Author's note: Off to Atlas. Not like anything's going to go wrong, right?
Ruby and her friends walked up to the Atlas military base in Argus, with Ruby taking the lead. They had planned out a strategy to convince the military staff to let them cross the border, and were confident it would work. The group stopped in front of the massive gate and it opened, revealing two guards.
"Welcome, what do you want?" one of the guards asked.
"I have come to speak with your commanding officer," Ruby answered.
"About what?" the other guard asked.
"I have information that is vital to the safety of Atlas," Ruby answered. The two guards looked at each other, then turned back to the group.
"We will fetch her at once," the guards said in unison, turned around and walked away.
"They were kind of…" Blake said, not knowing how to put it.
"Super weird?" Ruby asked and said, "Uh, yeah."
"Are you sure this'll work?" Qrow asked, looking at Sirena.
"Of course," Sirena answered and said, "By tomorrow, you'll all be on your way to Atlas."
"And you really think it's good to have me here?" Maria asked.
"Sure," Ruby answered, "I mean, yeah, you said she hated you, but we wouldn't want to leave without you. Plus, you have to get to Atlas anyway."
"Besides," Maria said, "Maybe she's dead." Sirena reached into one of her pockets.
"Sirena, no. We don't hire assassins to kill people if they're in our way," Ruby said, and Sirena took her hand out of her pocket.
"Can I at least threaten her?" Sirena asked.
"Only if she tries to kill one of us," Ruby answered, "And no unnecessary violence."
"Fine," Sirena said. The guards returned shortly after, and stopped in front of the gate.
"Introducing," one of the guards said.
"Special operative," the other guard said.
"Caroline Cordovin," both guards said in unison. They stepped aside, revealing a short elderly woman wearing an Atlas military uniform, who had gray hair and brown eyes.
"Witch," Caroline said, looking at Maria. Sirena narrowed her eyes and stared at Caroline.
"She-devil," Maria said, looking at Caroline.
"Hello, I'm Ruby Rose," Ruby said.
"I know what you want here," Caroline said and asked, "But, what information could you possibly have that could help the great kingdom of Atlas?"
"The king whose head rests in the clouds can be felled by the tiniest pebble," Sirena said. Everyone looked at her for a moment, but she didn't comment on it further, so they turned around again.
"I can turn Grimm to stone," Ruby answered, snapped her fingers and said, "Just like that, and they're done for. Stone, through and through. No harm to buildings or civilians, either. I could set this off in a crowded area, and only the Grimm would be harmed. Just imagine how everyone will react if the great Caroline Cordovin brought the ultimate weapon against the Grimm to the main kingdom."
"Nonsense," Caroline said, "If such a weapon was possible, don't you think the kingdom of Atlas would have developed it by now? I admire your attempt to appease us, however, and I recognize that I misjudged you, if slightly. You were clearly able to learn enough from Miss Schnee to hold a conversation with me, which speaks for her skill as a tutor, even though she had to work with someone like you. However, the great kingdom of Atlas will not bow down to the lesser kingdoms, who are clearly in dire need of our protection, especially now."
"Enough!" Sirena shouted, her voice booming through the air, and stepped forward.
"Here we go again," Qrow said with a defeated sigh, as Sirena stopped in front of Caroline and assumed an intimidating pose.
"I am Queen Sirena Blue the third of Soraklia!" Sirena said, "I have vanquished the great Kaiju, and countless more foes you do not even possess the courage to deny exist! I will not stand by idly as you insult my people's ability to protect their home from a darkness so great, it makes the darkest night on the surface look as bright as day by comparison! James and I have an agreement that my people will leave the protection of the Atlesian waters to his military, and only kill the Grimm outside these waters. But if he is out for war with my kingdom, the full force of the Soraklian royal guard will be unleashed upon his forces, and he will see death and destruction beyond comprehension. The strongest weapons you have on this base would crumble like wet paper if tested against the endless depths of the sea, and neither me nor my people are any weaker than that!" Caroline was stunned for a bit, and her legs shook a little. Sirena turned around and walked away, still upset. Ren used his semblance on Caroline to calm her down again.
