Author's Note: Enjoy.

Pyrrha squirmed in place as she tried to force herself to sit still, even as the needle was rather quickly yanked from her arm. She clenched her teeth and groaned slightly but said nothing, the medical personnel were by no means gentle, but they clearly knew what they were doing. She wasn't sure if it was because they worked for Atlas, the constant stereotype being that Atlesian's were naturally emotionless, or that they were simply tired.

The ship's medical personnel had spent the last day or so keeping them under constant watch to be sure that they were all safe. With the amount of Venom that had been running through Pyrrha's system, the doctors had been surprised to find that she wasn't suffering from any major signs of nerve or tissue damage. Aside from the occasional uncontrollable shaking, and a little bit of lingering pain, she was feeling surprisingly okay. The doctors had said that she was remarkably lucky, but couldn't offer any further explanation for her condition.

Qrow had it a little bit rougher thanks to the beatings that he'd received, but it wasn't anything that would cause problems in the future. He had survived, and though he was down for the moment, he would recover in time. Despite how everything had quickly gone from bad to worse, the mission had been a success.

"Most of those are going to leave scars." The Doctor gestured to one of the many cuts across her body. Most of them had been fairly superficial, but it was where Callows had stung her, and despite her Aura they didn't appear to completely go away. Her arms had taken the brunt of the attacks, although her thigh and back had been stung once or twice as well.

Pyrrha shrugged softly. "What's a couple more?" Looking up at the Doctor she didn't feel the need to clarify what she meant. It was one of the first things people noticed when looking at her.

"Huntsmen get scars, the good ones anyways." Qrow said from the other side of the medical bay. "The others-"

"Get dead." Pyrrha smiled. "You've used that line before."

"It's a good line." Qrow mumbled to himself. Turning his head to look at the chair sat beside his bed. "What are you laughing about?"

Winter looked back at him for a moment before looking away, clearly struggling to hide the rather amused expression on her face. "I have no idea what you're referring to."

"Right." Qrow said. "Regardless of whether the Ice Queen here believes it or not, it's true."

"I didn't say I disagreed." Winter added, her amused smirk having fallen back into a neutral expression. "While the wording may be lacking, the sentiment is an accurate one. I've yet to meet a veteran Huntsman without several scars or blemishes."

"And they always have a story to go with them." Qrow added. "Defeating Tyrian Callows? Atlas' most wanted? Now that's one hell of a story."

"Sadly one you shall not be able to tell." Winter's amusement returned as she looked back towards Qrow. "Weren't you asleep when he was killed?"

Qrow glared at her softly. "In case you didn't notice I had been a bit busy beforehand." He glanced up and down Winter for a moment. "Besides, I don't see a whole lot in the way of scars on you."

Winter hummed softly. "I have my fair share of scars… perhaps I'll show you sometime."

"Oh, trust me, I've got you beaten in that department." Qrow smirked. "I'm more than willing to compare stories whenever you feel up to it, Ice Queen." His smile fell away, his face taking on a somber expression. "Tai and I had this tradition back in the old days..." Qrow hesitated for a moment. "After coming back from a mission we'd always go out for a drink, celebrating the fact that everyone came back alive. Haven't done it since… well, how about we revive it?"

"Of course your idea of a celebration would be to get drunk." Winter replied almost instantly.

"Yeah." Qrow looked away. "Heh, pretty dumb ide-"

"I didn't say that." Winter rushed to add. "It sounds… fun. I would be delighted to go, if you'll have me." She turned towards Qrow and waited for him to nod.

Qrow turned back towards Pyrrha. "You're coming too."

"She gets invited and I get told?" Pyrrha raised a single eyebrow, not that she had planned to decline.

"I know you, if it were up to you you'd be straight back in the gym." Qrow's deadpan expression would have been amusing were his words not true. She had spent the last day thinking of a new training regime to try and prepare for the next fight.

"I wasn't going to do that." The lie was evident to everyone present, including the Doctor.

"You'll need at least a week of rest before you start training again." Pyrrha complained but he forced on past her interruption. "Even then it will have to be light work, at least until your resident doctor has cleared you for anything more."

Pyrrha tried to complain, but caught a glimpse of Qrows determined gaze; the look in his eyes confirming that she wasn't going to win that argument. She clicked her mouth shut and crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. "I know my limits."

"I doubt that." She couldn't tell who said it, if anything it sounded like it came from all of them at once, but she didn't turn back.

"So it's settled." Qrow stated. "I'll shoot you all the details once there are any."

