"Yang!"

Blake was quick to rush forward and pull her friend into a tight hug, which the girl happily accepted. A moment later while looking over Yang's shoulder, Blake's grip loosened slightly as she stared at the figure standing only a few feet away.

"You…"

"Please, I mean no harm," Corsac began as he raised his hands to show that he was unarmed. As his eyes turned from Blake to Daisuke, however, his expression changed to one of worry. "…I swear it."

"He's cool," Yang emphasized as she stepped back from Blake and moved to stand in front of Corsac. "It's a long story, but he's cool."

"I'm just surprised that you're alive," Daisuke replied as he looked Corsac over. "Cinnamon said she tried to kill you after you tried to go for Ilia…"

"She did," Corsac answered. "Emphasis on 'tried.'"

"Well, this isn't awkward at all," Neptune cut in. "Please tell me we can avoid any kind of fight."

"We can, and we will," Raven asserted as she sheathed her sword. "Save your energy. Dawn approaches."

"They've been filled in," Qrow added as Yang gave Blake a questioning look. "Did Coco, Neo, and Tai make it here?"

"Dad's here?" Yang asked as she took out her scroll. "Really?"

"He'd better be," Raven said. "I sent him through with Coco and Neopolitan not long ago. He should have been transported straight up to Ironwood's office."

"We've been here this entire time," Corsac explained. "We were unaware…"

Daisuke let out a sigh and rubbed the side of his mask.

"This is such a mess. I thought we were all caught up, but who actually knows who does and doesn't know which aspects of all that's gone on?"

"I'm sure everything important will be rehashed at dawn," Blake reassured as she turned her eyes to Corsac. "Where's Cinnamon? She's still here at the Academy, right?"

"So far as I know," Corsac answered. "We don't speak much, on account of her attempting to kill me."

"…fair," Neptune pointed out as he remained standing off to the side of the room. "Where's Sun?"

"Infirmary," Yang answered as she kept her eyes on her scroll. "He's mostly fine, just… exhausted. Go to him. Dad just answered, and he's upstairs. I'm heading off to go see him, and I'll show you two to the elevators. C'mon, Blake."

The faunus girl took a few steps toward Yang, only to stop suddenly and look back at Daisuke and Corsac. Neptune quite nearly ran into her back as she did so.

"…if I leave you two here alone… is everything going to be alright?"

Daisuke looked up from his scroll, making eye contact with Blake.

"…based on Cinnamon's replies just now, I might be a stain on the carpet… but Corsac will be fine, so long as he doesn't start anything."

"I have no intentions of doing so. I could leave, if you wish."

"…that might be for the best, honestly," Daisuke suggested. "Cin and I… I don't expect this to go particularly well."

"Come with us," Qrow offered. "Raven and I are going to check on the progress on Amity, over in the lab."

Corsac nodded and followed the Branwen twins. The trio headed for the door after Yang, Neptune, and Blake, leaving Daisuke very much alone in the suite usually shared by Sun and Jaune. It didn't take long at all for the silence in the room to grow uncomfortable. Daisuke slowly wandered the space, taking in the sparse decorations and few personal effects that had been left out. Upon running out of things to do, he settled for walking over toward the door and simply staring at the steel curtain while he waited for Cinnamon's inevitable arrival.

Daisuke didn't have to wait long. A series of heavy pounds on the side of the door signaled him to walk forward and open it, where an irate faunus stood with her hands on the hips of her camouflage suit. Without a word she strode into the room, unhooked Daisuke's plain black half-mask from around one of his ears, and threw out a hard slap into the side of his cheek. While still reeling from the stinging sensation in his jaw, Daisuke soon felt both of Cinnamon's hands on the side of his face as he was pulled forward into a harsh kiss. The contact lasted long enough to chase away the sting, though Cinnamon's rough shove of his head backward as she disconnected from him brought about a whole new pain in Daisuke's neck.

"You absolute asshole…"

"Nice to see you, too," Daisuke snarked, unlooping the other side of his mask and stuffing the cloth into his pocket. "I knew you'd be pissed… and I don't care. I don't care how angry you are, because I do care about you. The moment I found out you were being dragged to Atlas, I left alongside Blake. I'm not letting you do this alone, Cin. I'm not leaving you ever again."