"Well, I could arrange for Miss Schnee to get to Atlas," Caroline said, "But I cannot guarantee for her friends of… questionable character." She glanced at Blake, who angrily pinned her ears to her head. She quickly recomposed herself and stepped forward.
"I have you know that my father is the chieftain of Menagerie," Blake said, "As a result, I have a lot of influence over most of the faunus of Remnant."
"Nonsense," Caroline said, "The great kingdom of Atlas doesn't need help from the faunus. After all, it was your kind that caused the fall of Beacon. Because of the faunus, the entire world is ready to put a knife to our throats, and now you expect me to let you cross the border? Forget it! If all the kingdoms wish to make us their enemy, so be it. But Atlas is strong. Atlas will prevail!" She spun around and stormed off, the gate closing behind her.
"Well, this could've gone better," Blake said. Everyone sighed in defeat and walked away from the base again, and Qrow went to get something to drink. Ruby tried to stop him, but Sirena put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head a little.
~o~
Marble Stein walked through the sewers of Vale, after the pumps had removed enough of the sewage that she could walk without getting her boots too dirty. She had a large chunk of steel at her disposal and made it flow towards one of the massive pools where the tunnels from the residential area met. A series of fire hoses, connected to the pumps, was hanging from the deep drop. Marble made the steel form a pipe leading to the bottom of the pool, and then go on to the central pool under the water treatment plant. She formed blades inside the pipe to slice up anything that could clog it, and connected the hose to the pipe.
"Good," Sophie thought as the sewage bubbled and began being sucked into the pipe. In another part of the town, Mark shattered the glass panels of the aquarium, releasing murky waters filled with fish carcasses into the sewers.
"Good," Sophie thought, knowing that the fish would be brought to Mountain Glenn and become food for the swarm's mushroom. The termites fixing the wall made progress as well, and the excess materials were brought to Mountain Glenn to further improve the central mound. Over a dozen spider faunus had begun weaving webs between the mound, the mountain and the ground, with spiders filling in as well. The more the mound grew, the faster air would be sucked out of Mountain Glenn, and the faster the wind turbines in the old subway tunnel would move. The plateau around the mound was covered in additional exhaust holes from the mound, which would later become smaller mounds once the main one was finished.
"Yes, good," Sophie thought, and sent some of her termites to expand their territory to the north. She was sitting at a table by the base camp and enjoying some hot soup with the others, when Glynda walked up to her.
"Sophie, how are things in Mistral?" Glynda asked, but Sophie just ignored her.
"Let me," Talia said, turned to Sophie and said, "Sophie, as Her Highness Queen Sirena's regent, and head of operations in this area, I order you to tell me the situation in Mistral." Sophie froze in motion and looked at Talia.
"Two days ago, the city saw a large-scale Grimm attack," Sophie said, "As expected, Her Highness was able to repel it, leading to zero casualties despite the appearance of a Wyvern. The city is now heavily fortified and protected by turrets, which will further be distributed along major trade routes to ensure the safety of the kingdom and its people." Everyone except for Talia stared at Sophie in shock, then slowly turned their heads to Beacon Academy.
"Sirena killed something like that?!" Coco called out after a few seconds, pointing at the massive petrified Grimm atop the tower.
"She is an apostle of the God of Light," Sophie said, "Of course she can vanquish the darkness. Do not mock your saviors like that."
"I- sorry," Coco said, "I'm just surprised, that's all."
"You are lucky Her Highness has forgiven your lack of respect," Sophie said. She continued eating her mushroom soup, got up and left, presumably to go looking for more Grimm to slaughter.
~o~
Ruby and her friends, minus Qrow, were sitting in the living room of the Cotta-Arc house, not knowing what to do next. Sirena was leaning against the inside of the kitchen door, eating a raw chicken leg. Suddenly, something bumped against the front door. Ruby sighed, got up and went to open it, finding Qrow lying on the steps in front of the house.
"Why'm I on the steps?" Qrow asked drunkenly.
"Because you're drunk," Ruby answered.
