Chapter 22: Argus Limited

The mechanical rattling of steel on steel resounded through the cabins, reminding the passengers of the Argus Limited where they were. The largest train in Mistral had been on the rails for a full day now, and entering the second day would be heading through an area of northern Mistral known as "The Icelands". It was one of the most dangerous places in the north, filled to the brim with dangerous Grimm. Of course, the train itself was equipped with the strongest self-defense weapons known to Remnant, designed and built by the Kingdom of Atlas, making it one of the more exhilarating passages in all of Remnant.

The train itself boasted an entire dining room, a bar, an arcade for the children along with several train cars of small family cabins, capable of housing up to 1500 passengers at a single time. It was one of the more luxurious vehicles in Remnant, second only to the beautiful cruise liner, "The Vacuo Princess", one of the few ocean liners capable of crossing the sea without fear of being attacked by Grimm.

Levi had been wandering around the train, trying to kill time. There wasn't much he could do on a train to entertain himself. Blake still hadn't finished their shared book, and he wasn't really interested in having his butt kicked by Yang and Nora on Super Smash Sisters. Alto and Oscar had been hanging out together, both happy to have a friend similar in age, and Jaune had been using the train's fitness room to keep up with his routine. Ren and Nora had taken off somewhere and Weiss was doing something that he didn't exactly recall. That meant he would be on his own at least for a little while.

It was his turn to guard the relic again. Professor Ozpin seemingly trusted only a select few with that duty, that being Ruby, himself, Yang, and Levi. He wasn't exactly sure what it was that the professor trusted him, but as he had been the one who had brought the relic up from the vault, alongside Yang. He figured he deserved the honor of guarding it. He felt the pressure of having something so powerful in his possession, especially due to all the stares he had been getting. But that didn't matter to him. He was a trained fighter, after all, he'd take down anyone who attempted to take it from him.

He paused for a moment, almost bumping into a little old lady. She was dressed in a rather peculiar outfit and was slowly walking forward with a stylized cane, the top featuring a skull. He did notice the hidden blade to it, making him realize this wasn't any ordinary old lady. She looked up at him briefly, her mechanical eyes flashing slightly as she focused on his face.

"Hello there, young man. Am I perhaps blocking your path?"

"Oh, no-no. Not at all, ma'am. I was just passing through, killing some time." he admitted, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. She narrowed her eyes a bit, glancing down at the lamp attached to his belt.

"Fancy weapon you are carrying there, never seen one that glows before."

"Ah… yes, this," he said, gesturing to the lamp. "It actually isn't a weapon. It's a lantern, I bring it with me in case of emergencies. Never know when you might need a little light, hehe."

The old woman shrugged, slowly brushing past him. "Meh, not bad kiddo. Make sure you are always prepared for anything. A huntsman must be able to protect the people and make sure he survives the mission. Take care now."

"You too, hope you have a safe trip!" Levi said, giving her a wave as he continued walking up the corridor. He paused in front of the doors that lead to the next car, brows furrowed as he glanced back over his shoulder. He could still see the old lady making her way across the car, briefly shooing a few of the attendants that tried to assist her. "How did she know I was a huntsman?"

His ears wiggled beneath his cloak as he entered the arcade cart, seeing several kids and teenagers moving about. There were a few his age, none of them carrying weapons like he was. Some were at some arcade machines, arguing about the games they were playing while others were focused on the prize machines. He moved toward the middle of the train, avoiding a pair of boys who were running around with a bundle of prize tickets, cheerfully talking about the prizes they would claim.

"Man, what I wouldn't give to be their age, and live happily and carefree." he thought. He heard a familiar sound, and walked toward the other side of the large car, seeing a widescreen holovision, displaying a level of Super Smash Sisters. He also spotted three familiar faces among the crowd.

"You ain't got crap on me kiddo! I know every combo to every character in this game!" Nora shouted, as she repeatedly mashed the buttons on her scroll, her character wailing on the characters of the other player. He had his teeth grit in concentration, as the timer kept counting down, several things happening at once on-screen. "Just give up, you aren't going to win!"

"Ugh, shut up already, lady! I'm going to beat you and win all of those tickets you bet!" the younger teenager shouted, mashing buttons at the same speed as the older girl. Levi crossed his arms as he stood beside Weiss and Ren, staring at the screen before him.

"Is Nora betting her tickets trying to beat younger kids again?"

"Yep," Ren spoke softly, taking a sip from his soda. "She spotted something in the prize counter that she wanted and has been amassing tickets all morning. So far she'd won 35,000 tickets from various machines but she's been dominating this one for the past couple of hours."

"It's honestly impressive. When she plays with us she gives us a chance to win but playing with these other kids, it's like a new side of her has woken up. Just when you think you have one over on her, she pulls out a combo and knocks you off the screen. I feel bad for these kids," Weiss said, her eyes following the rapid movement of the characters. Just as she said that Nora pulled out a final smash, sending her opponent off the stage, the bright red "Game" visible on the screen.

"Ack! No fair! I spent all day getting those 3,000 tickets! Give them back, lady!"

"You bet them fair and square kiddo. Don't hate the player, hate the game." Nora said, pulling out her ticket card, flicking it around her fingers. "Of course, you can try and win them and everything else back."

The young boy opened his wallet, a little fly buzzing out of it. He sighed, slamming it back into his pocket. "I hate this game, and I hate this trip. Stupid mom, stupid dad, stupid divorce."

Levi and Weiss cringed as he walked off, muttering various obscenities beneath his breath. Nora looked unbothered, as she looked around the room, a predatory grin on her face. "Anyone else wanna try?"

Immediately, anyone interested backed away, mumbling things about "The Smash Demon", no one wanted to lose their tickets. Levi glanced at the time on the holographic clock near the top of the exit doors, humming to himself.

"I'll take you on, Nora."

"Ohoho! A new challenger approaches? You actually think you can beat me? The person who not only beat you but also beat Yang last night? Do you actually think you have what it takes to defeat me?" she asked, sounding like a stereotypical villain. He shared a look with Weiss and Ren, both of whom had feigned looks of concern on their faces. He gave the orange-haired girl a nod, flicking his scroll out.

"Yeah, I got what it takes. I memorized a few combos last night, I think I can knock you down a peg or two," he said, connecting his scroll to the game. His gamer tag xxx_ _xxx appeared on screen, as he selected his character. "I'm betting 7,000 tickets by the way."

"7,000? That's just enough for the prize I need for my prize! You are so on!"

"This is not going to be fun." Weiss mused, her eyes focused on Levi's character. He had selected Sergeant Eagle, a strong zero car racer as his character, while Nora had selected Princess Sheika, the face of the Legend of Sheika series. It was an unlikely match-up, but neither seemed too bothered. "So, who do you think will win, Ren?"

"Nora, definitely. She plays this game religiously and has memorized every combo for every character. Even if Levi spent a substantial amount of time memorizing combos for the Sergeant, he likely will not win."

"Oh? I think differently. You see, Levi possesses a special quality, when he wants something, he will get it. He wanted to better himself at fighting, so he did. He needed a stronger weapon that went well with his semblance and he acquired it. I believe he will win this match." she said firmly, making Ren chuckle.

"Would you like to bet on it?"

"5,000 tickets and the 'all you can eat' dessert coupon for the snack bar?" she asked, holding out two cards, one red, one silver in her hand. Ren did the same, a third card appearing on his grasp.

"I won this all-expense-paid trip to one of the finest spas in Atlas. Me and Nora made plans already. I am that confident she will win." he said. Weiss held her hand out, giving Ren's a firm shake.

"May the best player win," she said happily. She moved over to Levi's side, clearing her throat as she spoke. "You better win this for me, Levi, or else I'll be very mad with you."

