Transposition F — (For Chris Ayres)

by J-Dude2470

A change in fate leads Frieza to arrive just as the Eternal Dragon is summoned. A panicked wish sends not only Earth's fighters, but Namek's tormentor offworld. This wish has altered Remnant's fate, as all bear witness to a tyranny like no other. As hero and monster alike descend upon Mistral, what is set in motion will rock the very pillars of the world. —Post V4; Lng/AdultSit—

5. A Lukewarm Welcome

Weiss stood in complete darkness, focusing inward… and focusing outward. She slowly wandered, letting the hum of engines and muted roar of ferocious winds fall into the distance. She took a steadying breath… and struck.

A metallic tap sounded as Myrtenaster's flat edge contacted what must have been the fuselage.

"Drat…" she sighed, still not removing the blindfold fastened over her head, made from a piece of her spare change of clothes.

"Stop guessing!" Vegeta's voice called out from the other side of the hold. "I'll tell you this right now; sensing energy is an all or nothing affair. At times focusing to make out one power among many requires intense concentration, but there's nothing subtle about it."

"Then…" she started, turning toward his voice, "how can we know nothing about it? You said yourself, we've been using Shou-ki for a long time, if what you say about Aura is correct."

Vegeta approached slowly. "And I've been able to use all three parts of ki since I was a child, but my entire race was ignorant to this technique. And to my knowledge, the strongest being in this Universe missed it as well."

Weiss froze a moment, before ripping the blindfold off and fixing the Prince with an icy stare. "Well hold on! If this technique is so advanced and rare, why are you teaching me this before I can even recognize my own power?!"

She crossed her arms.

"I wasn't planning to question your methods. I'm not stupid, I know this isn't going to come naturally, or every Huntsman on Remnant would have done it by now. But something you've barely even managed?"

He stood before her. "Progress always comes the swiftest when you've truly pushed yourself. Sink or swim! To advance beyond your station, you need to aim as high as possible! Your gains will never be as great as your goals in the short term, but they'll rise far higher for them."

Weiss let her limbs go slack. "But you expect me to pull this off without even the basics?"

"No, I don't," he admitted. "But sometimes natural fighters can take to new skills with shocking speed, and only need to be presented with the right pressure or circumstances to excel."

She wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, but she wasn't about to fish for praise…

"What I do expect is for you to push back as hard if not harder than I am pushing you."

She flourished her blade. "Of course."

"Hmm," he intoned. "Easy enough to say… Blindfold back on."

She obeyed, wrapping the fabric across her eyes.

"The truth is you should already know the 'basics.' Your only problem is you're trying to perceive and use yuu-ki with your mind. That's why your kind have used it so exclusively."

He leaned against the bulkhead.

"It's understandable, and it's all you know, but you need to learn to let your body think and act for itself as well."

"My body doesn't do any thinking," Weiss said, irritation in her tone. "Thoughts are had in the mind, which resides in the brain, which tells the body what to do through the nervous system."

Vegeta smiled, eyebrows rising. "Oh!" he cried with mock appreciation. "Look who knows so much! It's like we were talking about physiology, and not spirit energies unbound by material constraints!"

Weiss couldn't see him, but his tone was plain, and his point was clear. "I… yes… right."

She heard a strange rushing sound, and tipped forward as she felt his back suddenly against hers.

"Can you guess how fast I just moved?" he asked her. "The numbers don't matter, but for me to sense quickly enough how to move and stop with this accuracy, I need senses far faster than your nervous system can provide at mere lightspeed."

She considered the physical implications of what he just said, and a very grounded part of her rankled at it on a fundamental level.

"No… we forgo physical bonds, and send senses and commands with our living energy alone. My senses, my speed, my strength… wholly undetermined by flesh and bone, instead allowed to soar as high as my power!"

Weiss tried to comprehend it. Controlling her body with energy, unshackling her from its limits…

"So… there's things I just don't understand," Weiss began, striking while the iron was hot.

Vegeta smirked. "Heh… so what else is new?"

"Ha ha…" she droned. "I mean about this ki business…"

He tilted his head. "I suppose we were otherwise occupied? I've been trying to teach you all day."

She shook her head. "No, I mean like… shou-ki: you said it was mental power and that yuu-ki was body power…"

"That's an impressively reductive and inaccurate way to describe it," Vegeta said, smirking, "but don't let me interfere with your ignorance…"

Weiss took a loud, calming breath "Okay, so you can argue that having semblances and energy barriers can be classified as a mind ability… My semblance can be considered a mental projection. As can others like Glynda, who can move objects with her mind or put them back together…"

Vegeta watched as she paused, using an urging motion with his hand. "Keep going, I need to see how deep this rabbit hole of misunderstanding goes…"

"But then there are powerful brawlers like Yang… or others who rely almost entirely on brawn, or skill with a weapon… and believe me, they're not exactly meditating on inner peace or the triality of spirit energy."

He shook his head. "You're letting your preconceptions cloud your understanding. Shou-ki is the energy of the mind and the true self. The powers that stem from it aren't limited to psychokinetic ability, nor are they truly defined by them."

Weiss' eyes widened at the notion. Even when she knew to minimize her assumptions, she was finding herself taking details for granted...

"True, such powers coupled with a mastery of Shou-ki are exceptionally potent," he conceded, "I'm willing to bet those of your race fitting the description are among the most powerful as a result. So while I'm certain mental fortitude helps, the reason I say your kind have taken to Shou-ki is because the greatest among you intimately know your true-selves."

Weiss mentally took a step back. "Wait, how do you know that?"

"I ran into a few of your fellows before, and their styles weren't comparable at all. Didn't take long to figure out what was happening. You learn and forge your own unique identities," he continued, "to the extent that I doubt any of your best Huntsmen are alike. Your kind champion style and technique. You take to it almost without needing to think about it. You know yourselves, and that is where the mind comes into play; honing and exercising your latent abilities, they change as you change. Sound about right?"

She had to concede the point. "But why should training one branch of ki make us as strong as you're saying? Shouldn't just that part of ki grow?"

Vegeta shook his head. "Ki has three aspects, but it is still one thing. Think of it like working a set of muscles. Certain training can put the focus on a single muscle, certainly, but every muscle involved in those movements still strengthen as a result. You can't affect one without the others following, and yuu-ki easily gains faster than the others."

A satisfactory answer only prompted more questions.

"I just don't understand how everyone else in the Universe gets it, but we don't… the fighters you talk about all use yuu-ki and—"

"And they're easily among the greatest warriors in the Universe. Ha! I mock the weak, certainly, but only because they number so many! Thousands of worlds, and of them, maybe a handful of any given species can wield the power we've discussed. For some species it's natural, freaks of the cosmos like the Saiyans, or the Namekians for their potential being awakened so they can defend their precious treasures. Frieza commands the greatest army in the galaxy, full of the greatest fighters the bastard could drum up… And yet those that could brush off your power number so small they could have comfortably all stood in this one room… and still had space to do jumping jacks!"

Weiss had nothing to say. Just by fortune or inevitability, her people unknowingly reached the upper echelon of power in the Universe! They just didn't know how to use it...

"Do you really think I'd bother with you at all if you and your kind were all cosmic cannon fodder?!" he finished, as she realized she'd just received the most indirect praise she'd have ever heard… if not for how long she'd spent learning from Winter.

She sighed. "Alright, let's give it another go."

"Wait," Vegeta said suddenly. "There's something wrong here."

She lifted the blindfold to find him staring out the windows at—

For a split second she flinched, fearing the ship was about to be pelted with huge chunks of rubble, until she realized they were passing enormous islands of moss-ridden earth floating in the night sky. The trees dotting some of the islands gave a sense of scale, and most were easily large enough to host entire buildings. And jutting from all of them were blocky shards of black crystal shimmering in the moonlight.

"Hey!" Weiss called to the pilot. "What's happening?!"

They heard the intercom wail before he answered. "Avoiding the check station, so we're over Lake Matsu. Less traveled path, and… yeah, this is why. Floating islands are full of natural gravity Dust. It's a gamble, but it messes with patrol sensors. We're basically undetectable here, especially in the dark."

"Fool," Vegeta grumbled. "It's like flying through a damn asteroid field."

"I heard that," the pilot bristled. "Maybe for a lesser pilot you'd be right, but this ain't my first time through. Just have to take it wide and not get too close to the ones with lots of cracks, caves… y'know, places to hide. Some nasty Grimm live in these things."

Vegeta turned to her. "So I heard the word 'Dust.' I suppose that's meant to have meaning for me?"

"Well you're asking exactly the right person," Weiss said with resignation. "The Schnee Dust Company is the biggest name in Dust mining, processing and proliferation on Remnant. Dust is elemental energy in crystal form. It has its own power, but it's also amplified by Aura."

"Elemental? How so?"

"Like… the elements," she said with a shrug. "Wind, fire, water, earth, gravity, as previously discussed. Subdivisions like steam or ice—"

"Alright, I get the picture," he growled. "So nothing we need be concerned—?

"Ah, crap!" the pilot moaned, as the sound of distant craft approached. "Mistral Air Patrol, this is gonna be really hard to explai— w-wait, are those ships damaged?"

There was a burst of noise as one of the bay windows glowed brightly. One of the isles in the airborne atoll suddenly began a violent spin, slowly lurching towards others. A crunch of stone and wood followed as the islands slowly collided and ground against each other.

Weiss barely spared Vegeta a look before zipping over and ascending the ladder beneath the cockpit. Watching her for a moment, he grunted before floating up to the catwalk, meeting her as she reached the top through the back entrance to the cockpit.

"Opening comm channels," the pilot reported, flipping switches, "I wanted to run silent, but whatever! One of those ships crashed."

There was a burst of signal static, before—

"— just lost our wingman! We're broadcasting a mayday on all frequencies! Pursuit of suspect stirred up Lancers! We can't shake them!"

"There they are!" Weiss cried, pointing into the distance.

