Just gonna keep chugging along here.

Thank you, everyone, for the continued support.

Shoutouts to everyone leaving reviews.

Makes it easier to keep forging ahead!

Now, let's get this party started!

Vanille.

Trivia Vanille.

This girl was a Vanille!

Qrow groaned as his day had become mired in increasing annoyance as he left Oobleck to deal with the situation he caused with the fainted kid. Teach him to screw things up with a kid already dealing with a lot…

Had to text Tai, though. That was something unexpected.

How were they going to deal with that? They found a kid that could very well be a traveler through time. That sounded like an Ozpin issue, for he might be the only one with answers, and he didn't want to bring Oz into this…

But did he have a choice?

Gah! And this situation!

Now he had to deal with a far greater headache than he initially anticipated. He had only wanted to safely escort her home after dealing with the events and needing a chat with her parents after seeing her Semblance. She needed to be at least earmarked for Signal, or if they were a more affluent family, possibly could afford homeschooling, tutoring, and training of that nature to ensure she was ready.

Remnant needed every Huntsman and Huntress it could get.

But he didn't think she was Vanille!

Qrow didn't even know Jimmy had a daughter!

How secluded did he keep her from the world? Because this made quite a few things line up and make sense when he put the pieces together with how she acted!

How sheltered she seemed! How ecstatic she was to be outside and away from the authoritative gaze. How panicked she was when others began to notice and take photos of her, especially her Semblance…

That man was Jacques Schnee's equal in the ways he did not appreciate human beings. And now he was beginning to think he was possibly lower, which was a low bar to sink below. But the proof was staring him in the face as he watched the tiny form of the Trivia in front of him. She was deflated and defeated as she slid her feet against the ground begrudgingly as they walked through the packed circle driveway filled with vehicles.

It was not a pleasing sight to behold.

She was withdrawn, nervous, and above all else, frightened.

After witnessing how brilliant her smile was and seeing the elation she held while in the food court in the town square before everything turned sour, probably due to his porous luck, Qrow had to bite his tongue as they came to the door.

The jubilant noise from within was irritating. Throwing a party like this in the middle of the week? No wonder they didn't notice she was missing. Too busy being self-indulgent.

Typical Vanille. The Schnees were terrible enough, but now he was creating a solid little empire here in Vale and getting full of himself…

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, steadying himself as he glanced down at the miserable-looking girl who looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but where she was, Qrow sighed. He pushed the doorbell. It didn't seem like there was an answer other than her flinch.

He didn't like that. It made his stomach clench as there was still no answer, and he could hear the music and party inside. It left him queasy, and he did not get that feeling unless he drank far more than he could handle.

Another ring, and there was still no answer.

Seriously? If this were Tai, he'd give him a break! The man had just lost his wife but these people!

Where the hell was at least a single servant? A maid! A butler! Anyone!

Did they care that their daughter was enduring the cold? Probably didn't even notice she was absent and were too busy boozing it up! He had a reason to get drunk! He had hardly any responsibilities! He'd only have to stay sober to keep an eye on Tai and the kids now and then, and unfortunately, that was happening far too often for his liking at the moment…

But without Summer…

And his good-for-nothing sister!

"Are you kidding me? Still nothing?" Qrow frustratingly pressed the doorbell a third time and looked irate. "Kid, your parents and I are going to have some words about this. I might not have my own children, but I damn well know a few things thanks to my nieces. Had to take care of them more than I would have liked to…"

Trivia fidgeted at his response and looked away, flustering Qrow further. He didn't like her lack of eye contact and how she was acting. That was not how a child should behave upon returning home in a situation like this. Upset and expecting to be scolded, sure. But the way she responded.

