Qrow stared at the landmass above Vale, before looking down at Glynda and Ozpin, offering a weak smile, "Can't just be some experiment of Jimmy's or something, right?"

Glynda didn't dignify it with a response, continuing to stare out the clocktower window. Ozpin, on the other hand, cracked a small smile, "I'll have to ask him at our monthly meeting, if you can't figure it out, Qrow, but I doubt it."

"So you want me to, what, find a way past the barrier and take a peak around?"

"The later, yes. The former isn't needed," Ozpin said, "the barrier isn't airtight, according to the bullheads' pilots that have gone close enough. The spaces between are just too small for them to fly through."

"Convenient," Qrow said.

"If the barrier blocks off air, they need to keep holes big enough to let air through, theoretically," Ozpin shrugged, opening the window and waving his hand, "off you go, Qrow."

"I'm on it, I'm on it," Qrow waved a hand, shrinking down into his crow form and taking off out the window and into the sky.

Less than five minutes later, he was gliding along the sharp, red, crystal face of the barrier around the island in the sky. Finding a long, if small, hole between two of the faces, Qrow slipped in. Looking around, he nearly stopped beating his wings.

Along the edge of the sky island were walls bristling with archaic defenses. Ballistas, trebuchets, a few cannons, pre-Great War, all of it. And passed that, an idyllic farming town with a castle at the center, men, women and children working the fields. As he flitted over, he noticed a green haired girl look up from where she was clearly chatting the ear off of a blue haired man, tugging the tunic he was wearing and pointing up at Qrow.

Qrow sped up, flying over stone pillars built in the fields and towards the castle as fast he could. Even if it was empty, that would answer one question. And if it wasn't, well…

That would open up a whole lot more.

— X Shez X—

Shez exited the castle to the Breidablik flipping through the air, shifting into sword form as it did and landing in Ruby's hand. An effortless spin of her fingers saw it flipped again and shifted into spear form, "Coin for your thoughts?"

Ruby didn't say anything at first, just flipping the spear into the air and catching it in Crescent Rose form. The white and gold scythe came down, resting on the balcony so the scope was even with Ruby's hooded head. Finally, she seemed satisfied with whatever she saw so she flipped the scythe back into the form of a pistol. The white, gold filigree covered cloak swiveled around and silver eyes met purple, "Oh, Shez. I didn't hear you come out!'

"I could tell," Shez said, brushing her puple hair out of her face and placing two goblets on the wooden table in front of Ruby before sitting down with a corked bottle and raising it with a smirk. Ruby cracked a small grin.

"Couldn't get ale?" Ruby said.

"As the lady summoner's assistant," Shez faked an Adrestian accent for the words, cracking a grin at the giggle from Ruby, "I'm just as confined to the castle as you are until we figure out what we're doing. So no, no ale, and no cookies from the bakery either."

"Dastards," Ruby giggled.

"Absolute dastards," Shez agreed, "So, we're stuck with wine. Want some, or will I be drinking alone?"

"I'll take some," Ruby said, pushing the goblet towards Shez, who opened it with glee. Decanting the wine into both goblets, Shez pushed one towards Ruby and toasted her.

"From one mercenary to another," Shez said.

"Excuse me," Ruby sniffed, faux-hautily, "That's one landed noble to another."

"Landed Mecenary and we split the difference," Shez laughed, "We both know neither of us would be nobility if we didn't have to be."

"To your health, Shez," Ruby said, drinking the wine. Glancing around, Shez lowered her voice.

"So, listen. If you wanted to sneak off and out of this place, we could."

"Go to the bakery?" Ruby joked.

"No, I mean leave the Resort for a bit," Shez said, "I'm sure you got places you want to go that they're keeping you from. All we gotta do is ask Arval, Epimenides created the barrier so they can drop a part of it for us to sneak through. I'll be with you, so they can't even complain you snuck out alone. I am," Shez retook the Adrestian accent, "your bodyguard, my lady."

Ruby didn't respond to the joke at first, just stared at Shez. Finally, she spoke, voice cracking, "You'd do that for me? We'll get in trouble-"

"Bah, what's the worst that could happen? They can't try you for insubordination, since they need you. And you won't let me hang for anything. What's on your mind?"

"Beacon for one," Ruby said, pointing out the red crystal barrier towards a tower below them, "Last time I saw it, there was a huge Grimm clinging to the tower. I wanna know how they got it off, but that can wait."

"Then what can't?" Shez urged.

"Yang and Dad," Ruby admitted, "I ran off to save the world and left them behind. I need to apologize to them. I guess the world… didn't need to be saved after all…"

Ruby downed most of her goblet in one gulp, eyes staring out over the balcony, "I never said goodbye to them. I'm not, I'm not any better than Blake or Weiss about that. My sister lost an arm and I just- just- just ran off to play hero."

"And then you became one," Shez said, resting a hand on her shoulder, "So hold your head high and go home with stories to tell. You're a tyrant toppler, a god killer, Askr's summoner. You are a hero. So let's go and show your family what you did."

Ruby cracked a smile, standing up, "Ok, let's go."

— X Ruby X—

Ruby ran a hand down one of the wyverns in the stables, before a voice spoke up from behind her and Shez and caused her to jump, "So you're heading out then?"

"Fjorm!" Ruby whipped around to see the other young woman approaching, her blond hair that transitioned to frosty blue at the tips, the opposite of Ruby's dark hair lightening to red, was swaying in the light breeze winding its way through the Aether Resort. Leiptr, her golden spear with a blade of ice, resting butt first on the ground, "What are you doing here?!"

"Waiting for you," Fjorm said.

"Here to stop me?" Ruby said, knowing she sounded like a scolded puppy. Fjorm's hand touched her face, making her look up to see her quirked lips.