Indeed, a ship bearing the Mistral emblem was flying towards them at full speed, smaller buzzing shapes trailing behind it.

In moments the scene came into focus for them, the 'Lancers' proving to be huge Grimm wasps, swarming after the vessel. Mandibles that could rend steel or decapitate a human being in equal measure clicked angrily as bony stingers fired into the hull of the patrol ship, harpoons held fast to their bodies.

The beasts stopped as one, the voice on the radio continuing to shriek until the Lancer's lines went taut. The Lancers dragged along a short distance, but the deceleration on the ship was too great. The voice went silent all at once as an explosion popped within the craft, its front end split in a ragged tear down to the keel.

The hooked Grimm released their lines as the ship plummeted, front end in a vertical jackknife by the time it smashed into the waters below, sharding into pieces as if against stone.

"We need to get down there!" Weiss cried, "There could have been survivors!"

"In that?!" the pilot said, steering violently away from the scene. "By the time we got down there the Lancers will have finished them off, and this crate ain't armed!"

"You call yourself a smuggler?" Vegeta muttered.

"I prefer to call myself an 'occasional contraband courier'…"

She held her tongue, aching at the notion of feeling so powerless. But soon, all was interrupted by a series of bleeps, indicating new signals at the south-end of the ship's sensors.

"No no no no!" the pilot groaned. "Of course I inherit those idiots' problems! We've got incoming on our six!"

"Then we'll do something about it," Weiss said, fire in her eyes.

"Hey, you miss what I just said?! I've got no guns on this thing! Got the permits, but it increases 'random' inspections twice over!"

"You've got better than guns," she told him, marching past Vegeta to the catwalk. "You have a Huntress."

She leapt off into the bay, touching down and approaching the crates. "I recognized these crates immediately, so don't try working me over; this ship is full of Dust, right?"

"What can I say," the pilot said over the intercom, "if contraband is liquor, then Dust is blue-label right now."

Without another word she popped a crate open and began loading Myrtenaster's revolver. She heard Vegeta set down next to her as the cargo doors began to open.

"I'd tell you to use the blindfold, but it's pointless," he told Weiss, staring past her curiously. "Whatever these Grimm of yours are, they're empty vessels. Can't sense their energy at all… Deal with them how you will. I can at least see your technique."

She leapt in front of the freight, rooting herself in front of the bay doors, both in stance and with a black glyph. Vegeta walked to the bay door release and hit it with the side of his fist.

The wind whipped as pale light flooded the interior, and the doors barely cleared visibility when a barbed bony spear soared through.

She wove left with a shout, blade whipping as she cleft it in twain while it passed, pointed end bouncing chaotically. A glyph held the stub of the stinger in place as she lined up for a shot.

The defanged Lancer sought retaliation, charging her directly. She switched to ice Dust and thrust her blade, the creature's jaws chittering before it was frozen stiff and fell like a stone behind its fellows.

With an arcing slash of her blade, five miniature glyphs formed around her, following into a spin and thrust that set them as streaking projectiles.

They struck true, knocking three of them out of the sky, clipping one's wings and blasting legs off the last. It was barely a dent in the swarm, but progress was progress.

"So these 'Grimm' are terribly aggressive," Vegeta commented as she switched to fire Dust. "You say they're a threat to your very species? It's strange, animals aren't generally this persistent…"

She swept Myrtenaster, sending a wave of flames out and incinerating the next Lancers that got too close, illuminating the dark islands. "Well yeah," she said, readying lightning Dust, "the Grimm exclusively attack humanity and its creations."

She gave a lunge with her blade, and a single golden jolt shot forward to collide with and fry a Lancer, the arcs chaining with a half dozen others which burst and evaporated. More than the fight itself, the light of her own attacks was spoiling her limited night vision as her eyes fought to adjust.

"I'm gonna try and lose them between the rocks!" the pilot reported, as their room to maneuver grew ever tighter.

A group of Lancers fired their harpoon-like stingers at once, but she was ready with the air cylinder. A veritable gale swept from her sword, blasting the stingers back and staggering their owners who fought against the current. A few stingers embedded into the nearby islands, tethering the Lancers connected to them. One pair's organic cables managed to tangle around each other, one pinned to an island as the other fought to escape, jaws working in anger. The living clothesline caught a few of its fellows bringing up the rear, shearing wings off as they dropped helplessly.

There was a rumble as rocks clattered down from the islands, merely scraping the ship itself, but a number of their insectoid entourage vanished on impact.

"Tch… nevermind," Vegeta muttered. "This can barely even be classified as combat."

The comment drew Weiss' attention, and she knew it was a mistake to glance, but she still barely pirouetted away from the harpoon stinger as it slammed into one of the containers.

She gasped, amazed as various types of Dust seeped out, that the container hadn't already blown them all to pieces. She vaulted to the other side of the crate, blade whirling as she snipped its load straps and formed a red glyph behind it. The crate was launched out among the swarm, and she sent a single glyph projectile after it as it detonated like a mine, blasting and buffeting the surrounding Grimm. An overhanging arch of stone cracked with the stress, and in moments the conjoined islands split as stone and dirt fell, overtaking their view entirely.

"What in the name a—?!" the pilot shouted. "What WAS that?!"

Weiss peered into the black fog of dirt. "So… that freight we weren't supposed to touch?"

He sighed. "How much?"

"About a pallet's worth!"

"Y-y'know what, whatever, WHATEVER!" he said. "Acceptable losses…! All that crap on the radar is messing with us, but… I think that's the last of them!"

"Hm… Famous last words," Vegeta muttered.

There was but a moment to breathe before something a third the ship's size charged out of the filthy smoke, eyes burning like embers in the gloom.

Weiss went cold. "A Queen…! HEY, don't slow down, we picked up a QUEEN!"

"Awww, hell on STILTS!" he cried. "HANG ON!"

But his evasive dive was cut short by a massive stinger impacting the far wall of the cargo bay.

"TOO LATE!" she shouted. "WE'RE HOOKED!"

Vegeta watched her in confusion as the line went taut, the ship's engines whining as they dragged the giant Grimm, which had begun flinging thorny spines at them in a shower.

Weiss twirled before giving a swipe of her sword. Behind the ship, a huge black glyph bloomed, the spines stopping hard against it as she strained to keep it up.

"Why not just cut the line?" Vegeta suggested.

"N-no…!" she groaned. "I want it right here…! I just have to…"

One hand extended to the glyph, she knelt as she ran Myrtenaster's tip into the floor. A second, large white glyph began to spin and phase even as the Queen Lancer dragged itself closer and closer like they were a trout on a lure.

"Kid, the engines can't take much more!"

At last there was a rumble throughout the ship as the black glyph vanished, and in its place the Queen had latched bodily onto the ship, jaws reaching into the bay at her.

She wove left and right from the deadly mandibles, still clutching her mounted blade as a phantom slowly rose from it.

The monster finally lunged dead-center, but time was on her side. She lifted the blade at last and gave a vertical slash to the thing's face, making it recoil angrily.

But before it could properly retaliate, a huge gleaming blade raked across its armoured head as the Arma Gigas stormed forward. Staggered, the Queen retreated a few dozen feet, and nowhere near far enough.

The shining knight leapt from the cargo hold at a running start, blade whirling as it snipped the monster's wings off, grabbing and stabbing it repeatedly as both titans fell from view, the Queen Lancer's line rapidly losing slack.

Not missing a beat, Weiss raised Myrtenaster over her head with both hands and hacked the line off, falling to her knees in relief and letting her blade clatter upon the grating as both ends of the line molted into smoke.

Weiss panted, sweating as Vegeta approached.

"Um… so, we're in the clear this time? Hello?" came the pilot's voice, entirely unheeded.

"Hard to evaluate your skills from that," he told her, "but I'll not deny your abilities are versatile if nothing else. I can't speak to their effectiveness in a real fight, but—"

"Urgh…" she groaned. " 'Real fight'... why… why don't you just go fly a kite…"

He rolled his eyes as she chuckled softly, but soon refocused as something entered his vision.

Weiss only got a split moment's warning before Vegeta all but kicked her away. She rolled to glimpse a bony harpoon deflected into the ceiling by nothing but his hand. She looked out to see it: a second Queen. And it had nearly ran her through!

"Enough of this trash!" he bellowed, hand forward as a golden sphere shined over his palm.

She watched as the blast shot out, catching the new Queen bodily and sending it hurtling into one of the islands as chaotic shadows filtered through. What happened next, nobody expected.

The initial burst of light was evident as rock showered out, but what soon followed was a sort of implosion, the modest golden glow quickly replaced by a purple one, and the very air around them seemed to change.

Weiss noted a sensation of nausea, and her necklace lifting up her very neck… and then all hell broke loose.

There was a hiss of rushing air as some force tugged at her, ever more insistently bidding her out the back of the ship. The islands scattered rays of mulberry light as the nearest to the phenomenon drifted towards it faster and faster. In moments the islands seemed to fall readily, loudly crunching together, smaller pieces in orbit as if the light marked the center of a black hole.

"What is that?!" the pilot demanded as the engines whined. "My instruments…! What in God's name IS THAT?!"

Weiss began to realize the wind tugging at her wasn't merely wind, as even the water beneath the maelstrom was reaching up to meet it, a massive blue bulge stretching as if some colossal beast from an old monster movie were rising from the waves. The very clouds were being stripped from the sky.

And slowly Weiss felt like the ship was tilting back as she tried to stand against the force. She found Vegeta's surprised eyes as she slammed Myrtenaster's tip into the floor, even as her feet dangled horizontally towards the violet storm.

"What are you waiting for?!" she demanded, shrieking over the noise. "Stop it!"

Vegeta stood unmoved, only watching with widened eyes. "This… this isn't my doing! That blast wasn't meant to do that, this is something else!"

The force only seemed to get stronger as she felt her grip begin to fail her. The hill of blue was becoming a frothing mountain, more and more islands were being swept from the skies. She was even sure a fair few Lancers were being dragged towards their fate.

And she was next.

