Metal like Roses

By ReaderWarrior

I do not own Mistborn or RWBY.

End of the Beginning

Beta'd by: Icarus720

As always, please comment! It honestly makes my day to read your thoughts and opinions.

Tell your friends!

Reviews:

Cyan-Snake: I've deleted your other comments except for this one. Because while you (greatly) failed to stay polite, I still want to address your underlying message. Yes, when I first started writing, I will say that I did not have the skill set I do now. My writing was pretty bad. But I like to think that those who stuck around now see how much better I have gotten.

So thanks to those of you who have.

Moar Dakka: Ask and you shall receive! I hope you enjoy this final chapter of the volume 3 arc.

R - 3 weeks after the Fall.

Opening her eyes, Ruby felt warm. No. Warm wasn't the correct word. She felt…

Full. Like I just swallowed a few dozen pounds of fire dust.

Birds chirped behind her and the sound of leaves shuffling in the wind whispered faintly in her ear.

I'm home? she thought. The blankets, pillows, and roof she now stared blankly at were all ones she knew to be from her family's house in Patch. For a brief moment, her mind was happy.

It was all a bad dream.

But as she pushed herself upwards, trying to ignore the dull throb behind her eyes, she noticed a couple of figures sitting in chairs surrounding her bed.

Blinking, Ruby mumbled, "Dad? Yang?"

The two blondes instantly jumped up from whatever sleep they were enjoying. Her father rushed around to her left side, grabbing her hand, while Yang made a beeline to Ruby's right and crushed her arm in a hug.

"Ruby!" Dad exclaimed. "You're awake!"

Yang smiled at her, adding, "I knew it! I told you she'd be awake today."

"What... happened?" Ruby asked, her mind still jumbled.

"Your Uncle Qrow found you," he answered with a sigh. "Unconscious. He got you out of there, though, and brought you home safe."

"What about the school?!" Ruby interrupts. "And Vale! Were they able to stop the White Fang?"

Yang squeezes her shoulder. "Everything's fine, Rube's. Once everyone got up to Amity, they kind of just gave up."

Nodding, Dad adds, "Yes. But they did leave a bunch of Grimm inside. And they didn't exactly try to hold back using up what dust they stored up for this. A lot of the city was destroyed… And so was a large chunk of the wall as they made their escape."

"But everyone got up safely? They were able to call for help?"

"Not exactly," a gruff voice answered.

Looking up towards the door, Uncle Qrow was taking another swig of his canteen as he stepped through. He pocketed it in his vest and then leaned against the frame. "Yeah, we think we got everyone out and while some are heading to Vacuo, a lot are setting up in villages and towns around Beacon. But we can't exactly call for help."

Ruby frowned and her head dipped again. "Why not?"

"Whatever she - they - used to take over the Knight's, it was unstoppable. The only way we could prevent the virus from spreading to all of Remnant was to shut down the CCTV. Without it, pretty much every form of long-range communication is down."

"Meaning no help, and no backup either," Yang growls.

Dad nods again. "But you did fine, Ruby. You were able to save a lot of people. Thanks to you, we were able to capture some of the White Fang and the Grimm you left behind formed natural barriers."

"..." Ruby paused. Left behind? "What do you mean? 'Left behind'?

For a moment, panic flashed in her father's eyes. "I…"

"That's not important right now," Yang offers. As Ruby turns to her sister, she notices the blonde has tears in her eyes. "The only thing that matters is that you're okay."

Dad grabs Ruby's hand and nods in agreement. "Besides, it's all a mess. And we can talk about it later."

"It's always a mess," Uncle Qrow interrupts as he steps forward and places a hand on Dad's shoulder. "Mind giving us a minute?"

Shrugging the shoulder off, Dad turns and stands, snapping, "it's my house. I can't stay here?"

Uncle Qrow looks him in the eye. "Tai… Please."

With no response given to the alcoholic, Dad turned around and planted a kiss on Ruby's head. "I'm glad you're safe," he whispered before turning to Yang. "C'mon."

"No. She needs to hear this too."

For a moment, Ruby thought her father was going to punch him.

"You gave up this life," Uncle Qrow whispered, barely audible. "But they haven't."

"Yet. They haven't yet," the blonde man hissed as he walked past his brother-in-law.

Ruby watched as her uncle hobbled forward and pulled a chair from her desk. He placed it by her bedside and sat down, offering her a smile. "How're you feeling?"

The brunette winced as she tried to turn toward him. "I… um, kinda hurt all over. And it's hot. Like I was on fire."

"Makes sense," Yang smirks. "You wrecked those Grimm."

Ruby paused for a moment. "You guys keep saying that," she whispered. "That I did 'something'. What are you talking about?!" She glanced up at her sister, whose face began to darken.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Uncle Qrow asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"I… I remember running towards the White Fang leader. Nora was there and so was Jaune… and Weiss…"

There was a red energy. And the Summon was destroyed. And then-

Gasping, Ruby's mind became clear and she practically jumped out of the bed. "Weiss! She was hurt! Is she…?" Ruby couldn't even finish the thought.

Uncle Qrow looked to Yang, who grabbed Ruby's shoulder. "She's fine," Yang whispered, using the same tone she used whenever she was trying to remind Ruby of Mom. "You stopped the Grimm and the White Fang and we were able to fly up to Amity with everyone else."

"I don't… remember that." Tears formed in Ruby's eyes as she gripped the blankets on her bed tighter. "I just remember the White Fang… and Cinder." She hissed her name. This was all her fault. She started this with that video!

"Anything else?" Uncle Qrow asked.

