This month's delay has a name. Cyberpunk 2077. I'm having so much fun, but still managed to get this chapter done in the last couple of days! Please enjoy!

Ironwood stepped into Ozpin's office, internally relieved to see a certain individual absent. He was already frustrated enough at Penny's apparent lack of progress. The last thing he needed was more of Ruby's antics. "I wasn't expecting another meeting so soon," the general greeted.

"Well, we never did finish our conversation last time," Ozpin nodded.

"And besides," Glynda cut in, "Ruby says she might have news for us."

"Ruby?" Ironwood's fist clenched. "You're telling me she called this meeting? Just how much authority do you intend on giving her!?"

Ozpin sighed heavily. "Please, James. Ruby is our ally. She would only be threat if we were to make her one, I am certain of that now. Even if you cannot trust her, please trust me."

Ironwood frowned, once again finding himself in the position where he could not find a response despite inherently disagreeing. His eyes turned the elevator in time to see the number start to rise.

Inside the elevator, Ruby couldn't help but be nervous, even as Mickey stayed calm, bordering on optimistic, beside her. She took another peek down at the large-eared Master and a thought came to mind. "Um, Your Majesty?"

"You can stick to Master while we're here. Or even Mickey," the small king assured her.

"Right, Master," Ruby nodded. "Have you heard the word 'faunus' around?"

"Now that'cha mention it, yeah," Mickey nodded. "What is that?"

"They're another humanoid race on Remnant, but they have animal traits" Ruby explained.

"Like that girl with the rabbit ears!" Mickey recalled them meeting such an individual briefly in the halls.

"Right," Ruby nodded.

"Some people in the city called me a faunus," Mickey nodded. "I suppose it would be easier if I played along, huh?"

"It might be, but you should also know that some people tend to not treat faunus well," Ruby informed him.

"I see…" Mickey acknowledged. "Welp, whatever helps me blend in."

The elevator announced their arrival to Ozpin's office, prompting both of them to quiet. As one might predict, all eyes quickly turned onto Ruby's new companion.

"And just who... or what... is this?" Ironwood demanded.

Ruby stepped out of the elevator first, wanting to get through introductions before the general could start his crap. "Ozpin, Glynda, Qrow. Ironwood. This is Master Mickey Mouse."

"Master?" Ozpin perked up. "As in Keyblade Master?"

"Yup!" Mickey nodded. "Nice to meet'cha!"

"Well," Qrow leaned forward with a smile, "it's good to finally meet one of you!"

"We are honored," Glynda bowed.

Ironwood remained silent, his jaw setting.

"I do not wish to assume," Ozpin opened, "but you attending this meeting… are you going to help us?"

"I've got my own mission," Mickey informed him. "But I can pass along some advice about your Maiden Thief."

"Our what?" James immediately jumped on Ruby's case, "just what right does he have to know our secrets?"

"Oh, maybe because he's Ruby's superior?" Glynda pointed out, her voice raising already. "He deserves to know everything we've told Ruby based on that merit alone. I mean, did you expect her not to report to her Masters?"

"Why are decisions continuously being made without me!?" the general shouted. "We never should have trusted these people, we know nothing about them!"

"Decisions aren't 'made without you'," Qrow countered, "you're outvoted. There is a difference."

"The difference is that I feel like I'm the only one with common sense around here!" Ironwood shouted. "Why are we spilling all of our secrets to strangers!?"

The argument picked up heat. Ozpin couldn't get a word in, and Qrow seemed to think the best option was to let the shouting match play out. As it progressed, Ruby felt a shiver invade her body. Her eyes met Mickey's, and she knew he felt the same thing.

Glynda's voice rose ever higher. "You know, in the beginning your skepticism was a least a little understandable, but what more does she possibly have to show you for you to understand she is on our side!"

"Guys?" Ruby tried to interject.

She was ultimately ignored as Ironwood continued to shout, "She is an unknown, and a threat to this brotherhood!"

"Hello!?" Ruby tried again, but even raising her own voice seemed to accomplish nothing.

Even Glynda was now deaf to their young ally, choosing instead to fire back, "the only threat here I see is your unending paranoia!"

Ruby couldn't risk being ignored again. She leapt onto Ozpin's desk, making sure to land with a loud stomp for good measure, and threw her hands out like she was ready to physically hold back the deputy headmistress and the general. "STOP!" she screamed, finally making her voice the loudest yet.

Glynda was successfully shocked into silence. Ironwood wasn't. "You don't get to tell me what to do," he growled.

