Author's note: And now, let's cover volume 5, with addition of my OCs.
When I originally wrote this chapter, after V5 ended, I hadn't figured out how Sirena would fit into the group, so I was just experimenting. I know it's obvious, but it also seems organic, since none of the characters know how she fits into the group at this point, so I just left it as is.
And I consulted the transcripts of each episode for this fic.
Also, trigger warning at the bottom, just in case.
Team RNJR, Qrow and Sirena were walking through a stone brick tunnel leading to the city of Mistral, which was illuminated by lanterns on the wall. Ruby still felt bad about not being able to use her silver eyes against the Nuckelavee, causing Ren and Nora's auras to break and almost getting them hurt.
"Whose idea was it to walk again?" Nora asked.
"With all you have endured, you should not complain about having to walk a little," Sirena said, "At least this time, none of us almost died."
"What do you mean by that?" Ruby asked, giving Sirena a confused look.
"I may explain it at a later time," Sirena answered and said, "For now, however, enjoy the view." She and Qrow slightly increased their pace and opened a large double door, leading out into a platform overlooking most of the city. Ruby rushed to the edge and took in the scenery.
"This is awesome," she said, spotted a kiosk and added, "Look at all those weapons." Jaune, Ren and Nora followed her. Below them, they saw all kinds of people going about their business, selling and buying goods from various vendors and market stalls.
"Vendors here will sell you just about anything," Qrow explained, "Whether they should or not."
"They really made the most out of these cliffs," Jaune noticed.
"Every inch," Qrow said.
"You should steer clear of the lower levels for now, though," Sirena warned, "The people become less friendly the further down you go."
"Good thing we're going up," Nora said and pointed upwards. The platform, which doubled as an elevator, started moving and the doors closed. Sirena walked over to the edge of the elevator.
"I will meet up with you later," Sirena said before jumping into one of the waterfalls coming out of the cliffs.
"What the-? Why?" Ruby asked. Qrow sighed.
"Apparently, her people are very susceptible to motion sickness," he explained, "She can barely even sit in a car for long."
"Wait, is she… swimming up the waterfall?" Nora asked, looking at Sirena.
"Looks like it," Ren said. They continued their way up to the top, looking around and occasionally checking in on Sirena, who was sometimes just hovering in place next to them in the waterfall.
~o~
Team RNJR, Qrow and Sirena entered the campus grounds of Haven Academy, with Sirena taking the lead. Qrow walked behind her, and the students were last. Sirena was swiping around on her scroll, looking at her contacts, then put her scroll away. Ruby stopped and wiped a tear off her cheek, and Jaune put his hand on her shoulder.
"We made it," Ruby said.
"And we appear to be the first as well," Sirena said, "None of my teammates are nearby yet." They entered the hallway, and after some time, Ruby increased her pace to catch up to Sirena, who nervously looked around as if she was looking for something.
"What are you thinking about?" Ruby asked.
"Noone is here," Sirena answered.
"Maybe school isn't in session," Ruby suggested.
"That's not it," Sirena said, "Remember, the relics are supposed to be constantly protected. Even if school was not in session, there would be teachers to guard the place." Suddenly, Qrow ran up to the door in front of them and drew his weapon. Ruby, Jaune, Ren and Nora stopped and drew their weapons as well, while Sirena remained calm. The door opened and the group saw Professor Lionheart, who fell over backwards in surprise. Sirena extended her right hand and a chain made of ice shot forward and caught the man, and Sirena pulled him back onto his feet. She then tossed the chain aside.
"Professor Lionheart?" Ruby asked, and everyone put their weapons away again.
"Yes, hello," Leonardo said, "You must be the students Qrow mentioned. And Sirena, I see you've returned as well." He nervously fixed his necktie, and the students introduced themselves.
"Leonardo Lionheart, at your service," Haven's headmaster said.
"Alright Leo, why weren't you waiting for us at the entrance, and where is everybody?" Qrow asked, and Leonardo checked his pocket watch.
"Right, apologies," Leonardo said, "I guess time slipped away from me." He walked back into his office and gestured the others to follow him.
"You're joking," Qrow groaned.
"Where is everybody?" Nora asked, and Leonardo sat down in his chair.
"I'm afraid most of my staff is away until classes resume," he said.
"So, to summarize," Sirena said, "You left a relic unguarded, failed to meet us at a previously agreed-upon time and location, and failed to notify Ozpin should you notice anything suspicious. Am I forgetting anything?" She gave him a scolding and somewhat knowing look. Leonardo looked at the children, then back at the huntress glaring at him.
"That is about all, yes," Leonardo said, "But, the children..."
"Is it about the relic?" Sirena asked and said, "Qrow already filled them in on the basics. But now, I have some information I think you'll find useful." She put her scroll on his computer and pressed a few buttons, and a map of Remnant appeared above it. Five locations were marked on it.
"What is it?" Leonardo asked.
"That's where I suspect Salem to hide," Sirena answered and said, "Thanks to my spy, I was able to narrow down possible locations of Salem's base of operations. In five years, I will send large groups of my strongest soldiers to these five locations in order to conquer her headquarters and put an end to her tyranny once and for all."
"That's… incredible," Leonardo said and asked, "Is there any way I can help you?"
"If there was, I'd let you know," Sirena answered.
"Before or after he helps you?" Qrow asked.
"As soon as him knowing of his involvement can't hinder my plans any more," Sirena answered.
"Can we do anything to help?" Ruby asked.
"Just keep doing what you're already doing," Sirena answered, "You'll be fine."
"Why didn't you tell us about it sooner?" Qrow asked.
"The entire place is crawling with Grimm," Sirena answered, "The Soraklian royal guard is the only army capable of invading the area and living to tell the tale. I have to prepare my troops for such a major assault. But now, we have to get going." She let Leonardo copy the files from her scroll and put it away again. After putting her scroll away, she urged the others to leave Leonardo's office, and they all bid their farewells.
"I should tell him about the Spring Maiden," Qrow said after the doors closed behind them.
"No, you shouldn't," Sirena said.
"Why not?" Qrow asked.
"He couldn't help us," Sirena answered and said, "Anyway, I have to do something. I'll meet up with you later." She walked down another corridor and disappeared behind another corner.
