RWBY S

by J.S. Everest

After a night of complete despair, Ruby Rose was given the opportunity to enter Beacon Academy so that she could turn her life around. But her decision to accept had slowly put her into something much bigger than anything she could have ever imagined. Now she and her ragtag allies are pursued by spies, the kingdoms, the world's secrets, and her own painful past.

17. Revelations Pt II

"I miss being here with you, Cale."

Ruby and Cale sat close together on a mat, at the top of the same small grassy mound some distance away from her house, the same spot they went to for a picnic months ago. The warm orange of the sunset, the cool wind, and Patch's rustic scenery were as comfortable as always, and Ruby was so happy that she could finally spend time again with her boyfriend again, that he was alive and well.

"Glad to be back," Cale replied, and he held Ruby's hand with his left. "And being here again... It's been way too long since."

"I read your letter when you left," Ruby said, caressing Cale's hand with her right thumb; she then gave him a soft smile. "I waited for you, and I'm glad you're finally here. Look, I have your pendant."

Ruby shook her right wrist slightly, and Cale looked to see the bracelet she fashioned out of his broken pendant; he smiled back. "Nice. I figured you'd fix it somehow."

"I'll always fix things for you, Cale."

"You mean aside from fixing the truck, the plumbing, the gutters, cleaning the air conditioner, troubleshooting the network..."

"Yeah, yeah I know. But that's why I have you, and for other things, you have me." Ruby's smile widened. "And now we have all the time in the world."

Cale nodded, and there was a pause. Mostly because Ruby saw that he was trying to say something else; he took a deep breath. "...thanks for waiting for me, Ruby. I know I was being vague in that letter, and I'm sorry. But I..."

"It's ok, I know you had to leave for a reason, and I know you have a lot to say. But whatever happened when you disappeared... Whatever happened when you came back here in Vale... You can always talk about it with me when you're ready. You know that, right Cale? You can always tell me anything."

"It's hard to put into words... But I feel like a part of my life was taken from me." Cale tightened his hold on Ruby's hand. "...and I'm scared that I'd lose you too. That's why I had to leave. And even now, I..."

"It's ok, Cale. I'm here with you now." Hearing the fear in Cale's voice – when he had always been there to protect her for so many times – prompted Ruby to allay them, to show that she would support him in anything; putting her left hand on Cale's chest, Ruby wished to calm his rising heartbeat. "I'm here, and we're together here in Patch, just us. And nothing will change that ever again."

"I love you, Ruby. But I..."

"Don't be scared, it's just the two of us here. Everything will be ok. I'll always be by your side, no matter what. I'll be with you until the end of my days, and even beyond that."

Ruby moved her hand on Cale's chest, to soothe away his fears, but in doing so she felt the bumps of his keloid scar; her heart shattered at that moment. "...I'll be here for you even if you never forgive me for what I did."

"Ruby..."

Ruby wiped away a lone tear from her cheek. Just feeling Cale's horrible scar... What she did to him with her scythe, all because of a stupid decision, and a mark that he would have to live with for the rest of his life... Ruby wanted to break down right at that moment. But she was supposed to help Cale feel ok here, wasn't she? She had to chuckle at herself for that. "...sorry, I'm being stupid again."

"I..."

"I know I can never be as great as you, Cale. You're the strongest Hunter I've ever known, and you still have more potential in you... You might not believe it yourself, but I know that you're the kind of person destined for great things, so all I can really do is support you, but I failed when it mattered most." Ruby wiped away another tear. "I thought you were dead... I really thought you were gone. But I promise, things will be different this time. Because now, I'll be the one protecting you."

"..."

"You don't have to hide it. I know you're hurting somehow, in some way... That's why you left, wasn't it? Because if it was nothing serious, you would've told me about what's going on, right? And the fact that you're taking it on by yourself..."

Cale kept quiet, but he looked pained now, with a hurt expression on his face, as if he wanted to say something but was being held back...

"I love you so much, Cale. I know you like to take things on your own... You know, I've always liked that in you, it's how you show strength." Ruby smiled softly. "But it's ok... You don't have to be afraid anymore, you don't have to take it on by yourself. I'm here for you now. Whatever happened between that night at the walls, and us meeting again... Just tell me whenever you're ready. I'll accept whatever you tell me, and I'll protect you no matter what. You've saved me enough times. Now's my time to save you, even it were to cost me my life."

Ruby truly meant that last part. Because if a Hunter could sacrifice one's own life for the people, then she could do the same for Cale too. And the gods knew that Ruby would gladly offer her life for his, no questions asked. "Even if everyone went against us, I'll find a way to save you... We'll be together even at the end of the world."

With her being so close to Cale, a familiar warm feeling – a fire – rushed through Ruby's body; an instinct to fully be with him again, and to heal away his pain. And so Ruby went for a kiss, yearning for Cale to hug her and feel that blissful warmth of his embrace, just the two of them under Patch's sunset.

But Cale didn't kiss her back, or respond at all.

"...Cale?"

A monstrous right hand suddenly went right through Ruby's stomach.

Blood gushed out from Ruby's awful wound like a fountain, a red river staining everything, and terrible pain coursed through her body, eclipsing anything that came before it.

...but why?

The question burned in Ruby's mind. Why? Why did Cale... How could he...

Struggling and coughing out blood, Ruby managed to look at Cale's eyes, trying to make sense of it all...

But his copper eyes had turned into something else entirely, much to Ruby's horror, filled with a hunger that she had never seen before. And Cale himself was...

A snarl formed on his face.

Ruby was then thrown to the ground with such force that more of her blood gushed out; Cale then went right on top of her in a dominating position, his weight pinning her down.

Tears fell down Ruby's cheeks, frightened by that deathly stare in Cale's eyes, a righteous fury that Ruby knew he had every right to exercise for what she did to him. And yet... Being unforgiven was one thing, but this...

"...why?"

But Cale remained deaf, even as Ruby began to lose strength from her wound.

"Cale..." Overwhelmed by the pain, with her blood everywhere, and with him not uttering a single word to her, Ruby was starting to lose consciousness. "Cale, please... Help me..."

Still no response. It was as if Cale thought of her as an insect. Or even less than that, like she was some kind of...

It was as if Cale didn't even know who she was.

"...don't you remember me?"

Then, right out of the corner of her eye, Ruby saw a sight that she thought she would never seen again. But that hair, those eyes, and that white attire... They couldn't be anyone else's.

"...Mom?!"

But just like Cale, her mom Summer gave no response.