"You shouldn't go around making bets, Snowflake, I won't be held responsible if I end up losing!" he said rapidly mashing buttons. "Now, let me focus!"

And so the match continued. Nora kept baiting Levi, sweeping her dagger at Sergeant Eagle, who would block and defend all of her attacks. He used his bubble field, pulling his fist back, aiming an Eagle Fist at the princess, who managed to block it at the last second. It wasn't long before he was sent flying off the stage, his first of three lives wasted.

"Gotcha! You are putting up a good fight, Levi, but momma plays to win!" Nora replied, going as far as having her character taunt his. He dashed forward, pulling her into a combo, much to her surprise. His character grabbed hers, slamming it onto the stage floor before throwing it off the screen, her character's screams echoing in the distance. "Tch, lucky shot."

"If you say so!"

As the match went on, more people joined in, watching as the two players hyper-focused on the screen, tuning out everything. There was a lot of taunting and smack talk from other players, but both fought to the best of their abilities. Levi's character pulled Nora's into another combo, leaving her stunned. He pulled his fist back, flames swirling around his fist.

"Eagle Fist!" the Sergeant cried, slamming his fist into Princess Sheika, sending her flying off the stage. Nora's second life was gone, and Levi, albeit being at 156% damage, was still confident in himself.

"Holy shit, that was rough," he said, wiping the sweat from his brow as he waited for Nora's character to respawn. The moment she did, he grabbed one of the items on the stage, a beam sword, and started swinging at her. "Come on Nora! You were talking that good shit a second ago, but now you are on the ropes!"

"Graaaah! No one beats Nora in her favorite game! No one!" she shouted, as she mashed buttons together, sweeping Levi's character off his feet. "Happy feet!"

The sergeant slammed into the platform, taking an arrow to the chest as he was sent below the stage. Nora's hands shook a bit as she watched the platform return the Sergeant to the fight, both on their last lives, with 1:30 seconds on the clock. The Sergeant grabbed something as he descended to the stage, throwing it onto the ground. It turned out to be a summon trophy, another character flashing into existence.

"You aren't beating me, Nora. I got this in the bag!" Levi said, as the character, he summoned morphed into an exact copy of his character. Both of them started wailing on Princess Sheika, making her damage counter steadily rise, going from 134 all the way to 240 without even bouncing off the stage. Somehow, Nora recovered, sending the copy of his character off the stage. She sighed in relief.

"Ha, take that, Levi. I win!"

"Wait, what the hell? That ain't the Sergeant!"

"Wombo Combo!"

Nora realized too late what was happening, and could only watch horrified as Levi's character punched hers, bouncing her around the stage before delivering a backward kick into her face, sending her character straight off the stage. The red letters spelling "Game" flashing onto the screen, all the while the crowd had lost it.

"Oh, oh, oh!" he cried, holding his scroll above his head. "Where are you at? Where are you at?!"

"What the fuck was that? That isn't fair!" Nora shouted, her whole world crashing as she realized what had happened. "No no no!"

Levi ejected his ticket card, giving it a firm kiss as he held it above Nora, a wink on his face. "Thanks for playing Nora. Remember, don't hate the player, hate the game."

At the same time, Ren was handing over what he had bet to Weiss, who had an eager look on her face. She looked at the Spa Ticket, her face glowing as if it was Christmas morning. "I've always wanted to go to this spa, thank you so much, Ren!"

"You're...welcome, Weiss," he said dejectedly. Nora grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the ice cream bar, muttering several unruly things that would certainly make people blush as they walked away.

Levi let out a sigh of relief as he stuffed his scroll in his pocket, looking rather tired as Weiss approached him. "Man, that was rough. I spent so long memorizing those combos, I didn't think I would actually pull it off."

"Well you did, and now not only did you win more tickets, but you also won me this," she said, flashing the spa card at him.

He took a hold of it, seeing the fancy lettering on the front. "Atlantis, the finest spa in all of Remnant."

"It was being remodeled when I left Atlas for Beacon Academy, but so far it's had steady business. They got some brand new attractions, including a deep tissue massage, seaweed wraps from Vacuo, and this rich coconut oil from coconuts sourced in Menagerie and Vale. It's the finest spa experience this side of Remnant."

As Weiss continued listing everything the spa offered, Levi kept reading, seeing the small lettering at the front, eyes widening a bit. "This ticket is good for one all-expense paid trip to "Atlantis", it may only be redeemed by couples. The ticket holder has one year from the date of printing to redeem this ticket before it becomes null and void. Well, Weiss, looks like you'll have to find yourself a boyfriend if you want to redeem this."

"What?" she screeched, swiping the card from his hand. Her ocean-blue eyes scanned the fine print, her face growing redder and redder as she read. Levi wasn't sure if it was from anger or embarrassment, but knowing the former heiress as he did, it was likely the former. "But this is… grr… no wonder… Ren was planning on taking Nora to this place. He was planning on taking her there on a date… oh now I feel bad."

"Don't be, you two made a bet and you won it. There's no shame in that. Though it does suck that this can't be redeemed unless you bring someone along with you. I don't think it has to necessarily be a partner. Maybe you can bring your sister Winter with you?"

"Hmm… that isn't a bad idea, Levi. I'm sure Winter would love to have some sister bonding time with me. It's been a long time since we've seen each other. In fact, the last time I saw her was after the Fall of Beacon. She's always so busy with her Spec Ops work." she said, frowning.

"I'm sure you'll see her again. All of us are going to Atlas Academy, hell we might even have her as a teacher or something. Wonder what would happen if you make the Spec Ops division? I'm sure daddy dearest wouldn't like that."

"He'd have a conniption. It doesn't matter, once we make it to the school we'll likely be protected by General Ironwood, on account of us having that." she said, poking the Relic of Knowledge with her fingertip. "That makes me happy."

"As well it should. You're finally free to do what you want, one day the SDC will be yours. I yearn to see what good you do with it. Especially regarding the treatment of the faunus."

"That's the first thing I'm planning on fixing, actually," she said, grinning. The train doors out of the arcade car opened, the pair almost bumping into Blake of all people, who had a look of surprise on her face when she saw them.

"Levi, Weiss, I wasn't expecting to see you two here."

"I can say the same to you. I didn't take the arcade car as a place for somber girls to find themselves."

"I'm just looking for something to do. I finished that book you bought and wanted to read something else, but Yang and Ruby started playing a game with Qrow, and that dragged Oscar and Alto into it and I just couldn't take it," she said, ears flat against her head. "Cats don't like loud noises,"

"Well, it isn't too peaceful here either. I know, I just won this all-you-can-eat card from Ren, would you accompany us to the snack car? It's all you can eat dessert. I know how you like your cheesecake." Weiss said, causing the amber-eyed girl to bite her bottom lip.

"You drive a soft bargain, Weiss. Alright, it's better than sticking around here."

"Then allow me to escort you, ladies," Levi said, slipping his arms through theirs, standing up straight. He walked forward, nose held high as he walked, pursing his lips a bit. "Is this how they do it in Atlas, Mademoiselle Schnee?"

"Absolutely not!" she cried, pulling her arm free from his. "I don't need to be escorted anywhere, thank you very much."

"Oh relax a little Weiss. Or are you perhaps embarrassed to be seen with a cute boy hanging from your arm?"

"Don't add fuel to the fire, Blake!" the former heiress shouted, earning a laugh from Levi.

"Don't worry Blake, she's at that stage of life where she thinks she can go places by herself just because she has a sword. She'll be fine," he said in a teasing tone, earning a glare from the girl in question.

"I understand, I've spent enough time with Weiss to know how she works. Oh right, I wanted to talk to you about the movie. There's going to be two versions of it in the cinema so I wanted to ask which one you bought the tickets to."