"Am not," Qrow said as Ruby helped him get up and carried him inside.
"Yes, you are," Ruby said and dropped Qrow on the couch.
"I can still lie down without holding onto something," Qrow said, "I ain't drunk."
"Sirena?" Ruby asked, looking at Sirena with pleading eyes. Sirena sighed, made an orb of dark blue energy form above her right hand and flung it at Qrow. He glowed dark blue for a second, then raised his head and looked around, completely sober.
"Wait, what happened?" Qrow asked.
"Poison immunity," Sirena answered, "One of my semblances. I don't need it, for obvious reasons, but since I have it, I figured I could share it with you."
"Why don't you need it?" Ruby asked.
"Also, aren't you worried about getting sick?" Blake asked.
"I'll be fine," Sirena answered, "My people have adapted to the harshest of environments. As a result, I can safely consume any kind of organic matter. My entire digestive tract is covered in cells that scan the genetic code of any organic matter they come into contact with, and if it is different from my own, they release enzymes to break nutrients off of chains. Even if I were to ingest something harmful, it wouldn't survive long enough to cause damage." She ripped the last bit of meat off the bone, then bit the chicken bone in half and ate it as well. Ruby and Yang flinched as they watched her swallow the bone pieces.
"No offense, but that hurts to watch," Yang said.
"Why?" Weiss asked.
"Chicken is poultry," Ruby answered, "Their bones splinter easily, creating sharp and dangerous edges. It's why you never give a dog chicken bones."
"Don't worry," Sirena said, "As I said, my entire digestive tract can release enzymes that break down nutrient chains. This includes my mouth as well. The bones start to dissolve as soon as I eat them, removing all edges before they can cause any damage."
"This reminds me," Nora said and asked, "Why haven't I seen you eat anything before now?"
"I didn't have to," Sirena answered.
"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.
"My people have evolved to survive in the deep sea," Sirena answered, "As a result, my body can store enough nutrients to last me a whole year. It may have caused some commotion during my time at Beacon, however."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.
"She stopped eating three days after enrolling," Qrow answered, earning an angry stare from Sirena.
"Really?" Ruby asked.
"Yes," Sirena answered, "But, Qrow, I would appreciate if you let me decide how much I reveal about myself, and to whom."
"Alright, fine," Qrow said.
"In any case," Sirena said, "The food available at Beacon was great. At first I didn't question it, assuming it was a simple gesture to allow anyone to replenish their nutrient reserves. When my reserves were full, I simply stopped eating, to leave more to the rest. However, the teachers quickly grew concerned and asked me what was wrong. Luckily Ozpin could explain to me what the issue was, and I ate a bit during lunch, and when someone asked, I told them that I would go and grab something to eat after school."
"I see," Ruby said.
"Anyway, how do we get to Atlas?" Blake asked.
"Well, our initial plan was a bust," Nora said, and looked at Sirena.
"I will admit, I let my emotions get the better of me," Sirena said, "However, she did insult my people, and I will not stand for that."
"It's fine, really," Ruby said, "But we need a new plan."
"You could steal a ship," Sirena said. Everyone got concerned, until Weiss broke the silence.
"Hold up," Weiss said and asked, "When you said your people wouldn't enter Atlesian waters, did you mean that your people kill Grimm anywhere but there?"
"That is the agreement James and I have come to, yes," Sirena answered.
"And your people are silver-eyed warriors and faunus, right?" Weiss asked.
"Yes, they are," Sirena answered, "I also taught them what Argent taught me, in case you were wondering."
"So we have an army of virtually invincible killing machines," Qrow said, "And the only place aquatic Grimm don't get killed on sight is Atlas."
"Sirena," Ruby said, looking Sirena in the eyes, "Please… tell me you haven't been driving Grimm to Atlas over the past three years."
"James insisted he protect his kingdom," Sirena said, "You can't force someone to let you protect them if they don't want to."
"But it's our job as huntresses, and our duty as silver-eyed warriors," Ruby said, "You can't just let the Grimm run rampant in those waters."