"I swear Branwen, if you pick some sleazy bar-"

"Maybe I'll even get to see those scars." Qrow added.

Winter's mouth hung open for a moment before she quickly turned away, though Pyrrha was sure she had seen the slightest tinge of red on the older woman's cheeks. "Perhaps."

There was a soft vibration throughout the ship, coupled with a sudden lurching motion that caused Pyrrha's stomach to twist slightly, before the lurching finally subsided. The vibration was still present, but it was surprisingly smooth.

"It feels like we're off." Winter confirmed Pyrrha's suspicion. "We should be back in Vale within a day, depending on how quickly the General wants to arrive."

"That gives you plenty of time to think about what you're gonna tell your friends." Qrow reminded her.

Pyrrha shrunk under his gaze, his eyes narrowing slightly as she did. "I… I think I've already made up my mind on that front."

"Oh?"

Pyrrha took a deep breath to calm herself, it wasn't like it could remain a secret; she would need the Headmaster's help to convince them anyways so Qrow was bound to find out sooner or later. "I'm gonna tell them the truth."

Qrow waited for a moment, a few seconds that seemed to stretch on far longer than they had any right to, before he finally spoke. "The whole truth?" Pyrrha nodded in response. "Well… let me know how that goes, and if you need any help convincing them."

Whether Qrow knew what she meant when she said the whole truth was hard to determine. Perhaps he thought she was talking simply about the mission, or maybe even going so far as to tell them about Cinder or even Salem, but, if she understood the look in his eyes, he knew what she planned to do. He made no attempt to talk her down, and for that she was thankful.

Pyrrha appreciated his offer of assistance, though she suspected the Headmaster to be more convincing; if for no other reason than that Team CFVY respected him already. Regardless, she thanked Qrow and promised to keep that in mind.

Winter remained silent through it all, although the gleam in her eyes made it obvious that she was curious, she didn't ask questions. Likely because of her military training, or perhaps it was just part of being a Schnee. Being able to pick up on what secrets that you should know and what ones you should simply let remain secret was something Pyrrha was never able to master. It seemed the elder Schnee sister had, however.

"So I guess this makes us even then." Qrow said. "I saved you from Cinder, you saved me from them."

"I didn't do it to pay back a debt Qrow." Pyrrha snapped back.

"I know, I know." Qrow rubbed the back of his head, sighing heavily. "Besides, you did kind of drop a church on us."

Pyrrha's irritation turned to embarrassment instantly. "W-Well… I didn't mean to, it just…" She coughed into her fist, using the action to hide her blush. "We'll call it even."

"How did you manage that?" Winter asked, her curiosity finally overpowering her restraint. "Qrow has had remarkably little to say on the subject." She turned to look at the man in question, Qrow simply shrugging in response; leaving the explanation up to her.

"It's a… Semblance." Pyrrha wasn't sure how much Winter knew, while she didn't seem to know about Salem, it was possible she knew something about the Maidens, but Pyrrha wasn't willing to risk explaining it to her. "The church was already falling apart, adding in my Semblance was just too much for it to handle."

"You saw the building, Winter." Qrow spoke up. "I'd be surprised if it had survived another storm season… Now it's just a pile of rubble. Still, everything worked out in the end. I just wish I had been there when that psycho finally died." Qrow reached over to the stand next to his bed, pulling something off the belt of his clothes there, before tossing it at her.

Pyrrha fumbled the item slightly, nearly dropping it but managed to catch it. Looking at it she recognized it as Qrow's flask; judging by the weight it was empty.

"That was a gift from a friend." Qrow explained. "She gave it to me when I saved her life once." Pyrrha examined the flask carefully. She'd seen it before of course, she'd even taken a drink or two from it on occasion, but this was the first time she really noticed it. It had clearly been crafted with care, though the scratches on the metal and ware on the leather proved how old it was. She made to toss it back to him, only for Qrow to shake his head. "Hold on to it for me."

Pyrrha's eyes widened slightly. "Qrow, I cant-"

"You can give it back to me after you kill Fall." Qrow insisted. "I do expect it back though, so no getting killed in the process."

Pyrrha looked back down at the flask, smiling softly. "I could say the same to you. I wasn't the one that got captured after all."

Qrow's face dropped slightly. "Oh, ha, ha, really funn-"

"I wonder what Ruby and Yang will say?" Pyrrha added for good measure, watching as the man's face turned a ghostly white.

