Heart's Embers

by SugarLoaf12

It's been fifteen months hasn't it? Living from day to day, moving from place to place. Looking for the next payday, the next target... the next fight. I thought living outside their war would be easier. But sometimes knowing... is all it takes to leave you wondering "What if" I think back to why I left and I know I made the right choice... Ozpin be damned.

47. Line In The Sand

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Hey guys! Managed to get this one out a bit more quickly than the last! It's a little shorter than the last few have been, but I'm pretty sure that's like 90% fight scenes so it might actually not be short in comparison. Hope you guys enjoy it and thank you once again for all the support you show! It is greatly appreciated! Enjoy!

Warning: Spoilers for After The Fall and Before The Dawn novels in all future chapters including this one. If you plan on reading those, I recommend doing so before continuing.

"Speech"

Thoughts

Overlapping Speech

---

Chapter Forty-Seven: Line In The Sand

Darkness, that was all he could see before him. The familiar taste of blood and the excruciating pain in his shoulders told him he was still alive and very much awake. He forced himself up onto his knees, right hand up in front of him, nothing, not even a glimmer of light for him to see himself. Reaching out in front of him, he could feel whatever was around him moving around his skin, enveloping his hand slowly as he pushed against the tender and mucilaginous substance. The sudden lurching feeling in his stomach that he so desperately loved told him one very important thing... She was close. All at once he was thrust forth through his surroundings, the stench of smoke catching him off-guard momentarily.

"I'm... alive..." he breathed out, looking up at the piercing crimson eyes looking down at him "My-" he began as he bowed his head.

"Get up" she commanded.

He looked up in surprise, then did as she said urgently "I am yours" he gave a light bow "What would you have of me?"

"I am sending you to Vacuo" she answered firmly.

He blinked in confusion "My Queen, surely you require my assistance here more than in a vast desert. The kingdom still stands, and the Relics-"

"I am aware of the state of the battle, Tyrian" she spat, violet flames spilling from her lips as she spoke his name.

He swallowed nervously "A-apologies, I m-merely wished t-" he stuttered out.

"Your presence here would be wasted now. They're not going anywhere, and they haven't a chance against me and my Grimm. I will handle this from here... personally"

"As you say..."

"You are to seek out the others, I want you all ready for my arrival" she opened a portal "Leave me"

"Of course, my Queen"

He wasted no time entering the portal, not wishing to provoke her wrath. The moment he was gone, the portal closed behind him, leaving no trace of the Faunus behind. She turned back toward Mantle, growling at the sight of her Grimm circling the dome surrounding the city. The ruins of Atlas surrounded her on all sides, a grim reminder of her failure, of her failure to destroy one city with overwhelming force. She gave them a chance, because they had impressed her, because she hadn't wanted to destroy them, irksome as they had become. She desired nothing more than the Relics, and her patience was all used up now. Next time, things would go much differently, none of them would leave Mantle alive, even if she couldn't get in. She knew they wouldn't be able to stay in there forever, and that's when she would pounce. They would not escape her grasp this time.

"We shall see how long your children can last, Ozma" she was enveloped by a cloud of black smoke, quickly rising into the sky toward her Grimm airship.

Not far from where she had once been, the Grimm took great interest in one particular area of the dome covering the city of Mantle. Cascading out from a single point in front of them, energy rippled through the dome all the way out and around to the opposite side, then ceased. Within the barrier, Nora Valkyrie slammed Magnhild against the barrier with a powerful shout. Ren, Jaune, and Slade all stood close by, watching the way her weapon interacted with the barrier with great interest. Penny hovered in the air above them with her eyes scanning over the barrier carefully. Nora stopped attacking the dome, slinging her hammer over her shoulder.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

Penny dropped to the ground between them "This barrier is capable of absorbing any type of energy that it comes into contact with. Kinetic, thermal, even the power of Dust. Then it redistributes it across the surface of the dome before dissipating entirely" Penny explained.

"Then nothing can break through?" Ren asked.

"Nothing, not even the falling city of Atlas was enough"

"So how do we get out!?" Nora asked in a panic.

"Ambrosius was instructed to allow us to leave" Slade offered.

"Clearly he's not a good listener, how can we get out if nothing can get through?" Nora sighed "Stupid blue muscle man" she muttered to herself.

"Nora, that's not nice" Ren chastised.

"Not my fault he didn't listen" she argued.

"Maybe there is something we're missing..." Penny wondered aloud.

Jaune approached the barrier curiously "I wonder..." he mused.

"What is it, Jaune?" Slade asked.

He reached his hand out "I just want to see if I can..." his hand passed through, urging the Grimm to attempt to bite off the proffered limb.

Ren pulled him back roughly "What are you doing?! Are you trying to lose an arm?" he asked incredulously.

"Someone had to try it!" he protested.

"Fascinating..." Slade breathed out, moving closer to the edge of the dome for inspection.

"His hand passed right through it" Penny smiled "That means we can leave!" she cried with excitement.

"See? How would we have known if someone didn't try first?"

"Neo can make physical copies of herself. If someone was going to test that, it should've been her. Not you!" he argued sternly.

"At least he's okay" Nora offered "That could've gone worse"

"Exactly, which is why we should have done this more carefully. What if you couldn't bring your hand back-Slade, what are you doing?!" Ren demanded.

Slade stood outside the dome with a smile on his face, even as the Grimm encircled him "We can get out..."

"Slade, the Grimm!" Jaune shouted.

"Relax, Jaune. I'm perfectly safe out-" a Sabyr leapt onto his back, passing right through him and bouncing painfully off the barrier "-here" he finished.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're crazy?" Nora asked.

"Out of your mouth?" Jaune and Ren replied in unison.

"Hey! What's that supposed to-" she broke out into laughter "Sorry, sorry, couldn't get it out with a straight face"

Slade passed back through the dome into Mantle "That feels weird. Tingly"

"Doesn't it?" Jaune asked "I thought it was just me"

"What is wrong with you? You didn't even know if you could get back in!" Ren sighed "Do you have any idea what Yang would've done to us if she knew you'd been killed doing something stupid like that? And we hadn't stopped you?" the others shuddered at the thought.

Slade shrugged "Look at the bright side, we know we can come and go as we please, and Yang isn't going to hurt anyone... today" he finished.

"Except you, for doing that" Nora reminded him.

"Right... this doesn't have to leave the five of us, does it?" he asked desperately.

"And have her find out we lied to her about this? No, sir! Not me!" Jaune argued "I'm too young to die by fiery blonde"

Slade sighed.

Outside the dome, high in the sky where the city of Atlas once stood, Cinder Fall had her Grimm claws in the back of a Teryx, directing it toward the Grimm airship that hovered above her. It didn't take her long to reach the landing platform at the underbelly of the beast. With a fit of rage, she sliced through the Teryx with Midnight, dropping onto the platform. The interior was comprised of dark red fleshy walls that covered grimy metal plates, the ceiling had bone spikes dripping with Grimm fluid, and the floors matched the walls. The doorways were comprised of a translucent membrane with a bright red Grimm marking at the center. Cinder marched through the halls of the ship until a hooded figure stepped out of the shadows to block her path.

"Get out of my way before I put you back in your grave, you mindless cadaver" she spat.

The hooded woman before her crossed her arms over her chest, yet remained silent.

Cinder smirked "Fine, have it your way"

Using her Semblance, dozens of amber blades formed all around her, launching them toward the hooded woman. She leapt backward through the air, spinning into a flip around the blades with relative ease. Sliding on her heels into the landing, she caught one of the blades between her hands. Cinder grinned, the blade superheated in her hands, but before it could explode, the woman dropped it, kicking it back toward Cinder. The explosion knocked aside the remaining blades while they were airborne, leaving a cloud of smoke behind. Cinder was enveloped in the smoke, unable to see in front of her. Sensing an attack, Cinder raised her Shadow Hand to block her face, the heels of her attacker slamming into her moments later. The hooded woman flipped back through the air, sliding to a stop on her heels. Cinder rushed toward her with Midnight in each hand, swinging the blade down at her. She spun around the first blade with ease, then as the second came down at her in a reverse grip, she caught the blade in her right hand.

Slamming her open palm into Cinder's chest, she launched her back into a nearby wall, dropping her onto her hands. Cinder looked up at her attacker with a look of confusion. She could almost remember this fight, but this time she'd reversed her role with her opponent. Even still, Cinder just couldn't bring herself to remember who she fought. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she rushed toward her opponent, dashing left and right, attempting to confuse her target. Slicing her blade toward her throat, the hooded woman easily avoided the strike, leaning out of the way of the blade. Twisting the blade down, she swung her fist toward her concealed face, only to meet her forearm as she blocked the strike. Kicking toward her left side, the hooded woman blocked with her right leg, then mimicked her strike with her opposite leg, causing Cinder to cry out in pain from the powerful strike. Following her first strike with a second kick to her chest, Cinder was thrown back through the hall, landing on the wall and flipping forward off it. Her eyes widened, the hooded woman's elbow slammed into her abdomen, knocking the wind out of her as she fell onto her hands. She pulled her human arm behind her back painfully, planting her opposite hand onto Cinder's shoulder to keep her trapped in her grasp.

Cinder glared up at her "Who are you?"