The young girl shook her head. "A… white light? And my head hurting."

The huntsman sighed. "The night you met Ozpin, what was the first thing he said to you?"

Stammering, Ruby answered, "I-I-I don't know. I think it was something about my-"

"Silver eyes," he finishes. Uncle Qrow sighed and leaned back. "That's an extremely rare trait."

"So?" Yang snaps. "And mine turn red when I use my semblance. What's the big deal?"

Uncle Qrow shook his head. "That's your semblance. This is something special. And not the normal 'my kid is a special angel' kind of way.

"You're special the same way Summer was."

Both Yang and Ruby froze. "Mom?"

Their uncle nodded. "Remnant's full of myths and legends. Some of them true, some of them made up, but there was one Ozpin told me a long time ago about silver eyes.

"Back before huntsmen - before kingdoms" he corrects. "- it was said that those born with silver eyes were destined to lead the life of a warrior. You see, the creatures of Grimm - the most fearsome monsters mankind had ever encountered - were afraid of those silver-eyed warriors.

"They were the best of the best."

Yang whistled. "Wow. They must have been awesome!"

"Pretty much," Uncle Qrow answered. "They said even a single glance of one of these silver-eyed warriors could stop a Grimm in its tracks or strike it down. It's a ridiculous story."

"I'm… a silver-eyed warrior?" Ruby asked. "What happened to them?"

"No one knows. But as for you, I think the frozen statues of Grimm surrounding the Bullhead docks speak for themselves."

" And you're here," Yang adds with a smile. "Safe in bed with us!"

Uncle Qrow smiles before making his way to the window. From here, Ruby could see the falling leaves in their fall colors.

"Wait," Ruby realizes. "How did you know what Professor Ozpin said to me that night? The only other person there was Ms. Goodwitch."

"Have you been spying on us?" Yang accused.

Sighing, Uncle Qrow turned back to his nieces. "No. But all those missions I go on, all those times I'm away in some far-off place, I'm doing stuff for Oz. But he's gone now."

"Gone?"

"Yeah." He looked up at Ruby with pain in his eyes. "Dead. They found what remained of him underneath Beacon's tower. Something has been set in motion. And with Oz gone… I'll have to pick up where he left off."

"But you've got us," Yang offered. "We can help too!"

"You wanna help? Make sure Ruby gets her rest. Neither of you are in any condition to go anywhere right now." Uncle Qrow walked over to Ruby, ruffling her hair. "Besides," he continued as he headed towards the door, "our enemy's trail leads all the way to Haven. That's quite a trip for a pipsqueak and a firecracker.

"Catch you later."

Ruby watches him leave, closing the door behind him. Her eyes catch the mirror in front of her and she stares at the reflection of herself. She looked pale and her eyes seemed sunken.

I look dead.

"Ruby?" Yang whispers, still at her side.

"Yeah?"

Suddenly, the blonde wraps her arms around her in an attempt to give her a giant hug. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Me too," Ruby smiles back softly. "I'm happy you're safe."

Yang nods into her shoulder, stifling a soft whimper. "I thought you were gone, Rubes. You were asleep for weeks. Almost a month. Dad and I were losing our minds and-"

Pushing her sister up, Ruby gave a comforting glance. "I'm fine, Yang. Look at me. Just a headache and I'll be back up soon."

"Yeah… yeah sorry." She wiped away her unformed tears and gave a horse chuckle. "Don't worry. In a few weeks, we can start packing."

Ruby remained silent for a moment. "Yang? Where is everyone?"

"…" The blonde sighed and fidgeted with her gauntlets. "Jaune and the rest of his team were going to come visit sometime in the next few months. Said they'd be up to join us on whatever we plan to go next, which apparently seems to be Haven."

"But what about our team?" Ruby asked. "Weiss! Blake! Vin!"

Yang's face went dark. "Blake… Blake isn't coming back."

Oh no… please no, Ruby thought, her mind now filled with images of Blake's demise. "Did you... see it?"

"I saw enough," Yang scowled. "As for everyone else, they're fine, I think. By the time you and I were heading to patch they were both stable and already heading to Atlas."

"Atlas? Stable?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah. Weiss' arm was gone but they said she should be okay. And I think I heard Penny saying she was going to ask her father to make a new one."

A weight lifted off of Ruby's shoulders. At least she's ok. And Penny is too! "But what about Vin? What happened? There was a bomb in her room and Neo was there on her scroll and-"

"I found her, Ruby. Don't worry." Yang shook slightly at the memory and tears began to form again. "She was kept in some tunnels underneath the school and I found her. She was… she was hurt pretty badly.

But when we got out… we were attacked and she got shot. If it wasn't for Pyrrha, I don't think she would have made it. Actually, we gave her some metals to swallow and she made a time bumble to keep herself alive longer."

"She… was shot?" Ruby's breath hitched. Once more, her mind flooded with images. Vin never signed up for this. She wasn't supposed to be a huntress or to be fighting Grimm.

"This is all my fault," Ruby whispered.

Yang frowned. "Yeah, no. This is Cinder's and the White Fang's fault. They brought in the Grimm and started attacking everyone."

"No, not that," she clarified. "Vin… Blake… Weiss… even you. You all keep getting hurt and it's my fault. I'm a horrible huntress and team leader. The only reason Professor Ozpin even gave me the position was apparently I've got magic eyes!

"Weiss knew from the start that I was too immature to lead everyone. And Blake was the better choice. But Vin? Vin didn't deserve this. I pushed her into getting weapons and armor. I made her join our team!" Ruby let out a croak as tears streamed down her face. "I kept letting her out of my sight and both times, both times, she got hurt! And I couldn't do anything!"

