Blake pov

"Here this one looks like a good one, not too many grim, but there is a bit of a drop."

"Let me get this straight. You want us, to jump down there?" I stared at Spring not understanding how she could expect us to trust her just like that and jump in there.

"Yeah, I do."

"Uh yeah well here's the thing..."

"I'm going first!" And then Nora charged past me, grinning like a loon and front flipped into the black puddle like portal.

"What the...?! Nora! What the hell!"

"Excuse me, I believe I shall be going next." Then to add to the madness Ren walks past and calmly steps into the portal.

"Has everyone gone mad?!"

"No thats just Nora, I suppose that means the rest of us are going to then?" Jaune looked so resigned that I realised that really was just Nora, she was always so impulsive.

"Fine then one of you is going next." I said pointing at Spring and her friends.

"You don't just me?"

"No."

"Okay I'll go then."

"What?! Do...uh, Spring you don't need to prove anything to them!"

"I know I don't have to Em but I want them to trust me and if going next will help then I will."

"Trust you! We don't even know you!" For a second I thought she flinched but I couldn't see why she would.

"Right." I watched her step forward and vanish into the portal, shortly followed by the rest of team DENM and then team DUSC joined them.

Sighing when I realised there was no other excuses not to go, I stepped forwards "come on then, lets go." So striding forwards I dropped into the portal and as I did I faintly heard Jaune say, "this time I need a landing strategy." This was followed by a lot of laughter and I remembered fondly our time at Beacon, when our teams were decided and how Jaune had no idea how to land, once he got launched into the air.

Focusing just in time to arrange my feet so I landed lightly on the balls of my feet. I blinked and looked around, it was very dark. I could see just fine because of my excellent night vision, which was thanks to my Faunus blood. Team DUSC all seemed to be fine as well which fit with what I felt from them, I couldn't see Spring's face but I knew she was Faunus so she should be able to see just fine.

Scrambling out of the way just in time to not be squished as Ruby landed, I waited for the rest of my team. When everyone was finally down including Qrow, who seemed to be lost in thought the whole time we had been bickering before, I noted that aside from me the only other member of our group of friends who had no trouble seeing was Penny, which was likely due to her being a robot.

"Right so which way do we go?"

"Crap."

"You don't know where we're going?!"

"I...well I've never been here before!" Immediately everyone was whispering and muttering to each other, team DUSC was looking more than a little concerned now. "Would all of you shut up so I can think?!" Silence fell and for several minutes Spring paced, muttering under her breath and shooting us looks before seemingly coming to a conclusion "right. Well you aren't going to like this, but you're gonna have to trust me. At least a little any way."

"Oh and why do we need to do that?" I couldn't quite keep the suspicion from my voice.

"Because Qrow and I are going to scout the area and when we come back we'll share what we found, and hopefully one of us will have found Salems palace thing. You will need to trust that we aren't lying abut what we found."

"Why you and Qrow?"

"Can anyone else turn into a bird?...No? Didn't think so..."

"I can fly!" That came the alway stern looking Dante.

"How?" Now I could hear genuine curiosity in Spring's voice.

"I can channel my aura into forming a pair of wings."

"Fascinating, however grim have very keen sight, especially in conditions like this, are you sure you wouldn't be spotted. Or other wise noticed, particularly by the Nevermores?"

"I can take a couple of measly Nevermores!"

"That isn't what I'm concerned about, we want the element of surprise, battling a bunch of Nevermore on your own will cause a scene. One that will get you noticed by Salem probably and then our surprise attack will be gone."

"Oh, right I guess not then. I don't really do stealth when I fight."

Nodding she turned back to face the group as a whole and said "right, my form is white so I'm gonna stick out with this back drop. So someone is going to have to dump some of this dust stuff," here she kicked the ground slightly causing a large cloud to rise up, of said black dust, "on me...Ahhh not yet, jeez!" I had to admit that was funny and apparently the jackal boy also though it was funny, right up until she said "watch it rouge boy, I'll get you back for that later!" Now looking irritated she turned to Qrow, "you go that way and circle round there and ill do the opposite. Kay?"

"Yeah whatever."

Both transformed and it was weird to watch, then Neo was dropping a load of dust on Spring and despite not being Faunus she seemed to be doing okay in regards to seeing. Now both the birds were black they took to the sky quickly vanishing even to my keen sight. And so the waiting began.

xxx

Qrow pov

I flew swiftly, not wanting to linger. Especially around the Nevermores, because while they hadn't bothered me in my bird form before I didn't want to chance fate...at least not with my life at any rate. So as I flew I concentrated mostly on my goal of locating this palace and getting the hell out of here, I had to admit I was more than pleased when I saw the huge onyx building. It had tall towers with sharp looking points at the top, circling the building I was careful to note all the locations of guards and grim groups. They may have changed by the time all of us got back here but at least it would give us an idea of what we were dealing with.

Author Note: Okay next chapter is here, how do you like it people? Any good? We're getting towards the end now, things are going to be heating up, so please review on your way out and tell me how it was, cheers. See ya soon.

-SL xxxx