Chapter 1, A Kingdom fallen to Madness

"Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha eyes came upon at the sound of the voice calling her name. One she had recognized. Her eyes then came open to find herself sitting over the the rooftop of the dorms. Looking out over the festival from the day of the finals. Holding her favorite flavored ice cream in her right hand.

She paused for a moment, squinting her eyes, curiously.

"The festival?" She said.

Only to then hear the voice again.

"Pyrrha?"

She then gasped, cocking her head too her right. It was there she saw... Blake!

Blake stared back at her, curiously, noticing she looked confused about something. Pyrrha turned to face her.

"Blake...?" She said in disbelief.

"Pyrrha, what's wrong?" Blake said, smiling.

Pyrrha turned to Blake, staring back at her in awe. Seeing her friend was alive and was sitting right next to her.

"Blake... your alive?!" she said.

Blake only looked to her, amusingly.

"Alive? Of course I'm alive." Blake said, chuckling a bit.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Pyrrha narrowed her head, shifted her eyes to the side, confused as to what was happening. Though upon seeing her friend again, Pyrrha had all but decided to set aside her confusion and be back in the moment she had longed to be for some time. She then smiled, shaking her head.

"Nevermind. It's nothing." she said.

Blake smirked amusingly, shaking her head, smiling. Turning back to gaze back over the festival.

"I'm having the best day. I never knew festivals could be so fun." Blake proclaimed to her, glancing down at the necklace Pyrrha had given her.

"And I love the necklace you gave me."

Pyrrha smiled as the two glanced up to each other. At the same time, the two then spoke up, breaking the silence between them.

"Blake..." Pyrrha said.

"Pyrrha..." Blake said.

The two chuckled.

"Sorry. You first." Pyrrha said, grinning.

"There's something that I have to tell you..." Blake proclaimed to her.

"What...?" Pyrrha asked.

Blake turned back to her, about to say whatever it was she wished to say to her. When Pyrrha suddenly found herself standing over the rooftop of the half constructed skyscraper from that very night. Pyrrha glanced around to get her bearings with a look of awe and surprise. Only to then turn forward and see Adam, standing several feet from her.

A sly Grinn appeared upon his face as he launched himself at her, his hand reaching down and gripping the handle of his sword. Preparing to draw it upon the very moment he was upon her. It was right at that moment Pyrrha suddenly heard Blakes voice, call to her.

"Pyrrha!"

Pyrrha then turned and saw Blake coming to her aid. Leaping in front of her in the nick of time as Adam drew his sword and slashed at her. Pyrrha gasped, reaching out her hand to Blake as she flew off over the edge of the Skyscraper.

"Blake!"

"Blake!" Pyrrha cried, coming awake as she lean up over her bed.

Only to then pause, breathing heavily in panic. She then glanced around to find that she was back in her room. She then took a deep breath an exhaled slowly.

"It was just a dream." Pyrrha said, narrowing her eyes.

"A bad dream..."

Pyrrha glanced over at Blake's bed, which had been made up. Having been empty since that Night. The very Night the White fang had attacked the Academy. She narrowed her eyes, frowning. It had already been many days since the incident. She still could not believe that Blake really was gone. She turned forward, placing her hand over her heart.

"Blake..." she whispered to herself.

It was then that Pyrrha glanced back at the window behind her. She was then greeted by the next morning, which was covered over by a thick grey mist. The very one from the day before. She could hardly see the city which lied beyond the walls of the Academy.

"Morning already?" she asked, curiously.

Upon glancing down to her alarm, she found that it was about an hour before the bell would ring, signifying the start of class. Although with the finals having long concluded and the Kingdom now under lock down after the attack, she and the other students spent their days trainings in the coliseum. Awaiting for the Royal council to declare the Kingdom to be safe for them to be recruited into the war effort.

Though she knew she would not be around when the time came. As she and Qrow would soon embark on their journey to Haven to continue her training with Akara. That was, if they could get back the lamp from the royal vault in in the palace in time. Before the council itself would discover that they were not citizens of Lothadare. Though that would mean leaving behind the friends she had made here in Lothadare.

She sighed, narrowing her head.

"Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha looked back and saw Auron, standing there in the doorway. She turned to face him, putting on a brave face. As if to hide away the look of dismay she felt.

"Auron. Good Morning." She said.

"Hey, training is about to start. We should probably start heading to the Coliseum." Auron insisted to her.

"Oh, right... of course." She said, nodding her head.

Walking out into the hallway, Glancing into the Living room, expecting to see Qrow sitting in his usual spot. Only to find the living room was empty. She came into the living room, glancing over into the kitchen.

"Qrow?" she said.

