Chapter 9: Reconciliation

It had been several hours since their daring escape. The bright morning light was hell on his eyes but there was no way he was going to sleep now. He, Weiss and Neo had been running for most of the night trying to get away from the bandits. Thankfully the fire that Weiss had started had given them ample time to get away but he was sure the bandits would be after them before long. Which was why they needed to find their way before that happened. They would at least be safe in a town, for however long that would be. He doubted the bandits would attack them in a busy town, especially when two of them were Huntsmen in training.

It was maybe a few minutes after sunrise that they stumbled upon a campground with communal bathrooms. The three felt relieved at the sight, even if it was old and a bit dilapidated. It was better than taking a leak behind a tree. Levi went in first, scanning the ladies' room for potential threats. Once he was satisfied, he left the room, sheathing his weapon behind his back.

"So, is it clear?"

"It's clear," the faunus said, glancing back over his shoulder. "But one of the toilets is out of order and the other one is a bit dirty. Sorry ladies, but you'll either have to squat or use the sink," he said jokingly. Neo glared at him not at all amused, while Weiss just shook her head.

"It can't be helped, we don't have the right to complain, especially after last night. Me and Neo will go, you use the men's room. There's a bit of dirt on your face, and your makeup is a bit smeared."

He hadn't even bothered looking at himself. He gave the pair a nod slipping into the men's room. Weiss remained rooted in place for a moment before nodding to herself and stepping into the lady's room. "Oh dear god, how can you call this hygienic?" her voice cried, causing Neo to roll her eyes.

She couldn't stop herself from grinning. Here she was in the middle of the woods with the Schnee Heiress, a close friend to the Little Red bitch who had gotten her Roman killed. After all, if she hadn't distracted them then Roman could have gotten away without risking his life. She stepped into the ladies' room, holding back the urge to grin, slowly pulling on Hush, making sure the blade was partially drawn.

Weiss either hadn't gone to the bathroom or had forced it out as quickly as possible. Either way, she was washing her hands in the sink, her rapier laying right in front of her. She looked up at the mirror, vibrant blue eyes met chocolate brown. She could see the anger on her face. Weiss didn't even seem phased, as she reached for the paper towels, drying her hands off.

"I have no idea what you told Levi, but when he finds out who you truly are, he won't hesitate to put an end to you," she said, slowly turning around. She kept her left hand next to Myrtenaster, ready to fight if she needed. "Let me guess, this is the part where you are going to try and kill me. Because I'm apparently responsible for what happened to your boss. Is that it?"

Neo continued glaring at her, like a hyena stalking its prey. She didn't move, and barely even reacted to the words the heiress had spoken. Her lips were pursed outward, a look of sheer fury written on her face. "Ruby wasn't responsible for the death of your friend, you know."

The ice cream-themed woman sprung forward, throwing an aura-infused punch at Weiss, who dodged it with ease. Her fist slammed into the mirror shattering it into millions of pieces. The white-haired former heiress stood at the ready, her weapon's dust chamber clicking as she selected her dust.

"Do you think killing me is going to bring him back?" She asked, taking her stance. Neo did the same, shaking her hand a bit as she glared at the woman. "He isn't coming back, and it isn't Ruby's fault he got killed. It was Cinder's fault."

Neo grit her teeth in anger, reaching for her scroll, hastily typing out a message, holding it out to Weiss, who brushed her hand aside, sending the device flying. "I don't care what you want to say to me. All I know is the person in front of me needs to be taken care of. If you think you can kill me, you'll have to work for it."

The woman drew Hush with a flick of her wrist, using the moment of her draw to swing at Weiss, who easily deflected the hit with Myrtenaster. She stepped forward, throwing a series of speedy jabs at Neo's chest, all of which were easily parried. The two clashed blades, again and again, sending sparks in all directions. Weiss pushed her back with ease, creating a black glyph beneath Neo's feet. The woman tried running at the former heiress, only to find her feet firmly glued to the ground.

Weiss lowered her rapier, pressing the trigger. The cylinder spun for a few seconds before finally clicking to a stop, Myrtenaster glowing a brilliant orange. She raised her blade, leveling it with Neo's face. She leaned back, trying desperately to avoid the point from touching her face.

"I can end you right here, you know. Tell Levi that you ran off, but something tells me that wouldn't be a good idea. He trusts you, for some reason or another. But one day, he is going to figure out everything. He's going to find out you were there with Roman, that you were part of the Fall of Beacon."

The pink and brown-haired girl looked away, a look of regret on her face. "You've spent time getting to know him right? You consider him a friend, right? Then think about your next move, because you will end up losing whatever you have left if you make the wrong choice."

"Hey girls, are you alright in there? Please tell me one of you didn't fall in there? I don't wanna be the one to pull you out of the toilet." Levi cried out, causing the two women to glance back at the entrance.

"We'll be out soon! Neo needed a bit of help with her makeup so I volunteered to help. Sit tight, okay?" Weiss called out, earning a moan from the young man. She gazed back at Neo, placing a hand on her hip. "Well, do you still wanna kill me, or do you wanna get to Mistral and kill the one who truly deserves it?"

She narrowed her eyes, giving the white-haired woman a nod. With a snap of her fingers, Weiss undid her glyph, briefly turning around to pick up Neo's scroll. She swiped it from her hand, giving her a middle finger before exiting the bathroom. Weiss let out an audible sigh, shaking her head as she slipped her sword through the ring at her waist. "God, what the hell have I gotten myself into?"

Levi was glancing at his scroll when the two ladies met up with him. Weiss didn't exactly know what he was up to, but when he heard them walking up to him, he looked up, holding his scroll up with a bright smile. "I got a signal!"

"What?" she cried in disbelief. She pulled hers from her skirt pocket, pulling it open, and just like Levi had said, she had a signal. "Wow you're right, we must be near a relay tower! This is fantastic, that means we can possibly find a way to Mistral!"

"Aren't the CCT Relay Towers autonomous?" Neo's scroll asked, causing the pair to look up at her. She had a look of curiosity on her face as she held the device out. "What are the odds of us finding an actual repairman there? And one that will give us a lift to Mistral?"