He reached into his pocket for his scroll, flicking it open. He hummed as he searched through his C-Mail. He pulled up their tickets, reading the information on it. "Says here were in theater 14 and that's the… oh… that's the x-rated showing."

"What are you two talking about? And can you unlink your arms? People are staring." the white-haired girl hissed. Levi rolled his eyes but did as he asked, though Blake seemed rather amused by it all.

"Me and Blake decided to see a movie when we got to Argus. It's based on a book the two of us read, but I didn't read the tickets when I bought them. I ended up buying tickets to the cut of the movie with the x-rated scenes in it. And since it's a movie a lot of people want to see, it's unlikely we'll be able to switch. In fact, the tickets are all sold out, for the next month and a half." he said, checking the other dates.

"It's fine, Levi. It'll be a bit embarrassing, but hell, we've read the book, it's par for the course."

"It is not! The two of you arranged a raunchy movie date? And are alright with watching p-p-po...that kind of film? Are you insane?" Weiss asked cheeks tinted crimson as she stared at the two. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Blake and Levi shared a look, glancing back at Weiss. "It isn't a date?" they replied in unison.

"A man and a woman going out to watch a raunchy movie… in a platonic way? Yeah, no. I don't buy it."

"It's alright Weiss. Levi agreed to accompany me to the movie as friends. I however will be stopping by the supermarket before I go. I have to pick up some cucumbers before the movie starts."

"What the hell do you need cucumbers for?"

"A salad… a tuna salad," she replied, wiggling her brows. Levi had a perplexed look on his face as the gears began turning. His eyes widened, a look of disgust flashing onto his face.

"Aw, Blake! Gross!"

"What's so bad about a tuna salad?" Weiss asked, causing Blake to burst into laughter. Levi just shook his head, a look of disbelief at her perverted intentions.

"I gotta talk to Yang, she's definitely poisoned your mind."

"It's too bad there isn't a gentleman who might assist me in tossing said salad. Alas, I'll have to go at it alone." Blake said, a hand on her cheek as she feigned distress. Levi crossed his arms, stomping across the cart as she continued laughing, all the while, Weiss kept wondering what was wrong about a cucumber and tuna salad.

xxx

"Hey Ruby, I got a question for you," Yang said, causing her sister to look up from her comic book. Qrow had gotten tired of video games and had left for the bar car, while Oscar was dragged away by Alto, the latter wanting to use the fitness room to train, leaving the sisters alone. It had been a long time since the two had spent time together.

"Sure sis, what do you need?"

"What do you think of all this? The Relic, Atlas? The fact our uncle and my mother are literal birds? It's all so unreal I just… can't wrap my mind around it. Even after all the shit, we've been through."

Ruby sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of her bunk, looking down at her sister who was reading her own comic book. "Well, I don't really know what to think, but what I do know is that all of this is true. I feel like this journey we are on was our destiny. We were lead to Mistral, maybe it was our destiny to protect the Relics from Salem too."

"Perhaps but… I dunno, I don't think I can fully trust Ozpin. I feel like there's still a lot of stuff he's hiding from us. My mother said as much. She told me to question everything and not trust what he said. That if we had the chance of using the lamp, to use it."

"But weren't all the questions used up already?" the silver-eyed girl asked, tilting her head a bit. "Besides, even if they weren't, we don't know how to use it."

"That's the thing though. If the lamp truly had no more questions for this era, then wouldn't telling us how to use it be meaningless? I mean, we wouldn't be able to ask for anything. So he could tell us how to use it, how it truly works, but he didn't. Seems kinda suspicious that he wouldn't trust us with that information." Yang said, earning a frown from her sister.

"Maybe he's waiting for the right time to tell us. This is all heavy stuff. Just last year, we were all wide-eyed new students at Beacon, and now we're headed to Atlas, protecting an artifact made of magic. Actual real magic." she said, a slight look of excitement on her face. "It's almost like one of my old storybooks."

Yang sighed, snapping her comic book closed. She felt her left hand shaking a bit, causing her to breathe deeply as she massaged it with her mechanical hand, soothing the spasms away. "Real life isn't like those storybooks, Ruby. We're not kids anymore, and we're certainly not like those heroes. We're just… kids without proper guidance. Wandering around the world without a true purpose. Say we get our licenses, then what do we do?"

"We fight Grimm."

"Forever? What if Salem comes after us, tries to get information about Ozpin from us. Do you think we'll be safe? Even if we are trained, we won't be able to hide from her now." the blonde said, glancing at the floor. "Not just her, but he's out there too. He might be following me, following Blake. I haven't been able to sleep peacefully for a while now because of it."

Ruby jumped down from her bunk, taking a seat next to her sister, wrapping an arm around her waist, giving her a hug. "Hey, I know you're scared, I am too. I can't begin to imagine the pain you've been through. Having to relearn how to fight, get your confidence back, and potentially face the one who ruined your life. It's all very frightening. But I also know we can't hide forever. We signed up to make the world a better place, and we're going to. We will. You have to believe in yourself and the job you signed up for."

Yang hugged her sister back, smiling happily, a few tears swirling in her vision. "You are so much stronger than I am, Ruby. I was a coward. I blamed Adam for everything that happened and refused to get back on my feet. I let my fear take over and got sucked into a pit of self-pity. Seeing you again was what motivated me to even put this arm on in the first place."

"I'm sorry Yang, about leaving you behind. I know leaving was a rash idea, but I needed to go. After Penny, and after Pyrrha died, I needed to find the one responsible. I knew something was off about Haven, and we were right. We all met up again, and now we have lots of strong friends fighting alongside us. We aren't alone anymore. We have to keep moving forward. That's what mom would have wanted."

The blonde sniffled a bit, staring into Ruby's eyes, admiring the silver sheen. "She would be so proud of you, Ruby. You are her spitting image, wise, kind and beautiful. And you have some special peepers too. You got them from her, now it's up to you to learn how to use them so we can save people."

"We'll do it together. You, me, Weiss, Blake, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Oscar, Alto, and Levi. We all met for a reason. I didn't believe much in destiny a few years ago, but after meeting Pyrrha, I'm sure things happened for a reason. We're here, and we can fight. Let's just focus on getting to Argus. We can handle the rest later."

"When did you become so wise?"

"When I turned sixteen? You didn't get me anything, you bum." her sister joked, earning a noogie from Yang. "Ah, don't! I just brushed it!"

"I'll get you something awesome when we make it to Argus. I promise. You'll be seventeen soon, I'll see if Qrow can sneak us some booze so you can have your first drink."

"Strawberry sunrise, no ice," Ruby said, holding her fist out. Yang bumped it with hers, a grin on her face.

"And don't forget the little umbrella."

The two burst into giggles, then full-blown laughter. A few people walked past their cabin, briefly wondering what the two were laughing about. Ruby suddenly stood up, wiping her tears away as she reached for her bag. "I wanted to give you something, well, I got them for everyone, but none of them are around so.. you get yours first."

Yang waited for the girl to turn around, holding her hand out. There was a bright yellow bead bracelet in the palm of her hand, held together by thick leather cordage. It had small blue, red and white beads on the ends, along with a small charm necklace in the shape of Yang's emblem. She gasped, taking the bracelet from her sister.

"You seriously got me this? It's so cute!"

"I made it myself. There was this bracelet station inside the gift shop and I thought it would be really cool to make some. They even had a mold for emblems, and thankfully, I was able to get everyone a bracelet with their personal emblem, even Levi. His was a pain since it was so detailed." she said, nervously poking her fingers together. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it, sis! This is so awesome, now we have one more thing to keep us connected." she said cheerfully, slipping it on behind Ember Celica. "I'm sure the others will love theirs too!"

"I'm glad then, I can't wait to give Blake and Weiss theirs," she replied, glancing over her shoulder. "Though there is another thing I wanted to talk to you about. It's about Levi, since he doesn't have a team and likely won't be able to join one in Atlas, would you mind if he joined ours?"