~o~
Weiss was sitting on a summoned Griffon, her sword drawn, and was ready for the fight. Three gunships from the Atlesian military headed towards her, and one opened fire with its chin-mounted Gatling gun. Using a time dilation glyph, she increased her reaction time and caught each bullet with a gravity-dust glyph. She hurled them back at the gunship, taking it down. The other two gunships flew past her and turned around. Weiss dove beneath the clouds and flew between cylindrical mountains poking out from a lake. The gunships followed her and she coated her sword in ice-dust before holding it into the water, creating thousands of razor-sharp ice particles behind her and slowing the enemy gunships down. The engine on one of the ships froze and it crashed into the lake. She pulled her Griffon up and it ran along a rocky cliff, with the third gunship crashing into the mountain. Boulders started to come down from the cliff, and Weiss had to dodge them. She tried to get back into the head space where everything seemed natural to her and she didn't have to think about anything to do it perfectly, but she couldn't and was hit by a rock, which pulled her out of the dream.
"Not again," Weiss said sadly, sitting on Niob's back.
"It is a difficult skill to learn," Niob said, "But nonetheless a useful one."
"Ok, how about I fight a human opponent now?" Weiss asked.
"Alright," Niob answered, "I have one who will certainly push you past your limits." Weiss closed her eyes again and took a deep breath.
~o~
When she opened her eyes, Weiss found herself in a forest, with a woman standing in front of her. She wore an outfit similar to Weiss' Snowpea outfit, and her eyes immediately lit up with white energy emitting from them.
"Who are you?" Weiss asked.
"I am the Winter Maiden," her doppelganger answered and began hurling icicles at her. Weiss made several backflips to get away from the attacks, then drew her sword and went on the offense. The Winter Maiden blocked all the attacks with a force field, then blew Weiss away with freezing wind. Just as Weiss was about to get back up, she found herself back on Niob's back.
"And why did you put me up against a maiden?" Weiss asked and said, "I thought those were fairy tales. Also, why did you bring me back already?"
"Every legend has a kernel of truth to it," Niob answered, "And my apologies, but we will have to postpone your training. We are approaching Lake Matsu, and my sources have discovered that there are Grimm in the area. I will have to take care of business elsewhere now, but I know you can handle these Grimm on your own."
"Alright," Weiss said. Niob flew upwards and Weiss rolled off of him, summoning a Griffon to carry her instead.
~o~
As Weiss approached Lake Matsu, with its floating boulders, she saw several Lancers flying around. She was flanked by two other Griffons, which carried an Arma Gigas each. As soon as the Lancers noticed her, she flew upwards and began shooting icicles at the Grimm, while her summons engaged them directly. The Lancers had the advantage in numbers, but Weiss was smarter. Whenever one of her summons was being attacked, she shot the attacking Grimm with an icicle, fire ball or lightning bolt, drawing its attention away from her summons and allowing the Arma Gigas to decapitate the enemy. When she couldn't find any new enemies, she landed on a large floating boulder and made the Arma Gigas disappear, absorbing some of the aura she used to create them. She then summoned a Seer and sent her Griffons to fly around and look for more enemies. One by one, however, her Griffons were defeated, and Weiss looked around, only to find a Queen Lancer shooting its bony barbs at her. One of the projectiles hit her in the head, knocking her out cold, and off the boulder.
~o~
Sirena was sitting in the lake at the bottom of Mistral, looking at her scroll. Using the White Queen virus, the original and superior version of the Black Queen virus, she took control of Leonardo's desk and sent a message to Arthur, asking him to come to where she was.
"Leonardo, why can't we just meet in your office?" Arthur replied.
"Because Sirena is here," Sirena answered, pretending to be Leonardo, "She may see us, and then we're both dead."
"Aren't you exaggerating?" Arthur asked.
"Then come to my office," Sirena wrote. Arthur was quiet for a moment.
"I'll meet you by the lake in five minutes," he wrote. Sirena put her scroll away and waited. Five minutes later, Arthur was standing on the path next to the lake, looking around and trying to find Leonardo. Sirena created a grappling hook out of ice from her right sleeve, and before anyone knew what was happening, or that it was happening in the first place, Arthur was under water. She pressed him against the ground, holding his right arm like a police officer would hold a suspect or criminal, and increased her water resistance. Arthur struggled and tried getting up, but not even the strongest person on Remnant could move Sirena in this situation. After the last bubbles escaped Arthur's mouth and nose, Sirena took his scroll and gloves, put them in her pockets and drew her scepter. Using ice-goo, she formed an ice blade and decapitated Arthur, then cut off his arms and legs. She then let the blade disappear and extended her weapon into its trident form. Within two seconds, she stabbed him thirty-seven times in the chest, and let his bleeding corpse drift away into a stream, which carried the body to Lake Matsu, and then the ocean. Making her way through Mistral, Sirena pulled out Arthur's scroll and sent a message to Leonardo.
"Leonardo, I am afraid I must adjust my plans ever so slightly," she wrote, "With Sirena's appearance, I have decided to lay low to avoid encountering her, but I will nonetheless assist in whatever way I can."
"Yes, of course," Leonardo replied, "I will let Her Grace know next time I speak with her." Sirena put her scroll away and went back to check on Ruby.
~o~
Yang was in her dragon form, flying towards Raven's camp to get her help in reaching Ruby. In the distance, her incredibly fine-tuned predator eyes spotted lightnings, fire and icicles.
"What is going on over there?" she thought and increased her pace. She shot through the air at break-neck speed, reaching Lake Matsu just in time to see Weiss and her weapon falling towards the water. She caught her in the saddle on her back and exhaled black smoke from her nostrils, preventing the Queen Lancer from following them. In the corner of her eye, she saw Weiss' weapon fall into the water.
"She's gonna hate me for this," Yang thought, "Then again, weapons don't have to breathe, no matter what Ruby says, so I can just get it back later." She landed near the lake, walked into the surrounding forest a little and shook Weiss off her back. She then went to grab a tree, carved it up a little to get wood for a campfire and used her claws and stone to create sparks, lighting the fire. She turned the tree around and laid Weiss down on the intact and moss-covered bark.
