The Way of the Maiden

by The Court of Talons

The world of Remnant is notable for warriors such as Huntsmen and Huntresses. It is also notable for the Mandalorians, groups of mysterious and nomadic warriors just as ruthless as the Grimm. This is the story of one particular Mandalorian, and how a chance encounter with a child leads to the adventure of a lifetime.

46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46: The Pool

Today seemed to be like any other day on Remnant. The sun was shining, the people were attending to their own business, and airships moved to and fro across the sky.

But above all else, the Creatures of Grimm were roaming all across the land to destroy everything within sight.

At the moment, a pack of Ursai and pack of Beowolves had their eyes set on a group of people who had just lost their homes to one of many Mandalorian raids. A call for help was made, but scarce Huntsmen and Huntresses made the odds of survival very limited. And missions such as these seemed to be taking a long time to reach the right people.

One particular Huntsman was reminded of both of these factors when he found the packs of Ursai and Beowolves; he also found himself to be too late to save anyone.

"Here we go again," the tired Huntsman said after he took a drink from a metal flask he was carrying. Once he finished his drink, he removed a piece of metal from his back and felt it transform into a large sword. He swung this sword at remarkable speed when a single Beowolf lunged towards him.

This proved to be a fatal mistake, as Qrow Branwen had managed to cut the Grimm in half.

One by one, the pack of Beowolves began to fade into smoke when they met the blade of Harbinger. Qrow had to make the weapon transform from a sword to a large scythe when the Ursai joined the Beowolves. It was a war on two fronts, but Qrow simply spun the large weapon and did his best to block out the horrid smell of the dying Grimm.

Just as he thought the beasts of the land had been finished, Qrow failed to notice a spinning object coming towards his back.

*CRASH*

Qrow fell forward and activated his Aura to block out the pain he felt. When he turned around, the Huntsman came face-to-face with a Boarbatusk. It was less common than a Beowolf or Ursa, but it was just as dangerous.

To prove its ferocity once again, the Creature of Grimm charged at Qrow rather than spin towards him like before. Now fully prepared, Qrow transformed himself into a bird to avoid the charge. He then landed behind the beast to retrieve Harbinger, which he had dropped when he was hit. The Boarbatusk was quick to change its direction, but Qrow was fast to change Harbinger into a gun and fire two shots.

*BANG*

*BANG*

The Dust rounds were close to the Grimm's eyes, which made it charge blindly into a tree and fall over. The action revealed the beast's belly, which was unprotected by armor or bone. Qrow wasted no time to stab the belly and watch the Grimm squeal and disappear into nothingness.

When Qrow examined his handiwork and made sure there were no other Grimm around him, he began a routine that he had gotten himself into ever since he became a Huntsman.

First, he would examine the remains of the group he needed to help. While there were survivors the majority of the time, today wasn't so lucky.

Second, Qrow would go back to the village or city that the civilians originally came from. The destruction of this city didn't seem any different from any other time he conducted a Search and Rescue. And as he expected, no other survivors were in sight.

Thirdly, Qrow would use his Scroll to close the mission and report the details. After this disaster of a Search and Rescue, this mission marked the fifth failed mission in a row today. And Qrow had a good idea as to why he was failing so often.

The fourth and final step of the routine was something the Huntsman would always do after every mission he conducted. No matter the outcome of any mission he performed, Qrow would remove his flask from his pocket again and drink to his heart's content.

But even after the flask had been emptied, Qrow did not find himself content.

"Ugh," the tired Huntsman groaned as he put his flask away. "Well, I gotta tell someone how screwed up our mission system is now. Guess I can fill this along the way."

---

Qrow's trip to the capital city Vale was an easy one, given that he traveled using his transformation ability. As he flew over the dirt roads and forests that made up the majority of the Kingdom, he began to feel a sense of ease. His purpose as a bird was originally to spy on Salem and her underlings, but it came with the benefit of getting it away from it all.

Soaring through the clouds gave Qrow a sense of freedom, one that he enjoyed very much. He was not only free from the Grimm below, but he was free from all the world's worries. People rarely bothered any kind of bird, and a bird didn't have much impact on the world itself. So Qrow was free from anything that would be thrown in his way if he was a human. It was nice, even thought it could be somewhat lonely. But Qrow ignored the feelings of loneliness with ease as he flew in the sky.

But sadly, the feeling of freedom would always pass when Qrow became human again.

Qrow was forced to transform when he landed in an alley in between a Dust shop and a post office. When he left the alley, Qrow was welcomed with a reminder of how he was not the only one who was having a bad day.

The street he was walking on was filled with nothing but tents, boxes of supplies, and hundreds of people who had been left homeless after the cities they resided in were destroyed by the Mandalorians. The safe zone that once existed during the Fall of Beacon had been transformed into a camp that took in refugees and survivors. Many people were injured while they tried to escape from Mandalorians and Grimm, and were currently being treated by overworked medics. Those who weren't injured were either trying to assure their children that everything would be fine or trying to assure themselves that everything would be fine.

It seemed that the capital city of Vale had become a new Mantle.

Qrow made his way through the horde of scared and confused people until he came across a building that once served as deluxe apartments. But it could be just about any building in Vale, since there were medics and homeless people on every floor. Two people emerged from the building; they were two Huntsmen that Qrow knew well, who had stopped to talk with their acquaintance.

"Hey, Qrow," said the first man, a thin one wearing a suit of armor over a pair of jeans and a dress shirt.

"Dean, Seamus," Qrow addressed the Huntsmen. "Any luck today?"

"Not a chance," said the second man, a larger one wearing a black hoodie and a belt with pouches of explosive Dust on them. "We just got back from a botched Search and Destroy. You?"

"Same old. Nobody to rescue for a Search and Rescue."

"Join the club."

The first one known as "Dean" spoke again. "Lemme guess; Mandos?" he asked.

"Nope," Qrow replied. "If you wanna blame something, blame the new mission system. Again."

"Got on your Scroll too late?"

"Mm-hmm. Same happen to you?"

"Nope. We got just as it was posted, actually. But only because we were notified of another mission nearby."

"Only this time, we met Mandalorians instead of Grimm," said Seamus. "Ron tried to take two of them on, but now he's somewhere in one of these tents."

"How bad?" Qrow asked sympathetically.

"Just a few scars and a concussion. Lucky bastard."

"Really lucky," Dean included. "I can count on all our hands how many of us I've seen killed by those freaks."

"Say 'Hi' to him for me, will ya?" Qrow asked as he walked up the stairs. "I gotta talk to someone about the mission system."

"Good luck with that," Seamus said. "The new one we got in there is just as bad as the Scrolls."

"Yeah," said Dean. "Nothing but missions that come in too late or don't come in at all."

"Well, Glynda's been doing anything but be a Huntress ever since this whole thing started," Qrow said with malice. "If anyone has to know what's going on, it's her." He then left the Huntsmen without a proper goodbye or a wish of good luck.

Qrow entered the building and moved past even more wounded and scared people. The building was considered to be the new operating base of Huntsmen and Huntresses, but it was nothing compared to Beacon. No supplies, no forge to repair broken weapons; only a few staff members of Beacon to run the place and a team of software engineers attempting to make the mission system like Beacon's was. Their idea to have Scrolls access missions outside the city was good in hindsight, but the product was heavily flawed.

Qrow knew that serious work had been put into getting the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Beacon back to fighting speed, but there was little to show for it. If she wasn't trying to repair broken buildings in the attack or keep the Vale Council up to date, Glynda Goodwitch was overseeing every piece of Huntsman and Huntress activity. This was mainly with establishing the same means of obtaining missions that Beacon Academy did, but the lack of the CCT and its capabilities made this very difficult for the overworked engineers.

To Qrow, all of this mounted to excuses, excuses, and more excuses. Something had to happen, and it had to happen now.

His objective led Qrow to a room that served as a temporary office for Glynda. He knocked on the door furiously and then heard a familiar voice, one that told him to come in. But before he did, he took a large drink of the flask he had managed to refill.

"Okay, listen up," Qrow said as he took the first steps into the office. "We need to do something about the-"

"Good afternoon to you too, Qrow."

Qrow stopped walking and talking when he heard the familiar voice again. Only now, he was able to recognize who it belonged to. Just like he was able to recognize the person sitting close to the far wall of the room.

"Oz," Qrow addressed the man in mild surprise. Without a second thought, he removed his flask from his pocket for a drink. "I thought you were in Vacuo with Mando."

"I was," Ozpin said as he watched Qrow drink. "My return is temporary. Just to settle some affairs before I begin teaching at Shade."

Qrow suddenly stopped drinking. "Oh, yeah? I know a great place you can start."

"Yes, right." Ozpin fixed his glasses before he continued. "While Mr. Djarin has his own matters to deal with, the negotiations with Theodore and the Vacuo Council have made some leeway. Vale can expect a dozen more Huntsmen and Huntresses by-"

*THUMP*

Ozpin's news came to a halt as he watched Qrow fall to his knees as he attempted to reach a chair in the middle of the office. Despite the fact that he had just refilled his flask, Qrow was on the verge of being drunk. But after the initial failure, the Huntsman managed to muster the strength to climb up and sit in the chair.

"It's not just the numbers, Oz," Qrow replied as he took out his Scroll. "It's the mission system too. It doesn't work for shit out there or in here."

Ozpin was used to Qrow's antics and occasional profanity by this point, given how long the two had known each other. Which is how the old Headmaster was incredibly patient with him by now.

"I was told Vale's software engineers have been working around the clock to resolve the issue," he said calmly. "That a Huntsman's Scroll should be able to detect any mission created when they were in close proximity."

"Yeah, yeah." Qrow threw his Scroll on the desk between him and Ozpin. "It does the job it's supposed to, but not good enough. Every time I come into 'close proximity' of any mission, it's already too late. Like today, there was nobody to rescue when a Search and Rescue got on my Scroll. The call for help comes too late."

"Reception has always been a problem with places outside the capital, Qrow. The engineers are doing the best they-"

"Well, it's not good enough!"

*BAM*

Ozpin remained silent as he allowed Qrow to release his anger.

"The mission system doesn't work without a base of operations!" Qrow yelled. "We knew when and where we were needed, we knew how many we needed, and we knew exactly what we needed for the job! How the hell do they expect us to do all of this on the fly?! When we're scarce and broken down enough as it is?!"

"..."

Qrow exhaustedly sat back down after he finally finished his tirade. As he did, Ozpin did nothing but sympathize with his friend. In all honesty, he had hoped the idea of Huntsmen and Huntresses seeing missions when they were close to their origin would be a good idea. But it seemed the Mandalorian war had made that harder; perhaps it would have worked better if the Kingdom was still at peace.

And he knew the current "base" in Vale was nothing compared to what Beacon Academy used to be. It seemed that if the Huntsmen and Huntresses of the Kingdom were to get back at fighting speed, they needed Beacon back.

Fortunately, this was exactly why Ozpin came back to Vale.

"It seems I came at the right time," the Headmaster finally said.

"...Huh?" Qrow asked in confusion. "You deaf, Oz? This is a terrible time to be here."

"Not exactly." Ozpin stood up. "I just received word of a successful attack on the Saxon Clan, one that I believe could be a turning point in the war."

"...You don't say." Qrow stood up as well. "What kind of attack? Huntsmen?"

"No. The... leader of the counterattack wishes to remain anonymous. And I wish to pick up where he left off before I return to Vacuo."

"How?"

"The Council of Vale has recently acquired vital intelligence regarding the exact damage of Beacon. After reviewing said intelligence, I believe we may be able to restore a portion of its former glory." Ozpin walked over to Qrow. "I know how hard this has been for you Qrow. And I understand if you wish to refuse my proposal. But I wouldn't have come to you if I didn't think you would be the best choice for this."

"..."

"I can find someone else. I'll understand."

"..."

Ozpin was right about one thing; Qrow did want to turn down whatever mission was about to be asked of him. He was tired, he was barely sober, and he had failed too many missions already. All he wanted to do now was get some rest and wait for the next mission.

Which according to him, would be just as successful as his life had turned out.

"...I need some sleep, Oz," Qrow finally said as he made up his mind. "Just gotta... rest until..."

True to his word, Qrow had fallen asleep in the chair he was previously sitting in. Ozpin understood his friend's decision, so he simply left him be.

---

Qrow's sleep was a godsend in the man's opinion. It was enough to get five failed missions in a row off his mind, albeit temporarily. It would be logical to conclude that he would once again use alcohol to try and permanently rid the experience from his memory. But he would have to wake up first.

More specifically, wake up from a dream that he wasn't ready to have.

In his dream, Qrow found himself in a peaceful field. The field was covered in perfect green grass and a soft breeze seemed like it was hugging him. Qrow looked across the tranquil valley to see that he was its only one who could enjoy the peaceful, easy feeling it offered.

Until he saw what appeared to be a white cloak at the edge of a cliff.

"...Hello?" Qrow called out as he began to approach the cloak. Not only did he believe that someone was wearing the garment, but Qrow also came to the idea that the cloak was familiar.

As he walked towards the person, Qrow began to see that part of the valley extended to a cliff. The person was on the edge of said cliff, simply staring at the sunset before them without a care in the world. Qrow joined the figure and called again.

"Hello?" he asked calmly.

