Big Issues
AN: Welcome back everyone! I hope you are all having a great end of the year. I had hoped to get this chapter done earlier but life had other plans, little of it pleasant. But enough of that, let's get onto the final chapter of the Big Issues series!
Preparation to Leave
Many things were happening since the battle at Haven and for Mistral. For one, the Mistral Council had been a bit edgy about the Menagerie Militia being in the city and were making subtle requests for them to leave. They were still very grateful for the help they provided but an armed force not aligned to the Kingdom was starting to make many worry.
Second, the teams began planning what they were going to do from this point. The Relic of Knowledge needed to be put in a safe place, Haven was officially closed as repairs were being made, and new staff were needed to teach. Thankfully, the last on that list had been in the works for months now and there was a ready list of candidates that just needed to be confirmed for the positions. At the same time, the lack of a Headmaster delayed many things, especially since they filled a seat on the Council.
Glynda, James, and Theodore had been appraised of the situation and had been actively assisting in choosing a new Headmaster from the remaining teachers. While the Council appreciated the help in Huntsman matters from the other Kingdoms, they were also unaware of the motives to find someone worthy to join the Circle.
ABRN and SSSN sat together as they discussed what they were going to do now that Haven would be closed for a while.
"Do you really think that they'll get new teachers and a Headmaster by the new school year?" Bolin asks.
"I doubt it." Neptune shrugs. "They only have a few months and I don't think too many would give up field work now to be stuck in a classroom."
"Hey, it's gotta be easier than what we got going back at Menagerie." Sun scoffs. "We just got Sirius built and need to find everyone but the janitor."
Reese smacks the monkey's arm. "Where's your school pride? I thought you were with us?"
"Hey! I am with Haven like you guys. It's just… I helped to build that school." Sun began to look downcast. "I was there to cut down trees, digging the foundation… I was there when it was attacked."
"So you feel like it's your baby?" Arslan was sympathetic, though that slowly turned to amusement. "And is there anything else baby related while you were gone?"
"Wha-what?!" Sun sat ramrod straight in his seat, his tail going stiff behind him, and face going from tanned to bright red. "B-babies?! We've been using protection!"
"Ha! I knew they were doing it!" Reese suddenly gloats and elbows Nadir. "Pay up!"
"Really guys?" The monkey whines at the other team's actions, watching as Nadir hands over a Lien card to the grinning skater girl.
"Relax dude." Sage calms his friend. "It's all in good fun."
Scarlet jumped in. "Yeah, they just wanted to hear it from you rather than rumors."
"Right." Bolin nods in agreement.
"Uh-huh." Sun narrows his eyes at the teams, not convinced fully. "And since you are so interested in relationships, what about you guys?" He questions and points at the four.
"Not looking." Three of them were quick to comment.
"Looking for a guy who will put up with me as a vegan." Reese shrugs, though her tone hinted at something deeper and slightly bitter. The rest of the group wore expressions that warned to not pry any further.
"Hey, why did you only ask them?" Neptune tries to redirect attention.
"Dude, you may be my best bud but even after a year away I was pretty sure you wouldn't have any luck."
That response and the casualness it was said sent the blue haired young man into melancholy for the rest of the hangout session.
It's been two days since Ruby's birthday party and as Pyrrha had expected when she went to train the day before, her armor was more than a little snug as she was still working off that meal. She, like the rest of the girls, were quite sure that they may have gained a little weight after all that they ate. At the same time, at their sizes two or three pounds were barely noticeable.
They were big girls and they refused to let their weights define them, just as they had for the past year and a half. They were Huntresses first and foremost, they just happened to be some of the heaviest Huntresses around and they are highly skilled.
The redheaded warrior woman stood at six feet tall, with two inch heels, and is roughly three hundred and fifty pounds. Granted, with her level of training, much of that is muscle under a coating of fat that hid the definition well. Her hourglass figure had been maintained from before the Issue forced the weight on her but she wore it well.
Her face had only gotten a little softer, a little rounder in the cheeks and chin while her neck had thickened so that her gorget had required resizing. From there, her slightly broader than average shoulders carried great power and her upper arms had bulked considerably from both muscle and the far softer fat, enough to make them jiggle when relaxed and unbound from her sleeves and armor.
Her bust had grown a few sizes- not that she was exactly small before, as did the rest of her upper torso. Enough that since her armor left her upper back exposed her shoulder blades were not immediately apparent and her skin often folded over the straps slightly. For now, that was simply the case for her support wear before she slipped her dress on.
Her waist is easily her smallest measurement but even then it was roughly her old hip numbers. That meant that while her middle was definitely soft with a small belly that shook when it was free, nobody had to poke very hard or deep to find the rock hard abs under the padding.
Then her hips flared from there, making her old measurement there roughly half of her current ones. That also meant that her thighs had grown to match, her training keeping them strong and toned and the fat only smoothed the limbs. Despite the growth they held all of the speed and power they did before, if not more now.
Overall, as she tugs her red dress down over the perky bubble of her rear and straightens the much darker sleeves on her arms, Pyrrha felt that she looked quite well. There was the scarring on her foot from the arrow and surgery but little to mar her appearance once she put her shoes on.