She would have reached a hand towards her impromptu partner if it wouldn't have sealed her doom. Instead, her eyes sought his in fear. "Vegeta, I'm slipping…! Help!"

He stood unmoved, only sneering. "If something like this can defeat you, then you're not worthy of my time, let alone my teaching! Save yourself!"

Her eyes flashed with fear, but she took a breath. In but a second, she made the decision and let one of her hands reach low. She slipped… and fell upon a great white glyph platform within the bay doors.

Blade still out of reach, she had only her own power to rely upon. She didn't generally sustain these glyphs for so long, but as she stood against the intense sideways gravity, she knew she had no choice. Her aura was being tested to its limit, and yet she wasn't done. The ship was steadily losing ground, about to pitch back and —at minimum— crash into the deep.

She reached out her other hand in a swirling gesture, teeth bared as a great red glyph formed around the entire ship. Outside the chaos was reaching its peak, the light growing ever brighter.

She let out a war cry as the red glyph activated, launching the entire ship forward, even as the G-forces made her head spin. Moments after, the mauve light became a second Sun, the force dispelling as stone blasted out in arcs to the water. The swelling bulge of water itself dropped back into the deep, a fifty-foot wave expanding out in all directions in a ripple to shred the shoreline and drench the surrounding forest beyond.

A few more rickety moments, and it was over, a sound like thunder echoing out into the air as the madness ceased and Weiss fell in a heap upon the steel, even as the bay doors ground to a close.

"I… I think that's it! We're home free!" the Pilot declared gleefully. "Kid, I don't care what your age is, we land in Mistral, I WILL contribute to your delinquency!"

Both ignored him, even as Weiss struggled to sit up.

"Never lower yourself to asking for help," Vegeta said, deathly serious. "I've killed Saiyans for betraying such weakness! At the end of the day, if you can't rely on your own strength you're as good as dead!"

Weiss stared, fatigued and defiant. "But you've… been on a team! You should already know the benefits of having others to fall back on…"

"I led a team," he corrected, not meeting her eyes. "But there was no question who I could rely on. They were merely underlings, and they worked for me. But their failure speaks for itself. We come into this world alone, and we'll live or die by our own strength, no one else's."

She closed her eyes, shaking her head as she stood shakily to retrieve her blade. "I once thought the leader was above the team… Apart, on the hilltop looking down. I had that same attitude. But you know what I realized?"

He looked away, his own eyes closing. "Hmph."

She took it for a reply. "...I'm tired of being alone."

With that, she ascended the ladder to the cockpit, as Vegeta returned to his favored corner.

"Feh! Sentiment…"

---

Gohan watched as the hospital doors opened, a slender man in a black, white and grey dress shirt and familiar red tattered cape staggering through, half supported by Ruby.

"Alright, alright, kiddo," his high gruff voice wheezed, "I've got it." He pushed gently away, stretching as he finally looked to the rest of Team RNJR. "So you pulled it off… for a while there I was worried. The while where I was still conscious and not caught in a fever dream, anyway."

A few of them chuckled, but Jaune motioned to the young half-Saiyan. "Well, we might have managed, but we actually had some help."

Qrow froze, his eyes hazy as he beheld the boy. "Wait… how long was I out…?" He said, turning to Ruby. "So you n' Blondie…? Ugh… Tai's gonna murder me…"

Ruby and Jaune locked eyes for a moment, brows furrowed in contemplation before—

"What?! No!" Ruby shouted, going puce before calming herself at Jaune's conflicted expression. "I mean, no, Jaune's nice, but—"

Qrow breathed a sigh of relief. "So 'Hammertime' and 'Pretty in Pink Sleeves' then?"

"He's nobody's kid!" Nora cried, ears reddening instantly.

"He sorta lent us a hand tackling that enormous Grimm," Ruby explained.

"Yeah, 'cause a hand was all he needed apparently," Nora snarked.

Qrow sighed, a hand to his forehead, "Okay, totally lost… Where'd the kid come from and why are we babysitting?"

"Short version?" Ruby said, feeling sillier with every coming word. "We are… inclined to believe… that he got separated from his family and friends… from another… planet."

There was an incredibly long pause before anyone said or did much of anything.

"Well…" Ren began, "from another planet they traveled to from their own planet in order to find a number of artifacts with powerful magical properties."

"Oh," Qrow said, voice stoic, "Well okay then, glad we're all on the same page…"

They watched him with concern as he seemed to check both his arms.

"Uh… Uncle Qrow… what are you doing?" Ruby asked.

"Checking to make sure the doc didn't leave an IV in my arm full a' something… because what you just said was insane," Qrow finished with mild annoyance evident on his face.

"Um… sir," Gohan began, "maybe I can—"

"Oh good, he's old enough to talk," Qrow said, before making steady strides for the door. "Look, we can discuss this later… and we will discuss it later. But right now Lionheart's expecting us, and every moment we waste is another the enemy has over us."

---

They had to head through a tunnel carved into the mountain to reach the lifts to Haven itself. Ornate in red and gold paint, they were effectively grand balconies providing a stunning internal view of the ever-moving city, evidently designed to bring dozens if not a hundred people per trip if necessary. But with school between terms, they stood alone.

The shops and homes they visited overlooked the yet more crowded tiers below.

"So, gotten to know this place at all?" Qrow asked, leaning back against the guardrail. "Tip some scandalously public dancers? Get your purse stolen by someone looking you dead in the face?"

"I don't have a purse," Ruby answered.

"I'll never use a purse," Nora added in revulsion.

"I dunno, Coco's is pretty neat," Ruby retorted.

"You're just saying that because it's a chaingun," Jaune said.

"Duh!" Ruby intoned. "Don't hate, you know you want one."

He sighed. "Yeah, I kinda do…"

As the elevator began its ascent, Gohan's ears pricked. "Wait, a purse that turns into a weapon?"

Ruby's eyes lit up. "Yeah, it's completely and utterly boss! I don't know how she got the machining tolerances so low, that takes serious talent, and equipment! It compresses like crazy!"

" 'Compress?' " he asked, looking lost.

"Oh, just a fancy word for pairing down our weapons to be easier to carry, y'know, when we're not using them…"

"Cool!" Gohan exclaimed, before his brows fell. "Oh but… don't they still weigh the same?"

Jaune and Ruby shared a look.

"You… get used to it," Jaune explained.

"It's more about being compact anyway," Ruby added. "Getting used to the weight just makes you stronger."

"Oh!" Gohan cried, "Mister Piccolo does something like that! He's got these weighted clothes. And my dad got crazy strong after training a few days at fifty-times gravity!"

Qrow scoffed. "Sure, and I broke the moon with two pitchers of scotch and my bare damn hands…"

"Mister Piccolo blew up our moon…" Gohan told him as he stared up at Remnant's, prompting the Huntsman to roll his eyes.

"Sheesh, where'd you find this kid?"

"Fifty-times gravity?" Ruby repeated, imagination running. "I think that'd make me like… six-thousand pounds…"

"Woo, lay off the cookies, Rubes!" Nora snarled, as Ruby stuck her tongue out at her.

"I had a shortsword for a little bit," Gohan shared, "I fight better with my hands though. I need them freed up. And I can't really do ranged…"

Ruby laughed. "That's why we mix in one of these, silly!"

"Here it comes…" Qrow sighed. "Guess this was inevitable."

Gohan wondered what he meant, before Ruby pulled out the small red tool she'd kept on her back, watching in wonder as it unfolded and extended into a heavy-headed rifle.

"Whoa!" Gohan cried appreciatively, leaning forward for a better look.

"Yep! This mode is dedicated range, more middle than long, packs more punch up close to compensate. Not great too close though." Ruby explained, before every part of it rolled open, a central pole or barrel telescoping as the heavy stabilizing head of the rifle swiftly revealed a huge, curved pair of steely blades.

Recognition flashed in Gohan's eyes as he suddenly recalled briefly seeing the great arching form of the deadly-looking weapon, before the huge Grimm creature had attacked.

"This is kinda my preference though," she explained, smiling as she let the spear-like butt of the scythe plant in the ground like an absurdly aggressive-looking flag holder. "Awesome up-close, decent at mid-range, hit anything at long range. Just not as hard…"

Qrow shook his head with a smirk. "Really? It's kinda your preference?"

"Okay, so I almost never use the rifle-mode…" she admitted.

"Don't mind her, kid," Qrow told Gohan, "she's always been like a dog with a bone where Crescent Rose is concerned. Since she finished it at Signal, every opportunity… walks past a crowd of students, trips and 'accidentally' that scythe pops out and scares the bejeezus out of everyone…"

Nora snickered. "Owe-emm-gee, Ruby, did you actually?"

The caped crimsonette's cheeks pinkened as she gave a hoarse laugh. "Umm, I… well… y'know…" She cleared her throat as every syllable grew quieter.

" 'Crescent Rose…' " Gohan repeated. "That's a cool name! We have names for techniques, mostly."

"Techniques?" Ren repeated.

"Sure!" Gohan said, eyes alight. "Piccolo taught me one called the Masenko… he's got one called the Makankosappo…"

"Makana… Macarena… wha…?" Ruby muttered, taking a stab at the word in utter bewilderment.

"He and Krillin can split into more of themselves with the Multiform technique…"

"Like that Atlas guy at the Vytal tournament?" Jaune noted.

"Oh! And lots of people can do it, but my Dad is a master of the Kamehameha Wave!"

"They start 'em young on delusions of grandeur these days," Qrow commented. "This some cartoon I've never heard of?"

"He literally walked up to an ancient, monstrous ArchGrimm that had been picking us apart and felled it with a single blow," Ren told him, matter of factly.

"I'm gonna have to just not take your word for it until I see that for myself. For now, let's keep all this quiet."

"Keep what quiet then?" a low, sophisticated voice issued above them, as the elevator neared the top.

They each looked up to see the source, staring down upon them. A tall, tan suited man with tiny eyes and a bristling mustache smiled, as the floor was finally made flush with the lift, revealing the clear open skies of Haven Academy itself.