"Ruby," Yang whispered. "That's not true. Vin joined us because she felt at home with us. And it wasn't your fault she kept getting into trouble. I need you. Hell, we all need you to lead us to Haven."

Looking up into her sister's eyes, Ruby could see hope and hurt. The hope of what may come next, but also the hurt that came from Ruby's choices.

I had us go to Mountain Glenn. I had everyone run to the dorms when Vin went missing. I made Vin join our team.

… I can't do this.

"Yang… I'm sorry. But you should do whatever you think is best.

"I'm just going to lie here."

W - 1 month after the Fall.

Opening her eyes, Weiss felt as if the silk sheets of her home in Atlas were going to suffocate her. She gasped loudly and tried to ignore The Dream.

The Dream, Weiss mentally scolded herself. By giving it a name, you are letting it hold power over you.

What power do I have? another part of her mind asked. Once it was confident - scheming and planning to become the best of the best. Now it was broken.

Just like she was.

Weiss slammed her fist into the bed frame, causing the wood to splinter and break.

"My lady," a voice called out, opening the door wider. Klein, ever the faithful servant, rushed inside with a silver platter (filled with snacks and drinks) on his head. "You should not be exerting yourself quite yet. You are still recovering."

Sighing, Weiss took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, thank you. I'm sorry."

Klein smiled and his eyes turned red as he reached to his head and brought the tray to the foot of the bed. "Well, we don't want to be wasting all that frustration on an ol' piece of wood now. Save a bit for your father, eh?"

"Yes," she chuckled, always amused by the different personalities that arrive from his semblance. However, she soon heard the sound of a bottle being smashed. Clive ran to shut the door, but Weiss held his arm.

"Father must have returned?"

"Yes, my lady," Klein answered with a sigh (his eyes back to their normal color). "He returned late last night and locked himself in his study. Apparently, his meeting with the council did not go as planned."

Meaning he didn't get permission to sell more dust and he opened a bottle in his room while Mother drank in her's.

Klein sighed, sensing her thoughts. "I'm sure it will be alright, my lady. After all, it's a beautiful day." He moved to open the curtains but is taken aback by the amount of dust (the normal kind) from their unuse. "I say," he grumbles, shaking them and causing particles to fall around him. Sneezing, and his eyes flashing yellow, Klein makes a fool of himself as he wraps himself in the drapes in an attempt to open them.

Giggling, Weiss smiles at the man's antics. While he was only a servant, Klein was more of a father to her than Jacques was at any point. He was the one who raised her, bathed her, clothed her, taught her, and everything else a proper woman would need to know.

"Now then," he smiled, eyes brown as he pulled down the sheets, "let's see how it has healed, hm?"

And he was an excellent doctor.

For the next few minutes, Weiss did her best to keep herself quiet as he removed the bandages around her right arm. Like they had every time she had The Dream, the wounds had apparently opened and made the white cloth turn scarlet.

Tsk-ing, Klein pulled a new roll of bandages from his vest and began to roll it around her stump. Enough time had passed that she could now let herself look at it. The first couple of weeks, when she wasn't screaming in pain, she couldn't even force herself to turn her head.

It's a failure, she thought. Like my scar; a reminder of how weak I am.

"Klein, I could just use my aura to help heal," Weiss offers.

"Now, now," he smiles, "we have gone over this already, my lady. You need to let your arm heal physically before trying to do so spiritually. Otherwise, your aura will try to heal what is not there."

Grumbling, Weiss nodded. "Yes. But that doesn't mean it isn't uncomfortable."

The cloth around her arm tightened, causing Weiss to gasp, as Klein tucked the last bit away. "I'm sorry my lady. But this is a process that will take a while. But I'm sure you will be back to normal soon enough."

Normal?

Weiss scrunched the sheets in her fist. How will I ever be 'normal' again? I can't even hold a weapon anymore. I can barely even use my glyphs.

Speaking of which, Weiss felt Klein help push her out of bed and over to a small table with vials of dust. "Let's try ice again, today," he offered, handing her the vial filled with that element.

Weiss nodded. "Okay," she whispered, closing her eyes and gripping the container tightly. Then, using a single finger, she pressed down on the table and focused her semblance.

Come on… please work!

Gasping, she felt some magic form from her finger and opened her eyes. There, barely an inch across, was a snowflake.

Klein clapped his hands together and smiled. "Amazing mistress! It's even bigger than last time!"

However, she did not share his enthusiasm. With a snarl, she slammed her first down on the table and sobbed. "Why? Why can't I do it? I was able to Summon before, and now… I'm barely able to use my glyphs!"

"Without your Myrtenaster," he explained, "or any weapon to focus, it is more difficult for Schnee's to use their semblance as they use such tools to maintain their semblances. With your blade - ahem - broken, it will take a complete reeducation of learning your skills in order to use them without it."

"A shame that is," a voice interrupted. Weiss and Klein looked up in shock as Whitley, her brother, leaned into the door with a smirk on his lips. "Especially after Father told you that any use of glyphs would result in punishment."

Klein immediately jumped to her defense. "My apologies, Master Whitley. I thought a routine exercise would help lift your sister's spirits."

Scoffing, Whitley shook his head. "Whatever. I'm just here to let you know that Father wishes to see you when you are done moping."

Weis rolled her eyes and nodded. "Tell him I'll be there in a minute."

"Of course, sister-mine," he responded, giving a low bow like one of their servants. "Your wish is my desire."