"Ok, how do I do this now?" Yang thought, "I could play the friendly dragon and reveal myself later, but she knows dragons aren't real. Then again, I'm real, and I'm a dragon, so who knows. I've got to ask Raven about this later. Maybe not in front of people, to avoid arousing suspicion and stuff, but maybe in private. Then again, I really don't want to be alone with her." She transformed back, parked her bike behind the trunk Weiss was lying on, and transformed into her dragon form again. Yang then laid down on a nearby boulder and waited for Weiss to wake up.
~o~
Talia was sitting in Raven's camp, looking at a device she had built. It had a hexagonal base, with a steel beam on each corner holding a large sphere in place. Talia pushed in a panel on the sphere, opening it, and used her tail and left hand to handle tools, while holding her scroll in her right hand and looking at where everything was inside the sphere. Raven walked up to her.
"Are you done anytime soon?" Raven asked, "What are you even doing there?"
"No, I'm not," Talia answered with her more scientific tone, "Also, I'm working on emulating natural ethereal wave frequencies to create artificially entangled -" Raven groaned, cutting her off, and walked away.
"Just get it done as soon as possible," Raven said and disappeared into her tent. Talia continued working on her device, completely ignoring the weird looks she got from the bandits around her.
~o~
Weiss woke up and felt her head pounding. She groaned, looked around and noticed that she was in a camp of sorts, and was lying on a log. The moss had stained her clothes in a faint green, and somehow smoke had tainted her skin and hair as well. She tried to sit up, but slipped off the log and landed in the dirt, further staining her clothes, skin and hair. She got up, dusted herself off as best as she could, and looked around.
"Ok, where am I, and how am I still alive?" Weiss thought. She walked around a boulder and stopped when she saw a large reptile seemingly resting there. The golden-scaled creature opened one of its red eyes and looked at her, then got up. The creature, very obviously a dragon based on its spread wings and all, looked down at her. Weiss stumbled backwards, trying to make sense of the situation, when she bumped into something and looked behind herself.
"Wait, Bumblebee?" Weiss thought, "What is Yang's bike doing here?" When she looked back at the dragon, she saw her teammate standing in front of her, with a brand new prosthetic arm, and a mischievous grin.
"Wait, Yang?" Weiss asked, and Yang hugged her.
"I missed you," Yang said. Weiss slowly hugged her back.
"I missed you too," Weiss said. A thousand thoughts were running through Weiss' head at that moment, but she just focused on being happy that Yang was alright.
~o~
Sirena and Ruby were sitting on Ruby's bed, talking about the silver eyes. Qrow was still getting something to drink, and Ren, Nora and Jaune were outside and training.
"Our powers do more than just petrify Grimm," Sirena said and explained, "For example, instead of just relying on your own sorrow, you can tap into that of others to fuel your powers. You can also locate those experiencing great pain that way."
"Wait, really?" Ruby asked and said, "That's great. I can find people and help them."
"Exactly," Sirena said, "Furthermore, those who have lost hope, or who are trapped in sorrow and despair, will be drawn towards you, and look to you for guidance."
"Meaning what now?" Ruby asked, tilting her head a little.
"Quite simple," Sirena answered, "It means that those who have lost something will follow you. Take Jaune, Ren and Nora for example. After Beacon fell, they came to you for guidance. Some would say they came despite all they had lost. I, however, know that they came because they had lost something. Your silver eyes told them that you would lead them into a brighter future, so they followed your lead."
"I'm not so sure I like this," Ruby said and asked, "I mean, isn't that taking their free will or something?"
"We were given these powers by the god of light," Sirena said, "I do not believe it is either of our places to argue against his decisions."
"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Ruby said to herself.
"Regardless," Sirena said, "These powers exist for a reason, and if you keep up your training, you can be the leader everyone sees in you."
"Can we focus on other abilities first?" Ruby asked, "Like, what about sensing other people's sadness? Can you do that too?"
"Yes, we can focus on other things first," Sirena answered, "I can only sense fear in others. That is how I found you and the others, actually."
"Really?" Ruby asked and said, "But I wasn't scared. Well, not a lot."
"Yes, really," Sirena answered, "And I actually sensed Qrow's fear."
"So, how can I sense other people's sorrow?" Ruby asked.
"Focus on the world around you," Sirena answered, "Feel the pain of those closest to you." Ruby closed her eyes and took a deep breath, following the instructions as best as she could. After a few minutes, a faint yellow hue took over the blackness.
"It's turning yellow," Ruby said and asked, "Is that normal?"
"Yes," Sirena answered, "Yellow is the color of sorrow." Ruby focused on the yellow hue, and on the feeling it gave her, and tried to get a better sense of it. The feeling faded again, and Ruby opened her eyes and let out a sad sigh.
"Is it normal that I'm so sad now, too?" Ruby asked, letting her head hang a little.
"Yes, it is," Sirena answered, "But trust me, it will get better the more you train your powers." Suddenly, they heard a commotion in the living room and went to see what was going on.
~o~
Blake was sitting on a tree branch, looking around the forest. Ilia was hiding in the leaves elsewhere, her skin as black as the night. Sun was hanging from another tree branch, holding onto it with his tail. Argent was trying to sneak up on them as part of their nightly training session. Blake felt like a wild cat on the hunt, waiting for prey to show itself. Her cat ears twitched and turned, picking up all kinds of noises from all directions. She felt a shiver run down her spine and turned around, grabbed Argent's right arm and threw him to the ground. Blake drew her weapon and turned it into its gun form. Argent shot a volley of bullets at her, but she used her semblance to dodge the attack. Sun came running, trying to hit Argent with his staff. Argent blocked the weapon with his steel claws and kicked Sun away. Ilia swung around a tree and tried to drop-kick Argent, but he jumped over her and punched her to the ground. Blake dashed towards him, using a clone to propel herself forward. Argent tried to hit her with the claws on his right weapon. Blake suddenly found herself back where she left her initial clone, with the clone now taking the hit for her.
"Wait, what?" Blake asked.
"Nice trick," Sun said.
"How did you do that?" Ilia asked.
"I don't know, honestly," Blake answered, "I never did this before."