But he was not there either. Auron came up behind her, shaking his head.

"Doesn't look like he's here." Reuben proclaimed to him.

Pyrrha looked back to the living room. She then noticed a there was a note laying over the table. No doubt from Qrow. She walked over to the table, picking up the note which read.

"Gone to the Palace with Reuben. Be back later. - Qrow."

Pyrrha lowered the note with a sigh. She hoped that he would be able to get the Lamp back so they could begin their quest. To continue her training with Akara. Yet at the same time, she wished she could remain for a bit longer. With the friends she had made here at the Academy before she would have to say goodbye.

"What is it?" Auron asked.

Pyrrha glanced back at him for just a moment. Only to then smile, shaking her head.

"It's nothing. We should probably get going now." Pyrrha insisted, placing the note back over the table.

In the Colosseum locker room, Pyrrha and her teammates donned their armor along with the other students. Sitting over the bench, Pyrrha had finished stepping on her cuisses. Before standing up, placing her brown circlet adorned over her head. From behind, she heard Keith utter a sigh as she stretched his arms.

"Awe. man. I don't think I can do another training sessions." Keith insisted to them.

Auron smirked, strapping his blaster to his back.

"I hear ya." He said.

"I find them rather beneficial. At least now we'll be better skilled when we are called to join the royal guard." Hanako proclaimed to them.

Pyrrha glanced back, nodding her head to Hanako.

"I for one agree with you, Hanako." She said.

"But what do we got to train anymore for? We kicked butt back at the finals." He proclaimed to them.

"Training is an ongoing thing, Keith. A true knight is never above improving themselves." Pyrrha insisted to him.

"You could learn something from that, Keith." Hanako proclaimed to him.

"Hey!" Keith said.

Pyrrha cover her mouth as she uttered a small chuckle. The constant banter between Hanako and Keith always seemed to amuse her. Though she herself would never participate in it. While Keith could be kind of a hot shot at times, he was also a very strong fighter and a true teammate. It was really that that she wished to give credit to. The same with Hanako and how skillful and wise she was.

"Actually, I think Keith has learned a lot. I believe he'll make a great knight." Pyrrha insisted to them.

Keith smiled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Awe, thanks, Pyrrha." He said.

Pyrrha smiled back at him. She then turned back to her locker, where she pulled out Milo and Akouo. Which she sheaved behind her back with the use of her semblance. Jus as she went to close her locker, she suddenly paused. Inside, she noticed Blake weapon, Gambol Shroud, hanging in the very back. Having kept it with her since that night.

Pyrrha then frowned, narrowing her eyes. Thinking back to the dream she had the other night. She had blamed herself for what had happened. Seeing her friend fall from the edge of the Sky scraper and her being helpless to stop it.

"Hey, you alright, Pyrrha?" Auron asked, curiously,

Pyrrha was snapped out of her thoughts. She turned back to him, Keith and Hanako.

"Oh, uh... yes. I'm fine." She insisted, closing her locker.

The four suddenly heard the news coming over the screen across from them. The four of them turned, glancing up at the screen which hang from the corner of the locker room. Over the screen they saw "Breaking News!" before the news Anchor appeared on screen.

"In the days following the White Fang attack on Lothadare Academy, further protests have broken out by the Faunus population." The New Anchor reported.

The Video feed appeared next to him, showing what appeared to be a crowd of Faunas outside the walls of the palace. Holding up signs which read:

"The King Lies!"

"The Faunas demands Retribution!"

"We are not the White Fang!"

All the while, the Faunas protesters were confronted by both Law Enforcement and the Lothadarian military. Standing between the palace itself and the crowd of faunas.

"With the continuous prosecution of Faunas citizens, suspected to be White Fang members, protesters gather before he palace. Demanding for King Larr lift any and all santions over the Kingdom. Resulting in several clashes with Lothadarian forces."

The feed then changed to several confrontations, where several faunas were detained by both the Police and Law enforcement. Pyrrha watched in dismay at the sight of the clashes between Faunas and Lothadarian troopers. Covering her mouth with her hand, shaking her head. The mistreatment of the Faunas was still quite new to her. She had never known it be be true before Blake had told her.

Even now, it remain a shock to see it.

"Oh my..." She said in awe.

Auron, Hanako and Keith looked on at the screen with the same look of contempt. I was no secret that since the night of the attack, their Kingdom had fallen into complete chaos. King Larr had become obsessed with finding the Adam and the White Fang. So much so that he had began detaining the Faunas population, suspecting them to be traitors to Lothadare. All the while, the rest of the Kingdom was forced into lock down until further notice.

Auron came up next to Pyrrha.