"Of course not! What happened to him sucks, and I completely understand where he's coming from. I think he would be a fine addition to our team. Just uh… don't change the initials. I don't think we can come up with a new team name at this point." she chuckled, making Ruby roll her eyes.

"Great, I'll talk with Blake about it. Weiss was the one who suggested it so I'm sure she's going to tell him. Those two have been spending a looot of time together."

"Think they're already at the hanky panky stage of the relationship?" Yang questioned, earning a punch to the arm from Ruby. "Ow, it was just a joke!"

"In all seriousness, I think it's nice that he gets along well with everyone. He used to be such a loner back in Signal, seeing him open up and speak to people is refreshing." the leader of Team RWBY said.

"Ain't that the truth. He's still recovering, but I'm starting to see a bit of the old Levi coming back. He's got the sarcasm and pervy jokes down. All he needs now is cynical views on the world and his stack of arithmetic books and he'll be back to normal. Heard from Nora that he asked Blake on a date, something about an x-rated movie?"

"They show those in theaters? Gross!"

"Hey, if Blake wants to watch something like that with a friend, I don't blame her. It's about time she found herself a good guy to hang out with. Here I thought she'd go after Sun." she said with a smirk. "That Ilia girl was cute too."

"I honestly think Blake and Levi will watch that as platonic friends. They were talking about Ninjas of Love last night. So they might be watching that."

"Suure, let's at least make sure Blake is ready for that. And let's hope the theater bathroom is spacious enough." Yang said, earning another punch to the arm from her little sister.

xxx

"Haah!"

Oscar swung his cane, deflecting the forward thrust Alto had thrown at him. He reacted quickly, throwing a series of rapid jabs at her. She slowed them down with her semblance, ducking back after a second. She flicked her wrist, shifting Milo into its spear form. She spun it around her neck, firing a round, the spear shot out of her grasp, striking the floor in front of Oscar. He managed to jump back in time, sighing audibly.

"Almost got me there."

Alto gave him a wink as she swung her arm, sending Akouo forward. The shield flew forward like a disc, picking up speed as she urged it to accelerate. It struck the young man's shoulder, bouncing off and careening into the wall. She sped the shield up, catching it in her grasp, throwing it at Oscar again. This time he managed to deflect it.

The wolf faunus raced forward, sliding across the ground to grab Milo, jabbing the blade into the ground as she swung her body at him, throwing several swift kicks at his head, all of which were deflected with his cane. She spun Milo around, swinging it to and fro, gaining some distance from the former farmhand.

She grabbed her discarded shield from the ground, slowly rising to her feet. "You are a tough cookie, Oscar. You have a good deflect game but you haven't landed many attacks."

"You have a shield, how am I supposed to break your guard?" he asked firmly, earning a shrug from the girl.

"I'unno. You gotta figure that out yourself," she said with a wink. Just like that, she was back in battle mode, dashing toward the boy with great speed. She spun on her heel, bashing him in the face with Akouo. She changed stances, jabbing Milo at his chest, all of which he successfully parried.

Getting angry, Oscar decided to change his approach, going from defense to offense. He darted forward, swinging his cane at her head, causing her to raise Milo, just like he had predicted. He swiftly punched her chest, stunning her for a few seconds, leaving her open to attack. He followed his attack with several speedy jabs, ducking out of the way of her counter attack, slamming the broad end of his cane into her legs, knocking her on her back.

"I got you now!" he cried, jumping into a downward jab, which was easily deflected by Alto, who used her semblance to speed herself up. He felt himself slow down, his eyes widening as he saw the wolf faunus pull her arm back. "No, wait!"

A gunshot echoed through the training room as Milo was hurled forward, sending the young farm boy flying back. He felt weightless for a moment before slamming into the wall, his head swimming with pain. The last of his aura broke, leaving him tired. He glanced down seeing he was a few feet off the ground, then realized Alto's spear had actually pinned him to the wall. He grabbed a hold of it, trying to pull it free, but gave up when he felt it was too deep in the wall.

"Well, ya got me."

"I'm sorry!" she cried an apologetic look. "I got so into it that I forgot this was a practice match."

She grabbed ahold of Milo, placing her foot on the wall, and with a firm pull, freed the young man from being pinned. He fell to his knees, panting a bit as he grabbed The Long Memory, retracting the cane and placing it behind his back. "It's fine. The two of us agreed to full-contact fighting. Not like my enemies will be holding back on me."

The young wolf faunus sat down beside him, reaching into her backpack for a pair of towels and some water. She dried her face, pouring a bit of water into her mouth. "Still, I should have kept an eye on your aura. You don't have the training me and the others do, even if you have an age-old wizard inside your noggin."

"No worries, Alto. Things like this happen. The first time I started learning hand to hand, Ruby punched me so hard in the face I flew back a few feet. Compared to that, being pinned to the wall is a minor upgrade."

She giggled, tucking her legs underneath herself as she looked at the empty training room. She had set Milo beside her, Akouo still strapped to her arm. "You know, when I decided to become a huntress, I was just like you. Shy, inexperienced, scared. But Aria made me learn real quick that if I didn't defend myself, I would die. She threw me into a forest with newborn Beowulves and told me to survive. I didn't even have a knife."

"That sounds terrible!"

"It wasn't. Our father threw her into a forest filled with Boarbatusks and Ursae, all of which had their age-old bone plating. I had it easy. I spent my time running in fear, by then all I had was my aura and a stick I had found. But I knew I couldn't run forever, so I turned around and fought. That's when I discovered I could speed things up and slow things down."

She reached into her pocket for a small rubber ball, which she flicked into the air. She used her semblance to speed it up, sending it into a bouncing frenzy all around the room. A constant loud tapping came from each impact, before it rebounded back at her, slowing down and dropping gently into her palm. "I realized even a pebble could be a deadly weapon. I used to be able to speed up or slow down one thing. But now I can do three things at once. I can also change their direction if I want. So long as it's in motion."

"That's a cool semblance. Sometimes I wonder what mine will be. Ren told me it took intense focus to unlock it. Ruby also mentioned it unlocking through intense emotions. Some even go years or their entire life without unlocking theirs. Makes me wonder if I fall into that category." He said, resting a hand on his leg.

"Does Professor Ozpin know what it'll be? I mean, he is an age-old wizard right?"

Oscar remained silent for a moment, glancing up at the ceiling before shaking his head. "He said that's something I have to unlock myself. Eventually, I'll get his magic power, but that isn't part of a semblance."

Alto nodded, her gaze shifting toward the other end of the room. Several thoughts crossed her mind, but there was one that she had been wanting to ask. The burning question as it were. She licked her lips, deciding to ask it. "What'll happen to you? I mean… your souls will merge, right? Will you stay as Oscar?"

"No, eventually I will become Ozpin… rather, we will become one. I'll be able to get the memories of his past lives and learn about the other men who fought Salem in the past. I've been getting a few here and there, mostly happy memories. But the darker ones… those do frighten me. Salem is… a powerful woman, scary even, but also rather alluring. I can understand why people decide to join her. She makes you think she can give you what you want. Makes you believe helping her will end up being beneficial for you. But you are nothing but a tool to her, and when you outlive your usefulness, you'll end up being killed."

The wolf faunus swallowed hard, taking a deep breath through her nose. "Hoo… well that's a lot of pressure."

"Yep."

She bit her lower lip, turning to face him, her cerulean eyes staring into his soft hazel-colored ones. "Are you scared?"

"Hm? About becoming Ozpin? Losing who I am and essentially becoming a body possessed by the amalgamations of ghosts long dead?" he said, closing his eyes. "Not really."

