The waves crashed against the cliffs far below. As Ruby's eyes opened into the familiar sight and feeling of the Dream, her heart ached. It hadn't been that long since she'd Dreamed, not really, and yet - and yet it felt like ages. Now that she'd returned, it felt like going home.

"Rubes? You okay?" Yang's voice snapped her out of it, and she reached up to wipe moist eyes.

"Yeah. I just-it just hit me all at once. They're...they're really back." She sniffed. "I guess...it didn't feel totally real yet, you know?"

Yang swallowed. "Yeah. I know what you mean."

They watched the ocean for a moment as Ruby took a few deep breaths.

The feeling of the Dream shifted as Weiss appeared, followed shortly afterward by their final teammate.

"Right." Ruby straightened up. "So. Um, I know it was a little, well we didn't really get much done before sleeping, so...I figured we could talk about it here? I know we're all really curious about what happened to you, Blake, and you probably want to know what's been going on in Vale and everything. And, experience tells me that if we don't have some kind of order to things we'll end up going off on all sorts of disorganized topics and never get anything done, so..." She cleared her throat. "Why don't we start, and then once we're up to speed, we can go over the...um, the battle, and then you can tell your story, Blake. That sound good to everyone?"

"Sounds good to me." Yang shrugged. "I...don't feel super keen on talking about the battle but it's probably something we need to do."

Weiss nodded. "I agree. Both with the sentiment and the judgement of necessity...also, Ruby, I would like to say I'm impressed. That was...well thought-out."

Ruby blushed, and Blake smiled. "I don't have any problems with that. It...probably makes sense to use the battle as a jumping off point for my story, since that's where Obsidian and I...well, we'll get to that."

Yang's head swiveled back and forth. "That reminds me...where is she? I kinda figured she'd be here..."

Blake's smile turned wistful. "She's...spending time with Penny. If we need her, she'll be here, but...her attention isn't on us, right now."

Yang's eyebrows drew together in thought. "All right, I guess."

"Well, I guess I'll start. So, after everything that happened...well, some of the students started volunteering to help out where they could. I ended up in the workshop, helping with maintenance since the Beacon staff were a little, uh, short-handed, and..."

Penny drummed her fingers against the spine she rested on. "...So, I have made great strides. Based on my research, my Aura is more flexible than most. I expect it is because of your influence, Mother. That flexibility introduces flaws into the standard techniques for Aura manipulation, but I have already begun making adjustments for myself! After experimenting, I think that my limits for Aura manipulation will be higher than expected."

Well done. Growth requires both effort and curiosity, and you have demonstrated both.

Penny smiled. "General Ironwood...he told me, when I thought that you were-that you were gone, that he thought that those we've lost can still guide us. He told me to imagine what you would have advised me to do, and to either follow it or rebuke it. And, and I remembered what you said." Her fist clenched involuntarily as her voice hitched slightly. "To...pursue my Dream, with all that I possess. And I-I have not done that, mother. I realized that, after the battle. You told me that I would have to learn magic on my own, and I-I did nothing. But I will. I will become all that I should be. I won't disappoint you." There was a long moment of pause, as magic thrummedthrough the shell beneath her.

You have yet to disappoint me, Penny.

She sniffed.

And I have learned much, in the Kingdom of Ciel. Of a magic that is unavailable to Blake or to me, but that may be taught to those suited to it.

"Do you think...Am I suited to it, mother?"

Yes.

"Will you-will you teach me?"

Yes. It is called Soul Magic, and Ciel was built upon its power.

"Soul Magic..." Slowly, she slid herself free of the spike and dropped to the ground. Dusting off her skirt for a moment, she turned with a smile. "Mother, may we begin? I have-I learned that I am not strong enough yet. I have made progress on my own, but if you help me..." She clenched one fist before her chest, nodding firmly. "Next time, I will be."

...Very well. The first thing you must understand of Soul Magic is its nature. It twists and contorts the soul, connecting it to the world around you...and through that connection, the world may be manipulated.

As the voice echoed past her, Penny allowed her other concerns to drift away into the Dream sea.

Mother had returned.

For the moment, nothing else mattered.

"...I wasn't his original target, but since I was there..." Blake looked away, chewing on her lip.

"Why was he there to begin with? That's what...we were having trouble understanding." Weiss' fingers drummed against her leg for a moment before she brought them under control. "Adam Taurus isn't exactly someone I expected one of us to encounter."