"Your semblance is evolving," Argent answered.
"Really?" Blake asked.
"Yes, really," Argent answered, "The way I see it, your semblance is a reflection of how cats can survive things other animals couldn't. That's where the idea of cats having nine lives comes from. Your semblance lets you survive things others couldn't, or at least not as well as you."
"I… never thought about it like that," Blake said.
"You probably did, though," Argent said, "Otherwise, you wouldn't have developed your semblance further. Maybe for a moment, some part of you realized what your semblance is really doing, and that's how you unlocked this new ability. My mother once told me that faunus sometimes have semblances that tie into the animal they share a trait with. Understanding a semblance's meaning and purpose helps a lot when one wants to improve their semblance."
"And what about you?" Sun asked.
"My semblance lets me turn into mist," Argent answered, "It represents how snakes can sneak up on their unsuspecting prey without being noticed, until it's too late. Of course, with good enough reflexes, one can still defend against my attacks, but you'd need to be a much better fighter than the average huntsman to effectively pull that off."
"You mean like what I did back there?" Blake asked, and Argent chuckled.
"Sort of, but that was just training," Argent answered, "If it was a real fight, your aura wouldn't even react fast enough to block my attacks."
"Wait, what?" Ilia asked, "That's possible?"
"Yes, actually," Argent answered, "Technically anyone can learn it, it's just very difficult and risky. The air friction causes a lot of heat, so if you can't handle that, it's almost certainly game over for you as well. Reptile-based faunus can absorb the heat to recharge their aura, so I'm fine, but one of my team members, Sirena Blue, has to find another way to handle that heat."
"So, I can do that, too?" Ilia asked, looking at her hands.
"Of course," Argent answered, "I have multiple cousins who are also chameleon faunus, and all of them can do it without problem."
"Can you show us how that works?" Sun asked, and all three younger faunus looked at him with excited and curious looks.
"There isn't much to see," Argent answered, "At least not at your level of perception, but sure, why not." He walked over to a tree, standing an arm's length away from it, and a small portion of it suddenly exploded. Ilia felt a powerful shockwave rolling through the ground, and she saw the entire root network before her inner eye.
"That was awesome!" Sun called out after a moment of silence, then asked, "But, why'd you kick it?"
"Wait, you saw that?" Blake asked, obviously surprised by this revelation.
"Kind of," Sun answered, "It was like a single frame of his right foot making contact with the tree. No idea where that came from, to be honest."
"It's your aura," Argent answered and pulled out his scroll, "See, your aura dropped by 21% because it captured an image for you. You'll get better at it, and the aura usage will become negligible quickly. You'll also be able to manifest your aura in different forms, aside from the ways every faunus can use it eventually."
"Meaning?" Sun asked, "That last bit, I mean. Like, what can I do with enough training?"
"For starters," Argent answered, "My sister can manifest her aura as tiny needles, like the ones used in acupuncture, to affect someone's aura flow. If she uses them correctly, she can increase all your physical and mental abilities, but she can also paralyze you in a few hits. These needles only last for a few minutes, due to the other person's aura counter-acting them, but it's still dangerous to mess with her. Once she gets serious, all hell breaks loose. Some unfortunate survivors even seem to mean that in a literal sense."
"She sounds dangerous," Blake said, "I hope Yang's alright." She suddenly felt a small bit of resentment, but couldn't figure out where it came from, and just ignored it.
"Trust me, she is," Argent answered, "My sister is one of the most powerful huntresses I know, and if I give her an order, she'll carry it out."
"She's a mouse faunus, right?" Sun asked, "So, what's her semblance?"
"Yes, she is," Argent answered, "Her semblance lets her possess stuff. Basically, her physical body disappears, and her mind takes control of whatever she uses her semblance on. She often uses it on her own aura, effectively becoming a ghost of sorts. It represents how mice can easily cause a lot of chaos."
"So, she causes a lot of trouble at home?" Sun asked.
"Not just at home," Argent answered, "In fact, almost never at home. But Blake and Ilia may recall a little something a few years back, where information on future White Fang attacks was leaked to the respective targets, the authorities, and even huntsmen whose combat skill perfectly countered the skills of those involved in the planned assault."
"Wait, that was one person?" Blake asked.
"That safety leak caused almost a tenth of members to be arrested, with another 3% being excluded and hunted as traitors," Ilia said.
"People could've died because of this," Blake said.
"Who do you think protected those people?" Argent asked with a smirk that already answered his question.
"So, about what I'll be able to do," Sun said hesitantly, breaking the minor tension of the situation.
"Right, about that," Argent said and explained, "You'll be able to perceive things more clearly, and your aura will help with your memory and motor skills. And of course you'll be able to use your semblance more effectively. And finally, you'll be able to manifest your aura as a physical object, in addition to what all three of you will be able to do."
"What do you mean?" Blake asked, "Can we manifest our auras as physical objects as well?"
"Not quite," Argent answered, "But you'll be able to make it become visible, with enough training. Watch." He closed his eyes, and his aura became visible as silver scales all over his body, and a pair of fangs protruding from his mouth. Blake, Ilia and Sun felt an overwhelming power wash over them, and all of them knew that, if he decided to kill them, they would be dead before one of them saw him move. Argent sensed three White Fang members closing in on their position, with sniper rifles strapped on their backs. In a thousandth of a second, he turned around, fired three bullets, hit the bullets with his palms and resumed his original position. Blake, Ilia and Sun only saw the bullets punching through trees and hitting the assassins, completely depleting their auras and shattering their rifles. Argent's aura faded again, and he opened his eyes.
"That was… incredible," Blake said in disbelief. Ilia shivered, having sensed the vibrations of the entire event. Sun blinked a few times in confusion, not sure exactly what had happened.
"Our enemy, Salem, has likely infiltrated the White Fang," Argent said, "We have to be careful not to let our guard down at any moment."
"How did you do that?" Blake asked, "I mean, how did you make your aura become visible like that?"