"Ozzy,"

"I'm fucking terrified,"

Alto turned to fully face him, resting her weight on her knees as she took a hold of his hand, squeezing it tightly. "I don't know how to feel other than pure fear. Knowing that my friends and family will no longer recognize me, that I'm just another person in the long life of a man trying to save the world, and that when I die I'll no longer be Oscar, but I'll just be Ozpin. It's scary. I didn't ask for this fate, but I also can't let the world keep being a shithole."

He faced her, a smile on his face, though she could tell it was forced. "Oz reassured me that we won't fully merge for a while. As long as I avoid using his magic, as it speeds up the process. I wish to enjoy my life for as long as I can, but I also fear waking up and being unable to control my body. I just…"

Alto tapped her chin in thought for a moment, her eyes lighting up as she dug into her pocket pulling out her notebook. "I know! How about we make a bucket list!"

"A bucket...list?"

"Yeah! 1001 things to do before you die, or in this case, turn into a dusty old wizard. No offense, Professor." she said cheerfully.

"He said none taken. He believes that is also a great idea. But what exactly will we do?"

"Bucket lists can be full of anything. From really silly stuff like eating an ice cream cone with a girl, to like riding on a manticore without dying. There's so many things to say, do and experience in this life! We have to do them all! And given the fact that you won't be you in like three years, we gotta do them all quick!" she said, using her semblance to mark 1001 spaces in her notebook. "So, any ideas?"

"Um… well…?"

He didn't really have any ideas. All he could do was stare at Alto, the excited look on her face making him flush. He didn't notice how cute she really was, having the perfect complexion, and deep pools of cerulean that shined like a thousand sapphires. He found himself staring longer than he had intended, making him look away. A dumb thought filled his head, and for a second he wondered if his teenage hormones were talking or if it was Ozpin subtly giving him a nudge. He hoped it was neither.

"I uh… this is stupid."

"Nothing is stupid, Ozzy! Come on, tell me what it is and I'll write it down! This is your list.. well, our list, but mostly yours."

"Well, I just thought… I've never um...k-kissed a girl… so I thought I could suggest that," he said nervously. Alto flushed a bit but jotted it down anyway.

"Kiss a boy/girl. Well, I guess this one will be easy," she said, setting her pen and notebook down. She grabbed Oscar's head, placing her lips against his, much to his surprise. He wanted to scream but knew that would likely be a bad idea. He started kissing the girl back, the two focusing on the feeling of their lips together.

It was maybe ten seconds after that Alto finally pulled away, cheeks flushed pink as she licked her lips. "Wow… that was nice. I bet that old wizard learned a thing or two in the past huh?"

"I… suppose? Was it your first?"

"Nah, I lost that privilege years ago when I was twelve. Still, for a first kiss, it was nice. Maybe we can do it more often?" she asked. His brain short-circuited for a moment, as he fell back, a dumb smile on his face. "Hello, Ozzy? Are you okay? Was our kiss really that good?"


Location: Evernight Castle, Land of Darkness

"Would any of you care to tell me how it was that you managed to fail so spectacularly?"

Emerald trembled, lowering her gaze a bit as Salem sat before them. She was once a beautiful and kind woman, but after many many years, had turned into the powerful woman she was today. Her snow-white hair and skin contrasted with the darkness of her dress. The castle they were currently in was dark and dreary, cold and unloving. She wondered what it would have looked like after it had first been constructed, but the bubbling Grimm pits outside reminded her of the disgusting ambiance that was Salem's domain.

To say she was scared was an understatement. She was absolutely terrified. She had nothing to fear with Cinder around, but now that she was gone. She had no one but herself. Mercury had to watch his own back, meaning she was on her own. Again, after so long depending on Cinder. She didn't know what to think, what to do or how to even function. All she knew was that angering Salem was tantamount to suicide. Which was why she had remained silent.

Hazel took a deep breath, a neutral look on his face as he looked at Salem, staring directly into her eyes as he spoke. "The faunus militia split our forces, they-"

"-Stop." the woman said, making him stop talking. There was a look of fear on his face, one that Emerald had never seen come from the large muscular man. Salem folded her hands, tapping her fingers on the edge of the table. "Let me rephrase the question- who is responsible for your defeat?"

Emerald and Mercury shared a look, the pair remaining silent as they looked back to Salem. There were a million things flowing through their minds, but both knew the reason. They knew who had cost them the win, and they knew what would happen if they lied.

"I take full responsibility for this incident."

It all happened in a second, the woman threw the table aside, sending Tyrian flying back into the wall, the table, made of stone, shattering into pieces from the force of the throw. "But that wouldn't be fair, would it? We all know who's to blame don't we?"

That demonic voice filled Emerald's mind, making her legs quiver in fear. It was taking everything in her body for her not to drop to her knees. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, she could feel herself starting to grow faint and if she hadn't used the restroom on the ride there, likely would have peed her pants.

"I don't-" Hazel began, only for a pool of darkness to form beneath his feet. Salem gestured with her hand, summoning several dark clawed hands, grabbing a hold of his face, pulling him down to the floor. He was panting for breath, as the hands were beginning to suffocate him.

Salem stared down at Hazel as if he were an insect, a dangerous insect that needed to be squashed quickly. He was insignificant in her eyes, someone that could be easily replaced. She took notice of Emerald, noticing her fearful shaking, the tears rolling in her eyes. She could almost taste the fear permeating around her. A small, gentle smile flashed onto her face, as she lifted her hand. Ever so slightly, she turned her head to face her, staring into her soft red-colored eyes.

"Emerald…"

Her shoulders shook with each shaky breath she took. She felt abnormally hot, her throat was dry, and she suddenly felt vulnerable. She hadn't deactivated her aura when she stepped into the castle but was sure she would still get killed even with it activated. She swallowed the lump in her throat, more tears rolling down her panicked face as she stared deeply into those pools of red and black, those soulless dead eyes that belonged to the ruler of the Grimm.

"I want you to tell me whose fault this was…"

She closed her eyes, hoping she would go away.

"Now."

"C-Cinder! We failed because of Cinder! She was the one who insisted on fighting, she was the one who called the meeting together. She wanted to kill Ruby but was overwhelmed when they showed up with more people. It was all her fault!"

She felt terrible for selling her friend out. Her mentor. The woman who had saved her life, and had also ruined it. She was once a thief, a street urchin, a disgusting person who had to take what wasn't hers to survive. Cinder gave her purpose. But now that purpose had led her into a world she never thought existed. The first rule she had learned living on the streets was to put yourself before anyone else. And so she had. Salem patted her head, a satisfied look on her face.

"That's right. I want you to understand that failure. I want you to understand why Cinder must be left to toil in her isolation until she redeems herself." she said, turning away from the trio. Mercury's face lit up with a look of intrigue and surprise.

"You mean… she's alive?" he asked.

"You're joking," Watts said, eyes widened in surprise. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Are you questioning our divine savior?" Tyrian screeched, glaring at the Atlassian Man. Salem did the same, making him chuckle nervously.

"Of course not, forgive me."

Salem gave him a nod of acknowledgment, as she slowly made her way toward the back of the room, where her throne chair was. She twirled a strand of hair around her fingertips, her obsidian-colored nails wrapping around each delicate strand.

"It's important not to lose sight of what drives us; Love, justice, reverence… but the moment you put your desires over my own… they will be lost to you," she said, turning around. With a snap of her fingers, Hazel was released, panting heavily as he was finally able to breathe normally. "This isn't a threat, this is simply the truth. The path to your desires is only found… through me."

Hazel slowly stood up, Mercury placed a hand on his shoulder, silently asking him if he was alright. He gestured that he was fine, slowly forcing himself to stand up straight. Salem took a deep breath, frowning as she looked out the panoramic windows of the castle. "And so, we must press on. Now then, the sword under Shade Academy will be one of our more difficult targets. As it is constantly surrounded by huntsmen, it will be hard to acquire it. Tyrian, have you found Summer?"