This time, instead of standing still while remaining silent, the figure turned around to reveal the face of a younger woman. The woman's skin was somewhat pale, her head was covered with black hair that was red at the tips, and she was wearing a black corset with a black combat skirt.

And she was staring at Qrow with large silver eyes.

"Hello yourself," the woman jokingly replied with a small laugh. "It's good to see you, Qrow."

"..."

Qrow backed away in shock as he looked upon the woman. Not only did he know her, but he also knew that something wasn't right. This valley, this woman, it was all impossible. He knew this shouldn't be happening, but here it was, as clear as day.

"What's wrong, Qrow?" the woman asked with a smile. "Cat got your tongue?"

Qrow even knew the voice that came out of the woman's mouth. And now, it was his turn to speak.

"...Summer," he whispered.

"..."

Sure enough, the woman before him was Summer Rose; an old friend of Qrow's, someone he held in very high regard and someone who he mourned dearly when she... passed away.

"Is... Is this a dream?" Qrow guessed. "Or... are you-?"

Summer laughed again. "Don't be silly," she said. "Of course this is a dream." She then moved towards the right to reveal something on the ground. "I mean, why else am I here with this?"

"..."

Qrow moved closer to the cliff once again to see what Summer was blocking. It was an exquisite stone, one that was carved with writing.

Summer Rose

Thus Kindly I Scatter

Qrow sighed as he stopped looking at the gravestone. "Yeah..." he said. "Yeah, I know." He then reached into his shirt. "I thought there'd at least be some-" He stopped talking when he realized that something was missing.

"Looking for this?"

Qrow turned around to see Summer holding his cherished flask. Instead of drinking from it, she began to spin it between her fingers as she continued to talk.

"What are you doing with this thing, Qrow?" she asked. "Can't we have a normal conversation without it?"

The feeling that Summer was giving off immediately gave Qrow an idea as to why he was dreaming of her at her grave. "If you're gonna torture me, can you at least wait until I'm dead?" he asked sarcastically. "Don't worry; it'll be sooner than you think with this damn war going on."

Summer stopped spinning the flask. "Who said anything about torture? I was just asking you a question." She then opened the flask and smelled its contents before she quickly turned away. "Oh, gosh. It's still as bad as I remember."

Qrow couldn't help but chuckle at Summer's reaction. He had seen it before, when they were students at Beacon. "I think that uniform still smells like beer after you spit your drink out on me."

Summer laughed once more. "I'll take that bet." The laughter died out after a few seconds. "But really, you're smart enough to know this and avoiding your work isn't helping you."

Qrow let out an exhausted sigh. "It does when you drink enough of it."

"It also gets you in more trouble than you were before."

The Huntsman was starting to grow just as impatient as before. "Right, 'cause you're one to talk, aren't you, Summer?" he asked. "You're not the one having to deal with failures handed to you on a silver plate while the Kingdom's being ransacked by crazy Mandalorians!"

"That's not an excuse to just give up!"

"Oh, yeah?! Well, if you're so smart, then how did you end up-?!"

"..."

Qrow looked back to the grave, since he was too ashamed to look at the woman he had just insulted. Despite the anger and exhaustion he was suffering from, he knew better than to disrespect the dead.

Especially Summer Rose.

"...Sorry," he said without looking. "I... I just-"

"I'm sorry, too," Summer said. "I, uh... guess this wasn't how I was expecting things to go."

"...I was." Qrow turned around and extended his hand for the flask. "I got nothing left, Summer. Please, let me just... handle this on my own terms. Oz'll will find someone else to help him."

Now it was Summer's turn to back away. "Qrow... there is no one else," she said. "I know you don't want to hear this, but... you have to keep on living. We both know you can do so much for Ozpin and the Kingdom." The way she was talking was akin to a parent trying to scold their child and remind them to see the bigger picture, but Qrow either didn't notice or didn't care.

"You're wrong," Qrow said as he looked back to the grave once again. "This isn't my fight anymore, Summer. It... It should be yours. You'd know what to do."

Qrow felt a hand on his shoulder, which gently pushed him and made him look back to see Summer smiling. "That's... why I'm here, Qrow."

"..."

Even though this was simply a dream of Summer, most likely a manifestation of how Qrow remembered her, the woman continued to do what Qrow knew she could do best.

She pressed on until her friends saw the light.

"Qrow, I know you've been mourning the loss of a friend these five years," she began. "And in a way... I've been mourning the loss of three."

"..."

Qrow had to admit that he didn't think of things in that sense. If this was true, then Summer must be truly missing him and the other two members of their team; wherever she may be.

It must have been just as hard on her.

"Everyone mourns, Qrow," the dream version of Summer continued. "But when the time comes, they don't feel as sad when they look back on those they lost. So please..." Summer then took Qrow's hands in hers. "Please don't feel sad for me, or block out the pain you've been feeling. I've had no regrets since the day I met you, Tai, or Raven. They were the best days of my life."

"..."

Qrow did nothing but listen as tears poured from both of his eyes.

"And don't go thinking that you haven't given anyone else the best days of their lives," Summer said sincerely. "What about Ozpin? Or Mando? Or Cinder? They need you more than anything right now." Qrow opened his eyes and was ready to ask Summer how she knew about that, but she answered him right before the question came out. "Dream, remember?"

"..."

Qrow couldn't help but let go of Summer's hands and wipe his eyes. "Summer... are you really here?" he asked as he finally broke his streak of silence.

Summer continued to smile as she wrapped her arms around Qrow and leaned onto his chest. "I don't mean to be corny, but... I'll always be with you, Qrow."

"..."

For the first time, in a long time, Qrow felt better about himself. So much better that he smiled for the first time in what felt like forever, and he happily reciprocated the hug. Summer's words rang throughout his head as he no longer cared if this was a dream or not. For right now, he was simply receiving help from a friend who knew he was having a hard time.

If that wasn't real... then Qrow didn't know what was.

---

"Qrow! Qrow, wake up!"

The sleeping Huntsman was suddenly awakened by a sharp yell and a constant tapping on his shoulder. He couldn't help but groan as he opened his eyes, which wasn't something his present company was ready to see.

"This is hardly the place and the time for this, Qrow," said a woman with blonde hair that was usually tied in a bun and eyeglasses that were crooked. "I have enough to deal with, already."

"...Glynda?" Qrow asked as he got off the chair. When his vision was clear, he saw the state that Glynda was in. "What happened to you?"

"The same thing as you, actually," Glynda explained as she fixed her glasses. "I finally found the time to help with a mission, but the number of Grimm was double than what was originally reported. But given the lack of proper timing and updates... Ozpin said you wanted to talk about it."

"Yeah, I-" Qrow snapped out of his daze at the sound of the name. "Wait, where is he?! Is he still here?!"

Glynda was taken off guard by the complete turnaround in Qrow's attitude. Nevertheless, she answered his question. "Um... yes," she said after the surprise disappeared. "He's still here. He's on the floor above-"

Once again, Qrow surprised Glynda as she watched him run out the door and fly up the stairs. She called his name out twice, but it was to no avail as Qrow opened the first door in his path. There, he saw Ozpin standing in front of a projected image of Beacon Cliff, waiting for someone to come.

"Ah, good," Ozpin said as he began to turn around. "I've been expecting-" Ozpin had to pause for a moment to determine if his eyes were playing tricks on him. "Qrow?"

"Been expecting what?" Qrow asked as he walked inside. "Someone else?"

"Well, I... Yes. As a matter of fact, I was."

Qrow gave a confident smile as he moved closer to the image of Beacon. "I figured." He then pointed to the image. "Any room for another?"

Ozpin followed Qrow's finger as he once again felt the unexpected feeling of a welcome surprise. "I... Of course, but-"

"Yeah, yeah," Qrow did quickly. "I wasn't exactly Mr. Optimistic a while ago. But I'm here to help, Oz. Anyway you need me."

"..."

"I know I'm not the best candidate, but there's not really anyone left. I get that now. So please, tell me how I can help."

Ozpin mentally sighed in relief as he formed a small smile. He knew the choice Qrow made wasn't an easy one, and he was surprised he was willing to rise up to the occasion so suddenly. But whether it was luck or destiny at play, the Headmaster found himself incredibly grateful for the assistance.

"Thank you, Qrow," Ozpin finally said as he gestured for his friend to come in. "This... This is..."

"You don't have to say anything, Oz," the Huntsman insisted. "I wanna help."

"I'm very glad to hear that. However, I wouldn't exactly say that there isn't anyone left."

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?"

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

Qrow and Ozpin turned to the door. "That would be why," the Headmaster replied. "Come in." The door opened to reveal a younger woman, someone who Qrow believed that he had met before. Ozpin, however, knew the woman well and was willing to introduce her. "Qrow, you remember Gretchen Rainart, do you not?"

The face of the woman immediately clicked with Qrow when Ozpin said her name. "Oh, yeah," he said as he extended a hand. "I've seen your work. Glad to have you onboard."

"I'm glad to be here, sir," said Gretchen, who immediately shook Qrow's hand and smiled. She too had heard and seen the Huntsman's work, and to say that she was honored to meet Qrow Branwen was an understatement.

"Qrow's good enough," the Huntsman corrected the rookie before he turned back to Ozpin. "This it?"

"Where Huntsmen and Huntresses are concerned, yes," said Ozpin. "So I believe we can begin." He then turned towards the projected image of Beacon Cliff. "As you are already aware, Beacon Academy lies in shambles. The school, the adequate Huntsmen mission system, and the CCT have all fallen apart."

Qrow and Gretchen nodded in silence. They were all too familiar with the Fall of Beacon, regardless of whether they were there or not. But they gave their confirmation, which allowed Ozpin to continue the debriefing.

"While we cannot restore the school to its former glory, I believe we may be able to reclaim a portion of its land and prestige," Ozpin said, hoping the good news would lift the spirits of his companions. "At the very least, we can establish a proper base for the Kingdom's Huntsmen and Huntresses."

"We can do that?" Gretchen asked. She couldn't help but jump in the air. "That's great!"

"Whoa, there," Qrow said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "We got Grimm to clear out, don't we, Oz?"

"Indeed," Ozpin said as he took out his Scroll. The image changed from the cliff to the grounds where Beacon once stood. "After all this time, we were able to recover proper intelligence regarding the current state of Beacon." Multiple images flashed before everyone's eyes, from ruined buildings to multiple Grimm. But the second to last image caught the eyes of Qrow and Gretchen.

"What the-?" Gretchen asked in disbelief. "More Mandalorians?"

"They're not killing any of the Grimm," Qrow noted as he turned to Ozpin. "They're at the cliff to keep people out?"

"It would appear so," Ozpin said. "There have been attempts in the past, but these Mandalorians have held them back. And given the Saxon Clan's use of Grimm prior to the Fall, they may be using the Grimm here to their advantage."

"They might know how messed up our mission system is."

"And our need for a proper base. They will have to be stopped too. But I'm afraid that's not the only problem." Ozpin prepared to show Qrow and Gretchen the final piece of information he had acquired. "We all know there is a considerable number of Grimm on top of the cliff. But now, we also know how their number doesn't appear to be dwindling."

The next image Ozpin planned to show the Huntsman and Huntress was a video this time. When he played it, Qrow and Gretchen saw a pool of what appeared to be tar in the midst of rubble. But unlike tar, something seemed to be moving from within the substance. Said thing also seemed to be emerging from the liquid. When the object was about two feet away from the liquid, it revealed itself to be a Beowolf; and more were following it.

"Wh-What?" Gretchen asked in shock as she stared at the video. "Is... Is that a-?"

"Indeed," Ozpin sadly replied. "I'm afraid this is exactly what you think it is, Ms. Rainart. This is a Grimm pool."

"A Grimm pool..." Gretchen looked back to Professor Ozpin after she repeated the phrase. "I heard stories at school and from Beacon's survivors, but I... I thought they were a myth!"

"I wish they were." Ozpin played the video again. "A Grimm pool is currently on the grounds of what was formerly Beacon. Which would explained the current presence of Grimm after the Fall."

"I saw the kind of things that Wyvern made before it died," said Qrow. "Did it make this big one too?"

"Most likely," the Professor replied. "But all we know is that more Grimm will follow as long as this pool is active."

Both the Huntsman and Huntress understood this circumstance well. Not only would there be more Grimm coming, but the pool would do nothing but delay any attempts at creating a proper base or rebuilding the school.

Which left only one question to be asked.

"...How do we stop it?"

Ozpin and Qrow turned to Gretchen, who was staring at the paused image once again. "How do we stop it from making more Grimm?" she asked.

"That is our mission," Ozpin said as he turned the video off. "We are to destroy this pool and establish our new base here. As for how, I have reached out to the only person who I believe can help us."

"We might need more than one guy for this, Oz," said Qrow.

"Normally, I would be inclined to agree. But there is actually more to our ally than meets the eye." Ozpin turned to Gretchen. "He is also a friend of Professor Djarin, Ms. Rainart. So there won't be any cause for concern when you meet him."

Qrow was itching to know who this unseen assistant was, especially if his friend knew him. "Who's the guy?"

"His name is Sun Jabbid. You've met him before, Qrow. You helped Djarin save his life."

The name and the description of their meeting brought back a specific memory for Qrow; the memory of fighting a man with an incredible ability to drain Aura while saving the life of a Mandalorian with orange armor.