The ship trembled as an enraged female scream echoed throughout the halls. The halls filled with smoke, moving toward them at rapid speed. The plume of smoke coalesced into physical form in front of them, the enraged expression on Salem's face drained all color from Cinder. Black smoke continued to billow out from her shoulders, her teeth bared. Salem gave a dismissive wave of her hand, the hooded woman released Cinder, then left without a word.

"My Queen-" Cinder started.

"I did not ask you to speak" she interjected, her cold tone doing nothing to conceal her rage.

Cinder swallowed sharply in fear "But I-" a wave of Salem's hand stopped her from speaking, her throat constricting.

"I certainly didn't demand your presence, Cinder" she lifted her from the ground "I have given you so many chances to claim the power of the Maidens. In spite of that, not only do you no longer possess the power of the Fall Maiden you once claimed, you've yet to claim even a single other Maiden's power, nor have you managed to claim a single Relic from the academy vaults"

"I-"

Salem closed the gap between them "What I am trying to express, is that you have continually returned to me... empty handed" her hand moved to Cinder's throat, now holding her up with her own strength instead of magic.

"I can... explain..." she choked out.

"I require no explanation for the obvious. You are-" her head snapped up toward the doorway "Ah, another failure in need of discipline"

Salem marched to the door with Cinder in hand, the door opened to reveal the bridge of the ship. Hunter stood across from the hooded woman with a fearful expression at the sight of Salem. He quickly got to his knees, but remained silent. Salem hovered through the room, stopping before Hunter, lowering herself onto the ground. She released her hold on Cinder, she gasped for breath, dropping onto her hands beside Hunter. The hooded woman crossed her arms over her chest, but remained standing.

Salem folded her hands behind her back "You two have been outsmarted by mere children time and again" she leaned closer to them, her face level with theirs "I am tired of your failures"

"You've been bested by those same children just as often as they have-ugh!"

The hooded woman had spoken for the first time, by was silenced by a wave of Salem's hand, dropping onto one knee from the pain she was experiencing. Despite her words, the ghostly pale woman didn't turn her attention from the two failures before her. She took a deep breath, the smoke from her shoulders finally dissipating since she'd come aboard her ship. Standing back upright, she spoke calmly.

"Much as I hate to admit it, you're right" she turned away from them, making her way back to her throne.

Cinder swallowed "Arthur Watts is dead"

Salem took her place in her throne "Arthur was merely one pawn on the board. His loss, while unfortunate, doesn't change anything. I have greater concerns"

"Atlas was destroyed, wasn't that what we wanted?" Hunter asked.

"The destruction of one city, no matter the size, means nothing to me. I sought the Relics, and now they are beyond my grasp. For now"

"I don't understand, why don't you just strike at them while they're in Mantle? Why give them time to regroup?" Cinder wondered.

Salem sighed "They used the Staff to create a barrier dome around the city. Neither I, nor my Grimm can pass through it. My own power wasn't enough to destroy it either, which leaves them safe inside. But they can't stay inside forever"

"What do you intend to do?"

Salem smiled "We'll starve them out. Sooner or later, an opportunity will present itself. They will be forced to take down the barrier, or to leave it behind to strike at us"

"What if they use the Staff again?" Hunter asked.

"They would be foolish to, Atlas fell when they created the dome. Were they to create something else, the dome would likely disappear"

"Didn't the city fall because we programmed it to?"

"Those turbines were designed to keep the city in the sky, yet when we reversed them, the city remained afloat. Why do you think that is?"

"The Staff raised the city... so when they created the dome..."

"It descended because of our adjustments to the turbines. Yes" Salem smiled "Therefore, we can assume when the Staff is used to create, whatever was the Staff's latest creation ceases to exist"

"So we wait" Hunter sighed "I hate waiting" Hunter whined.

"Patience is something I've developed over many lifetimes. But I won't wait forever. They will come out from that dome, or we will force them to come out"

"What about the others? Tyrian and Sable?" Cinder asked "What happened to them"

"I ensured Tyrian survived the fall of Atlas. I've sent him to Vacuo to assist Hazel and Mercury. As for Sable, he seems to have broken free from the chip in his brain, and now fights against us. We will deal with him in time..."

"What about that other girl? Emerald?" Hunter asked "Did she survive the battle?" Cinder failed to stop herself from grimacing at the mention of her name.

Salem's gaze narrowed "Cinder, do you know something?"

She shook her head "Slade released her from the academy holding cells, she abandoned me there" she growled "I don't know what happened to her after that"

Salem nodded "She may have perished, but in the event she hasn't, she may find her way back to us"

Cinder glared at the hooded woman to her left "What about her? Why do I feel like I know her?"

Salem allowed herself a small smile "A valuable asset, one you needn't concern yourself with"

"But-"

"Not another word on the matter, she is not your concern. Your only concern, is to follow my orders. That is all"

Cinder balked but didn't argue "I understand"

"That's what you said last time, didn't stop you from going off on your own in Mistral now did it?" Hunter antagonized.

"You're one to talk" she seethed.

"Why you-"

Hunter moved to grab her, but was stopped when a glyph opened beneath each of them. Multiple Shadow Hands reached out and grabbed them, forcing them down on all fours and suffocating them, one hand covering their mouths in the process. Salem stood from her throne and folded her arms behind her.

"You're meant to be working together, not fighting each other. Now, unless any of you have something to add to how we deal with Ozma and his band of children, I don't want to hear another word, from any of you"

The Shadow Hands released the two of them "Apologies... my Queen" Cinder quickly forced out.

"You're all to remain here until the barrier falls or they leave the safety of the dome. I will call upon you when you're needed, not before" she told them as she turned away from them.

"My Queen, I am sure I can reclaim my powers from that thief, then I will destroy him and his foolish sister-" she stopped when Salem came to a sudden halt.

"Cinder, Cinder, Cinder" she tapped her foot with each mention of her name "You're just as foolish as ever"

"My Queen?" she asked in confusion.

"Taking the power of one Maiden is difficult enough, but now he holds the power of three. If you attempt to take that power, even I don't know what would happen. They could be destroyed forever, and so could you, for that matter"

"But-"

"Therefore..." Salem turned on her heel "You must defeat him at the right moment, we must act carefully to capture him so that we may use his power to open the vault in Vacuo to claim the Sword of Destruction. Otherwise all of my efforts all these thousands of years will be in vain"

"I..."

Salem leaned in as she spoke, increasing in volume as Cinder leaned away from her "Surely you can understand the utter futility of your plan!"

Cinder swallowed "Y-yes, my Queen"

"Good" Salem returned to her upright position "Now, leave my presence, all of you. I need to prepare a proper plan to defeat those damned children. Especially Ruby Rose, she's certain to have a plan by now. She always seems to know what to do to foil my plans"

---

Ruby's head slammed onto the table "I have no idea what to do" she groaned in frustration.

The rest of her team, along with Neo, Qrow, and Winter stood around the table at the center of the tent they'd once used to nurse Oscar back to health. Outside, the survivors of the battle in Mantle were stockpiling food they'd salvaged from within the ruined city. Soldiers, Huntsmen, and civilians all worked together, handing out prepared meals to those who needed them or searching the city for whatever they could find. Blake and Weiss shared a look of concern, unsure if they could help with their current predicament. Yang moved to Ruby's side, placing her left hand onto her shoulder with a reassuring squeeze.

"It's okay, Ruby. We're all exhausted. We all need to get some sleep before coming up with a plan to deal with the Grimm outside"

"Yang's right, we're safe inside the dome for now. Salem won't be able to reach us until we leave, hopefully with a plan to stop her" Qrow agreed.

Ruby lifted her head up to look at Yang, the blonde smiled to reassure her. She sighed "Okay, you're probably right"

Winter began to pace the width of the tent "We have bigger problems than being a little tired"

"That's an understatement" Blake replied.

"Life of the party as always" Yang deadpanned.

Oscar entered the tent, stopping when all attention turned to him "Wow, you all look exhausted"

"Not all of us got to sit out the battle" Weiss snapped, watching Oscar's reaction, she frowned "Sorry, Oscar. I didn't mean..."

"No, it's okay. I get it. All of us could use some time to rest"

"Time is exactly the thing we do not have" Winter growled "The longer we stay in Mantle, the less food we have. Rationing will only take us so far"

"Relax, Winter" Qrow placed a comforting hand on her shoulder "We've got plenty of food to go around for now, we'll come up with a plan to get rid of that thing outside in the morning"

"Qrow's right, if we take that out, the rest of the Grimm will be easy to take down" Ruby agreed.

"Only while that barrier is still there" Winter argued "We lower it and the Grimm move in to attack, we leave it, and they hit us before we can even make a difference. It always ends the same way" she lamented.

"One problem at a time" Slade said as he entered the tent.

"Slade! You're back!" Yang smiled.

"Hey! We're here too!" Jaune called from behind him as the others filtered in.

"Save the hugs and kisses for later. What did you discover?" Winter demanded.

"We've conclusive evidence of the capabilities of the dome. It absorbs and disperses any type of attack used on it. But we can still pass through it easily, and back inside without being harmed" Ren explained.

"How do you know for certain? Did you conduct thorough tests?" Weiss asked.

"Of course we did! Jaune stuck his arm through it and Slade walked right outside-" Penny started.