Appreciating their long sought destination would have to wait, as the man stood impassive before them.

"You normally hover around, eavesdropping on other people's conversations, pal?" Qrow asked, before squinting suddenly. "Wait… you look vaguely familiar… Why?"

"Oh! My sincerest apologies… not eavesdropping, tensions have been rather high of late… but you're a friend of Headmaster Lionheart! Certainly no cause to suspect trouble. Even if we've all heard the inglorious tales!" he finished, humming with laughter.

They all looked to each other with vague concern, before he finally took a breath.

"Apologies, you had a question," he said. "Arthur Watts… I'm head of the Grimm Studies and the Special Weapons courses here at Haven. In the off-season, as they say, I fill in for Professor Feldspar as Deputy Headmaster, and I've been asked to greet you all! Though I admit to not expecting… others…"

Ruby just caught Watts' eyes flashing over her in particular as he motioned them to follow and they all began following the path. She could scarcely think before her uncle spoke out.

"Yeah, I've heard of you," Qrow said, eyebrows raising. "You're that Atlesian crank who tried to make a boatload of SuperGrimm and got his whole lab division crossed-off… in about every sense of the phrase…"

Watts' face only betrayed a flash in his steely eyes, and a flaring of his nostrils. "I suppose that's the artful smear devised by the media… but I never sought to create worse Grimm, only to observe the effects of certain unusual forms of stimuli. Not everything can be accounted for with an enemy we know so shockingly little about, so the swift spiraling of the situation was a hard lesson for all of us."

Qrow scoffed. "Hardly seems like you took anything from it, way you talk."

Watts gave his head a single shake, turning to face him as he walked backwards. "On the contrary! It offered great insight into the Grimm's cryptophysiology! Breakthroughs are never made by the timid. 'Taboo' is synonymous with trepidation, where I'm concerned. Science in Atlas wants for nothing, and all knowledge is precious, regardless or in light of the costs."

"Sure you told that to the widows," Qrow muttered. "So what are you doing here?"

Watts rolled his eyes. "Well, my expertise was no longer exactly welcome in Atlas. I was effectively barred and discredited from the international community of sciences. Professor Lionheart was generous enough to grant me a position, where at least I can have a positive impact on our world."

"Huh…" Qrow intoned, noncommittal.

Ruby finally had a chance to look around. Haven's construction was far more centered around sheer heft than it was about grand towers and improbable spires. Vast lawns, everything decidedly rectangular, all to the tune of Mistral's general style. The Mistral lantern emblem was carved, flown and molded at every post and upon every roof.

But the one thing that did tower above it all, just to their right, was… well… the Haven CCT tower. The second she'd seen. Inoperable due to Beacon… but wholly intact.

"So!" Watts began again, jovial and inquisitive, "You're keeping rather unusual company, Mister Branwen. They seem a touch young to be Huntsmen, this one in particular."

None of them needed to look to know who he meant.

"Blood nephew," Qrow answered. "Got some family out here, kid always wanted to see Haven, so…"

"So it's a good thing children are not legally responsible for felonious behavior," Watts commented. "I'd tell a different story for the boy, Mister Branwen. I know they're family, but association with roving bandits is unlikely to make you popular here… At least not in the manner you'd enjoy."

Qrow's eyes narrowed, but apart from that he said nothing.

"We were students from Beacon," Ruby explained helpfully.

"Well I do hope you've brought the requisite papers then, transcripts and proper identification, that sort of thing. Would be a shame to come so far and be barred entry," Watts told them.

"O-oh!" Ruby began, "we're n—"

"Not likely to make such a rookie mistake," Jaune interjected firmly. "As you've said, we've come a long way."

They approached a grand door, which Watts idly opened with a cavernous creak. "All the better. Without long-range communication, digital transfer is out," he said, as the building within proved largely to be a huge tiered hall, dominated by empty space. An ornate dual-spiral staircase met with a balcony, just over a marble statue depicting a long haired woman in flowing robes, seemingly holding up the staircase, clad in golden chains against a shining sun. "Security is at an all-time high, after it came to light that one of the teams representing Haven was a forgery, their records remotely inserted into the Haven archives. We've since stepped up to multiple forms of authentication, particularly in light of Vale's… strongly worded concerns."

Gohan saw the members of RNJR look to each other, dark of countenance. They crossed the cavernous room, their footsteps conspicuous in volume, only drawing attention to the desolation.

"This place… usually this crowded?" Qrow asked, looking to every door.

Watts chuckled. "We're between terms, sir. You expect the full staff to linger while planning the next, let alone the students?"

"What…?" Qrow breathed, looking terribly confused.

"Well Beacon did that," Nora commented, eyes agleam with memory, "of course, our team either had no homes anyway, or were all the way back in Anima, soooooo…"

"We transfer the students to guest homes while renovating the campus between semesters, and let the faculty prepare lesson plans from the comfort of home," Watts said, as Ruby watched Qrow's expressions subtly sour with every word.

"U-um, so that statue is nice!" she added, pointing to the woman in gilded chains. "What's it for?"

The man's mustache twitched for a second as his eyes widened. "For—? Oh!" Watts began, smiling again. "I see you've an eye for culture… among other things. This piece depicts the mythological figure, 'Fuku,' one of the two lovers, for which Mistral's twin mountains were named… though more likely vice versa. Her would-be mate, 'Sozo' has another piece set atop the other peak far behind us. The chains symbolize their bondage, desiring only to be together, but eternally bound to their respective spots, charged with holding the sky up, lest it were to fall."

He chuckled melodiously, mustache twitching at the notion.

"Of course, scholars are rather unanimous in the story itself being wholly symbolic of the twin mounts' importance to survival centuries ago, the cliffs and caverns serving as ideal defensible locations against the Grimm. Even their names translate to the founding principles of the Kingdom: Luck, and Imagination. Though, this didn't stop Haven's very construction being situated with respect to the story. Literally bridging the two peaks, that the lovers might finally be together."

He received a few stares, before Ruby finally spoke up. "Huh… you wouldn't know it, just looking…"

"Yes, there really should be a plaque," Watts opined. "I don't teach history, but curation of the little past we have is, I find, among the most essential—"

"Hate to cut this short, pal, but we're not exactly here for the tour," Qrow blurted, sparing his niece a glance. "I know where the office is, we can take it from here."

Watts gave a slow blink as he stood stock still, only waving his hand towards one of the lower doors nearest to the staircase. "Very well. Do pardon our dust, we are in the midst of renovation, as I've said. Haven welcomes you."

"Right," Qrow said, before walking brusquely through the door.

Ruby alone lingered a moment as the rest of them followed. "Well, I enjoyed hearing about it," she muttered in apology.

"As I said," Watts began with a nod, "you've… potent tastes…"

He slowly strode away, breaking the light cast from the many windows as he went.

She returned to find the others following Qrow through the halls, past small, strange decorative water features and square-potted bamboo reeds. All very warmly lit against the wooden walls.

"So did that guy seem… I dunno… a tad off to you?" Nora asked with little hesitation —and likely too much volume— to the others' shakey interest.

"Can't get a read on him," Qrow remarked. "Always puts me on edge, real or imagined…"

Gohan nodded. "Yeah, it's weird… in some ways I feel like I can trust him… and also I know I can't trust him…"

"Staggering insight," Qrow replied as they approached a great oaken door. Turning his wrist around, he rapped against it with the knuckle of his index finger, and waited.

After several beats with no response, he flipped his wrist and gave a full, hard knock.

Silence.

"Damn… weapons ready…" he ordered, bringing out his own stubby steel, which cracked back to reveal a wide-set double-barrel before the blade telescoped out.

Gohan watched as Crescent Rose emerged in rifle form, Jaune bringing out his sword and shield, Ren pulling out a pair of jade machine pistols with proportionally absurd bayonet blades, as Nora brought up the rear with a grenade launcher.

Qrow held up a finger for them to hold, before holding up three fingers… two fingers… one.

The double doors burst open at Qrow's bidding, only making a single sharp sound as they stormed the room in seconds.

A large, warm office greeted them, empty but beautiful. Red, gold and woody brown filled out the room and its furnishings. A huge lacquered walnut desk held notes and an old-timey inkwell, and the room itself was adorned with tasteful nick nacks and tchotchkes everywhere.

Their weapons fanned the room, checking corners, as Gohan stood just outside the office, watching.

Gohan soon realized he must have been too relaxed, as a dignified voice to his left suddenly spoke. "My, well what are you doing here little one?"

In unison the Huntsmen whirled their weapons back at the door and the voice. All watched as a man in white and tan robes with a great, grey mane of hair recoiled, pupils shrunk as he clutched his heart and staggered backwards in fright.

Gohan barely kept the man upright as he glanced between the might-be assassins until he found the one comfort in the room.

"Qrow, what the devil do you—? Who…?"

"Leo!" Qrow greeted, stowing his weapon as the others followed suit. "Alright, so that's better than I was expecting by now…"

"I'm not in my office, so you just swagger in armed to the gills?" The man asked, stepping amongst them, pulling out the chintzy-looking anachronism that was a gold pocket watch and looking to its time. "I'm not even late! I thought Doctor Watts was escorting you…"

"Yeah, and before now he's the only soul we've even seen here," Qrow fired back. "What's that about, Leo? Students sent home, teachers on leave? Are we missing the entire point of keeping the Relics here?!"

Lionheart froze, glancing between the young Huntsmen. "Qrow…!"

Qrow held up a hand. "It's fine Leo… this… well, it's not quite Oz's hand-picked next generation, but they came of their own accord to help in the real fight. They're tough, and let's face it… we need all the help we can get."

"It… it can't be helped, it seems," Lionheart began, "but after Beacon, did you really think I'd keep the staff and students in harm's way?! Especially when the vaults are effectively impenetrable?!"

