Mama Yang

"You should have seen the look on Joanna's face." Robyn said, laughing as she was retelling stories of her groups past antics, and exploits. "I don't think she'd ever lost a fight, before that. At least, not fair and square." Not getting any reaction from Qrow, or Jacques, Robyn seemed a little down herself. "Tough crowd tonight. Guess Ironwood should have paid for better cell block entertainment." That comment got a chuckle out of Qrow. "An' he smiles, did I win?"

"Hey, it's your game. I don't make the rules." Qrow stated.

Robyn looked at Qrow, before looking to the pendant in his hands, recalling what had been done to Clover.

"I'm sorry, for what happened." Robyn said. "It wasn't your fault."

"It was though." Qrow said. "I made a deal with the darkness, and he paid the price. It was all happening so fast, but Clover wouldn't let up. We could have worked together against Tyrian, if Clover had just…" The former drunk stopped, as he realized he was beginning to ramble about what could have happened, rather then what actually had happened. "But the thing that really stings, for the first time in a while, I thought maybe I could be around somebody, anybody, without my Semblance making it, complicated. An' now, it just feels like, a childish dream, gone like everybody else."

"Believe it or not, I know a little of what that's like." Robyn stated. "When people are worried you're gonna sniff out their secrets, they tend to push you away. It makes a real connection, difficult."

"I…" Qrow began, before the doors opened as Arthur was escorted back to his cell, with Harriet marching through the cell block. "Never thought of it that way." He said, as Arthur was thrown back into his cell, literally.

"You don't get to keep that." Harriet stated, stopping in front of Qrow's cell.

"I didn't kill him." Qrow stated.

"Hmph. You keep saying that, but it was your weapon, covered in his blood." Harriet said.

"Because Tyrian was the one who used it to kill Clover." Qrow stated, getting to his feet. "If you feel like you're powerful enough, to take this from me. Then open this cell, and show me if you're strong enough, to take on a Lightning Dragon." He said, his body sparking with electricity.

"Oh don't even tease me." Harriet growled.

"If you really wanna know what happened Mohawk, then open this cell, and take my hand." Robyn stated.

"If I open this cell, it won't be to shake hands." Harriet said, confidently.

"Yeah, because you don't care, about the truth." Robyn stated. "You just want someone to be mad at. Easier then taking an honest look at what side you're on, working for a monster like Ironwood."

Her words got to Harriet, and for a moment, the Ace Ops girl contemplated opening Robyns cell, but was stopped when Marrow intercepted their argument.

"Har, what are you doing?" The Wolf Faunus questioned.

"Nothing." Harriet stated, shoving her way past him, and leaving the Cell Block.

"Well, that was… almost exciting." Robyn said, lying back down on the block that was meant to be her bed.

~Yang~

"They're going to lose us in these mountains, we can't keep up." Jaune said, as the four of them kept chasing after Alexis, and the Hell Hound.

Ren noticed his bike acting up, and looking at the controls, he realized there was an issue with the bikes temperatures.

"I don't know how much longer these bikes can stand the cold." Ren stated.

"We can't stop now!" Yang declared. "I'm gonna go on ahead."

Without waiting for the others to question what she meant, Yang hopped onto her feet on the bike, before jumping from it, leaving the bike on autopilot, before using her flames to send herself flying towards Alexis and the Hell Hound.

"HEY!" Yang shouted out, gaining Alexis's attention. "Let go of my daughter, and Oscar, RIGHT NOW!"

"A tenacious one." Alexis tsked. "Hell Hound!"

Without saying another word, Alexis tossed the unconscious Athena to the Hell Hound, and turned around, to fight Yang in mid air. Flying forward, Alexis body slammed Yang, sending her back to the ground, slamming her into the snowy ground, building up a cloud of snow. The sound of a heavy impact echoed from the cloud, before Alexis came flying out, and slammed into a cliffside wall.

"Give Athena back to me!" Yang cried out, charging at Alexis with her flames propelling her forward.

"She doesn't belong with you." Alexis stated, pulling herself free. "Just let her go, and move on with your life!"