Ruby tried to reach out with her left hand. "...Mom? Please, it's me, Ruby... Help! Cale is–"

Still nothing; Summer only continued to look at her with the coldest silver eyes.

"...you don't remember me either?" Ruby sobbed. "Don't look at me like that too..."

But Summer turned her back on Ruby instead, and vanished as quickly as she appeared, disappearing in a rosy haze.

"Mom! Don't leave me! Mom, please! Come back! Don't leave–"

Growling, Cale grabbed Ruby's neck with his bloody right hand, cutting her words short, and began to squeeze hard, choking the life out of her...

"Stop playing around, runt!"

Instead of a sunset in Patch, Ruby abruptly found herself breathless and on her knees, with an aching head and tears running freely down her face, as alarms blared through a cold Atlas night instead.

What happened just now?! Trying to calm herself down, Ruby fought for coherence; the experience was so jarring that she had to fight back an urge to vomit.

Ruby then noticed that were two people in front of her, who seemed to be arguing with each other. A large man with a yellow aura, dark green dustmetal gauntlets, and a sadistic smirk, talking to a girl with green hair, white biker outfit, enormous dustmetal shotels, and red eyes...

Hold on. Ruby had seen that girl before, and remembered being subjected to her nightmares; that had to be what happened to her, that had to be it. But this one was a lot stronger than the last, so much so that Ruby's stomach ached dully from a wound that wasn't even there. And Cale, her mom Summer... It all felt so real, far too real.

Wait, where was everyone?

Finding herself too weak to move, Ruby realized that her scythe Crescent Rose lay near rubble too far away for her to reach, leaving her defenseless.

"What the hell do you think you're you doing?" the girl snarled at the much larger man in front of her. "You have the gall to–"

"I should be asking you that question!" the huge man growled. "You think you can get away with fooling around with this girl here while I was busy doing work?!"

The girl with the green hair looked intently at something; Ruby looked behind her, and saw the smoldering remains of what used to be an Atlas power plant, the ruins around a hundred meters away, the smoke being carried away by the wind.

Will you guys be alright out there? Your group still needs to recover, Ruby. Even with Jaune's healing, I still believe that there's nothing quite like a solid day's worth of rest. And you don't have to worry about food, supplies or power here in this bunker... Maybe waiting for tomorrow would be best.

It's ok, we'll be fine. We just don't have much time to waste. Finding Weiss's parents is the objective, it's why we're here in the first place. But finding clues means we have to go out, and with those explosions at the power plant, we might as well help people while we're at it, whether it's against Grimm or whatever else.

I understand... You're very compassionate to say that. Heh, I wish I had ten more like you in the army.

...I convinced Weiss to take this mission, and I plan to see it through, helping any civilians we find along the way. But I'm sorry we can't join you, Robyn. Even if Ironwood did awful things, it's still not right for us foreigners to meddle in Atlas politics, in something Atlas and its people wanted. This isn't our battle to fight...

And it's not like Vale would just give you the order to help at a moment's notice. Or that you would risk the lives of your teammates so easily... Trust me, I get it. I know that things are never as simple as I want them to be.

...sorry we're not of any use to you.

No, you don't have to apologize. For us Merry Men, we know it in our bones that Ironwood is guilty. But with no evidence, and with that cannon active for the whole world to see, this is the only thing we can do, and we're ready to go to the bitter end for it. We shouldn't be dragging innocents from another kingdom though, so I'm the one who needs to apologize. I'm sorry.

...

Maybe it was my guilt over Winter that made me try to convince you and Weiss to join... Figures. Guilt's a heavy bag of bricks, Ruby. I don't know if you've ever done something that you completely regret, wishing that you could turn back time to fix it, but I hope you never do. Failing a life or death promise like I did? Guilt will crush the life out of you.

...

Melancholy doesn't suit you, Ruby.

Robyn...

Just forget that I even asked you to deviate from your orders by joining us, and bribed you on top of that. It was irresponsible of me to do, a lapse of judgment on my part. We have our mission to protect Atlas, and yours is to find Weiss's parents... We should leave it at that.

...but I don't blame you for asking. Because I also get it, I know other people who think the same way you do...

Do you forgive us?

...

Still the long face, I see.

...!

It's alright. By the way, your guys can use the extra vehicles we have here in the base to reach the power plant, make it faster for you guys to move around... It's the least I can do.

Thank you...

Just be careful out there. Because I have a feeling that things will get even more dangerous from here on out. My group will do our best to expose Ironwood, but that's easier said than done... and I fear that Atlas will see some consequence of its actions, one way or another.

Be careful out there too, Robyn. We'll find Weiss's parents, I promise.

I'm glad that our groups met, even if only for a short time, and under bad circumstances. Weiss deserved to know the truth from me, and I finally got it off my chest... So please, take care of her, because Weiss is all alone right now... It's the last thing I ask.

Memories of why she was here came flooding back upon seeing the fire, even though Ruby was still reeling from her nightmare. She recalled Robyn and her team driving off to a base somewhere, while her team and Team JNPR, using the spare vehicles from Robyn, headed to the power plant to find out what caused the blackout, and maybe find clues about Weiss's parents along the way. She recalled crossing a bridge, sometime after their groups taking their separate paths, and they were so close to reaching the plant...

Speaking of which, Ruby turned to look at the bridge they crossed, and found the huge gaping hole on it, even from this distance – as if something took a bite out of it – and that was when Ruby remembered that they were hit by something; an explosion so violent Yang and Ren swerved their vehicles as hard as she could, doing their best to avoid falling to the river below.

It all happened so fast. In a last ditch effort, Ruby remembered trying to teleport everyone to the power plant...

But where was everyone? Were they safe? But no matter where Ruby looked – all while withstanding the pain in her head – there was just no sign of her friends.

Did she make a mistake in not going along with Robyn? Ruby didn't want to think so, but a sinking feeling of despair went down her stomach nonetheless.

"Why do you care about I'm doing? I'm just tasked to cover your back, that's all!" the girl with the green hair shot back. "And besides, you can't even hit a single truck right. Not my fault this girl blinked right in front of me, I'm just finishing what you started!"

"But you were torturing her for your amusement, weren't you? Don't lie to me! You were having fun while I was left doing real work!"

"And what if I was?!"

"Oho! I see you haven't learned your lesson. You think you can take me on?!" Right after saying that, the huge man crackled his knuckles. "Bwahaha! I'd like to see you try your tricks on me!"

All this time Ruby was trying to recover while these two argued among themselves – with the huge hulk of a man giving her looks every now and then – but right at that moment, she remembered who this girl was with.