"Actually, right now? That's exactly my job," Ruby told him. The others then noticed what Ruby and Mickey had already seen. The unnatural black smoke coming off Ironwood's shoulders, as well as the strange yellow hue tinting his normally blue eyes.

"That power you feel welling inside you? You need to shove it right back down," Ruby warned him. "Push it back and lock it away."

James looked down to his hand, seeing the dark energy rise from it. "This… is your Darkness?"

"Yes," Ruby nodded, "and you need to calm down and seal it away."

Far from calming, Ironwood seemed to be on the cusp of the first real smile Ruby had ever seen. "You're saying I have access to the very thing that makes our enemy so dreadful?"

It was exactly the thing Ruby feared. "I know it's tempting, but you can't control it."

"Our enemies do," Ironwood countered.

"That's the thing, they don't," Ruby pressed. "That's what I've been trying to tell you all for weeks. To invite in Darkness… It makes you feel powerful, it makes you think you're in control. But really, it controls you, and you lose your very self in the process."

Ironwood stared again at his hand. His eyes slowly faded back to blue.

Qrow spoke up to Ironwood himself. "Ruby told me Darkness takes our bad and makes it worse. Like Glynda pointed out, you have been unreasonably paranoid lately." He turned to Mickey, "is this all connected?"

"It's possible," Mickey told him. "You would know him better'n I would."

Ruby stepped down off the desk, capturing Ironwood's attention once again to speak with him. "I told you, to your face, that there are secrets I can't tell you. I understand that you're uneasy working with someone like that. But even if you can't trust me, you need to trust your own team. You need to rely on each other, not on this," she gestured to the Darkness still coming off his shoulders.

The Darkness faded away, and for the first time since she's known him, Ironwood actually seemed relaxed.

"Well, that was… informative," Ozpin observed. "I think we just received some valuable insight as to what truly makes Darkness so dangerous."

"That is certainly one way to look at what just happened," Glynda commented, keeping an obvious distance from the general.

"And I'm more sure than ever that Master Mickey's advice is correct," Ruby announced. Even before his eyes turned, herself and Mickey could feel the Darkness radiate from within Ironwood. "Ever since the visiting schools showed up, I felt Darkness surround Beacon in excess. I chalked it up to the couple hundred new students showing up, at first. More people is more hearts, and more hearts tempts Darkness…"

"But… you think something else now?" Qrow picked up.

"I'm certain," Ruby corrected. "I'm certain that our Maiden Thief is here, posing as a visiting student."

The room was silent. The idea was bold… but it had merit.

"She would need a 'team' to accompany her," Ozpin tested.

"Which could explain how she disappeared so easily when she attacked the tower," Glynda pointed out. "The ball itself would be her alibi, and her allies would cover for her."

Even Ironwood found himself agreeing with the idea. "If she's going to succeed, she needs inside knowledge of Beacon. So why not place herself as the spy? It's not as though we even know her face."

"Biding her time, waiting for her moment to strike…" Qrow's brow furrowed.

"The Vytal Festival," Ironwood pointed out. "I've said it before, it would be perfect for her. Too many moving parts, too many people. And from within the student body, she would have access to Beacon's halls while we all watch the tournament."

"This still doesn't tell us exactly what her plan is," Ozpin reminded them.

"No, but it's a start," Glynda panned. "Now that we suspect, we can start looking into the visiting student's records, looking for discrepancies."

"And what about you?" Ozpin asked Ruby. "A Master has finally returned for you. Are you leaving with him?"

"No, I'm not," Ruby informed them. "Master Mickey's mission is a higher level than I've trained for. Not the mention the Maiden Thief and the Black Coat… I'll definitely still be here."

"And James?" Ozpin turned to the general, "are there going to be any issues with Ruby's continued assistance?"

Ironwood massaged the wrist that so recently flowed with strange power. "Like you said, it was valuable insight."

"Good," Ozpin nodded. "We shall need a way to discreetly check Shade's and Haven's rosters, though we luckily have ready access to Atlas's."

"I should be going then," Ironwood agreed, "start double checking my records."

"And that," Qrow stood up, "is meeting adjourned."

As people began filing out of the office, Ozpin stood and approached Mickey. "Master," he bowed lightly, "I do apologize that your first impression of us took place in such turbulent air. It is an honor to meet you."

"Likewise," Mickey bowed lightly himself. "Ruby told me quite a bit 'bout you. She admires you, y'know."