"She has a point, we'd likely have to pay them. Sadly, those bandits took what I Had left for funds, a whole 26 thousand Lien."

"I'm flat broke too, when I left Atlas, I brought a million lien with me and used that to pay the pilot that brought me here. But he ended up dying. I'm certain those damn bandits took it for themselves." Weiss said a look of sadness on her face as she thought of the dead pilot.

"No dice here, I paid Raven 35 thousand for the information I got on Cinder and the White Fang. I got about 5 lien to my name right now." the scroll chirped, a sheepish smile on Neo's face. Levi pinched his eyes, sighing audibly.

"Well, it could be worse right? Let's get a move on, maybe if we make it to that relay tower someone nice will give us a lift," he said, glancing back at his map. He searched for the nearest tower, finding a reliable-looking route. "Alright, if we follow the road just outside this campground, we'll make it to Mistral Relay Station Alpha Beta 945. Let's just cross our fingers."

With no other options, the women nodded, following their leader away from the disgusting bathrooms, and onto the road. They climbed up a hilled path leading to an asphalt road, without a single car in sight. They stepped away from the edge of the road, just in case some crazy driver decided to get too close to them. Weiss cleared her throat, glancing at Neo with an intrigued gaze.

"So, you paid for information on Cinder Fall, and the White Fang? What for?"

"That's a good question. Due to what happened we weren't able to even discuss this. What did that lady tell you?" Levi asked. Neo crossed her arms, forming an X in front of herself, holding her nose up high. "Oh come on, you must be dying to talk about it."

She extended her hands, signing her reply to Levi. Weiss looked at each movement, rather confused. She hadn't seen sign language so she couldn't even follow it. It all looked like silly movements to her, but Levi looked at each one closely, as if putting the letters together in his head.

"I am curious to talk about it. But not with Miss Schnee present. This is between us after all, and it doesn't include this nosy brat." she expressed, returning to her pouty expression. Levi frowned, glancing up at the sky.

"Okay look, I know we set out to find this lady and drive a sword through her chest, but wouldn't it be better with allies? Weiss was affected by the Fall of Beacon too. Pyrrha Nikos was a close friend to her. I think she deserves to get in on the action."

"I didn't come to Mistral with the express mission to commit first-degree murder. I came here to get away from my father and meet up with my sister. Sadly, with General Ironwood closing the borders of Atlas, I am on my own. So whatever it is you two are planning, I'm in. I normally wouldn't get involved with anything, but Levi is right. Pyrrha died fighting Cinder, and many more students of Beacon and the other academies died too. She needs to pay for her crimes." the former heiress said.

"She has her reason to fight, just like you want to avenge your friend and I want to avenge my mom, Aria, and Cadence. Come on Neo, work with me, okay? It'll take a bit of time to trust Weiss, but I'm sure she's a good friend, I promise."

Neo silently growled, whipping out her scroll, typing with such speed and precision he wasn't aware she even possessed. She held the device up, showing him the paragraph she had composed. He could tell she was fuming.

"I seriously don't get how you can be so open to trusting her. Isn't she the daughter of the man who enslaves your people? Who forces the faunus to mine dust for him for low wages? You wanna trust her? You told me yourself, you aren't that well acquainted with her. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you picking up golf balls is the only time you actually spoke with her! Forgive me, but I find myself having a hard time trusting her." the scroll spoke, though mechanical, he could feel the anger of her words.

Weiss looked visibly hurt by what she had heard. She rubbed her arm, frowning a bit as she kicked some pebbles with her foot. "I already apologized for what my father is doing. But I can't really do anything about it. He disowned me for almost attacking a woman, who said Vale deserved what happened. I want to fix the SDC and make it mean something, but I can't do it as an heiress. It'll take me a lot of work but I promise I will fix everything."

"Heh, that's just like a Schnee. All they can do is make false promises and get people killed. All for a shitty-paying job. But hey, I guess someone has to mine the dust that keeps Atlas afloat right?"

Levi let out a sigh, taking Neo's scroll from her before she could write another scathing insult. He gave her a firm look, towering over her at full height. Though she feigned a look of annoyance and anger, she was rather intimidated by the taller man. "We are all in a shitty situation, alright? It's time to let bygones be bygones. Weiss may have been complacent in what her father did but it isn't her fault. The bastard was grooming her to be like him. She was at Beacon, she deserves to fight alongside us just as much as anyone else. All of us are victims of Cinder, alright? So stop acting like a little shit and tell us what you know. I hired you after all."

"You didn't hire me, I volunteered." she signed angrily.

"Well then, volunteer yourself in the other direction. If you wanna fight Cinder on your own, be my guest, but I'm gonna keep heading to Mistral. I made my mother and my teammates a promise, Neo. And Intend to keep it." he said, tossing her scroll back at her. She swiftly caught it, looking away from him. "Let's go, Weiss. That relay tower is a few kilometers up the road. We'll be there soon."

She said nothing, only giving him a nod. The pair started walking up the road, leaving Neo all on her lonesome. She glanced at her scroll for a moment, her hand shaking a bit as she squeezed it.

"That fucking asshole. Just when I was starting to consider him a friend and not a tool. He has to do this, all because he trusts that bitchy heiress. Whatever! I can make it to Mistral all by myself!" she thought to herself.

"Oh come on, Neo! Is that a way to treat your friends?" a familiar voice called out, causing her to shudder. She slowly glanced across the street, her eyes widening as she saw a familiar face standing there.

"R-Roman?"

"That's right. It's me, your best friend, and the man who raised ya. Look, sweetie, I get it. It sucks that you weren't there to see my grand exit from this world. Believe me, I'm still getting over it. But you know what I've learned from all this?" he asked, causing her to shake her head. "It's that it's best to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That bitch forced me to work with her, blackmailed me to do her bidding, and then used me as a pawn when the going was tough. And I enjoyed every moment of it."

He swung his cane around as he crossed the street, tipping his hat back. "Now sure, you can go ahead and blame Little Red, hell I do. Because of her little fight, I got chomped by a Grimm. But that isn't the point. The point is to win, by any means necessary. Remember the four things I taught you."

"Lie, cheat, steal and survive."