Yang's eyes flashed red, golden hair igniting with her Semblance "SLADE DID WHAT?!" she shouted, causing everyone to wince at the volume of her voice.

He raised his hands up defensively at her "Now, Yang... I was perfectly safe, and we needed to-"

"And what if you couldn't come back in? What if you were trapped out there? What if the Grimm had-"

"Yang" Qrow called "I get where you're coming from, really I do. But you need to calm down"

She turned to him indignantly "But he-"

"Is fine" Qrow interjected "Don't act like you wouldn't have done the same thing in his place"

"I... that's... well, I..." she huffed "Fine" she stormed out.

Slade frowned "Yang-" he tried to call to her as she exited.

Ruby zipped up from her seat to Slade, rose petals flowing behind her "Let her go. She needs space when she gets like this"

Weiss snorted "Yeah, you should've seen her back at Beacon"

"She was a handful" Nora agreed.

"Weren't we all?" Blake offered.

"That's an understatement" Jaune laughed "I still can't believe that I lied to get into Beacon"

"I still can't believe Oz let you in, despite knowing you were lying" Oscar agreed.

I had a good feeling about him Ozpin explained.

Well, following your gut pays off sometimes I guess

"We have more to report" Ren pointed out.

"What is it?" Winter inquired urgently.

"That portal leading to where Atlas once stood, it closed. I cannot be certain that Hunter has perished, or merely shut it on his own"

"Whatever the case, Salem isn't going to waste any of her pawns now that she's failed to claim the Relics with the fall of Atlas like she planned" Qrow explained "We'll need to be careful"

"We'll come up with something. We always do" Ruby assured.

"Even if it is by the skin of our teeth sometimes" Oscar noted.

Neo got Slade's attention "Has anyone seen Sable?"

Slade furrowed his brow "Not since the battle ended. I thought he was with all of you"

"Who?" Ruby asked.

"Sable"

"No, he ran off not long after the city fell" Winter answered.

"Local comms are back up, we might be able to reach him" Penny offered.

"Let's give it a go" Qrow pressed two fingers to his ear "Sable, comms are back online. Do you read?"

The line was silent "Sable? Are you there?" Ruby tried, but again was met with silence.

Penny frowned "Maybe I can find him if I take a look around the city. He can't have gone far"

Winter nodded "Do it. We're going to need his help if we're to have a chance against Salem"

---

Beneath the vibrant aurora in the sky of Atlas, the wind howled across the snowy tundra outside the domed city of Mantle. Far beyond the ranks of the Grimm encircling the dome in the remains of the ruins of Atlas, the wreckage of the Chimera airship along with over a dozen Mantas littered the snow. Sable Wolf stood at the wing of one half buried and hoisted it up with tremendous strength. Carefully placing the ship down onto the ground, he forced the door open to get inside the cockpit. Once there, he brought it online and checked over the systems. This ship was definitely what he was looking for, one that was controlled by Chimera. Unfortunately, the left wing had been torn off, there was no way he'd be able to fly anywhere without a replacement. He stepped outside and grabbed the bag of tools he'd salvaged from Mantle on his way out here. Two different airships didn't have wings in good enough shape for him to use, but the third one he checked finally did. Using his hand like a blade, he slowly cut through the wing where it connected to the ship as carefully as he could. Once he was done, he hoisted the wing onto his shoulders and carried it out to the ship he planned on using.

With the help of a welding torch and careful rewiring, he attached the new nearly pristine wing to the ship over the course of a few hours. Once he'd finished, he used spray paint to cover the damage enough to be unnoticeable without close inspection. He made his way back to the cockpit and tested the systems once more and was relieved to find everything seemed to be working perfectly. There was only one problem, the fuel line must've been damaged, there wasn't any in the tank anymore. He found the damage and repaired it quickly before venturing out to find fuel. Coming upon one that had more than enough after a short search, he stopped when he heard a set of footprints behind him. Slowly, he reached for the pistol in the holster on his shoulder. Twisting around with blinding speed, his weapon was trained on the source of the sound he'd heard.

Emerald kicked the gun skyward as it fired, knocking it from his grip. Sable caught her by her heel and pulled his free hand back to strike her. Flipping over his fist, she slammed her opposite heel into his chest, causing him to slide back away from her. His leg was caught by the chain of Thief's Respite before he could react. Sable grabbed the chain with one hand and yanked on it, pulling her toward him. Managing to loosen the chain enough to get free, he grabbed her by her wrist, directing her weapon away from him, pulling his fist back to strike. Emerald kicked her leg for his side, which he blocked with his forearm, then kicked her in the chest, sending her onto her back, rolling into the landing. He rolled to his left, snatching his pistol up from the ground and training it on her from a crouched position.

"Wait!" she called, holding Thief's Respite out in front of her.

"I'm surprised you're all she sent"

"No one sent me, I'm not here to fight" she answered carefully.

"Why should I believe you? Nothing was forcing you to work for Salem, not like I had. You expect me to believe you've suddenly had a change of heart?"

She sighed "Look, I don't care if you believe me or not. But I don't want to fight you"

Sable was silent as he considered his options "Your Semblance is to create illusions. How can I even be sure you're real and not a copy to trick me?"

"I'm not asking you to put your weapon away or even for you to trust me. I'm just asking you not to shoot me before I've said my piece"

He considered her words for a moment "Speak then" he stood to his full height.

"Slade said Salem wants to use the Relics to destroy the world, is that true?"

Sable lowered his pistol slightly "What? You think she just plans on using them to rule over Remnant? To force everyone to do what she wants? She's already got enough power to do that without the Relics. Take a guess for yourself"

"I... I just don't know anymore. It's not like I've ever trusted her, but I trusted Cinder, and now..."

"Cinder Fall is the last person you should trust. She's even more selfish than Salem, and that's saying something. As for what Slade told you, if he thinks that's what Salem wants, who better to know than someone who had her stuck in his head for a few years"

She holstered her weapons, her eyes downcast "I... I think you're right. Cinder wants power, and she'll do anything to get it"

"Including disposing of you" he lowered his weapon with a sigh "Look, kid. I know what it's like to lose everything, to have your whole world crumble around you. But at the end of the day, you shouldn't be asking yourself what other people want from you. You should be asking yourself what you want, and who you want to be. Then choose how you want to get there"

She looked up at him "And you? What do you want?"

"I want an end to the pain, to this mockery of existence. I want to honor my daughter's memory, and the only way to do that, is to make sure none of those people have to face Salem alone" he pointed to the city "Dome or not, none of us can stay there forever"

She nodded in understanding "What do you intend to do?"

"Ruby and her friends are sure to come up with a plan to fight Salem and bring down that monster" he nodded toward the creature "But they won't know where to look on their own. If I can get aboard and send them a layout of the place, they might just have a chance. Salem isn't going to make it easy on them, I need to do everything I can to help"

"Like sabotage it from the inside"

"Precisely. I bring down the security system and she won't know what's going on or where, then it's up to them"

"Just disabling security won't be enough"

"I know, especially considering the security hub is on the bridge... right where Salem will be waiting"

"You won't stand a chance on your own. I can help you"

"And why exactly would you help me?"

"If Salem gets the Relics, I'm dead. If I fight her, I'm dead. If I do nothing, I'm dead. If I die, either way, I'd rather die doing something I can be proud of. Please, let me help you"

Sable studied her desperate expression for what seemed like forever to Emerald before finally answering "Fine, your Semblance will come in handy. But don't think for a second that this means I trust you"

She gave him a small smile "Thank you, I promise I won't let you down"

"If you do, it won't be for long" he holstered his pistol "Now give me a hand here. I need to get this fuel to the other ship if we're going to get anywhere"

---

Lilac eyes glared up at the massive storm through the dome surrounding Mantle, now sitting where Atlas once stood. The enormous Grimm inside was only visible through the periodic flashes of lightning. Her eyes shifted to the Grimm soaring around the edge of the barrier, then back to the storm with a deep frown. She heard a pair of light footsteps behind her, turning her head back, she caught sight of Neo with her hands up in surrender.

Yang groaned "What do you want, Neo?"

When she recieved no answer, she sighed to herself "I don't know what I was expecting. You can't talk"

Yang leaned into Bumblebee with her arms crossed over her chest "If you're worried about me liking you, don't be. You saved Ruby's life and fought with us against Salem. That makes us even for everything you did to us with Roman. Not to mention trying to kill me"

Neo winced and mouthed an apology to her. Yang rolled her eyes "Yeah, yeah, sure. Apology accepted and all that. Now leave me alone"

She shook her head in response. Pointing to Yang and then back toward the tent, she made a heart with her fingers, then split the heart with a frown on her face. Yang furrowed her brow, processing her hand movements for a moment. A look of realization crossed her features and she waved her hands in front of her.

"Hell no, you and I are not talking about my relationship"

She pointed to Yang and used her open hand to motion for her to talk, then pointed to herself with one hand and directed her ear toward her with the other. Neo dropped down onto the ground and crossed her legs. The blonde glared at her, the sitting girl staring up at her expectantly. After a moment of obstinate silence, Yang groaned in annoyance.