Yes, Ruby. That's right… I killed Summer, and she died like a dog at my feet!

Summer never understood anything, unable to wrap her head around what really mattered, and she acted so high and mighty too while we worked. But I promised her nonetheless that the world will become a better place once I'm done, and I intend to keep that promise.

I want to keep you alive, Ruby. I don't want to kill you… What would I do without you? I want to take you with me, make you suffer every day, and force you to be there with me at the very end, to witness my vindication.

Ruby felt a burning desire to attack the girl with her bare hands, but another sharp pain went to her head, putting a stop to her rage, and this time Ruby vomited.

"Good job Hazel, you destroyed the power plant faster than expected."

Breathing hard and shaking from vomiting, Ruby saw a scorpion faunus appear from the smoke and rubble, whistling a tune while adjusting his pants and belt buckle.

"And where have you been, Tyrian?!" the girl shouted at the new arrival, pointing her shotels at him. "You didn't even do shit!"

"I was busy doing what I needed to do." The scorpion faunus simply chuckled, ignoring the girl with the green hair; he looked around, and spared glances at the destroyed bridge and at the smoldering remains of the power plant. "Ah, very good. I always knew you could be counted on, Hazel. Too bad our dear leader seems to have left already. She would've liked to see this."

"And just like with her, flattery will get you nowhere with me, you bug."

"Just giving credit where credit is due, especially when you did all the work." Tyrian shrugged at that, and Hazel laughed. "People were dying from your attacks, but without any enemies to fight, I helped them in their last moments instead," the faunus continued. "I care about people, you know. And we're all good at specific things, just as the gods intended." Tyrian then looked at the girl again, who had a scowl on her face. "And you're welcome, Emerald. Aren't you happy you have a teammate like me?"

While these people – Tyrian, Hazel, and Emerald – bickered among themselves, Ruby rubbed her head, trying her best to regain her strength. She was alive, so her friends had to be too. They just had to be, somehow. She and the others had to be alive. And as much as Ruby wanted to kill these three for being involved with Cinder right now, she had to keep calm; she wasn't about to take on three opponents on her own...

"Now now, let's not get too riled up here," Tyrian said to the other two with a smirk. "We're on a roll right now, so let's not ruin that, ok? Destroying this power plant should cripple Atlas for some time, but we must make sure that the whole kingdom's in the dark for days to make this mission a success. There's other stations to destroy, so let's get to it." Ruby then saw Tyrian look at her, then back at the girl once more. "But before that... It looks like you got a cute thing with you, Emerald. And you didn't even introduce her to me. Tsk, tsk... Who is she? Someone important?"

"What's to talk about? She's a survivor of Hazel's attack on the bridge, likely from a Hunter team responding to what's going on here. She just so happened to have teleported right in front of me, so I disarmed and toyed with the poor thing."

"So she's a nobody, then? If that's the case, we might as well just get rid of her right here and now." Tyrian's smirked widened as he said that. "Don't get me wrong, blinking is very interesting to see in action, but that's still not a good enough reason to keep her alive. Unless..." The faunus giggled. "My my, I didn't know you were interested in other girls."

"You say that again, I'll kill you."

"Don't be like that, Emerald. We're teammates, and the boss doesn't like us fighting."

Ruby continued to rub her head. Her friends had to come first... She just had to grab her scythe and blink out of here, because they could be in serious danger for all she knew. But the opportunity to help them was...

"Shut up," the girl snapped, then looked at Ruby with deathly red eyes. "But yeah, she's nothing. Just some girl that sobbed like a fool in front of me, begging for her mom." So saying, Emerald pointed one of her huge shotels at Ruby. "Stupid girl. Why are you calling out for your mom anyway? You think she'll save you out here? No one's coming to save you. Not your boyfriend, and especially not your mom." Emerald suddenly scoffed, as if she recalled something. "Tch, why would anyone even want you? You're just a fool... You're nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Ruby glared at Emerald – the only thing she could do right now – but Emerald simply stared back, her eyes piercing, and Ruby almost wanted to vomit again from another surge of pain in her head.

"I ought to kill you myself for looking at me like that."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Tyrian asked. "What's up with the hesitation? Don't have the stomach for it? Hehe, figures... But I can do it for you, you know. Maybe I can even–"

A familiar sound cut off Tyrian's words; Ruby and the others turned to the sound of multiple helicopters in the night sky steadily approaching them, their searchlights scanning everywhere. Were those Atlas forces?! It had to be! That gave Ruby some hope. Despite being busy with the Grimm invasion, they finally–

"So they finally showed up."

From the corner of her eye, Ruby saw Hazel form numerous tiny yellow beads of light in his hand.

"But they're not even firing any missiles at us? Ha! Fools! Nothing more than insects!"

Roaring, Hazel threw his beads of light to the air – multiple ones which swelled to the size of basketballs – and they were enough to catch the helicopters by surprise, destroying them right out of the sky. The stars and the shattered moon were obscured by the explosions, and Ruby's hopes were quickly dashed, in shock at the man's strength.

"Oops. Did I just... Blow them up?" Hazel's laugh was a rich, guttural sound that seemed to echo everywhere as he flexed his muscles. "Next time bring more, you hear me?! Bwahaha! You absolute fools!"

But while Hazel gloated, Ruby noticed that Emerald and Tyrian were also looking at the explosions, and this was exactly what she had been waiting for.

Using all the strength she managed to save up, and taking advantage of the chaos as cover, Ruby darted to where Crescent Rose was – almost tripping as she did – and upon holding it with her hands, she embraced her Semblance and blinked to another pile of rubble to hide behind that she could find at a moment's notice, leaving rose petals in her wake.

"What the... You let that girl get away?!" Tyrian shouted, his body turning to all directions in an attempt to find Ruby. "What a waste, I should've killed her myself!"

"So what if she escaped?" Emerald replied coolly. "Hmph, whatever... If she dares to blink in and fight, then I'll just cut off her head off and be done with it, unlike you."

Ruby stayed low from where she hid some distance away from the three – but not far enough for her not to hear them – and while doing so she endured shallow breathing, the thumping in her head, the fast beating of her heart, and her body wanting to vomit again. But she could get away this time, right? Ruby thought of her friends; she got to blink once, she just had to blink a few more times. But she could barely hold on to her scythe due to her shaking hands, and Emerald's nightmare still having an effect on her even now didn't help things.

"Oh well," Tyrian said, calming down; he breathed deep. "There will be other opportunities in the future, I suppose. But for the meantime, our mission continues as planned. We should make sure that–"

"You two go ahead," Hazel said abruptly, no longer laughing. "I'll cover this side in case Atlas dares to try again with more insects. I'll catch up, I won't take long."