It reminded him far too much of… "Kid, I don't want to say this…"

"But did they ever…"

"Oh, I wasn't expecting any other visitors." The door opened, and Carmel's voice resonated as she slipped out the large double doors, smiling brightly in her elegant brown dress as she gazed toward Qrow. "What can I do for you…"

Her eyes suddenly lowered, and her face dropped as she noticed the small figure beside him. Her eyes rounded, and she looked startled at her daughter's appearance. "Trivia! What have you done, young lady? You shouldn't even be out of the house! How in the world did you get out?"

Qrow had to refrain from snarling at the woman's tone of voice. Everything about how she spoke and how the girl looked away from her mother left him uneasy. Add in that her words felt more accusatory than worried, and yeah…

He didn't feel comfortable about this.

"She hasn't done a thing, just brought her home." Qrow lied as he pocketed his hands in his pants, taking a more lax stance. "Ran into my boy in the food stand, and they were having a good time. A few local bullies tried to jump them after watching two young kids purchasing things for themselves. They were handled easily. Clueless kids didn't realize they were dealing with Huntsman's kid, and he was well trained."

Trivia's head snapped up, and she looked at him oddly. He knew she was wondering why he hadn't told her mother what had happened. He didn't like the woman the moment she spoke and didn't trust her. From her demeanor to his gut feeling, there was something off about this lady in front of him.

He didn't want to speak to her about what had happened to her daughter. Not with that tingling sensation that sent shivers down his spine.

Something just felt wrong about her. Because he had never met her, he didn't know what it was.

"Purchased?" Carmel looked mildly alarmed before she gave an anguished sigh. "Trivia, dear, did you sneak into our room and take your father's card?"

Sinking her head, Trivia nodded weakly as she looked ashamed before her mother. Carmel sighed once more before holding her hand out. "Give it here. I won't tell your father about this as it was only food and travel expenses. That can easily be overlooked. I'll have Arnie ignore those purchases and not inform Jim of them."

Qrow kept a firm gaze as he watched the defeated girl hand her mother the card, who quickly slipped it into the top of her dress. She then turned back to him and gave him what he knew was a false smile and bow of gratitude. He was too adept at reading people and knew she could tell she wasn't entirely invested in the act.

And that bothered him.

"I appreciate you bringing her home and keeping my troublesome daughter safe." Carmel bowed before turning to Trivia and frowning. "Up you go. Use the servant's entrance and head straight up to your room. We'll discuss this before bed. I'm very disappointed in you, young lady. I expect an apology letter and an explanation written when I visit you later."

Qrow could see the spark of anger in Trivia's eyes as the doors opened to let her in. The rebellion burned as she looked directly at her mother. He knew she was about to do something to defy her wishes. He could feel she was about to do something foolish, as many young teenagers would do. Something snapped in her, and she was tired.

But his crimson gaze caught hers for the briefest of moments, and he shook his head, trying to give her directions. After all the craziness of the night…

Don't do something to add to it.

"Kid," Qrow interrupted suddenly. "It was a nice night despite what happened. My boy had fun. Not often someone else can communicate with sign language due to his speech difficulties."

Trivia stopped, her gaze turned back to Qrow, and her head tilted as she frowned. Hers wasn't alone as Carmel looked strangely toward him, with a deep scowl before she glanced down toward her daughter. "You boy has speech difficulties too?"

"Yes, mam," Qrow stood straight, pulling a hand from his pocket and running it through his hair as he lied through his teeth. "Ever since he was young, we learned he had a strange defect that causes every attempted word he utters to come as strange babbling that no one can understand. Had to find ways to overcome it, so we've been working around it the best we can. He's starting to overcome and speak some, but it's been a long process."

Carmel's face dropped momentarily before her face stiffened. She looked down at her daughter for the briefest interval before gazing inside for a good hard moment as if she was thinking. Her tongue clicked in her throat before she turned and walked over to Qrow. "My scroll number is 23-401."

"Trivia could use more social interaction from a peer in her age group. I think it would be very beneficial for her. Therefore, I would like to arrange a day for her to get together, help practice sign language, and help curb her social anxiety."