"She's my daughter!" Yang shouted, slamming her fist into the stone wall where Alexis had been moments ago, only for her to dodge the attack. "We already went through this, back in Argus. I'm the one who clothed her, fed her, bathed her. Sang to her when she was sick, comforted her when she had nightmares. I am Athena's mother."

"Sorry but not anymore." Alexis declared.

Yang just lunged at Alexis, she took in a deep breath, and released an echoing roar. It wasn't an elemental attack, but it did have an adverse affect on the Faunus of the land. The volume of the roar alone forced Yang to cover her ears, before the roar stopped, with Yang glaring towards the Grimm Woman.

"I'd be less concerned about getting those two back, and more concerned about protecting the other two you abandoned." Alexis said.

Yang looked to Alexis, before looking down to the terrain bellow, her eyes widening when she saw countless Grimm burrowing their way out of the ground, and attacking Jaune, Kohaku, and Ren.

"Tick-tock blondie." Alexis said, before she flew back towards the Hell Hound.

Yang grit her teeth in anger, before she closed her eyes and punched the ground.

"I'm sorry Athena, I'm gonna have to break my promise to you, just this once." Yang said, before jumping down.

Engulfing herself in flames, Yang fell straight for where Jaune and Ren were gonna be, before she landed with a heavy thud. The flames erupted from her body, and engulfed her the three being attacked by the Grimm, as it expanded out as a ring, incinerating any Grimm coming towards them, and melting any and all snow around the area, causing clouds of steam to evaporate into the air.

"We're fine? We're not charcoal?" Jaune asked.

"I control what my flames burn." Yang said, slamming her fist into the ground.

"Damn it. They got away." Ren said, as their bikes broke down. "An' the cold already damaged our bikes beyond unusable."

"Yang, we'll get Athena back." Jaune said, putting a hand on his fellow blonde's shoulder.

"How?" Yang questioned, falling to her knees as she cried. "Ever since we got to Atlas, all I've done is fail her. I've failed to protect her, I've failed to keep any of my promises to her, and now I've failed to save her from the clutches of our enemies."

"None of that's your fault." Jaune said, as Kohaku came and nuzzled into Yang. "We know where they're going at least. Once we regroup with the others, we'll be able to use Tsuki to make our way to that Monstruo, where we will rescue Oscar and Athena."

"Athena's a strong girl, and with Oscar there, she's in good hands." Ren stated.

"Let's hop on Kohaku's back, and start heading back." Jaune said.

"Okay." Yang said, pulling herself together.

"Hey, you're nothing like Raven." Jaune said. "As far as I'm concerned, you're a better mother, then she ever was. An' she'd be lucky to be half the mother, that you are."

~Schnee Manor~

The thundering echos of knocking rang through the main foyer of the Schnee Estate. Klein, who'd finished cleaning up from Whitley's latest tantrum fiasco, was concerned at who it could be, before opening the doors, and finding Weiss standing there with Ruby and the others, minus May, Rogue, and Penny. He grew increasingly concerned when he saw Nora lying in unconscious in Wendy's arms.

"What in the world happened? Please, please come in." Klein said, moving out of the way to let them through the door.

"Thanks Klein." Weiss smiled.

"Klein!" The familiar voice of Whitley called out, sounding angered as he came marching down the stairs. "What the hell do you think you're doing, letting these criminals, into our home?"

"Master Whitley, now is not the time for your foolish antics." Klein said.

"My antics? You're the one letting…"

"Not, another word Whitley." Weiss said, pointing her rapier at her brother, forcing him to freeze in place.

"Please, allow me to take her." Klein said, taking Nora into his arms. "I'll take Ms. Valkyrie to Weiss's room. I'll be able to treat her better once she's stationary."

"You're a field medic?" Ruby asked.

"I'm a former Huntsman actually. I was comrades with Erik Kobura." Klein said. "I was his mentor when I wasn't working as the personal butler for the Schnee Family full time."

"Erik?" Wendy gasped. "Was he missing his right eye?"

"He was actually, and had an artificial eye in place of it giving him false heterochromia. But despite that, he was still quite the Huntsman. An' he was a Dragon Faunus, much like you young lady. He lost his life however, when working a job with Winter Schnee." Klein said.