Looking in the full length mirror, she treated herself to a few poses, even a few from her cereal mascot days, before taking the golden ribbon and tying her hair back.
She had a date with Jaune to get to.
Jaune pulled his blonde hair back, noticing that it had grown a bit since the last time he and Pyrrha went on a date. It was starting to get a bit shaggy and it was tamed for the most part like this.
"Ha, warriors wolf tail." He says as he uses a small elastic band to tie the mess back. Having so many sisters did come in handy if he had no problem with the band.
He stood in front of his own mirror dressed and ready to go. White button up shirt with a black vest over it, matching black pants and shoes and a burgundy tie to add a splash of color.
Standing at a little over six feet tall, he was a young man who could catch the attention of many.
When he had arrived at Beacon, he had been of wiry build but thanks to Pyrrha assisting in his training he had developed more muscle definition before the Issue hit them all. While he had bulked up like the rest of the guys affected, he had managed to lose most of that weight during the long trip to Mistral.
Now his old self looked scrawny in comparison to his current form, what little fat remained mostly helped him look younger. He was still fairly thin but looked like a real fighter now, one with a surprising amount of raw strength.
One last check in the mirror to see how his hair is, a bit shaggy and messy up top but the back was pulled into a tail on the back of his head. It wasn't long but better than letting it loose and he'd likely keep it in the style for a while.
For now, he had a date with Pyrrha to get to.
"Training again?"
Two blondes pause their spar and look at Weiss.
The heiress shook her head at the blank looks she was given. "I should have figured it out with you two by now."
"What's wrong with a little workout, Weiss-cream?" Yang relaxes as Denko walks over to the side and tosses her a water bottle.
"Just keeping in shape." Denko shrugs as his girlfriend was busy drinking.
"Yes, we know you like her round." Weiss fires back as she rolls her eyes. Neither of them denied the comment so Weiss continued. "But we have guests, so come back upstairs."
In the living room, Ruby and Nora were talking to Blake and Sun as Ren gathered some snacks and drinks.
"So the Militia are going home now?" The rotund reaper asks.
"Yes." Blake nods. "Mistral has been tolerant of us for a while but it's best to not push our luck for much longer."
"But you guys helped everyone!"
"Ruby, Mistral isn't as nice to Faunus as Vale is." Sun was surprisingly serious. "We have to work harder than any human just to get the same kind of respect and even then it's usually not much. Professor Lionheart had a hell of a time getting to where he was."
"Even then he had a little help." Roman chimes in, having been sitting to the side. "Old Oz and Theodore had put their support behind him to help Leo become Headmaster. Hoped that having a Faunus in such a high position would erode the prejudice, if even slightly."
"Is that why you insisted for another Faunus to take the position?" Ren asks as he returns with a plate of snacks and a pot of tea.
"Quite perceptive, Lie Ren." Ozpin remarks, temporarily taking over. "But yes, the other Headmasters have looked for the best candidates for the position among Faunus first and foremost."
"That does sound a bit like you could be passing up good people for the job, even with the good intentions." Ren states as he pours tea for everyone.
"Perhaps, though you understand that we are trying to help mend the divide between the two species. But in the event that none can be found with the skills and qualities needed… and willing to take the position, a human with Faunus sympathies would be the next step."
"And not someone like my father." Weiss scoffs as she sits at the table.
"I'm getting the feeling that you haven't told us your real opinion of the man." Denko quips as he and Yang sat down.
"I'd rather not stoop to using vulgarity if I could help it." The heiress turns her nose up with huff.
"Yeah… I'd say she has very little good to say about him." Yang wasn't smiling as she said that.
"Quite." Roman was back in control again. "If half of what I've heard of the man are true, he makes my past business look… kind."
Ruby glared at the former gentleman thief. "You were kind?"
"Hey! I preferred to keep my targets alive and capable of turning their own profits. If I had gone around leaving a trail of bodies or robbing businesses blind, I would have been forced to change my business practices long ago."
"So… leave them alive and only take a little at a time so you have a steady source and it keeps the cops from really committing a major effort to find you." Denko deadpans.
"Bingo!"
"Alright, new topic." Weiss interjects before looking at the Faunus couple. "Does that mean you two are going home again?"
Blake and Sun blinked at the question before the cat answered. "A-actually, Mom and Dad wanted to stay for a bit to do a few things."
"Yeah, Sienna is taking the Militia back to Menagerie and are leaving a lot of the White Fang that were captured to the Mistral Council to deal with their punishment." Sun adds. "So we're sticking around for a bit, at least."
"You don't sound too certain about that." Denko points out.
"Gah… It's just… being back here with my team… we wound up talking about what we're gonna do about school." The monkey hung his head as he spoke. "The guys were thinking about going to Shade, at least for the next year so Haven can get going again."
"Team ABRN too." Blake adds.
Ruby's eyes went wide. "Wait, does that mean you…?"
"I'd be going with them?" Sun finishes for her.
"Yeah."
"Well… believe it or not, we actually talked about that earlier." Blake spoke with a hint of confidence, even if she looked embarrassed somewhat, and saddened.