And the memory of a special trait he possessed.

"Sun... what color are your eyes?"

"They're... silver."

As soon as Qrow finished replaying the memory, he snapped his gaze back in Ozpin's direction. "Mr. Jabbid is capable of destroying the Grimm pool," he said. "And he has a plan how to stop the Mandalorians."

Qrow couldn't help but flash a toothy grin as the news seemed to be getting better and better. "Let's meet the man," he said confidently.

---

After the debriefing, Qrow and Gretchen found themselves on an airship heading towards Beacon Cliff of all places. The pilot of the ship admitted her fears of the numerous avian Grimm, specially large Nevermores, but Qrow gave her the assurance that he would protect the ship at all costs.

Along with the fact that he and Gretchen would be practicing their landing strategies today.

After he made the promise to the pilot, Qrow discovered that the second woman on the airship was also afraid. Gretchen was currently sitting down while biting her nails; she made no attempt to hide her fears in any way. So Qrow decided to help his newest partner quell any fears of a failed mission.

"Hey," he said as he joined her. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Heh," Gretchen chuckled. "That obvious, huh?"

"Nail-biting's always obvious, kid. A friend of mine did the same thing on our first mission together. But worse."

"How could it be worse?"

"He denies it to this day, but I could've sworn I saw a puddle where he was sitting."

Gretchen knew the accusation wasn't very nice, but she couldn't help but laugh at the idea. Her nerves had softened from the story, so she decided to open up a little more.

"I think... I was one of the lucky ones until today," she said.

"Oh, yeah?" Qrow asked curiously.

"My team and I haven't seen a lot of Mandalorians since the war began. We knew what happened at Beacon, but we were too far away to do anything. But despite it all, we saw about three Mandalorians. Five at the most."

"Did you fight 'em?"

"No, we got lucky. They never spotted us, since they were all in the air."

"Mind if I ask where your team is?"

"At their home town, actually. They all grew up together at a place called Elysium, and hardly left it since the war began. It's one of the few the Mandalorians never hit, but the Grimm had only gotten worse. I understood and wanted to help, but I felt... I don't know, like I was compelled to come here."

"How'd your team take it?"

"They didn't understand, really. But after I assured them I was coming back and the Grimm were under control, they were fine with it." Gretchen looked out the window. "I just hope they don't hate me for leaving."

"..."

The promise of returning and the idea of a team splitting up opened even more memories of Qrow's past. Specifically how his team went their separate ways after graduation and how Summer failed to keep her promise of a safe return. Needless to say, these memories weren't very welcoming for the Huntsman. He figured that a drink from his reliable flask would make the feeling go away.

But as he stared down at the bottle, he started to feel sick in his stomach. Almost as if his body was already gonna reject it.

"Look, kid..." Qrow began as he looked away from his hand. "I gotta say, it's pretty impressive you and your team have stuck together this long. It's been, what, a year since you graduated?"

"A little over a year, but yeah," Gretchen replied.

"And you've gone solo before, haven't you?"

"Oh, yeah. My team and I took separate missions when Ozpin announced early training for the students this year."

"And you got back together after?"

"Uh-huh."

Qrow smiled at the notion. "Sounds like you lasted longer than my team did after graduating. Look, nobody's gonna resent you for going on one mission on your own. But take my advice..." Qrow took a deep breath before he shared his advice. "A job like this isn't easy. I think the war taught us that. So don't make promises... you're not sure you can keep."

Gretchen looked back to the window again as she slowly nodded. "Yeah... I may have been a little too optimistic today. You know, about Beacon coming back and all." Despite the shift in attitude she had, Gretchen was feeling confident about asking Qrow a question. "Qrow... have you ever... listened to your gut? You know... after you decided to take a mission?"

"Um... I guess," Qrow replied, unsure as to where this was going. "Why do you ask?"

"Well... since we got on this ship..." Gretchen continued to look out the window, seeing that the city below was becoming smaller and smaller. "I don't know, I just have this... feeling. That I'm going to see something at Beacon. Something that I won't like."

"What, like the Mandos?"

"I don't know. I just feel like something's up there... waiting for me."

"..."

Qrow never experienced a feeling like this, like something was expecting him on whatever mission he chose. Unless it was an obvious trap, of course. But since he didn't have this feeling at the moment, he shared another piece of advice with Gretchen.

"This is one of the times you gotta trust what's in front of you, kid," he said. "If you can do that, we'll be home before you know it. Got it?"

Gretchen stopped looking at the window to see that Qrow was just as serious as he sounded. "...Yeah," she said as she put her feelings aside. "Yeah, I understand."

"Hey, you two!"

Qrow and Gretchen looked towards the front of the ship to see the airship pilot looking back at them. "The LZ's too hot!" she yelled back. "You gotta drop now!" The pilot opened the side door of the ship and was welcomed by the familiar sound of the Grimm screaming and howling below.

Qrow and Gretchen wasted no time in moving to the open door. Qrow was the first to jump, but not before he told his partner that he would meet her below him. After he jumped, Gretchen followed just as the airship turned around.

As she fell, Gretchen saw multiple Beowolves right where she was about to land. Wasting no time at all, the Huntress reached into her pocket and took out two brown Dust crystals. Rather than injecting them in her arms like she normally did, she stabbed the Dust into her legs. The Dust made her feet as hard as stone and allowed her to not only land safely, but also create a crater that killed the Beowolves that were in her path.

*CRASH*

Gretchen removed the crystal when the dust and smoke disappeared. When she became content with her work, Gretchen looked around to see rubble on the ground and a cloud of fog around the campus.

But she didn't see Qrow with her.

"Qrow?" Gretchen softly called out as to not draw any attention. "Qrow, where are-?"

*SWISH*

"Mmph!"

Gretchen could only let out a muffled yell as something from behind grabbed her arm and cupped her mouth. She was then pulled behind a pile of rubble, where a familiar voice whispered to her.

"Stay low," Qrow ordered as he pointed to the sky.

Gretchen followed Qrow's finger to see two sets of orange lights in the foggy sky. When the lights came closer to the ground, they revealed themselves to be the fire of two jetpacks, which were following two white-armored Mandalorians.

"Over here," one said as he pointed to the crater. "There's Grimm smoke all around it."

The second Mandalorian kneeled down by the crater and examined it. "Could be a bombing run," he said. "We saw an airship turn around just now."

The first Mandalorian shook his head. "Beta squad just reported in. They shot it down."

"Good. Whoever dropped that bomb should be sleeping with the fishes."

Qrow and Gretchen silently mourned the loss of their pilot as the Mandalorians continued to talk.

"No, something's not right," the first one said. "That was hardly an explosion. And there's no sign of shrapnel or any metal."

The second Mandalorian stood up. "What kind of airship was it?" he asked.

"A Bullhead. Vale origin, if I'd have to guess."

"Those ships can transport Huntsmen and Huntresses. And drop them off for missions."

The first Mandalorian pulled out two pistols from the holsters on his side. "We've been infiltrated," he said.

The second one removed the safety from a rifle he was carrying. "Should we call it in?"

"They can't have gone far." The Mandalorian turned around and gestures to the left with his pistol. "Go that way."

The Mandalorians split up as they searched the immediate area. Qrow realized that the only way they could move any further was if they took out the duo. So he carefully took a rock from the rubble and threw it to his right.

*PLUNK*

The closest Mandalorian heard the noise and immediately followed it. When he saw that the enemy had taken the bait, Qrow pointed to his chest before he pointed to the Mandalorian. Gretchen understood the plan well and pointed to herself before she gestured to the second Mandalorian. When Qrow gave a nod of approval, the Huntsman and Huntress carried out their attack.

Qrow silently turned into a bird to give himself the element of surprise. The strategy proved itself to be wise, as Qrow was able to fly close enough to the Mandalorian from behind and grab him in a headlock. The Mandalorian struggled hard in the grasp, more specifically on tightening his neck to prevent Qrow from breaking it. So Qrow instead applied enough pressure and force to knock the Mandalorian unconscious rather than kill him.

Gretchen chose a more direct approach in fighting, given her supplies and experience as a Huntress. After she injected herself with two small Fire Dust crystals, she emerged from her hiding spot and delivered a hard punch to the second Mandalorian.

The blow was definitely unexpected, but it wasn't strong enough to damage the Beskar or the man inside the suit of armor. When he recovered from the punch, he was able to fire his rifle and land two hits at Gretchen before she could throw another punch.

Even though she had been hit and her attack was prevented, Gretchen's Aura protected her and allowed her to send a kick to the Mandalorian this time. But the warrior easily dodged the attack and fired a wire from his gauntlet. The wire found it's way around Gretchen's neck, which the Mandalorian used to choke his opponent without a second thought. And when he heard the sound of rapid footsteps thanks to the enhanced audio sensors in his helmet, he was able to shoot Qrow in the chest and make him fall to the ground.

Gretchen could feel the air being trapped in her neck, and could feel the pressure of the wire growing tighter and tighter. She grabbed the wire and began to pull on it, but a kick to the face made her let go and fall backwards. The Mandalorian then stomped on her chest and retracted the wire part way, making it even tighter. Blood began to seep from the wound as her neck grew even tighter.

All the while, Gretchen kept telling herself to do anything besides black out.

Ironically... it was the one thing she was about to do.

*BANG*

In a twist of fate, the Mandalorian found himself feeling a sharp pain in his neck. Blood poured from a small wound that had all but destroyed a critical artery, one that an Aura couldn't heal. Desperation caused the Mandalorian to grab his neck with both hands in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but the only thing he succeeded in doing was succumbing to his wound.

With no one to stop her now, Gretchen yanked the wire off her neck and breathed heavily as the pressure in her neck disappeared. After she managed to breathe normally again and use her Aura to heal the cut on her neck, Gretchen was joined by Qrow. He too had used his Aura to heal the blast mark on his chest, and he quickly helped his partner off the ground.

"These aren't Grimm, Gretchen," Qrow reprimanded the inexperienced Huntress. "It takes a lot more to kill a Mandalorian."

Gretchen let out a cough before she answered Qrow. "...Right," she said in understanding. "I understand." When she had a controlled sense of breathing and the cut on her neck had faded away, she turned to look at Qrow. "Good shot."

Qrow looked at the dead Mandalorian. "It... It wasn't me."

"..."

Qrow and Gretchen quickly moved back-to-back as they engaged their Auras and scanned the area. The fog around the former campus was still dense, so it was hard to see much.

But the fog did nothing to affect their hearing. And they heard something as clear as day.

"Alpha."

Qrow and Gretchen turned to the sound of the soft yell, but Qrow was the only one who let his guard down. "Omega," he responded in the direction. When the sound disappeared, another Mandalorian emerged from the fog. Gretchen immediately dug another Dust crystal out of her pocket, but Qrow quickly stopped her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Friendly! He's friendly!"

"..."

"Call sign, remember?"

"..."

Gretchen cautiously placed the Dust back in her pocket as the Mandalorian approached closer. Even though he remembered the white and orange armor since the day they met, Qrow allowed the Mandalorian to introduce himself.

"I'm Sun Jabbid," the Mandalorian said with an extended hand. "I remember you, Qrow Branwen."

"And I you," Qrow said as he shook the Mandalorian's hand.

"Ozpin said you were bringing another." Sun then looked over to see Gretchen examining him from head to toe. And from under his helmet, Sun was doing the same with Gretchen. "Is she the one?"

"Yeah, this is Gretchen." Qrow gestured to his ally. "We would've brought a whole team, but we're not exactly up to speed right now."

"That is for the best. This mission requires very few of us. For now."

"Yeah, no doubt." Qrow looked over to the Mandalorians. "Think anyone else heard us come in?"

"Whether or not they did, they will notice two of their numbers have not reported back. We should go." Sun took the lead into the fog, where he was soon followed by Qrow. Gretchen, however, took a few seconds before she eventually joined them.

"Sir, this is our mission," Gretchen reminded Qrow, not caring about calling him by his first name anymore. "We shouldn't just put him in charge."

"He's not in charge," Qrow assured her. "But he knows these Mandos like the back of his hand. He'll know when to stop scouting and let us take point."

Gretchen was taken aback by how much trust Qrow placed in Sun, though she was fairly sure it was due to Ozpin mentioning that he was a friend of Professor Djarin. She respected Djarin, since he was around for the entirety of her time at Beacon. But her recent encounter with the Saxon was obviously leaving her on edge.

"Do you trust him?" she asked.

"We need him," Qrow replied, even though it wasn't a direct answer. "Let's just say he's one hell of an ace in the hole."

"What about the rest of his... plan? Didn't Professor Ozpin say-?"

"Yeah, I remember that. But that doesn't change much. Guess we just gotta wait and see."

"..."

Despite the easy part being over, Qrow was somewhat disappointed with the turn of events; mainly how a Mandalorian nearly killed Gretchen. But he remembered that there weren't many Huntsmen or Huntresses in Vale who could do what he was doing. So he decided to take what he had and make the best of it. Gretchen simply needed to work on killing Mandalorians, but stealth was of the essence today. And with the careful way Gretchen and Sun were moving, it seemed they understood this as well. All seemed to be well at the moment.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't entirely on their side.

At the sight of the trio's departure, a lone Mandalorian literally came from nowhere. Unbeknownst to anyone, he was watching silently and invisibly from a pile of rubble. His Semblance had proved useful for him, as he had just seen two of his comrades fall at the hands of intruders.