"That's right. Right now, you have lied, you have stolen and you have cheated, but you aren't surviving, Neo. You have to stand on your own two feet, and decide what you want to do with your life. You knew the risks involved in our line of work. This wasn't like when we were younger. Everything changed far too fast for us to make much of anything." Roman said, pausing for a moment to light a cigar. He took a puff from it, exhaling the smoke through his nose. "Look at me, Neo."

She did, a look of utter sadness on her face. She was seconds away from breaking into tears, her knees shaking a bit. "I don't know what to do, Roman. I'm so alone, every day I wake up, thinking things will go back to normal. But it's just the same shit."

"That's the real world, Neo. You can close your eyes and pretend all you want, but it isn't going to change things. Only you can change the world. I'm not gonna tell you what to do. That's up to you. But I really, really think you should go after those two." he said, glancing down the street. Weiss and Levi had gotten rather far away, barely visible from where they stood. "That Levi kid… he seems like a good influence. I know just how loyal you can be. He saved your life, you owe him a debt."

"You and your goddamned mafia boss persona. How is it that two hicks from the middle of bumfuck nowhere became wanted criminals?" she asked, earning a laugh from the older man.

"You know exactly how, you were there weren't you? I didn't pay those private instructors millions of lien to turn you into the assassin you are for fun. Put those skills to the test, and make sure when you have Cinder and those kids in front of you, to tell them I send my regards." he said.

"I will, Roman. Thanks for the pep talk."

"Sure, just try not to make a habit out of it. The last thing you need on the laundry list of mental issues is schizophrenia." the orange-haired man said, giving her a wink. She looked back up the road, back to Levi and Weiss, before looking back at Roman, only to see he was gone. She sighed, turning back, breaking into a dead sprint.

"I hope I can catch up to them. God why did I pick heels as footwear, my fucking ankles are going to die before I make it to them." she thought. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind, focusing on the task at hand. She couldn't lose Levi, not when she had finally decided to consider him a friend.


Location: 4 kilometers north of Just Rite, Mistral

The trip from Patch to Mistral had been a rather long one. Even with her motorcycle, it had taken her a few weeks just to make it to the other side of Sanus, and driving through Vale had brought back bad memories. Still, Yang Xiao Long was a woman on a mission, and currently, that was finding her little sister, Ruby Rose.

Her long golden hair flew in all directions as she drove, having tied it into a ponytail just after leaving the refueling station. She was dressed in a new outfit, consisting mostly of a short-sleeved shirt, over a black under-shirt, leather shorts, and brown chaps. She wore her favorite boots, along with a single violet glove on her hand. The sleek shine of her mechanical arm served as a reminder of what happened at Beacon Academy, a memory she longed to put behind her.

She had been redirected a few times, fire crews were working on controlling a fire that had broken out the night before. Shion Village had been destroyed and the only other place to go was overrun by Grimm. So she was currently traveling through Mistral, hoping to make it to the Kingdom Capital as fast as she possibly could. Though a run-in with a bandit made her change her plans.

The blonde brawler took a left turn, driving away from the main road. She slowed to a stop, pulling a map out from her breast pocket. She unfolded it, looking at the notes that had been written by the bandit she had run into. "Should be around here somewhere."

Shifting into first gear, she urged Bumblebee forward, keeping her eyes peeled for anything that moved. It wasn't much longer that a warning shot struck the tree behind her, causing her to stop. She climbed off her bike, turning the engine off. She looked around for a moment, spotting the bandit she had run into not long ago, holding a rifle in his hands. Around him stood eight others, all of them armed to the teeth.

"That's far enough, little lady," he said, taking aim at her. "I don't know who you are, but that is as far as you go. I have half a mind to put a bullet in your skull for what you did to me earlier."

He showed her the gap in his teeth, causing her to laugh. "You were the one who was hitting on a teenager. What, did you expect me not to be packing heat?"

"That is beside the point. You did a grave injustice to me and ended up knocking one of my teeth out. So you are going to pay me back. Hand over the keys to your bike, and your money, and whatever shit you got hiding under the seat." the blonde man said, holding his rifle up. "Oh, and you best run your pockets too. I want everything."

"Is this everyone?" she asked, not at all bothered by the man's request. He let out a laugh, cocking his head a bit.

"Yeah, this is everyone. Unless you wanna count everyone that's at the camp, that way over there," he said, gesturing behind himself with a thumb.

"That way?" she questioned, pointing in the direction he had gestured in. "Good to know."

"Tch… I'm done sitting around. We're having a shitty day already, and this is seriously what I need after last night. Get her, guys." he snapped, causing the others to start moving forward.

Yang rolled her shoulders a bit, flicking her wrist. Ember Celica sprung downward, a shell being loaded into the chamber. The bandits backed away slightly, not expecting her odd choice of weapon. One of them tried his luck, racing at her with his sword raised. She angled her metal arm, deflecting the hit with ease. She followed up with an uppercut, the combustion round sent him flying through the air.

"Shoot her, dammit!" the blond man shouted. Yang stepped forward, throwing a kick at one of the women, leaving her stunned. She jumped up, driving her metal arm into her chest, simultaneously unloading a shell into her stomach. The impact knocked her out instantly, leaving a human-sized crater in the ground.

She used a handspring to dodge a volley of gunfire, sweeping her leg around, she landed in a crouch, flipping over the gunman shooting her. She drove her fists into his back, wrapping her arm around his neck. She grabbed a hold of his face, slamming him to the ground. She slowly rose to her feet, her eyes widening a bit as she saw the blond man aiming at her. She ducked back in time to avoid the fire bullet that would have easily blown her head off.

Her hand locked up a bit, her eyes glowing a bright red as she started walking up to him. Two women stepped up, firing their ammo at her. She raised her arm to deflect them, launching herself forward with a pair of shotgun blasts. She drove her knee into the first woman, following with a haymaker right to her temple. She spun around, driving her foot into the second, clotheslining her before she even realized what had happened. The sole remaining fighter was the blond bandit, who was aiming his revolver at her, hopelessly pulling the trigger, only to release he had fired his last round.

She let out a little giggle as she raced forward, pulling her metal arm back. The bandit let out a scream as her fist connected with his face, sending him flying back into a nearby tree. He landed in a heap on the ground, groaning in pain. Yang took a deep breath, squeezing her hand tightly, her fingers having seized for a moment.