"Fine, you win" she closed her eyes, rubbing her eyelids with two fingers and her thumb "I'm not really good at talking about this stuff"

Neo nodded with a small smile on her face, motioning for her to speak. Yang took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly before starting.

"Slade almost died up in Atlas when Ironwood shot him. I know it wasn't Ironwood's fault, and I'm not mad at him for it anymore. But when Slade woke up, he chose to side with him instead of with me. I know he was just doing what he thought was right, and what he thought was best for me, but it made me think he doesn't trust me like I trust him. And now I'm supposed to act like everything is alright between us, after everything that's happened. I mean... how do I do that?"

Neo quirked her eyebrow at her "What?"

Pulling her notepad from pocket, she started scribbling away. After a moment of silence she flipped it around for Yang to see "Do you really trust him?"

Yang blinked "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked annoyed.

She added to the page before flipping it back around "You were upset when he chose to leave the dome to see if it worked. If you can't trust him enough to do that, what do you trust him to do?"

"I trust him! I... that's not... I was only worried about him getting hurt!"

"The same way he was when you were in that cell? I've known Slade long enough to know he doesn't do anything without a good reason. Even if I don't always agree with him"

Yang's eyes flashed red, standing straight abruptly "You... you..." she pointed at Neo "You... might have a point" she slumped back against her bike, eyes returning to lilac.

Neo exhaled silently, her posture relaxing. She got to her feet, moving over beside Yang and tilted her head toward the blonde. The two of them sat in silence for a moment, neither one of them moving from their place. Yang took a deep breath, sighing and tilting her head back to look up at the stormy sky above them.

"I do trust him, but I'm afraid of losing him... just like he's afraid of losing me" she closed her eyes "Everytime I think about what comes next, I can't picture myself without him by my side. But after Cinder killed Pyrrha, I know that could happen to any of us at any moment... seeing him on the ground, blood everywhere... I just... I don't think I could take losing him"

Neo nodded in understanding, her expression becoming melancholic. Yang noticed this immediately and knew she must've been thinking about Torchwick. Yang pulled her into a hug, hoping to comfort her. Yang looked to her right when she heard a pair of footsteps approaching, pulling back from the embrace.

"Well, it's good to see you two are getting along" Slade called over "Yang, mind if I burrow you?"

"Sure" Yang smiled at Neo "Thanks for the talk, or listen, whatever. You know what I mean"

Neo rolled her eyes with a small smile on her lips "You're welcome" she mouthed to the blonde.

As she passed, she signed something to Slade that Yang didn't understand, but he signed back to her something she definitely understood, causing the blonde to laugh at the look of offence of Neo's face. Slade approached her, stopping a few steps away from Yang.

"Hey"

She smiled "Hey"

"I wanted to apologize for earlier. You're right, I should be more careful. Stepping out of the dome was stupid and I should-mph"

He was taken by surprise by the kiss, but was more than receptive. Wrapping his arms around her, they shared a short but passionate kiss. Separating for air, the two smiled with their foreheads together, caught in the eyes of the other.

"God, you're so beautiful"

She laughed "You're not so bad yourself, and being a good kisser doesn't hurt either"

"If this is how we're always going to make up from our fights, I might just have to come up with some things for us to argue over" he chuckled.

"Don't push your luck, buddy" she pushed him away playfully.

"Fine, fine. Whatever the lady says" he laughed out.

Yang took his hands in hers "Slade, I need you to make me a promise"

He tilted his head "Anything" he replied without hesitation.

She took a deep breath "Promise me... that you won't use the Maiden power ever again"

Slade blinked "Not that I had any particular plan to give Elise the wheel, but we might need her. If she hadn't fought off Cinder, taken her power, we might never have saved Atlas in the first place"

She gave him a stern glare "I know, but it almost killed you, even more than the bullet from Ironwood. If something ever happened to you, I..."

Slade gave her a quick kiss, silencing her "I know, Yang. I understand, truly I do" he sighed "I promise not to use the power of the Maiden again, not unless there is absolutely no other choice"

She frowned "Only a life and death situation"

"I swear"

She smiled "Good, that's what I wanted to hear"

He returned her smile "Now, why don't you and I find somewhere away from the others. Just the two of us, it's been awhile since we've been able to enjoy some alone time"

She grinned "Hell yeah, I can get behind that plan"

"Thought you might" he chuckled as he gently pulled her along.

Yang took in the sights around her. The people working away at various tasks, some cooking, some cleaning clothes, others working on heat generators and small firepits. Then there were the soldiers and Huntsmen who were putting up tents and making ammunition from Dust powder, fixing broken weapons, and sharpening blades. For the first time since she'd arrived in Atlas, she saw something she thought the people had lost. Hope...

She let out a sigh of relief "What is it?" Slade asked.

She turned her head to look at him "We're really gonna do this"

He laughed "Yeah, we're really going to be alone for an unspecified amount of time. Crazy, I know"

She nudged him "No, that's not what I mean. Look" she gestured to the people as they passed.

"What? I don't see it"

"The Grimm can't get in, Salem lost, we didn't just survive, we won!" she grinned "Salem can be beaten, that thing out there can be beaten! And they can see it, they know it! They're not just doing their jobs, they're inspired!"

Slade smiled "Who better to show them, than a bunch of kids, huh?"

She laughed "Kinda like Ruby's fairytales"

"Everybody has something" he nodded "Ruby looks to those stories for inspiration, just as much as we look to her for it. Sometimes all we need is something to remember why we're fighting"

"Even as we look forward to the future. One that's getting brighter with each day we fight"

His smile grew "Quite a change from a few days ago"

"You're telling me. Things weren't looking too good from that cell"

He frowned "Sorry I wasn't the one to get you out"

Her eyes snapped open in realization "No! No! I didn't mean to... I just meant... I'm not blaming you"

He nodded "I know, I know... I just wish I hadn't been so... harsh"

"You were supporting Ironwood, you did what you thought was right, what you thought you had to do to protect me"

"Good intentions don't make up for the consequences"

Yang stopped him, moving in front of him "You have made up for it. You stopped Ironwood, you were the only reason he saw the truth"

Slade looked away from her "No, he beat me. I wasn't strong enough to stop him. He chose to do what was right all on his own"

Yang forced him to look at her "No, Slade, he didn't. If you hadn't been there, we'd probably all be dead right now. Even if you lost, even if you weren't the only thing to change his mind, you stayed, even when the rest of us wouldn't. Right or wrong, you made a difficult choice"

"But was it the right one?" he asked.

"As far as I am concerned, you did exactly what you were meant to. If you'd sided with us, Ironwood would've been your enemy as much as ours. And we needed Ironwood to beat Salem, much as I hate to admit it. We couldn't have done it without him"

Slade sighed "Maybe you're right... I don't know-"

"I do" she gave him a quick kiss on the lips "I know you did what you needed to do. And that's all that matters" she asserted with a determined look in her eye.

He smiled "Okay, Yang. I believe you"

"Good. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and let's have some fun"

"With such a convincing argument, how could I refuse?"

---

Deep within the desert of Sanus, the maze-like city of Vacuo composed of improvised structures and crude architecture sat within a powerful sandstorm. Only the wall surrounding the city and the inner wall around Shade Academy slowed the strong winds. One of buildings in the Old District was known as The Pits, a nightclub surrounded by sandpits and traps that could easily catch someone unawares. Within the deepest of the sandpits was an underground bunker that was concealed by the sand covering the trap door down into it. Mercury stood within the empty bunker with his arms crossed, leaning against a table off to the side from the center of the room. The bunker was stocked full of Dust and weaponry that had once been stolen by the White Fang in Vale used during the Fall of Beacon. The moonlight suddenly illuminated the interior as the trap door opened. Hazel dropped down into it with a two large sacks on his back, swinging them down onto the floor as he closed the trap door.

"Hey there, big guy. Did you find them?"

"I found them, what's left of them" he tossed both the sacks over to Mercury.

He could now clearly see the two sacks were body bags "What happened?"

"See for yourself"

Mercury unzipped the first to find the lifeless eyes of Jax Asturias staring back at him "Salem isn't going to like this"

"You're telling me" Hazel sighed "Gillian is the same. The Crown has been completely destroyed"

"Weren't they in prison? How did this happen to them?"

"Wish I knew" Hazel unzipped the body bag to show Jax's chest "Look" he pointed.

Mercury blinked in shock, unsure exactly what he was looking at. Both Jax and Gillian had gaping holes through the center of their chests, but this hole was clearly not made by any weapon he'd seen before. Just what had done this to them? It was now that he noticed the veins around the wounds looked very similar to those that lined Salem's own face and arms. He looked up at Hazel with a questioning look.

"I noticed it too, and there was a message written on the walls of their cells... in blood"

"What did it say?"

Hazel handed him his Scroll "You tell me"

Mercury took a look and his brow furrowed "We are the cure?" he read aloud.

"Yeah, didn't make much sense to me either"

"What are we supposed to tell Salem?"

"The truth" Tyrian's laugh caught them both off guard.

"Tyrian! What are you doing here?" Hazel asked surprised.

He grinned as he exited the shadows "Our Queen sent me to ensure the two of you were properly prepared for her arrival. Once she is finished with Atlas that is"

"She hasn't finished destroying the city? We've been gone for days, how could-"

"And yet you've accomplished so little" Tyrian tutted as he marched over to him.

