This chapter took me a little bit longer to write than some of the previous ones did. I had to take more time to plan out how a lot of the character interactions in it would unfold and take place, and flesh them out so that they would seem more natural and believable. Hopefully I got them right.

Ruby awoke the next morning to find that everyone else was already up and about. She could smell the scent of food cooking in the air, and looked to find that Ren and Nora were already beginning to make breakfast. Ruby approached Ren and Nora and sat down next to them.

"Good morning to you Ruby." said Nora, sounding as energetic as ever.

"Breakfast is ready if you want some." said Ren.

"Thanks, I'm starving." said Ruby. "So, what's the plan for today? How close are we to reaching Mistral now?"

"Actually, we're already in Mistral." said Ren. "I didn't really notice it until looked at the map just now, but it looks as though we had crossed into Mistral yesterday when we passed by that big wooden road sign."

"So we're almost there now." said Ruby. "How much further until we reach Haven?"

"It should be about two days from here." said Ren. "If we really pick up the pace, then we might even be able to make it there today."

"That's great." said Ruby. "We're now one step closer to finding the answers we've been looking for." Ruby looked around and noticed that Jaune and Hans were not nearby. "Hey, where did Jaune and Hans go?"

"Oh, they already ate." said Ren. "They're over there on top of that hill in the distance. Jaune really wanted to do some training with Hans to help him control his aura better before we got going again."

Ren pointed Ruby towards the hill he spoke of, and Ruby turned to see the two of them there, doing what appeared to be some sort of sparring with each other. She then got up and made her way towards the two of them to see how they were doing.

"You have to try to make it manifest more distinctly." said Hans, showing Jaune an example. "Focus on first emitting your aura from your body, and then shaping it around you."

"Okay, I'll try." said Jaune. Jaune then held up his sword and went into a state of intense concentration. As he continued to build up his focus while in this state, a faint yellow glow started to form around Jaune's body.

"You're doing it Jaune." said Hans. "You're starting to manifest your aura." As Jaune continued, for a very brief moment, his sword Crocea Mors shook in his hand.

"Did you see that!?" shouted Jaune, excited. "My sword moved!"

"I guess it did move just a little bit." said Hans. "It's still progress though, no matter how small it was."

"I wish Pyrrha were here to see this." said Jaune, with a sad tone. "She would be proud."

"Hey guys, what are you up to?" asked Ruby, approaching them.

"Oh, hello Ruby." said Jaune. "Hans was just teaching me how to control my aura better. I still have a long way to go though. But now I'm able to use my aura to heal minor injuries like cuts and scrapes much faster. Isn't that great?"

"That is great." said Ruby. "We'll be leaving soon though. You two should start getting ready. We'll probably be reaching Haven by the end of today."

"Alright then, I guess we'll do this again another time Hans." said Jaune, who then sheathed his sword and walked off to where Ren and Nora were, leaving just Ruby and Hans there on the hill. Before Hans could go too, Ruby stopped him.

"Hey Hans, I'm just wondering, is there something that's been bothering you?" asked Ruby.

"No." said Hans, stopping. "What would make you think that Ruby?"

"It's just that lately, you seem like you haven't been yourself." said Ruby. "It's like something inside you has changed ever since the last time we saw each other. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with what happened on the night the Grimm attacked Beacon and your team was killed. It feels like there's something you aren't telling me about what really happened."

"It's nothing to worry about Ruby." said Hans. "It's just a common case of PTSD. Lots of people usually experience something like it after a huge traumatic event in their lives. I was really close with my team mates, and the way they all died, so sudden and senseless, it's left me with some really bad memories that I still haven't been able to fully cope with." Hans too then started to walk away in the direction Jaune had gone.

"I hope that's all it is." said Ruby, still talking to him as he walked away. "But if you ever feel like you need someone to talk to, just remember that you can always talk to me. We're friends Hans. I've known you longer than anyone. We've always shared so many things with each other. You can tell me anything."