"We were partners. We...grew up together, in the Fang. We...we trained together, and fought together, and...well. I told you I left the Fang when I saw what they were becoming? Adam was...a big part of that. I think...after what he said during the battle, I think he really did believe that his way was the only way."

"You're talking in past tense. So he really is...?"

"Yeah." Her nod was decisive. "I...I killed him."

"Blake, are you..." Yang reached out, putting a hand on the Faunus' shoulder. "Are you okay? I mean, stupid question. I-"

"I'm okay, Yang." Blake's smile was a bit distant, but a welcome sight nonetheless. "I just...He had to be stopped. I only regret that was true." After a moment, she cleared her throat. "Anyway. His target was my mother. He was hoping to use her as leverage to bring Menagerie in line with his plans. He drugged us, but Obsidian cleared my head so I could fight."

Ruby blinked. "Really? How did she do something like that? I mean...wouldn't it be really hard to do?"

Blake shrugged. "I never asked. But if she hadn't, I wouldn't have made it." She chuckled once, dryly. "And that wasn't the only time. The fight - didn't go well."

"We saw some of the evidence." Weiss clenched her hands.

Blake nodded. "After that...Obsidian helped me. We - well, it's hard to explain. I guess you could say we fought Adam together, and that's when he - when I killed him."

"That would be when you encountered Winter."

"Yeah. Then we sensed that something was wrong, and we headed to Beacon."

Yang's fist clenched. "Where you encountered that bitch."

"I'm not sure exactly what happened, but...during the battle, we could feel time becoming unstable. I-"

"I think General Ironwood knows something." Ruby broke her recent silence. When eyes turned to her, she chewed her lip. "I...when I mentioned that to him, he had this look on his face. Like it made him upset, and I don't know why it would unless it brings up knowledge he doesn't like."

"Interesting..." Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Well. You said we were to speak to him, if this whole process worked. Perhaps we can ask him what he knows."

Ruby nodded, before gesturing at Blake. "Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt but I thought - I didn't want to forget to mention that! It's been bothering me for a while, I just couldn't put my finger on why until you said something."

"Well, after that battle, Obsidian and I ended up in a grassy field. We..."

As the Dream wound to a close, the girls slowly dispersing back into the waking world, one remained behind.

Yang stared down at the ocean, watching the waves crash against the cliff and remembering the great shell that slumbered beneath them.

"Hey. Obsidian."

A moment passed, before the form of a lightning-haired girl condensed in the air.

Yes, Yang Xiao Long?

"I had a question."

Ask.

"...Penny said that - that you were afraid of what might happen, if you traveled through time. That you had no idea what could happen to you."

That is correct.

"Then - then why? I don't get it. I don't get you. You don't - you don't protect us. That isn't how you do things, it never has been." She jabbed a finger forward, almost but not quite touching the floating avatar. "You act like a distant watcher, like you just want to see what happens to us, and I got used to that - but when it came down to it you go and do that. I just...why?"

The avatar tilted her head, staring unblinkingly into her eyes.

Cinder Fall would have overpowered Blake without intervention.

"I know that, damn it! I'm asking you, Obsidian, to tell me why you intervened! Explain it to me!"

Because I did not wish for her to die.

Yang stepped back, hand dropping to her side. The avatar's head straightened...and then, slowly, tilted in the opposite direction.

One option would result in an unknown fate. The other in a sure death. The correct choice was never in doubt.

"All logical, huh?" Yang shook her head. "That's just how you are...I had you pegged wrong, didn't I?" Lilac eyes narrowed. "You can pretend if you want. But you really do care about her, don't you...?"

Her form faded from the Dream.

For a moment, the avatar lingered, face set in a confused frown. Then it, too, was gone.

Yang Xiao Long has acquired a trait: Soulsong (Minor) - Yang is deeply connected to your mind, and through you to all others possessing this trait. Passively boosts her ability to communicate with and understand you and, to a lesser degree, others possessing Soulsong. Allows for subconscious, low-level transfer of information between users, such as distress, danger, or sensory information. Generally, this manifests as feelings or instincts. The higher the level of Soulsong, the more data is shared from the user and the more they can receive from others.

The level of Ruby and Blake's Soulsongs have increased! Minor = Moderate

You will speak with General Ironwood shortly.