"Gathering intel takes time. We're proceeding right on schedule-"

"She isn't one for schedules, she's more of a results type of woman" he chuckled darkly as he circled Hazel "I do hope you have more to show for your efforts than... these two" his tail pointed to the bodies around the back of Hazel.

"Hey, it's not our fault someone got to them first" Mercury argued.

"Unfortunately for you, I don't think she will see it that way" he sighed in mock concern "I do hope she takes it easy on both of you" a grin broke out onto his face.

"Given your attitude, I suppose you fared well against our enemies in Atlas?"

Tyrian's demeanor cracked momentarily "There has been a few... setbacks. But nothing we need concern ourselves with"

"What happened? Has Atlas not fallen?"

"Oh the city is destroyed, but Mantle isn't. They used the Staff to erect an impenetrable barrier around it. She is dealing with them, we need only concern ourselves with her plans for Vacuo"

"Salem made it clear she wanted the leaders of the Crown recruited to our cause. Unfortunately, someone got to them first. I don't suppose she gave you any further direction?"

Tyrian faked a gasp "Well isn't it obvious?"

"No, it isn't. Spell it out for us" Mercury replied in annoyance.

"Why, find the one responsible for this!" he gestured to the two bodies "If they were powerful enough to break into the prison and kill two of the most high profile criminals in Vacuo without anyone knowing, She will want to meet them"

Hazel grunted "You're right. Getting into that prison wasn't easy, and getting out unseen was nearly impossible, even with the power Salem granted us"

"But you managed it all the same! And you didn't even lead anyone back here! Bravo!" he clapped his hands together "Now if we can just track down the one responsible for this mess, we'll be in business"

"We?"

He feigned offense "I was sent here to help you, wasn't I?"

"Unfortunately" Mercury sighed "Couldn't she have sent someone less deranged, like Emerald or that girl that doesn't speak?"

"Neopolitan"

Mercury snapped his fingers "That was the name! Thanks, big guy" Hazel grunted.

"Oh, I don't think we'll be getting any help from those two anymore. Neo has unfortunately betrayed us and sided with Ms. Rose. As for Emerald, no one has seen her since Atlas fell"

"What?!" Mercury asked in shock.

"Do not concern yourself with it, I am sure she'll turn up. One way of another" Tyrian laughed menacingly.

Outside the bunker stood a stranger cloaked in shadow, listening to every word they said on his Scroll. Placing the Scroll into their pocket, the figure quickly left the hidden bunker behind. The only visible defining features in the darkness were the shoulders, which looked sharpened to a point, but nothing more. The figure disappeared into the sandstorm, with only one thing on their mind.

Who is Salem?

---

"You did not!" Yang practically shouted as she made it back to the Crater with Slade.

"I did! Honestly, to this day, I have no idea how Qrow didn't find out it was me!" he laughed "Do not tell him about this!"

She shook her head with a laugh "I won't, I won't! I promise. But, really? Melons?"

"Melons" he chuckled "It was Willow's idea anyway, not mine"

"Sure, sure, blame someone who can't defend themselves"

"Are you accusing me of lying? You've no proof"

"I would never do that, within earshot"

He rolled his eyes "I'll remember that the next time you-"

"Ah!" she shouted suddenly, Ruby zipping in front of her with a trail of rose petals flowing behind her "Ruby! Don't do that!"

"Guys! Guys! Guys!" she bounced excitedly.

"Ruby! Ruby! Ruby!" Slade mimicked "What is it?"

She grinned "Ironwood's awake!"

The two blinked in surprise "He's awake!" they said in unison.

Ruby grabbed them by the hand "Don't just stand there! Come on!"

"Now, hang on a minute, RUBY!" Slade shouted the last word as she pulled them along.

Ruby sped through the Crater with the two of them stumbling behind. They reached the tent, with both Yang and Slade struggling to keep pace, each of them using the other to catch their balance when Ruby released her hold on them. Inside the tent stood Ironwood with his hands folded behind his back, none of the occupants noticed their entry.

"Sir, the portal closed less than two hours after the city fell" Winter told him.

"I see, what about-"

"James!"

"Ironwood!" Slade and Yang called simultaneously.

He turned to see them with a small smile on his face "Ah, Slade, Yang. It's good to see you're both alright"

"Us? You were comatose!" Slade replied.

Ironwood chuckled "I suppose you're right. Despite a bit of soreness, I'm feeling better than I have in years" his smile widened.

"That's... more positive than I expected" Yang admitted.

"We could use a bit of positivity right now" Slade's eyes flicked to Winter for a moment before returning to Ironwood.

"You're not kidding" Nora agreed.

Winter glared at her "We've all rested quite enough. It's time we come up with a plan"

"Now hang on a second" Qrow eyed up Slade and Yang, their hands intertwined "Just where have you two been?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, uh... we uh..." Yang started with a deep blush on her cheeks.

"W-we were just..." Slade stuttered out.

"Making up for lost time" Ironwood finished "We have more important concerns, Qrow. Don't be a mother hen"

Qrow grumbled "Yeah, fine" he pointed to Slade "We're going to talk about this later"

"Can't wait" he sighed out.

Ironwood chuckled "Let's finish getting me up to speed. Can we leave the barrier?" he asked as he turned back to the rest of the group.

"Unharmed, and we can come back through too" Jaune answered.

"The only thing the dome keeps out is anything that would cause damage to the city" Ren pointed out.

"And anything with the Grimm liquid inside them" Blake added.

"What about our ships?" he asked.

"They're running low on fuel" Weiss answered.

"Most have enough for a single trip to that Grimm ship, but wouldn't have enough to get back" Winter explained.

"Consolidate the fuel we have to fill up as many ships as we can. Don't bother with the unarmed transports, we'll be headed into a fight"

"Way ahead of you" Qrow replied "Winter got the refueling started as soon as the battle was over"

"Good, then all military personnel need to prepare for the coming battle. All Huntsmen too, we can't afford to waste any potential firepower we have"

"I've already sent out a general alert over local comms. Once the ships are finished refueling, we'll be ready to strike" Winter reported.

"You have a plan of attack?"

"One we've been working on" Ruby smiled "Oscar, Winter, and I have been putting together a strategy to take down that Grimm airship"

"And?"

"We think we've got a pretty good plan to work with, given the circumstances" Oscar answered.

"Well... it seems you've all done pretty well without me" Ironwood offered them a warm smile "I'm proud of you, all of you. I'm lucky to be working with you"

Ruby smiled "We're just happy we're all on the same side again"

His smile widened "As am I" his smile dropped "I owe all of you an apology"

"We don't need one. You've done enough to show us you had a change of heart"

"More a change of perspective. I was reminded the reason I became a Huntsman, it made the right choice clear to me. I'm sorry, truly, for what I put you through, all of you"

May I? Ozpin asked politely.

Oscar's eyes glistened as he relinquished control "None of us are perfect, James"

Ironwood smiled "Oz" he stepped toward him "I owe you more than a simple apology"

"No, James. It is I who owe you an apology" he exhaled "I should've trusted you with the truth about Salem, I should've trusted all of you"

"You were right not to trust me, Oz" Ironwood sighed "I didn't listen to you in Vale, and I wouldn't listen to you when Salem was at our doorstep, and that's not even mentioning Leonardo. The truth of the matter is, I wouldn't have acted any different in Vale if I had known the truth. Hell, I might've been worse"

"You were afraid, I think we can all agree, we understand the feeling"

Yang grunted "You can say that again"

"Salem isn't exactly a stabilizing element" Weiss added.

"For now, we're safe in the Staff's barrier. So long as we stay inside" Ironwood replied.

"Sure, but what about food?" Blake asked.

"True, we certainly don't have the resources to produce enough food to feed the city, let alone a whole kingdom's worth of people" Ozpin explained.

"We don't have enough to go around for everyone as it is" Qrow added.

"All the food we left behind in Atlas was probably destroyed when the city fell" Jaune sighed.

"Even if it wasn't, there's an army of Grimm between us and it" Ren reminded the group.

"We'd need a big distraction to keep their attention to even begin searching" Yang added.

"It's not worth the effort. We'd be better served taking down that Grimm airship. Without it, the remaining Grimm will hopefully scatter" Slade proposed.

Weiss hummed in agreement "Even if they don't, we can chip away at their numbers"

Nora wore a mischievous grin "Or make a huge gap in them"

"Not matter what we do, the only way to save Atlas, is to stop Salem and drive her Grimm back" Winter reminded the group.

"There is no saving Atlas" Ironwood countered.

The group looked at him in surprise "There goes positive Ironwood" Yang deadpanned.

"James, surely you don't think we haven't a chance?" Ozpin asked.

Ironwood chuckled "That's not what I meant at all"

Winter looked at Qrow with concern "Then, what did you mean?" she asked.

"The kingdom of Atlas rose in the wake of Mantle's biggest failure. Rather than try and accept the failure and grow from it, we covered it up with a thick coat of paint and a floating city. Not anymore"

"General?" Ruby asked "What are you saying?"