"What do you mean?" Yang asks, curious as to how her wayward friend had developed in the past year. Her time away with family and Sun had definitely made the girl more open and relaxed than before and the confidence outside of books or a fight was noticeable.
"What I mean is… Sirius is going to need qualified teachers as soon as possible." The cat began to blush. "Sun going with his team to Shade to finish there or here at Haven would get him his license as a full Huntsman, maybe get a few teaching courses in so he'd be ready."
"Ready?" Weiss was surprised. "Sun… you're going to be a teacher at Sirius Academy?"
The monkey turned red as he scratched his hair in embarrassment. "Hehehe, pretty much."
"Wow… and I thought that my opinion of you had changed drastically when we were still at Beacon."
Sun stared at her in shock. "Um… do I want to know what you thought of me at first?" He knew that by the time the Vytal Tournament was about to begin, the two of them had been on good enough terms to freely say that they were friends.
Blake leaned over with a small grin that made the pale girl turn scarlet as she recalled that day. "Let's just say that rapscallion was among the nicer things she had to say as she insisted on catching you for the cops."
"Rapscallion?"
Weiss had buried her face into Ruby's shoulder, the skin indistinguishable from the cloak. "I thought that we were past that night." The heiress whines.
"Oh, we are. Doesn't mean we can't have a little fun looking back, right?" The cat grins.
"You can be cruel, you know that?" A blue eye glares at the amber eyes filled with mirth.
"I know." Blake sips from her tea as if nothing was happening.
"Now you know what I have to put up with." Sun pokes the padded ribs next to him with his tail.
Silence reigned for a short time, aside from sips and the crunching of the snacks.
"Hey Blake!" Yang suddenly shouts and nearly scares everyone at the table.
"Gah! Yang!" The cat held onto Sun's shoulders since she had leapt to her feet.
"Hehe, sorry." The bountiful blonde apologizes with a not entirely honest tone. "But since you were sticking around for a while, how about we go for a double date with our boys?"
Said boys blinked in shock and looked at each other, shrugging in acceptance. Blake was a bit more thoughtful but it had been a long time since she and Sun had any real romance time together and having the other couple with them would add a new spin to things.
"Sure."
Sun was quick to get ready for the date, the girls insisted on dressing up like Jaune and Pyrrha did. Though unlike that couple who wore the same outfits from their last date in the city from nearly two weeks ago now, the couples had nothing.
Given that none of them had even thought about packing anything more than mission gear, that led to Sun taking Denko out shopping to a place that Neptune would normally go to where they picked up some rather simple clothes for the date.
At the same time, Blake and Yang went out to find their own outfits for the date. Yet that didn't get them out of a bit of teasing from their parents.
"Don't stay out too late." Tai insists, earning an eye roll from the blonde girl.
"Try not to get into too much trouble." Raven tells her daughter.
"'Too much trouble'?" Ghira had to ask.
"Oh hush dear." Kali reached up to give his shoulder a light smack, ensuring that she hit the right one. "If even half of what they did at Beacon is true, they will find some way to get into something."
"Mom! Really?"
"Umm… Blake? You don't exactly have the best track record there." Yang had no problem pointing out that the cat WAS the biggest source of discord within their team.
Then Qrow decided to speak up. "Given that they aren't in school, I'm sure Firecracker here will be the real expert in causing some chaos."
"What makes you say that?" The blonde suddenly seemed a bit sheepish and began playing with her hair. Tai knew that act very well, as did Ruby who was watching from the corner with Weiss.
The elder Huntsman smirks down at his niece. "One word- Junior's."
That was enough to make the girl purse her lips to indicate that she knew he knew too much and the smirk made her know that anything she said would make him tell everyone what she did that night two years ago.
The giggles from the shorter girls didn't help.
Without a word, Yang turned and went out the door, prompting Qrow to laugh and the other three girls to follow the blonde, leaving the adults to their own devices.
It didn't take too long for dresses to be found in their sizes and some quick tailoring to fit right.
"Do you know what the others are doing?" Ruby asks as she does some window shopping, the glint of sharpened steel having caught her eyes.
Weiss put a finger to her lips in thought. "Well… Ren and Nora have nothing planned and neither do we. Oscar is apparently helping Talon, Anya, Itazura, and Rom- Ray… with something they have planned." She had nearly slipped and used the reincarnated man's name rather than the one he had taken up for his 'new life'.
"Any idea what they are doing? You've known them better than I have." Blake asks, her dress in a bag folded over her arms.
"Hey, you spent the last year with the little fox, I thought you'd know her by now." Yang carried her dress by letting it hang down her back dangling by her fingers over her shoulder.
"She's… a bit secretive and sneaks around." The cat looks away.
"True, but I think you were just more focused on getting some tail." The blonde teases with a grin, watching as the cat turned red.
"I-I wasn't trying."
"From what I heard, you made the first move." Weiss teased. "Something to do with ribbons?"
"Guys… please?" Blake pleads for the end of the embarrassment. She didn't regret one bit getting together with Sun but she simply couldn't take the teasing. Her mother was bad enough but at least everyone was supportive of her relationship with the monkey boy.