It took a longer time to get into one of her dresses than she cared to admit. But, nonetheless, she soon found herself waiting outside the door of her father's office. Klein, never straying from her side, opened it for her and she did her best to enter regally.

Her father didn't notice her at all.

"I'm sure there must be another solution," he whispered to someone unknown. "Perhaps a deal could be made between us. I have heard that things have been tight for you since your brother was hurt."

Whoever he was talking to didn't care for Jacques' obvious bribe. "If you cared so much about my family and our ownership of a bullhead fleet, why did you not offer your 'help' earlier?"

"Because-"

"Because now you are being watched by everyone in Atlas for when you inevitably break the blockade," the other person finishes. "And we are not going to help the infamous Jacques Schnee deepen his pockets today!"

A click sounds and the screen darkens, leading to her father letting out a string of curses.

"Ahem," Klein interrupts, making their presence known.

Jacques snapped around, "I thought I-... Oh, yes. I did call for you." He gave a dismissive wave and ordered Klein to leave while turning back to his screen.

Eyes downward and submissive, she felt Klein give her a small pat on her hand before leaving, closing the door behind him.

"Yes, sir?" she asked.

"How are you feeling?"

Weiss froze. Did he just… No, he couldn't have. "I'm sorry?"

"I asked how you were feeling," he repeated, casting a glance over his shoulder at her.

I'm dying. That has to be it.

"I'm… recovering," Weiss answered, her hand reaching around her front to I grip the remains of her other limb. "But thanks to Klein and his medical experience, I am feeling much better."

Her father nodded. "Ah, yes. I heard he was providing assistance. However, you won't be needing his help anymore. I've hired a new doctor for you."

"No!" Weiss yelped. When her father began to turn around, she froze and gave a small bow. "I'm sorry for my outburst. But… Why would you waste money on a new doctor when Klein is doing his work for free?" If there was anything the Schnee's head cared about, it was money.

Jacques smirked. "True. It does seem like an extravagance, I feel as if you are pushing yourself too hard, too fast."

Too fast? I've been bedridden for almost four weeks. And I have only walked outside of my room these last two for barely ten minutes!

"Yes," he continued, "I feel as if a better clinician will yield better results. Perhaps under his care, we would be able to showcase the wounds that those White Fang animals left on our house. After all, your voice wasn't damaged and I'm sure if we promote the fact you survived the fall of Vale, it will draw quite a crowd of supporters.

"Pity is quite a useful tool in business, after all."

Weiss froze. So that's what this is about, she realized. He doesn't care about me. He never has. I'm just a publicity stunt for him!

It took every fiber of her will to not leave that room and slam the door shut behind her.

Instead, however, she forced herself to keep her face resolute and passive. "I… see. Is there anything I can assist you with, father?"

"That'll be all," Jacques responded, no longer paying any attention to her and now focusing on his next bribe.

Weiss left the room with familiar tears in her eyes.

V - 1 month and 3 weeks after the Fall.

Opening her eye, Vin did her best to focus on the task in front of her and disregard the sweat obscuring her vision.

"Please, you should be resting. It isn't safe for someone with your injuries to be this active."

Ignoring the man in white, she continued to pull herself on the bed she tipped on its side. Even when she was with Kelsier and his crew, she hated the feeling of its softness and how it seemed to swallow her up like mud or ash in a wet field.

So instead she flipped her cot onto its side and proceeded to use it as a pull-up bar.

However, her physician didn't seem to think this was a 'recommendable action' (as he put it). And, while he was hesitant to stop her physically, he hadn't stopped trying to do so verbally.

Doctor Eccho sighed and crossed his arms. "The General gave me strict orders to keep you in bed, resting. Not up the bed exercising."

"I'm fine," Vin grunted, pulling herself up for the sixteenth time.

I won't let myself get caught without metals. First in Kredik Shaw, then with Zane, and now with Cinder and her crew… I'm too reliant on my metals. I need to build up my skills as a fighter and not just as an Allomancer.

Her hand slipped off the metal and she tumbled onto the ground. Eccho quickly rushed to her side, but Vin pushed him away.

"If you're not going allow me to keep you safe," he frowned, helping her up against her wishes, "then at least let me ensure you do not get any more injured."

Vin sighed and held out her arms, letting him inspect her in her hospital gown. He did so, making sure to inspect only her arms and legs (the last nurse to get a little provocative with his inspections ended up with a punch to the throat), and made a notation on his clipboard.

"It seems you are almost fit for duty," Eccho announced, tapping his pen against the sheet.

Vin shrugged and flexed her hand. Ever since the attack, she felt an ache in her muscles.

No. An 'ache' isn't the right word, she realized. It's tension… like I'm waiting for a strike that will inevitably come.

Before, whenever she was with RWBY and the other huntsmen or huntresses, she tried to silence that feeling. It was paranoia, she thought. Just her body unused to the life of simplicity and not having to worry about a dagger in the back.

But now she knew better.

From now on, Vin made sure to keep her mind as aware as her body was. She wouldn't sleep until she was sure no one else was going to be coming down the hall that led to her room. She would triple-check the locks on her window and door. And she made sure that no one had found her small stash of weapons she had forged from eating utensils or writing tools left behind by unaware caregivers and caregivers. Even as she now moved her bed into its normal position, she made sure that the doctor beside her (offering help which Vin declined) would not notice her small cache of armaments hidden in the frame.

When the bed was back in place, and Doctor Eccho did another inspection to make sure she wasn't injured during the activity (because it's likely I could do so without him seeing it), he made a quick call with his scroll and stepped back out the door.

"Please get changed, first," he told her before leaving. Eccho placed a large bag next to the door and patted it like a dog. "I, um, was assured this would meet your specifications."