"Things just keep going from bad to worse since the White Fang attacked." Auron said, uttering a sigh.

"As if we didn't have enough to worry about already."

Pyrrha shifted her gaze away from the screen, shaking her head. Unable to watch anymore of the chaos that transpired upon the News broadcast. Nor bear to watch the anymore of the mistreatment of the Faunas. She couldn't understand. How could the White Fang, who fought for the equality of the Faunas, bring such further fear and resentment to their own people?

The Kingdom of Lothadare was covered over by a thick grey fog. All but concealing the the very city itself from the King Larr's stern gaze. Staring out through the window of his throne room, the king peered down to the streets below. Which were all but deserted with the exception of several military check points and patrols surveying the city. The entire Kingdom having been put on lock down since the White Fang had attacked the Academy.

The King narrowed his gaze, uttering a sigh of contempt. It had already been several days since the attack and there had been no leads on their whereabouts. It was as if they had just vanished. Just as they had did before in the past. Eluding the justice they had for so long had escaped from all these years.

Much to the King's frustration. He was all but determined to make the White Fang pay for their crimes against Lothadare.

It was at that moment, the King was approached by one of his servants.

"Your Majesty, Captain Leandra has requested an audience with you." They said.

King Larr glanced back at them.

"Very well. Send her in." He proclaimed.

King Larr then turned back and took his place over the throne. He was suddenly brought to attention by the sounds of the doors of the throne opening. Raising his gaze to the parting doorway to see the captain of the royal Guard, Leandra. Walking into the throne room, she bowed her head as she addressed the King.

"Your Majesty." She said.

"Leandra. I trust you have something to report on the whereabouts of the White Fang?" He said, gesturing a nod of his head.

There was a moment of pause from Leandra before she shook her head.

"I'm afraid not, your majesty. We have yet to discover where they are hiding." Leandra proclaimed, much to the dismay of the King.

"But that is not why I have called for this Audience with you."

The King uttered a sighed, shifting his eyes to the side. The news which Leandra gave to him was hardly pleasing to hear. Though despite that, the King collected his manner, turning back to face Leandra

"Very well. What is the matter at hand?" King Larr asked, curiously.

"Your Majesty, if I may, I believe that we should lift some of the sanctions over the kingdom." Leandra insisted to him.

"The White Fang have not been seen in days. The people have starting to grow quite restless and I think it's time we began moving the artifacts back to the Vault at the Academy. The Royal wizard has already finished with the new locking spell."

The King only stared down at Leandra with a stern and weary glance. The notion of lifting any of the sanctions with the White fang still at large was out of the question. Especially after having the White Fang infiltrate the Academy and nearly made off with relics from the vault. He would not risk the safety of his Kingdom while the white Fang remained at large.

"I'm afraid that is out of the question, Leandra. I am not willing to put my people in anymore peril." He proclaimed to her.

"Especially after all that has transpired."

"Your majesty..."

The King raised his hand to her.

"I will hear no further of this matter, Leandra. Your only priority is locating the White Fang whereabouts." The King proclaimed to her.

"Only after they have been found will I renounce the sanctions over Lothadare. Until then, I suggest that you return to you duties and bother me no further with this matter."

While she did not show it, Leandra worried the King had become quite relentless in these passed few days since the attack. At the Council meeting after the attack, King Larr had ordered a heavy presence of the Lothadarian Military in the Kingdom to hunt down the White Fang. The Royal guard having also been put on high alert to guard the Palace as well as assist the military.

"Now, is that all you wish to bring to my attention?" King Larr asked, curiously.

Leandra paused for a moment. Only to then pause as she saw no use to say anything more. She then shook her head.

"No, your Majesty." She said.

"Then you may go!" The King said.

Leandra nodded her head before turning to leave. Shifted her gaze over at the window, looking out over Lothadare, covered over by a thick cloud of Fog. The once lively city now held in fear by both the white fang and the King himself.

"How could it have come to this." she said before taking her leave.

Leandra walked along through the hallway of the castle. Passing by two royal Guardsmen patrolling the castle, she shifted her glance back at them. Seeing them continue down the hallway, seemingly unsuspecting. She then turned forward, where she saw Headmaster Rueben, sitting atop a small couch off to her right. Having recovered from his wounds with aid of some of the hospitals best healers. As well as Qrow, who was leaning up against the wall.

Having come to the palace to convince the King to lift the sanctions over the Kingdom. Most notably, his decree of keeping the relics within the palace. Mainly so they would be able to get back the Lamp of Abaroth to continue the Pyrrha training. Having been told by Reuban that the supposed fifth member of her son's team was chosen to be Akara's prodigy. But knowing the King would not hear anyone else other then her, she had decided to speak on their behalf.