At least everyone was supportive for those whose opinions mattered to her.
"Okay! That's enough! Let's get home so we can get to our fun tonight!" Ruby jumps in to push the other three down the road.
Sun was dressed and ready to go. His hair was clean and tamed (wild), and his black button down shirt and black slacks fit well on his muscular build. The Issue had made him gain weight like the other men who had been affected but he had lost most of it by this point, at least he had his six-pack back.
His tail was still growing hair at the bald spot, though now it was at least fuzzy there but it was wrapped anyway, in black to match. At least Neptune had a pair of shoes he could borrow and the blue tie like from the dance at Beacon.
Denko was much more casually dressed than his friend, a dark green polo shirt and khaki pants, with brown shoes that were also borrowed from Neptune. His wrists were covered by his usual green bands and his hair was combed back… though it wasn't expected to last long. Compared to Sun, he had a naturally stockier build but his weight was never touched by the Issue so that never fluctuated as the Beacon and Haven students had.
Now the two of them just had to wait for their dates to come from their respective rooms.
Blake descended the stairs to find her father, mother, Ilia, and Sun waiting for her.
Wearing a dress rather similar to the one she wore at Beacon for the first time she danced with her now boyfriend, the deep purple fabric hugged her frame well. The shoulder straps were wide enough that they flared at her shoulders to make them look a bit wider while leaving her arms bare.
Her chest had grown a few sizes, nothing extraordinary, especially given the size of the rest of her but enough to make her busty. Her shoulders had softened since first being affected by The Issue, as did her arms so that they had lost any definition they once had. Unlike Pyrrha, her arms lacked the substantial muscle to keep them from jiggling most of the time.
But she had definitely grown into a pear shape, her soft stomach hiding the waistband of her panties and large enough to split into two layers by her bellybutton. But her waist is much larger than it had been for most of her young adult life yet that was nothing compared to lower on her body.
Her hips flared out from her waist in a soft curve that led to thick legs that had managed to stay smooth as they grew softer. Yet it was her rear who had taken much of her growth, the booty she rocked being large and round, surprisingly perky for something that was easily twice as wide as it used to be when she was thin and stuck out at least as much as her front. Even then, she had heard compliments about her backside on occasion from those other than Sun.
Her legs tapered down to her feet, thick but strong enough to not just carry her but to keep her fighting as a Huntress. Being nearly three hundred and fifty pounds wasn't the largest she had been but it is a comfortable middle ground from where she had been on both sides of extremes.
The purple dress only exposed the upper part of her chest, only hinting at what lay beneath, before stretching across her torso and down to her knees. Slits from the hips to hem allowed for freedom of movement of her legs, limbs that were covered in black stockings and she wore low heeled shoes that matched the dress in color.
Her long hair though, was now tied back with a teal bow that sat at her shoulders, ensuring that her ears were free to be seen while adding a little callback.
She reached the bottom of the stairs gracefully where Kali was quick with her camera and Sun stood stunned silent. As much as Ilia approved of the look of her old flame, she was happy her friends were together, though it took her slapping Sun's back to get him moving.
"Don't stay out too late, you hear?" Ghira reminds them with a smile.
In the other house, Denko fiddled with his scroll as he waited for Yang, though he didn't have to wait long.
The tallest member of her own team and just slightly shorter than her boyfriend, Yang walked down the stairs holding her shoes so she could sneak as quietly as possible.
Though as the heaviest of the girls in the overall group, if slightly more than Pyrrha because of her metal arm, she also has the largest waistline thanks to so much of her growth in her belly compared to her other assets.
Standing at five feet and eight inches tall, she had the height advantage over all of the girls but Pyrrha. But like the taller girl, she has an abundance of muscle under her padding. Soft fat on her shoulders hid the hard tendons that powered punches that could shatter stone. Her arms were similarly coated over the strong muscles, though the right arm stood out thanks to the hard prosthetic compared to the soft flesh on the left even if they were roughly equal in size.
Her chest is something she took pride in, having been among the largest when she arrived at Beacon and had remained so during the Issue, at least in her year. There were a few other students who rivaled her in that area and the Issue had found some of those who found themselves extra top-heavy as they took the title of largest chests in the school. Not to menton some of the female staff… But Yang had managed to keep her girls large but thankfully within reason.
Yet it was her gut that took the brunt of the weight added by the Issue, becoming a large ball that helped to support her breasts from below. And all of that weight to her front made her glad that she is as strong as she is to carry the three globes, and that her body shaper was designed to take some of the strain from her back.
Speaking of backs, hers had remained soft and smooth and ended with a smaller than expected butt for her size, still had plenty of padding but her training had helped it be toned and round. From there, her legs were thick with muscles hidden under a layer of fat that kept the definition from showing.
And she decided to show that off with a yellow sundress with a low cut neck and a pair of matching shorts beneath in the good chance that she'd become excitable. A white cloth belt accented the upper curve of her belly as it drew the dress tighter just under her chest. A pair of white low-heeled shoes donned her feet as she let her hair loose for the night.
"Surprise!" The girl grabs his shoulders from behind and presses herself against him.
"All ready to go?" Denko asks, not exactly surprised but willing to let her have her fun.