His smile widened "Atlas, Mantle, they don't matter anymore. We're all that stands between Salem and the rest of Remnant. We draw our line in the sand here. Either we stop Salem and be heralded as heroes, or we fall and Remnant falls along with us"

Ozpin smiled "There's the James I remember"

He nodded "I will do whatever it takes to keep these people safe. And I'm counting on all of you to help me" his determined expression told them he meant it "Now, why don't you all start filling me in on this plan of yours"

Ruby grinned "I'd be happy to! Oscar?"

Ozpin relinquished control, allowing Oscar to begin explaining the plan to him, with Winter chiming in here and there. Ruby and Qrow moved to the opposite sides of Ironwood and added to the conversation as the others listened intently. Elise stepped into Slade's view with a smile on her face. She turned her head to look at Slade, taking in the sight of his hand in Yang's.

"Things seem to be going well for you"

They'd be going a lot better without that Grimm airship sitting outside the dome

"One thing at a time, Slade"

I don't suppose you have anything to add to the conversation that might be helpful?

"I think your friends have things well in hand. Besides, I have something more important to talk to you about"

What is it?

"You told Yang you wouldn't use my power unless absolutely necessary... but we both know that could kill you. Even opening the academy vault was nearly too taxing on you"

I know, that's why I don't plan on using it again. Not unless there is absolutely no other choice

"You can't, if you die, we have no idea what will happen to the power of the Maidens. Until I give the power over to others, you need to stay alive"

I'm not exactly planning on dying anytime soon. I've got too much to fight for now...

"Good. Just... promise me you'll be careful-"

Penny entered the tent in a rush "General! You're awake!"

Ironwood turned toward her, along with the rest of the group "Penny, it's good to see you"

She smiled "I can't express how happy I am with words to see us all back together again!"

"Then maybe you can use your words to tell us what happened to Sable?" Winter proposed.

Penny nodded, a look of embarrassment on her face "I looked all over the city, Sable is missing. He must've left the dome"

"Impossible, the Grimm would've destroyed him if he tried to leave" Winter argued.

"Destroyed anything living, sure. But Sable isn't exactly human, er... Faunus anymore" Qrow pointed out.

"Neither am I, but they still attack me" Penny pointed out.

"No, Qrow is right. Even during the battle, the Grimm didn't start attacking him until he attacked them first. If anyone could get past them without a fight, it'd be him" Weiss explained.

"Regardless of the truth, if we can't contact him, we can't rely on him to help with that airship" Ironwood explained.

Yang nodded "I agree, we should focus on our next move"

"Then we have a plan?" Penny asked.

"We do, most of one anyway" Ruby answered.

"Fill me in" Penny stepped over to the table.

Slade and Yang followed right behind her. Neo smiled at the two of them "Told you not to say anything stupid" she signed to him.

Slade winked in response "Where do we start?" he asked.

"The first step is simple, we use the refueled ships to take the fight to the Grimm in the air with Penny providing cover for us" Ruby explained.

"We drop off a small team of Huntsmen onto the airship to take it down from the inside. We'll never even scratch that thing from out here, even if we used all our firepower" Winter added.

"The Sword of Destruction is the only thing that would be powerful enough. But we can't waste time going to Vacuo to get it, even if we could get past that thing" Oscar explained.

"Which leaves us with only one approach" Jaune sighed "Only one problem, we have no idea what the layout of the ship is going to be like. We can only assume it'll be similar to the Atlas airships"

"Don't forget, the ship isn't just a ship, it's one massive Grimm. It'll have a heart somewhere inside it" Penny reminded them.

"Meaning we'll need to target more than just the engines" Slade noted.

"We'd have to divide into two teams, one to attack the heart, one to attack the engines" Ren proposed.

"Don't forget that Salem will be aboard. She's not going to just let us walk right in and do what we like" Qrow frowned.

Weiss tapped her chin thoughtfully "That means we'll need to distract her"

"Which means three teams" Blake sighed.

"Assuming Hunter, Tyrian, Cinder, and Emerald are still out there, we could have to deal with them too" Penny pointed out.

"Meaning, we can't divide ourselves too thin" Nora nodded in agreement.

"Salem wants to capture me, and my eyes are the only thing that can stop her, even if temporarily. I should lead the team to distract her-"

"No" Winter interjected "Salem might want you, but your eyes work on the Grimm, which means we'll need you to go after the heart"

"But-"

"She's right, Salem hates me just as much as you, I'll-" Slade started.

"I'll do it alone" Oscar interjected.

"You? By yourself?" Ruby asked.

"No offense, but that's crazy, and stupid" Nora argued.

His eyes shimmered as Oz took control once more "I can't say I disagree, but we don't have much choice. Salem hates me more than anyone, and she knows Oscar and I are bound together. We're the only ones who can keep her distracted long enough for you all to destroy the ship... and survive to tell about it"

"Oz, you can't be serious. She'll kill you" Qrow pointed out.

He smiled "She'll try"

Neo snapped her fingers, gaining the attention of the table "What is it, Neo?" Ruby asked.

She used her Semblance to change into Oscar "That's brilliant!" Qrow grinned "Oscar distracts Salem, and you keep her confused on who to attack!" she dusted off her shoulders with a smile.

Slade turned his head toward Ironwood "James, you've been awfully quiet. What do you think?"

Ironwood stroked his beard as he processed all the information "Salem underestimated us before, keeping the Staff and the Lamp out of her reach is sure to have her in a state of desperation. There's no telling how she'll respond to an attack on her ship... she's likely to try and get the advantage over us"

"How?" Blake asked.

"Leverage. If she takes one of us prisoner, she can offer an exchange, our lives for the Relics. If that happens, and we make that trade, we lose. If we don't, one or all of us die. We find ourselves in a precarious position"

"Then we make sure none of us get caught, right? No one goes alone" Ruby replied.

Ironwood frowned "We can't plan for that, anything could happen in the middle of a battle. We've defeated each of Salem's followers by now, however... even all of us together can't defeat Salem directly"

"What do you suggest?" Oscar asked.

He wore a look of determination "I need Liam Radcliff, and Jacques Schnee"

---

High above the city of Mantle, the massive storm completely blocked out the sky. Within the storm sat the massive draconic Grimm, with hundreds of smaller Grimm, including a single Wyvern circling the creature. Just outside the storm clouds, a lone Manta was ascending toward it, keeping clear of any Grimm that might take interest. Inside the ship, Sable Wolf sat in the pilot seat, hands firmly on the controls as he steered the vessel. Beside him sat Emerald Sustrai, who was becoming increasingly aware of her own heartbeat, almost painfully. Beads of dripped down her face, she felt an incredible weight in her stomach, a pervasive constriction in the center of her chest, each sensation only worsening as they neared the storm.

"It's much bigger up close" her voice fluttered as she spoke.

"That's exactly the reason we need to get this done. No one down in Mantle will have a chance if they have to navigate this blind"

"Right..."

"Your Semblance"

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." she sighed.

Focusing on hiding the ship from the Grimm, her mind drifted to what Salem was going to do to her when she found out what she did. She wondered if Cinder had already told her that Slade had let her go, or that she'd told him about Vacuo. She started hyperventilating, struggling to keep herself calm in the face of Salem's wrath. Sable noticed a Teryx flying in formation with the ship, looking to his opposite side of the ship, he saw another doing the same. Then a Nevermore stopped in it's tracks, turning it's attention in their direction.

"They can see us, kid" he spoke calmly.

The roar of a Wyvern tore through the air, the ship dipped just in time to avoid the claws of the creature.

"They can see us!" he declared more forcefully.

"I-I don't know-"

The ship weaved around Grimm approaching from all sides "Emerald! Now!"

"I'm trying!" she shouted back

"Stop trying and do it!" he pulled back on the stick just in time to avoid crashing into another Nevermore.

"Okay, okay!" she closed her eyes, trying to focus on her Semblance.

"We need to disappear! Right now!"

The ship was pierced by a Nevermore feather, causing him to tuck to the right to avoid dozens more raining down at them. After a moment, the Grimm seemed to lose them completely. He looked around cautiously to ensure none of them were giving chase, then relaxed his grip on the stick. Looking over to Emerald, she looked to be almost in a trance, but her hands were still shaking. Her eyes snapped open, looking down, her left hand was in his metal one, giving her a soft reassuring squeeze.

"You're going to be fine, Emerald. I won't let anything happen to you"

She swallowed nervously "Can you promise that?" she asked, looking him in the eyes.

"You have my word" her posture visibly relaxed.

Exhaling, she allowed herself a small smile "Thank you"

For the remainder of the trip up to the Grimm, they sat in silence. Sable had to take an indirect route to the landing pads in order to avoid the numerous Grimm encircling the area. He was relieved to find none of them were occupied, allowing them to quickly land on the nearest pad. Emerald let out a sigh of relief, squeezing Sable's hand tightly. He nodded to her, squeezing her hand back gently to reassure her.

"I'll be right behind you, every step of the way"

She exhaled "I know... Salem is just..."