"Erik, the Poison Dragonslayer." Ruby said.

"Whose ghost appeared at Atlas General and removed all the poison from Athena's body." Weiss said.

"Looks like those of us from Earthland, have more connections here, then initially thought." Wendy said.

"I don't care about any of that right now." Whitley said. "Things are already bad enough after what you did to father, and now you want us to harbor fugitives too? Our family has a reputation, that's already sullied enough with a Faunus being heiress to the company."

"Weiss… can I punch him?" Wendy asked.

"Be my guest." Weiss said.

"I wouldn't."

Wendy looked to the stairs, and smiled when she saw Mira standing there, before she came down, with a smile of her own.

"I know my son can be a lot to handle, but I'd rather he not be taught his lessons through violence." Mira smiled softly.

"Mirajane." Wendy cheered, hugging her.

"It's so good to see you again Wendy." Mira smiled.

"Mother, you know this animal on an, intimate level?" Whitley asked, sounding shocked.

"Whitley, this is Wendy Marvell, an old friend of mine, from my days as a Huntress. She was barely fourteen years old though. I see the years have been kind to you." Mira said, hugging Wendy tighter.

"It's a long story, but let's just say, it involves making the impossible, possible." Wendy smiled.

"So, what's wrong with Nora?" Mira asked.

"An overload of Lightning Dust unlocked her Dragonslayer abilities, forcing her body to go through a rapid transformation into a Dragon Faunus her body wasn't ready to handle." Wendy said. "I'm sure Laxus would be proud of the Huntress she's become though."

"She's his daughter?" Mira asked. "Looks like that big lug finally found love."

"I wouldn't call it that." Ruby said. "According to Nora, her mom ran out on her when Grimm attacked Oniyuri, and Laxus had been turned to stone."

"It's just been her and Ren since that attack." Weiss said.

"Not to speak ill of the woman, but I hope she was eaten by a Grimm." Mira sighed.

"Pardon mother, but why did this woman, call you Mira, rather then Willow?" Whitley questioned.

"Because Willow was the name I adopted when your grandfather first took me in." Mira said. "But in truth, my name has always been Mirajane Strauss. I became Willow Schnee, because I needed to hide from any enemies who might come after Nicolas for taking me in. Though thinking back on it, I doubt that would have mattered. In terms of strength, Nicolas was comparable to Wizard Saint Jura. Probably stronger."

"I'm confused, he's comparable to a fictional character in a fairy tale you told me as a child?" Whitley asked.

"We've got a lot, to catch him up on." Weiss sighed. "Look Whitley, now's not the time to worry about reputation. In fact, it didn't even matter to begin with."

"I'm just saying, that outside of Klein, we've already lost all the house staff." Whitley said. "An' it seems that being an alcoholic has been the only thing keeping Mother sane, because now she is talking bat-shit crazy!"

"Maybe you haven't figured out what's going on Whitley, but we're busy trying to save Atlas and Mantle." Weiss scoffed.

"Look, our friend is hurt. We just need a place to lay low, while she rests, and then we'll be out of your way." Ruby said, getting between the two of them.

"Oh nonsense." Mira said. "Even after Nora recovers, you're more then welcome to remain here. You're all a part of the Fairy Tail family after all."

"The what-now?" Whitley asked.

"Oh, she means this." Ruby said tapping the emblem on her shoulder.

"What does that have to do with childrens stories?" Whitley asked.

"No, tail, as in the question of whether fairies have tails or not." Weiss sighed. "Fairy Tail was a guild that Huntsmen and Huntresses were a part of. Mom and Wendy were two of its members."

"Speaking of the emblem, that's quite a redesign it has." Mira said, looking closely to the emblem on Ruby's shoulder. "I saw Weiss's emblem when she came for the evidence against her father, but I didn't question why it looked so different."

"I've got a lot to tell you about." Wendy sighed. "Got anything strong enough for a Dragon Faunus."

"I think I should avoid the alcoholic beverages for a while. I am a recovering alcoholic after all." Mira said. "But I just emptied out Jacques's office, and replaced the painting of him, with one of the old gang back in our Guild days. I'm sure he has something in there that can give you a bit of a buzz."