"Maybe let's keep this whole mission between us, does that sound ok?" Qrow begged, his eyes flipping between her and Winter. Pyrrha winced slightly, keeping her eyes fixated on her hands as she fidgeted slightly. "You already told them, didn't you?"

"Uh… no?" Pyrrha tried to reassure him, the fact that his shoulder sagged as he groaned was probably a bad sign.

The trip back to Vale had been a rather uneventful one, which was something that Pyrrha greatly appreciated considering how hectic and dangerous the last couple days had been. The time to rest had been appreciated, and it had given her the time to figure out how she would survive the impending argument with Coco.

Pyrrha was confident that she had made the right decision, and she believed that Coco would agree with her in the end, but that wasn't really the issue. Coco had been worried about Pyrrha from the moment she knew she was leaving, and in the end, her fears had been justified.

Despite everything that had happened however, Pyrrha knew it had been worth it. It was just a matter of convincing Coco of that fact. Everyone had come back alive, though sadly not unharmed, and that was a win in her book.

The ship lurched as it started to land. Pyrrha clutched her stomach as she felt the forces contradict one another. She had been released from the medical bay only an hour or so before arrival, enough time to change and eat something before returning to Beacon. Once she'd done those two things she had headed straight for the main exit. Part of her wanted to hide away on the ship, but the rest of her knew that wouldn't stop Coco from finding her.

There was a soft thud as the ship finally made contact with ground and settled, the metal creaked ominously but nothing happened. Even though the ship wasn't moving, Pyrrha still felt nauseous.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad." Yatsuhashi set his hand on her shoulder, helping to distract her from her discomfort. "Coco is only upset because she cares." Pyrrha smiled as best she could, attempting to at least show she appreciated his help.

"I wouldn't count on it." Fox sent. "I've been talking with her for the past couple minutes and she sounds pissed." Yatsuhasi glared back at his friend, eliciting a soft chuckle from Pyrrha even as she tried to calm herself. "I told her Amber still couldn't communicate via the Fox Express, so she's holding off until you're in person."

"Thank you." Pyrrha nodded once more, gratefully for Fox's forestalling of her impending doom. There was a soft hissing sound as the large bay door opened, slowly descending to create a ramp down towards the private landing area that had been set aside for the General's ship. Despite the fact that the landing area was private, a small group waited for them below.

Ozpin was standing back somewhat, looking on with unreadable expressions from such a distance. A ways in front of them stood four girls that Pyrrha easily recognized. Ruby and Yang, no doubt there to see their uncle and father, looked anxious. She very much doubted that they knew the full extent of the mission, but it was clear that they knew enough to be worried. Velvet looked nervous, although she also seemed to sigh in relief as Pyrrha and the other half of her team stepped off the ship.

Coco was different however, her eyes hidden behind her sunglasses meant Pyrrha couldn't fully recognize her expression. Her lips were a thin flat line on her face and her arms were limp at her side. The walk over to her was entirely too quick.

Velvet looked between Coco and them, her eyes wide as she seemed to wait for someone to say something. Nothing was said however, and the group continued to stare at one another. Surprisingly enough however, Coco seemed to be looking in between all three of them, rather than focusing on her entirely. A small mercy that Pyrrha would never let the others know she was grateful for.

"Well I'm glad to see you." Fox finally spoke, breaking the silence with a joke. "Although we had expected to stay in-"

"Fox." Coco's voice was calm, too calm. "Stop talking."

"Okay." Fox nodded his head softly, before switching to his semblance. "We're screwed."

Pyrrha couldn't help but agree with the statement, praying to whatever being would listen to offer her some kind of rescue or explanation she could give to make everything easy to understand. She wanted to tell them the truth, but before she could do that, she needed to speak with the Headmaster to get his help in doing so, if anyone could explain the impossibility of her situation and be believed, it would be him. He had told how many people about the existence of Salem, magic, and the maidens? Surely he would have a plan.

Looking back over Coco's shoulder, she caught a brief glimpse of the Headmaster, who was currently in the middle of a conversation with General Ironwood. There would be no rescue for her there.

Surprisingly enough, her rescue came in the form of a five foot four huntress crashing into her back at semblance enhanced speed, it was a miracle that she hadn't been thrown to the ground.

"Thank you!" Ruby mumbled from behind her, her head buried into Pyrrha's back. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

It took her a moment to process what she was thanking her for, but that attempt was thrown aside when she recognized the shake in her friend's voice. Turning around in Ruby's hold, she managed to look at the younger girl's face and the tears stinging at the edges of her eyes.