"May help the issues we've been having here at the house, too, if she had a real friend," Carmel mused as she looked back at Trivia, her eyes narrowing for the slightest moment before forcing a smile toward Qrow. "I can assuredly persuade Jimmy that it's the correct course for our daughter. I'll tell him it might deter her recent aggression and defiance, and he'll cave. I'm quite certain. Besides, the prestige of Huntsman is commendable, something Jim wouldn't dare frown upon. Even more so if your boy is training to become one with his disability, that is quite impressive, I do have to say."

"Yeah, it is," Qrow muttered back, somewhat taken back as he unwillingly took out his scroll and put the number in while Carmel was looking at him expectantly, her insincere smile unnerving him. "I'll send you a message later and let you know when it's a good day for us. It's going to be busy for quite a while here shortly. Gotta lot happening."

"I understand. The same can be said for us." Carmel gleamed before nodding and bowing once more. "Well, I thank you once again for bringing my dear daughter home. I have a party to attend. It will be lovely to see you again in the future."

"Come on now, head on up." Carmel turned and ushered Trivia through the door, who was looking quite startled at everything that she saw taking place and was giving both him and her mother a questioning look as the door slowly shut. "Yes, dear, you'll see your friend again soon. Now head on…"

"Yeah," Qrow grimaced as the door closed before him. "Oh, what did I just sign up for…"

"Shit."

Drip.

He could hear the drips of water splashing and echoing all around him.

He knew where he was.

Naruto knew this dank, decrepit place.

Sadly, it was a reflection of his mind.

Well, kind of. The perv told him that it reflected what was inside of him. He explained how it represented his view of the fox now that he knew it existed inside of him. It wasn't technically his mental state.

It was almost like a buffer between his mind and the fox.

It explained the sprawling passages as intended to keep the fox at bay and from having access to him in any meaningful way. So he couldn't find the direct route to his mind since there were too many twists and turns.

Too many passages to lose direction in.

He only knew his way due to the feeling in his stomach—the unnatural pull. Like something was whispering, beckoning him to come closer.

Naruto made this journey once before when the perv threw him into that crevice, and he came face to face with Nine Tails the first time. He must have been summoned a second time during his fight against Sasuke as the power he wielded against his friend at the end after he cracked his neck…

Was beyond anything he had ever experienced before.

It felt like his skin was being charred and reconstructed each and every second as he battled his friend. Every time he threw a swipe or punch, it overextended and pulled his joints out of place before being forcefully reconnected so the fight could continue. Every wound recovered moments after it happened as searing hot chakra filtered through his system…

Naruto enjoyed a bit of scrap.

He did not want to experience a fight like that ever again. Not wielding that power.

And he barely had any control of his actions until the very last second when he cut through Sasuke's headband, causing him to snap back into reality. That moment caused his friend to hold back his final attack as it deflected into his chest…

Then everything turned blank, and then he was in the snow.

Black wolves soon followed, and he was forced to flee, barely able to move.

Up until now, he had been okay with calling forth the demon fox's power, but after that, Naruto wasn't sure anymore.

Was the price too much?

But as soon as he arrived at the cage, he was shocked.

Something was wrong.

The fox was there, but…

It lay down deeper within its cell, as far away from him as possible.

And convulsing as if it was in agony, red chakra convulsed around the terrifying beast in its cage.

"What?"

"What's going on?" Naruto took a step back, the water around his ankles rippling.

A deep growl resonated from within the cell as feral crimson eyes snapped open. Chakra continued to encircle the beast as the enormous fox looked at him. It snarled viciously as its tails swept around it, helplessly batting against the cell walls.

Leave.

"What?" Naruto, this time a bit more brazenly, stepped forward in annoyance as he looked at the Nine Tails. "I was brought here after passing out outside! That guy had a picture of the forbidden scroll all aged to pieces on that weird device of his! What's going on, Fox? What's up with you? What…"

LEAVE!