"Yep! Just let me put my shoes on." As she let him go to sit on the couch to do as she said, her boyfriend couldn't help but notice that she had gone for the simple look as she did at the Beacon dance.
"And there they are, ready to go." Weiss smirks at the couple from her own seat with Ruby by her side.
"And we get to see them off." Tai was leaning on the glass wall with Raven on one side and Qrow on the other.
"Ha, good luck catching me in one of those dresses." Vernal remarks as she takes a swig of something from a can.
"I thought we agreed there would be no drinking in the house?" With those words, the father had crossed the room and snatched the can from her hand.
"What?! But the drunkard can?" Vernal jumps to her feet and points at Qrow. Said man paused with his finger prying the tab up on the can in his hand.
As the argument began, Yang and Denko decided that it would be best to leave and silently left, knowing that Ruby was getting plenty of pictures for them. All the while, Raven watched the family interaction with a small smile knowing that the daughter she had brought into the world was becoming a woman, the daughter of her friend was much like her mother, and the daughter she had adopted was getting a new version of tough love.
Ren knew the couples had left and was now with Nora, Ruby, and Weiss just to simply wander around Mistral. Inwardly he wondered if he could be brave enough to take that sort of plunge as every time he felt that he and Nora happened to be alone and were having a comfortable and peaceful moment alone, he just fell back to doubts and finding his relief in knowing that the girl stayed by his side through all of the challenges they faced. All of the pain and hardships they had faced over the years they had encountered, being fully honest to the other seemed to be the hardest of them all for him to endure. At least with this matter, the other things were easy in comparison.
Like the other men affected by the Issue, he had bulked up but had managed to lose the majority of it, looking less svelte than he had been when he had arrived at Beacon. Not the biggest difference considering his usual choice of attire but with his arms exposed it was easy to see that they were thicker.
As for his best friend… she was still a little ball of energy, though 'little' and 'ball' had taken slightly different meanings since last year.
Standing at just over five feet tall, her vibrant orange hair was kept to chin length and helped her blue-green eyes stand out. Her soft, round face was usually donned with a smile.
From there, she got thicker as she went down. As the physically strongest, just surpassing Yang and Pyrrha in raw strength, her well-padded shoulders and arms hid the muscles that swung her massive hammer with ease- a hammer that has been known to shatter large boulders in a single strike when swung by her. And her friends pitied anyone trapped in her hugs when she forgets to dial back on her strength before joints and bones begin to crack.
Her chest is nothing to dismiss, having been large on her frame when she first arrived at Beacon and has only grown since then. From there she grew wider and softer, a large belly that she typically kept held back by her belt and matching wide hips. Then there were her proud thunder thighs, filled with powerful muscle encased in natural insulation that were as soft as they are strong, allowing her to keep moving as she did as when she was thin.
Overall, she was a three hundred plus pound pear that rarely stopped moving. Her bright pink skirt definitely helped to alert others if her loud voice didn't.
Next to her walked Ruby, the girl was on the lighter side of the range the team had, if being a few pounds lighter than Nora meant much.
Three inches taller than her pink-skirted friend, Ruby was still growing up as the youngest of the group by two years, at least until Oscar joined them, having her height increase by two inches since she arrived at Beacon. She wasn't tall by any means but her family thought that she may have a little more to go yet.
Then again, being so young when the Issue began to take its hold on her, her face never did get to lose any of the baby fat. The Issue only added to it a bit more to give her adorable round cheeks.
Her shoulders were softened by fat but one didn't have to push hard to find a surprising amount of muscle underneath. Muscles that helped her swing her massive scythe around with ease. Similarly, her arms had just as much muscle under the padding to make them deceptively strong yet comfortable, as some found when she'd hug them.
Of her team, she had the most even distribution as the weight came in. Her chest had been fairly developed by the time she had entered Beacon, certainly more than Weiss' much to the heiress's secret dismay, and had grown a few sizes thanks to the combination of the Issue and puberty since that time. In that area, she was at least as big as Blake now.
Below that, she was soft and round all over, much like a plushy. Belly, sides, back, it didn't matter as she was simply plush. She still had a bigger backside than her sister, being small only compared to Blake. Same in regards to her hips in comparison to Weiss.
Her legs are thick but still very capable of carrying her at great speeds as she used to when she was smaller. Like the others, much of their mass is muscle with a sheath of fat that hid the power until she showed it.
As for Weiss, she had the greatest difference in distribution of all of the girls. Her face was barely touched and her arms only thickened a little, hiding what little muscle she does have. She was glad that her chest had taken some growth but considering that she was nearly flat before the Issue, anything was an improvement though she was only as big as Blake was before the Issue hit them.
Below that, she grew larger. Enough to have a small soft belly and be comparable to Pyrrha for waist measurements.
Then her hips… Her hips and lower half took the bulk of her gains, flaring out so that she practically had arm rests on her at all times and making her three times wider than she used to be. Her rear took its fair share, ensuring that she was well padded wherever she sat. And her thighs followed suit, making her legs look more like cones with dainty feet at the ends.