"Ah, excellent. Took the words out of my mouth. Then we'll rendezvous at the next stop." Having said that, Tyrian turned to his other teammate. "Now, dear Emerald, you lead the way... No, don't give me that look. Ladies first."

The two soon ran north, leaving the colossal man Hazel behind. His back was coincidentally facing Ruby, and for a few moments, everything was silent.

And while she hid, Ruby had just tried to call her friends... No signal from her phone. But with only Hazel to worry about, she wondered if she could pull off an escape right now despite her pains; Ruby looked at a new place to safely blink to, and she did her best to hold Crescent Rose tight.

Then Hazel chuckled.

"Hehehe... As if Atlas will bring a battalion here anytime soon after their pitiful performance. But that's good, at least they'll be thinking twice before sending more people just to die against me. And this makes things much easier for the both of us."

Yellow light once again formed on Hazel's right hand, and his yellow aura shone brighter with that, his gauntlets brimming with power.

"Do you know what I mean, I wonder?" Hazel cackled. "With how weak you looked, I know you couldn't have gotten far, even with your blink. So where are you, little girl... I know you're hiding here somewhere!"

Ruby almost dropped her scythe right then and there; it was a struggle to keep her hands steady. Hazel was on to her... She had to get away! But Ruby was starting to feel lightheaded...

Please, just one more... Ruby had been training to use her Semblance for these kinds of situations, and her body shouldn't be weak like before in the Hunter trials, but...

"You remind me of someone, now that I think about it." Hazel still had his back facing her, and it appeared that he was just talking to the winds, but Ruby knew that Hazel was very much aware of her presence. "Yes, yes. The way you teleported, those rose petals you shed... It made me think of someone else, actually. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

Ruby thought of her friends again, and she held strong to hope. They had to be alive out there, and they were counting on her, she was sure of it. She could do this, she just had to prepare herself. Just one blink.

And so Ruby tried to blink away, but she winced in pain and caused an uncomfortable, nauseous feeling on her chest instead.

"I did wonder why Emerald kept you alive. Maybe you really are nothing but trash. But I can't help myself from thinking otherwise, so let me ask you... Ever heard of a man named Qrow, little girl?"

Dad?! How? How did Hazel know of him?! Was he in danger? Was this the reason why her dad still hadn't come back?! Hearing this monster of a man look for her dad only worsened things for Ruby; her heartbeat spiked.

"C'mon now, don't be shy... Why don't you come out and talk to me?" Hazel cackled, and he turned to his left side. "Because I can tell you know something... And there's no way in hell you can hide from me forever!"

Dad... Ruby's chest and belly began to hurt.

Pressure suddenly welled up, and Ruby could no longer stop herself; dropping her scythe – and consequently releasing her Semblance – Ruby coughed and vomited.

"There you are!"

Hazel heard her from this distance?!

Still wiping away the vomit from her mouth, Ruby's eyes widened as the large yellow light – bigger than a tank in her eyes – went straight towards her, with Hazel's laughter ringing in her ears; Ruby found herself frozen, unable to move.

Mom... Cale...

A hand tapped on Ruby's back.

"Move, pipsqueak. I got this."

Ruby gasped upon hearing the sound of that voice.

A man ran to meet that ball of yellow light, and black wings outlined in red sprouted from his back; a few black feathers fell down near where Ruby was.

Those clothes... That gruff way of speaking... That Semblance!

"...Dad?!"

Wearing gray dustmetal gauntlets, the man stretched out his arms to fire an aura attack of his own – a black ray of light with a red spiral coiling around it – and it slammed right into Hazel's giant ball of yellow energy, causing a collision that canceled each other out, both attacks erupting into a spectacle of light.

"...is that you?! Qrow?! That really is you, isn't it?!"

"Qrow Branwen, at your service! Your funeral service, that is!"

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. Those gauntlets had to be Harbinger, and that torrent of light was no doubt his signature attack... It really was him! Her dad finally came back!

"Good, good!" Hazel's laughter was still there, but no longer about pride, instead turning to a much darker and fanatical tone; he powered up, his yellow Semblance aura growing brighter. "Finally! Do you have any idea how long I looked for you in Vale, Qrow?!"

"Do you think I even care about that?"

"Ha! Still the same arrogant fool, eh? But this won't turn out like before. This time, I'll make sure that you don't leave here alive!"

"Holy shit, you don't have to shout." Qrow's black wings – the manifestation of his own Semblance – fluttered due to a gust of wind; he then pointed at Hazel in a way that Ruby knew her dad thought was a cool manner. "But goddamnit, you haven't changed at all, have you Hazel? Still hanging around with crazies for cash?"

"Let's just say I have a new employer now, and his goals brought you to me... Just as I wanted it!"

"How convenient for you. But you're still a giant freak of nature with a bean for a brain, and you need to be stopped! By none other than me, of course!"

Ruby felt tears run down her cheeks. She never once thought she would ever see her dad again so soon, but here he was in the flesh, and this gave her the strength to sprint to her dad's side.

"You alright?" Qrow whispered, giving only the slightest of glances at Ruby.

"Hurting a bit, but I'm ok..." Wiping away her tears, Ruby looked at Qrow for a moment. "Dad, I–"

"Look, I know we have a lot to say to each other, but let's park that for a while. This walking cancer is a blast from my past, so I need to deal with him myself. And I know you want to help, but don't worry, your old man's got this. Just don't fight him and blink away on my command."

"Blink? How did you know–"

"Word gets around. But we can talk about that later, just promise me that you won't fight this guy."

"...ok, Dad." Ruby still had to find her friends, but running away and leaving Qrow behind didn't sit well with her either; surely there was something she could do for her dad here? Not wanting to argue, Ruby instead prepared herself, her body seemingly getting a second wind from Qrow's presence, her pains dulling for now.

"I see now." Hazel cackled. "She's your daughter, isn't she, Qrow? Your feathers, her rose petals... No wonder she reminded me of you so much!"

"What you need is a permanent reminder to stay buried in the ground. And this time I'll put up a sign so you won't forget!"

"I'm the one who'll be digging a grave for you, Qrow!" Hazel shouted, and his aura flashed brighter yet again. "Do you think that fighting me two on one this time will do you any good? Do you really believe that you two have enough power to beat me?!"

"I've beaten you twice already," Qrow snapped. "No reason why I can't beat you a third time on my own. But maybe third time's the charm!"