"That is true, yes," Sirena said, but was cut off by Ruby before she could say anything else.
"Then why don't you do it?" Ruby asked, "I thought you were a wall guarding others against the encroaching darkness. Why doesn't this wall protect Atlas?"
"They rejected it," Sirena answered coldly, "They tore it down from the inside, prosecuted those building it, and cast them out. The people of Atlas did not want my protection, and I cannot guard those who would stab me in the back when I turn to face their enemies." Ruby sensed guilt and pain well up within Sirena, and decided to drop the subject.
"I… see," Ruby said, "Alright then."
"Thank you, Ruby," Sirena said. The room was silent for a few seconds, with only the ticking of the clock being heard.
"So, how do we steal that aircraft?" Jaune asked.
"You can't be serious," Weiss said, "I know we did some bad things to get the job done in the past, but that is outright illegal. If we get caught-"
"If," Ruby said, cutting Weiss off.
"In any case, you can count me out," Qrow said, "My semblance will mess up any plans we come up with."
"No, it won't," Sirena said.
"How can you be so sure?" Qrow asked.
"Remember my little spar with Tyrian?" Sirena asked and said, "When you dropped your weapon, I used one of my semblances on it. This semblance, Enchantment, allows me to add some bonus to an object, which helps whoever holds the object. But in order for that bonus to work, I have to add a detrimental effect as well, bringing the overall use of the object back to where it was originally. In this case, the semblance of whoever holds your sword is ten times as powerful, but it cannot harm silver-eyed warriors or their allies." Everyone was quiet for a moment, but then Qrow got up and slowly walked over to Sirena.
"So, no matter what happens, they're safe?" Qrow asked, looking at the group.
"Yes," Sirena answered, "From your semblance, at least."
"Thank you," Qrow said and stopped in front of Sirena. He knew she didn't like hugging people, but he still wanted to express his appreciation, so he put his right hand on her left shoulder and gave her a grateful smile.
"You're welcome," Sirena said, "And, while we do have our differences, I know Ruby wouldn't want you to leave, so I did what I could to keep her safe and respect her wishes." She smiled at Qrow, nudged him to get back to his seat, and he sat back down on the couch.
"This is really nice and all," Yang said and asked, "But, if his sword makes his semblance stronger and protects us from it, where's the downside?"
"Enchantment doesn't consider perspective," Sirena answered, "The downside is that Qrow cannot use his semblance to harm those who fight on the same side as Ruby or I, or would choose our side if they took up the fight. If an enemy held his sword, their semblance would be completely useless against us, but ten times as powerful against Salem's forces, and maybe a few choice individuals."
"So, for example," Weiss said and asked, "If I held this sword, I couldn't hurt you?"
"You can't anyway," Sirena answered with a smirk, "But the sword would disable your semblance if you tried to use it against me."
"Can you give me an enchantment on my arm?" Yang asked, and held up her prosthetic arm.
"Sorry, but no," Sirena answered.
"Why not?" Yang asked.
"Because one person can only hold one enchanted item," Sirena answered, "Or rather, it would be too difficult to account for all the downsides of multiple enchantments. In theory, it could work, but I would have to put unique effects on anything I give you, and to be honest, it is not advised to hold two enchanted objects at once."
"Did you put an enchantment on my arm already?" Yang asked.
"No," Sirena answered, and Weiss began thinking about something.
"My weapons?" Yang asked.
"No," Sirena answered.
"Then what?" Yang asked.
"The maiden's powers," Weiss said, and everyone turned to her.
"Come on, that's ridiculous," Jaune said.
"Actually, she is spot-on," Sirena said, "I made it so that whoever holds the powers of either the summer or fall maiden is stronger against Grimm, dealing more damage and taking less, but they cannot use their powers to support Salem."
"Wait, really?" Yang asked and flung a fireball at Ruby. Everyone gasped, though Sirena remained completely calm, and the fireball fizzled out less than halfway to Ruby.
"Yes, really," Sirena answered, "It also means that, if we lock Salem in the vaults under Beacon or Shade, there is no way she can escape, as you need the power of a maiden to open the door, and they can no longer be used to aid her."