But rather than give away his position and take his vengeance, the Mandalorian pressed a hand on his helmet and spoke after a static noise disappeared.

"Surge to Highest Tower," he said as he turned towards the direction of the school. "Surge to Highest Tower."

"This is Highest Tower," a low and gruff voice responded. "Report."

The Mandalorian obeyed. "We have a breach on the cliff side. Three intruders." He then turned invisible once again. "Currently in pursuit."

"Understood."

The Mandalorian moved across the land and debris as his eyes fell on the three intruders that killed his allies. As he followed, he also took a rifle from his back and aimed at Gretchen.

"I have the intruders in my sights," he said over the radio. "A Huntsman and Huntress, along with another Mandalorian. He's not one of our own."

"Let me see for myself," the low voice ordered.

The Mandalorian lowered the range finder on his helmet and aimed it at the trio. His helmet then began to transmit a signal, a live feed to share with his commander.

"Transmitting now," he said as he raised his rifle once again. "I have a clear shot, and-"

"Stop!" the voice screamed in his ear. "Do not fire on any of them."

The Mandalorian recovered from the abrupt scream and spoke into his radio again. "Sir, they've already killed two of our own. If we let them continue-"

"I said hold your fire! This will be your only warning!"

"..."

The Mandalorian finally lowered his rifle as he heard new orders.

"Follow them if you must, but do not engage them. I'll deal with them myself."

---

As the trio moved deeper into the fog surrounding the campus, they all began to understand what the hard part of their mission was. If they weren't trying to stay low enough to avoid the Mandalorians overhead, they were trying to remain as calm and quiet as possible to avoid the Grimm that roamed around the grounds.

"There's so many of them," Gretchen whispered as she saw what felt like the millionth Beowolf. "That pool made a lot more than we thought."

"It's been here over a month since the Fall," said Qrow. "Enough time to make an army of Grimm."

Gretchen continued to talk when she saw nothing around them or above them. "Have you ever seen anything this big?"

"Once, in the outskirts of Mistral. We needed dozens of Huntsmen for that-"

Sun stopped moving and quickly raised his fist. Gretchen and Qrow stopped moving, but Gretchen held on to another Dust crystal just in case. Both of them looked past Sun to see what he was looking at, and they saw even more Grimm.

But they also saw more Saxon Mandalorians fighting them with their bare hands.

"What's going on?" Gretchen asked.

"Looks like they can't control all of them," said Qrow. "They're killing them."

"No," said Sun, who stared intently at the Mandalorians. "They would use their armor and weapons if they had too. And look." Sun pointed to a Mandalorian with a staff. Instead of stabbing the Grimm, the Mandalorian used the staff to push the Grimm back into the apparent fighting ring.

The Huntsman and Huntress looked at each other before they looked back to the fighting Mandalorians. "What are they... doing?" Gretchen asked.

"...Practicing," Sun replied. "The Grimm have always proven themselves to be the best opponent. It makes killing Huntsmen easier."

Qrow looked at a Mandalorian who managed to gain the upper hand on a Boarbatusk. But instead of finishing it off, the Mandalorian simply punched and kicked the Grimm while it was down. "Why not just finish it off?" he asked. "That thing's wide open."

"The training's only just begun," Sun explained. "The Saxons never preferred a quick kill. They exploit whatever weakness their opponent has and use it to make them suffer."

Both Qrow and Gretchen turned to Sun and asked the same thing.

"Why?"

Sun looked back to his company and shook his head. "All I know is that this is but one of many ways the Way has been perverted by the others." He then moved away from the Mandalorians' sight. "Come with me. We should be close to the school."

Qrow and Gretchen obeyed, and soon saw that Sun was right. Gretchen recognized the path she walked on, she must have walked on it a hundred times when she was a student. She was so close to the school, she could feel it. Qrow sensed the same feeling as well, and knew that they should be seeing Beacon Academy in a matter of seconds.

He was wrong.

They all saw what was left of it.

The trio finally laid their eyes on what was once Beacon Academy to see nothing but craters in the ground and piles of debris that was once the infrastructure of buildings. Here and there, the remnants of tattered symbols, the rusted metal of lockers and weapons, and, most of all, the sight of Beacon Tower reduced to rubble and ash.

The Fall of Beacon certainly lived up to its name here.

"My Gods..." said Gretchen, who couldn't take her eyes off of Beacon Tower. Or rather, what remained of it. "It's... It's worse than I heard."

"Same here," said Qrow. "I got knocked out during the middle of it all... but I heard what happened. Grimm, Mandos... Atlas tried to blow it up to make sure none of them got to the city."

Sun nodded as he listened to the talk behind him. "Din told me everything," he said calmly. "He saw it all happen in front of him."

As Gretchen became more and more aware of her surroundings, a bad thought came to her mind. "Are we sure we can do this?" she asked. When Sun and Qrow turned towards her, she asked the question again. "Are we sure we can do this?" She then pointed her finger all across the campus. "This... This is too much damage to work out. How are we supposed to make it like it was?"

"We can't," Qrow bluntly replied. "Not right now. But remember what Oz said? We want a base, not a whole school right now."

"Yeah, but look!" Gretchen pointed to Beacon Tower and some of the buildings. "That was the CCT, remember? And those buildings were where we got our missions! There's nothing left!"

"Keep your voice down, kid!" Qrow moved closer. "Look, we'll figure it out, okay?! Let's just-!"

"No."

Qrow looked to see Sun walking towards them after he killed a Beowolf with a hunting knife he had. "She's right," he began. "We can destroy the Grimm pool, but we don't know the extent of the damages here. At least, that was what Ozpin told me. Perhaps we can find out while we're here."

Despite the fact that she didn't fully trust Sun, Gretchen had to admit that what he proposed was a good idea. "Why not?" she asked in support. "If we leave after we destroy the pool, we'll have no idea what to bring or how long it'll take to get some of Beacon back."

Qrow saw that he was outvoted on the matter, so he decided to follow along on his terms. "...Okay," he reluctantly began. "I'll take a quick look around and meet you at the pool."

"I know the campus pretty good," Gretchen reminded Qrow. "Maybe I should go."

"No, stay with Sun. He'll need some backup. Besides, I can make my way around much faster."

"I may have to destroy the pool before we reunite," said Sun.

Qrow easily understood. "Then do it. Don't wait up for me." He stood up straight and prepared to move into the fog. "Good luck."

With that, he disappeared from sight.

---

As soon as he couldn't see Sun, Gretchen, or anyone for that matter, Qrow transformed himself into a bird once again. The feeling of freedom in the air returned naturally to him, but the problems of the world didn't leave him this time. Instead of looking what was directly in front of him, Qrow looked down to see more Grimm and more ruined buildings below him.

The Huntsman wasted no time at all after he chose one building to be his first stop. Unlike the majority of the buildings, this one was somewhat standing. The only kind of damage that was obvious was a large portion of the ceiling and a wall missing. It was too much to fix at the moment, but having proper guards at the wall would make the building safe enough to be part of a base.

Qrow searched the immediate area to examine the damage and see if he could scavenge anything useful. When he saw that nothing remained, Qrow made a mental note of the building's potential usefulness and transformed once more.

His next stop was one of the student dormitories. Some of them had been blown to bits, though it was impossible to tell if this was the work of the Mandalorians or Atlas. The Grimm had helped themselves to making the places their roaming grounds, so Qrow settled on another building that appeared to be in one piece.

But as soon as Qrow transformed, the floor underneath him gave way.

Qrow fell through two floors until he landed on something solid. Unfortunately for him, the Grimm heard the noise and were pleased to see a vulnerable Huntsman for the taking. Qrow was quick to stop a Beowolf inches from his face, and he was able to push it away before its fangs could bite his flesh. His Aura helped him with this strength and his recovery, but using Harbinger was the only thing that required his own skill. And in a flash, Qrow killed a pack of Beowolves and its ferocious Alpha.

Qrow turned into a bird once more and decided to approach the buildings with more caution. With this in mind, the Huntsman decided to search for any sign of higher ground. He found it at what remained of Beacon Tower, much to his surprise. The majority of the building was gone, but there was one tower that seemed to be standing. It wasn't Ozpin's old office, but it was a place that allowed someone to see the campus from high above.

And though he had a hard time believing it, Qrow could swear that he saw a light coming from the tower.

With his curiosity piqued, Qrow made his way to the tower and perched himself on the windowsill. The glass that once stood between it had been destroyed, so it was easy to enter whenever Qrow pleased. And rather than seeing more debris and destruction, Qrow saw life inside the building.

Mandalorians were the current inhabitants, and they seemed to have made the tower a sort of camp or base. There were people polishing their weapons and armor, drinking, and talking amongst themselves. Some were even playing a game of cards while betting on Lien and jewelry, most likely souvenirs from conquests across the Kingdom.

The one thing that got Qrow's attention was a large computer screen that was fully operational. Next to it we're smaller screens, but they were still in working order. The larger one showed a map of Vale covered in red dots while the smaller screens had writing that was too small to read.

But Qrow didn't need to read the screens to know what all of this meant.

"There's still electrical power here," Qrow thought to himself. "And those look like Beacon's systems! If all of these can still work... the mission system could be just like what it-"

"Hey!"

Qrow's train of thought was cut off by a hand waving right at him. "Get outta here!" a male voice commanded as he continued to swat at the bird. Qrow let out two yells at the Mandalorian before he flew away, since he had no reason to stay any longer.

Now he had good news he could share with Ozpin.

"Excuse me, Gar Saxon."

Qrow couldn't help but overhear the Mandalorians talking again. He looked down from where he was currently perched and looked to see a Mandalorian in red and white armor talking to someone in plain white armor.

"One of our own just reported in from the outskirts," he said while handing his leader a piece of paper. "She had a message from your brother."

The red and white Mandalorian, the one Qrow assumed to be "Gar Saxon", took the piece of paper and read it carefully in silence. But as he continued to read, the hand holding the paper began to crush it. Whatever was on the paper seemed to be displeasing.

"What?!" Saxon asked as he read the paper one more time. "How can one Huntsman do this?!" He threw the paper aside as he looked back to the Mandalorian. "Is my brother's messenger still here?"

"I believe so," the Mandalorian replied.

"Take me to them. I need to join our newest enforcer outside afterwards." Gar Saxon quickly followed the Mandalorian as he asked another question. "Did you check in with the excavation team below us?"

"Yes, sir. Still nothing to be found."

"I'll have our enforcer tell Her Grace when he departs."

"If it's urgent, sir, should I join you both as well?"

"You may as well. He knows where the intruders are."

*CLICK*

The door closed behind the duo and the voices of more Mandalorians drowned out anything else they could have been saying. Qrow's head was filled with so many thoughts that he needed a second to think. There were many questions that needed answers, and they were needed right away.

Did Ozpin really send one Huntsman to deal a blow to the Mandalorians? And how could a single person do that?

If it wasn't obvious before, it was clear now that the Saxons were working for Salem. And she had apparently sent one of her minions to oversee the efforts to keep anyone out of Beacon. Who was it?

And what was going on with an "excavation team" at Beacon? What could the Mandalorians possibly be digging for?

Lastly, it seemed that his presence, along with Gretchen's and Sun's, had not gone unnoticed. They were all in immediate danger, and the mission was in extreme jeopardy if measures had already been taken.

With that in mind, Qrow decided to stop his spying here and now. It was rather fortuitous that he listened to Gretchen and Sun, since he now knew that power could be restored at Beacon. The buildings merely needed some extra security and caution, so there seemed to be good news all around.

But now, all that mattered was destroying the Grimm pool and leaving while they still could.

---

While Qrow was successful with his spying, Gretchen and Sun had gotten much closer to the large Grimm pool. Based on the images she saw in Vale, Gretchen knew the pool was located well past Beacon Tower. This was a piece of land that was well past the school and dorm rooms; it was mostly a place for students to hang out and watch the stars overhead. Besides traveling to Vale or enjoying the safety of their rooms, this was one of the places of recreation for Beacon students.

At first, it was easy to either slip past or quietly kill the Grimm that stood in their way. Now, it proved to be rather a challenge to cross the field since there were more Grimm and Mandalorians walking around and absolutely nothing but free space as far as the eye could see.

"We can't sneak past that many," Gretchen said.

"No, we can't," Sun agreed. "But perhaps..." He looked up into the sky. "I can fly us over them. I'll have to carry you."

"Won't the Mandos see us?"

"Most likely. But this fog is dense enough to hide us both. They may think I'm one of their own."

Gretchen would have gone along with this idea, if there wasn't one other factor to remember. "But Mandalorian helmets have thermal vision. They'll see me with you."

Sun was surprised by Gretchen's knowledge of Mandalorian armor, but he had a good idea as to how she possessed it. "Did Din share that with you?"

"Um..." Gretchen wasn't expecting to hear Sun mention her old professor, but she didn't see any reason not to answer the question. "Yeah, that's right. He told us about it in one of his demonstrations."

Sun looked back to the Mandalorians and Grimm while he created another idea. "...What do you think he would do in this situation?" he asked. While he had a good idea about the best course of action, Sun was curious as to what Djarin had taught the students at Beacon.