"You didn't leave me," Cinnamon countered as she put her hands on her hips. "I left everyone, a-"

"And so did Blake, after the fall of Beacon!" Daisuke interrupted as he threw his hands up. "She fled to Kuo Kuana, and had Sun not gone after her, she wouldn't have survived. She, too, pushed everyone around her away, thinking that her presence put those she cares about in danger. Sun followed in spite of her wishes and changed her life for the better. I'm just following in his footsteps at her behest, because when Blake wore me down and got me to tell her about all you've been through, I saw us in them. When I thought about what it is you set out to do here in Atlas, I saw what could have happened to Blake had she been left alone happening to you, and I wasn't going to let that happen!"

Cinnamon stiffened, her mind reeling with conflicting emotions. Hot shame washed over her cheeks, and she transitioned her arms downward to cross in front of her chest.

"…what did you tell her?"

"Damned near everything. I know how touchy of a subject it all is, but I just… look at us, Cin," Daisuke said before pausing for emphasis. His frustration was clear to see on his face, and his exhausted, weary expression was quite close to Cinnamon's own. "I don't know if you've even stopped for long enough to look in a mirror, but… you're worn down and barely hanging on, and it's not just you. I'm only just keeping it together myself, having played aloof and unbothered for years while watching you suffer. I can't do this anymore. I had to choose between what you want and what we both need, and for the first time since we left Rust… I chose us, even if that flies in the face of your plan."

"So you were worried enough about me being close to Salem to intervene," Cinnamon said, her voice sounding hollow even to her. "You thought I couldn't handle this situation on my own."

"Could you?" Daisuke asked. "The fact that you're here instead of down in Mantle still running with Salem seems like answer enough to me. No one can do all of this alone. Not you, not Sun, not Ironwood… you didn't fail, Cin… but you will if you don't accept help."

Cinnamon's face twisted into an uncomfortable expression as she walked past Daisuke and deposited herself upon the couch. He followed her over and took the cushion directly next to her before gingerly reaching up to place a hand on her shoulder.

"…no. No, I… couldn't do it alone," Cinnamon admitted. "Nor could I handle striking down Salem's allies, or liberating the White Fang down in Mantle, or… even killing Weiss, when that was on the table. But our people are safe, the Fang is still going…"

"Cin," Daisuke began with a sigh. "I don't care about the White Fang. Our people, sure- of course I care about the faunus as a whole, and I want to save as many people as we possibly can once the evacuation begins. But the organization itself? Ever since we met Sienna Khan, and especially since Adam took over, I've been totally uninterested in their goals and maintaining their position of power any time those things were in conflict with keeping you both alive and happy."

"…you don't mean that," Cinnamon accused with a shake of her head. "I've seen how dedicated you are to the cause, and the amount of effort you put into the organization itself. You watched me seduce Adam and pretend to barely know you for how long in service to the Fang?"

"No, that isn't why I did it," Daisuke corrected. "I did it for you. I did it because you've never had control of your life, and I wanted to support your schemes and successes. I didn't enjoy any of the time we spent with the Fang, and honestly? I hope that in the end, Kali keeps the damned thing. All I've ever really cared about was trying to support you and help you along in the fight for the life you deserve. Unfortunately, now we have to fight for every life in Remnant, but when this is all over… I want it to just be us. No more running. No more scheming. When we've done our part to redeem everything that's gone on in our lives thus far… I want our reward to just be peace for the two of us. Please."

"…the path that Blake took," Cinnamon mused. "She left the Fang, tired to become a hero, and when that failed, ran away to try to find peace… only to be dragged back into the fight. She failed at her happy ending."

"You're talking like this is all over," Daisuke admonished. "This is only just beginning… and we can help her and Sun get that 'happy ending' as well. You know they deserve it. Whether you'll admit it or not… so do we. We've fought too hard and too long to just continue to be miserable. I'm here to help you and course correct this nearly suicidal path you've been on. I understand your frustration, but… you're already taking steps in the right direction. You're working with Sun now, right?"