"With training," Argent answered and explained, "We are constantly giving off aura, since our bodies aren't made to contain it. It moves to areas with a lower concentration, and becomes ambient aura. I can bind my aura to my body, effectively creating an external source I can tap into at will. I am still giving off aura, just at a much higher rate, as my aura regenerates much faster. Faunus based on omnivores, such as mice or monkeys, have the least trouble unlocking this ability, and can use their aura in more ways than other faunus. But now, more combat training. You three against me." Suddenly, Blake heard something in the distance.
"Sorry, but we have other problems we need to deal with first," she said and ran off towards the shore. Argent, Ilia and Sun followed her.
~o~
The four faunus reached the shore of Menagerie, and found a Geist that had possessed corals and water, taking the form of an Aqua Gigas. The large enemy stood on two legs made from corals, had a main body made from sea shells and corals, and arms also made from materials taken from the ocean, but was completely coated in water.
"Don't bother with melee attack," Argent said, "They'll slide off of its body due to the water." He fired a volley of bullets into the Grimm. Blake created two clones, which mimicked her movements and ran up to the Grimm at an angle, running past it. Ilia took a lightning-dust grenade from one of her stealth suit's pockets and threw it at the Grimm. Sun created four clones to help get the civilians out of danger. The Grimm looked at the grenade as if in trance, and caught it. It exploded and electrocuted the Grimm. Argent coated his tekko-kagi claws in lightning-dust and shot lightnings at the enemy with each punch. Blake rapidly switched between her clones, shot a volley of lightning-dust bullets into the Grimm and switched places with another clone. The Aqua Gigas tried hitting her with its right arm, but she created a fire-dust clone and jumped out of the way.
"I'll draw its attention," Ilia called out and ran off to the side, leading stun caltrops behind her. The Aqua Gigas followed her, ignoring the other three faunus, and got electrocuted as soon as it stepped onto the caltrops, which it seemed almost obsessed with. Blake fired an ice-dust bullet into the Grimm's main body and hooked her weapon's grappling hook form into the ice chunk before swinging around it. After entangling it, she created a fire-dust clone and evaporated most of the Grimm's water contents. Sun and two of his clones came rushing in and hit it with their staves, knocking off parts of its body with every hit. The Grimm knocked Sun's clones away, and Sun hit the main body with a palm thrust, focusing his aura in a tiny sphere. The resulting explosion shattered the Grimm's body, forcing it out of the massive coral, but also depleted Sun's aura completely. Blake and Ilia caught Sun, while Argent killed the Geist as it tried to flee.
"Well done," Argent said.
"What was that?" Sun asked, looking at his hands and the shattered corals.
"That aura blast?" Argent asked and said, "Like I said, you can focus your aura in different ways, with enough training. This seems to be what you'll be able to do with more training. Keep at it, and one day you won't use up all your aura when you do it."
"So, I can blast stuff with my aura?" Sun asked and said, "That's actually pretty cool. I like it."
"It's actually the base ability," Argent said, "You might want to learn to better control how you focus your aura outside your body, because this blast isn't exactly the best option available to you."
"What do you mean?" Sun asked.
"Well, a cousin of mine can form his aura into a staff," Argent answered, "It's taxing, sure, but most opponents surrender once they realize he can do that."
~o~
Ruby entered the living room and saw Qrow lying on the couch, obviously very drunk, and a young farm boy standing in the door.
"Can I help you?" Ruby asked.
"You… have silver eyes," the boy answered.
"I think an introduction is in order," Sirena said, "Hello, I am Sirena Blue, and you are?"
"I'm Oscar Pine," Oscar answered and said, "But you may know me as… Professor Ozpin?" Qrow drunkenly threw his hands in the air.
"I did it!" Qrow cheered, then fell off the couch. Sirena walked towards the door.
"Please excuse me, but I have important business to take care of," she said and left the house.
~o~
Weiss and Yang were sitting around the campfire Yang had built. While Yang waited for Weiss to ask about her turning into a dragon, Weiss didn't know how to approach the subject.
"So… what have you been up to since last time?" Yang asked, trying to get Weiss to talk.
"You're a dragon...," Weiss said quietly.
"Well, about that...," Yang said and rubbed the back of her head.
"How old are you really?" Weiss asked, catching Yang off-guard, and asked, "Most stories I know say dragons can live for thousands of years, so how about you? Is your father a dragon, too? Did you adopt Ruby? Is there a secret cabal of dragons ruling the world or something?"
"Yeah, no," Yang answered, "I was born a human, with a normal human lifespan. My dad isn't a dragon, and he doesn't even know I can do this. Everything Ruby and I told you about us is true, as far as we know it. And right now, I'm the only were-dragon I know of."
"Oh, ok. Sorry," Weiss said and asked, "So, where is Myrtenaster?"
"In the lake," Yang answered nonchalantly.
"What?!" Weiss asked surprised, calmed down and asked, "How am I supposed to fight without a weapon?"
"Don't worry, I'll get it," Yang said with a chuckle and got up.
"Thanks," Weiss said, letting out a sigh of relief. Yang left the camp site and walked towards the lake, when someone's aura showed up in her augmented vision. The range finder function was a single blur of numbers, and despite the maximum range being one kilometer, it only took the bat faunus a second to land in front of her. Checking her augmented vision, Yang made use of the combat comparison feature, which told her that there was no way she could even harm this man.
"Who are you?" Yang asked, mentally preparing to fight.
"The Vampire of Vale," Niob answered, "And I have come for Weiss Schnee." Yang's heart skipped a beat. Niob raised his head a little, glancing at her, and she suddenly felt incredibly on edge.
"Come on Yang, keep it together," Yang thought, "There is no way this man is really as dangerous as the rumors make him out to be. I mean, sure, he just got here impossibly fast, and I'm shaking to the core right now just by him looking at me, and an infallible program tells me I'll die ten times before I do any damage to his aura, but I can handle it. I just need to remember my training." She suddenly realized she was absorbing energy from sound waves, and released some energy through her legs to launch herself towards Niob, trying to hit him with her right arm. Niob stepped aside and Yang flew past him. She fired her left weapon, trying to elbow him in the face. Niob ducked under the attack and Yang tried hitting him with her right arm again, this time coming from above. Niob leaned out of the way and Yang hit the ground. Before she knew what was happening, Niob had kicked her against a tree. Weiss came running up to them.