Gretchen looked at the numbers before her one more time as she wondered what Djarin would do. He had taught her many lessons during her time at school, but one lesson stood out when she thought about how many enemies laid in her path.

That day, Djarin had Gretchen and her whole team fight him in hand-to-hand. The fight was in their favor at first, but the tide changed when Djarin used his flamethrower to set off the classroom's sprinkler system. It was enough to make them lose focus and for Djarin to take the advantage away from Gretchen's team and claim victory.

"He would distract them all," Gretchen said confidently.

"Indeed he would," Sun said in approval. "Is there anything close by that could work as a distraction?"

"No." Gretchen reached into her pocket. "But I have some Dust crystals that could do the trick." She handed them over to the Mandalorian. "Be careful, they're agitated."

"These will be perfect." However, Sun chose to hand them over to Gretchen. "I need you to throw them over there." He pointed towards the fog before he took out a rifle he was carrying. "I'll shoot them with this."

Gretchen prepared to throw a single Dust crystal. "I'll do them one at a time. It might make the Mandos spread out more."

"Unless some of them stay behind, throw each one in a single direction. So we can stay out of sight."

Gretchen understood the logic of the idea and threw the first crystal to the left. When it was at a safe distance, Sun raised the rifle and fired at the crystal.

*BOOM*

Some of the Grimm were caught in the explosion and turned into ash, but the Mandalorians were merely stunned and fell over. When they recovered, a myriad of questions and speculations arose as they tried to find the cause of the explosion and determine if they were under attack.

Gretchen threw another crystal and Sun fired.

*BOOM*

The blast was farther away this time, but it still knocked some of the Saxons over. But now, they saw the explosion and where it was coming from. The duo was forced to retreat into the fog further as the Mandalorians searched their immediate surroundings before they followed the explosion in the hopes of finding the source. Sun was ready to fire at another crystal, but Gretchen put her last one away with care.

"Just in case," she said. Sun silently agreed as he began to quickly move in the direction of the pool. Given that there were more Grimm in their way, Sun and Gretchen were certain that they were heading in the right direction.

"That was a decent plan," Sun said as he finished off an Beowolf by slicing its neck. "Din seems to have taught you well."

Gretchen looked back to the Mandalorian after she dealt a fatal punch to a large Ursa. "...Thanks," she said as she felt pride in herself. "So, you two really know each other, huh?"

"Indeed. We grew up together along with the other Foundlings of the Tribe."

"Foundlings?"

"Orphans saved from the Grimm."

"..."

Gretchen stopped moving when she heard what Sun said. When he wasn't teaching excessive hand-to-hand combat, Professor Djarin had shared stories from his past. He told them in the hopes that his students could learn what to do and what not to do when their Auras had been depleted and they were alone against the Grimm.

And yet, she had never heard that he was an orphan.

Gretchen rejoined Sun and processed the news she received from him. Despite his odd behavior, such as wearing his armor at all times, Gretchen respected Professor Djarin. He was an excellent teacher and mentor, but she couldn't help but be a little unnerved every time she saw his armor. She had learned much about Mandalorians from her classes and society's views, mainly how they prioritized war and combat above all else.

But if Professor Djarin was an orphan, the Mandalorians were the only family he ever knew. Yet he was willing to go beyond that to teach people what he knew and use this knowledge to save lives. If one Mandalorian could do that... why couldn't someone who Professor Djarin considered a friend do the same?

Or any Mandalorian for that matter?

"Stop!"

Gretchen came to a halt when heard Sun's voice and saw his arm block her path. Rather than asking why, she looked down to see a black, tar-like substance below her. The substance appeared to be a few feet deep, but it stretched as far as the eye could see.

This was it.

This was the pool of Grimm they were searching for.

"We made it," Gretchen said as she surveyed the abnormal sight. "It's so... big."

"Yes," said Sun, who was also taking note of the size of the pool. "It's hard to believe."

Gretchen agreed, but there was something else she had a hard time believing. "Sun... you can destroy this thing. Right?"

Sun looked over to Gretchen and gave her a single nod. "Yes, I can."

"How?"

"..."

Sun was unsure how to answer that question, since his secret weapon was still a secret. Ever since he learned the true nature of the power within him, which he previously believed to be his Semblance, Djarin and Ozpin persuaded him that it was necessary to not use it so freely and keep it hidden. But Ozpin understood that there would be times when he needed to use it, which was why he had previously met him earlier.

Sun understood the need to keep his power a secret from his enemies... but didn't an ally, someone who had already risked her life by coming here, deserve to know the truth?

"I-"

"Destroy it, already!"

Sun and Gretchen looked around when they heard a new but familiar voice call out to them. Their search for the owner ended when Qrow emerged from the fog and met them at the edge of the pool.

"Qrow, you're back!" Gretchen exclaimed in pride. "Are you okay?"

"Hunky dory, kid," Qrow quickly replied. "But they know we're here, we gotta destroy this thing now!"

"What? How?"

"Never mind that!" Qrow turned to Sun as he began to calm down. "If you're gonna destroy this thing, you gotta do it fast."

"Alright, then," the Mandalorian said as he moved close to the pool. "Stand back. And cover your eyes."

"..."

The Huntsman and the Huntress obeyed, even though Gretchen was confused by the order. Nonetheless, she followed Qrow's lead. With that, Sun closed his own eyes and concentrated. As he did so, the Mandalorian tried his best to think about all the people in his life he was willing to protect. This was what he did every time he used his Silver Eyes, and Ozpin even encouraged this behavior.

The first thing Sun thought of was his home. He had been a part of the defense against those who wished to secede from the Tribe and the one Djarin warned everyone about. The success of both made him feel proud.

The second was the friends he had made with the tribe, specifically Djarin. They were inseparable during their youth, and they overcame almost any kind of challenge together. He was sad to learn his friend left to raise Cinder somewhere else, but no amount of distance could break their friendship.

The last, and most important thing, that Sun thought about was someone young and special. One similarity that Sun shared with Djarin was that he became a Founder himself, and with a little girl too. Djarin and Cinder knew about this, they even met the child that Sun had found. He couldn't explain why, but he felt a sense of duty and belonging with the child as he got to know her. For better or worse, the child he found was his responsibility.

And now, she was depending on Sun to protect her from the monsters at Beacon and come home safely.

"Get away from her."

The light within Sun, which had increased at the thought of his Foundling, died when a new voice came to his ears and caused him to open his eyes. He turned around fast, as did Qrow and Gretchen. When they did, all of their eyes fell upon a tall figure standing behind them. A large cloud was covering more distinct features, but the figure's voice revealed itself to be a man.

"What the-?" Qrow asked in confusion.

Sun moved away from the pool and towards the Huntsman. "Who is that?" he asked Qrow.

"I was wondering the same thing," Qrow answered. His unfamiliarity with the tall man was the reason Qrow decided to keep his distance and keep a firm grip on his weapon. Sun was doing the same thing while preparing himself for anything unexpected.

"I said get away from her," the man repeated. "Now."

Qrow and Sun couldn't help but look at the Huntress as the figure before them gave his order. "Wh-What?" Gretchen asked in fear. "Why?"

Qrow noticed something else in the fog. He saw flames coming closer and closer to the ground, and they immediately disappeared. Given his experience at the cliff, he knew what it meant. "It's them," he said to Sun. "We're out of time."

"I know," Sun firmly said. "Give me a minute." His eyes were closed once again as he tried to bring the light back.

Qrow didn't doubt the Mandalorian's powers, but he did doubt the idea of finishing the mission. "There's no time!" He grabbed Sun's shoulder and reached towards Gretchen. "We gotta get outta here! Come on!" He watched as Gretchen moved closer and reached for Qrow's hand.

"Gretchen, stop!"

Everyone stopped moving when they heard the man yell Gretchen's name. All of them looked towards the man, but Gretchen was the only one who spoke. "What?" she asked in disbelief. "How do you know my name?!"

Something new came out of the fog this time, and made itself clear to see since it was coming towards the trio. It was a simple hand, a large one that held its open palm towards the Huntress. "Come with me," the man ordered calmly.

"..."

Qrow finally found his voice again, and used it. "Gretchen, what's going on?" he asked.

"I don't know!" the young Huntress insisted. "Really!"

Qrow could see that his first companion wasn't going to be of much help at the moment. But he had a hunch that whoever wanted her was an enemy; he might even be the one Salem sent to oversee Beacon's occupation. If that was true, then only one kind of response was necessary.

"If you want her..." Qrow said as he moved in front of Gretchen while he reached for Harbinger. "You gotta go through me first."

While he owed no loyalty to the Huntress, Sun joined Qrow and pointed his gauntlet at the man in the mist. "And me," he said.

The figure lowered its hand before it spoke again. "...Nobody has to die today," he warned and offered at the same time.

While everyone understood the nature of the threat, Gretchen was the one who was afraid the most. Not just for her safety, but for the lives of her companions. She knew her duty as a Huntress meant to save lives, not sacrifice them. There was no way she could let them take on the Mandalorians and this man on their own just to protect her.

But that wasn't the only reason she wanted to stop this.

"...Who are you?" Gretchen asked.

The man in the mist didn't move, but Gretchen was sure that he was looking at her. "...Step away from them, Gretchen," he ordered again.

But Gretchen wasn't in the mood to be taking orders like this. "Who are you?" she asked again as she attempted to show some kind of dominance.

"..."

Despite the silence, Gretchen again tried to show that she wasn't afraid. "You're right. Nobody has to die. So come out of the fog and talk to us."

"..."

Qrow and Sun looked at each other once more, and they shared the same kind of uncertainty and doubt. They didn't think Gretchen could negotiate their way out of this, regardless of how the man in the mist knew her. Qrow was even considering that this mission was another failure and that they needed to leave.

Sun had the same idea about leaving, and he considered grabbing Gretchen and using his jetpack to fly over the pool and escape. He didn't have enough strength to carry two people, but he did have an idea as to how he could come back for Qrow.

But any attempts at strategy were put to a halt when the hidden man did something unexpected; he obeyed Gretchen and came out of the mist.

The man was indeed very tall, which gave off a very intimidating aura. He was wearing a green trench coat over a black shirt and black pants, but everyone was drawn to the brutal expression on his face. The circles under his eyes would give the impression that he was exhausted, but the scowl he was wearing made a strong chill go down everyone's spines.

Sun could confirm that this man was a complete stranger to him, but Qrow was starting to believe that he had seen him at least once.

Gretchen, however, was the only one who knew who he was.

"...Hazel?"

"..."

The Huntsman and Mandalorian looked at each other for the umpteenth time, but they were both surprised by Gretchen's familiarity with the man to do anything.

"Hazel, is that you?" Gretchen asked again. This time, she gently moved past Sun and Qrow as she moved closer to the person she believed to be her twin brother.

"...Hello, Gretchen," Hazel replied with the smallest hint of a smile.

Gretchen smiled herself, given that it had been a long time since she had seen her brother. The last time she did was in Vale, when she was recovering from nearly fatal injuries on a training mission. When he came to see her, Hazel was ready to take Gretchen away from Beacon and her dreams of being a Huntress. She had argued about this before, and she wasn't going to let a failed mission stop her from staying.

The argument must have lasted hours before it was over. Hazel's final attempt was to show how much Gretchen needed to be protected, that the mission should have showed her that. Gretchen agreed, but chose to trust her teammates and Ozpin, people who treated her like herself rather than a child, with her safety instead. She then went into a tangent as to how Hazel's "protection" was akin to total, domineering control.

And how nobody would ever want to be with someone like that.

Needless to say, Gretchen felt horrible about saying that. But before she could apologize, Hazel decided that he was tired of arguing as well. He left his sister without another word, and didn't bother to see her again ever since. Gretchen began to wonder if he was even alive, or if he was willing to talk again.

It seemed that today had answered both of Gretchen's questions. She had so much she wanted to say to Hazel, but the emotions she was feeling were too much for words to express. She decided to show this emotion through a hug, one that Hazel willingly reciprocated.

"I have you, Gretchen," Hazel said calmly. "It's going to be okay."

Gretchen looked up at Hazel and dried a tear in her eye. "Hazel... I-"

"He has her!"

"Do it now!"

*THWIP*

*THWIP*

*THWIP*

*THWIP*

Through the mist, multiple metal wires flew as fast as lightning towards the Grimm pool. One just missed Gretchen's arm, but the rest all made direct hits at Qrow and Sun. The Huntsman found his arms caught in the wires and he was pulled to the ground. As he fell, two of the Mandalorians ran over and pointed their rifles at his face. Sun was also ensnared in wires, and a Saxon Mandalorian cam from the sky and tackled him in order to remove the jetpack on his back.

Gretchen was horrified by the turn of events. She felt like a complete fool when she forgot about the Mandalorians, and now she was about to pay dearly for her mistake. But rather than watch as the savage Saxons lay one more finger on her allies, Gretchen let go of her brother and grabbed one Mandalorian.

"Stop it!" she yelled. Having learned from her initial mistake, Gretchen held the Mandalorian in a headlock as she prepared to grab a Dust crystal from her pocket.

*BAM*

Another Mandalorian hit Gretchen with the end of his rifle and watched as she fell to the ground. Fortunately, her Aura was strong enough to heal the bruise so she could prepare to roll out of the way of what she expected to be blaster-fire.

But the end of the blaster was grasped by Hazel's hand, who then threw it away like it was a toy.