"Ha! I dare you to say that again after I'm done with you!"

A pulsing yellow bubble suddenly enveloped Hazel – much like armor actually, that was the best Ruby could describe it – before the man roared and lunged forward.

"Ruby, blink away now and don't look back!"

Ruby did as commanded, blinking away to hide again behind rubble, and saw the two duke it out in a brawl not unlike the bar fights her dad once told her about, except on a much bigger scale, as aura attacks along with fisticuffs were exchanged.

"I'm much stronger now compared to before, Qrow! This won't end like the other times we've met... You'll pay for humiliating me! You'll be a messy red paste on the concrete soon enough!"

"I don't know what kind of mother you had, but you were a mess right when you got out of the womb!" Qrow dodged a large ball of yellow light from Hazel, backing off as he did. "And your Semblance finished you off right when you got it, by fucking you up in the head!"

"Who cares what you think of me?!" Hazel shouted, his voice mocking, as he threw more balls of yellow light, which Qrow evaded as he charged forward. "As if I'd ever want to be someone like you, a disposable toady to kingdoms that only care for themselves, blooming and profiting from people's sacrifices!"

"What the hell would you know about sacrifice? You never cared for anything other than yourself!"

"Of course I don't! And it's exactly because I indulge in only myself that I have freedom, the real one that you 'civilized' fools will never have! To have the freedom to do as I please, and never have to apologize to anyone... That's the truest way to live!"

"Still saying nonsense? That can't be good for your throat, you know! So come here and let me fix it for you, you freak!"

Still hiding behind rubble, Ruby witnessed the clash between the two intensify, with Hazel's blows narrowly missing their target, while Qrow's attacks, while impressive, seemed to do nothing as they hit the monstrous man's body. But still they went on, fighting at a pace that rivaled even Yang's martial prowess.

"Don't you dare lecture me that I'm a freak, when the only normal thing to do in this world is to dominate others! And that's exactly what I do, just as nature intended! I use people as I see fit, and I do what needs to be done to satisfy my desires, nothing more or less! That's the pinnacle that everyone aspire to achieve after all, whether they even know it or not!"

"What I do know is that you've been reading too much bullshit, written by the insane just like you!"

"But it's true, Qrow! And that's why I'm beyond being a man now! I've become the demon of this world, with the power and the will to do what he pleases, and I'll destroy anyone who gets in my way! Whether that's you, my employer, or the world itself!"

"Some demon you are! You're just an insane terrorist who sells himself to the highest bidder! And you can't even get rid of a handsome old bastard like me!"

"A problem that I'll rectify right now!"

Qrow's hands brimmed with black and red aura as both men launched their attacks against each other at the same time; Hazel landed a glancing blow on Qrow's face, just as he ate a kick to his own face from Qrow's leg.

"Rectify this!"

Qrow then fired another black and red aura attack, like the one he made when he first appeared earlier; one of her dad's signature attacks, and Ruby knew just how powerful it was, especially when it was fired point blank straight at Hazel's face; a black and red torrent of aura that shredded the armor bubble Hazel had. But no more than that, much to Ruby's shock, as Hazel simply shrugged it off.

"Hehehe... What was that supposed to be?!"

A powerful punch from Hazel sent Qrow flying to the ground, and the colossal man followed it up with firing multiple tiny beads of yellow light from his hands. But Qrow managed to get on his feet quickly enough, and he barely avoided the Semblance attacks, running for dear life.

Dad! Trying to overcome the shock from what she witnessed in the fight, Ruby decided right then and there to help out her dad despite his orders... And found herself unable to blink once again.

Ruby glanced at her hands; they were starting to shake again, making it difficult to hold Crescent Rose, along with the rest of her pains returning. No... Not now! She knew she had to help him somehow, but her body was failing her yet again, and there was still no sign of her friends.

Ruby felt so helpless, unable to fight back or leave her dad behind to look for the others.

"Go ahead and scurry around like the rat you are! But you can't run from me forever!" Having finished his attack, Hazel roared and powered up; a yellow bubble enveloped him once again. "My power is rising, Qrow! It's overflowing! Overflowing with the need to bathe in your blood!"

"Well I'll be..." Qrow chuckled as he wiped what had to be blood from his lips, though his knees threatened to buckle at one point, and the black wings of his Semblance flickered. "You're a big bundle of surprises tonight, aren't you?"

"I swore that I'd settle our score, Qrow. And already you're reeling... So why act surprised at my power now? Did you really think I would die just because you blew up the building we were at, or that I'd be gone because you left me to be devoured alive by mindslicers at the forest?! You should know by now that your foolish duty is nothing compared to my power... My desire!"

"Sorry, but the last time we met, I really thought those Grimm would be the end of you. It's only fitting that a monster like you should get eaten by other monsters. But I guess that's not enough... Do you have any better ideas on how to kill you though? I'm all ears!"

"You think your bravado will save you now? But two can play your silly game, Qrow. How about we talk about your daughter instead?!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Hazel snickered after taking a deep breath; he powered up again, and his armor seemed to glow along with it. "You might have sent her away, but I'll bet that she's still here, isn't she? She's just hiding somewhere, waiting to help you... Yes, par for the course for a good girl like her, don't you agree?"

Summoning a tiny yellow light in his right hand, Hazel then raised his right arm and opened his palm... And to Ruby's shock, that tiny light quickly swelled into an enormous ball of light that dwarfed any aura attack she had ever seen before.

"But too bad, I can gather a lot more aura now than before. Want to bet that your daughter will burn even from this range?"

Ruby's heart tightened. She realized that Hazel was on to her again with killing intent, showing off his power along with it, and that she sensed that her dad had realized the same thing too, his demeanor visibly changing even from where she hid. But her body still refused to cooperate...

"Oh? You're awfully quiet right now, Qrow! Did I surprise you that much? Hehehe... Let me fix that by blasting this entire area and killing both you and your little girl in one fell swoop!"

"Ruby!" Qrow shouted in the air as he powered up himself, black and red aura once again forming in his hands, his black Semblance wings fluttering in the wind. "You better not be here!"

"Here's a present for you two!" Hazel yelled with a manic, throaty laugh to match, throwing the titanic ball of light right at Qrow.

"Right back at you!"

Qrow fired another black and red ray of light to counter Hazel's attack, and once again there was a clash of energies between the two, except this time the giant yellow ball was slowly gaining the edge.

"Not enough!" Hazel cackled, his laughter a din. "Not enough, not enough, not enough!"

