang exited the door with a nod to Blake. She approached the bedside and crouched so that they were eye to eye. There were red lines in hers.

"Help Ruby calm down. I don't think she slept last night." Blake replied with a soft voice. The tension, the preparedness to engage in verbal battle, the intense urge to defy her teammates words, all of it seemed to just melt away when she realized Blake's true feelings for her relationship with Ruby.

She supported them.

Even if she wouldn't say it directly.

"Thank you." Weiss said. Receiving a nod from Blake, she swiftly vanished through the door, intent on catching up with Yang. Her attention then turned to the sudden wet patch on her shoulder. Ruby was crying? "What's wrong?"

"It's just, you..." Ruby squeaked, midway through a sob. "I'm so happy you're okay!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Weiss asked confusedly.

"W-when you started saying stuff, and then you collapsed, I-" the crimsonette stammered, cut off by an involuntary yawn. "I was so worried about you, I couldn't sleep!"

Ah. So that's what it had been. Weiss wrapped her arms around the little dolt, HER dolt, patting her gently on the back.

"There, there." Weiss said in a reassuring tone as Ruby cried, holding her close, using the only way she really knew how to comfort someone.

"I'm okay."

Vade watched as the circular window into RWBY's dorm collapse into aura energy and vanish. He was stood just outside their bedroom within the nexus of the Dark Library. His golden-suited master lowered the arm that had been outstretched towards the dimensional window.

"You have done well, Akikaen." the master intoned, the voice mechanical yet light in tone. "All is proceeding as the Alternate would have wanted."

Akikaen. His true name.

Something only three other beings actually knew.

It had been a while since he'd heard it.

The master folded his arms and gazed upon Vade through the black visor of his helmet, part of a suit of armour that was as much a prison as it was protection.

"We will need to stop RWBY at some point." Vade said, remembering his recent dreams, combined with the knowledge gleamed to him by his own semblance. "Now that Ozpin knows of my plan, he will send them after us, presumably because he knows that they are connected to our plan. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say pinning them down would cause him to send the teachers Goodwitch, Port and Oobleck after us. That is when she will strike, and when we follow."

"We must prevent RWBY from being overly injured. The moment they set foot into our domain, this will occur." came the reply.

"We will strike first." Vade assured. "I intend to take down Weiss, then follow up with Yang. Aya can handle Ruby and Blake."

"There is no need." Master replied. "You are to disable Weiss only. Aya may do the same to Ruby. I will face Yang and Blake."

"But, are you ready, Master?" Vade asked, worriedly.

"Do not be afraid, Akikaen." the Master replied, giving a tilt of the head. "Even if I am sealed, I have found ways to use my power."

"That is... good, Master." Vade said. "They will strike tomorrow. We must counter before they even leave Beacon. Thankfully, they will naturally separate."

A keening cry echoed from behind the pair, and both turned around.

"We're ready too, Master!" came Aya's voice, followed by another cry.

"Your pawns will be easy prey for our rook, queen and knight." Vade growled.

Ruby looked up as Yang and Blake walked through the door of their dorm room. Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, she watched as the second half of Team RWBY approached the bed. Blake's face was emotionless, Yang's too, but her crimson eyes gave away her sister's anger.

"Ruby. Weiss." Blake addressed them, as she sat down on a nearby chair. "We have a mission from Ozpin. Something that you two know more about than us."

"We're going to find Vade." Yang said, her visage contorting into a snarl. "In his Dark Library."