"Of course not," Fjorm said, "I'm going with you."

"I- bwuh?" Ruby blinked at Fjorm, not even responding as Fjorm gave her a peck on the lips, "What?"

"I'm going with you," Fjorm said, walking over to a pegasus and casually mounting it, "If you feel the need to go somewhere, we're going. Alfonse expected you to go, so he asked me to help you."

"...I love that man," Ruby breathed, "and I love you, Fjorm. Shez, when you settle down and get married, make sure it's to someone as awesome as these two."

"I'm never getting married," Shez snorted, climbing on one of the wyverns, "too much of a hassle."

"Can we please hurry up?" Arval said, "We don't want you getting caught, do we? Don't take this personally, but everyone here other than Fjorm have rather distinctive appearances."

"Right," Ruby climbed onto her wyvern and shifted her cloak, "Thanks for this, Arval. You didn't have to do this."

"Come on, ruining the bodyjacker's spell for a minute? I wanted to, Ruby," Arval said as the trip goaded their steeds into the air and towards the crack Arval opened in the barrier, passing through it and out over Vale before entering over the ocean.

"Patch is about two hours away by boat!" Ruby called over her shoulder, taking the Breidablik off her hip. She missed the original form of Crescent Rose, but the fact that the Breidablik had been destined for her, and the fact that it could transform into a copy of her beloved scythe, made it a worthy replacement, "So probably half an hour by air!"

"Are we expecting enemies?" Shez called.

"Always expect Grimm on Remnant!" Ruby called back, resting the pistol form of the Breidablik on her thigh, "You never know when they're gonna show up!"

"Right," Shez grabbed the white and blue bone sword that represented her bond with Arval. On her other side, Fjorm couched her lance.

It was ultimately unnecessary, they made their way across the sea to a few bubblings that went nowhere, passed over Patch and landed just outside the piece of property that belonged to Ruby's family. Climbing off the wyvern, Ruby ran a hand down its back.

"This is the place, huh?" Shez said.

"It's so small," Fjorm said.

"It hasn't changed at all," Ruby said, opening the gate of the fence and beginning to walk towards the front door. As worn travel boots crushed the yellow gravel below her feet, years of baggage faded.

The wars with Embla, with Niðavellir. Their travels through Dökkálfheimr and Ljósálfheimr. The dead version of Askr looking for Angrboða's Heart to stop Hel. The thrum of battle as she thought she would lose Alfonse to Hel's curse, the flames of Múspell and cold of Nifl, traveling through Sanus to reach Mistral.

Slowly, not even really aware of what she was doing, Ruby rapped her fist against the door. She expected one of two things, her dad opening the door, gray in his blond hair, or Yang to open it, hair even longer than it had been when she had last seen her.

What she didn't expect, was a miniature version of herself to open the door, red cloak off, "Hello-"

Ruby stared at Ruby.

Alfaðör was a dastard alright. ALFAÐÖR WAS A COMPLETE AND UTTER-

"Dad!" Little Ruby turned, rushing into the house, "DAAAAADDDDD!"

"What. Just happened?" Shez asked.

"We're pulling a Líf," Ruby said, toying with the raised brim of her hood.

"That dastard," Shez said after a second, realizing what she meant. This wasn't Ruby's Remnant.

"How do you think I feel!" Ruby said, pushing open the door and walking inside, "At least that explains how they got the dragon off the tower!"

— X Tai X—

"DAAAAAAD!" Tai looked up at the tone in Ruby's voice, putting down the paper and opening the door as she came barreling to his chest at super speed.

"I told you not to run like that inside the house, Rosebud," Tai chided without any heat, only for Ruby to immediately grab his hand and begin to tug him towards the stairs, "What's up?"

"Therearethreeladiesdownstairsandoneofthemlookslikemom!" Ruby blabbered out, causing Tai to freeze in place as he deciphered what she was saying.

"There's someone downstairs that looks like your mother?" Tai asked, and Ruby nodded rapidly, eyes wide. Tai's lips tightened, and he made his way down the hall and to the staircase. It wasn't like Raven, it wouldn't be like Raven, it couldn't be like Raven. He had loved them both, but Raven and Summer had been as different as night and day. Summer would have never, ever abandoned them, only to show up on the doorstep years later-

It wasn't Summer. He could see how Ruby, at a look, had thought it was Summer, the white cloak over her head and silver eyes staring up at him, but Tai knew Summer far better than Ruby did. The face was more angular, the bust fuller. Her beloved white cloak with a red inside was replaced with a cream colored one, embroidered with lines of gold. Her black and white dress was replaced with a red and black combat skirt and bodice and she was playing with Zwei happily.

"Who are you?" Tai demanded, looking at the other two. Leaning against one wall was a woman with long purple hair and eyes the same color, one eye hidden by her hair, wearing armor of gunmetal gray with red on the underside of her breasts and her stomach, scarves of the same color trailing down her back and a pair of black torn hakama around her waist. Next to the fireplace, looking at the pictures on the mantle, was a woman wearing a white and blue minidress, golden shoulderpads embedded with pale blue crystals and a golden tiara on her head.

"This is gonna seem real weird," Not-Summer said, reaching for her hood and toying with it for a second before pulling it down. Tai heard Ruby breath in behind him, while his heart stopped in his chest. That voice was…

The woman lowered her hood, revealing familiarly shaped silver eyes, spiky black hair that lightened to red. Tai felt his jaw drop, "That- This isn't - This is a Semblance, isn't it-"

"No," Ruby Rose said, giggling slightly as Zwei licked her cheeks, "I missed you too, boy! Is Yang home? I'd rather we didn't need to explain this more than once."