Granted, her legs are also where the bulk of her muscle is and she trained hard to not be slowed down by her lower half. Still, she was barely lighter than Ruby.
"So… where are we going?" Weiss asks as they walk down the street.
"Reese and Nadir told us about this great arcade!" Nora tells her with her usual excitement, complete with fists held high.
"An arcade?" Weiss questions. She had heard of them on occasion but never seen one, let alone had the experience of being in one.
"Yeah!" Ruby bounced next to her. "ABRN and Neptune said they'd meet us there so we can have more fun."
"And we have enough lien to go for a few hours." Ren shrugs, actually looking forward to the distraction as a change of pace.
Back at Haven, the team was in the school forge and hard at work. They were glad that there was everything they needed in the supply storage units and they were doing their best to make them exactly to specifications.
After all, it wouldn't do much but be a waste of time if they weren't exactly like the original.
"Ah… some peace and quiet." Qrow relaxed in the soft chair, letting some of the lingering sore spots slip from his mind.
"Ha! You should have been home after the girls left for school. I had to crank up the speakers just to add a little noise once and a while." Taiyang laughed from his spot on the larger couch.
"You had a full house again for a while." Raven commented with a smile.
"Do you know how much of a relief it was for me?" The blonde retorts. "Once in a while is good but that house is meant to be full. Just doesn't feel right otherwise." It was obvious that he didn't want to be reminded about how his daughters had returned from Beacon, it was just good that they were back alive and had brought company to help.
Vernal scoffs from her place stretched out on the floor, going through the brand new scroll she was given. "Can't say too much about my old family beyond it wasn't bad before… things happened."
It was clear that she was still bitter about how her sister had been pushed to the breaking point years ago. The same point that had the two of them running away together just to live as they wanted. Their adoption by Raven was the happiest either of them had been since before Flora received the Maiden powers that Raven now held.
Tai shrugs. "Well, I hope you're ready for a bit of the easy life… unless Glynda has more stuff for us to do. I know I need to get back to my classes."
"Not gonna make me go to school, are ya Old Man?"
"Some education never hurt anyone." Qrow smirks at the girl.
"Or maybe a change of attire to go with you change in life?" Raven suggests with a smile, her tone shifting to one that promised that the speaker was getting into a playful mood.
"Oh no." Vernal knew that tone and how there was little chance she's getting out of it.
"Your great grandfather's name was Helios?" Pyrrha asks as she and Jaune enjoyed an evening meal together.
"Add another great or two in there… but yeah. Why?"
"It's just… something about the name seems to ring a bell but I can't remember why." She shrugs her shoulders, something that Jaune did not mind watching as her dress moved in a certain way because of it. "I'll just have to ask Mother if she knows… later."
"Wow, we really were big girls, huh?" Yang comments as she and Blake showed photos to each other, swapping a few stories about what they did with their respective boyfriends and families. Those photos just happened to be when each of them were at their largest before they got their butts in gear to lose a large chunk of that weight.
"Yang, we're still pretty big." The cat deadpans at her sister.
"Eh, maybe. There's no way we would have fit in this booth if we were that big again."
Meanwhile, the boys were content to listen and add a few comments now and then to add their perspectives to certain stories.
At least their dinners were on their way from the kitchen.
In the land shrouded in darkness, an airship landed outside of a castle. Several figures emerged and went for the door, though some required assistance.
"Welcome back." A smooth voice echoed through the dimly lit halls as they entered. "I trust your time at Mistral was… enlightening?"
Everyone in the group stiffened, recognizing the undercurrent of danger in the voice that made the pleasant words threatening rather than inviting.
Then the voice spoke again, but not as gently. "Come to the grand hall immediately for your reports."
It took a few minutes but Hazel pushed the large doors open so the others could enter.
As expected, Salem sat at the head of the table with an unreadable expression on her face, patiently waiting for them. To her right and leaving an open seat between himself and his Mistress, Arthur calmly watched something on his scroll with a slight touch of amusement.
Hazel stopped at the end of the table and dropped to one knee. Mercury used his makeshift crutch to help lower himself carefully, one leg missing from the knee down. Tyrian dropped to both knees and pressed his head to the floor, hands flat and spread upon the cool stonework.
Then there was Adam. He stood defiantly as he looked at the pale woman.
His choice to remain standing and not showing deference to Salem drew the attention of everyone in the room. Mercury kept his mouth shut, not wanting to draw attention to himself as he could barely get around as he was. Tyrian turned his head and glared with rage that his Queen wasn't being shown respect. Hazel remained quiet as he knew how stubborn the man is and he would need to learn as the rest of them did. Watts simply sat back to watch the result.
"Interesting. You are quite remarkable in your ability in combat and to lead others, from the reports I've received." Salem begins, surprising the others but they remained in place until told otherwise.
"And you must be Salem. Your followers have refused to say much about you." He crossed his arms.
"Hmmm… perhaps it is because they respect that I wish to keep my secrecy?" She smiles.
"Recruiting my men for your cause to serve as your foot soldiers and attacking two of the four Kingdoms does not make me believe that you are trying to keep yourself in secrecy." Adam rests a hand by his sword. "More like you are simply keeping your hands clean by having others do the work for you."