"Perfect." Wendy smiled.

"As for the rest of you, feel free to make yourselves at home." Mira said. "I'll make sure Nora gets the best treatment available. In the mean time, Whitley?"

"What is it mother?"

"Go to your room." Mira said. "You are not to contact Ironwood, or anyone within the Atlas Military."

"Fine." Whitley huffed, heading for the stairs.

"The rest of you, please come follow me." Mira said, leading them after Klein.

Blake looked to the others, and smiling as Wendy was able to connect with her old friend again. Her smile faltered a bit, when she saw Ruby just looking out the open door.

"Ruby?" Blake asked.

"I hope everybody's doing all right." Ruby said.

"If you're worried about Yang, you could always try calling her." Blake said.

"That's the thing." Ruby stated, turning to Blake and showing her Scroll to the Faunus mother. "I did."

~Yang's Team~

"You doing okay Yang?" Jaune asked, sitting quietly on Kohaku's back with Ren in the middle between him, and his fellow blonde up front, leading Kohaku.

"I'm fine Jaune." Yang said, pulling out her Scroll. "I'm just, angry I wasn't able to do more to protect Athena."

"She'll be okay, I know it." Jaune said.

"We need to get out of this weather, before the cold drops our Auras completely, and Kohaku isn't gonna survive much longer in this cold either." Yang said, showing their Aura levels were dropping into the red. "If my senses aren't failing me in this weather, we've still got a bit of ways to the outpost I saw."

"Didn't you just spot it in a millisecond?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, but I know I saw it." Yang said.

"Then how can you be certain it actually is an outpost?" Ren inquired.

"What's eating at you Ren?" Yang asked.

"It's nothing. I'm just not wanting to waste, anymore time." Ren stated.

Yang was getting annoyed with Ren's tone, and his accusatory questioning, as she twisted around to face him.

"Hey, what is your deal?" Yang questioned.

"Don't worry about it." Ren stated.

"Well, I'm sorry things aren't going smoothly enough for you." Yang said.

"Guys." Jaune said, trying to get their attention.

"They're not going smoothly, at all." Ren stated.

"I hate to break it to you, but that's part of being a Huntsman!" Yang countered.

"Are you kidding? We don't know the first thing about being Huntsmen!" Ren exclaimed. "We clearly weren't ready, Athena especially wasn't ready!"

"Guys, stop it!" Jaune said a little louder, trying to cut in again.

"Were we not ready when we saved Haven? When we took down, a Leviathan, and kicked Selim and Alexis's asses in Argus?" Yang questioned. "We got the lamp to Atlas."

"An' then Athena swallowed it, and we lost her and the lamp." Ren stated. "She lost an arm and a leg in Argus, and she nearly died from your father, skewering her through the back and chest, at the end of the Haven battle. An' after that, when we had to make real decisions, we got every single one wrong."

"I'm not gonna pretend like we did everything perfectly. Hell, I'm barely keeping it together right now, because I failed to keep my daughter safe!" Yang stated. "But if we'd done nothing, things would be even worse, then they are now."

"How can things possibly be worse? We are stuck out here, while Salem and Acnologia have the lamp, Oscar, and your daughter! We've got no plan, no army."

"We've got the Spring Maiden." Yang stated. "Plus Winter shook Ironwood off our tails, by telling him Penny has the Maiden powers, and not Athena."

"An' by keeping Athena from opening the Vault for Ironwood when we did, we're just trapping the whole city, for Salem!" Ren exclaimed.

"So what, we should just give Ironwood what he wants? Abandon Mantle? You think Atlas is still gonna be able to float to safety now that she's here?" Yang questioned.

"I don't know!" Ren stated. "But these aren't the kinds of decisions that we should be making, because we have no idea what we're doing!"

"Okay, both of you, cut it out!" Jaune stated sternly. "That's enough, you're both making Kohaku uncomfortable."