"Not this though." Hans thought to himself in his head. "There's no way that I could ever tell her about that. She'll freak out if she learns the truth about Summer Rose and what that Grimm did to her."

As the group of Ruby, Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Hans later made their way down the road after having packed up their camp site and left, a man watched them from the distance, hiding among the branches of a tree. It was Ruby's uncle Qrow Branwen, who had been following the group ever since they had left Patch, mostly to ensure their safety. He had a look of relief on his face, as if he was pleased with what he saw.

"Ruby and her friends seem to be doing alright." Qrow thought to himself in his mind. "I'm surprised they've made it this far without running into any trouble. Hans has even joined them too. It's been forever since I last saw him. He's grown a lot since then. I'm glad to see that Ruby has such loyal and dependable friends with her to help her out along the way. It looks like I've got nothing to worry about, though I think I'll still look after them for a little while longer. At least until they reach Haven. These parts of Mistral around here can get pretty rough if you're not on your guard." Qrow then jumped down from the tree branch, and as he did so he disappeared and a crow appeared in his place, which then flew off into the horizon, following after Ruby and her friends.

Somewhere in the world, either in Remnant or in another plane of existence, there exists a hellish and devastated landscape inhabited by a great many Grimm of every sort imaginable. Within this twisted landscape there stood a dark and evil looking castle atop an ominous cliff that towered above everything else in this landscape, and beneath this cliff was a deep, dark, black lake that looked just as terrifying, leaving much to the imagination as to what unknown horrors could lay concealed in the murky depths below. Inside the castle, a gathering was taking place that involved a group of extraordinarily powerful and intelligent Grimm, unlike any Remnant had ever seen before. They were the rulers of all the Grimm in this land and in Remnant, and they consisted of five humanoid beings, all comprising an entire family of Grimm. At the head of these five beings was Salem, the matriarch of the family, and the other four Grimm with her who resembled her in both appearance and intelligence were her children. The group was now in the midst of discussing what their future plans for Remnant would be.

"We have searched far and wide all across Remnant, but we have been unable to find a single trace of Ozpin whatsoever." said one of the Grimm, who was the same vampiric Grimm that had attacked Hans on the night Beacon fell, as well as the one who had killed Summer Rose and devoured her essence.

"He'll turn up sooner or later." said Salem, sounding mildly annoyed. "I know he's not dead. Something like that is not enough to kill someone as powerful as him."

"That coward Ozpin will run and hide like he always does, sending children to fight his battles for him." said the vampiric Grimm.

"We needn't concern ourselves with him at the moment." said Salem. Behind his mother Salem stood three other humanoid Grimm; his brother Lycaon, and his two sisters Lilith and Agnes. "I have new task for you Dracul, my child."

"Oh, what will you have me do now?" asked the vampiric Grimm named Dracul, sounding curious. "Is it something fun?"

"It might be." said Salem, smiling. "Recently, I have felt a strange new power awaken in Remnant. I felt it on the same night that Cinder Fall unleashed the Grimm onto Beacon and brought it to ruins. I'm quite certain now of what it was. Another one of "those" warriors has awakened somewhere within Remnant."

"Ah, it's those accursed silver-eyed warriors again I see?" said Dracul, with a tone of disdain. "We keep killing them, but they just keep coming back. They're all such stubborn pests."

"Stubborn pests indeed." said Salem. "But they are still a threat to us that must be eliminated as soon as they manifest, lest they become powerful enough to oppose us in the future."

"What shall we do about this new silver-eyed warrior, whoever they are?" asked Dracul.

"I need you find out who it is that has manifested the power this time." said Salem. "You don't have to kill them, yet. Just simply find out who they are. If their power has not matured yet, then they might even turn out being useful to us, and it could even help accelerate our plans."

"Consider it done." said Dracul, smiling. "I really hope this one isn't as disappointing as the last one was. It's been so long since I've strong opponent to face in battle."

"You should take your brother Lycaon with you." said Salem, gesturing to the second male humanoid Grimm standing next to her. "I have a feeling that Ozpin somehow has his hand in all this, and that this new warrior might be under the watch and protection of his allies."