Salem said nothing, choosing to stand with a small smile and all but glide across the floor to stand much closer to the bull. Due to their differences in height, she had to look up but both refused to break eye contact, their battle of wills.
"You respect power and experience above all else, don't you Mr. Taurus?"
"Along with the drive to push through obstacles in your way." He responds simply.
"Then you should know that there is no one on this planet with more experience than I." She spoke with such sincerity and confidence that it was as if anyone else were saying that the sun is bright.
"I have seen humanity and the Faunus raise kingdoms and armies and the destruction of those so many times that I would need to consult my records to be sure.
I've seen so much death that it does not phase me, as does witnessing the population grow.
Armies have come at me with the singular purpose to kill me… and I've not just survived but ensured that I killed every last man and woman in those armies myself.
I am the one who the most powerful men in the world only speak of behind closed doors. For I am their greatest fear and I control the nightmares of others."
"Show me."
Those two words sent shivers up the spines of everyone else, the three men looking at them now as they kneeled. And the smile on Salem's face widened.
Then something grabbed Adam's ankle, causing him to look down to see a three fingered hand with the telltale black flesh and white claws of a Grimm that had emerged from a small portal in the floor.
The portal widened to allow more hands to rise out and grasp at the Faunus. In turn, Blush lashed out to sever the hands. Dozens fell to turn to smoke and still they came, too many grabbing his legs to allow him to run at any time and too many stretching up to grasp higher on his body.
The sword froze in place, masked eyes glancing up to see that Salem had caught the crimson blade between two fingers and it refused to move from there. But that moment was all that the hands needed to pull him to the floor where he resisted going any further than his hands and knees, his grip on his weapon failing in the process.
"Hmmm… this is a very well made sword." Salem comments as she inspects the blade as though its owner wasn't struggling at her feet. "Very well balanced, the edge is sharp and without defects, and it is quite clean and well maintained."
Adam glared up at her from his position, his mask doing little to hide his anger and frustration.
Salem used the swords tip to pry off the white ceramic, exposing the blue right eye and the dulled, bloodshot left under a branding scar.
"Now that is interesting." Salem leans down for a closer look, noting the lack of fear. "You have been beaten and marked in ways to ensure that you could never forget the pain… Every day is a reminder. No wonder why you pursue such ambitions as subjugating the human race."
She stands up straight and walks around him, watching as he refused to let her out of his sight as he continued to fight against the Grimm holding him down.
"You have lost your sense of fear, I see. No doubt that your anger and motivation have crushed it over the years. Any acts of self defense are merely instinct and you've honed your skills to the point that few could oppose you alone."
She stops in front of him again.
"You see, I actually like that in a person and everyone here has their own grievances with the world. However…" Blush was pressed against his neck, the skin indented by the razor edge and it was only his aura that prevented him from being cut, for now. "You are nothing to me but an extension of my will now. And as such, your life belongs to me.
Follow my orders and you will be rewarded."
Adam maintains his glare on the witch. "What rewards are you offering? Cinder only had some money and Dust."
"How about an end to the Kingdoms you hate so much?"
His glare softened slightly in his surprise but returned to before. "What's the catch?"
"You do as I say. The others here will tell you that I treat them all fairly, giving them what they need to the best of my abilities, and they can do as they please… so long as my orders are followed to the best of their abilities."
Salem turns and walks back to her seat, still carrying Blush in her hand and leaving Adam held down. It was only once she had sat again did the Grimm vanish to let him stand freely.
Adam rose but was cautious of this being a trick and ready to jump and use his rifle at a moment's notice.
"Well? Will you work for me?" Salem asks politely but there was a dangerous undercurrent given what she had just done to him.
Adam points at Watts. "He had my White Fang relocate to the north of Anima with much of my supplies and over a hundred of my troops. That could have been what was needed at Mistral for a true victory."
"Ahem." Arthur coughs into his fist before addressing his accuser. "To be clear, the true objective was not to conquer Mistral and even the destruction of the communication tower was only a secondary goal."
"Are you saying that my men were nothing but cannon fodder?" Adam's grip on his rifle tightened.
"Far from it. If they were, they would have been sent to the main gate where they would have had no chance of survival." The scientist explains. "As you know, we had sent a horde of Grimm to garner the attention of the defenses while your forces attacked the much less defended side gate.
Even with the meddling of Huntsmen in the area, your men succeeded. The destruction of several blocks is quite commendable as well after the breach.
According to my reports, there was another party that was responsible for saving the Tower as you left to lead your men up to Haven."
Salem laced her fingers in front of her. "By all accounts, your troops did as they asked and performed as expected."
"And what is your next move?" It was clear from his tone that he hated the loss of his troops but had accepted the compliments, yet was curious for what lay next.
Watts' grin could not be hidden by his mustache. "A mutual goal between us: bringing down Atlas."
Adam's mismatched eyes narrowed as he smiled. "You have my attention. Perhaps we should compare notes?"
"Ah! Glad to have you on board! I hope you don't mind a small break to gather your information as I tend to their injuries and repairs." Arthur was giving an honest smile in return to the new member of the team.