"I'm just saying, what nobody else wants to." Ren said. "We're in way over our heads. Ruby is barely more then a kid, Athena is still a child who will only enter the double digits of her life in a few short days, I'm just an orphan from the middle of nowhere…"

"Ren I think that's…"

"You cheated your way into Beacon!" Ren stated, turning around to look at Jaune.

There was a tense moment of silence, as Kohaku stopped walking. Things had gotten bad for them, and Ren was taking it out on Yang and Jaune, and the Kitsune didn't like it.

"Uh, what's Kohaku doing?" Ren questioned, as the fox's nine tails rose up.

Without any other explanation, Kohaku's tails washed over them like a tidal wave, and rose up, showing she'd left Jaune and Yang alone, while Ren was wrapped in her tails.

"Hey, let me down from here." Ren complained, before Kohaku used her tails and threw him on the ground, as she began marching on again.

"Seems like Kohaku didn't take too kindly to you ripping into us like that." Yang said, turning back around to face ahead.

"Hey, this isn't funny." Ren said, chasing after them.

Jumping towards them, Ren tried to return to his place on Kohaku's back, but he was denied, as Kohaku used one of her tails to smack him down.

"Seriously, the joke's over. Let me back on." Ren complained, running up and repeating the same jump, only to be smacked down again. "Are you kidding me?" He groaned, as he sat up.

"Maybe you shouldn't have been such a jerk, and took your feelings out on your friends." Yang stated. "Consider yourself lucky Kohaku didn't eat you, like what Saffron did to Team CRDL."

~Elsewhere~

Athena's sight was filled with darkness, as she regained her consciousness, spotting a beige floor beneath her. She could feel her arms were being stretched at the shoulders, with her wrists tied together, and resting on the thing hoisting her off the ground.

"Damn it." Athena hissed, as she struggled to pull herself up.

"Have you always had such a vulgar mouth, my fake?"

Athena looked up, and her eye widened to see, herself standing in the doorway, missing her feline Faunus features, while her hair was a pure scarlet red, though a bit of a darker shade then hers.

"My, you really are the spitting image of me." She said, stepping up to Athena, showing the how high off the ground she was.

"Who are you?" Athena asked.

"I'm the real, daughter of Acnologia and Salem." Ares stated. "My name is Ares."

"What do you want with me?" Athena questioned. "Where am I, and why did Alexis bring me here?"

"You're in a prison cell within Monstra." Ares said. "Why you're here, is unknown to me. But I believe Elder Sister said something about you possessing the Relic of Knowledge. Yet while you were unconscious she was unable to locate it."

"Good luck trying to find it." Athena chuckled.

"Oh, I believe that won't be necessary." Ares said, turning to pace in front of Athena.

When Ares turned, Athena got a closer look at her shoulder, with her expression widening in shock, as she saw the scar tissue on her shoulder, with two different pigments of skin tone, one being a slightly lighter shade then the pigment of the arm.

"That's my arm." Athena said.

"Yes, the source material for my creation did come from you, but any traces of those two women who corrupted you, and those Goddesses who made you their champion, have been burned away. So unlike you, I am the genuine article of creation, showing Salem and Acnologia's love." Ares stated. "By throwing your limbs in a tank of regeneration, the same kind that failure weakling Grey would use, I was born, to take the throne my fake double, scorned and discarded."

"I'm the fake?" Athena questioned with a laugh. "That's rich, coming from the girl whose only here, because she grew from the limbs Grey cut off my body."

"Your insolence is amusing." Ares said. "But it's futile to deny your destiny, to oppose fate."

"I've been fighting an uphill battle, since the day I was born." Athena said. "So I think I know, a thing or two about opposing fate."

"We'll see." Ares said. "First, I'm gonna have a little fun, trying to find where the Relic of Knowledge is hidden, on your person."

Before Athena could retort, an echoing cry of pain reached her ears, with powerful waves of magic wafting through her senses.

"Oscar!" She cried out, before a black tendril of Grimm forced her to look down.

"I think you have bigger things to worry about, then Ozma's current vessel." Ares stated, her face growing a smirk.

"That's enough Ares."

Athena looked up from her clone, she saw someone standing there, she never thought she'd actually see in person. With his arms crossed, Athena saw Acnologia standing in the doorway.