Naruto stumbled back and fell onto his rear as the Nine-Tails slammed into the cage with its shoulders, a single claw swiping toward him. The pen did not buckle.

But the fox's eyes glowed a vivid crimson as it glared heatedly down at the boy soaked in the water.

You are at fault for this.

I gave you the power necessary.

All you had to do was finish the job.

You failed.

I simply refused to die.

Hearing the fox, Naruto's eyes bulged in realization. A cold emptiness filled him as he shuddered. Sasuke didn't stop.

That look of horror was genuine as he cut his chakra from the deflected Chidori…

He had done the job.

But then…

I sacrificed so we may live.

This is only one of many prices that we must pay.

There is no turning back.

The fox growled as his eyes flickered as Naruto looked on, unsure how to take what he was hearing.

Was this real?

The Nine Tails told him he had done something that caused them to come here.

And whatever it was, there was no turning back from what he had done?

No.

His dream to one day become Hokage.

To finally settle down and marry Sakura…

After finally getting her to stop swooning after Sasuke and go on a date with him instead…

And furthermore…

Bringing back the prick for trying to leave them.

But if what the fox was saying was true…

Then all of that…

Wasn't possible anymore?

No…

That was the deal I made with them.

And now I'm stuck with you for eternity as they were quite fond of you.

So get ready to be miserable…

I will make your life a living hell.

The massive fox turned away from him and limped to the back of its cell. Its chakra convulsed, hissing painfully before it collapsed on the ground and groaned.

Naruto fumbled further in the waking water around him at the sight. He couldn't believe the demon of legend was in such pain. But given what it had said…

There were many prices paid.

And if the fox seemed to be anguished…

I'm done with you.

You bring me nothing but woe.

Leave.

"Wait," Naruto tried to speak as he stood, but he felt the world darken around him and knew what it meant. "No, come on…"

As everything around him slowly faded into nothingness, he screamed at the top of his lungs. "I need to know more!"

"Dammit, don't kick me out like this, Fox!"

"What did you do?"

It had been a long, draining day. A good night's sleep was a rarity with how busy life had become. But she cherished them when she got them, especially after the exhausting grind of the day.

Forming plans with her fellow officials.

Prepping colleagues to follow through.

Checking supplies and making sure there was enough.

Preparing for rallies and making sure everything would be safe.

Taking care of house chores and cooking.

Making sure there was time for her lovely daughter, who meant the world to her.

Tucking Blake in with her husband and wishing her a good night after listening to him read a bedtime story.

All so her husband could focus on more essential matters as he led the White Fang.

To lay down in bed was a comfort. And his warmth…

Was the most divine aspiration she could be granted. Clutched into his powerful arm and pressed into his burly chest, she was content.

Things could continually improve, but for this moment...

Everything was purrfect.

"Really?" She rose from his chest, flicking two thick-furred black cat ears on her head in annoyance. "A call at this hour?"

"That's never a good sign…" Her husband muttered as he groggily clutched his face with his free hand. "I can only fear the worst. I pray Sienna didn't do something dramatic and cause any issues for us in Mistral."

She hissed. That woman. While she respected her, she was a thorn in their side, and they often didn't see eye to eye. But she wasn't cavalier and wouldn't cause a scene without just cause. "Unlikely. She's too smart to be that foolish. She likes having a positive reputation too much."

"I'll get it. It will give you time to get up if it's severe." She whispered into her lover's ear before mewling disappointedly as he lifted his arm from her so she could freely leave the bed.

But she didn't want to…

Softly sighing as she slid off the side of their shikibuton, she gently and silently strode to the ringing offending object. Her ears twitched in mild annoyance as it must have been severe as the person hadn't dropped the call as she had hoped.

Oh, she hoped this racket didn't wake Blake up…

Her baby struggled with sleeping without a good story…

"Belladonna residence." The woman answered as she placed the receiver to her very human ear while her two cat ears twitched above. "It's quite late at night. What seems to be the emergency?"