"Apologies, my queen, but I still haven't found where Summer might be. There were some promising targets but none of them have shown that power. With Cinder gone, we'll have to replace her."

"Do not fret, our new recruit will fill in her spot. She has already adapted to the Grimm and did so much faster than Cinder. She has the training of a huntress as well and knows how they behave, how they act. She is the best candidate for our Summer Maiden. Dr. Watts, how is her prosthetic coming along?" Salem asked, causing the doctor to stroke his chin.

"Hmm... it's coming along well. Of course, replacing someone's spine with a machine is difficult. There are things that Grimm can't replace. Admittedly, if I had access to more Atlas tech, I could probably finish it faster. With your permission, I can head out and procure what I need to finish up." the man replied, earning a nod from the woman.

"Of course, you shall be given all the funds you need, though I trust you'll be able to get them without wasting money?" Salem mused, earning a chuckle from the man. Hazel cleared his throat, causing the woman to look forward again. He closed his eyes, bowing his head a bit.

"Ma'am… I have more to report."

"Oh? Then do tell, and choose your words carefully. You are on very thin ice."

He nodded, finally looking into her eyes. "Qrow and the kids are taking the lamp to Atlas. Not only that but there is a miqo'te faunus among them. I am not sure if he possesses the gift the others did, but if he does he will be a potential threat."

"Heh, not if I can help it," Tyrian said, his tail moving about, almost like a cats. He had a look of excitement on his face as he wrung out his hands. Hazel licked his lips, taking another breath.

"That's not all. The kids are all being led by… Ozpin."

Emerald jumped a bit as she heard something crack. She looked around the room, noticing the windows were slowly but surely, cracking. She watched on, entranced by the spiderwebs racing across the old glass.

"He came back… so soon?" Tyrian queried.

"He's the only man with the chance to get through to Ironwood, if that happens, Atlas and the Relic of Creation will become unobtainable."

The man looked back at Salem, about to ask something when he noticed the look of sheer anger and hatred on her face. Her fists were shaking, her eyes burning with the fire of a thousand suns as she glared at her subordinates. "Leave… NOW!"

Hazel placed a hand on Emerald's shoulder, urging her to move. She turned around, walking out of the room at a brisk pace alongside the others. She briefly glanced back, as the doors slowly closed. Salem let out a howl of pure anger, hatred, and agony, shattering every single window within the castle. Her screams reverberated through the halls, echoing across the lands of darkness. Even the Grimm felt fear at this, all of them flying, running, or swimming in every direction.

At this, Emerald adopted two thoughts. The first, find a change of underwear because she was certainly in need of them. The second was very very obvious and had more priority than the first. "I have got to get the fuck out of here as soon as humanly possible."

A plan began formulating in her mind. She needed to find a way to escape, for now, she would bide her time. She could no longer rely on Cinder and she sure as hell wasn't going to risk her own life anymore.


Location: Argus Limited, Northern Pass: Mistral

"No no no! That was not the point of that battle. The point of that battle was to test the resolve of their love. To ensure that both of them felt the same mutual feelings. Do you think two powerful Samurai would actually duke it out in the middle of a rainstorm if they weren't in love?" Blake asked, pausing briefly to take a sip of her milkshake. "Hinata and Ayane proved to each other time and time again that they were in love. They fought not to test their strength and their ideals but to test their love for each other."

"That is total bullshit, Blake. They were not fighting to test their love, they were fighting because it was the only way to move on. The entirety of Shigure Village had just been destroyed by the Minato clan. In order to save the Shogun, they had to set aside their differences by realizing they were on the same side!"

"You didn't read between the lines, Levi. Clearly, you don't understand the true beauty of their mutual love!" the cat faunus said, earning an eye roll from the silver-haired miqo'te.

"And you clearly didn't read the same book I did." he paused, shoving a forkful of strawberry cheesecake into his mouth, downing it with his mint vanilla smoothie. "Do you honestly believe a single fight is going to help them settle everything that happened between them? Hinata's clan killed Ayane's family, and he personally decapitated her sister Kasumi right in front of her. There is no way she could ever fall in love with him."

"Okay look, just because you are a Ryu x Ayane shipper doesn't mean you have the right to act as if it is the true ending of the series. It's just a headcanon until the author decides to confirm it."

"You only say that because I'm right Blake Belladonna. You are scared that Ayane and Ryu will settle their differences and have sweet sweet love on page 69 of the next novel."

"Can we please talk about something else?" Weiss snapped, glaring at the two faunuses. She swirled her chocolate milkshake around with her straw, glaring at the two. "I know you two are passionate about this book but we are in public. We cannot discuss mommy porn out in the open!"

"Pfft, prude."

"Blake!" the former heiress shouted, causing Levi to chuckle.

"I'm sorry Weiss, I didn't mean to dominate the conversation. Blake asked about my thoughts on NoL2 and I just had to talk about it," he said, a flush on his face. "Are there any books that you like to read, Weiss?"

"I'm afraid not. I didn't have much time to read romance novels or fairy tales. I spent most of my time studying and honing my skills with a sword." she said dejectedly. "I have read a few books that Ruby and Blake had selected for me at Beacon, but nothing more than simple children's books and fantasy books."

"Oh… that's a shame."

"Well, we can talk about fairytales for a bit. I read that book Ruby always carried around, Remnant's Illustrious Fables. Have you read that one, Levi?" Blake asked, earning a nod from the young man.

"I used to read it a lot as a kid. My mother brought it back for me after a trip to Atlas. It was this cool popup book with all these insanely detailed stories. My favorite fable was the Warrior in the Woods."

"What's it about?"

"Well Weiss, it's about this village, where the people lived happy and care-free, ignoring the dangers of the world. One day, a boy walked into the woods playing hide and seek with his friends. Instead, he gets attacked by a boarbatusk but is saved at the last minute by a girl with a billhook. She tells him to go back home and never come back. Some years pass, and the boy, now a young man, enters the woods and is again attacked by Grimm. He tries his best to fight but is overwhelmed. The girl, now a young woman, saves him again but takes notice of his dagger. She tells him to go home but is surprised when he said he came to visit her and brought with him some clothing. She ends up telling him she lost her parents to other humans and warns him to be careful.

A year goes by, and the young man, now capable of fighting, returns. He is attacked by three owl Grimm, but before he even draws his sword, they are vaporized. The young woman turns back only to see the young man with a basket filled with food. She smiles as she leads him to her cabin. He leaves and doesn't return. Some years pass, and the young man, now an adult, goes to search for the woman, only to find her cabin empty. He sits down at her kitchen table and reflects on not confessing his feelings. He admits to having fallen for her silver-colored eyes."

"It was meant as a cautionary tale, for kids not to stray too far from their parents. But it was also an inspiring tale, for people to learn to help whenever they can." Blake added, a somber smile on her face. "Now that I think about it, that tale may have been based on the Silver-Eyed Warriors."

"Silver-Eyed Warriors?" Weiss inquired, earning a nod from Levi. He dug his hand in his pocket briefly, pulling out his eye drops. He didn't know why, but recently his eyes had been rather scratchy.

"Yes. They are these legendary warriors who are born with silver eyes. It's thought their abilities stemmed from magic, but no one truly believes if it is or nor. Magic simply isn't real, so it just wouldn't be possible for them to be magic. This story was usually told around the campfire in miqo'te villages, as a cautionary tale like Blake said." he said, dropping a few drops into his eyes, cringing a bit from how they felt. He blinked away the excess, using a napkin to dry his cheeks. "The miqo'te race used to possess these same traits, but all of the tribes were killed."