Yang walked forward after she had got her bearings straight, kneeling down before the bandit, who was spitting blood onto the ground. He let out a cry as he saw more teeth in the puddle of spittle and blood. "You broke more of my teeth!" he shouted, specks of blood and spit flying in all directions.

"You said the camp was that way, right?" she asked as if wanting to confirm what he had said prior. He gave her a nod, earning a small smile from her. "I appreciate it, pal. I recommend swishing some saltwater around in your mouth, helps stop the bleeding."

The blonde brawler walked back toward her motorcycle, climbing onto it. She turned the engine off, slowly moving toward the path the shady-looking bandit had mentioned.

"Just you wait kid, when Raven finds out what you did to us, she's going to give you a beating you won't soon forget!"

"I doubt it, she wouldn't hurt her precious daughter. Not after she saved my life last year," she said, speeding off into the distance. The man let her words sink into his brain, slowly falling onto his back.

"Oh man, I'm so fucked."

Yang kept her eyes peeled as she drove forward. She didn't really trust that man, but it was the only other lead she had. Her heart raced beneath her ribcage. She had spent years searching for her mother, and now she was only a few minutes from meeting her. It had been such a surreal moment she couldn't believe it. She had wanted to meet her after graduation, as a full-fledged huntress, but after what had happened to Beacon, she knew that was only a fleeting dream.

A flash of red rushed past, causing her to drift into a stop. She looked around, her eyes scanning her surroundings. She heard something behind her and quickly rose Ember Celica, her breathing becoming ragged as she saw him.

He was tall, wearing a black suit, with a red tie, visible horns grew from the sides of his head, his spiky black hair being dyed red. He wore a Grimm mask on his face, his lips curled into a smile. Her eyes turned into pinpricks as she saw him draw his katana, the same one that had severed her arm. She let out a scream, unloading what was left in her weapon into him, only to hear a tree falling to the ground. She blinked a few times, seeing the man was gone, rather, he had never even been there. She let out a sigh, clutching her shaky hand.

"Relax, Yang. He wasn't even there, it was just your mind playing tricks on you. Just focus on the drive and meeting with Mom. It's been a long time coming." she thought, as she revved Bumblebee's engine. She swerved around the falling tree, driving northward up the path.

It didn't take her long to find the camp. She drove right up to it, not caring about the two guards sitting on their watch posts. The pair made a move to bring her down, but a single look from them caused them to lower their guns.

"I came to see Raven Branwen. You better let me in, or else," she said. The two guards didn't say anything, slowly opening the door for her. She got off her bike, turning the engine off. Shifting it to neutral, she pushed Bumblebee past the front gates, glaring at the bandits as she passed.

All of them began whispering things, wondering who she was and if she had been the source of the gunshots earlier. She parked her bike smack in the center of the camp, looking around for a moment. Spotting the large tent in the very back of the camp, she started moving toward it, clearly aware of the bandits moving in to surround her. She noticed a large hole in the back of the camp that had been repaired with thick boards and had some crates backed up against it. She also smelled the scent of smoke in the air, having noticed the distant smoke clouds billowing into the sky.

She came to a stop in front of the tent, arms crossed as she waited for the leader of the bandits to make her grand entrance. She did so moments later, parting the tent flap, peering out just enough to see the teenager. She fully stepped out, her mask hiding the look of surprise on her face.

"Hello, mom," Yang said firmly, arms crossed over her chest.

"Yang." the woman said, reaching behind her head to unclasp her mask. She set it down next to her, forcing a smile onto her face. "It's… quite a surprise to see you here."

"I spent the last few years searching for you. It was only a matter of time before I found you. I wasn't expecting to see you surrounded by less than desirable company." she admitted.

"Do hold your tongue dear, these 'less than desirable company' happen to be a part of my tribe. I am, however, very impressed with your dedication. You fought admirably and went through many lengths to make your dream a reality. But since I don't see Shay and his group with you, I can only assume you got a little rough with them."

"Tch." Yang spat, glaring at her mother. "Wasn't my fault, they started it. Why don't you tell that Shay guy to stop hitting on teenage girls. Unless he wants me to shatter what remaining teeth he has."

Raven let out a grumble, muttering something to the woman beside her, who gave her a firm nod. "Very well, I shall reprimand him for anything he may have said to you. That being said, you must have traveled very far to get here. So as a reward, I shall answer any and every question you may have. You can stay the night here, I'll even have the cooks whip up something for you. Curry, right? Not too hot, not too cold...just-"

"Right," she said softly, exhaling through her nose. "Listen, mom, I didn't come here just to catch up. I need your help. Ruby is somewhere in Mantle, I need your help to find her."

Raven's brow rose, a questioning look on her face. "You came here because you believe I have the ability to take you to your sister?"

"Well, yeah. You do, don't you? Before I left, dad told me how your semblance works. You have special markers for people you have a close bond with. You have one for him, one for me, and one for your brother, Qrow. Before he left, he promised me he would keep an eye on Ruby." Yang said, rubbing her arm, glancing away from her mother, a sheepish look on her face. "I'm not sure if she's made it to the Kingdom Capital, but I trust Qrow, so if he's watching her, then that means he knows where she is. Please, take me to them."

The raven-haired woman remained silent, placing a hand on her weapon, giving her daughter a sneer. "Bold of you to assume I would help you, Yang,"

"You have to! Dad also told me about your little rule, everyone close to you gets one favor, right? You saved my ass back in Mountain Glenn. But Ruby still has a favor, so use it, and bring me to her!" she said, taking a step forward. The men and women around her rose their weapons, only for Raven to gesture for them to lower them.

"While it is true that I have that rule, you yourself confirmed that I used my one favor for you. Furthermore, Ruby isn't my child, so I have no need to give her a favor."

"Grr… just help me, goddamn it! I've never asked you for anything in my entire life. My sister is out there in danger! She came all the way here searching for information on that Cinder woman, the one that destroyed Beacon! If you don't care about my sister, then that's fine. But do it for Summer!"

Raven stiffened a bit at the name, slowly bowing her head. Her raven locks fell around her face, a frown appearing on her face. "Don't bring her up, please."