"Yang, what's that noise?" Weiss asked, and stopped when she noticed Niob.
"Weiss, get away," Yang said as she got back up, "He's after you or something."
"Well, yeah," Weiss said and explained, "He had something to do before, but it seems he's done now. He actually helped me improve my summoning."
"Wait, really?" Yang asked and said, "Man, I kinda feel stupid now."
"I mean, you did try to fight Niob," Weiss said.
"Very funny," Yang said, "Anyway, I'll go and get your weapon back now."
"Where is it?" Niob asked and said, "Perhaps I can assist."
"In the lake," Yang answered nonchalantly.
"Good, I will assist, then," Niob said.
"Thanks, but I got this," Yang said.
"I was thinking of swimming in the lake anyway," Niob said, "I may as well retrieve Myrtenaster."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Yang said, "I was the regional swimming champion in Patch's junior league three years in a row."
"I already located it, however," Niob said, "And it is too deep for normal people to reach in time. My wings allow me to swim faster, and I can use my aura to replicate sonar."
"I say Yang gets my sword back," Weiss said, "After all, Niob, you have to make sure I'm safe."
"Alright," Niob said, "Yang, when you feel you're running out of air, that is the end of the first third of your total diving time. The final third is when it starts to hurt. Also, once you are more than ten meters under water, your body is compressed so much that you are no longer floating, but rather sinking."
"Thanks," Yang said. Weiss and Niob went back to the camp, which had been moved further into the forest to avoid detection by the Queen Lancer, and Yang headed for the lake.
~o~
When she reached Lake Matsu, Yang turned into her dragon form and walked into the lake. She spread her wings to increase her buoyancy and used her legs to move forward. Her scales offered minimal resistance to both water and air, and her eyes could easily locate the silver-white rapier in the murky depths of the lake. Once she was above the weapon, she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with as much air as possible, and dove into the lake. She used her wings to move swiftly through the water, and grabbed Weiss' weapon with her mouth, being careful to not break it. She noticed that it had been caught on what looked like a giant claw, and saw a massive stone statue of a Grimm with three legs, a humanoid arms with claws for hands, and a head that ended in another tentacle-like appendage.
"What is that?" Yang thought. She spread her wings and drifted back up on a warm water stream, then swam to the shore and transformed back.
~o~
Weiss and Niob were sitting around the campfire. Some time after they came back, Yang walked onto the camp site, holding Myrtenaster in her right hand.
"I'm back," Yang said. Weiss got up and walked over to her, and Yang handed her her sword.
"Thanks, Yang," Weiss said and asked, "Did anything happen?"
"Not really, no," Yang answered and said, "Well, I did find a giant stone statue of a Grimm under water for some reason."
"The Mooncrawler," Niob said, "I'd rather not talk about it." He didn't take his eyes off the fire. Yang gave Weiss a questioning look, and Weiss returned with a look that let Yang know not to press the issue, and that it had to be serious if Niob was uncomfortable talking about this Grimm.
"Anyway, there's still this Queen Lancer out there," Weiss said and asked, "What do you say, Yang?"
"I say it's time for a royal beat-down," Yang answered.
"You two go ahead," Niob said, "I will catch up with you later." Weiss walked towards the lake, and Yang went to get her bike before following her.
~o~
A few moments after arriving at the house, Oscar was sitting in a red armchair, with all of Team RNJR fawning over him.
"Did he age backwards?" Nora asked.
"He's possessed," Jaune said.
"Or reincarnated," Ren suggested.
"Isn't this weird?" Ruby asked.
"It is very weird, yes," Oscar answered nervously. Qrow came out of the kitchen, bringing tea and coffee.
"Okay, okay," he said, "Let's all take a moment to remember that this is very overwhelming for everyone." Everyone took a step back from Oscar and sat down. Qrow sat on a couch next to Oscar, Ruby and Nora sat down on the one perpendicular to Qrow, and Jaune and Ren remained standing. Ruby and Oscar shared a brief look, and Oscar blushed a little when Ruby giggled.
"Sorry," Oscar said, "It's just, I've never actually met huntsmen and huntresses before."
"Well, we never met a person with two souls before," Ruby said, "So, first times all around." Oscar chuckled a little, until he heard Qrow clear his throat.
"Sorry to break up this getting-to-know-each-other game," Qrow said, "But we have some things we need to talk about. Mind showing us your little parlor trick, kid?" Oscar sighed.
"Yeah, alright," Oscar answered and said, "Just so you know, I'll still be here." Team RNJR gave each other confused looks. Oscar lowered his head and closed his eyes, and a white and green aura appeared around him. When he opened his eyes again, they were glowing.
"It is so very good to see you all again," a familiar voice said, overlapping with several others.
"Wait, what just happened?" Jaune asked.
"Professor… Ozpin?" Ren asked.
"Indeed," Ozpin answered, "And while I may be the one speaking, Oscar is still present mentally. He has merely handed over control, so to speak."
"Just don't make us do anything embarrassing," Oscar said in Ozpin's head.
"I know this must all be very perplexing," Ozpin said.
"And alarming, and bizarre, and just really hard to believe overall," Nora said, and Ozpin chuckled.
"It is good to see you children still have your sense of humor," he said, frowned, and said, "I know you've all been through tremendous hardship already. I'm sorry."
"I mean, it's not your fault," Ruby said.
"But it is my fault," Ozpin said, "I told you that I have made more mistakes than any man, woman or child on this planet. And that was no exaggeration. I'm cursed. For thousands of years, I've been wandering the surface of Remnant, living, dying, and reincarnating in the body of a like-minded soul. The Ozpin you all met wasn't my first form, and it clearly wasn't my last. It is an extraordinarily strenuous process for everyone involved."
"So who, or what, are you?" Jaune asked.
"I am the combination of countless men who've had spent their lives trying to protect the people of Remnant. With every rebirth, I am changed, but my memories stay with me. This curse was bestowed upon me for failing to stop Salem in the past, but we must stop her now," Ozpin answered.
"How do we do that?" Ruby asked.
"We start by ensuring the safety of the Relic of Knowledge," Ozpin answered, "But I would also like to wait for Sirena's return. I feel not quite comfortable leaving her unsupervised."
