Team RWBY and I were trying very hard to keep up with Qrow however, despite being drunk he was moving at a quick pace which made it easier said than done. We managed to catch up when he had to wait for the elevator scrambling to get in we all waited to get to the right floor. Closing my eyes I tried to picture myself outside but being squished between Weiss and Ruby made that hard, I could feel my heart rate and breathing picking up.

Swallowing I started counting slowly to one hundred refusing to have a panic attack in the lift with every one here to see, I was half way through my second round of counting when I finally felt relaxed enough to open my eyes and was just in time to see the lift doors open. Hurrying out with everyone I realised we were in Ozpin's office and Pyrrha was already there.

It didn't take me long to realise we were missing some key information that was the reason for the adults panic, Ozpin turned to look at me as he spoke "you are the one who found this information correct?"

"Yes"

"Is there anything else? Any other information about Cinder and her team that could be useful?"

Thinking for a minute I said "well there is the woman Cinder answers to"

"Someone is in charge of Cinder? Who is this woman?"

Shrugging slightly I said "I don't know her name, but she looked creepy. She had like really pale skin and blackish veins that were visible and she had like white hair all done in these bun things."

Again I felt like I was missing something as Qrow and Ozpin shared a meaningful look "it can't be Oz, she was supposed to be dead"

"Qrow I can't think of any other explanation for this, can you?"

"No, but..."

"Qrow Salem is back"

Needing to know what was going on I cut in "who is Salem?"

"Some one very bad"

Lifting one eyebrow I gave Qrow the look, the one that said 'really you expect to get away with telling me that and not explaining further'

"Kid she is bad news you don't want to be getting in her way, just stay out of this. You have done amazingly bringing this to our attention however I don't want any of you getting hurt so you need to stay out of this. It isn't your fight."

xxx

xxx

Swinging my scythe I took the head off another grim, flitting about the battle field I was trying to cull the number of grims but they just seemed to keep popping up continuously, it was exhausting.

So much for 'it's not your fight', Pyrrha's match had been a disaster and now there were grim in the city and we were being over run.

My scroll bleeping in my pocket dragged my focus away from the grim around me long enough to allow one of the grims to get a swipe in, leaving a long shallow gash across my ribs. Quickly dispatching the grim I answered my scroll with one hand, still killing grims with the other. "Dove here, better be urgent kinda in the middle of something"

"Dove, thank god you have an incoming grim,"

"Yeah, helpful Ruby, I have hundreds of incoming grim, thanks for the heads up"

"No Dove its huge, some kind of ultimate grim, and its heading right for beacon tower"

Cursing I said "right got it thank you Ruby, stay safe."

"Wait Dove do you need back up? Who is there with you?"

"I'm good! You guys stay together, watch each others backs. Dove out."

Slicing the head of another grim I shoved my scroll back into its pocket and continued fighting keeping half an eye out for this huge grim, it didn't take long for it to make an appearance. Gaping slightly I think huge was an understatement, absently cleaving a grim in two I tried to get a better view of the grim. Swearing I realised it was heading right for me, or more accurately the tower behind me. Scowling I muttered "oh hell no, you are not brining this down..."

Flinging a handful of green dust down I used the wind produced to launch myself into the air, at the peek of the jump I unfurled my wings flapping hard to gain altitude. Swooping up along side the mammoth monster I swung my scythe, and the blade bounced of the think scale like hide. Cursing I backed off, coming to land softly on the roof of the tower. Flicking the blade of the scythe back in I activated the staffs power, the colours swirled brilliantly glowing so bright it hurt my eyes slightly to look at it. Hurling the lights at the beast I was hoping it would at least do some damage but the lights didn't seem to do much of anything except irritate it apparently.

Swearing violently I yanked my scroll out only for it to be shot from my hands, yelping I spun and froze. Cinder was standing there looking distinctly terrifying what with the glowing fire surrounding her eyes, "shit"

"Crude but yes I would say that sums up your situation quite well."

I flicked a glance at my staff only to see the depressingly empty channels, no dust. I would have to refill it before I could get another shot of and that would take a minute to do, in which time I would probably be dead.