"Ruby, I don't-"

"Qrow told us what happened!" Ruby pulled her closer again, doing her very best Nora impression as Pyrrha felt the air pushed from her lungs. "He would have died without your help."

Ruby's voice shook once more, and Pyrrha returned the hug as best she could. Looking over the shorter girl, she caught a glimpse of Qrow looking back at her. He had a smug smile on his face, one that didn't seem to fit with the fact that Yang was glaring at him and ranting about him being an idiot. His smile disappeared when she started smacking his arm however, yelping in surprise at Yang's unique way of proving he was alive. All the while Tai watched on from the side, an ever present smile on his face that only seemed to grow as time went on.

Pyrrha returned her attention to Ruby. "Everything worked out, everyone's safe."

Ruby pulled away slightly, smiling up at her even as she wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Thank you." She turned and ran back towards Qrow, flying into the man with another death hug, Yang joining her soon after.

It was a heartwarming thing to see, and something that wouldn't have happened had she not gone after Qrow. Taiyang probably would have been able to find Qrow, assuming he was included in the mission to begin with, but would he have made it out alive if it were him versus both Callows and Rainart?

Ruby and Yang could have lost both their uncle and their father, and that was proof enough that putting herself in danger had been worth it.

Pyrrha felt a hand rest on her arm, causing her to turn around and come face to face with Coco. "I'm glad you're okay." Her sunglasses were still on, but the emotion in her voice was undeniable. She pulled her friend into a hug. "I'm mad that you didn't tell us what was going on, and there are a million things I would like to say to you right now, but I'm glad you're okay." Coco stepped back, her heartfelt expression turning into a surprisingly intimidating glare, considering Pyrrha couldn't see her eyes. "That being said, we are definitely going to have that talk you promised me before leaving."

Pyrrha nodded her head, determined to tell them all the truth; they deserved that much. She very much could have died were it not for Yatsuhashi and Fox, they deserved to know why she had forced them into danger in the first place.

"I'll tell you everything you want to know, it's just…" Pyrrha bit her lip, looking back to Ozpin. "I would rather do that with the Headmaster present."

"We are due a discussion anyways, Miss Nikos." Ozpin practically appeared behind Coco. "I need to speak with the General first, but once that is out of the way I would be more than willing to help in whatever way I can."

Pyrrha looked at the older man curiously. Had he already figured out what she wanted to do? Did the fact that he was offering to help mean he agreed, or simply misunderstood? She groaned internally as she tried to figure it out, before giving up entirely. She would find out soon enough.

"Of course, sir." Pyrrha nodded, smiling as best she could.

"I'll message you when it's time." Ozpin nodded to each of them, before turning back towards the school proper.

"Did he just call you Nikos?" Fox asked, drawing everyone's attention to the mistake. "Are you related to The Pyrrha Nikos?"

Pyrrha winced slightly, having missed the fact that Ozpin had referred to her by her old name, though she figured that was a good sign for his support. Still, having her friends refer to her like that felt wrong and it caused her to doubt her decision; if only briefly.

"Something like that." Pyrrha sent back, trying to dodge the question until they could speak with Ozpin. "Why don't we go get something to eat? I'm starving."

Most of Team CFVY had already started turning towards Beacon, until Coco stopped in place. "Wait… since when can you use Fox's Semblance?" She thought for a moment, the dot clearly clicking in her brain as she rounded on Fox. "So, dear partner of mine, care to explain why we had to wait until landing to start our chat?"

Fox looked to each of them for help explaining why he had lied, Velvet and Yatsuhashi keeping their eyes locked forward. As he finally turned in her general direction, Pyrrha briefly considered helping before remembering the flight over, and how he had left her to deal with Coco and Velvet alone.

She turned to face the opposite direction, feeling not an ounce of guilt.

"Oh come on! This is discirmination against the blind!"

Coco rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. "Come on, we can talk while we wait for the Headmaster. I want to know everything, especially how Yatsu and Fox got roped in on your 'totally secret' mission." Coco sent a passing glare at Pyrrha from behind her sunglasses.

Pyrrha rubbed the back of her neck softly, unable to look up at her friend's eyes. She could already tell this was going to be a long conversation, even before they got into the world shattering revelations.

Author's Note: Okay, back from my gap week. Didn't get as much done as I would have liked, and it was really weird NOT writing on a Sunday, but here we are.

I'm curious to hear what you all think, however, what directions you think this is going to go. What ships will or won't be done? Who will live?

Who will die?

It's always interesting to see what readers think but that's all we have for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, and as always, let me know what you think.

Sincerely, SE