Ruby's heart clenched, her whole body now shaking at the sight of the huge yellow ball that Hazel summoned. No one could possibly survive that head on. And with that size, the ensuing blast would no doubt reach her even from where she hid, which meant that her dad had to win or at least draw the clash. But with how things looked with her dad...

"Bwahahaha! This is it! This is the end for you, Qrow! This will be the night you die!"

Ruby refused to even imagine it. No, this couldn't be it! Not when her dad just came back, and Cale was out there waiting for her! But her body simply refused to stop shaking; there was no way she could put up a fight against Hazel on her own, and even if she managed to teleport to her dad, there was no guarantee she could teleport the two of them out too...

A wave of nausea ran through her body, and Ruby threw up again; she wiped away the vomit from her lips.

Then, from the corner of her eye...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You ok, Yang? There might be enemies up ahead."

"..."

The two of them hiding behind a tanker truck parked close to the smoldering power plant, Weiss looked at Yang; no response. So Weiss cleared her throat. "I know it took us a while to get here, but other than getting freezing wet under a cold night here in Atlas, we're both good, right?"

Yang gave a curt nod.

"We got out of that by a hair, but we would be freezing to death right now if we didn't have your fire to dry us up, so thank you again for that."

"...thanks for your ice too," Yang said gruffly.

Weiss nodded back. Falling to the freezing river under the bridge should've been a death sentence for them, but Weiss managed to create an ice structure connecting them to the riverbank for her and Yang to hang on to despite the raging waters; a miracle in every sense of the word. But they weren't out of the woods just yet. "Anywas, keep an eye out. We're about to enter the premises, and the enemy that shot us down at the bridge could still be–"

Weiss then saw Yang grip her greatsword Embercleave tight, seemingly ready to embrace her Semblance on command – or at the drop of a hat – and her lilac eyes narrowed as she glared at Weiss.

"Calm down. We've done what we could to find them, but not seeing them doesn't mean they're not ok. For all we know, Ruby could've teleported them all to safety somewhere, and we're just unable to contact each other."

"You don't know that!"

Yang's anger was rising again; not good, though not without good reason. Because Ruby, Blake, and Team JNPR all disappeared without a trace since falling from the bridge, nowhere to be seen anywhere on the riverbank. But they still had a mission to complete, and telling Yang to go with her to investigate the power plant – Ruby's last command to them – was a fight in itself.

"This isn't the first time Ruby vanished," Weiss continued, "and we've been separated from Team JNPR before. But if the past is any indication, I trust that they've made it."

"Seriously? That's the best you got?" Yang snarled. "Why do I even have to go along with you to this smoldering wreck of a place? You think there's anything here left worth investigating? I ought to be looking for the others right now, even if I'm on my own!"

"Ruby told us to investigate the power plant to find out what caused the blackout, and we don't have the luxury of time to continue searching." Weiss had to grit her teeth to keep herself calm; she knew that she had to step in as leader with Ruby missing, and that meant making hard decisions, one of which was reigning in Yang; easier said than done. "Whoever shot us down at the bridge is probably still in the area too... If there are innocent people here that we need to protect from them, then that's what we're going to do."

"Abandoning our friends like that... This isn't the first time you've chosen something else over other people... This always comes easy to you, doesn't it Weiss? But just because you've led a team in Laran Academy before doesn't mean that you know better!"

"Don't say that. We've already talked about–"

Yang pointed a finger at Weiss, and her lilac eyes suddenly widened. "Ruby would never do this! She'd keep looking... Just like how she tried to save me back in the Hunter trials! While you just don't care about anybody other than yourself!"

The hell?! Where did that come from?!

A boiling rage formed in Weiss's heart, ready to burst. It already took so much out of her to even attempt to talk to Robyn again – an attempt she couldn't follow up on after being cut off by the blackout – and along with the other things Weiss had to deal with, she certainly didn't to hear this from Yang. And a scowl indeed began to form on Weiss's lips; she should freeze the blonde solid for snapping at her like that!

"I'm sorry... That was... I just blurted it out... I shouldn't have said that... I'm sorry!"

With just the two of them, and in any other time, Weiss would've given Yang hell for what the latter just said; this wasn't the first time Yang had given her a hard time either. And with the things that Robyn told her, Weiss knew she had every right to use this as a convenient excuse to really vent out her frustrations. But this time was different. Given the precarious situation they were in, Weiss knew that she had to be the cool one here, and so she kept her anger to herself – refraining to charge at Yang to tear her throat out – glaring silently at the blonde instead.

But it seemed Weiss's glare was more than enough to set something else off.

"I said I'm sorry, ok?! I'm sorry that Ruby and the others might be dead!" With an uncharacteristic shriek, Yang looked away from Weiss, and covered her face with her left hand. "Why?! Why is this always happening to me?! I left to prove that I'm strong... I'm trying my best with all the power I have here, but shit always happens to us no matter what I do!"

"Yang, calm down!" Yang's sudden outburst took Weiss completely by surprise, and so Weiss did what felt natural to her, but she also inadvertently let her anger slip. "I said calm down! Damnit Yang, pull yourself together!"

"The Xiao Longs are the strongest... 東方不敗..." Rambling to herself in one of Mistral's languages that Weiss couldn't understand, Yang suddenly dropped her greatsword and covered her face with both hands now, falling to her knees soon after; she shook. "And with the blessing of one of the Baxian, my master Fenghuang, the Huanghou... I pledge my life to preserve the Xiao Long way, which has protected Mistral from the darkness for centuries..."

"Yang!" The anger Weiss felt simply vanished upon seeing Yang go down to her knees; Weiss quickly rushed to her friend's side. "What's going on?! Are you–"

"I'm ok, I'm ok..." Taking heavy breaths, Yang pushed Weiss aside. "I'm fine..."

"...?!"

"It's just a headache!" Yang was back on her feet and seemingly back to her senses, but still had her back turned at Weiss, hugging herself with her arms while looking at the night sky. "Just leave me alone for a bit," Yang continued, but her voice was much softer now; she picked up her greatsword from the ground. "...sorry for what I just said. You didn't see anything happen, ok? You saw nothing."

"..."

"Exactly." Still with her back turned at Weiss, and after a few more moments of silence, Yang's left hand seemed to be wiping something away from her face. "I'm fine, I'm not letting the pressure get to me, ok? I'm not usually like this... That was pathetic coming from me... I'm really sorry."

"Yang..." Weiss was about to ask what caused Yang's sudden breakdown, but she stopped at the last moment. What did she know about the Xiao Longs? That they were the most renowned family in all of Mistral, famous for having multiple aurastone weapons like Embercleave in their possession, with the martial prowess to back that up. They were so famous that they were even mentioned a few times in World History class...