"You've had your fun for now. Return to the throne room." Acnologia said, as the cries of pain died down.

"Yes father." Ares said, taking her leave.

"What did you do with Oscar?" Athena questioned.

"It's touching, how concerned you are for him." Acnologia said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Athena asked.

"The man tried to have you killed, by the very one whose scarf you wear around your waist, right now." Acnologia said.

"Oscar, isn't anything like Ozpin!" Athena stated. "He's a kind person, a gentle soul who cares about me."

"Do you really believe that?" Acnologia questioned. "Or are you just saying that, to keep yourself from hating him, as Ozma's next vessel?"

"I don't hate Oscar!" Athena shouted, her power irradiating around her. "I care about him, because he cares about me. He's my friend, and I will fight to make sure, he stays safe!"

The power Athena was irradiating surprised Acnologia as more and more dragon scales began sprouting from her body.

"I know he and Ozpin will stop being two being, and become one someday. But I have to believe, that Oscar will be the dominant consciousness. I have to believe that he'll be the one to come out on top." Athena declared, opening her eye, showing her iris had turned silver.

Swinging her body forward, Athena flung herself off the hook, while her body arched through the air.

Moving back, Acnologia prepared to grab Athena by her throat as she descended. However, Athena anticipated this counter, and threw her body forward as she fell, causing her to spin like a buzz saw, surrounded by electricity, Athena managed to time her attack just right, and with her wrists still bound, she hooked them onto Acnologia's wrist, using the momentum to slam his claw into the ground, before she pushed herself up, and pushed off his shoulder with her hands and landed on the ground behind him.

Using her lightning, Athena pushed her speed harder then she'd ever done before, zipping through Monstra, and following Oscar's scent. As she followed the scent, her ears picked up on the sound of impacts, as if fists were slamming into a slab of meat, or someone's rib cage.

Finding the room Oscar was being held in, Athena rammed through it with her shoulder, surprising those inside with the force she held. With everything around her slowed down, Athena saw Selim, Alexis, Hell Hound, and Salem in the room, with their attention drawn from Hazel pounding on Oscar, as the boy laid on the ground in pain.

Moving faster then any of them could see her, Athena was past the shocked Grimm humanoids, and slammed her feet into Hazels side, as time sped back up. Flipping back from her impact with Hazel, Athena pulled her arms apart, and landed on the ground in front of Oscar, on all fours and growling as if she were a quadruped.

"Athena?" Oscar gasped.

"My, this is quite the sight." Salem said. "I never would have imagined, our failed heiress had such power within her. I assume your father's lying motionless on the ground?"

"Quite the opposite." Acnologia said, showing himself as he flexed his hand just as a golden light vanished from it. "She buried my hand in the ground, and I was forced to dispose of it." He stated, rolling up his sleeve, hiding the blood splatter from where he'd severed his limb. "She's far stronger then we initially thought."

"Due to the Goddess's blessings, no doubt." Selim said. "Be that as it may, little sister has shown some interesting abilities, despite missing an eye."

"No." Acnologia said. "The power she used to pass me, wasn't from the Goddesses. It was her attempting to wield the power of Dragonforce, the excess scales covering her body are proof of that. She's already quite adept at using Apex. It's how she was able to pin my hand the way she had."

"A protege." Alexis said. "Has Ares already toyed with her?"

"She has." Acnologia said.

"She might not be such a failure after all." Salem said.

"What should we do with her?" Hazel grunted, picking himself up.

Salem was silent at this for a moment, pondering what she should have happen with Athena, before her gaze fell upon her eldest son.

"Selim." Salem began, a smile crossing her face. "Didn't I promise you some years ago, should our next child be a failure, you'd be free to use them however you wished, for your experiments?"

"You did mother, I believe it was some time, maybe a month or two, before this feral creature was born." Selim said, looking to Athena.

"Well, I am a mother of my word. You may do with her as you wish." Salem said.

"Oh goodie." Selim smiled.

Athena just glared at Selim, as she remained in a defensive stance in front of Oscar, before she was pinned to the ground by the Hell Hound. Athena landed hard on her left arm, causing an echoing crack to reach their ears, and making Athena cry out in pain.