"I said nobody would harm her!" Hazel screamed as he looked down on the Mandalorian who was about to attack her. "No matter what happens! Do you understand?!"

"..."

Hazel's disappointment at the turn of events began to disappear when he saw the Mandalorian comply. Whether it was out of fear or duty, it didn't matter. He then turned to Gretchen and offered his dumbfounded sister a hand. She took it and felt herself rise while she continued to stare at the Mandalorian who attacked her.

Gretchen also saw the other Mandalorians that were waiting behind her brother. Not simply waiting for something else to happen, but almost as if... they were waiting for orders.

Hazel's orders.

"Hazel... why are they listening to you?" Gretchen asked.

"..."

Gretchen was forced to draw her own conclusions from her brother's silence, but she still needed to hear the truth from him. "Why are they listening to you? Hazel... what are you doing here?"

"...Giving you the life you deserve," Hazel replied, finally breaking his silence.

"..."

Gretchen lost her voice when she heard the phrase. It was familiar to her, it was something Hazel had said before he disappeared. Once again, she was forced to draw her own conclusions from her observations.

But Sun was the first to bring the conclusion out in the open.

"By siding with the enemy?" Sun declared as he struggled in the grasp of the other Mandalorians.

"You're one to talk, apostate," another voice called out. Only this time, it was from a red and white Mandalorian who had joined the crowd with two personal guards. It seemed that Gar Saxon had finally joined in the capture of the intruders. "We are on the verge of greatness!" he continued. "There can be no room for weakness in our return to glory!"

Sun ignored the accusation, but used it to his advantage. "Listen to them!" he yelled at Hazel. "The Saxons are savages who bring nothing but chaos wherever they go! Look at how they destroyed this place!"

"This was more than necessary," Hazel replied before he looked down to his sister. "Gretchen, I've learned things since the day I left. Meet people I never even imagined could exist. Saw things I still can't explain. And they all pointed to the same thing; you can't be with these people, you can't risk your life like this anymore."

Gretchen had heard this expression a dozen times over, and she was just as tired of it as the first time. But now, she was starting to feel sick. She was sick by the sight of Hazel siding with thieves and murders, all just to emphasize his beliefs.

Nevertheless, Hazel continued to talk.

"Being on our own, all those years ago... the things we had to do to survive... you were what held me together, Gretchen. But I wasn't the brother you needed. Now I'm here to help you. And I'll start by getting you out of here."

Sun had stopped talking when he saw that breaking free would be no easy task. While he pondered a new strategy, Qrow voiced his own opinions. "Hazel, I don't know half the stuff you're talking about, but Gretchen's doing fine," he insisted as he tried to restore order amidst the situation. "Look at her! She just tried to manhandle a Mandalorian and she can kill any Grimm in her way. She's a great Huntress, and she-"

"She shouldn't have been a Huntress!" Hazel yelled to Qrow. "She shouldn't even be here, taking all these risks! Look what's happened to you because of them!"

"Well, whose fault is that?! You're the one giving these bastards orders, aren't ya?!"

"The Mandalorians have always been like this. Ever since their birth. But you..." Hazel pointed a large finger at Qrow. "You allow Ozpin to send children to their deaths! For a cause that holds no victory! And for what?! To put yourselves on top of the pyramid your Headmaster made?!"

Hazel stopped talking when he felt someone shove him from behind. When he turned around, he saw Gretchen on the verge of tears. "Dammit, Hazel!" she cursed loudly. "That's not why I do this!"

"Gretchen, please! You don't know what you're doing!"

"I know exactly what I'm doing!" Gretchen took her chance and moved closer to Qrow and Sun. She then raised her fists and prepared to fight their captors head on. "I'm doing what's right! And that doesn't include joining the same people who already killed so many others!"

Blasters and gauntlets were raised towards Gretchen in order to show her that there was no way out. She understood this well, but there was never a time in her life when she backed away from people who needed help. And today wasn't going to be one of those days.

But that didn't stop her from turning back towards Hazel with tear-filled eyes. "I don't know what's happened to you, or whose been putting these ideas in your head, but you're still my brother," Gretchen insisted as she stood her ground. "But if you really want to help me, Hazel... help me now."

"..."

Gretchen was right; she didn't know everything that happened to her twin. But Hazel knew well, and he knew that his master wouldn't be happy if he didn't act now. Even though she had promised the hulk of a man the chance to save his sister in the midst of war, Salem would accept no objectors to her cause.

Hazel knew this well, as did Gar Saxon. And now, the leader of the Mandalorians was ready to put his master's thoughts into actions.

"That's enough," he said as he also raised his blaster. "If you don't control that brat, I will."

Hazel was confident he could swat Saxon away like a fly, but that wouldn't change the situation. "...Nobody has to die today," he said again, in an attempt to calm the situation down on both sides.

"Oh, yeah?" Qrow asked before Gretchen could say anything else. "Well, I wouldn't be here if I didn't know the risks." He looked towards the nearest Mandalorian who was keeping him captive. "If I'm gonna die today... it's as good as any other day."

The white-armored Mandalorian grinned under his helmet as he pulled out a hunting knife and pressed it against Qrow's throat. "Sounds good to me," he sadistically replied as he watched a drop of blood fall on the metal.

"..."

For lack of a better word, Qrow knew that he was screwed. He was inches away from a liquid that was still spawning Grimm, being held captive by warmongering slaves of Salem, watching more Grimm being drawn towards the negativity Gretchen was giving off, and now he had a knife on his throat that was drawing blood. But for one reason known to him, Qrow wasn't despairing or giving up hope just yet.

He was praying that his Semblance would pay off for once today.

Misfortune, as Qrow named it, had seemed to do wonders today. First, Qrow failed the missions that he was assigned on the failure of a Huntsman mission system. Then, he had nearly lost Gretchen when he was shot in the chest. And now, two others and himself were just seconds away from being killed. Qrow could amount all of this bad luck to his Semblance, since it was one that he couldn't turn off or fully control.

But if it could do all of this for him and his allies... Qrow hoped that it would do something even worse for his enemies.

The Huntsman couldn't see any answer to his prayers yet, but he could see that the Saxons next to Sun seemed to have gained an inspiration from their partner's actions. For they too had taken their own knives out and pressed them against Sun's throat.

"What about you, apostate?" the first one asked. "Is today the day you join our ancestors?"

"I can think of no greater honor," the second one said as he stared at Sun.

"..."

The Child of the Watch said nothing as he remained completely still. The Mandalorians next to him weren't intrigued by the silence, but one of them was intrigued by something else.

"I can," he said as he remembered his partner's statement. He then grasped the bottom of Sun's helmet. "Let's see if this one can look his killers in the eye."

The statement immediately set Gretchen off, but all she could do was turn to her brother since he was the only one who could stop this madness. "Hazel, please!" she begged.

Gar Saxon gave the Huntress a response by pointing his blaster at her chest. "Any day now," he warned Hazel as he prepared to fire.

The Mandalorian unmasking Sun had pulled the mask enough to see his chin. "Almost there..." he said.

Qrow closed his eyes and concentrated. "Come on," he thought. "Please!"

"Almost there..."

"Stop it, Hazel! Now!"

"That does it!"

"No, wait!"

Chaos was all around Qrow, but he refused to look at it. And he refused to give up on his Semblance. If someone like Summer Rose could still believe in him, after everything that happened, then he had to believe in himself too.

The Mandalorian removing Sun's helmet had just gotten towards his lower lip, and he was more than ready to move in for the kill. His partner was ready to, and he was looking right into Sun's visor as he prepared to watch the life fade from his eyes.

But from the darkness of the visor, the Mandalorian could see something growing from underneath the helmet. From the blackness there appeared to be... a light.

"Wait, what's tha-?"

*WHOOSH*

After what felt like an eternity of blocking out noise and deep concentration, Sun Jabbid had finally accomplished what he had set out to do. The Creatures of Grimm and the Grimm pool behind him could now feel the power of his Silver Eyes, the weapon that Sun now used to protect the ones he called allies.

As the light spread from his eyes to the entire field, Grimm gave out a pained roar as they either turned to crumbling stone or turned to ash in an instant. And as luck would have it, the light of Sun's eyes seemed to be having an effect on everyone close around him, even as it began to fade.

"My eyes!"

"I can't see!"

"It burns!"

Sun was aware that the light could only prove lethal to Grimm, but it seemed those within tight proximity were susceptible to its brightness. When the Mandalorian finally saw something other than white, he could see every Mandalorian, including Gar Saxon, rip off their helmets and cover their eyes in an attempt to see again.

Even though he missed the spectacle from his closed eyes, Qrow could see the wonderful aftermath. The Saxons holding him and Sun down were too busy trying to recover from the light that they had inadvertently freed their prisoners. Qrow was a free man once again.

And to make matters better, the Grimm pool behind him had became nothing but crumbling stone. The threat of the Grimm was gone from Beacon.

"Son of a bitch, you did it!" Qrow yelled as he slapped Sun's back in pride. His hand hurt from hitting his Beskar armor so hard, but Qrow was too happy to care about pain.

"It's over..." Sun said as he began to take deep heavy breaths. It was clear this amount of light was a strong one, even for him. "I didn't think... I could do it with... everything going on."

Qrow laughed as he helped Sun stand up. "Never doubted you for a second!"

Sun began to feel proud of himself for destroying the Grimm pool, but he didn't let his pride cloud his senses. And one of those senses told him that the Saxons wouldn't be down for long. "We have to go, now!" he said as he pointed in the direction he originally came from. "Quick, to the cliff!"

Qrow began to follow the triumphant Mandalorian's lead, but stopped when he saw an unarmored woman kneeling on the ground next to a larger man while rubbing her eyes. "Kid, get up!" he yelled as he grabbed her arm. "We gotta go!"

"Wh-What happened?!" she asked as she continued to rub her eyes.

"No time, just go!"

Qrow continued to hold Gretchen's arm as he ran across the campus. With the lack of Grimm, the blinding of Hazel and the Mandalorians, and the fog beginning to disappear, Qrow had some time to process everything that happened. If he was begin honest, he was happy that his Semblance seemed to have worked in his favor. This wouldn't be the first time, but it was indeed a rare occurrence. Most of the time, Misfortune would bring bad luck to just about everyone around him.

It was also something that Qrow believed to have played a role in Summer's death.

But this was one of the times that everything seemed to work out in the end. While Qrow couldn't shake the feeling that blinding the Mandalorians may have been going overboard, since he was never blinded by Summer's light, he felt extremely happy that he had used it to accomplish this mission. And perhaps this could be the first of many more lucky missions to come.

"We're almost there!" said Sun, who continued to run towards the edge of the cliff. Qrow didn't know what was awaiting for them there, but he continued to run towards it.

"How're you holding up, kid?!" Qrow asked as he turned around for a split second. "You good?!"

Gretchen needed a few moments before she could answer. "...Yeah," she began. "Yeah! I-I can see okay!"

Sun also made a brief turnaround when he heard what Gretchen said. "You may not be the only one!" he said as he picked up his pace. "We have to hurry!"

Qrow let go of Gretchen and did his best to keep up with the surprisingly fast Mandalorian. "Whatcha got at the cliff?! Another ship?!"

"Not quite! Let's just say our work here isn't finished!"

"What do you-?!"

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Multiple blaster shots hit the ground besides the trio, which caused them to stumble when they were close to their feet. After he realized they were coming from above rather than behind them, Qrow looked overhead to see a few Mandalorians flying overhead and shooting at them

"It's them!" Qrow called out. "They're coming!"

"We're almost there!" Sun yelled as he kept moving forward. He then pressed a button on one of his gauntlets. "Hurry!"

The Saxons above could see that their continued efforts to shoot their enemies were either missed shots or merely hitting the Auras of the ones below. So one of them opted to use the missile on his jetpack to land a more devastating blow. But Qrow looked up just in time to see the missile heading right for him.

*BOOM*

Thinking quickly, Qrow turned into his avian form and received only a small dusting when the missile landed on the ground. When the dust was cleared, Qrow transformed into a human again before anyone could notice.

When they had enough of the chase and realized where their enemies were going, the Saxons increased their speed and soon found themselves at the cliff before anyone else was. They then landed back on the ground and pointed their blasters back at the trio who dared to invade their claimed land.

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Gunfire and blaster-fire flew on both sides as Qrow and Sun used their own weapons to defend themselves. Gretchen took cover from the firefight, but included her own efforts as she emptied her pockets of Dust and threw them in the direction of the Saxons. Fire Dust exploded when it hit the ground, and the other crystals that followed were either shot at to unleash powers of nature or simply hit the ground. With each one that hit the ground, Gretchen mentally cursed herself to work on her aim.

But her powers of observation hadn't failed her yet. And they let her see that Gar Saxon and his other Mandalorians were joining the fight. And along with them, Hazel had also decided to fight with them.

Despite her heart breaking even more, Gretchen moved out of her cover and made her way to her allies. "Qrow! Sun!" she called out. "They're coming!"

Qrow turned around fast and starting firing at the incoming army.

*BANG*

*BANG*

*CLICK*

*CLICK*

*CLICK*

Qrow looked at the twin barrels of Harbinger when he heard the familiar clicking sound three times in a row. "I'm out!" he said as he turned to Sun. "Can you spare?!"