"I remember my father mentioning this once when I was seven. Long before the White Fang had formed, there was a village in Vacuo called Eorzea. An age old village that had formed after the destruction of the former Kingdom of Eorzea. The miqo'te faunus had spread all over Remnant, but were being hunted down one by one for no apparent reason." she said, frowning.

"Why? Because of their eyes?"

"Yeah.. you see, Silver Eyed warriors posess this rare power, the ability to vaporize Grimm with a single look. They can turn them to stone or make them disappear in an instant. That flash of silver light that people reported atop Beacon Tower when Pyrrha was killed, that was Ruby tapping into that power. She's a fortunate and lucky girl, but those powers are rare for a reason." Levi said.

"The ability to turn Grimm to stone, vaporize them and destroy them with one look… Salem is the one who creates Grimm… maybe she began hunting and killing people with Silver Eyes because they were a threat."

"That would explain why Ruby's mother, Summer, never came back from her mission. It's likely Salem murdered her, and if that's the case, the miqo'te race is close to extinction because of this rare trait too." Weiss said, looking back to Levi, who was looking at his smoothe, tracing the glass with his fingertip. "I'm so sorry, Levi. You not only lost your mother because of this woman, but all of your extended family, your tribe."

"It's fine, Weiss. I've known something terrible had happened to them all for a long time. I just didn't know about Salem. I guess putting a name to the tragedy is a start. Just one more tally on the list."

They remained silent for a moment, the weight of their situation hitting them like a ton of bricks. Blake sighed as she stood up, grabbing their empty glasses. "How about another milkshake? They are free after all. May as well drown our sorrows in fat and milk."

"You'll get chubby if you keep drinking those, Blake. Think about your figure."

"It goes to my boobs, Weiss. I've told you this before." the amber-eyed girl said with a wink, as she moved toward the snack bar. As she did, a pair of young men brushed past her, forcefully bumping into her. She dropped the glasses to the floor, all of them shattering on impact. She turned to face the men, ears folded in anger. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me. You should watch where you're going you stupid animal," he said, bursting into laughter alongside his friend. Levi immediately stood up, towering over the two shorter boys.

"Hey assface, you wanna say that to her again?"

"Oh look, she has backup. How adorable." the man said, grinning. "Never seen one of you freaks with ears and a tail. Would you like a little bit of catnip?"

"Would you like a fist to the face?" he returned, glaring at the man. "You think you are so cool insulting us huh? You're a fuckin loser."

"Says the dirty faunus standing in front of us. What, did you and your Neko waifu sneak aboard this train? Why… we should throw your asses out!" the brown-haired man said, glaring at the two. Blake reached for Gambol Shroud, her hand wrapping around its handle.

"That is quite enough,"

The two jumped a bit, startled by Weiss's voice. She stood beside the pair, her hand grasping Myrtenaster's handle. "I suggest you two make your way out of our sight peacefully unless you want trouble."

"Trouble? What can you do to us, sweetie?"

"Hey wait a minute. Skyler that's that missing heiress, Weiss Schnee. Isn't there a 5 million lien reward for the one who brings her to Atlas?" the brunette said, earning a nod from his friend.

"Hey yeah, you're right! Let's nab her! We'll cash our prize in when we make it to Argus Military Base!"

"Yeah, that would be well and good but you'd have to catch me first. Blake, Levi, let us be on our way." Weiss said, brushing past the two men, the two faunus hot on her heels. The two men moved to grab her, only to realize they were frozen in place. Their legs were encased in ice, barring their movement.

"What the? Hey, come back here! Unthaw us you stupid bitch!"

"Leave her be, the money isn't worth it. Just let her and her stupid slaves walk off. I swear, they should ban those dumb animals from riding trains altogether."

Levi took a deep breath through his nose, exhaling slowly as he walked. He didn't really care about the insults, he had grown used to it, but he could tell they were affecting Blake. He wrapped an arm around her, giving her a side hug as they walked, a smile on his face. "Don't let their words bother you."

"They don't, really. I just thought that after all the work we did in Haven, and how the faunus were accepted for helping to save it, that we would get more respect."

"You can't expect people to change overnight. It took me a while to give you a chance, even after we started from zero. But I had gotten to know Blake, the person, not the faunus. She was a kindhearted, silent, beautiful woman and a good friend. That's what you are to me. Forget those idiots. They're just ignorant." Weiss said, earning a nod from Blake, a smile on her face.

"Thank you, Weiss."

"There's nothing to thank me for. We're teammates, so we have to look after one another," she said. The trio suddenly stopped as a blur of crimson whipped by them, forcing the three to stop in their tracks.

"Gah! There you three are! I've been looking all over the place for you!" Ruby cried, taking a hold of Weiss's hand. "Come on!"

"Wah...wait!" she cried, grabbing Levi's wrist. The miqo'te still had a firm grip on Blake, and in a fraction of a second, felt himself zooming around, watching as everything around him blended into an amalgamation of colors and sounds. It felt as if the world caved in on itself and reformed all in several flashes. The ordeal was over moments later, as he felt himself stop.

"Ruby, can you please warn me the next time you are going to do that?" Blake asked, her eyes spinning as she stumbled a bit. Thankfully, Yang was there to catch her before she fell.

"Oh, you'll be fine. The feeling of puking goes away after a second."

"Huh… so that's what Petal Burst feels like. Is it normal to taste colors?" Levi asked, causing Yang to burst out laughing. Moments later, Jaune, Ren, and Nora appeared just outside their cabin, accompanied by Oscar and Alto, all wondering what was so funny.

"Hey guys, Levi experienced Ruby's semblance for the first time and said he could taste colors."

"Pfft, really? I didn't taste anything when I first experienced it. It felt really tingly!" Nora said happily.

"I felt like puking."

"Jaune you suffer from motion sickness and Ruby moves nearly at the speed of sound. Of course, you'll feel like puking." Ren noted, making Yang laugh harder.

"Ohoho, poor Vomit Boy, still suffering from the puking fits eh?"

"Please stop," he muttered in embarrassment.

"What did you need us for, Ruby? Oscar and I were in the middle of a soda drinking challenge. We're working on a bucket list and he suggested drinking 200 sodas in a row." Alto said, snapping her book closed.

"Two hundred? How many did you drink?" Levi questioned, earning a burp from the farmboy, who looked both sick and full of energy.

"34, did you know this train has its own unique flavor of Dr. Piper? It's called Dr. Piper Snowdrift and it tastes like magic and rainbows."

"Oh man, I gotta dry that," Yang said, making a mental note to head to the food car. Weiss cleared her throat, crossing her arms.

"Ahem, Ruby brought us here for a reason correct? She's been bouncing in place for the last three minutes. Let's not keep her waiting." she said, turning to her team leader. "Go ahead, Ruby."

"Well, all of us have been together for a while, with Levi and Alto officially joining us a few weeks ago. But I consider all of us close friends. I figured we could all use a symbol of our friendship. Since we won't be back in Mistral for who knows how long, I decided to get us a little something." she said, reaching inside her backpack. She pulled out the bag she had bought at Akidori Station, a grin on her face. "I got us friendship bracelets!"

She reached into her bag, pulling out Nora's, which was a bright green in color and had her emblem as a little charm on the side. She handed Ren one that was pink, along with his emblem. "Yours are opposite colors, I thought they would look cute together."

"These are awesome! Thank you so much, Ruby!" Nora said, hugging the girl tightly as she slipped her bracelet on. "Ah, it has a tiny pancake charm! It's perfect!"

Ruby smiled as she handed Jaune his. His consisted of yellow and orange beads, along with some reds and blues. It had his personal emblem as a charm, along with Pyrrha's. He hugged the girl tightly, feeling a few tears in the corners of his eyes. "Thanks, Ruby."