Vin frowned at his cryptic message but took the gift when the door closed behind him. Inside, she found a white uniform, similar to the ones she had seen by those walking past her window. An Atlas military outfit, she assumed before putting it on.

As the doctor stated, it fit her exactly. There was enough mobility in the jacket to allow for shoulder movement and the pants (thank goodness it wasn't another skirt) were loose enough for Vin to run in, but not so much so that she'd have to hold them if she needed to run.

And apparently, the tailor had specific orders for Vin's special needs and desires. There were clasps on the shoulders that allowed for her to attach her mistcloak and not have to worry about it becoming a hassle. Unlike her normal one, this one was painted white as well.

Vin frowned at that and questioned whether or not she should wear her normal one now hanging in the closet. It was the only thing she had left of her home. Of Scadrial.

Of Elend.

Of her time with team RWBY as well, it seemed.

But, not wanting to anger her host, Vin reluctantly put on her newer one and was surprised at how light it was. Obviously, a different fabric, but the change was so surprising, she almost couldn't believe it when she found pockets inside filled with vials of metals.

Vin had to keep herself from opening one right then and there. While she would like the safety of having Allomantic abilities whenever she needed them, Vin also knew that if she went through her metals too quickly then she would become useless. Atlas seemed safe enough.

You said that about Beacon, she thought, hearing her brother whisper in her mind. Nowhere is safe. You should run now while you can.

But she ignored it. Instead, she looked in the bathroom mirror, staring at herself. Gone was the street urchin of the Final Empire. And Lady Vallette was gone as well.

Vin now stood in a uniform, white as snow caps with a matching mistcloak. The only thing that bothered her was the patch around her eye.

But before she could look at it further, there was a knock at the door.

Vin frowned. None of the hospital staff knocked. So who could be visiting me? She quickly reached under her cot and grabbed one of the knives she had sharped, palming it.

"Enter."

The door opened fully and Vin immediately realized her mistake. General Ironwood, with both Weiss' sister and the strange robot girl behind him, stepped inside. As they did so, Vin could see armed guards now posted at her door.

Are they for his protection or mine? Or perhaps to more easily subdue me?

Unaware of her thoughts, the Atlesian man made a motion for her to sit. "I'm not your commanding officer, Venture. You do not need to stand at attention."

Vin frowned and relaxed her shoulders but silently refused to sit. Winter didn't seem to like that and glared behind Ironwood's shoulder.

Penny, on the other hand, gave a smile and waved.

"What do you want?" Vin asked, trying to remain polite.

The general seemed to appreciate her straightforwardness and smiled. However, unlike when she had met him before in Vale, it now seemed worn. "A brief check-up," he answered. "A friend of mine's son was getting discharged on the first floor and I thought it would be best to see you myself."

"What for?"

"To see if you were as combat-ready as we are!" Penny interrupted, earning her a smack on the back of the head by Winter.

"Hush," she scolded.

Ironwood waved his hand, silencing the two. "Your doctors say you are in peak health. You get up regularly and, ignoring their professional opinion, do your best to keep yourself fit with the… equipment you have available to you. And while I can read the reports on your physical health with ease, I prefer to talk about your mental prognosis face-to-face."

"My… prognosis?" Vin asked.

He nodded. "Yes. You have yet to remember the events of your attack. Dissociative Amnesia, I believe it's called. Or have you remembered something since your last appointment with your psychologist?"

Vin shuddered at the thought of another meeting with Dr. Jehide. "No," she answered softly. "I remember Yang rescuing me from the tunnels and then the light from outside. Then waking up here."

"Well, in an operating room, but yes. You did give our surgeons quite a scare. Apparently, you were using one of your 'gifts' to keep your body in suspended animation while you were unconscious."

Cadmium, Vin realized. Someone must have had an extra vial. She froze and cast a wary glance at the two women.

Ironwood caught her gaze and chuckled. "Yes, they know. I'm afraid Penny was quite insistent on keeping up with you medically."

The ginger blushed. "Why wouldn't I? She's my friend."

"You met her twice," Winter scoffs. "And the second was when she was unconscious."

Again, Ironwood ignored them. "There are more pressing matters though. Not everyone was as lucky as you were, escaping with their lives. I'm already aware of over three dozen missing persons and casualties in what used to be Vale. I'm getting heat from the other kingdoms as well, worried that we attempted to use the attack to reestablish superiority over Remnant with our Knights."

"Which is absurd," Winter grumbles.

"But since we shut down the CCTV tower, communications have been slow. We're already working on rebooting the system but that will take time. Until then we have to remain vigilant." The Atlesian general made a nod towards the door. "I have made it assured that nobody gets in or out of Atlas without my personal go-ahead. And, much to the dismay of certain… businesses, I have also made it so all shipments of products to other cities outside of us and Mantle are frozen as well."

Vin frowned. "But what does this have to do with me?"

"I…" Ironwood sighed. His body rippled with a shimmer of aura and his entire demeanor changed. His confident and militaristic stance became weaker and tired. He seemed to almost hunch. "I need people I can trust. And while I had my doubts about you initially, Ozpin did say you could be trusted. There are also very few I can turn to for help these days.

"So, effective immediately, I wish to have you enroll in our school and military as a specialist along with Schnee and Polendina." He reached into his vest (Vin couldn't help but tense up) and pulled out an envelope. "This, of course, will be up to you."

Taking the gift, Vin opened it and saw not only falsified documents of her birth and admission, but also a letter from…

Weiss?