But having mentioned the others, the atmosphere seemed to take on a chill.
"Now that Mr. Taurus has been taken care of." She pauses to float his sword back to the man, who took it gratefully and sheathed it. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"
"Madam, I'll take responsibility for our failure." Hazel admits quickly.
The portal on the floor appeared again and the arms reached up to drag the large man down to the unforgiving stone, holding him there.
"Hazel…" Salem was disappointed. "Your nobility is matched by your skills in combat. You have spent years serving me faithfully." Several of the Grimm arms lifted the hand that Nora had broken. "From my reports thus far, you fulfilled your part as needed and ensured that the others were not captured as Miss Sustrai was."
Hazel lifted his head as his arm was returned to the floor. "But Madam! I-!" Whatever he was going to say was cut off as several arms slammed his face to the stone.
"Mr. Black?"
The assassin's glare wasn't directed at his Mistress but his memory. "They were ready for us."
"Explain."
"I'm not sure how they knew, maybe the old Crow knew Lionheart well enough to pick up on whatever little clues were around." He huffs. "But they didn't exactly expect us but weren't too surprised after what happened at Beacon."
"Go on." The others listened with rapt attention.
"They had a backup team from the ones we knew were in the city."
"Which was why I had hired the bandits." Watts chimes in. "A distraction at the very least and the needed muscle in case of any Huntsman who happened by."
"Did a whole lot of good in the end!" Mercury spat back. "Yeah, the bait to bring out the Spring Maiden worked but she had her bitch daughter and the team that was the biggest pain in the ass to us back at Beacon!"
"Are you referring to the ones who defeated Cinder AND took down my Wyvern?" Salem asks, though she seemed to know the answer she kept her tone to a forced pleasantry.
"Yeah, those assholes."
"I knew I should have stayed to continue to lead the mission!" Arthur slams a fist on the stone table. Then he calmed and addressed his boss. "But I was required to assist our Lady with another project."
"We followed your plan!" Mercury shot back.
Watts stood up and points at the disabled assassin. "And my plan had variables accounted for! There should have been no problems except…" The Doctor trailed off. "Cinder was being overly dramatic again, wasn't she? No doubt giving our enemies time to think and act rather than guiding them to a path of our choosing."
"Hmph! Not much we can do about that now, is there?"
"Enough from both of you!" Salem commands, halting the argument immediately. She slowly steadied herself. "From my Seer, I was able to observe the aftermath. Two Maiden's went down to the Vault… and one returned… and Miss Sustrai was captured."
"Does that mean that Cinder is dead?" There seemed to be a hint of hope in the question from Arthur.
Red eyes looked over at the man. "No… I can still feel her presence. Weak but alive yet." Then her gaze turned to Tyrian who was still bowed next to Hazel.
"And despite your failure in the general combat, Tyrian." The scorpion whined from his postulation. "Some measure of gratitude must be given for silencing the coward before he could talk."
At that, Tyrian raised his head with a proud grin and Hazel was released.
"Now go. Prepare yourselves for the next tasks ahead, Doctor Watts has been working diligently to ensure that everything goes to plan." Salem orders
"What about Emerald?" Mercury asks as he struggled to his foot.
Salem glanced at the boy. "I have little doubt that she'll find a way to escape and return to us." She walks over to one of the large windows that overlooked the barren and twisted stone of the landscape. "And as for Cinder… we'll let this be her punishment for failing me. And we'll see how sincere her apology is once she returns."
"Your Grace?"
"What is it Hazel?" Salem looked at the big man, watching as the others filed out the door, ushered by Arthur.
"You should know, Ozpin has reincarnated." He braced himself for the backlash but none came, just that the tension in the room became suffocating.
"Get out."
Hazel didn't need to be told twice, stepping through the doors and closing them behind himself. From the gaps around the barriers, hot wind shot through the cracks and removing any dust in the vicinity and the sound of breaking glass filled his ears. He hurried away not wanting to find out what was done or risk it being turned on him.
AN: As stated at the top, this is the final chapter of Big Issues. While this part of the story will end, Larger Issues will pick up where this left off AND I'll focus on getting Small Issues running again before I start the next segment. Granted, a friend who has been helping me out with ideas had suggested that I rewrite the RWBY/DC movies... and I can't help but come up with plenty of ideas, especially since I can't find anything to praise the originals for. So if I do start that up, adding yet another project to my list, I'll let you all know.
Now, as for this chapter, Volume Five events are now over and I'm sure that I left plenty of questions while having some answered. Feel free to ask some more and I'll do my best to answer them directly. And for something that has been few and far between, I gave fuller descriptions of teams RWBY and JNPR, as one fan/friend had asked for. I hope that for some of you, it hadn't turned you off after everything, I have seen other reviews where they had actually forgotten that many of the main characters had gained weight at all. Others remember that their gains weren't by choice and they worked hard to not let their sizes slow them down or define them.
But as some have seen in earlier reviews, especially on this site, not all have been so kind as to be understanding. Oh well.
I've rambled long enough here. Feel free to send me reviews and ask questions. I'll see you all in my other stories. And for those who have gone through this long journey with me over the three years I've written this series, thank you.