"Will you help me, then? Because if you don't then you prove my point, that you are a terrible mother who doesn't care about her kids. Ruby might not be yours, but she's still your daughter."

"You're a fool," she said, taking Yang by surprise. "If your little sister is with Qrow then she's already a lost cause. Believe me, you don't want to get involved in whatever Ozpin is planning. I blindly trusted him once, just like your uncle, but after what I found out… let's just say I wanted nothing to do with him or his suicide mission."

"I don't give a shit about whatever you are talking about! I just wanna be with my little sister, so I can protect her from a potential brush with death. You weren't there when Beacon Fell. You didn't see the shit that I did, and you definitely don't know what I have been through!" Yang said, squeezing her wrist tightly. Raven's gaze fell on her mechanical arm, her frown deepening a bit. She sighed, brushing her arm beneath her tent flap.

"If you want to meet your sister, then please, let me share with you what I know. You'll need it if you want to save her from the darkness."

"Madam, is that a wise idea?"

She gave the woman a nod. "It is, Vernal. Keep an eye out, just in case someone else shows up. You know what to do." she said, causing Vernal to sigh. She moved away from the entrance, giving the others their orders. "Come, Yang."

The blonde brawler started walking up the steps, pausing only to look over her shoulder, giving the others a fierce look, eyes glowing crimson. "If I see so much as a scratch on that motorcycle, I will personally turn your assholes inside out. Got it?"

"Y-yes, madam princess!" one of the men cried fearfully. Yang's brow quirked a bit at how he had addressed her, but she didn't quite care. She stepped into the tent, looking around for a moment, seeing all of the things her mother had likely stolen.

"Cushy place. You must have stolen a lot of shit to make this little hut into a proper home."

"You don't have to like what I do, Yang, but please don't insult my personal quarters," Raven said, putting a kettle to boil. She gestured to the table, taking a seat on one of the cushions. Yang did the same, crossing her legs. "Tell me, what do you know about magic?"

"Magic? Magic doesn't exist… well true magic doesn't. But we have dust, which is the closest we'll get to true magic, I guess." she said, frowning. "What the hell does this have to do with Ruby?"

Raven ignored her, placing her hands on the table in front of her. "Ozpin, the Headmaster of Beacon, was hiding a secret, not just from his students, but from the entire world. He isn't what he seems to be, in fact, he's far older than you could possibly imagine. Did he ever seem off to you?"

Yang closed her eyes, thinking back to the Headmaster of Beacon. She shook her head, glancing at her feet. "He didn't seem too odd, a bit off-putting yes, but he was nice. He gave us good advice, and always had a mug of coffee with him. Oh, and that cane of his. I never saw him without it."

"That's because that cane of his is very special. He never told me what it did, just that he had it for a long time. You see, Headmaster Ozpin isn't like other men. He is very special. Have you ever read the book "The man with two souls?", It's quite popular with the younger generations."

"I have. My partner Blake…" Yang paused for a moment, shaking her head. "My old acquaintance had that novel with her when we were in school. It's the story of a man who has two distinct souls in his body. They constantly fight for dominance, but in the end, they merge into one being. They share memories, and perform feats of magic that people can't even seem to comprehend."

"Indeed, so you have read it," Raven said, looking rather pleased. "What if I told you that it is a nonfiction novel, based around your former Headmaster?"

"Bah, that's a load of shit. There's no way that's real."

"But it is, Yang. That book was written by Ozpin himself, a great many years before he was the Headmaster of Beacon. It's a story that details the life of two men before they become one. Headmaster Ozpin has lived countless lives on this planet of hours. Not only that, but he can perform feats of magic. As a matter of fact, he gave me and my brother, your uncle, the ability to turn into birds."

Yang blinked a few times, letting that sink into her mind. The silence was broken by the whistle of the tea kettle, causing Raven to rise to her feet. She grabbed it from the stove, shutting it off. Placing it along with some snacks and cups on a tray, she set it down on the table, pouring a cup out for her daughter. "Let it cool down a bit alright? The last thing I need is for you to waste this delicious tea because you burned yourself."

"Forget the tea, let's back the train up into the station. You're telling me that you and Uncle Qrow can turn into birds… and that Professor Ozpin gave you that ability?"

"That's right." the woman said, leaning back a bit. "As I recall, you were in southern Vale, near the factory district, a few months before you entered Beacon. You spoke with a man named Junior and asked him about yours truly."

"Wha… how do you know about that?"

"Because I was there." she mused, taking a sip from her cup. "I must say, breaking a man's face because he pulled your hair is a bit of overkill."

"You were fucking there? I spent years searching for you and you were there watching me? What the fuck, mom?!" she shouted, slamming her fist into the table. The cups rattled a bit, causing Raven to frown.

"You have to understand Yang, after what I learned, I had to keep my distance. It was for your own safety. I couldn't handle it anymore, so I just left. I left everything behind, and every second of every day, I regret it." she said, glancing at her tea. "If I had known Summer would take that mission, if I had known she was going to go after her I would have stuck around. But the damage was done. By the time I realized what was going on, Summer was…"

She took a deep breath, downing a bit of her tea, relaxing a bit. "Professor Ozpin isn't the only one capable of magic. He gave his power to four others, maidens that wield the forces of nature. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. When one maiden dies, she chooses who gets the power next, usually the person who was last in their thoughts."

"Maidens… and magic…" she mumbled, closing her eyes a bit.

"You mean to tell me the professor was trying to force Pyrrha into that?"

"That's right. He, along with your uncle Qrow, General Ironwood, and Professor Goodwitch. They were all there, in front of the coffin of a girl. They were transferring her aura into Pyrrha. So that she could get the powers of the Fall Maiden, whatever that is. But the girl, Amber… she was killed by Cinder before the process could finish. We had no choice but to run… Pyrrha went after Cinder, she pushed me into a locker and sent me away so I wouldn't stop her."

Yang grabbed a hold of her teacup, taking a sip from the amber liquid, letting it roll around her mouth before swallowing it. "Cinder Fall is the new Fall Maiden. She killed the previous one, a girl named Amber. Professor Ozpin was trying to put Amber's aura into my friend Pyrrha."