Qrow advanced on the man as he made for his desk chair. "You know damn well Salem's been Maiden-hunting, and if Beacon didn't have special measures we'd already be down one of the worst Relics we could lose!"

"Wait! Hold on!" Ruby cried, stepping between them. "Firstly… Ruby Rose, nice to meet you… Qrow is my uncle."

"Step-uncle," Ren offered, to Ruby's annoyance.

"Honorary uncle," Qrow said, looking back to Lionheart. "She's my blood-niece's half-sister—"

"Raven had a…?"

"Yeah, it's funny the things you might learn if you had ever checked in with—"

"SECONDLY!" Ruby shouted, hands between the two, "What do the Maidens have to do with this? I know they're really really powerful, but—"

"Wait…" Lionheart said, brows furrowed, "I thought they knew? How much have they…?"

Qrow sighed, snatching his flask and taking a draft from it. "Look, I'd been shadowing them a while before one of Salem's gang reared up to try nabbing my niece."

Lionheart reached his seat at last, but then did a double-take. "They came for…?"

"Look her in the eyes, Leo," Qrow told him.

He stared but a moment, before turning to get a better look at Ruby. His face paled, eyes softening. "Ruby… Rose..." he whispered. "Silver eyes… My god… you're the spitting image of—"

"Yeah, now you get why she's a target… One thing at a time, please," Qrow said. "Look, long story short, between driving that guy off and getting poisoned and dragged all the way here on a stretcher, there hasn't been a lot of time to fill the blanks, alright? Okay…"

Qrow stepped back, taking a deep breath. "So the Vaults the Relics are kept in have a special protection. Airtight. Even Salem can't beat it with brute force. The only thing that can is the magic of the Maidens."

"Mmm," Lionheart nodded in agreement. "And only one Maiden in particular, per vault."

"Spring for Knowledge," Qrow began, "Summer for Destruction, Fall for Choice and Winter for Creation. And given the current Spring has been in the wild, totally unknown for a decade, you'd think the vanguard entrusted with the Relic of Knowledge might be slightly more concerned!"

Lionheart's jaw dropped open, and Qrow glared, waiting pitiless for his rebuttal. Finally, the man slouched, guilt in his brown eyes. "I know… The door is practically open, the opportunity is there… I… I can't abide another Fall of Beacon, not here! I won't put an artifact of power ahead of the lives of my students, or teachers, or those of this city!"

Qrow shook his head slowly. "Leo… look, I get it, but—"

"No, you don't!" he shouted, teeth bared. "In every Kingdom we got our own blast of that tragedy! We witnessed the horrid death of a student, heard that foreboding message and saw naught but chaos and ruin before the feeds died! We lost entire villages to the chill, the dread that pierced the hearts of millions! The Grimm came in droves…"

Ruby saw the same distant stare from her friends as Lionheart recounted…

"And only feeding the flame the knowledge, the implicit understanding later that we'd experienced only the echoes of Beacon's suffering. James is cloistering his entire continent. Gone paranoid, if you want my opinion… Dahlia's shared similar thoughts, and the Mistral Council has supported me in keeping everyone away from strategic terrorist targets."

"The Council is always gonna put people before anything, but they don't have the full story!" Qrow said, voice seething. "But leaving a damn RELIC unguarded?! You might as well pull the trigger on humanity. We save lives where we can, but this is about the good of the world!"

"It's not our right to say who lives and who dies…" Lionheart said.

"In a perfect world, sure… but either we choose… or she does… and she…? She votes we all go."

Lionheart wiped a hand over his own face with a weary sigh.

"Sooooo, okay," Nora began, stepping into view. "Know what they're called, but what do the Relics actually do?"

"Yeah," Jaune agreed, "what specifically makes uh… Knowledge dangerous?"

Ren turned. "Are you serious? The power to know whatever you want? Even your enemy's innermost thoughts?"

"Well wait then!" Jaune began, growing agitated. "If they're that powerful, why aren't we using this against Salem? We could figure out everything they're up to!"

Qrow scoffed. "Now hold on, firstly… the Relic isn't that nuts. Way I understand it, the Relic of Knowledge works in a very specific way. These aren't just magic trinkets, they're literally divinely made artifacts, and gods are pretty fickle about rules."

"How so?" Ruby asked.

"Really, Ruby?" Nora groaned. "You don't need to prompt him… he's just gonna keep going anyway…"

"Okay, so it's not like a magic eight-ball," Qrow explained, "it doesn't just know everything. It's the Relic of Knowledge. Not the Relic of Truth. And knowledge by definition must be known. Effectively it's used to share the collective wisdom of mankind. The facts known to all of humanity. If one person is keen on something the rest of us aren't, the Relic can share it."

"Okay, something peering into my head like that feels… terrifying," Jaune admitted.

Qrow tipped his flask at Jaune. "Weirdly, I guess our godly benefactors felt a sense of fair play was called for here, because what the Relic considers knowledge largely keeps out of personal matters. It won't tell you where a person is, or what they're doing, or what their heart's most desperate desire is."

Jaune stared at the floor in frustration, before turning to pace slowly.

"Even if, it wouldn't have worked on Salem. She ain't human," Qrow said ominously, downing another swig. "The others are a bit more straightforward, mostly. Creation lets you construct anything. Literally anything, provided you have the raw materials, and you understand what you're making, intimately. If you wanted to make a car and had a bunch of plastic, carbon and steel, but couldn't put one together yourself, you'd probably just end up with a bunch of stuff that just looks like a car, and can't move."

His nostrils flared.

"Destruction is pretty straightforward. You want something gone, then it's gone. Not dead, not exploded, not reduced to dust. It's just gone. And Choice… Choice is a really bad one. Imperfect, but subtle influence over anyone you want."

Nora's eyes flew open. "Wait, like… mind control?!"

Lionheart scoffed quietly. "Children…"

"No, not that blatant," Qrow elaborated. "It's not absolute… It just plants ideas in people's heads. It's subtle. You can bend the whims of other people by making them think it was their idea in the first place. And the human mind is already well equipped to rationalize…"

"They're terribly powerful," Lionheart said, staring into the middle distance. "At least, some of them, in the wrong hands… though Knowledge, not so dangerous, really."

Qrow's eyes bulged. "Leo, you're not serious?!" He nearly reached across the desk. "Those thugs who broke into Beacon claimed to be from Mistral! Whether it's the most convenient target for them, or they know something about the relic that we don't, you're really gonna take that risk? Not to mention Oz's warning against bringing the Relics together. It won't matter which ones they are if Salem just wants to make them a scorched earth weapon or something!"

Lionheart flinched, sweat on his brow. Qrow slammed his hands on the desk before staggering away in a circle.

"Dahlia has the excuse that the Winter Maiden is well accounted for, so she can drop her guard a little unless that changes. YOU didn't."

The room rang with silence before Professor Lionheart and the others reassessed his phrasing.

"Didn't?" Ren asked.

Qrow nodded. "Yeah. I know where Spring is now."

"You…" Lionheart started, eagerness blooming. "You do!? Where?!"

"Oh…!" Qrow said, mockery in his tone. "I thought it didn't matter?"

"All I care about is that the girl is safe! We never stopped looking for her after she fled her duties!" Lionheart explained, still plainly antsy. "The location, Qrow! Please!"

Qrow gave him a hard look. "She is safe. Living an unassuming life in an unassuming place, and I made certain to burn the breadcrumb trail I followed finding her."

"I'd rather she be in our custod—"

"That's always a bad idea, Leo," Qrow said. "Keep the Maidens and their respective Relics far apart, that's always been the winning strategy."

"Yes, except when Ozpin deigns to break his own rules!"

RNJR and Gohan watched a sort of verbal ping-pong match, as tongues continued to spar.

"That was only because Autumn suffered unique circumstances, and Beacon was the closest place we could use to protect her! If we'd tried to move her here, or to Atlas, her death would have been a guarantee!"

"And yet, even so we have our first Dark Maiden in the wild, with potential to take one of the most dangerous Relics!"

Jaune stepped in. "If that's what we're up against, shouldn't we be rallying Maidens on our side to help if they're so powerful?!"

"Once upon a time you were right!" Qrow snapped. "The Maidens were more active. Occasionally they'd be killed, whenever she failed to entice them to her side… Maidens tend to be pretty good people, and their Auras leave their mark on the power, so being swayed to the dark side was never a concern!"

Qrow's eyes narrowed, grim.

"But now Salem's found a way to steal it, give it to an undeserving person she can control… and an asset that can be used against you is an asset best taken out of play. That is why we don't weaponize Relics. That is why we keep the Maidens safe, and not on the damn frontlines!"

There was silence, and nobody dared agitate the two further.

Leonardo Lionheart visibly softened beneath Qrow's gaze. "Please… I just want to know where. It doesn't leave this room, I swear it…"

Qrow was like a statue. But he quite literally blinked, before sighing deeply as he reached for his scroll.

As soon as the device sat flat upon the desk, a holographic map began flickering into existence. Qrow pointed to a marker in the midst of Anima. "She's got a little place here. Play our cards right, nobody's gonna find her. No scouts, no retrieval teams."

"You have my word…"

"Leo," Qrow said pointedly, finding his eyes. "I'd better."

---

Lionheart escorted the crestfallen group back to the elevator. It had been a disappointing day.

"You're sure there's no more data? No clues? Nothing?" Jaune asked, shaking.

Lionheart shook his head. "I'm afraid the imposters who matter have kept largely out of the spotlight until now, and their records weren't terribly forthcoming. We identified Mercury Black as the progeny of one Marcus Black… a rather notorious assassin… One Neolondra 'Neo' Politan, former Atlesian Infiltrator before her affiliation with, among others, Roman Torchwick. Emerald Sustrai has no record or facial matches, nor does our rogue Maiden…"

Jaune's eyes simply bored a hole into the lawn, his face inscrutable. Gohan watched as Ruby approached him, a hand on his arm, but the blonde tactician just walked away, leaving her to watch with concern.