"So, what?" Nora asked, "Do we just walk up to Salem, handcuff her, and then throw her in a magical prison cell for eternity?"
"My idea was more along the lines of luring her out," Sirena answered, "We cannot best her on her home turf. It is likely filled with the most powerful Grimm in existence, which appear nowhere else. Even if we could see them, we would have no idea what their abilities are. Plus, she will definitely have her army of humans and faunus waiting there as well. Tyrian was a challenge for you. But he was a foot soldier. An expandable goon she sends to test your strength. Now imagine what a member of her inner circle can be capable of."
"Alright, enough with that," Qrow said, "I know you want to stop Salem, we all do, but we won't lure her out of hiding. If we provoke her to come to a kingdom, she will destroy it before we can do anything. We can't risk that. She has too much power."
"And we have you," Sirena said, "If Jaune and Ruby amplify your aura, and you unleash the full force of your semblance, while having your weapon with you, the very fabric of reality will turn on the Grimm, and on Salem."
"Who said I can just do that?" Qrow asked and said, "All my life, I've been suppressing my semblance. Whenever it acts up, I fight to keep it down. I can't just stop doing that. Sorry."
"I… think I understand," Sirena said, "When I started learning to use my silver eyes, I was strongly opposed to the idea of being scared. I could get sad, yes, and angry. But fear was something I normally, instinctively, rejected and dispelled. But if you're ready, let me know. Remember, as long as you have your weapon, Ruby and her friends are safe." Sirena gave Qrow a reassuring smile, and Ruby wiped a tear from her cheek.
"Hey sis, are you alright?" Yang asked.
"Yeah," Ruby answered, "I'm just happy to see Sirena and Qrow finally getting along."
"Me too, kid," Qrow said, "Though, I'm surprised things went so well."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.
"I was afraid how she'd respond to your… approach to people," Qrow answered, "In general, people who treated her like you treat people, just talking to them normally, didn't get away unharmed."
"Qrow, please," Sirena said, "I could never harm Ruby."
"I gotta disagree," Qrow said, "I saw how you handle people. Based on my experience, I was pretty worried for everyone's safety when you showed up."
"Is it true?" Ruby asked, looking at Sirena.
"I… guess you could put it that way," Sirena answered, "I did in fact have problems handling people not treating me with the level of respect I was used to. Most of it was stress from fearing for my people's safety, though. My people only knew about the surface what was passed on from past generations, who fled to the sea to escape human prosecution in the earliest days. Scholars used to theorize about the state of the surface, before I came back and could provide accurate descriptions."
"Really?" Nora asked, "What were some of the most common theories?"
"Shortly after the war," Sirena answered, "Many scholars assumed the Grimm had won, as no more ships sunk to the bottom. But then more ships came, and these theories were disproven. When I set out to the surface, I was made familiar with the most common theories. One could best be described as a lawless hellhole terrorized by hordes of marauding super-mutants."
"Honestly, that sounds kind of awesome," Yang said, "Just driving around in makeshift cars, fighting raiders and Grimm, and being our own boss."
"I suppose it does have its charm," Weiss said, "But let's leave that scenario to video games."
"Anyway, Sirena," Qrow said and asked, "How did you manage to not hospitalize Ruby for so long? I mean sure, you were stressed back then, but that can't be all, right?"
"No, it is not," Sirena answered, "One aspect of silver-eyed warriors is that we cannot think of harming one another. So, no matter what Ruby does, I could not physically attack her."
"Why didn't you tell me that sooner?" Qrow asked, "Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
"Yes," Sirena answered bluntly.
"So, wait," Weiss said and asked, "Noone in Soraklia ever even hit someone else?"
"Exactly," Sirena answered, "My people coexist peacefully, and any altercation is purely verbal at worst. That is why I ordered my royal guards to not come to the surface. Like myself when I first came here, they have no restraints regarding physical violence, and have never experienced the urge to harm another person. Guardians, such as myself, are most susceptible to this. We are made to fight. Challengers are a bit more composed, as they are made to challenge one another and help others improve. They can, however, still resort to violence in extreme situations. Leaders, such as Ruby, are completely safe. Their purpose is to lead people, not harm them, and they rarely use violence against non-Grimm opponents. And even if they do, it is not nearly as effective as when they fight Grimm."