"I see. So that was his plan?" Raven mumbled, shaking her head. "Your friend was likely going to be turned into a tool. You see, the four maidens are special, not just because of their powers, but what they can do with them. The Four Huntsman Academies were founded by Ozpin, after the Great War. And they were created with a single goal in mind, to protect Four Special Relics."

Raven grabbed some of the cookies she had placed on the tray, placing four in a diamond shape on the tabletop. "The Relic of Choice is in Beacon Academy, and its vault can only open with the power of the Fall Maiden. The Relic of Knowledge lies in Haven's Academy, here in Mistral. It can only be accessed with the power of the Spring Maiden. The Relic of Creation is currently keeping Atlas from slamming into Mantle, the Winter Maiden is the only one who can open its vault. Finally…"

"Vacuo holds the last relic, and can be opened by the Summer Maiden, right?" Yang asked, earning a nod from Raven. "So what is it? A sword or something?"

"That's right. The Relic of Destruction, capable of destroying anything in its path. The academies were made to protect the relics. It wouldn't be hard, considering the fact huntsmen would always be present. But with the Fall of Beacon, that order has been disturbed. It won't be long before Haven meets the same fate."

The blonde brawler nodded, finishing off her tea. "So that's what Cinder wants? Beacon's Relic?"

"No, she's only the delivery girl. The one who wants the Relics is a woman named Salem. She is the one who controls the Creatures of Grimm, and is the main reason the Kingdom of Vale is seconds away from imploding." Raven said, shuddering in fear. "There aren't many things that can scare me, Yang. But Salem… she gives me nightmares just thinking about her."

"Why? Why is she so dangerous?"

"She's just like Ozpin, immortal. The only difference is that Ozpin's soul transfers from host to host, for eternity. But Salem… that bitch has been alive for countless millennia. I'm convinced she's older than all of Remnant." she said, grabbing her tea kettle. "Team STRQ was trained by Ozpin, to be an elite team to deal with Salem's forces. But when I learned the truth… I ran."

"The truth?" her daughter asked curiously.

"Salem can't be stopped. She can't be reasoned with and she cannot die. Ozpin was training us to go on suicide missions, to find the Maidens and guard them. He turned me and my brother into birds so that we could sneak onto Salem's territory and spy on her. And finally, he taught Summer Rose the truth behind her Silver Eyes so that she might stop Salem. But it was all for naught. Nothing we do now, or ever, will stop her from what she wants."

Yang remained silent as her mother poured her another cup of tea. She grabbed some cookies, shoving them into her mouth. They weren't as good as Summer's, but they weren't burnt. "What does Salem want?"

"To end humanity. I'm not sure how she's going about it, but if Beacon was destroyed, I can only surmise she managed to get the Relic of Choice. Which means Haven Academy is next." Raven said, looking up at her daughter. "If Ruby is there, then she is going to die. If she's anything like Summer Rose, then she's going to fight against this evil until she gets consumed by it, just like her mother. That's a fate I don't want on you, Yang. Please don't make me send you there."

"I can't do that, Mom. If what you are saying is true, then I have to be there for my sister. I need to make sure she isn't hurt. I Didn't stop her from going when we were in Patch, but I am not going to let her die out here." the blonde woman said, making her mother sigh.

"I figured you would say that. I only told you this because I was going to give you a choice, but your mind is made up. If you are anything like me, then I know how hard-headed you can be." she said with a chuckle. Yang couldn't help but smile.

"I can be pretty bullheaded when I want to be," she said. She shuddered a bit, her hand seizing up. Raven looked at her, tilting her head a bit. Yang looked up, her frown growing bigger. "It happens sometimes. Ever since Adam Taurus cut my arm off, I've been thinking about him. Even saying the word bull makes me anxious."

Raven stood up, moving toward her daughter, wrapping an arm around her. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, sweetheart. I was dealing with my own problems, had I known Beacon would be attacked, I would have been there. My personal rule be damned. The last thing I want is seeing my child in pain."

"You weren't there for me, mom. You don't know how much I've missed you. I looked for you for so long. I just wanted to know why you left, but if everything you said is true… then I understand." she said softly, hugging the woman back.

"It was for your own good, Yang. Not just for you, but for Tai. But I wasn't expecting him to move on so quickly. I wasn't expecting him and Summer to have a child, and I wasn't expecting Summer to just… disappear. I looked for her… for three years of my life, but I didn't find anything." she said. She reached into her skirt pocket, placing something in front of her daughter. "Well, anything except this."

Yang grabbed a hold of it, noticing it was a pendant. It was shaped like a heart and had a crimson rose etched into it. She unlocked it, seeing a picture of Ruby inside. It was a picture of her as a toddler, likely the last picture Summer ever took of her daughter. She closed it, squeezing it tightly. "Oh… mom."

"Ruby deserves to have this, it's the last thing I have of her mother. I'll send you to Qrow in the morning, alright? I'll let you stay here with me."

"Okay… I appreciate that." Yang said, placing the pendant into her shirt pocket. She looked up at her mother, a pensive look on her face. "Mom, how did you find out about all this?"

Raven remained silent for a moment, tapping her arm with her forefinger. "The Relic of Knowledge… It has the ability to answer any three questions, every 100 years. It can only answer questions about things in the past and present, nothing about the future. I managed to find out how to activate it and asked it a question."

"But, in order to do that, you need the Spring Maiden to open the Vault right? Does that mean you know where the Spring Maiden is?"

"I can't disclose that information, I'm afraid. Regardless, I hope I've answered all of your questions, at least the relevant ones. You can ask more if you'd like." she said, rising to her feet. "But as I said, I must speak with the cooks so they know what to make you."

"Hmm… about you and Qrow turning into birds… are you two the only ones like that? Or did Ozpin turn someone else into a bird?" Yang asked. Raven looked away for a moment, pursing her lips.

"We weren't the only ones. He said he had extended a gift to someone else, another loyal follower of his. She had the ability to shapeshift into a cat. As far as I know, that woman is dead, so it doesn't matter anymore."

The brawler nodded, finishing the last of her tea. "Alright, I don't have anything else I'd like to ask. Can I just… hang around? I want to spend time with you, for however long I can before leaving."