"Leo, you be careful," Qrow said, as they began boarding the elevator, "Whatever you might think, Haven is still the most likely target. We'll keep you in the loop… and I hope you'll do likewise."

Leonardo nodded, before his eyes found Ruby's. "Miss Rose, it… it was a pleasure. I know it's been a long time, but I'm dreadfully sorry about your—"

"I-It's okay," Ruby said, barely flinching, "like you said, it's been a long time… good meeting you too!"

The elevator began its descent. Once it was beyond his sight, Lionheart heard a sigh behind him, and turned to see Doctor Watts.

"You… do not perform well under pressure," he said, also staring down where the Huntsmen had vanished. "Astonished you got anything from him at all." He peered over the edge to the endless cliffs. "Come… she needs to be informed of this development. And here, I do advise you to keep your head…"

The elevator machinery clicked and clacked and audibly wound down before coming to a shaky stop as they reached the bottom. Qrow took a deep breath before stalking out into the cavernous walkways.

"So… all that was pretty awkward," Nora opined, trying to break the ice.

Qrow laughed softly. "I'm not sure what you kids were expecting, but that was about what I did… given a certain scenario."

"Like…" Ruby began, "You mean…? Like if Professor Lionheart was…?"

"Lying through his teeth?" Jaune suggested venomously. "Yeah, it'd make sense… leave the door open for Salem, cover for everybody else. Make lame excuses for it."

Qrow chuckled. "Well, we don't jump to conclusions… but I'm glad to see you kids aren't stupid. I never started on this cruise under anything less than the assumption that Haven is a trap."

Ren hummed in affirmation. "It was strange for Cinder to speak so generally and detached… but then make that one mention of Haven and Mistral in her message… as if she still somehow needed to maintain her cover…"

Qrow nodded. "Yeah, be awfully convenient to draw anyone still loyal to Ozpin to the same place, be rid of the best shot out there to beat her… That means none of you go stag. Nobody leaves without telling someone about it, and then check in every hour, or we come after you."

"I'll keep an eye on your power levels," Gohan offered.

"Uh huh… sure… do that," Qrow said without breaking his concentration. Gohan was finally… evidently annoyed.

"Well, wait!" Ruby said suddenly, eyes alight with concern. "If you think he might be working for Salem… why tell him where the—?!"

"Where the Spring Maiden is?" Qrow finished. Ruby nodded as the others listened in. "Don't worry, I didn't… I gave him something that looks credible, even if you go there. If I didn't give him anything it would tip off Salem's crew that we didn't trust him. My way, at least we have an advantage."

Jaune nodded. "Spring the trap…"

Nora snorted. "Spring…"

Qrow nodded. "Now you get it."

"So," Ruby began curiously, "Do you know where the Maiden really is?"

Qrow glanced around, and spoke low. "Have a pretty good idea, but no ID… and for… reasons, it's not exactly a party I can crash without being noticed."

He angled his eyes around a corner before carrying onward.

"Oh…" Qrow uttered, stopping as he considered something, "and don't talk about any of this when you get back… Seriously, act like you'd act around Leo. When I get back, I'll fill you in."

"Wha— Hey!" Nora cried, walking backwards to keep pace in front of him. "Where are you going?!"

Jaune crossed his arms. "Yeah, buddy-system for us, but you're—"

Without looking behind him, Qrow set his hand over Jaune's face. "Okay… firstly, working alone is kinda my milieu… Secondly, I'm a fully-graduated Huntsman… Third…" He turned to a frigid Jaune, tapping a finger on his forehead. "they're not letting any of you into a dive."

RNJR as a whole groaned.

"Really, Uncle Qrow…?" Ruby asked, looking mortified for him.

"Hey, they didn't prescribe me anything at that hospital to take the edge off, and it's been a hell of a few days… meet you back at the guest house."

He walked away as the group stood there, nonplussed.

"He knows we dunno how to get in that house, right?" Nora asked.

Ruby sighed, running after the man. "I'll be right back…"

---

They were back on the trail, off-roading through the sparse wood. Krillin kept his eyes closed in focus.

"Still on track?" Yang asked, wary, but gaining confidence in her new friend.

"Mmhmm," he answered, "I can feel them, they're meeting with a bunch more. Fodder for the most part… but also a few a bit closer to your level."

"Only closer?" she asked, surprised both at the answer, and that she actually had set stock in the answer. "Maybe she's not there."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. Just how much further?"

"Left at that tree, through those bushes, and then hold on tight," Krillin said, suddenly standing on the seat as Yang unconsciously obeyed.

"Wait, what do you m—?"

On the other side of the bushes was pure moonlight, and Yang barely got a moment to brace as she felt the ground vanish from underneath them. Freed of friction, Bumblebee roared as its RPM spiked. "Krillin, damn it!"

Beneath them, she saw what looked like either a heavy camp or a light fort. A perimeter of sharpened logs and barbed wire containing dozens of people, bandits clear as day, with tents of various sizes, stacks of supplies and loot and a few animal cages.

She didn't have time to reflect upon it, however, as they were descending quickly in an arc and she was positive the bike wouldn't survive a drop like this.

Yang leaned violently over, twisting Bumblebee upside down and casting Krillin off with a yelp as she dismounted, kicking off the seat and dampening the bike's momentum as she shot for the ground.

There were a few shouts from below before Yang landed hard in a wide stance, cracking the earth before Bumblebee landed seatfirst between her waiting arms and upon her shoulder, all of which absorbed the considerable impact as she slumped down.

Krillin landed lightly behind her as she set the vehicle back on its wheels, her hair slightly glowing with power after the hit, her eyes red.

Krillin couldn't resist making a noise as he noticed it, even as the bandits, young and old, gathered to see about the commotion.

"Your hair…" he said.

Yang turned around, face stone serious, and before she'd said a word his head jerked back in surprise at the change in her eyes. "It's my semblance, I'll explain later. Warn me next time if that's the plan, 'kay?"

"...Sorry," he said, still fascinated as she blinked, eyes returning to lilac as she let the glow fade.

"That's them!" a familiar voice reported from the back. "That's the two that broke up our raid!"

"Yeah?!" Yang answered, searching the crowd for them. "Well if you've got a problem with that, how about you say it to my face?!"

For a good while there was silence, before the crowd gasped and turned to face the area the voice had come from. There was a sound of a short struggle, as Yang and Krillin watched the onlookers slowly parting between the dustup and the clearing they stood in.

Once the last few made way, they saw the owner of the voice being dragged, the helmeted bandit from earlier still sporting fresh bruises. His arm was held behind his back, painfully bent before he was thrown before the pair of them and onto the ground by a young woman the other bandits appeared to regard with utmost caution. Tan skin was offset by piercing light blue eyes, beneath a mop of incredibly short brown hair. The rest of her was a punk-rock wonderland. A leather choker wrapped around her neck. Torn sleeves revealed a tattoo along the length of her left arm, beneath a brown vest. All four limbs held inconsistent manners of guard, a wristband on one arm and an entire forearm brace for the other… Knee-guards at different lengths on either leg, with one leg of her maroon jeans rolled up to her thigh.

"You'll speak out, but you won't even seek revenge for yourself?" she told him. "Strength of the tribe behind you, but you'll let the rest of us fight your battle?" She scoffed, before her face twisted to a scowl of loathing. "You coward."

She stepped forward, before delivering a crushing kick to his temple with a painful noise that made much of the crowd wince as one, but a few others cheered, gruff sentiments of "Weak!" echoing through the onlookers.

"Give him to the dogs!" she ordered. "And let that serve a reminder to anyone else! The weak DIE! The strong SURVIVE! THAT is the Law of BRANWEN! Because that—"

"Is the 'Law of the World,' Yang finished dismissively, the crowd souring immediately, "heard it."

The woman looked her in the eye, the faintest smirk on her visage as the crowd worked itself up. She held up a hand, and they grew silent in seconds. "Pretty bold words, to be so flippant with us. And since you did stop one of our raids yourselves, the rest of you must be pretty bold too. I hope you weren't under the impression that would save you here though."

"I hope you're not under the impression you'd come out on top," Yang fired back. "You in a hurry to get dressed, or do you think the whole asymmetrical video-game protag look actually works in real life?"

The woman quirked her head, but the smirk only deepened as her eyes narrowed. "Asymmetrical? That's rich coming from the amputee… wonder what that replacment'll sell for..."

"Yang?" Krillin asked quietly. "Is now really the tim—?"

"So who are you anyway, somebody's groupie?" Yang demanded, eyes flashing red.

The woman's eyes actually widened as the smirk vanished, and she began in a low tone, "Quite the mouth on you, uppity little skan—"

"She's MY 'groupie,' actually," came another voice from the other side of the camp. All present turned to see its owner, who stepped slowly through the crowd. If they had regarded the first woman with fear, they regarded this figure with reverence. Even the scant elders among the tribe bowed their heads as she passed.

The most prominent feature was a four-eyed Grimm mask, boney white with red accents and intricate design. Ragged black hair streamed behind it like beastly fur. Her red and black attire sat between light sparring gear and combat armor. As if this visage alone weren't enough to terrorize the faint of heart as she stalked forward, at her side was a long blade, in an enormous and complicated scabbard.

She reached the clearing at last, the first woman standing attentive, now to the side as Yang faced the newcomer fully. Krillin merely frowned, watching the swordswoman with utter uncertainty.

The staredown continued, until the newcomer reached for her mask and slowly removed it, holding it under her arm to reveal a stunningly familiar face, blood red eyes set above a faint smile. "Hello Yang."

Yang stared into those eyes, like looking into a bizarre mirror. "Hi Mom."

---

Ruby cooed happily as she toweled off. It was rare indeed that they stayed at an inn, and even then it was that sort of small town inn that — while familiar— was far from ideal. Be it temperature, water pressure or ancient plumbing riddled with soap scum and other miscellaneous grime, something usually soured the occasion.

Nothing like a Kingdom-grade washroom setup, with new tiling…! Lights! Shiny steel heads, faucets… EVERYTHING!