"Yeah, I kinda noticed," Yang said, turned to Ruby and said, "It was always kind of weird how you managed to turn Grimm into thin slices like it's nothing, but get stumped by all sorts of human or faunus enemies."
"Well, it doesn't feel right to hurt people," Ruby said.
"Even if they want to kill us?" Jaune asked.
"Yeah, kind of," Ruby answered, "I mean, I don't want anyone to die, but that also includes my enemies. And since I don't normally have a warning siren blaring when someone's aura drops too low, I hold back because I don't want to risk hurting people."
"Anyway, Sirena," Qrow said and asked, "Why didn't you tell me this before? I was afraid Ruby would turn out like you if she followed your teachings. I was worried you would hurt her when she accidentally upset you. There were so many things I was worried about when you showed up. What else didn't you tell me?"
"Too much to count," Sirena answered, "But now, I must excuse myself. Some of my people have misjudged their authorizations, and I must take appropriate measures." She created a blade of ice from her right sleeve, opened a red portal and walked through. After the portal closed, the room was silent for a moment, with only the clock ticking.
"You know, I feel kind of bad for Adrian," Yang said eventually, smiling a little, and obviously setting up a joke.
"Why?" Ruby asked, and everyone gave Yang confused looks.
"He won't get to hear any dad jokes," Yang answered with a chuckle.
"That's a bad thing?" Ruby asked, also with a chuckle.
"And, what about the ship?" Jaune asked, "I mean, are we really going to steal one?"
"I'd say so," Qrow answered and said, "I mean, Sirena definitely wants us to do it, and knowing her, she'll get something out of it as well. Whatever that is, she wants it, and she will get it one way or another. So either we play along and get to Atlas while she gets whatever it is she wants, or we let her get the thing, don't make it to Atlas that way, and look for another solution. So, all in all, our best bet is to just pretend we didn't know Sirena had set us up this entire time, and steal that ship."
"So, how do we do it?" Jaune asked. They kept talking for a while and discussing their plans, until Saphron and Terra came back, with Saphron holding Adrian and Terra carrying a shopping bag.
"We're back," Saphron said, and Terra closed the door behind herself.
"Hello," Ruby and her friends said.
"What's that?" Jaune asked, looking at the shopping bag. He recognized the logo of a shop selling all sorts of items for hobby craftsmen.
"Modeling putty," Terra answered, "I don't know why, but it seemed pretty interesting to me, so I bought some. I also bought a beginner's handbook and some simple tools to get started, so now I have something to do on my days off."
"Sounds great," Jaune said, but Ruby knew that Sirena had something to do with it.
"Anyway, what's for dinner?" Saphron asked.
"We wanted to make chicken," Nora said.
"But Sirena ate them all," Ren said.
"How about pizza?" Jaune asked and said, "I saw this great place a few days ago. And they deliver." Everyone agreed, they all chipped in and ordered different pizzas for everyone, then they went to bed after dinner.
~o~
Late at night, Ruby went to Sirena's soul core to talk to her about something. As she approached the island, Ruby counted the connections to other people. There were six in total, and taking into account the one made by Raven, it meant that Sirena had bonded with five people so far. Aside from herself and Maria, there were three others. She walked up to the castle and entered, looking for Sirena.
"Hello, Ruby," Sirena said, suddenly standing behind Ruby, and Ruby turned around.
"Hey Sirena, sorry for intruding," Ruby said and asked, "Can we talk?"
"Of course," Sirena answered and asked, "What do you want to know?"
"Why did you reveal your plan to us?" Ruby asked, "The one about luring Salem out of hiding, that is. Doesn't she now know about it, due to Qrow?"
"Yes," Sirena answered, "It is a crucial part of my plan that she knows about it."
"Then why tell her?" Ruby asked, "Wouldn't it make more sense if she didn't know about it?"