"Does she?" Ozpin seemed amused.

"Do I?" Ruby seemed confused.

Mickey turned to the young student, "well, that was the impression ya gave me when you were tellin' me about all this earlier."

"Well, your secret is safe with me, miss Rose," Ozpin quipped.

Mickey chuckled. "You remind me of an old friend of mine. Well, at his best anyway. A very wise fella."

Ozpin smiled at the compliment. "Thank you. And thank you for allowing us to continue borrowing your student."

"Course!" Mickey nodded, conveniently leaving out that Ruby technically wasn't his student. "The Keyblade has a way of takin' people where they need to be."

"'May your heart be your guiding key', right?" Ozpin connected.

After a few more light-natured pleasantries the trio said their farewells and parted ways.

After departing Ozpin's office Ruby guided Mickey to a secluded section of the Emerald Forest, at the King's direction. Once they were confidently alone, Mickey summoned his own Keyblade. The gold-hilted, blue-bladed, celestially inspired Star Cluster. He raised the blade, using the unique ability Star Cluster provided him and him alone. A set of large, white double doors materialized slowly in a blinding light in the middle of the clearing. A door to the Realm of Darkness.

"I guess you're off to look for the Masters?" Ruby asked.

"Yup," Mickey nodded, "but don't worry. Even if I don't find 'em right away, I'll still come back from time to time to check in. I don't plan on up and leaving you high and dry."

Ruby didn't want to admit how internally relieved she really was at the statement. "Thank you," she offered simply.

"Well, ya been without a Master for too long," Mickey rationalized. "Speakin' of, any last questions before I leave?"

"Actually, yeah…" Ruby held up her broken bracer. "Do you know anything about this?"

"Hmm…" Mickey looked over the gauntlet. "Sorry, but I've never used Keyblade armor. I didn't even know it could break like that. It should act a lot like the Keyblade itself… it broke when the Land of Departure fell?"

Ruby nodded.

"Have you tried summoning it lately?" Mickey asked.

Ruby looked down to the device. She recalled something Penny had once said, 'I could be mistaken, but the damage to your gauntlet appears to be less severe than when I saw you last.' She pressed the switch for the first time since she landed on Remnant, and it began to glow briefly before sparking out and remaining broken.

"Sorry," Micky frowned.

"No, don't be!" Ruby assured, "That's more than it's done in nearly six months."

"Maybe just give it more time," Mickey offered. "Welp, I should be off."

"Of course," Ruby held her hand to her chest, "and may your heart be your guiding key."

"You really say that?" Mickey noted.

"Yeah…" Ruby turned slightly red with embarrassment. "The 'old ways' always fascinated me. I like the idea that some greater 'Light' is watching over me."

The old ways… a more elective part of Ruby's studies quickly surfaced at her own words. Mickey turned to open the door to the Dark Realm, but Ruby interrupted him. "Your Majesty!"

"Yeah?" Mickey turned back.

"'Lux'… that's an old word for 'light', right?" Ruby asked.

"Hm... I think so," Mickey calculated. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just… something that came up recently," Ruby told him vaguely. She didn't want to elaborate before she had a better idea what that elaboration would entail.

Mickey nodded, accepting that answer. He finally opened the white doors and stepped through into the clouded darkness beyond. Ruby watched the door vanish, her thoughts turning inward once again.

Lux Firaga…

"Business as usual, then…" Ruby told herself on her way back to RWBY dorm. She was passing the courtyard fountain when she spotted Penny, curled up on a stone bench and muttering to herself. The young Keyblade wielder approached slowly, her curiosity skyrocketing.

"No, no, that won't work… why can't I think of anything the won't result in me being… being…"

"Being what?" Ruby announced her presence.

Penny literally jumped off the bench and onto her feet. "Ruby! Nothing, nothing is wrong!"

"I didn't if anything was wrong… is something wrong?" Ruby questioned.

"As I said, nothing is wrong!" Penny insisted.

"Okay… well, it's actually good I found you. I wanted to ask you something," Ruby began to gesture to her gauntlet.

"Oh, well unfortunately I am very busy at the moment," Penny invented quickly.

Ruby raised her eyebrow. "You… are?"

"Well, not right this moment, but I do have something I need to get to!" Penny recovered. "Like, right now! Goodbye!"

For a second time in recent days, Ruby watched a flustered Penny all but run away from her in a panic. She's definitely going through something… but what? Ruby was determined to find out and help her friend.