The house had two half-baths and a master, and somehow she drew the right straw for the primo option. It also meant she could just lock the master bedroom door while she did her thing and be rid of most of the steam, just letting the kiss of air conditioning chill her bare skin a little.

Suitably dry, —and noting like she often did how her hair looked the same wet— she slipped on the old black tank top and her famous pajama bottoms, which —while slightly tighter than she remembered after her growth spurt— were still cozy as could be. She was gonna sleep well tonight…

She unlocked the door and walked out. The house was warm and roomy. None of them had expected it to be so accommodating to an entire team of Huntsmen. Passing the living room, she found Nora and Ren relaxed on the couch with Gohan seated in another.

"Hey, someone looks relaxed," Nora commented as Ren flipped through a book.

"Yeah…" Ruby sighed. "Why aren't you guys cleaning up?"

"I'm keeping watch," Ren answered, peering over his book at the front door. "With everything this uncertain…"

"I was quick, so… we decided keeping two of us ready might be safer," Nora finished.

Ruby took on a puzzled expression. "We only had one person on watch when we were out in the Grimm-infested country…"

"Well… yes," Ren answered, strangely less composed. "But we suspect our true enemy is here, and might be aware of us now, so arguably it's even more perilous."

"Already had my 'pit-stop' anyway," Nora chuckled. "Mistral's really into squat-toilets, huh? Good thing we're not used to that or anything!"

Ruby's eyebrows seemed uncertain how to respond, but she giggled falsely with her. "Haha… yeah… because camping…!" She caught Gohan's eye, and all he could offer was the slightest shake of his head that said, 'Just as lost as you are…'

There was a terminally awkward silence that followed. In the search for any segue, her eyes sought talking points and fell upon Ren's book… which —now that she looked closer— turned out to be a phone listing…

Huh?

Even Ren isn't THAT mellow… Why would he PRETEND to be reading something? Nora's right ther— Oh.

Ohhhhhhhh...

Ruby walked over and took Gohan's hand. "We'll just… leave you two… to it…"

"Oh, pff! Aw… y'don't have to…" Nora said with a wave of her hand, one knee bobbing unconsciously.

"Yes," Ren added, "it seems deeply unlikely our enemies will show suddenly at our doo—"

Knock knock knock…

Every member of the group stared to each other in turn.

"Didn't your uncle know the door code?" Ren whispered, as Nora walked to the door, standing to the side of the frame as Ruby dragged Gohan against the wall and out of sight.

"He's been that far gone before," Ruby whispered back with a shrug.

Nora wrapped her fingers around the knob and cracked the door open, peering through with Ren.

Ruby only saw their eyes widen as they looked to each other, and then her, in surprise. Nora opened the door wider, more relaxed.

"Do you… have the right place?" Ren asked.

Ruby heard a youthful male voice she'd never heard before. "I… think? I'm supposed to ask for… 'Ruby Rose?' "

Nora's eyes darkened as Ruby's spine felt a chill.

"Who sent you?!" she demanded, pulling Magnhild's launcher on the visitor.

"Guiltyyyyyy!" Qrow's voice blared suddenly as the door burst the rest of the way open with a noise like cannon-fire, the man cackling as he went. Ren and Nora backed away with a start as the man staggered in, hand around the back of an apprehensive-looking youth in white with black slacks, orange suspenders gripping his shoulders. She only made out the back of his moppy black hair as Qrow, grinning like a madman, stomped his way to collapse in the nearest chair, nearly out of breath as he pulled out his scroll and began madly typing away.

"I… who…?" Nora asked, as the boy stepped cautiously past the threshold.

"I'm sorry, I'm… I'm Oscar Pine, but—" He paused suddenly, hazel eyes losing focus before nodding. "You can just call me Osca—"

He turned and caught Ruby's eye. "Uh… hey. I'm Ruby."

"Your eyes…" Oscar said, staring with fascination.

The detached intensity of his gaze made her face feel warm. "What about them?"

"They're silver…"

"U-um…"

Suddenly their scrolls chimed as one. Each of them looked to each other before flipping them open. Ruby saw it was a mass-text from Qrow.

'Play along'

She was amazed he'd been so legible in his… state. But then, he had years of practice…

Ruby found Qrow's eyes. His brows rose significantly. She tapped Gohan's shoulder and showed him the message.

Ren closed the door as Qrow stood shakily up, clearing his throat. "So before we do anything, we need to do a sweep, got it?"

"Sweep?" Gohan asked.

"Wellllllll," Qrow slurred, "not to alarm anyone, but these VIP setups are often for dignitaries and foreign politicians, so… nine-ten odds, place is probably bugged."

Ruby felt something like electricity run through her. "B-bugged? You mean… like…?"

"Microphones, cameras, that sort've thhhing," he drawled. "In places like the living roomsss, bedroom, bath…"

Ruby Rose turned as red as her cape, and Nora's face pinkened. Ruby vanished in a plume of petals, and in moments they all heard the master bedroom being torn apart. Nora, meanwhile, plodded slowly towards one of the half-baths like a steel rod ran up her back.

"Welp," Qrow said, clapping a hand on Oscar's shoulder, "guess we've started…" He pulled out his scroll and pulled up an app. It calibrated before beeping steadily. Slowly, he waved it about, the tone changing in frequency.

"I swear to GOD," Nora's voice echoed in the distance, "if someone recorded me ON THE CAN…!"

"I'd better see how she's doing," Ren said, power-walking off. "Good to meet you, Oscar."

Qrow's scroll finally beeped frantically as he neared a lampshade. "Aha…!" he said, reaching in and pulling out a small, coin-shaped device on a thin copper lead.

"Oh… so they're like that?" Gohan asked, suddenly brightening as his eyes focused.

A sound of thunder blasted from the bathroom. "NORA! That's only going to—" Ren cried, as they heard Nora's war cry.

"Yep," Qrow affirmed, "Ooh boy, I'm gonna pay that outta pocket… But yeah, tiny, out of the way, usually give off some clue they're aro—"

A series of pops erupted throughout the building as Gohan's eyes flashed, tiny motes of smoke erupting from numerous surfaces. An initial quiet overcame the house as the various voices ceased.

"OH…! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" Ruby shrieked, mortified. "OH MY GOD, THERE WAS A CAMERA IN THE BEDROOM! AUUUUUUUUUGH!"

"ARRGGHHHHHH!" Nora screamed in fury. "I'M GONNA SMASH THE CRAP OUTTA THE CREEP WHO DID THIS!"

A feminine wail came from elsewhere as a door slammed elsewhere. "WHO PUT A BOMB IN THE SHOWER?!" Jaune demanded. "WHY IS EVERYBODY SCREAMING?!"

Qrow and Oscar looked over to Gohan, who seemed uncertain how to feel.

"I… guess it worked?" the boy suggested, as the other pair in the room exchanged glances.

---

Watts and Lionheart watched in the Headmaster's office as the feeds went dead almost at once.

"Hmm… well so much for that," Watts muttered. "Do you suppose they suspect?"

Lionheart seemed uncertain how to answer. "I… can't be sure."

"The very idea that they would present a threat… seems ludicrous, doesn't it?"

Lionheart didn't answer.

"Hmm… Well, either way, we've more than enough for a proper report. Come then."

The Headmaster's fingers shook as he saw Watts turn to leave. "What? Now…?"

Watts stopped, turning to face him with a raised brow. "Oh come now… you're not the one who will suffer from the news we bring."

---

The two sat beside each other in the dark hall. Apart from Kingdoms, apart from what most would recognize as Remnant, sat another realm. A black palace, lit by firelight, dark crystals along the seats of twisted driftwood and set into the walls. Wrought iron cased the windows up to the curving ceilings, from which hung chandeliers of twisted tree roots, dangling yet more small dark crystals.

The seated pair were in the midst of an odd ritual. The more human between them groaned, her one visible eye pressed shut as she tried to steady her breathing. The eye crept open to reveal amber that very nearly burned in its socket, particularly against her bob of pitch black hair. Just visible under her bangs, a black mask covered her left eye, the ever-present reminder of a bitter defeat.

Power. As difficult to keep as it was to attain. It required sacrifice. It came with strings. But there was no greater prize, and therefore, no pursuit more worthwhile.

People died on you, betrayed you, failed. Wealth was stolen and squandered. But one's own strength was something to rely on. Something that lasted. It only served your own interests, and taking it… while not impossible… was far more difficult.

Lessons, hard-won.

Push her down. Into the recesses. Smother her words in the rage. Make the beasts' rage your own.

"Better…" the other sighed in a clear voice, her pallid, upturned hand extended. Dark veins ran under her arms, only made more prominent by the corpse-like paleness. Black robes and a cape draped over her form like smoke made solid. White hair —somehow less pale than her skin— formed a large bun, a crown of six ornamented spears of hair turned down as they framed her face. A face that might have been beautiful, almost kind, a jewel set in her forehead… but the portals to her soul told another tale. Catlike slits, blood-red and set upon a canvas of black, her eyes were bestial and nearly seemed to glow.

Salem allowed herself a low-lidded smirk. "You're taking to the synchrony at last… I take it you're in control of your feelings now? Properly directed them?"

She didn't answer, concentrating until Salem's slack grip tightened, her eyes flaring. "Cinder…?" Answer me…"

Cinder Fall's eye opened wide. "Y...yes…!" she rasped dutifully.

Salem surveyed her critically, but let her grip slacken once more as Cinder visibly relaxed. "Good… Perhaps now you'll be ready to…"

She trailed off, ceasing her unseen work as Cinder glanced for the reason with caution. Salem's eye was fixed on something that chittered behind her, familiar, but strange. It soon crossed her right side, the Seer. A unique Grimm tailored for Salem's direct use, a living crystal ball —in as much as Grimm could be considered 'living'— hovering eerily as its tentacles trailed, tipped with lethal-looking bone tips. It draped itself over the long table obediently.