"Not quite," Sirena answered and asked, "Think about it. What does Salem likely do, now that she knows I plan on luring her out?"
"Well, she'll try to ruin your plans," Ruby answered, "She knows you're setting a trap, and will avoid falling into it."
"Which means?" Sirena asked.
"Which means she will… keep her distance," Ruby answered, her eyes widening when she realized the genius of the plan.
"Exactly," Sirena said, "If you know the enemy, and you know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. If you know yourself, but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."
"And Salem knows humanity all too well," Ruby said sadly.
"But it also made her arrogant," Sirena said, "She doesn't expect me to know her as well as I do, which means I can use a lot more information to my advantage than she is prepared to counter. It is a bit like knowing your opponent's semblance before they use it."
"Yeah, I had a classmate like that back at Beacon," Ruby said, "His semblance was a bit of a mystery to everyone, so noone knew what it was until they fought him in a sparring match. His older brother told me, and I was prepared to counter it. He didn't know what hit him."
"Very good," Sirena said, "But yes, that is exactly what I'm doing with Salem, just on a bigger scale."
"I also wanted to ask something else," Ruby said and asked, "Did you have anything to do with Terra buying the putty?"
"Of course," Sirena answered, "I need her to be ready, after all. Once she unlocks her semblance in her dream, she will try to use it in reality as well, and then she will need materials to work with before the thrill wears off."
"Oh right, the thrill," Ruby said, thinking back to when she unlocked her semblance and started using it at every opportunity for a few days, even if it wasn't necessary.
"Is there anything else you would like to know?" Sirena asked.
"Well, kind of," Ruby answered and asked, "For example, who are the other people you've bonded with?"
"That information is classified," Sirena answered, "But you're welcome to try and figure it out. Without going to their soul cores, that is."
"Your teammates?" Ruby asked.
"No," Sirena answered.
"Why not?" Ruby asked.
"I can just use the connection to Raven for that," Sirena answered.
"So, where are you right now?" Ruby asked.
"In Soraklia," Sirena answered, "But don't worry, I'll be back in Argus before you depart for Atlas." Sirena smiled a little, and Ruby thought about her next question.
"What is your plan to stop Salem?" Ruby asked and said, "Your real plan, that is. No misdirection, no false leads, just the truth."
"There is no single plan that can stop her," Sirena answered, and Ruby felt her heart crack a little.
"So, there is no hope?" Ruby asked.
"There is," Sirena answered, "I have multiple plans. They all serve to weaken Salem, gradually reducing her influence over the world. They all run simultaneously, so that if she focuses on stopping one, the others will advance faster."
"How can I help?" Ruby asked and said, "I don't care which plan you tell me, just please, let me help you stop Salem." Sirena chuckled a little.
"Of course," Sirena said, "First, get to Atlas. Then, keep copying semblances, tell people about it, and teach them how to use yours. But don't tell them about the effects on their psyche. Also, have them copy the semblances of fusions."
"Speaking of which," Ruby said and asked, "Do you know why Guardian's Gambit affected Weiss so much?"
"No," Sirena answered, "But, if the same happens to others, it makes this semblance a good starting point for our plans."
"What is the end goal of those plans?" Ruby asked.
"Think about it," Sirena answered, "Many people using semblances of silver-eyed warriors, without caring or knowing about the effects on their psyche. The light of the semblance will be cultivated within them, and grow stronger with every time they use the semblance."
"And since they use the semblances of silver-eyed warriors," Ruby said, "They'll be strong fighters, and nice people."
"Precisely," Sirena said.
"So, in times like these," Ruby said, talking more to herself, "Strong fighters are needed, and nice people are always wanted."
"Which means?" Sirena asked, inviting Ruby to reveal her conclusion. After Ruby revealed the conclusion she came to, and Sirena confirmed that that was her plan, Ruby headed back to her own soul core and returned to her body, quickly falling asleep.
Author's note: Can you figure out Sirena's plan? Also, you've already met every person Sirena has bonded with, in case you want to try and figure out who the other three are.