"I apologize," An unfamiliar rushed voice echoed on the other end of the line, immediately awakening and putting her on edge. "I know it is quite rude to call this late with the time difference…"

"Who are you, and how did you get this number?" She demanded as her husband sat up, looking alert and defensive. "This line is not handed out to just anyone…"

"Ah, yes, where are my manners!" The voice rapidly responded, much to her annoyance. "My name is Bartholomew Oobleck. I received this number from one Raktah…"

"My mother gave you this number?"

"Yes, yes!" Oobeleck responded from over the receiver, the woman relaxing ever so slightly hearing that information. "I was attempting to reach your father, but I, unfortunately, heard the news, Mrs. Belladonna."

"Kali," She simply replied with a frown as she felt her husband get up from the bed as she tapped her foot. "Sir, I'm tired here. If you could get to the point. What exactly is it that you needed to get a hold of me if you were looking for my father?"

"Ah, yes, straight to the point," Bartholomew spoke in the same upbeat and quick tone that was beginning to drive her mad. "I worked with our father on expeditions before to ancient ruins to help translate…"

"Not interested," Kali growled in her throat at the man's audacity to call at this time for something like that. "For your information, I have much more significant business to attend to than your silly little academics…"

"I am more than aware of your affiliation with the White Fang, and your work is quite admirable, Kali. So many people could learn a lesson from what you and your husband have been doing and organizing these peaceful protests. It is commendable and a valiant approach to the troubles the Faunus people are dealing with. But you have my desire misjudged," Oobleck's voice suddenly slowed. "You are one of the last few remaining people that speak your father's language fluently, and something beyond my wildest imagination has happened."

"A child that only speaks in your father's ancient tongue has been discovered."

"That's impossible," Kali exclaimed, and her eyes narrowed. "I can count the people on my hand that know our language. I'm teaching one of them right now."

"I am aware that it seems impossible, but it is the truth despite how unscientifically possible it sounds. I know enough to know I could translate some of what he was saying." Oobleck replied clearly on the other end of the line. "And another factor in all of this worries me. He identified the scroll your father and I uncovered years ago on our expedition. He recognized it and knew what it was. It belonged to someone dear to him."

Kali's eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. That couldn't be.

"Kali, I know your responsibilities with the White Fang are extensive. But this goes beyond that. This is the discovery of a lifetime. If this is true, this is a child out of time. It's paramount that we understand him, and I've already talked to my employer. The checkbook is open, and whatever needs to be done will be done. We'll donate it straight to the White Fang if you wish. This is…"

"You care more about the research than the child?" Kali hissed as she felt her husband stand directly behind her, her ears flattening on her head. "A child that doesn't understand a word that is said around him and is uncertain of what is happening!"

Oobleck's side of the line was silenced, for there was no immediate reply as there had been before. There was a moment's pause before his voice resonated, slower and more understandable. "He is indeed frightened, and keeping him calm has been challenging with my limited vocabulary. Our most successful results have been with a young teenager his age with sign language as it seems he knows some, which I can't speculate as to why, but his knowledge of it is broken, and it was a miracle she was of any use."

"Mrs. Belladonna, we need a translator…"

"No, the child needs me. You scholars can go to hell." Kali growled before she softly looked up at her husband, seeing his gentle but firm gaze.

She then took a breath before her golden eyes shone in the night light as she growled into the receiver one last time. "Just make sure the funds are directed straight to the White Fang."

"We need all the funding to support our movement."

Chapter 7 Preview:

"Which is why I agreed with your mother. Meeting with this Huntsman's son is an excellent course of action."

Trivia's head snapped at her father. Her eyes slit, and her tongue clicked on the roof of her mouth.

Yes, she wanted to see the blonde boy again. To talk to him again! Enjoy spending meaningful time!

He was fun! Didn't judge her on appearance! He stepped in to help her! She wanted to try and communicate with him again…

But on her terms! Not under pretenses such as these!