Compared to Dracul's more thin and slender build, his brother Lycaon had a more muscular and heavy build. Lycaon also had black fur covering his body in several places, giving him an overall beast-like appearance, making him somewhat resemble a werewolf in human form.

"We're off then mother." said the beast-like Grimm named Lycaon. "In time we'll make Ozpin pay for what he has done. We'll have our revenge, and finally take back what is rightfully ours."

With that, the two Grimm brothers Dracul and Lycaon set off on their mission to Remnant to find the new silver-eyed warrior, making their way out of the castle and leaving their mother Salem, and their two sisters Lilith and Agnes, behind to continue on as they were with their own plans. As the Grimm brothers navigated their way out of the castle and into the wilderness outside, they passed by several types of Grimm that possessed roughly humanoid shapes. They were very twisted and primal in their appearance, and their features were not as defined and human-like as theirs were. Despite their vague similarities to the brothers, these elite Grimm were nowhere near as powerful or intelligent as they were. Although Salem considered all of the Creatures of Grimm to be her "children", the two of them and their two sisters were the only ones who were Salem's actual biological children, having inherited the same power and intelligence as her. The two brothers finally reached the edge of the cliff that the castle was built on, and looked down to see the pitch black lake below.

"Like you brother, it's been a long time since I've last had a worthy opponent to fight." said Lycaon. "I can't wait to find out what this silver-eyed warrior and their allies are like. I hope they're strong. I will greatly enjoy sinking my fangs into them as I devour every last part of them."

"As will I brother." said Dracul, smiling evilly. "Now, off to Remnant we go." With that, the two Grimm brothers jumped off the cliff and fell straight into the black lake below, disappearing into its murky depths.

It was another dreary winter day for Yang at her home on the island of Patch. Although she had lost all of her motivation and confidence, having been in somewhat of a depressed mood lately, Yang had actually tried to go outside for a change. Since the weather outside this day looked nice, she had decided to tend to the mess of thorny branches and ivy vines that were beginning to grow up the side of the house and over her window. One branch of thorns was proving to be particularly stubborn, pricking Yang in the hand and causing her to lose her temper, resulting in her forcibly ripping off the thorn branch with her remaining arm and tossing it aside. As Yang was doing this, a visitor approached the house from the path leading up to it.

"You might want to be a little more careful there." said the visitor. "You don't want to hurt yourself do you?" Yang turned around to see that the person visiting her home was none other than James Ironwood, of all people."

"Ironwood?" said Yang, surprised to see him there. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello Yang." said Ironwood, smiling. "Is your father home? I came here to speak with him."

"He's not home." said Yang. "It's just me here. He left this morning with Glynda, Oobleck, and Port to go help push the Grimm back from a village that's recently been having some trouble with them."

"A common story these days it seems, unfortunately." said Ironwood with a sad tone. "I guess I missed him then?"

"You could probably find him very easily." said Yang. "Couldn't you just call him on his Scroll?"

"I could do that." said Ironwood. "But I also came here to deliver something. It's something for you actually."

"For me?" asked Yang, surprised.

Ironwood reached into his traveling bag and pulled out a yellow metallic gauntlet. It was the other in the pair of Yang's gauntlet weapons Ember Celica that she had lost at Beacon, along with her right arm.

"It's my other weapon." said Yang, surprised. "How did you get it?"

"We came across it when we were surveying the ruins of Beacon while out on a scouting mission recently." said Ironwood. "I figured we might as well bring it back to you since we happened to retrieve it." Ironwood then handed the gauntlet to Yang, who took it, and having no other way to carry it with her without occupying her hand, put it onto her remaining arm.

"You seem to be adjusting quite well despite your injury." said Ironwood, noticing how seamlessly Yang was able to put the gauntlet on with just one arm. "Your dexterity has improved to compensate for your missing arm."

"Was my arm there too when you found this?" asked Yang, sounding curious.

"There wasn't any trace of it nearby." said Ironwood. "It was just your weapon laying there on the ground."