She looked up at Ironwood, who did his best to hide a small smile. "I had Specialist Schnee prepare that for you, I hope she didn't accidentally leave anything in there that shouldn't have been provided."

Vin crumbled the papers and put them in one of her pockets. "No. It's fine."

"Good."

Suddenly, the doors opened and another soldier stepped inside. "Sir," she painted, out of breath. "The council has reached a conclusion, you are requested for the address."

General Ironwood nodded. "Understood. Tell them I'm on my way." The soldier gave a brief salute before dashing back out the door. "I'll leave you two alone then," the man said as he stood up.

"Two?" Vin asked, frowning.

"Yes. Polendina had something she wanted to talk with you about," Ironwood explained, giving a small nod to the girl. "I hope to see you soon."

Followed by Winter, General Ironwood marched out the door and down the hall.

Wasting no time, Penny immediately tried to pull Vin a hug. The Mistborn dodged this, though, making the girl pout. "Salutations again, friend! My name is Penny!"

"The machine girl," Vin nodded. While she wasn't burning steel, she could easily remember the time she did and saw the intricacies of her body.

Penny smiled. "I am very glad to know you remember me. However, it is regrettable I was unable to help you back in Vale. But I believe I am able to rectify your loss." She pointed at Vin's face.

Instinctively, Vin placed a hand on the side of her face covered in bandages. "My loss?"

"Yup!" The machine girl held out her hand, palm up. A small project glows above it, showing plans and schematics. "Mr. Ironwood told me you were receiving care from the Schnee family. But my father and I think we can help as well."

The holograms merge together, forming a round sphere with information scrawled across it.

"As I think Yang would say, eye think you will find it acceptable!"

B - 2 months after the Fall.

Opening her eyes, Blake tried to hold back the bile in her throat. The room she awoke from was cramped and dark, swaying in the darkness. She tried to reach for a bucket but found none. Swallowing hard, Blake tried to force the motion sickness to receive as she sat up and made her way from her bed and up the stairs. However, whether it was due to her rude awakening, she stumbled slightly as she did so.

The stars greeted her first, shining down like spotlights and making the Faunus flinch in fear. She had already avoided multiple patrols on separate transports, but she knew she couldn't hide forever.

Running, it's all I ever do.

Blake sighed and walked over to a railing, looking up. The sounds of movement and the feeling of the engine hummed beneath her feet. But the sounds of rails clacking buffeted her ears and made the normally relaxing view stressful as each rattle made her feel as if the car was going to derail.

This was the third train she snuck aboard in as many weeks. Since her… escape during the events at Vale, she never stopped running. She stowed away on trains thus far, making her way east and towards the coast where she planned to either pay for a ticket (with the limited funds she had remaining) or offer to work on it until they reached her destination.

But that offer rarely was taken.

On each of the three trains she had boarded, they had all insisted on checking to make sure she wasn't an 'animal freak' or White Fang terrorist. Ever since the attack on Beacon, the divide between the two races was wider than ever before.

And Blake couldn't blame them. Why shouldn't they be scared? Even her own hands were covered in dust and blood.

Vin's blood…

She shook her head and tried to get that thought out of her head. It was all gone, washed away. But still, sometimes, Blake would open her eyes and see her fingers painted red.

The train whistled loudly, knocking Blake out of her thoughts. As she turned to look down the lane, she could see the lights of a city. She quickly rushed back down into the unused suite car and grabbed her small bag of necessities. Her gun lay at the bottom of the bag, untouched since that day.

If it wasn't for the fact it was her only weapon, she would have ditched it a while back.

Instead, she tossed the bag over her shoulder and turned around. She froze as a security guard pointed his lantern at her and bathed her in bright light.

"Hey!" he yelled out. "Stay right there! No sudden moves." The guard then reached for his waist, probably to grab his own weapon. Thanks to her ability to see in the dark, she waited until his eyes flickered to his belt before bolting.

She had prepared for this and left a window unlocked. Before the guard could see, Blake dashed to the side of the car and pushed against it, swinging it out.

Snowflakes, the first of this winter, billowed in and caused her to shiver.

The guard lifted his gun. "Freeze!"

Blake knew that if Yang were here, she would laugh at the potential pun of his exclamation and the dropping temperature. However, she wasn't. Instead, Blake decided to ignore the warning and, mentally making sure her aura was activated, jumped through the gap.

Jumping out of a train was bad enough. Jumping out of one in freezing temperatures onto ice-like terrain and down a hill is worse. If it wasn't for her aura, she would have died multiple times as she rolled down the hill, hit her head against rocks, and crashed into a tree.

At least it can't get any worse, she groaned.

The tree decided to prove her wrong and drop a pile of snow on top of her.

Damn it.

After digging herself out, and tossing a blanket onto her shoulders, she slowly marched back up the hill to follow the tracks. The town was still visible and Blake easily made her way toward it.

She didn't even notice the cloaked figures waiting for her to pass so they could trail behind her in the distance, following her in her trek.

Y - 3 months after the Fall.

Opening her eyes, Yang took a deep breath before throwing a punch at her father. She was dead-set on controlling her semblance even further and he had offered to spar with her after she knocked over the sixth tree on their driveway. Well, that and when she accidentally burned down another two.

Her dad dodged to the side, knocking her fist to his right and making Yang pivot on her heel. She used to turn to swing her other strike harder, bringing it to his side. He tanked it, though, and his aura flashed. Yang smirked, growing confident, and tried to hit him again in the same spot.

However, this proved to be her failure.

Tai, instead of backstepping to retreat (which Yang totally predicted and would have gone for his stomach), stomped forward and grabbed her in tight... Well, hug.