"I got a question," Nora blurted out and raised her hand. Ozpin chuckled a little.
"Yes, miss Valkyrie?" Ozpin asked as if they were still in school.
"When you said you were the combination of countless men, did you mean humans, actual men, or just people in general?" Nora asked.
"I'm… not quite sure I understand the question," Ozpin said.
"Have you ever reincarnated as a girl, or a faunus?" Ren asked, and Nora nodded excitedly, leaning towards Ozpin a bit.
"I see," Ozpin said and answered, "Well, yes, there was one time when I reincarnated as a faunus. It was when Salem tried to stop me from reincarnating, so she killed every boy around Oscar's age before sending someone to kill me. I reincarnated in Sirena's kingdom, actually. But that was ages ago, long before the Great War."
~o~
Sirena was kneeling in front of Sienna Khan's throne, with the latter's guards standing beside her.
"Sirena Blue," Sienna said and asked, "What did you want to talk about?"
"I came to propose a deal that will greatly benefit the White Fang," Sirena answered.
"What kind of deal?" Sienna asked.
"My people have a substance called Goo," Sirena answered, "It is similar in effect to dust, but you would not have to rely on the Schnee Dust Company. Your men could cease their attacks on the SDC, instead focusing on other missions, and would receive an equal substance from me."
"And what would you get out of this deal?" Sienna asked.
"I simply want to help you," Sirena answered, "With my help, you would have more resources available, at a lower cost. I may request your assistance in a personal matter at a later time, though. And maybe we can deal with the traitor as well."
"What traitor?" Sienna asked.
"Please, let's first discuss our trade agreement," Sirena said with a smile.
~o~
Adam was kneeling before Sienna's throne, with two guards standing beside the White Fang's leader.
"Adam Taurus," Sienna said, "I'm not going to repeat myself, so I want you to listen closely when I tell you that the White Fang will not attack Haven Academy."
"High Leader Khan, I'm begging you -," Adam said, but was cut off.
"You should beg for forgiveness and nothing more!" Sienna shouted, "The assault you led on Beacon was not the great victory you clearly think it was, and you should be grateful your punishment is not more severe."
"I was merely following your example," Adam said.
"And what example would that be?" Sienna asked. Before Adam could answer, Sirena stepped out from behind one of the pillars.
"From what I could gather, he acts out against any he deems a threat to himself, either trying to control them or, if that does not work, trying to eliminate them with cowardly tactics. Whether or not he was truly thinking of following your example, he was simply acting out of spite, pettiness and cowardice."
"Watch your tongue!" Adam shouted, got up and reached for his weapon. Suddenly, Sirena was right in front of him, with her trident just a hair's width away from his face.
"You were saying?" Sirena asked, and Adam took a step back and took his hand off his sword's hilt. Sirena jumped back and held her trident behind her back diagonally.
"Who are you, anyway?" Adam asked.
"Sirena Blue, the Shark of Sanus," Sirena answered.
"Sirena, please sheathe your weapon," Sienna said.
"Apologies, but we have another guest," Sirena said, mimicked Adam's voice and said, "Hazel." Hazel came into the room, focusing on Sienna, and only gave Sirena a passing glance as if to figure out where to put her. He knelt down next to Adam.
"Took you long enough," Hazel said, looking at Adam.
"You brought a human here?" Sienna asked.
"My apologies," Hazel said, "I don't aim to cause any trouble."
"And you expect us to believe this?" Sirena asked, using her normal voice again.
"You know him?" Sienna asked, looking at Sirena.
"Yes, I do," Sirena answered, "I have already informed his superior that all her underlings who cross my path shall not receive any mercy."
"I had no knowledge of this," Hazel said.
"What of the people who had no knowledge of the relics?" Sirena asked, "Do your allies spare their lives? Or what is it you wish to accomplish with admitting your superior's inability to lead others?"
"That was different," Hazel answered.
"Speaking of not knowing things," Sirena said and asked, "How about we tell Sienna and Adam why you are here today?"
"What do you mean?" Adam asked and said, "I know why he's here."
"You know what he told you," Sirena said, "But this audio recording may tell a different story." She pulled out her scroll and played an audio file or when Team RNJR fought Tyrian.
"Why are you attacking us?" Ruby asked.
"Oh, just because my queen wishes to eliminate your kind," Tyrian answered, "I'm actually on my way to Mistral. Once Hazel tricked Adam into killing Sienna and took her place, I can get rid of him, too."
"Not so fast," Sirena said, and the sound of fighting continued. The recording ended shortly after, and Sirena put her scroll away.
"High Leader Khan -," Hazel began, but Sirena shot a stream of air from her trident, launching him across the room.
"Whether you knew of my ultimatum or not," Sirena said, "Your leader clearly did. As such, either she doesn't respect me, in which case I'm furious, or she doesn't care about you, in which case I can safely eliminate you without her being angry." She kept the air stream up, and threw ice shards from her right sleeve into the stream. Hazel blocked the attack with his lower arms, until Sirena ceased her attack. Hazel ran up to her, trying to punch her, but Sirena deflected the punches with her trident and activated her semblance. Every time Hazel made contact with Sirena, her semblance tried poisoning him, but his aura protected him, taking considerable damage in the process. Sirena shot Hazel across the room with another stream of air, and another barrage of ice shards, but this time fired air from all three spikes on her trident, pinning him against the wall. His clothes got torn up and he slowly reached down to grab fire-dust crystals. Sirena stopped her attack again, and Hazel inserted the crystals into his upper arms. Sirena rushed him, rapidly striking Hazel with her trident, and augmented her semblance with water-goo to coat herself in water. Every time Hazel blocked an attack with his fiery arms, the water on Sirena's trident evaporated and obscured his vision. Sirena quickly grabbed the bags with dust crystals off his legs and tucked Arthur's gloves in Hazel's pockets while he was distracted by the hot steam exploding in his face. Hazel waited for an opening and knocked Sirena back. He jumped at her, hitting her with a hammer fist. Another cloud of hot steam exploded when his fists made contact with her. Hazel punched Sirena, sending her across the room. He sent three fire balls after her, creating even more steam. Hazel began to sweat, and his sweat evaporated when he wiped it off his face. Sirena dashed to an open spot and shot a stream of water at Hazel, sending him across the room and creating more steam in the process.