But who were the Baxian? Weiss couldn't recall their studies ever referencing them. A hidden group within the Xiao Long clan? But that would mean that at least some of the rumors about the Xiao Long family were true...

Weiss had thought Yang's constant desire to gain more strength was just a byproduct of that lineage, a simple matter of pride, but for Yang to break down like that, however briefly... It was turning out to be something far more serious.

Weiss figured pressing the issue further wasn't a good time – her anger at Yang was completely gone too – so she thought of something else to say. Something that would cut the awkward silence, and allay the trembling tone in Yang's voice.

A gust of cold wind blew past the two Hunters; Yang still had her back turned at Weiss.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you like that. It's just that I was the one who was driving, and maybe we wouldn't have fallen if I–"

"I know you always rant about being weak, but you're not the only one that hates it." A painful thought came to mind after saying that. One that Weiss didn't want to think about right now, but it couldn't be helped. "I know why you act that way... I know it all too well. Because if I had been stronger, Winter would still be with me."

"...!"

Weiss and Yang then heard the distinct sound of rotor blades coming from the distance, and sure enough, the two saw helicopters hovering at the night sky, complete with their flashlights scanning the damaged bridge and the surrounding area.

That had to be Atlas police, Weiss was sure of it; heading towards them, she and Yang must have just missed them earlier. But they could use their help in finding their friends, so Weiss just had to get their attention–

Multiple yellow orbs of light suddenly came hurtling from deep within the smoldering ruins of the power plant, and they all hit the helicopters, destroying them in one fell swoop.

"What the hell?!" Embracing her Semblance, Weiss formed an ice wall to defend against falling metal debris, even though the destroyed helicopters were nowhere close to hitting them. And from the corner of her eye, Weiss saw that Yang was also on high alert, her hair and Embercleave blazing due to her own Semblance.

"Do you hear that?"

"...kind of." Yes, there was a faint sound of laughter, coming from somewhere in the smoldering power plant. "Yeah, I hear it now."

"Yellow aura... I bet that's the guy who shot us down at the bridge." Yang frowned. "Tch, I can take him on."

"We'll take that guy on together." At least Yang was responding better now that there was a confirmed enemy to deal with. But there could also be hostages that needed to be rescued... To pull both off, Weiss wasn't about to take any chances. "But promise me first that you won't go against my commands again, at least not tonight."

"I can follow orders," Yang replied defensively. "And I already said I'm fine–"

"I know we're not the best duo out there." Looking at Yang, she wasn't being difficult like earlier, so that was a good sign at least. "And even if I'm second in command of the team, I know I can't convince you on things like Ruby can..."

"I never said you should be like her."

"But it would help if I was, right?" Weiss had long noticed that Yang had a soft spot for Ruby, but she figured that now wasn't a good time for prodding why either; she just had to make sure Yang was calm before going to the battle ahead. "I know I have my problems too. I know how I acted against Robyn..."

"I'm not about to say that what you did was right, but you had good reason to do what you did. I mean, do you really regret what you did?"

"..."

"Let's just say I can relate. Very, very much."

There was something about how Yang said that last part that gave a heaviness in the air; the two went silent.

Weiss then recalled what Ruby told them about Cale, and what she herself said to the others about Winter... She opted to pivot. "Have you told anyone else about... This?"

"Ruby did ask me how I was doing though, right before we left for Atlas. She said she was worried about me always rambling on getting stronger..." Yang went quiet for a bit, then shook her head. "But I didn't want to talk about it, so Ruby just said she'd give me time."

So Ruby's aware...That made sense; Ruby always seemed to be aware of these things, and she had her way of understanding people. "And what about Blake?"

"I blew up on her once while we were training after the Hunter trials... Nothing more after that." Yang sighed. "But it looks like she didn't tell anyone after all."

"I see..."Trust Blake to keep secrets, of course. Blake was a friend, but even Weiss found the faunus too cold and distant sometimes, so it was inevitable that she would frustrate someone like Yang at some point. Then again, given the many times they hung out... That made Weiss wonder, actually. "By the way, how did she help you control your dragon the first time anyway, back in the Hunter trials?"

"Blake couldn't really explain to me, but she did say that it was about going along with the flow, of submission, and passing along that feeling to the other person... She said that she learned that aura trick herself, and that I shouldn't use my dragon without her." Yang took a deep breath. "But I promised everyone I'd be stronger, right? I'll make my dragon work with or without her."

I just learned how to fight by myself, like most other students here. I'm not rich enough to afford a private instructor. But you can count my ukulele and writing hobbies if you want.

I have an aura Semblance, so I know a few things about how Semblances tick. Not that I think that I have a trump card of sorts, but I just hoped I could do something for Yang… Fortunately for us, the dice landed in our favor.

"...I see." Weiss just wondered about it because she honestly had trouble believing how exactly Blake did it. But it seemed Blake was just that good... And Yang wasn't about to be left behind. "Anyway, we don't want her to roll her eyes at us over something like this, you know what I mean? You know how Blake can be."

"..."

"But don't worry, I didn't see anything." Weiss planned to keep this secret from the others, at least for now; whatever Yang's reasons were for keeping something painful bottled up, there was plenty of time to discuss it when everything was ok, when they had met up with the others again... And once both her parents were found. "And there's nothing to forgive."

"Yeah... Nothing happened earlier... And thanks." Then, in a much softer voice, almost like a whisper, the blonde mumbled, "...I wish I handled things better like you."

Really? I'm awful at that myself. Weiss knew she could never honestly say that about herself. But Yang was trying her best in her own way, and she wasn't thinking about whatever it was that was stressing her out, then that was all that mattered. "You don't have to tell me anything right now. But we need to work together here with just the two of us, or else we won't–"

Weiss was cut off by cackles coming from the power plant; it was the same man, but this time 'looking' for a little girl...

Yang tensed up for a fight. "Anyways, I can still follow your commands, so you can still count on me. I'll get the job done and take down whoever that guy is."

"Alright, that's good," Weiss said. "You're the strongest in Team RWBY for a reason, after all."

"...?"

"A girl with a greatsword and a flaming gold dragon on her arm has to be by default, you know?" Weiss gave Yang a reassuring smile. "No matter what that girl thinks otherwise. And that girl's team will support her 100%, whatever her problems might be."

Weiss thought of lightening the mood right before they entered the fray, but to her surprise, Yang smiled wider than she could have expected.

"You'll always have people watching your back," Weiss added. "And when this is all over, you'll have all the time to decide when to tell us, ok?"