Slamming the staff end into the ground I decided right then, if I was going to die then I was going to go out fighting for all I was worth.

"Your going to fight aren't you?"

"Till my last breath"

"How noble"

Leaning out of the way of the arrow she shot of I said "well you know that is what us huntresses are all about, nobility and all that"

Another arrow shot which I also dodged, "I don't know why you fight, this school is a lost cause, you can't win. Its been over run, there are more than twice the number of grim as people here at the moment and that is including the white fang who are also fighting you."

Rolling out of the way of another arrow, I jumped to doge the one that followed close behind "yes well a funny fact about us good guys, the stronger the opposition the harder we fight"

"And yet you will all loose in the end" firing another arrow she followed it up with a huge fire ball, yelping I rolled away trying to avoid both the projectiles. I just about managed, I may now be sporting slightly singed clothes. Grimacing I starting fighting back, using my staff to deflect the arrows and not just dodging them. At the last second I clicked the scythe blade out and swung at Cinder. She avoided the blade and fired another arrow, lifting my scythe I let the arrow bounce harmlessly off the blade.

Only it didn't, it sort of dissolved and reformed on the other side. Twisting I tried to avoid the arrow but it was awkward at best and the arrow imbedded its self in my shoulder, gasping I fell back. I was dimly aware of hitting the ground but my mind seemed strangely distant.

Distantly I could hear voices and I managed to identify Ruby however the other I struggled with till I recognised the shouted "hold on little chick we're coming" and realised it was Qrow. Cracking one eye open I saw Cinder standing back near the edge of the tower grinning at the approaching forms of my father and my friend.

Cringing at the odd swelling sensation I felt inside myself, like a rising of power only I wasn't doing anything to warrant it.

Refusing to allow Cinder to hurt my family I willed myself to my feet, pain thrummed through my shoulder but I ignored it instead focusing on the sight of Qrow and Ruby hitching a ride on the back of a nevermore. Dropping onto the roof as Ruby hacked the wing of the grim, their feet had barely touched the ground before I was moving. Stopping in front of the pair I lifted and spread my wings using myself as a human shield, biting back a scream when I felt three arrows hit simultaneously across the middle of my back. The next arrow was the one that did it, it pierced straight through the centre of my back, right between my wings. arcing my back a shrill scream ripped from my throat, one I had no control over.

"DOVE! NO!"

Crumpling I hit the ground no longer able to hold my self up, I felt Qrow grasping my shoulders but his hands seemed to be less and less substantial. Blinking my eyes open I peered around and all I could see was green for a moment and then I could see past the green. I saw Ruby explode, not literally but she released a huge wave of white light that wiped out any grim it touched and when it touched Cinder I was pleased to see her form appear to disintegrate too. However the light left Qrow untouched, for which I was very grateful. When the light made contact with me I felt an irresistible tugging, relaxing and following the pulling I allowed the light to lead me away.

Qrow's pov (I know you've all been waiting for this)

As we approached the top of beacon tower riding on the back of a nevermore I could see Dove sprawled on the ground with an arrow sticking out of her, from this distance I couldn't see where. Desperation had me joining Rubbing in calling out "hold on little chick we're coming"

I was so relieved to see her get up, 'she was alive' 'she was okay' kept spinning through my mind. As soon as we landed she was running towards us, although it looked more like very fast drunk staggering. When she reached us she threw her wings out, apparently not bothered by Ruby seeing. The way her body jolted told me she had taken at least one arrow for us and then I watched as she arced, her back almost bent double as she screamed. It was a horrible sound, high and shrill like a dying song bird. Lunging forwards as she collapsed I cradled as much of her on my lap as I could, clutching at her shoulders and practically demanding she stay and not die.

I was faintly aware of Ruby's shout "DOVE! NO!" and I saw Dove's eyes open briefly. when they did they were a solid green that faded slightly to a more normal shade, and then there was a bright wave of white light and when I could see properly I watched in horror as Doves body dissolved slowly into a pale green mist, that drifted away on the wake of the light wave Ruby had produced.

"Little chick..." a single tear slid down my cheek as I mourned the loss of my only child.