"What's wrong, big guy? Can't handle the heat?" Sirena asked and said, "The deep sea can get up to three times as hot, and I have no problems with that. You never had a chance. This never was a fight to begin with. It is, and always has been, an execution."
"I won't lose to you!" Hazel called out, his voice distorted by the dust, and jumped at where he thought Sirena was. As soon as his right fist hit the ground, Sirena kicked it aside and pressed him to the ground, holding his right arm behind his back. She extended her semblance to Hazel, coating him in water as well, and all friction he had against the ground disappeared. His fiery arms evaporated the water, coating both of them in boiling hot steam, and Hazel's left arm and legs flailed around, as he desperately tried to get up.
"This is the coming of the tide, Hazel," Sirena said calmly, "When opposition is swept aside." Hazel's movements got slower and more lethargic as water entered his lungs. He eventually stopped moving after two minutes, and Sirena got back up, sheathing her trident. She turned to some of the horrified onlookers.
"You two, get this garbage out of here," she said, pointing at Hazel, and the two faunus quickly began dragging Hazel's motionless body away.
"That was uncalled for," Sienna said, giving Sirena a stern look.
"My apologies, High Leader," Sirena said, "I have given his leader a fair warning not to interfere with my business any more, and she ignored it. She was made aware of my ultimatum and the consequences for her puppets, should she choose to ignore my warning. As a leader myself, I must stay true to my words and punish her subordinates should they choose to insult me by disrespecting my warnings. I am sure you understand."
"While I do understand that a leader must be respected," Sienna said, "I do not condone the murder of anyone within my throne room."
"My sincerest apologies," Sirena said, "It was never my intention to insult you. If you wish, I can provide goo to your people as compensation. I can even help you gain the respect of humanity." Sienna thought about it for a moment.
"How do you suppose we earn that respect?" Sienna asked.
"By being the bigger ones," Sirena answered, "Faunus have everything humans have, and more. Weak-minded individuals may think this means we can treat them any way we desire, but true strength means watching over the weaker ones, guiding them, and helping them with their struggles. I can provide you with fire-goo, as well as lightning and incendiary, so your forces can fight Grimm without having to rely on the Schnee Dust Company."
"How would that help our cause?" Adam asked.
"If I were to come to you, beat up your followers, and then ask to be seen as your equal, what would you do?" Sirena asked.
"I would take revenge," Adam answered.
"And what if I fought your enemies without asking for anything in return?" Sirena asked.
"I wouldn't care," Adam answered.
"But your followers would," Sirena said and explained, "Especially young and impressionable ones would see me as a hero, and be more likely to follow my lead in the future. If we fight Grimm, just because we can, the humans would see us as heroes as well. The adults may not change anything, but the children certainly would. I will depart now, and leave you to think of my offer for some time. Until next time." She walked out of the throne room, but stopped at the door to look back at Adam.
"And Adam," Sirena said, "The two you hurt most during your assault on Beacon are on their way here. With Vale being an ally of Soraklia, I would have to punish you for your actions, but if those two can agree on a punishment for you, I will overlook your blatant act of aggression against my people and their allies." She left the room and several faunus came into the room, setting up fans to get rid of the steam.
~o~
Team RNJR and Qrow were looking at Ozpin, who was now standing on the arm rests of the arm chair he had been sitting on.
"So, we're waiting for Sirena now, right?" Ruby asked, "Anything we can do in the meantime?"
"I'm glad you asked," Ozpin answered, pointed his cane at Ruby and said, "You are still lacking in hand-to-hand combat, if I'm not mistaken. And Mr. Arc, I'm glad to hear you have improved so much, but sad to say, you have yet to unlock your semblance. You all still have a long way to go before you can pose a significant threat to Salem's forces, and though Oscar can give me temporary control, he will have to strengthen his body and aura."
"Wait, what?," Oscar asked mentally.
"He will inherit my muscle memory, but practice will expedite the process," Ozpin continued.
"So, Qrow is going to train us, right?" Ruby asked.
"Not quite," Ozpin answered and said, "Before she left, she mentioned she had other matters to attend to. I'm afraid this is another one of her plans, hence why Qrow will keep an eye on the media."
"Don't you trust her?" Ruby asked, looking back and forth between Qrow and Ozpin.
"I do, but that's the problem," Qrow answered, and explained, "If you've seen as much as I have, you begin to question people's motivations. You begin to notice when someone is up to something, and then you distrust them. But with Sirena, it's different. Somehow, I can't distrust her. I know she is up to something, but no matter how I look at it, she always seems trustworthy, and that is not normal. Also, you saw how she treated Tyrian, right?"
"So she's gotten a bit more violent since you last saw her," Nora said, "No big deal."
"It is a big deal," Qrow answered, "Especially since she hasn't gotten more violent, but less. Compared to what she used to do to people who crossed her, Tyrian got away unscathed, yet everything I know about her tells me she would've vaporized him before you guys even saw him." All of Team RNJR was shocked to hear that, and they looked at each other, not knowing how to process this information.
Trigger warning: Death.
Author's note: Weiss is a bit confused, with the daily night-time dream training, the maidens existing, Salem, Yang being a dragon, all that. So, a bunch of crazy questions. But imagine if this was true.
The White Queen virus has a backdoor code for the Black Queen, meaning that if the two infect the same system, the White Queen takes over and destroys the Black Queen, immediately assuming full control of all the devices the latter has access to.
Yang nonchalantly saying "In the lake" was based on Tomska's video The Hole, which I might have watched a few too many times when writing this.
Talia can paralyze people for up to 5 minutes at a time, and during that time, their aura depletes rapidly to remove the aura needles she stuck into their aura.
Sirena got everything she wanted. Hazel is out of the equation, Adam knows she's dangerous, and the White Fang will now fight Salem. Sienna thinks Sirena is helping them with their goal, since she doesn't know what Sirena would've asked them to do in return for the Goo.
Also, the Mooncrawler was created by Lightning-in-my-Hand over on DeviantArt, who allowed me to use it.