"Of course, just be mindful of my men. We had some issues last night that we're still resolving. Let's just say, we had the chance to make some really good money, and because of a now toothless idiot, our money literally ran away." she said, sounding rather mad.

"Ran… away? Mom, you aren't trafficking people, are you?"

"Of course not, sweetheart. The one that ran off hardly counts as a person, it was just another mangy animal. Nothing you should concern yourself with." she said, giving her daughter a smile.


Location: Mistral CCT Relay Tower

The walk to the relay tower had been a rather awkward one. Levi and Weiss had been joined by Neo, who neither apologized nor said anything. She just walked alongside them in silence, not a peep came from her scroll. Levi had wanted to ask her if she was alright, but he decided against it. He didn't want to upset her after all. He hadn't spent long with her, but he knew enough about her to know when to give her space.

The CCT Relay tower was enormous. It was a large compound, surrounded by tall iron fences, all of them being laced with lightning dust, likely to keep the Grimm away. The building in the center was built with the very best tech in Atlas, and was entirely white in color, with black markings near the outer edges. There was a giant satellite dish mounted to the top, glowing a bright blue as it slowly spun around. Smaller dishes could be seen pointing in other directions, likely transferring the signals from Haven's CCT and distributing it to other locations.

They had been expecting some sort of personnel to be present, even Atlas Military Troops, but the lot was quiet. Even stranger, the front gates were left completely opening, meaning anyone could just walk in. Levi took a whiff of the air, frowning a bit as he reached for his gunblade, making sure a fresh magazine was loaded into it.

"Stay alert, girls. There's blood in the air, meaning Grimm likely got in here," he said, causing Weiss to frown. Neo on the other hand had another idea. She reached for her Scroll, and opened it, tapping the signal icon. She held it out to the pair, pointing to the connection symbol at the top.

"Full bars… what are you trying to say? We're near a relay, of course, we'll have full signal here." Weiss said. Neo silently sighed, flipping her scroll around, quickly tapping away at it, before turning it back to the ex-heiress.

"If Grimm had attacked then the Relay Tower wouldn't be operational. Not to mention there are no signs of Grimm here. No claw marks, no drag marks, nothing. Whatever is going on here, it isn't Grimm." the message read, making Levi glance back at the tower.

"Could it be something else?" he queried, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Well, we can't just sit out here. Let's take a look inside, maybe someone was injured and needs help."

Flipping his hood on, Levi darted forward, passing through the gates with relative ease. He knelt down next to a service vehicle, peering around it for a moment. His ears wiggled a bit as he listened in on his surroundings. Once he was sure it was clear, he held his hand up, gesturing for Neo and Weiss to join them. The heiress knelt behind the car, rapier at the ready, while Neo had her back pressed against the truck, eyes on the front entrance of the lot.

"What's the plan?" the former heiress asked. He held his scroll up, synching it with Weiss and Neo's signals, seeing their aura's displayed on the screen. He attached it to his armor, making sure it was secured before placing his earpiece in. "Levi?"

"We're going to breach the lot, see what's going on. There are service cars here, meaning people were working here. We take care of whatever threat is here, and then we ask them for a lift to the nearest town." he said, slowly standing up. "Keep an eye on your aura levels, if you get too low, retreat. I won't have anyone dying on my watch."

The girls shared a look but nodded nonetheless. Levi waited for a moment before heading toward the front entrance of the relay tower. He looked around for a moment before opening the door, scanning his surroundings, aiming Shiva in all directions. He slipped inside the building, slowly letting the door close behind him. "Alright girls, wait thirty seconds and then come in behind me."

"Roger that," Weiss replied, her voice sounding a bit grainy on the comm. He ignored it, slowly and silently moving forward, making sure his footsteps were muffled. He continued walking, glancing up for a moment. He spotted one of the security cameras, looking around the hallway.

"Fantastic, if I get spotted by that, I could trigger an alarm or something." he thought, pressing himself against the wall. He slowly shimmied across it, waiting for the camera to move. Once it was looking toward the opposite hallway, he moved forward, quickly dodging its gaze. He opened his messaging app on his scroll, quickly typing out "Security Camera near the entrance" and sending it to the girls. He didn't want to risk being heard.

He made it to the edge of the corridor, his nose picking up on a scent. It was the same metallic scent he had noticed outside of the compound. The scent of human blood. He briefly peeked around the corner, his hand flying to his mouth. There were a pair of bodies propped up against the wall; several bullet holes could be seen on their chests, the walls behind them smeared with blood. Their blood had pooled around them, making a crimson mess of thick liquid all over the floor. He started moving toward them, being careful to avoid stepping in blood. He stood in front of the deceased men, frowning as he took in their appearance.

"We have bodies, I repeat, we have bodies. Two adult males, likely in their thirties. It looks like they were attacked with assault rifles. There are bullet holes everywhere." he said, as he looked around the area.

"What? Are you serious? Who could have attacked them?" Weiss asked, only for Neo's message to appear on the screen.

"It could have been anyone, we got away from a bandit group not long ago. But I don't think this is the work of bandits. I think someone else might be involved," It read, making Levi sigh.

"Be on your guard, just in case something happens," he replied, earning a hum of agreement from Weiss. He kept moving forward, avoiding the cameras whenever possible.

The further he moved inside the building, the more bodies he saw. All of them were Atlas Techs, responsible for maintaining the operations of the Relay Tower. But the more he explored, the less he found. He searched every room possible, but aside from dead bodies, he didn't see a single living soul. Finally, he made it to the main control room, which was filled to the brim with consoles and monitors, the likes of which he had never seen before.

There were large screens in the very back of the room, displaying a map of Mistral along with all of the Relay Towers. There was a large Tower Icon right above the City of Mistral, which read "Haven Academy CCT" in bold red letters, its status being "Online". He noticed the other parts of Remnant were lit up as well, several relays in Vale were Offline, along with Beacon Tower. Shade Tower was receiving maintenance at the moment, so comms were down all over Vacuo, and Atlas's information was currently inaccessible. Aside from confirming Atlas Tower was operational, he couldn't see anything on its relays or status.