But not even she could make the King see to reason.

Standing up from the couch, the elderly headmaster staggered up to her.

"Well... what did he say?" He asked, curiously.

Leandra glanced back down the hallway. Once the Guards disappeared behind the corner, she then turned back to them, uttered a sigh as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry. But the King refuses to lift any of the sanctions." Leandra proclaimed to them.

"Nor does he intend to return the relics to the vault. Not until the White Fang have been found."

Qrow only smirked, shaking his head in disbelief. Hardly surprised by Leandra's answer. He knew there was no reasoning with him. King Larr was as stubborn as he was paranoid. After everything's that had happened, he wouldn't be surprised if the entire Lothadarian army was called back to their borders.

"I knew this was a waste of time." He remarked.

"Not the time, Qrow." Headmaster Rueben proclaimed to him.

"I'm afraid he's obsessed with finding the White Fang responsible for the attack on the Academy and make examples of their crimes." Leandra insisted to him.

"The white Fang hasn't been seen in days. They aren't foolish enough to remain in the Lothadare." Qrow insisted to him.

"All he's doing is subjugation his own people at this point."

The Headmaster shook his head. While he would usually argue against Qrow's about King Larr and the royal family, he himself had come to see to undeniable truth. King Larr had become quite ruthless in the days since the attack. Many of the Faunus citizens had come under much of the subjugation. Several protests had erupted in that time.

"But right now, we need to get the Lamp from the royal Vault. We can't leave Lothadare without it." Qrow insisted to them.

"Pyrrha still needs it to continue her training with Akara."

"Yes, Qrow, but without the King's blessing that leaves us with little options." Headmaster Reuban insisted to them.

"Well, we have to do something. If we don't get that lamp by the time the sanctions are lifted, the council will learn the truth." Qrow said.

"Then we'll never leave Lothadare."

Leandra took another glance back down the hallways. The ghost still remaining clear at this time. But she knew that will not remain that way for long. The next Patrol of Guards was bound to pass by at any moment.

"We shouldn't talk here. The next patrol will be here any minute." She insisted to her.

"You should head back to the Academy."

Rueben nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, there is nothing more we can do at this time. Qrow, you should return to the Academy for now." Rueben insisted to them.

"What about you?" Qrow asked.

"I will join you there. There is another matter which requires my attention." The Elderly Headmaster proclaimed to him.

Qrow squinted his eyes to the elderly Headmaster, who had a seemingly smug expression over his face. An expression which was not known to be expressed on his part. Or at least not Normally. Though Qrow had his suspicions regarding the Headmaster's intentions, he should probably check back in with Pyrrha and her teammates. They were no doubt in the middle of another training session at the colosseum.

Qrow then sighed.

"Right..." he said, before turning and making his way down the hallway.

As Qrow took his leave, Leandra came up next to Headmaster Rueben. She then shifted her glanced to him, having certain suspicions of her own regarding the Headmasters intentions.

"Exactly what matter do you speak of?" She asked, curiously.

The Headmaster shifted his glanced to the captain of the Guard. His smug expression all but an clear indication that her suspicions were indeed so.

"If we are fortunate, the solution to our problem." The Headmaster proclaimed.

A hooded figure stared out over the Kingdom of Lothadare from the rooftop of a nearby building. Observing with much intrigue at the massive crowd gathered outside the Palace gateway. At the clashes between the military and the very people they fought to protect. It was quiet ironic, really.

Under the hood of the clock, the figure smiled, connivingly.

"Even behind the walls of their Kingdom, the people of Lothadare are at war." They said.

It was right at that moment, two others appeared next to them. One a young woman no older then sixteen with dark skin, light mint green hair with a straight fringe and bangs. As well as two long locks on each side of her back. Wearing a intricate white top and an olive-colored crop top as well as white pants with a green loincloth overtop. Two duel pistols sheath over her belt behind her back.

The other a tall young man with silver hair, wearing a grey leather bikers jacket marked by his emblem. Along with a pair of grey and black gloves and black pants.

The Girl stepped forward, peering down over the crowd below.

"It's kind of sad." She said.

"Indeed. But it has proven most useful to us. Adam and Torchwick may have just provided us with the exact oppertunity we needed." The figure insisted to them.

"With the Authorities busy handling the protests, we'll be able to find the Prodigy without any interruptions."

"So where do we start?" The silver haired young man questioned.

The Figure cocked their head to peer ahead through the city at the mist concealing the horizon. It was then the figure let down their hood, revealing themself to be Cinder. A sly grin appeared upon her face, knowing well where the prodigy may be.