"I am," Cinnamon answered. "And I'm 'safe' up here in Atlas, away from Salem. You changed everything in your life and the future of the White Fang just to come and save me, when I didn't need saving. You didn't need to come here, Daisuke…"

"Maybe not," Daisuke said with a shrug. "But I w-"

"But I'm glad you did," Cinnamon interrupted as she finally looked over to him. "I missed you, despite everything I did to keep you away. I hope you know that…"

"I've missed you for years," Daisuke admitted as Cinnamon leaned into him. "You haven't been yourself since… he died. I'm not blaming you for it, but… maybe you don't need to fight for control right now. Maybe we just go along with the tide and follow those who have stepped up and made the right calls thus far. Maybe the path ahead is being laid for us, instead of us having to fight tooth and nail to cut it ourselves. Maybe we don't belong at the forefront of everything."

"Maybe you're right," Cinnamon considered. "Maybe it's time we learn from them… and learn to trust people beyond ourselves."

Now…

Sun, Blake, Ilia, and Neptune stood together in the elevator as it slowly crawled its way up Atlas Academy. The ride was mostly silent, and despite the momentous importance of the journey and the overall sense of impending doom, Sun couldn't help but feel more confident than he had in ages. For the entire walk through the infirmary to the elevator, he hadn't unclasped his hand from Blake's. The two stood side by side within the carriage, their shoulders and arms touching as Sun watched another numbered floor scroll by on the digital display.

"…hey, Neptune?"

"What's up?" the boy asked as he worked his way through a series of stretches. "Is there a bathroom between the top floor elevator hall and Ironwood's office?"

"No," Sun answered. "But we can make a stop if we have to. Got a team name in mind for the four of us? You did so well with SINS that I just can't give that responsibility to anyone else."

"I hate you, Sun," Ilia said immediately. "I hope you know that."

"Hm…" Neptune considered. "I'll hold it… and lemme think. Blake kinda makes things complicated, with the 'B' being the only option…"

"All I'm hearing is excuses," Blake replied with a shrug.

"Come up with a good one, and I'll never give you shit again," Ilia offered. "But you've gotta do it before we reach the top floor. Ten to go…"

"Seriously?" Neptune asked. "Pressure's on, then. Um… uh…"

"Tick-tock…" Blake added helpfully.

"…alright, I'll admit I've got nothing," Sun offered. "The 'B' really is a problem…"

Another floor rolled past, and Neptune pulled a face.

"Team… BINS?" Neptune said with absolutely no confidence in his voice. "Because we're… gonna put Salem away forever…"

Ilia simply stared at Neptune as the elevator reached the top floor with a pleasant ding.

"…you know, I've been thinking about it since I saw you again tonight," Ilia began, her expression unchanging. "And I've decided that if I wasn't a lesbian… Neptune, I still wouldn't sleep with you under any circumstances, including repopulating Remnant after a theoretical apocalypse. That was some weak shit, Vasilias."

"You know you want me," Neptune teased as he followed the rest of the crew out of the elevator. Suddenly, he was struck by an epiphany, and he snapped his fingers. "Wait! Team VIBS! Like… good vibes! Chill vibes!"

Sun, Blake, and Ilia all stopped and turned to face Neptune as their leader raised a brow.

"…I… don't hate that…"

"Honestly, it's kinda cute…" Blake agreed as she and Sun exchanged a look.

"But you'd be putting Neptune as the team leader," Ilia pointed out. "Even symbolically, that's just… absolutely not. I'd rather go with IBSN for Team Irritable Bowel Syndrome over letting him be in charge."

"I mean, Sun, you can still be 'team lead', I don't care," Neptune offered. "We're already kinda pushing it with 'vibes' to begin with. We can make our own rules."

"Team VIBS it is," Sun said with a shrug as he began walking toward the looming office door once again. "Good work, man."

"Too bad the elevator already arrived," Ilia said to Neptune with a smirk. "I get to continue being a little shit gremlin to you."

Neptune reached down and ruffled Ilia's hair, only to have his hand batted away.

"Honestly? I wouldn't want it any other way."

Author's Note:

Now that Cinnamon's arc has come full circle and everything's more or less been addressed, it's time for the meeting at dawn, followed by the way-too-many-chapters final arc for Atlas.

And we're still doing Vacuo. Actually doing Vacuo, unlike canon, apparently.

And then a final arc in Sanus.

This story is never going to end god damn it.

-RD