He heard footsteps behind him, and quickly turned around, gun at the ready, only to relax when he saw it was Weiss and Neo. The former looked rather unnerved by what she had seen, her face a little green from all the blood. Neo looked indifferent, likely being used to seeing dead bodies through her line of work. The former heiress glanced around for a moment, seeing all of the technology surrounding them.

"Nothing was taken, and the systems are all still online. What the hell happened here?" she asked, walking toward the front of the room.

"These guys were axed, that much is certain. Seems like the ones who did it wanted to get in and out without many issues. They might not have been here for anything physical though."

"It's likely whoever did this wanted data." Neo's scroll said, causing the pair to look at her. She hastily typed away, her nails clicking rapidly on the screen. "This has the White Fang written all over it."

"The White Fang? I thought they had gone silent after they attacked Beacon Academy?" Weiss asked, glancing at Levi, who sighed, shaking his head.

"I wish that was the case, but sadly it isn't. The Vale Chapter of the White Fang ceased operations and moved to Menagerie, while the other members came here to Mistral. It's where the High Leader, Sienna Khan, directs her troops. Adam Taurus was the leader of Vale's brotherhood. The information I got in Vale confirmed him and Cinder making plans before they both disappeared."

"Not only that but…" Neo paused her text to speech, looking away from Levi and Weiss for a moment. After what seemed like a few minutes, she took a deep breath, allowing the device to finish speaking for her. "The information I bought from Raven, she said the White Fang are planning on attacking Haven Academy."

"Are you sure?" Levi asked, earning a nod from the young woman.

"Very sure, Raven may be a bandit, but she isn't a liar. The information she sold me is legit, likely came straight from Mistral's underground. That means the Fang were likely here for data. How to disable the CCT most likely."

"They aren't going to find it here, that's for sure," Weiss said, moving toward one of the consoles, looking at all of the flashing screens. "The CCT is Atlas Tech, it was created in order to transfer data, video, messages, and various other things via signals. It's why each tower acts as not just a relay but a mainframe of data. A supercomputer, if you will. But the only ones who have access to the encryption data for every single tower are those who work directly under General Ironwood in Atlas."

Levi tapped his chin in thought, glancing up at the ceiling as he paced around the room, letting what the white-haired girl said sink in. "Atlas Tower holds information relating to all the towers and their function. The news reports in Vale said Beacon Tower had gotten remotely hacked at some point, which likely led to the White Fang coming here. They probably thought they could hack Haven Tower the same way."

"Fat chance they'd do that. After the attack on Beacon, General Ironwood hired the best team of computer scientists and increased the security of every single tower. There's no way someone could hack it from a relay, and even getting into the tower from the mainframe itself would be hard. If the Fang really did do this, then they likely lacked the technical know-how of how to hack in, and left without a trace."

Neo held her scroll up, a firm look on her face. "That would make sense with what we are seeing here. Regardless, we should probably get out of here before any one of them comes back. The last thing we need is to deal with those guys."

"We can't leave the bodies. We need to call someone and let them know what happened here!" Weiss said firmly.

"Who are we going to call, Atlas? They recalled their troops and likely left these poor idiots to tend this place by themselves. We can try and call the authorities in Mistral, but then they'd start asking questions. People here are already judgemental on the faunus, imagine if they show up and they see me. They'd tackle me to the ground in an instant."

Neo took a deep breath, moving toward the console. She looked around for a moment, before pulling up to a chair. She started typing something into the device, opening some sort of link. She reached into her pocket for the black scroll Levi had recovered, placing it inside the port. Once it connected, the screen lit up, a familiar black chess piece appearing on the console.

"What the hell is she doing?"

"I dunno, I recovered that scroll from the Atlas Flagship we boarded a few months ago. Neo was in a bad way, had a broken arm, and several injuries. Since she was a former Atlas Academy graduate, she told me where I could take her to get her arm fixed." he said, causing Weiss to quirk a brow.

"An Atlas Academy graduate, huh?" she questioned, causing Neo to give her a smug look. "I seriously doubt she has the credentials to use Atlas Military Tech."

"It was fairly straightforward. The machine did all the work, all I did was go to the bridge. That's where I found this. It seems Cinder was the one who placed it there, with the intent to bring the Atlas Military down on Vale, to cause more panic and make more Grimm show up." the miqo'te faunus said, ears twitching a bit. "She succeeded, that's for damn sure."

Suddenly, an alarm started blaring, causing the two teenagers to jump in surprise. Neo stood up from her seat, pulling the scroll free from the console, slipping it into her pocket. She held her hand up, gesturing with her fingers to "Get a move on", as she headed toward the door.

"What the hell did you do?"

"I hacked into the main terminal and tried to access information from Haven Tower using a backdoor. That ended up tripping security and alerting the Mistral Army. They'll be here soon and I don't want to be here when they do." she said, giving the two a lopsided smile, her tongue sticking out of her mouth.

"For god sakes, Neo. Can you let us know what you are planning beforehand?" Levi cried as he and Weiss tried maneuvering through the corridors, making sure not to step in any blood.

"She did it on purpose just to annoy us. Let's just focus on getting the hell out of here, alright?"

With that, the trio focused on their exit, making sure not to be seen by any security cameras as they did. Thankfully, none of them managed to catch hide nor hair of them as they made their daring escape.


A/N: I just finished writinng chapter thirty! Man, has it been boring as shit here. Even worse, we've decided to extend the trip for personal reasons so that means I'm stuck in the Carribean for even longer! FUUUCK! I mean yes, I get to spend time with my mom and my sisters who I haven't seen in fourteen years, but I miss my fucking cats man. Not only that but I can only stare at these walls for so long without going insane. At least Pokemon Snap came out so I got that to entertain me for a bit. Ah well, shit happens I suppose. Prayers for all my Indian readers, I know COVID is bad over there but together we'll get through this! I might post another chapter later on today because my backlog is so fucking big and I'm running out of space in my docs. It's literally over 800 pages long, since I have Chapters 1-21 on a separate doc and Chapters 1-20 on here. It's insane what you can do when you get motivated, but it also helps when your sisters enjoy RWBY just as much as I do, crappy FNDM and all lol. Whelp, that'll do pig, that'll do.