Sun looked down at his rifle and removed an empty magazine from it. When he began to search for another, three yellow blasts hit his chest and caused him to fall to the ground. Qrow turned around to see not another yellow blast, but a surge of black matter strike him down. His Aura finally shattered as he looked up to see Gar Saxon holding the Darksaber inches away from his face.

"You!" Saxon screamed as he stomped on Qrow's chest and pushed the Darksaber close to his face. "You began as a thorn in my side, but now you have cost us dearly!" The heat of the sword was already burning Qrow's face, and he could feel the burn spreading across his cheek. Saxon would have let him suffer more, but he instead raised the sword and spoke again. "Prepare to join your Fall Maiden, wherever she may-"

"Lord Saxon!"

Gar Saxon kept his foot on Qrow's chest, but looked towards one of his guards. At the moment, he was pointing to the edge of the cliff. "Multiple contacts incoming!" he said.

Gar looked away from his guard and towards the edge of the cliff. The fog had completely dissipated, leaving room to see the sun shining down on the former campus. Along with the sun, there seemed to something floating in the air.

Not just floating, but coming closer and closer.

"Ram'or!" (Attack!)

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BOOM*

*BANG*

*BOOM*

Gunfire and explosions fell onto the cliffside like lighting as the skies and land became overrun with more Mandalorians. But unlike the Saxons, these Mandalorians were covered in golden armor. And they appeared to be defending the trio that were at Saxon's mercy.

As she helped Qrow get back on his feet, Gretchen watched in surprise as the tide turned against the Saxon Clan. Qrow was also at a loss of words, as he was not expecting this to be part of the plan. As to why Sun kept it from him, Qrow couldn't tell for sure.

But Qrow was simply glad that all of this was in the plan.

The sound of jet fire from behind caught the attention of the Huntsman and Huntress, and they turned to see a golden Mandalorian land before them.

"Fight with us if you want to live," she said as she joined her brethren in battle.

Qrow and Gretchen looked to each other as they began to comprehend the situation they were in. Qrow understood it first, and he transformed Harbinger into its large scythe. "You heard her," he said as he charged at a Saxon. Gretchen firmly nodded and took out one fire Dust crystal and one electric Dust crystal before she fought for her survival.

Sun collided into a Saxon Mandalorian and threw him aside before he fired at the exposed pieces beneath his armor. He then fired at every Saxon he saw, despite some of the shots hitting Aura and Beskar. But when he was joined by another golden Mandalorian, his contribution doubled against the Saxons.

"Well done, my friend!" Sun said as he continued to fire his weapon.

"Well done yourself!" said the golden Mandalorian. "You were the mastermind of this plan after all!"

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

"I only regret the tardiness on my part!"

"All in the past, Jabbid! This is our future now!"

*BAM*

*BOOM*

"Is Clan Vizsla ready as well?"

"They are! They're approaching from the south as we agreed!"

"Then our enemy has no place to go!"

Sun looked over to Qrow and Gretchen, who were doing their best to hold their own against the Saxons. Qrow's scythe was keeping them at a distance while Gretchen's powerful punches were breaking anyone who dared to cross her path.

His concern for his allies was true, but the golden Mandalorian's eyes were set on Gar Saxon. At the moment, he was using the Darksaber to defend himself, but the Mandalorian knew it would only be a matter of time before the warlord would unleash his deadly Semblance. "We have to take out Saxon!" the Mandalorian said. "Or we'll be done before we even begin!"

Sun understood the danger of Saxon's Semblance, but he also saw a chance to break the seemingly impenetrable defense. "Let me worry about Saxon!" he said as he took to the air. But rather than going to Saxon, he landed in between Qrow and Gretchen. "Not bad, you two!"

"Not bad at all!" Qrow said with a laugh. He then swung his weapon just in time to hit a Saxon's jetpack. The Mandalorian was sent flying in the air before it exploded.

Gretchen knew Qrow's Aura had shattered, so she was doing her best to take the majority of the blaster fire while she fought the Saxons. But she couldn't take her eyes off the golden Mandalorians. "Friends of yours?!" she asked.

"Indeed!" Sun confirmed. "Clan Tenau, nomads who know Din very well! And who hold a grudge against the Saxons!"

"Well, that's just fine and dandy!" Qrow said as he took a shot that grazed his arm. "But next time, how about you fill us in before we think we're gonna die?!"

"I never meant to deceive you! After the Fall of Beacon, Clan Tenau chose to hide in the one place nobody would think to look; they used their weapons to make tunnels and caves in the cliff itself while the Grimm were destroying what remained of the school!"

"Wait, what?!"

"Exactly! I feared if we were captured, the Saxons would pry whatever information we had prior to coming here! I couldn't take the risk!"

*BAM*

Gretchen punched more Mandalorians as she listened to the logic behind Sun's secret. "Water under the bridge, Sun!" she said. "Let's just focus on getting out of here alive!"

*BANG*

Another Saxon was killed as he tried to stab Sun in the neck. "That's actually why I'm here!" he said as he pointed to the false Mand'alor. "Gar Saxon may be distracted now, but he'll use his Semblance when he thinks he has no choice! My brethren and I cannot risk a close encounter anymore than we already have, but you two may have a chance!"

"What's his Semblance do?!" Qrow asked as he tried to catch his breath.

"He can destroy Beskar! And anyone wearing it!"

Qrow only needed a second before he decided what to do next. "Then get your people outta there! Gretchen and I will-!"

"RRRRRAAAAAAAGGHHHH!"

The most inhuman, memory-haunting scream reached the trio's ears and caught them completely off-guard. They turned around fast to see multiple gold Mandalorians being thrown in the air and spun around as if they were puppets. Gretchen had seen something like this before, when she needed protection against more Grimm than she could count.

Only now, Hazel wasn't trying to protect her anymore.

Sun saw the sight as well, and felt nothing but pity for his ally as he put a hand on her shoulder. He gently pushed her closer to Qrow so she wouldn't have to see Hazel fighting against people who were just trying to help. "Go where you are needed," he said calmly. "I wouldn't want to fight someone I considered 'brother' either."

"..."

Gretchen took a look back towards her brother one more time. She knew that she was the only one who stood a chance against him, given the fact they shared the same Semblance. But she didn't have the heart to fight him.

But she was willing to give Sun a secret weapon.

"Use this... only if you need to," Gretchen said as she placed something in his hand. When Sun opened it, he saw that it was the last remaining piece of agitated Dust she had. It was a fire Dust crystal, one that could create tremendous explosions like they did earlier. With that, Qrow and Gretchen charged towards Gar Saxon while Sun joined the effort to subdue Hazel.

Gar Saxon had just killed a Mandalorian from Clan Tenau and easily noticed that Qrow and Gretchen had their eyes on him. He effortlessly blocked Harbinger's sharp end with the Darksaber and dodged Gretchen's punch with ease. Gretchen made sure to put two Dust crystals in her arms before she tried again, but she and Qrow were held off by two of Saxon's guards.

"I got them!" Gretchen said as she charged and collided into the Mandalorians. "Just go!"

Qrow obeyed and launched himself over the guards. He soon found himself in front of Gar Saxon, and so did another Tenau Mandalorian. But the leader decided to make this battle end swiftly, so he focused his Semblance on the Mandalorian next to Qrow. It had evolved from using a lot of energy to simply being a handheld ball that he could throw, which he did as he watched the Mandalorian turn to ash.

"They were wise to send you against me," Saxon said as he raised the Darksaber towards Qrow. He then looked Qrow from head to toe. "Then again... I've lost count of how many Huntsmen I've killed."

Qrow transformed Harbinger into a sword and moved it towards Saxon. "Oh, yeah?" he asked sarcastically with a grin. "Well, I know how many times Cinder's kicked your ass. She said you had more ego than skill."

Gar moved into a different fighting position as he fumed at the insult. "I'll make you choke on those words, Huntsman." He then launched himself towards Qrow with his jetpack and clashed with his sword.

Qrow pushed on the Darksaber as hard as he could, but it was hard since he was moving backwards because of Gar's jetpack. So he turned himself into a bird once again and sacrificed a few feathers to move behind the false king. When he turned human again, he swung his sword at Saxon's back.

*CLASH*

Unfortunately, Saxon was able to meet Harbinger with the Darksaber. He then took the precaution of deactivating his jetpack before he sent a wave of fire towards Qrow. The Huntsman rolled under the flames, but was forced to abandon the cape he was wearing when it caught on fire. Realizing that this fight wouldn't be easy, Qrow let go of any restraint and dealt every blow imaginable towards the Mandalorian.

Saxon was immediately put on the defense as he was forced to jump from place to place with Qrow, but he was successful in blocking the majority of the strikes with his sword. Some of Harbinger's strikes hit his torso and head, but his Aura and armor provided more than enough defense.

*HISS*

Given his lack of Aura at the moment, Qrow wasn't as lucky with defending himself from the Darksaber's blade. His clothes and limbs became riddled with new cuts, but they weren't enough to make him give up.

He soon thought his luck turned for the better when Gretchen Rainart finally joined him. She had just finished with Saxon's guards and injected herself with new Dust. Now with fire and electricity at her disposal, she prepared herself to do battle with the leader by charging directly at him.

The false Mand'alor was struck by two blows as soon as he made contact with Gretchen. The Darksaber wasn't strong enough to break her Aura, and the power of two elements had just drained him much of his own. When he recovered, Gar didn't let this Dust-infused Huntress intimidate him. Instead, he saw an opportunity before him to use his enemy's strength against them.

*BANG*

*BOOM*

A yellow blast from Gar's wrist gauntlet made a direct hit with one of Gretchen's Dust crystals and caused an explosion around her. Qrow and Gar were caught in the blast and were dealt some damage; while Qrow collided into hard stone, Gar Saxon's Aura finally shattered. Gretchen was also injured from the blast, which had left her with a bad burn and exposed flesh on her arm. She was forced to use the remainder of her Aura to heal the wound before it became infected, or possibly cause irreparable damage to her arm.

Saxon emerged victorious over Gretchen and Qrow. Once again, he stomped on Qrow's chest and swung the Darksaber downwards. Fortunately, Qrow grabbed Harbinger and used it as his last form of defense. Qrow knew this wouldn't last long, so he used quick thinking to save himself.

"Hey, you guys!" Qrow called over to a group of Tenau Mandalorians that had just beat a few Saxons. When he saw that he had their attention, Qrow exposed Gar's weakness. "This asshole's got no Aura left!"

"..."

When Gar remembered that this claim was true, he looked back to see the Tenau Mandalorians charging and shooting at him. The Darksaber and his armor provided some protection, but he soon found himself outnumbered by the multiple Mandalorians. After taking some hits, Gar took the skies like a coward and tired to avoid both the Tenau and Vizsla Mandalorians as they swarmed like locusts over the battlefield.

Naturally, the Tenau Mandalorians gave chase. Qrow stood up, but it took some effort due to his cuts and other injuries.

"Need a hand?" a voice asked with a lowered hand. Qrow took it and felt himself come up off the ground thanks to Gretchen. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Qrow said as he caught his breath. "What about you? That was a hell of a hit."

"Yeah..." Gretchen looked at her other arm, which still had a deep bruise and some blood. "I don't think I'll be doing any heavy lifting for a while."

A dry chuckle escaped Qrow's throat. "I don't know if I'll be doing too much of anything for a while."

Gretchen noticed the peaceful moment she was sharing with Qrow, which made her wonder why she didn't have to fight for her life right now. But when she looked around to see multiple dead Saxons and the Tenau Mandalorians charging somewhere else, she had the answer to her question.

"I don't think you have to," she said as she took another look around. "I think... I think the mission's over."

Qrow was ready to call the mission accomplished as well, but screams and a disturbing sight in the distance caught his attention. "Uh, I wouldn't say we're done yet," he said as he pointed ahead. "Look."

Gretchen followed Qrow's finger to see multiple Mandalorians being thrown aside and being dealt unbelievable amounts of damage. The sight was a familiar one, for both of them knew the man responsible for this was Hazel. After everything they did, everything they endured, Hazel refused to give up.

Qrow let out a sigh as he looked to Gretchen. "Kid... I'm sorry," he said sincerely as he picked up Harbinger. "I know he's your brother, but he's standing in our way."

"..."

Gretchen didn't say a word, but she nodded as she dried her eye. Qrow took this as permission to join the fight, even though he was tired and feeling weak. But before he could charge once again, Gretchen moved her arm in his way and pointed towards one particular Mandalorian.

True to his word, Sun Jabbid had joined the fight against Hazel Rainart. He had used everything at his disposal to fight, but he emerged quite the worse for wear. His helmet had multiple dents, his gauntlets were broken, and his chest plate was hanging on by a thread. All the while, Hazel had only one drop of blood while he fought and killed the other Mandalorians.

Sun knew what he had to do, and he was saving it as a last resort. He had been keeping Gretchen's agitated Dust crystal safe from harm and now he was ready to use it. He was sure that there was no other way to finish off Hazel, albeit temporarily. And yet, he couldn't help but look at Hazel's twin and wait for any sign of confirmation or permission to use the Dust.

Gretchen acquiesced to his request and gave him a slow but reluctant nod. With that, Sun ran over to Hazel one last time and injected the dangerous crystal right in the man's back.