"You're welcome Jaune. Keep her close, always," she said, pulling out two more bracelets. One was ice blue in color, lined with white beads, the Schnee Family crest hung proudly from the corner. The other was its opposite, being black in color with two white beads at either side. It bore Blake's personal emblem, along with a small charm in the shape of a car. "For my two besties. Weiss, you are my irreplaceable partner, and I cherish your company every day. Blake, my favoritest cat girl, and my closest friend. I missed the hell out of you when you left, but I'm glad you're here with us."

"I missed you too, Ruby. There wasn't a day I didn't think about you, or Weiss or Yang. It was agony not knowing if you were alright. But I'm here too!"

The girls shared a hug, glad to be in each other's company again. Ruby reached inside her bag for two more bracelets, a pea-green bracelet with several colored beads on the side, along with a gear-shaped emblem. The second one was silver in color, with white beads on either side, the ends being capped by blue beads. The charm was in the shape of a wolf. "I know things are tough for you Oscar, but just know that you can rely on me and on the rest of us if you need to. You too, Alto. We're still getting to know each other, but we're friends now. You're sort of stuck with us."

"I don't want to be anywhere else, Ruby. You remind me a lot of my older sister, during those brief moments where she would drop her tough girl act. She always filled me with hope. It's an honor calling you a friend."

Oscar remained silent, a bit embarrassed by Ruby's sweet act. He gave her a soft thanks, following the other's example by placing his bracelet on. She turned to Levi, the final member of their group. She took a hold of his hand, placing his bracelet in his palm. "This one is yours. You've been through so much already, you took care of Weiss, fought alongside us at Haven, and have been a supportive friend. You hardly have a reason to travel with us, but the fact you've joined us makes me happy. Especially because you get along so well with Weiss and Blake. I hope we can become close friends too."

He looked at the bracelet, and just like the others, his had been made with beads of varying colors, his were cerulean blue and bright amber, along with silver. There was a small charm in the shape of his emblem, he was honestly surprised she had gotten every single detail down. There was also a charm in the shape of his mother's emblem, which made his heart swell with happiness. He gave the young girl a hug, grinning contently.

"Thanks, Ruby. You're an awesome friend, I'll cherish this forever. I've made a promise to myself, to keep moving forward and be open with my friends. This will be the perfect start!"

"Good! You better not flake on that promise too, or I'll be super mad," she said, giggling. She peeked inside the bag, frowning a bit at the final bracelet that lay within. "There's one more but, the person it belongs to isn't here."

As if on cue, they heard a knock on the side of the cabin door, causing them all to look forward. A uniformed woman stood at the entrance, dressed in bright blue garments, several embellishments were visible on her uniform, along with several other badges. She had a firm look on her face as she looked around the room, her eyes taking in every single person within.

"Oh, I think I remember seeing you. You're the conductor, right? Do you need to see our tickets?" Yang asked, holding out her scroll. The woman shook her head as if pondering something. Finally, after a moment, her body began glowing, a bright pink light swirling around her, which slowly disappeared.

Jaune, Ren, and Nora backed away, reaching for their weapons before Ruby held her hand out, shaking her head. Levi had remained stock still, his eyes wide with shock. The young woman looked up, tipping her bowler hat back, forcing a smile onto her face as she gave the miqo'te faunus a wave. He felt himself moving forward, the young woman cringing a bit, expecting to get hit in the face, but was instead pulled into a tight hug.

"Neo," he said softly, as he released the girl, checking her over for injuries. He focused on her neck, lowering her scarf to check, but saw she had no scars from their fight. He hugged her again, making sure she was actually there. "I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have attacked you like that. I backstabbed you in the worst way possible. You should hate me for what I did to you."

She pulled out of his embrace, reaching for her scroll, her trusty means of communication. She typed a message out, holding it out as it spoke. "I should be apologizing to you. I kept something important from you. The fact that I had been a part of the Attack on Beacon. I regret everything I've done, the people that perished that night, they're haunting me. Their voices never leave me alone. I know you'll never forgive me for what I did, but believe me when I say I'm sorry. I will pay for my crimes by becoming a huntress, and pledging myself in service to the people. As long as you'd have me."

"Of course. I told you through messages, didn't I? You're my partner. We've been through hell together and we will continue kicking ass together. But there's a lot we need to discuss, and several things you have to be filled in on. As long as it's okay for us to speak of it, of course." Levi said, glancing back at Ruby and Jaune.

"That all depends on Professor Ozpin, after all, he's the one who knows everything. We'll have to sit down and talk about that. But first, I have to say something." Jaune said, stepping forward. "You helped Roman Torchwick attack our school, helped Cinder do what she did, and got so many people killed. My partner died because of what went down at Beacon. Honestly, I'm not running you through with my sword because I trust Ruby and I trust Levi. I won't forget, but I am willing to forgive you. But you have to earn our trust. The moment you turn on us, I will kill you."

She nodded in understanding, facing Ruby, who had remained silent the entire time. Neo took a deep breath, typing out a message. Once she was satisfied, she hit speak, holding her scroll out to her. "I know you have no reason to trust me, especially after my attempt at killing you. But I realized that you weren't responsible for what happened. I was doing my job because Roman ordered it. But he was taking orders from Cinder. Neither of us knew she was planning that. We were caught off guard and had to play the part. I hate that you separated me from him and I wasn't there to see what happened, but I also thank you for what you did. I don't think I could live with myself if I saw it. Sorry doesn't cut it, but sadly I have nothing else to say."

Ruby reached inside her bag, smiling a bit as she held her hand out. "You have nothing to say, but I do. You are a girl just like me, a human who had to do whatever it took to survive. You fucked up, but In a way, all of us did. We've made mistakes. It's what we become when we learn from them that makes us stronger. You're a victim of Salem, just like Levi, just like Professor Ozpin, and just like all of Remnant. Our mission is a tough one, but we'll accomplish it together. So let's put everything behind us and be friends."

Neo accepted the bracelet she handed her, looking at it in confusion. It had two white beads, two brown beads and finally two pink beads. It was held together by leather cordage, a small, ice cream cone-shaped charm hung from the side of it, glittering brightly in the light. For the first time in a long time, Neo felt herself genuinely smiling. It had been a long time since someone had given her something. She slipped it onto her wrist, giving Ruby a wink, a genuine grin on her face.

"Hehe! Welcome to the team then, Munchkin! Hope you're ready to pull your weight around because we have one bastard of a mission ahead of us." Yang said, earning a glare from Neo who swiftly typed into her scroll, hitting speak so hard they thought her scroll would crack.

"Remember that time I kicked your ass on that train? Would you like me to do it again?"

"Yeesh, yeah. She doesn't like the short jokes Yang, best not tempt her, eh?" Levi said, causing the blonde to roll her eyes.

"Sure, whatever."

Oscar suddenly gasped, as Professor Ozpin took over. Neo looked at him closely, feeling unnerved by his borderline creepy look. "Miss Neopolitan. I've heard quite a lot about you. Both good and bad, but I assure you, you aren't in danger or in trouble. As you are Mr. Athan's new partner, we must fill you in on everything. However, do know that if you even think about sharing this with anyone else, you will be terminated before you can blink. Understood?"

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she gave the man a nod. "Excellent, then we shall begin at well.. the beginning."

"That would be for the best. But I also have something to share with you all, and it is very important. Levi, Jaune, Ruby… the three of you are being hunted down. Sadly, the battle at Haven, while a success, didn't fully terminate the bitch that ruined all of our lives." Neo's scroll spoke, making the three go pale. She took a deep breath as she typed, her thumb shaking a bit before urging the scroll to speak on her behalf. "Cinder is still alive, and she's looking for revenge."

Levi's breath caught in his throat as those words entered his mind. To him, it was the worst news anyone could have ever given him. And now, his journey was about to become much much worse.


A/N: Genshin Impact has me in its grips. Send Help.