"Hmm," Salem intoned, peering at something she alone could see, "word from Haven…"

In a moment, the oily, bulbous surface of the Seer showed the two figures of Arthur Watts and Leonardo Lionheart. Cinder watched on, looking none too thrilled with hearing from either… yet pointedly turned away once the doctor opted to open his mouth first.

"Salutations, My Lady…" he offered with a bow. "Cinder…" he begrudged.

"I suppose there is something I should know?" Salem asked, threat and expectation in her tone.

Watts glared pointedly at Lionheart, nodding his head.

"Your Eminence," Lionheart began carefully, "we have… we've discovered the location of the Spring Maiden…"

Salem's icy countenance faded somewhat as her cat eyes dilated, the slightest grin upon her features. "Truly? That would be fortuitous. I'd had... concerns this might not be accomplished before the date you promised the White Fang…"

Lionheart collapsed to his knees, eyes slammed shut as he steepled his hands. "A thousand apologies, your Grace…! It wasn't mine to promise without the girl secured! I-I had to give them something or they would have abandoned—"

"Enough," Salem hissed, the Seer on Haven's end pointing its limbs in threat as the man silenced at once. "Arthur, I'm curious… to what do we owe this development?"

Watts measured his tone. "That's the… other bit of news, M'Lady. The City of Mistral is now visited by one Qrow Branwen, who saw fit to entrust our dear Professor with this knowledge… most grudgingly."

The Queen went quite silent, her eyes burning red. "Indeed… that runs quite contrary to other assurances I've been given. And his entourage?"

Watts grinned, allowing himself a laugh. "Yes, Miss Rose and her various compatriots were in attendance."

Cinder let out the faintest hiss between her teeth as her face darkened.

"They're currently staying in a residence provided by the state. They've evidently gutted its surveillance features, however," Watts continued, before catching Cinder's eye. "Though we were able to acquire some rather compromising footage of the young Rose prior to that, if you're interested, Cinder dear. We all know of your preoccupation with—"

"Go to hell…!" Cinder strained out before clutching her throat.

"Ooh!" Watts groaned, before tutting at her. "That sounds rather painful… Is it?"

Cinder shook, prepared to retort in spite of her injury, but Salem's hand raised sharply.

"Everything is on course," she said with satisfaction. "Getting them in one place was the ideal, you remember… I'll be sending young Cinder to join you. We'll confirm the Spring Maiden's location… and then she will assist you in eliminating them. Quickly… quietly… Perhaps a bit less so, for the silver-eyed girl?" Salem said with a smile, eyes finding Cinder, who bowed her head.

"Thank you…" she managed.

"Hmm…" Salem nodded. "And Doctor Watts?"

"Yes Madam?"

"Once your business is concluded, I want you to return here. Among other things, Tyrian is in need of a new tail."

Watts seemed surprised. "Really? His defeat was that encompassing?"

Salem sighed. "Take it for an omen, should either of you underestimate them so. That should go double for you, Cinder. Leave nothing to chance…"

Watts took a step closer. "And if I may, M'Lady… what of our little pet project?"

"Naturally you'll see to it as well," Salem answered. "That will be all… leave us."

Watts and Lionheart gave a bow, as the image faded and the two were alone once more.

"You as well… Make your preparations."

Cinder stood up, taking a step.

"And Cinder?"

The Maiden stopped at once.

"Your failure in regard to the girl was not one I judged you for… but I may not be as forgiving if you succumb twice. Bear that in mind… and please let Tyrian know he can come in. He's been waiting very patiently at the door."

There were times Cinder couldn't help betraying a disturbed glance. She did as instructed, another set of feet clapping softly inside. The great door closed with a cavernous clank.

"Sweet Tyrian… such hesitation," she said, a veneer of sadness in her voice. "Were you listening?"

"N-no!" a high voice said, as the lanky, thin faced man with black braided hair shuffled inside. "I would never spy on you, Mistress! Not on you!"

She'd yet to face him, but stood up, eyes narrowing before her expression softened suddenly. "How I want to believe you… but I believed you when you told me you were certain Qrow had been dealt with… and I've just been informed that he's arrived at Haven, in quite good health, and with your quarry."

Tyrian's eyes went wide as he began to shake from head to toe. "He… lives…? It cannot be…! It mustn't be, I stung him, I'm sure of i—!"

"I'm wrong then…?" Salem asked, fixing him with a deathly stare. "Your lack of faith in me is wounding, Tyrian… You failed me completely, and now my dearest follower is on the road to apostasy…"

"No, NO, my LADY, my GODDESS," he cried, dropping prostrate, nose against the very floor, "please don't say such th-i-ings…!" He sniffed, eyes welling. "I'll make it RIGHT! In your name! I'll KILL the Huntsman BASTARD, bring you the girl! I won't come back until it's DONE…!"

"No," Salem said flatly, looking down at the man, making a piteous spectacle of himself below her. "The girl is promised to Cinder, for now. Their meeting is fated. I have an important task for you, your original task, in due time… But that duty is out of your hands."

Tyrian moaned like a wounded animal, fingers digging into his scalp. "I'm sorry…! I'm so sorry…!"

"In the meantime," Salem said, nearly stepping over him, "I expect you'll be penitent… do come to me when you feel I'll forgive you."

She left as he watched, almost floating over the stone. His breath heavy, his arm-guards burst open into pairs of curving blades. She saw him staring at them, shaking as he pressed one against the upper side of his other arm.

She heard him shriek as a metallic slashing filled the air, and smiled as she left him. The sounds repeated, over and over again.

"I'M SORRY...! I'M SORRY!"

---

She continued her endless pilgrimage, her powers keeping her warm in the constant chill of Solitas. She wore her thick blue coat with a furry white collar that nearly blended into hair like white gold. Golden brown skin contrasted her aquamarine eyes, set below thin brows and above a serene smile.

Jól Yaldā was between villages near Mantle, looking to come upon those she could aid with her gifts… human or otherwise. She knew terrible things were afoot, but her job was to stay hidden. If she were truly needed, she could be called upon. Until then, she would do as she always had… bestowing kindness where she could, as subtly as she could.

The young Maiden heard a sound on the wind… a curious sound. A sound that ought to be impossible here.

'R-r-ribbit!'

"Hmm?"

'R-r-rib-b-bit!'

She searched for the noise. The path was hard to discern from the rest of the fields, but with a wave of her hand, the slush and permafrost melted away as a pocket of paradise bloomed into existence.

Among the dark volcanic soil and weathered stones, she found it. Shivering in its burrow of scavenged materials, natural and manmade —mostly garbage, to her ire— was a frog. A large green frog with red eyes, and… antennae?

"Well hello, little friend…!" Jól cooed, racing over as she let another special power seep between them. It croaked in fear as it watched her approach. "It's alright, I'm not here to hurt you…"

The creature froze as she picked it up. "Now how in the world did you get into this situation?" she asked. "You must be a thousand miles from the nearest unfrozen pond…"

The frog-thing looked to her with annoyance, only grunting in reply.

"Come now, I know you can understand me," she laughed, "that's one of my special gifts." She winked. "And it also means I can understand you, so… go ahead! I have to hear your story!"

The frog looked at her with surprise as she waited, and then seemed to grin. And then it was her turn to be surprised, as she heard a gruff voice chuckle darkly.

"Yes?" she asked, utterly lost.

"CHANGE NOW!"

In seconds, she felt an immense… wrongness. There was a blinding light. She felt utterly numb… and then utterly cold. She stared back into her own eyes, a sneer on her own face.

("What?!") she croaked.

In fact, she hadn't said anything. The only sound she'd made was a croak. She held her webbed hands in front of her fac—

"Hahaha!" Jól's voice guffawed at her. "And to think I thought my goose was cooked! If this isn't providence, then I don't know what is!"

She gave panicked ribbits, trying to speak, but nothing came. She'd really swapped places with the frog! This couldn't be happening!

"So in return for your 'most generous aid'…" the imposter began, dropping her flat on the hard earth. "I'll spare you what was to be my fate…"

Jól… the true Jól, barely flopped upright before she looked back up… to see the heel of a thick winter boot racing towards her…

---

A/N: "Tokusentai…! Tokusentai…! Tokusentaaaaaaai!"

*To be crystal clear, since some people —somehow— didn't put this together and I can't find a way to be more explicit without mention of gore... Jól, the Winter Maiden, is DEAD. He crushed her with his/her boot*

Wow, sorry for the delay guys, it's been CRAZY.

Really happy with this chapter despite the lack of real action. Afraid the next one is a touch chatty too, barring a decent fight. I had intended it to be pretty eventful, but as I got on, I realized it would CERTAINLY be two chapters, so Chapter 7 is going to be chock full of the good stuff, and I'm already getting some good headway on it. So Chapter 6 will be in the pipe to you guys before you know it.

I took time to expand Vegeta and Weiss' conversation to address some of the understandable confusion that came with the ki explanations, and I'm sorry some of those holes were left before. But hey, training sequences are for the characters to learn and for the audience to learn WITH them.

Already you can see where I'm deviating from Volume 5 with a bit of added worldbuilding, and giving our heroes the benefit of the doubt that they wouldn't fall heedlessly into a trap or just give potential enemies critical information. They're smarter than this. So while we're going through SOME of the same beats, we're doing so with our heads on straight.

Don't get crazy hype just yet folks, but it's going to be exciting!

PS: Almost forgot to mention, as it's been a while since I wrote this chapter, but since one of my pre-readers argued with me about this before I pointed it out... yes, Yang is strong enough to tank a motorcycle impact. He seemed to think she was only capable of feats like that with her semblance already engaged, so I pointed out things like her casually one-arming an entertainment center for the dance in Volume 2. Yang is tough in her own right. Funny enough, I WAS going to have Krillin be the one to catch the bike, but realized he was being a little TOO helpful. The last thing I want to do is make the RWBY cast seem useless or helpless, even if —for now— they're fodder for the Z cast, so I used this to demonstrate that and introduce Krillin to her semblance in what I HOPE is a cool and memorable way.