All of a sudden, Hazel's veins turned a bright red. Not like the red from normal fire Dust, but a color to show that it was burning and ready to explode. Hazel looked at his arms and let out an agonizing scream of pain; not even his Semblance could block out something this strong, not in the current condition it was in.

The Mandalorians saw this change in Hazel, and knew that some kind of explosion was imminent. They all participated in a calculated retreat, as did Qrow and Gretchen. Hazel knew the source of the pain was coming from his back, but his arms were too large to reach and grab it.

Despite the pain, Hazel was able to think of another plan of attack. If he charged right now, he could take a number of Mandalorians with him, whenever the crystal was ready to explode. And yet, he found himself charging in the opposite direction. For even though he found himself hating the Mandalorians who attacked him, Hazel knew his sister would be caught in the blast.

*BOOM*

Hazel was blasted forward when the agitated Dust exploded. Not just forward, but everyone surmised that he had been launched at least ten feet forward. And when the smoke finally cleared, they could see Hazel laying limply on the ground.

"Is he-?" Gretchen asked as she began to choke on her words.

Sun lowered the range finder on his helmet to get a better look at Hazel. He was still on the ground, but he could see the large warrior doing his best to stand back up. His legs were moving, but standing up would be a great effort.

"He's badly wounded," Sun reported as he moved his range finder upright. "And it seems he will not be fighting again for quite some time."

Qrow was happy to hear that another victory was secured today, but he wasn't willing to take any chances. "If he recovers, he'll come back," he said. "And he won't fall for the same trick twice."

"That may be so, but look around." Sun turned to see multiple injured Mandalorians behind him. From broken arms to bleeding heads, it was clear that the agitated Dust came in the nick of time. Anything less would have spelled the downfall of Clan Tenau. And the lack of ammunition and missiles wouldn't be doing anyone any favors. "We were lucky to escape with our lives."

"He's up," another Mandalorian said before Qrow could argue. "And he's retreating."

"..."

---

Clan Tenau weren't the only ones who watched Gretchen's brother give up fighting. One of Saxon's guards saw Hazel staggering on the battlefield while he saw more and more of his comrades fall at the hands of the Vizsla Mandalorians. Though it wasn't his place, the Mandalorian made his choice when he saw an opening back towards the ruins of Beacon Tower.

"Retreat!" the Mandalorian called out to anyone else listening. "All those loyal to the Mand'alor retreat!"

All of the remaining Saxons took heed of the advice and took the opening to retreat back to Beacon Tower. While they held no chance of holding what remained of the tower, the Saxons had an airship waiting for them there. And now, it was their only chance to escape.

The Mandalorian who ordered the retreat immediately found his master swinging and kicking at the Vizsla Mandalorians who had joined the fight. When he saw that the enemies were keeping their distance, the guard grabbed his master and began to pull on his arm.

"What are you doing?!" Saxon angrily asked. "No! We will not retreat!"

The guard refused to let go and run. "The battle's lost, Lord Saxon!" he insisted. "We must leave and rally the others if we are to survive!"

"..."

Saxon may have won the battle against Qrow, but his Aura was broken and he found himself too exhausted to handle the rest of the Mandalorians from what remained. And so, he found himself flying in the air once again to evade the Mandalorians.

Those who were on the ground were not only being shot at while they made their escape, but they were also joined by Hazel. He had recovered from the agitated Dust, but he too knew when it was best to retreat.

But before he did, Hazel couldn't help but share one last stare at his twin sister. Despite the Mandalorians and Qrow giving up, Gretchen couldn't resist running after her brother when she was sure she wasn't in danger.

As she made eye-contact with her brother, Gretchen had a million things she wanted to say to him. These ranged from heartfelt pleas about coming back and salvaging what they had of their relationship to feelings of anger and betrayal that could not be easily forgiven. The worst part of it was that Hazel seemed to be conveying the exact same emotions she was feeling. Gretchen only grew angrier, as she wanted to know how could he have the audacity to say that she betrayed him after everything that happened today.

But Gretchen never got her chance. Hazel joined the Saxons without another word, leaving her all alone.

---

Qrow, Gretchen, and Sun returned to Vale victorious about an hour after lunchtime. They were all welcomed as heroes by Ozpin and Glynda, who refused to do anything else until they heard the outcome of the campaign at Beacon. Ozpin gave many thanks to Sun for his cooperation and ability to rally Clans Tenau and Vizsla at Beacon. Sun humbly accepted the gratitude and rephrased how much respect he and the other clans had for Djarin, and how he would have wanted to see the mission through. With that, Sun decided to take his leave, stating that the Armorer was not always forgiving of exposure such as this.

"Well... I can see why Mando likes him," said Qrow. "They're more alike than I expected."

"Indeed," Ozpin confirmed as he watched Sun leave. "I am pleased to have made his acquaintance through Djarin."

"How's he doing, by the way?"

Ozpin looked to his friend as he continued the conversation. "Surprisingly well. Before I left, all he seemed concerned about was his village as well as the other clans you met."

"Oh, he knew about them?"

"He did. They told him where they would be hiding before his departure." Ozpin looked back towards Beacon Cliff. "Ingenious of them, really. Risky, but ingenious. Not even I would have thought to search for anyone there."

"Neither did the Saxons, apparently. Still, pretty risky to hide right under someone's nose."

"Clan Tenau thought so too. Apparently, they had learned the Saxons came to claim Beacon as their own very recently."

"Oh, yeah? Guess they didn't like to share."

"Certainly not with them. Clans Tenau and Vizsla stayed in contact with Sun, per Djarin's suggestion. When Sun came to Glynda and informed her of the Saxon's presence, we all made the plan to counterattack. We had to make a deal with the other clans so they were willing to risk their lives to clear the land."

Qrow was surprised to hear that, and also curious. "Huh. You know, I thought I heard one of them mention something about a deal. What'd you do, say you'll wax their armor?"

"Qrow, please." Ozpin rolled his eyes in annoyance of Qrow's joke. "But if you must know, in exchange for their aid in reclaiming Beacon, I promised them hospitality on the school grounds. Along with our new base, the clans will live at Beacon as long as they desire. We will share whatever supplies we have with them."

Qrow's eyes widened as his jaw dropped in response to hearing the truth. As soon as he did, Qrow couldn't help but think of how that sounded. Unfortunately, the prospect of Huntsmen and Huntresses sharing land with Mandalorians of all people didn't bring any hope or good faith to mind.

"Uh... I'm not sure everyone's gonna like that," Qrow finally said. "I mean, don't get me wrong; I'm glad they came to help. But not everyone's gonna know or care that our guys aren't with the Saxons or Death Watch."

"Which is why I will need your help again," Ozpin confessed with a heavy heart. "You and Ms. Rainart can prove that not all the Mandalorians are our enemies. You can share your exploits with the Huntsmen and Huntresses here." Ozpin sighed as he began to clean his glasses. "My deal was the only way we could reclaim Beacon. And I know I've asked more than enough from you, but I don't know how to-"

Qrow flashed a toothy grin as he playfully slapped Ozpin's arm. "Say no more. I gotcha covered."

"..."

Ozpin was at a loss for words for Qrow's continued generosity. He was almost certain that such an impossible task would be refuted and that Qrow would say all he needed was rest. But the opposite was yet another godsend, given everything that had happened today.

"Thank you, Qrow," Ozpin said sincerely. "I... I know I'll be leaving this in good hands."

"No worries, Oz," Qrow said as he began to reach into his pocket. "I hope you'll forgive me for saying this, but... all of this is what Summer would've done."

Ozpin was still sad about Summer Rose's untimely departure, but he understood that Qrow was right. "And I hope you'll forgive me for saying that she would be very proud of you today."

Qrow smiled as he took out his trustworthy flask. "I'll drink to that."

But as soon as Qrow looked at the metal in hand, he started to feel sick in his stomach. It was as if his body was telling him that he didn't need to drink what was in the flask; like Qrow would be better off without it.

His dream, it would seem, was right in more ways than one.

"Qrow? Are you alright?"

The Huntsman looked away from his flask to see Ozpin giving him a concerned look. "Uh, yeah," Qrow replied as he put away his flask. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just not as thirsty as I thought."

"...Really?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

Ozpin now knew that there was something definitely off about Qrow today. He couldn't tell what it was, in between taking a mission he wasn't ready for and deciding not to enjoy a drink afterwards. It was almost as if Qrow Branwen was turning over a new leaf. Ozpin wasn't necessarily suspicious of the whole thing, but he couldn't help but wonder what it was that caused this turn around.

"Qrow."

The duo then saw Glynda joining them, who had fixed her hair and attire after she tried to help the people of Vale earlier. She seemed to be fine physically, but there was something on her mind that she needed help with.

"Gretchen Rainart wasn't injured during the mission, was she?" Glynda asked calmly.

"She took a good hit to her arm, but that was it," Qrow replied honestly. "Her Aura healed the majority of it." He then pointed to the new scar on his cheek. "Anything else is probably something like this at the most. Why do you ask?"

"She was completely silent when I met her just now. And rather than accepting her payment, she left without a word."

While Ozpin shared Glynda's confusion, given how she was willing to take the mission when Ozpin informed her of it, Qrow knew exactly what was going on.

"I think I know," he sadly admitted. "Grimm and Mandos weren't the only people on the cliff."

"What?" Glynda asked. "What do you mean?"

Qrow took a second to become aware of his surroundings, all in order to make sure he was alone with Ozpin and Glynda. When he was sure, the Huntsman shared a terrible truth. "You might know that Salem's the one in charge of the Saxons and Death Watch."

"Yes, we're aware," said Ozpin.

"Yeah, but... she has someone else helping her too. Not a Mandalorian, just a man."

"What? Who?"

"...Hazel Rainart."

Ozpin and Glynda shared a soft gasp and widened eyes. The name was a surprise to be sure, given that neither of them had seen the man in years. Ozpin even thought that he was dead, given how he never returned to Beacon to see his sister.

"I'll go talk to her," Qrow offered as he began to leave. "I'll leave the mission report with Glynda, if that's okay."

"That's fine," Ozpin said as he looked at his Scroll. "I should be getting back to Vacuo, anyway."

"Well, good luck to ya. Say 'Hi' to Mando for me." Qrow began to take his leave, but he was stopped by Glynda.

"Perhaps Ms. Rainart needs some space, Qrow," she suggested. "I can't imagine what's going through her head."

"...I can," Qrow said sadly. "I know what's it like to have a sibling on the wrong side."

"..."

With that, Qrow finally took his leave. Ozpin and Glynda were alone once again, but Ozpin was right when he said he needed to be going back to Vacuo with Djarin. After he thanked Glynda for her continued efforts and felt confident that she could handle the rest of Vale's affairs, now that a valuable part of Beacon could be fully restored, Ozpin walked alone to his awaiting airship.

As he walked, Ozpin couldn't help but feel that today's victory didn't do as much good as he initially hoped. Beacon Cliff belonged to Vale once again, but there was still much to do. Glynda may have said that she could handle it, but she couldn't hide how tired and overworked she was. Qrow may have changed for the better, but there were still other Huntsmen and Huntresses that had already given up hope. And learning how to share with Mandalorians of all people would be easier said than done.

But above all else, Ozpin felt personally responsible for what happened to Hazel Rainart. Of course, Salem was the one who burrowed her way into the man's head and directed his anger towards the rest of the world. It was something she did a thousand times over, and her skills in manipulation showed no sign in faltering.

And yet, if Salem had been stopped earlier, if Ozpin could have done things differently... none of this would have happened to begin with. In conclusion, today's battle was just like any other time Ozpin fought Salem.

For though she had lost the battle... the war was far from over.

---

Author's notes: hey, everyone! Happy New Year, I hope you enjoyed your holiday! Sorry this chapter took me a while to write, I had some pretty bad writer's block for a while. But I promise to do the best I can to have the next update as soon as possible.

Hard to believe that this story is already two years old. Time flies, am I right? And I really owe this story's success to everyone who's read, favorited, followed, and commented on The Way of the Maiden. Thank you all so much for all your support, you've honestly been a perfect audience these past two years. Which is why I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and why I'm so excited to keep writing this story for you.

To Servos New Head, I see where you're coming from with the Inception vibes. I'm glad you liked my ideas for last chapter, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading.

To Dasgun, hope that means I got you on the edge of your seat. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To GojiraFan455516, I urge patience. Cinder will wake up when the time is right. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To an unknown guest (sorry if my Spanish is bad), usted tiene una idea intersante. Pero yo no tengo el tiempo a escribir otro cuento. Creo que usted puede escribir su cuento aqui. Espero que lo haya disfrutado el capitulo.

To CT7567Rules, I'm sorry that Cinder did not wake up this chapter. But rest assured, her recovery will be complete soon. Thanks for the ideas and the praise, I'm really glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, sorry to make you wait.

Once again, thank you all for your great support. And I'd like to give a warm welcome to anyone who recently discovered, read, favorited, or followed The Way of the Maiden. Thank you all for reading. I have made some mistakes along the way (mainly with small details), but I'm so happy you all enjoy this.

And before I go, I have something cool to share. If you're looking for some more material, and if you're in a mood to laugh, my good friend Servos New Head wrote a parody one-shot involving RWBY and SpongeBob called "The Aura's Always Greener." It's really funny, and I highly recommend you check it out.

The Court of Talons is adjourned. See you next time!