"I guess something ate it then." said Yang, sounding somewhat disappointed. "It was probably a stupid Grimm."

"It can't be that bad." said Ironwood. "At least you still have your life, and now you have your other weapon back too, so you can go back to fighting at full strength."

"What good is it if I can never be a Huntress now?" asked Yang, sadly looking at the stump of her missing arm. "Look at me, I'm completely useless now. I'll never be able to fight again in this condition. So what if I have my other gauntlet back now? I'm still half the person I used to be. I'll never be able to change that."

"Yes you can." said Ironwood. "You can do anything you set your mind to if you have the will and determination to do it. You're too strong to let something like this bring you down."

"How would you know?" asked Yang. "How could you possibly understand what I'm going through?"

"Because I was the same as you." said Ironwood. "I've suffered the same pain and tragedy as you, but I climbed back up from it."

"What do you mean?" asked Yang. "You're the same as me?"

"I'll show you." said Ironwood. He then proceeded to unbutton his jacket and remove the shirt underneath, revealing the extensive cybernetics all over his body. "Look at this broken and battered body of mine. I've suffered countless injuries far worse than yours, and I've fallen in battle many times. But you know what? Each time I always got back up and kept on fighting. I never let these injuries define who I am and what I can do."

"What is all this?" asked Yang, shocked to see the cybernetics on Ironwood's body.

"Over the years, most of my body has been replaced with cybernetics because of my injuries." said Ironwood. "But never once did it stop me from being able to do what I wanted. Looking back on my life, I've had no regrets. I just kept on moving forward and never looked back. The flesh may be weak, but the spirit is strong and can never die. I know you're too strong to allow something like a missing arm to slow you down. So what if it's gone? You can always just get a new one. Body parts are easily replaceable with today's technology, but what can never be replaced or replicated is the indomitable human spirit and its relentless determination to keep moving forward no matter what happens."

"You actually think I can overcome this?" asked Yang. "How is that you overcame all of that? How did you overcome the same despair that I'm feeling now?"

"They say that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." said Ironwood. "This experience will definitely make you stronger, if you'll let it. I was the same way as you are now when I first received these injuries on my body, but in time I was able to realize that it wasn't a handicap at all, but a chance for me to learn more about myself and what I was capable of if I pushed myself hard enough. After I realized that, my handicap no longer had any power over me, and since then I have been able to ascend to newer and greater heights than before, and keep getting back up each time I'm knocked down without any doubt or fear in my mind."

Yang was surprised to hear that for once someone was actually believing in her wholeheartedly and telling her what she was capable of, rather than just simply pitying her because of her handicap. As Yang processed the words of Ironwood's speech to her, her demeanor began to change somewhat for the better, and it was as though a glimmer of hope had begun to shine on her from the end of a long dark tunnel. This seemed to have given her a new outlook on her situation. She began to realize that losing her arm was not the end of everything, but instead it was a chance for her to look into herself and from there move forward with her life in a new direction, possessing a renewed and reinvigorated sense of purpose. It was like a phoenix rising from the ashes to be reborn, stronger than it was before.

"If you can do it, then I guess I can do it too." said Yang, feeling her spirits starting to lift. "Why did you decide to tell me all this anyway?"

"It's just that seeing you like this, it struck a chord somewhere deep inside me and reminded me of how I used to be." said Ironwood, thinking back on his past.

"You know, I think this might have been exactly what I needed to hear." said Yang, feeling uplifted. "If this is just another step towards me becoming even stronger, than maybe I can still become a Huntress after all. It's just that I'll be missing a few parts only."

"I'm glad I could be of assistance." said Ironwood. "So what will you do now? You've got the whole world ahead of you. It's too bad you can't go back to Beacon anymore though."

"Now that I think about it, I don't actually know what I should do next." said Yang. "Beacon is gone, probably for good, and all of my friends and teammates are scattered across the world. My sister Ruby also left to go to Mistral not too long ago. Everyone seems to have left me behind. I wish there was something I could do to help with the way things are now, instead of just sitting around here doing nothing."