"Dad! We're fighting, not- WOAH!"

Suddenly, Yang was lifted off her feet as her father lifted her over his head, bent himself backward, and slammed Yang face-first into the ground.

The blonde girl ate snow and groaned. "That was a little much."

He chuckled. "Well, what else am I supposed to do? You're too strong, sun dragon. I'm barely keeping up." To show this, Tai fell onto his back, breathing but also laughing. "I haven't moved like this in years. There's a reason your old man's retired."

"I thought that was because you got old and crippled!" Yang joked, laughing on the white lawn. The last of the leaves were now covered in a fine few inches of snow, which had started falling more and more regularly in the last few weeks.

Dad whistled. "Wow. That hurt more than any punch." He jumps to his feet and hunches over comically, muttering, " I guess I'll just have to… go… home to my coffin…"

"I said old, not dead," Yang laughed.

He straightened his back and smiled. "I haven't heard you laugh this hard in ages," he smiles.

Yang shook her head. "Yeah. I guess it's been a while. With Ruby keeping herself locked up, it's like… the joy has too."

"Ruby's always been too strong for her own good," Tai said. "But even if she feels broken now, I'm sure she'll fill in the cracks with something stronger than ever before. I know she can." He whispered that last part as if trying to convince himself of it.

The young Xiao-Long made her way over to her father and patted him on the back. "I know, Dad. I'm sure she'll be ready when we head out."

His expression soured even more. "I'm still not convinced this is the best idea. It would be one thing if the CCTV was up, but going to Haven on your own is almost suicidal. And-" he rubbed his shoulder, "-while you are strong enough to take me on, there are more dangerous threats than ex-huntsmen."

"I know, I know," Yang sighed. "But I'm not going to be alone. Jaune and his team will be there every step of the way. And one of them is Pyrrha! You know, the 'Invincible Girl'. We can angle ourselves."

Still, her father didn't seem convinced. Tai sighed and walked over to the patio, where we stumbled around the floorboards for a few minutes.

"Dad? Are you okay?"

Tai didn't answer. Instead, he stomped harder on a single wooden plank. After a few moments, it broke and he reached inside. Yang was surprised to see a semi-large box lifted out. She must have spent hundreds of days as a child searching for buried treasure, or answers to the secrets surrounding her birth mother, but never found that compartment.

"I promised three people I would never open this again. One of them was Ozpin and the other two were my wives." Dad stroked the box, almost like he wasn't even sure it was there, and sighed. "And I won't. But I will give it to you."

Yang frowned and took the gift. "What is it?"

"A family secret," he answered. "One that I hoped you wouldn't need to know about."

\…\

Yang stood outside the front of her family's house and sighed. Ruby hadn't let her in, both physically to her room, nor emotionally to her heart, so Yang had left a note at her door and given her father a hug goodbye.

Tai smiled and kissed her on the head. "Be safe. Don't do anything I wouldn't let you do. And fight with your head and heart, not your fist."

"I'll do my best," Yang smirked. She hugged Dad once more and walked outside, closing the door behind her.

Her breath was visible in the cold air and she was thankful for the pants she exchanged for her old skirt. Snow continued to fall at a steady pace.

It's a beautiful day, she thought. I hope Ruby enjoys it later.

"Hey," a voice interrupted, breaking her away from her thoughts. She glanced down the street leading to the house and smiled as she saw a familiar figure walking toward her.

Yang waved at the leader of team JNPR. "Hey, Jaune. What took you so long?"

"Had to stop for snacks," Jaune smirked, giving his fellow blonde a hug that Yang accepted. "Nora couldn't turn down an extra bag of chips."

"They were ultra-cheese-plus-spicy!" she yells, running out from the tree line and giving Yang her own flying hug. Behind her, Pyrrha and Ren soon follow, equally happy to see their friend.

"Hey guys," Yang smiled. "I missed you."

"As did we," Ren nodded.

Pyrrha smiled back. "Yes. I'm sorry we're so late."

Yang waved her hand. "It's fine. You got here, that's all that matters."

"Yeah," Jaune nods. "So when do you want to head out? Is Ruby coming?"

The blonde girl shook her head. "No… she's still recovering. And we can't afford to wait any longer. Haven's a long way away."

"I know. But it's the only lead we've got."

"Are you sure you want to come?"

Ren nods. "The journey will be perilous," he predicts. "And whether or not we will find answers at the end is entirely uncertain"

"But we wouldn't be here if we weren't up for it," Nora finishes, brandishing her hammer and smashing the base of it on the ground.

Yang smiled. "Thanks, everyone. And you, Pyrrha?"

"No."

"…No?"

Pyrrha gave a soft smile with tear-filled eyes. "I'm sorry. But with everything that has happened, both with the Maidens and the collapse of Beacon, I think it would be safer if I stayed here for a while. At least until I get a handle on my new powers."

"…" If Pyrrha's staying behind do we really have a chance? a part of her panicked. That just leaves me, Jaune, Ren, and Nora. Besides me and Nora, Jaune is just a strategist and Ren can be stealthy.

"Are you sure? We could really use you," Yang pleaded.

Pyrrha nodded solemnly. "Yes. We already talked about it and I have the utmost faith in both our leader and my teammates. And I think it would be best if someone were to look after Ruby as well."

Shaking her head, Yang let out a long sigh. "Fine. But if we die, I'm going to haunt you for it."

The redhead laughed. "I'm sure you won't need to. Is Ruby inside?"

"Yeah."