"I know" he stood from his seat "That's why I need you to focus. If she suspects anything before I've finished, we're both dead"

She stood with him "Then let's make sure we don't"

"Just be careful, we don't know what kind of mood she'll be in when she sees you"

"I'll take care of it"

Sable pulled the door open to find Hunter staring back at him. He froze in place, hand resting on his pistol "I was wondering if you were ever going to show up"

Emerald stepped past Sable, dropping down to Hunter's level "Getting away without being noticed wasn't easy"

He grinned "And you did it all by yourself? I'm impressed, kid"

She glared "Let's just get this over with, take me to Salem"

He laughed "Sure, she's gonna be delighted to see you"

Sable slinked through the ship behind them, unseen thanks to her Semblance keeping him hidden. Emerald remained silent the entire walk through the halls, while Hunter just kept his eyes on her, a sinister grin on his face. She swallowed nervously as the door to Salem's throne room opened before her. Following Hunter in, she saw Salem sitting on her throne with her fingers folded in front of her. Beside her stood a hooded figure that she didn't recognize. Her eyes snapped over to the two of them, narrowing at the sight of them.

"Emerald" her voice hissed "It's about time"

Hunter's cavalier attitude had vanished, replaced by a more timid demeanor "She took one of the ships Chimera had stolen to get aboard. She wanted to see you"

Salem rose from her throne "Good, I was beginning to wonder if you'd survived the destruction of the city at all"

Emerald swallowed "I snuck aboard the transports down to Mantle, then got out of the barrier to find one of the ships out in the tundra"

Salem hummed with amusement "All on your own?"

She nodded slowly "It wasn't easy, but-"

"Certainly not" a smile formed on her lips "Did you see them?"

"Them?"

"The Relics? Without the vault, they must be out in the open now, right?"

Sable carefully moved behind the two, making his way over to the bridge console. It was almost completely destroyed, making it impossible to access the displays. Thankfully, he had a different plan, pulling off a broken metal panel. Reaching to the back of his neck, he pulled a long cord out, connecting it to the base of the now exposed console. His eyes flashed white as he sorted through all the data he could find on the drives. Emerald crossed her arms over her chest before answering.

"I didn't see them specifically, but they have nowhere to hide them. Not without the vault"

"And they cannot create a vault without removing the barrier around the city" Salem rubbed her chin thoughtfully "Interesting"

"Ma'am?" Hunter asked concerned.

Salem began circling Emerald "You no longer have any trace of the Grimm inside you, that is useful to me"

"How?" she asked curiously.

"Tyrian survived the fall of Atlas thanks to my aid, and like you, Ozma's children removed the Grimm influence from him. Nothing Grimm can enter the dome, leaving you and Tyrian as the only ones capable of getting inside. However, you are the only one who could take the Relics without a fight. A fight neither you, nor Tyrian could win on your own" her right hand clenched into a fist as she spoke.

"Just a little longer, kid" Sable whispered as he sorted through the data.

"We failed to secure the Relics when the city fell, even with the barrier, they know they haven't won yet. They will not surrender, they will throw whatever they have at me until they are destroyed..." she folded her hands behind her "I need the Relics, and you have failed me enough times already. This will be your last chance, if you fail... you shouldn't bother returning. Understand?"

Emerald took an instinctive step back from Salem's menacing glare "I-I get the p-picture"

"Good" the door to the throne room opened as Cinder entered "Speaking of failures..."

Cinder's eyes widened at the sight of Emerald "What is she doing here?" she hissed.

Her Shadow Hand began smoking, dropping her onto her knees as she cried out in pain, trying to hold her writhing arm still "Cinder, is that anyway to greet one of our own?" Salem asked with a cold tone.

"One of our own?" Cinder growled "She left me to rot in that cell! She-"

"Is the only one of you that can bring me the Relics" Salem interjected "I don't care what she's done or who she's done it to, if she can bring them to me, then she can do as she pleases. If not... well..." her sickening smile sent shivers down Emerald's spine.

"T-that won't be necessary"

"I certainly hope not" the pain Cinder felt suddenly stopped, looking up at Salem in fear.

Sable disconnected from the console "Got it!"

Emerald's head tilted to see him rushing out of the room, signaling her to follow behind him "May I ask you something?"

Salem raised an eyebrow "You may, but if it's something stupid, I'll be using your bones as decorations for my next throne"

"I... uh..." Emerald stammered.

"Relax, it was said in jest"

She blinked "Oh, I see"

"Spit it out, girl. I was only half joking"

Emerald nodded, swallowing nervously "What do you intend to use the Relics for once you have them?"

Salem smiled "Isn't it obvious? I'll use them to destroy Mantle and everyone in it, then I'll do the same to Vacuo to claim the Relic there and use that Relic to claim the final one in Vale. I had the Lamp in my hands and had no way to use it. Once I have the Staff, that will not happen again. It'll be the beginning of a new world"

She looked away "A world with no one left in it" she whispered.

Salem's smile vanished "What did you say?"

Emerald steeled herself and glared at Salem "You're not going to change the world, you want to destroy it"

"Now, where did you get that idea?"

"Slade told her" Cinder chimed in "He lied to her so she would tell him your plans. She told him about your plan for Vacuo"

"Did she?" her attention changed to Cinder "And you're just now informing me?"

"I... I didn't think it was important, they can't leave Mantle-"

"Enough. I will deal with you later" her attention switched to Emerald "Is this true?"

Emerald nodded "I told him everything I knew, they'll stop you"

She tilted her head "You sound like you've already made up your mind"

"I have"

"Brave of you to stand before me directly, stupid, but brave. I like that, as a reward, I promise to make it quick, if not painless"

Salem's brow furrowed, the two of them standing opposite each other motionlessly. Faster than the others could follow, Salem appeared in front of Emerald, reaching for her throat. Her hand passed right through her. Before the others could fully process what had happened, Emerald vanished from the room. Salem's eyes flicked around the room, desperate to find any trace of her, that's when she noticed the exposed bridge console.

"She's not alone" she seethed.

"But, there was no one else with her! She came alone, I saw-" Hunter started as she moved to her throne.

"Her Semblance" Cinder sighed "This whole time she was distracting us"

Salem's hands gripped the arms of her throne tightly "She was the only one capable of getting the Relics from them, my one chance at an advantage..." the arms cracked in her grip as black smoke rose from her shoulders "Find them..."

"R-right away! We-" Hunter began.

"NOW!" she bellowed, ripping her throne up from its place.

Hunter and Cinder rushed out of the room without a word, leaving Salem in her anger. Despite her rage, the hooded woman beside her didn't move an inch, waiting for her to collect herself enough to give her a direct order. Salem's ragged breathing slowed, her posture straightening as the smoke emanating from her dissipated. She turned her attention to the hooded woman with her crimson eyes aglow.

"You know what to do. Go" she commanded.

The woman nodded, vanishing into a dark corridor that opened around her without a word. Outside the throne room, Sable and Emerald rushed back to the Manta, reaching the landing pad as the massive Grimm they stood on rumbled. Once they were inside, Sable took off without hesitation, leaving no chance for them to be followed. Emerald quickly used her Semblance to hide them from the Grimm.

"You did good, kid. Keeping her distracted while we left was smart"

She sturggled to catch her breath "Thanks, wasn't sure how much longer I could keep that up. Did you get what we were after?"

"I got everything. Ship layout, defenses, security codes, you name it" the ship started ascending.

"Good, then we just have to get them back to Mantle. They might even have a chance at beating Salem"

"Not without help, but you don't need to worry about that. You've done enough"

"Huh?"

"Don't think that a sudden change of heart is going to get you on their good side. Neopolitan still isn't truly their friend yet, but she's getting there. I've done what I can, but I'm not one of them, not anymore"

"What do you plan to do?"

"Did you forget already? There was two parts to the plan, data gathering was only the first part. Sabotage was the other"

"Then why are we leaving?"

"We're not, you are" he answered.

"What? I don't understand"

The ship leveled out "I've still got a job to do"

"But what about you?" she asked as he stood.

"I've gotta handle the second part!" he shouted over the wind as he opened the door of the ship.

"On your own?! You'll die!"

"That was always the plan, kid! Just make sure you get out of here!"

"I don't even know how to fly one of these!" she argued.

"You won't have to!" he walked back to the front of pressed a single button on the console.

The ship turned back toward Mantle and started descending "What's happening?"

"I plotted a course just outside Mantle for you! You're on your own from there! My suggestion, find a way to Argus, then figure out what the hell you want to do with your life!"

"Sable, wait!" she called after him, getting to her feet.

"Sorry, kid. But this is where I get off! Take care of yourself!"

"Wait!" she tried to reach him as he leapt from the ship but wasn't fast enough.

She watched helplessly as Sable dove down toward the Grimm ship from above, leaving her alone in a ship leaving him behind. After taking a moment to collect herself, she closed the door and laid across the seating in the back of the Manta. She didn't know what to do, she was afraid, she was sad, and she felt lost. For the first time since Cinder had found her, she didn't know what was next, and knowing that Salem would hunt her down for the rest of her life only made things worse. She'd never be able to go back to living a normal life, she'd never be able to be her again... she hoped that those stupid kids from Beacon stopped Salem here, then she might at least be able to sleep at night.

---

Ironwood stood at the bottom of a stage constructed from two shipping containers, the very same stage Ruby had once given her own speech only days prior. He stood tall and proud as people gathered below, soldiers, Huntsmen, civilians, it didn't matter. On each side of him stood a very nervous looking Jacques and an exuberant Radcliff. Pietro approached through the crowd with Oscar not far behind him.

"Everything is online, General. Everyone in Mantle will hear what you have to say" Pietro assured.