"You know, if you really want to help, I think there might be something for you could do." said Ironwood, thinking deeply. "We might have some important work that you could assist us with."

"What sort of work?" asked Yang, her interest piqued.

"It's somewhat related what your father has been doing recently." said Ironwood. "Helping to clear the Grim out from the areas in Vale they've invaded recently, and push them back."

"Isn't that what everyone else has been doing?" asked Yang. "It doesn't seem to be working so far, and the Grimm just keep coming back."

"That may be the case for now, but that could soon change." said Ironwood, smirking. "Recently, we've been developing some experimental new weapons that could be used to fight the Grimm, but we have still yet to test them in actual combat against the Grimm."

"What would you need me to do?" asked Yang, having a vague idea of where Ironwood might be going with this.

"We need volunteers, strong warriors like you, to help us test them." said Ironwood. "They're experimental enhancements that will increase the power of a Huntsman or Huntress' weapons by infusing special types of Dust into them, potentially amplifying their power tenfold or more. Your father Taiyang has already become somewhat familiar with the new technology and has agreed to try it out, but we still need more people. Would you be interested in trying it too? Not only would you be helping out your father by fighting together with him, but you will also be helping in the relief efforts and doing a great service to the Kingdom of Vale by eradicating the invading Grimm."

"I think I might be interested." said Yang, thinking about the offer. "The enhancements could really give Ember Celica an extra kick. When do we get started?"

"It could be right now if you want." said Ironwood. "Come with me and we'll go find your father, and take him with us too."

"That sounds great." said Yang. "There's just one thing though."

"What is it?" asked Ironwood.

"Before I'm on board with this whole plan, I want a cool robot arm to replace the one I lost." said Yang, smiling.

"I can arrange that." said Ironwood. "Atlesian cybernetics are some of the most advanced in the world."

"Awesome." said Yang. "It's a deal then. I'll go start packing."

Yang then ran off into the house behind her and made her way to her room, where she began packing her bags for the trip. She packed every possible necessity that she thought she might need, finally topping it off by packing the two gauntlets of her weapon Ember Celica into her traveling bag. Yang then proceeded to go back outside to meet Ironwood, closing and locking the door behind her, ready to begin a new chapter in her life.

Deep in the Kingdom of Atlas, within the Schnee Manor, Weiss Schnee was in her room getting dressed and packing her bags early in the morning, and when she was finally done, she sheathed her rapier weapon Myrtenaster at her side. It looked as though Weiss was getting ready to leave on a long journey, one which she would not be telling her family members about. She left her room and quietly tiptoed her way through the mansion, passing by the bedrooms of her family members and finally reaching the bottom floor. Realizing that going through the front door would likely make too much noise and wake everyone up, Weiss made her way towards the back of the mansion, deciding that she would instead sneak out from the backdoor.

As she reached the rear part of the mansion, she found herself in what appeared to be a small private museum, which functioned as a place for the Schnee family to store their collection of valuable artifacts and heirlooms that it had collected over the years. She continued to make her way through this area of the mansion, seeing the door to the outside close by. Before she reached the door, something caught her eye and she stopped for a quick second to take one last look at it before leaving for good. Mounted on the wall in front of her was what appeared to be a thin white bone or horn about the length of her rapier's blade, which tapered off at the end. Inscribed in various places all over this object were what appeared to be magical glyphs, and engraved on the very bottom of the thicker part of the object, there was a small black, skull-like crest. Weiss stood there for a moment and stared at the object, mesmerized by its mystical presence.

"It's really pretty, isn't it?" said a voice coming from behind Weiss. Weiss immediately jumped up in surprise and turned around to find her older sister Winter standing there in her pajamas.

"Winter..." Weiss began to say, not being able to find the words.

"What are you doing Weiss?" asked Winter, crossing her arms. "Let me guess, you're running away again, aren't you?"

"So what if I am?" asked Weiss.

"Why do you keep doing this Weiss?" asked Winter. "Do you ever stop to consider the consequences that your actions might have?"