"Athena." Oscar cried out.

"No." Athena stated. "I'm not done."

"What's this?" Selim questioned. "Trying to resist us?"

"I'm not done yet. I'm still able to fight." She hissed, using her right arm to push up against the Hell Hound, violet electricity sparking around her body.

"Such strength." Salem said in shock. "What could be the source of it?"

"Like, I would ever tell, YOU!" Athena shouted, her voice echoing out into a roar resonating with power, showing the fierceness of a jungle predator.

The roar resonated through Monstra's innards, reaching practically every Grimm within its flesh. Even Monstra itself reacted to the roar as the flying whale began to shake, and turn.

"What's happening?" Alexis questioned.

"She's controlling the Grimm." Acnologia said. "She's overridden your mothers control over them, and is forcing them to turn back."

"She's this powerful, at such a young age? Not even I was capable of this." Selim stated, before he was tackled to the ground by the Hell Hound. "This beast as well?" He questioned, as the Hell Hound bit down on his forearm.

Getting to her feet, Athena held her left arm in pain, as she stepped back in front of Oscar. Her attempt to free them was thwarted before it could begin however, as Acnologia came rushing towards her, and slammed his fist into her sternum.

"That's enough of this!" Acnologia stated, as Athena fell to the ground.

As Salem regain control over the Grimm, they all looked to Athena as she was dry heaving on the ground, before a bulge came traveling up her throat. When the object she was spitting up entered her mouth, Athena gave one last heave as the Relic of Knowledge as well as her bile, covered the ground in a grotesque mess.

"So that's why I couldn't find the relic on her, even though I sensed it was there." Alexis said. "It was inside her the whole time."

"An interesting ploy to keep it out of Ironwoods hands. As well as ours." Salem said, as the Hell Hound picked up the lamp with its teeth by the ring on top. "But it seems this is where her source of power was coming from. She's no longer able to access Dragonforce, or override my control over the Grimm."

"Then does that mean I can begin with my experiments now?" Selim questioned, as the Hell Hound's inflicted wound, sealed up.

"You may, Selim." Salem smiled. "Have fun with your, sibling bonding time."

~Yang~

"That's it Kohaku, rest up." Yang said soothingly, petting Kohaku as the kitsune curled up in her lap while she let her body temp rise. "How's the heater coming along Jaune?"

"Just got it to work." Jaune said, the heater powering up after he banged it with his fist.

Everyone went silent for a moment, as things were still tense from what Ren had said earlier.

"You're right Ren." Jaune said. "I… I did cheat my way into Beacon. An' I'm glad that I had people around me, to help me see that, I was bigger then my mistake. You've got people around you too. You don't have to, force yourself to be strong. The more you hide from what you're feeling, the more alone you're gonna feel. Trust me."

Ren didn't say anything, remaining silent as he let Jaune's words sink in, before he turned and left the window, and went right out the door.

"That could have gone better." Yang said.

Jaune just looked out the window, watching as Ren took a seat at the light post, in a snowbank, allowing himself to sulk in silence.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry he said that to you." Yang stated, as Kohaku jumped up on the heater. "I know you've had to work hard to get here Jaune. An' now with Pyrrha and little Irene in the mix, you've been working harder then ever."

"We're all under a lot of stress right now. I used to push people away too." Jaune said.

There was a moment of silence as Yang went to do some minor repairs on her weapons, but paused as she removed the top panel on Ember Celica's right side.

"Do you, think she thinks less of me, for not helping with Amity?" Yang asked.

"Ruby is your sister. She's always going to love you, even if you disagree with each other." Jaune said.

"Yeah, Ruby." Yang said. 'Not who I was talking about Jaune. I meant Blake.'

"I need to get some sleep but, I can't stop thinking about Oscar and Athena." Jaune said, heading for the bottom half of the bunkbed on the right.

"Go on." Yang said, putting her tools down. "I'll make sure Ren doesn't brood himself to death out in the cold."

"Thanks." Jaune said with a yawn. "I just have a bad feeling. Things always seem to get worse, before they get better."