"Excellent work, Doctor" he smiled "Our message today must be felt, as much as heard"

"I fear we're going to have many mixed reactions to this particular announcement" Jacques rubbed his hands together nervously.

"Grow a spine, Schnee" Radcliff snapped "How you managed to raise two Huntresses, I'll never know"

"They deserve the credit for that, not me" he replied "All I ever did was get in their way, until now"

Ironwood smiled "They're proud of you, Jacques. And so am I"

"Standing up to both Salem and Cinder certainly shows your sincerity" Oscar added.

He breathed a sigh of relief "When you put it like that, this seems like nothing"

"For those of us not going into battle, certainly" Ironwood chuckled "You'll do fine, don't worry"

"General!" a voice called from behind him.

"Catalina, did you find it?"

"Sir, I've got it all set up, just as you requested" she answered, her tail wagging as she spoke.

"Great work, thank you" he smiled.

"Are you ready, James?" Radcliff asked.

He looked out to the growing crowd to see Ruby and the others filtering in, his smile widened at the sight of them "Let's get this started"

"Yes, Sir!" he smiled.

Radcliff marched up to the stage, making his way over to the microphone awaiting him there. Catalina, Pietro, and Oscar joined their friends in the crowd, looking up at the former mayor as he took the microphone in his hand. Screens around the city of Mantle displayed live footage of the Faunus, the whole kingdom watching with bated breath.

"Good morning" he greeted "Or perhaps it is evening, who can tell with that storm in our sky? Some of you may recognize me as the former mayor of Corinth. Over the last few days, we've seen a great deal of turmoil on these streets. We've seen a Grimm larger than any in all the history of Remnant, we've seen a Grimm army the likes of which no one ever has, and now, we've seen the fall of Atlas, our once great city. You all know the reason why, the name of the woman responsible for it all, Salem"

Scattered murmurs sprung up throughout the crowd at the mention of her name "Here he comes" Winter whispered to herself.

Jacques joined Radcliff on the stage "Salem has brought everything she has to destroy our kingdom. And we are perilously close to falling already, even with this barrier around Mantle, we would waste away in here while she destroys the rest of the world. We all need to be strong to stop her from taking away everything that we love. Human, Faunus, it doesn't matter, we're all prey to the Grimm. That is why we stand here today"

"That is why we stand behind General Ironwood as a united front" Radcliff added.

"That is why we ask you to trust in him as well, despite everything that has happened over the past few days, we can only succeed if we stand united. One people, one kingdom, one force against the darkness that seeks to destroy us"

Ironwood took to the stage "Thank you, Councilor Schnee, Mayor Radcliff" his hands folded behind his back "Our top military strategists have developed a bold plan to save what is left of this kingdom, and we cannot do it alone"

"You got this, Jimmy" Qrow whispered.

"No, we've got this" Winter replied, her hand intertwining with his.

He smiled at her "Right"

"We have lost our fleet, but we still have many ships left. Using them, we can launch an aerial strike against Salem's flagship. Our plan, is to get two teams of our best Huntsmen and Huntresses aboard to destroy it from the inside. Without her ship, Salem will be left with only those Grimm outside the dome. Without that ship, we can destroy those Grimm without fear of being annihilated by her. The price we will have to pay will be high, higher than you can possibly imagine. It is a price I am willing to pay, even if I have to be the only one"

"It is a price I am willing to pay too" Radcliff agreed.

Jacques nodded "As am I"

Ren wrapped his arm around Nora protectively "So are we" he muttered to himself.

"Damn right" she agreed.

"I know many of you will stand with me against this tide of evil, and I know that what I am asking of you is more than I have any right to... but we are fighting for our right to life. It is a fight we have to win, by working together"

Yang leaned her head onto Slade's shoulder "Together"

Slade planted a kiss on the top of her head "Together"

"Unity is the only way any of us will survive this storm as we have with all others. If we look back at our history, we never were the good guys. The Great War was demonstrably our fault, the fault of the kingdom of Mantle. We allied with Mistral and fought a bloody war against Vale and Vacuo in a war for our very freedom. A war that I for one, am proud to say we lost. What a different world we would be in today if we hadn't. No Huntsmen academies, no art or expression, no freedom. That war started a tradition that we celebrate every two years, one you all know. The Vytal Festival"

Ironwood tore down the Atlas banner behind him to show an advertisement for the festival held in Vale that year, the same festival that had been celebrated just before the fall of Beacon. Ironwood held his open hand out to the emblem of all four kingdoms' symbols. The crowed all stared in shock or surprise at what he had done.

"Atlas has fallen, and Mantle fell before that when we plastered a new coat of paint onto our very kingdom. Today, I propose we join with the other three kingdoms to form a single united front against the darkness, against Salem! I have always promised to defend this kingdom, it's people, it's future, from those who'd see it destroyed! But I tell you today, I do not fight for Atlas, or for Mantle, for today, I fight for all of Remnant, for every single one of us!"

The crowd started cheering loudly, matching his energy "Glad he's on our side again" Weiss muttered.

"No kidding, he's certainly charismatic" Blake agreed.

"He didn't get this far on his good looks" Maria jabbed.

"From this day forth, Atlas will not be known as the best kingdom on Remnant, it will be known as the first kingdom to stretch out our hand to the rest of the world and raise them up to stand firm against Salem and her forces. We will be the beacon in the night to guide others, we will be the flame too stubborn to be snuffed out, we will be the light against the darkness! We will not surrender, we will not fail, we will stand, and we will win!" he pumped his fist into the air "For Remnant!"

"For Remnant!" Jacques and Radcliff shouted in unison.

"For Remnant!" Ruby cried with a proud smile on her face.

"For Remnant!" the crowd shouted back at Ironwood.

Penny's eyes flashed "Woah, that's new"

"What is it?" Slade asked.

"Somebody just sent me the full schematics for Salem's ship, security protocols, codes, defenses, everything. I know exactly where to strike to do the most damage"

"Sable" Catalina smiled "I knew he couldn't just disappear"

Qrow grunted "Maybe, but we don't have any proof of that. It could be a trap from Salem"

"It is exactly what we need to strike at her" Winter added.

"Which isn't suspicious at all" Yang agreed sarcastically.

"Whatever the reason, we can't just ignore it" Ruby argued.

"In a few hours, we-!" Ironwood was cut off when an explosion tore through the sky above "What the hell was that?"

"Look!" Pietro shouted pointing.

"It's Salem's ship..." Jaune breathed out in shock.

The Grimm roared painfully as a massive explosion tore through it, it's wing catching fire from the destructive power of the explosion. Despite losing one wing, the engines continued to keep it airborne, virtually unaffected by the loss of a single limb. Ironwood stared up at it in shock, his expression slowly turning into one of determination.

"People of Mantle, we strike now! Soldiers, get to your ships! Huntsmen, prepare to strike at the Grimm outside the dome!" he announced.

Radcliff rushed down from the stage "You heard the man! Ground troops, with me!" he led them toward the edge of the dome.

"Jacques, keep the civilians here in the Crater" Ironwood ordered.

"Can do, Sir!" he offered an unceremonious salute "Winter! Weiss! I expect to see you by dinner!" he called.

"We love you too!" Weiss called.

Ruby turned to the group "Winter, Qrow, you're with me. Blake, go with Jaune's team for the engines. Slade and Yang, you're backup for Neo and Oscar if things go wrong. Penny, you'll keep the Grimm outside distracted while the rest of us get our jobs done. Ms. Calavera, we need you with a ship ready to get us out at a moments notice"

"Wait, there's one problem" Penny noted.

"What is it?"

"There's two sets of engines on different sides of the ship. Taking down one won't be enough" she explained.

"Yang and I can handle the other set, but we won't be able to backup Oscar and Neo with Salem" Slade proposed.

"We can work with that" Oscar agreed.

"What about me?" Ironwood asked as he approached "Where do you want me?"

Ruby handed him the Relics "You've got the most important job. Keeping these safe"

He blinked "What? I won't be in the battle?" he asked in shock.

"This could be a trap, and there's no telling what Salem will do while we're away. She could send someone through the dome like Tyrian to get the Relics. We need someone here to guard them" she explained.

"No one will fight harder than you will, Sir" Winter agreed.

"More than that, we need someone who won't cave to Salem's demands if she captures us. We can't afford to give her the Relics, not even if it means we all have to die in the process" Ruby added.

"But... I..." he sighed "Fine, I understand. Just... be careful, all of you"

"We will. Don't worry, we'll call if we need you" Oscar assured.

They all started to rush off "Wait!" Ironwood called.

"What is it?" Jaune asked.

Ironwood stepped forward "In case this is the last time I see any of you, I wanted you all to know how proud I am to have fought beside you, and to call you all friends. Thank you, all of you. Making you all Huntsmen was the best decision I've ever made"

They all smiled back at him "Thank you, General" Ruby replied.

"That said, I'd better see all of you back here once your jobs are done. No daring heroics"

Yang snorted "Like we ever do anything like that"

"Yeah... never..." Slade sweatdropped.

---

That's all for this time! Next chapter is the finale for the Atlas portion of this story. Thank you guys again for reading and your support, I always love hearing all your feedback! The next chapter will be coming before long!