"I don't care about any of that." said Weiss. "There's something important that I have to do."

"Are those friends of yours really worth going that far for?" asked Winter. "Are they really that important to you that you'd leave everything behind just for them?"

"They are." said Weiss. "They've done so much for me already, and right now they need me now more than ever. I can't just sit around here and do nothing anymore. I have to help them fix things and make everything right again."

"Things can never go back to how they were." said Winter. "You're naive if you think you can change that, little sister."

"That may be, but I won't see everything fall further into ruin from to my lack of trying." said Weiss. "Being at Beacon has changed me as a person. Before I would just turn a blind eye to all the misfortunes of the world, but now I just can't stand the thought of simply looking the other way, not when I know I can make a difference."

"It seems your dead set on doing this then?" said Winter.

"Yes, I am." said Weiss.

"I guess I can't stop you then." said Winter, smiling. "Just remember that I'm the one who's going to get all the flak from dad once he finds out you're gone."

"Tell him it was all me." said Weiss. "It was my own decision to leave, and there was nothing you could do to stop me."

"Do you even know where you're going?" asked Winter.

"I talked with my teammate Yang the other day on my Scroll." said Weiss. "She told me that Ruby and her friends had left the other day, and I have a pretty good idea where they're going and where I should look for them."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" asked Winter. "It's a dangerous world out there."

"I'm a skilled Huntress now." said Weiss. "I can protect myself. My weapon will make sure of that, but it also wouldn't hurt to bring a little something extra." Weiss then reached over to the white object hanging on the wall and picked it up, surprised by how strange it felt in her hands.

"You're taking the Walpurgisnacht wand with you?" asked Winter. "Are you sure you can handle it? It may be a powerful summoning wand that has assisted our family in their summoning spells over the generations, but very few of us have actually been able to fully master it and control it properly. Even I can't seem to fully grasp its power, so I just gave up trying a long time ago."

"I've been practicing my summoning a lot over these past few months." said Weiss. "I've gotten much better Winter, and you know it. I've almost reached your level. I'm certain I can handle it. It almost feels like the wand is calling out for me to use it. Maybe it's just looking for the right wielder that can use it properly? Besides, if I don't use it, then who will? Isn't it better for a Schnee to actually be using it for what it was meant for rather, than for the wand to just be sitting there on the wall and collecting dust?"

"Fine, if you think it will help, then take it." said Winter. "But don't come crying to me when it backfires on you though."

"Well, I'm off then." said Weiss, putting the wand into her traveling pack, where it would be kept safe for the time being. She began to make her way to the door leading outside and opened it. "Goodbye Winter."

"Wait Weiss, don't leave just yet." said Winter, who ran over to Weiss and stood next to her in the cold outside. Winter grabbed hold of her sister and pulled her in for a warm goodbye hug. "Good luck Weiss. I hope you at least manage to accomplish what you're trying to do, however foolish it might be. It's going to be pretty boring here without you. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too Winter." said Weiss, hugging her sister tightly. "I'll be sure to call you on my Scroll and let you know how things go."

"Goodbye Weiss." said Winter, finally letting go of Weiss. Weiss then started to walk away, stepping into the outside world and starting on her journey to Mistral, where she hoped to find Ruby and her other friends, and join them on their quest for answers.

With this chapter, I finally got the ball rolling for a lot of plot points. For the longest time however, I had the most trouble coming up with the names for Salem's children. I went through so many different ideas for naming themes and alterations of those names based on their origins. I'll expand more upon the lore surrounding these new intelligent humanoid Grimm with the next chapter, which will be another World of Remnant segment.

As for Yang's new development where she finally gets her confidence and motivation back, I felt as though Ironwood should have been the one to help her do it, as strange as that may sound. If Yang were to look at him and see the cybernetics on his body, she would probably start to think that if he can come back from that, then she should definitely be able to come back from losing her arm. Also, I figured that it is likely through Ironwood that Yang would end up getting a new cybernetic arm anyway, since he would have access to that type of technology afterall.