"I'll go see her then." Pyrrha gave a hug to each of her teammates, and Yang as well, before stopping at Jaune. She handed him a scroll, which he took and pocketed. "Please come back."

"I will," he promised. This earned him a kiss on the cheek before she headed inside.

Yang's jaw dropped and Jaune turned to her with a sheepish blush. "Let's get started," he squeaked.

? - ?

"A smaller, more honest soul. It's true that a simple spark can ignite hope, breathe fire into the hearts of the weary. The ability to derive strength from hope is undoubtedly mankind's greatest attribute... which is why I will focus all of my power to snuff it out.

"How does it feel? Knowing that all of your time and effort has been for nothing? That your guardians have failed you? That everything you've built will be torn down before your very eyes?

"Your faith in mankind was not misplaced. When banded together, unified by a common enemy, they are a noticeable threat. But divide them, place doubt into their minds, and any semblance of power they once had will wash away.

"Of course, they won't realize it at first. Like you, they'll cling to their fleeting hope, their aspirations. But this is merely the first move. So you send your guardians. Your Huntsmen and Huntresses. And when they fail and you turn to your smaller soul, know that you send her to the same pitiful demise. This is the beginning of the end, Ozpin. And I can't wait to watch you burn."

"Mistress?"

"Yes, my child?"

"Did I please you? Ozpin is dead, I killed him myself. The kingdoms are divided and their communications are crippled."

"And the Maiden? The Relic?"

"… I'm sorry. Nikos escaped with her half of the power. And Ozpin has somehow been able to ensure its safety even with him out of the picture."

"I see. Return to me then. We have work to do."

Huge, huge thanks to my first-ever supporter!

Helpful supporter - Dalek2150

Aaaaand scene. Wow. It's been a long time coming, huh? But we finally made it. The end of a volume. When I started out, I was just writing for myself and doing 3 pages of published content a day. Now, I'm taking weeks and months to outline and coordinate my content so that instead of my random thoughts and gibberish, you all get to enjoy a real story.

And thank you all for the support you provide that makes me want to do better.

A lot happened in this chapter, mainly concerning the members of RWVBY. Some things seem familiar, while others are alien. I greatly enjoyed working to divide and conquer aspects of this story I felt would give a breath of fresh air as well as showcase something you've seen before (but with a new twist)!

Ruby's struggling with her apparent inability to lead a team. While in canon, she wasn't this downtrodden, I feel that I built up enough over the chapters to show Ruby's guilt about Vin as well as Weiss' life being in danger, rather than Pyrrha's.

Speaking of Pyrrha… She lives! Meaning she could die at any time! Mwahahahaha. In all seriousness, I had a lot of difficulties picking to keep alive, or unalive, our favorite Greek. But I think me and Icarus have settled on a pretty good plan for future chapters.

Weiss is… also struggling. She's hurt in more ways than one and I cannot wait to build that up. While I do think that Yang being attacked by Adam (hurting Blake) was a good concept that would knock the blonde down a peg, I believe that Adam wounding a Schnee better rounds out his arc.

Vin, on the other hand, is, well, Vin. She's had to adapt to so much so quickly and now it's been ripped away from her. Again. I hope she finds the family she needs within the Atlesian military.

Oh, and Penny's alive too. Wow, I didn't kill off anyone, huh?

Except for Sunshine. He totally ate it in that bullhead crash 2 chapters ago. I guess no one noticed :'(

Blake, sadly, is going to have a very similar story to that of canon. I will be adding new elements that I hope keep things interesting. My editor and I are also worried about the racism problems addressed in the show so if I imply anything wrong, please note that I take full responsibility. I'm probably just ignorant and don't know better and trying to shed light on a subject on a (fictional) form of a real problem.

Lastly, we have Yang. She'll be changing both the most and least. She's becoming stronger in a way she didn't in canon while also learning how weak she is when regards to protecting those she loves. And there's something going on with Tai that I really, REALLY, cannot wait to bring to fruition in the future.

That wraps up the summary portion of this A/N. Now onto the real-world stuff.

First of all, I would like to apologize. In case you were not aware, I have had a very difficult march due to a long-lasting relationship being broken off with very little warning and very little explanation. I'm still recovering(?) but getting better. That's why March was so devoid of content.

Secondly, this is the end of volume 3. I have no intentions of stopping but would like to use this natural break in the story to hit 'pause'. No, not a hiatus (*shudders*), but a pause. As a few, rudely written, comments said, my writing was, in the beginning, pretty horrid. I'm going to take this break to go back and re-edit/write those (especially now that I have an editor).

Once that is cleaned up, as well as reaching break-points in my other stories (My Mistborn Academia is about to finish season 1 of MHA and Remnant Who will probably take a break either after my next 1 or 2 original chapters or when 9th regenerates.

And third, I love you guys. Seriously, and I cannot express this enough, it has been a blast. I never thought I'd get a following, even if it's just a small one. Heck, I never even thought this would get read! I started this to make the pandemic more enjoyable for myself. And apparently for you all as well. Thank you all so much for sticking with me!

Editor's note:

N/A

I PM'd a few of you regarding your own reviews. Be sure to check your accounts if you haven't as I love to continue conversations.

We have still been unable to meet our goal of being the number 1 Mistborn Fanfic. First is still being held by Slavok's Beautiful Destroyer with a difference of 123 Favorites (we are in third) and 228 Follows (third as well!). C'mon guys! We can do it! Spread the word! Spam the 17th shard! It is possible!

(I mean this to be a fun competition, not to slander Slavok.)

Please, feel free to follow and comment on predictions, thoughts, etc. I am always looking for new ways to improve my craft. Tell your friends!