"...yeah, ok." Yang sighed in relief. "Thank you..."

Weiss looked at Yang; she seemed good to go, much calmer than before... It was all the assurance Weiss could ask for. "Ruby and the others will come back, believe in them. So let's get going and take care of whoever shot us down... And save whoever's in danger out there too."

Yang nodded back, and so the two made their way towards the inner area of the power plant, trying to find the source of that laugh, while at the same time making sure they didn't fall into a trap.

The two then noticed flashes of yellow light coming near the silos – this time along with black and red ones – and so Weiss and Yang quickly went towards the lights.

They soon found what they were looking for. Some distance away, and while they hid behind another tanker truck, the two girls saw a man so big that Weiss was sure he was hacked from a mountain, with a bright yellow aura and an unmistakable insane laugh, pushing a large yellow ball of destruction that a more slender man with black wings was holding back with his own aura attack...

"I have no idea who that guy with the gray clothes is, but that bigger guy needs to go down asap," With that yellow aura attack being the same as the one that hit the bridge earlier, there was no question as to who their target was; Weiss looked at Yang. "I'll cover you so you can charge in–"

"But we got the element of surprise... I'll delete him before he even knows we're here." And right after saying that, Weiss saw Yang rip off her right arm's bandages without hesitation; scars on her right arm visible for a few moments before they were all covered by fire. "That big guy's not fooling around. But just watch, I'll show you how strong a Xiao Long can really be!"

This gave Weiss pause. "Yang... Are you sure?"

"I'm the strongest in the group, right?" Yang replied. "We've been through a lot since graduating... It's about time I proved that again."

"...alright." Weiss nodded, showing a small smile. "We'll do it your way. I'll be the one distracting him so that you can get a clear shot–"

Then came the wafting smell of roses.

"Thank goodness, I knew it was you guys!"

"Ruby!" Weiss and Yang both cried out.

Weiss then noticed that a circle of rose petals surrounded them – around twelve feet in length – with its center being right where Ruby appeared; something Weiss had never seen before...

"No time to explain, but we have to take down that big guy right now!" So saying, Ruby went in between Weiss and Yang. "But I got this, just follow my lead!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dad, I'm here for you!"

With Weiss and Yang by her side – notably without anyone holding on to anyone else, as was the case with previous blinks – Ruby's rose petals scattered everywhere as the three girls appeared behind her dad Qrow, right as a circle of rose petals forming around the area where Ruby landed, which she only noticed now; she was sure her Semblance didn't do that before...

"Ruby? Is that you?!" Qrow growled, still doing his best to stave off Hazel's giant yellow ball of death, even as it was slowly but surely gaining ground against him; Qrow was so focused on what he was doing that he couldn't even give Ruby a look. "Why the hell did you come back, pipsqueak? I'm busy here right now if you can't tell..."

"Oho! Is that the best you can do now in your final moments, Qrow?! You had your daughter and whoever else blink to you just for you all to die at once?!" Hazel bellowed, laughing as he did. "Then let me put you all out of your misery!"

"Yang, go!" But her Semblance was working as she intended, and that was all that she needed to know; with adrenaline pumping through her body, Ruby was solely focused on the ensuing fight. "Help my dad, now!"

And with that command, Yang rushed to stand at Qrow's right side; with Embercleave on her left hand, Yang raised her right arm forward, flames swirling around it.

"Huh?! And who're you?!"

"You're Ruby's dad, right? I'm a Xiao Long... I got your back!"

Yang's golden dragon erupted from her right arm, and the living flame roared as it snaked around Qrow's black and red aura attack, hitting Hazel's yellow ball with its jaws in an attempt to win the Semblance clash.

"So this is your big plan, Qrow? But it's not enough!" Hazel thundered, and his aura blazed even brighter; his giant yellow ball seemingly growing even stronger, regaining the ground that Yang's combined attack with Qrow took from him. "You thought a dumb blonde can help against my power?! No amount of women you bring in will help you beat me! I've become much stronger than before... I'll have my revenge on you tonight Qrow, and I won't be denied!"

"Shut up!" Yang roared back, and seemingly put even more power into her Semblance attack in response, her golden dragon roaring along with her.

"Yeah, what she said!" Qrow shot back, and his own black and red Semblance attack seemed to grow stronger as well.

"You're the only dumb one here, you big oaf!" Yang continued, even as she began to groan from visible strain. "You really think a girl can't beat you?! Ha! I'll show you what real power is!"

But even with all of that, the clash between Yang and Qrow against Hazel was still at a standstill, with no one getting the upper hand.

Ruby fully expected this though; it was at this point when she looked at Weiss, who had her Semblance up and ready to respond, her eyes showing that she knew what was going to happen next.

"I know what you're planning, Ruby. Just don't force it–"

Without another word, the two vanished, and appeared some distance away from Hazel's left side, with a circle of rose petals surrounding the area where Ruby and Weiss appeared.

"Ha! You think you got me?!" Hazel thundered, and raised his left hand towards them. "You pathetic insects... You think I can't defend myself while trying to kill Qrow? Now you'll get to join him–"

But Ruby and Weiss vanished just as Hazel fired multiple spheres of yellow light, hitting nothing but air.

"What?! Already? How?! How did you pests get to–"

Ruby and Weiss had already blinked some distance away from Hazel's right side at this point, catching him completely exposed and defenseless, just as Ruby planned it to be; her rose petals were everywhere, and Weiss's Myrtenaster was now covered in ice, glistening in the moonlight.

Yang to help her dad, Weiss to attack Hazel from the flank... Just as Ruby intended it; not bad for some bugs.

"Weiss, now!"

Weiss launched her ice blizzard, and it went crashing straight at Hazel, ice shards piercing through his bubble.

"...how?!" Hazel had no way to escape the blizzard coming straight for him, and his giant yellow ball wavered upon him getting hit; growling, the huge man stretched out his left hand across his chest to hit Ruby and Weiss with another attack. "How dare you make a fool out of me! You'll pay for this!"

But Ruby had already anticipated that, and blinked herself and Weiss away to dodge, appearing right back to where Yang and Qrow stood, once again encircled by rose petals...

Ruby suddenly fell to her knees, feeling that she was about to pass out at any moment, but Weiss was quick to catch her, cradling Ruby in her left arm.

"Go to hell!" Yang shouted in between cries of pain, and her golden dragon roared as it began to win the clash, pushing the yellow ball back at Hazel.

"Thanks for the help, kids... Got a second wind from that! But let the old guy in the party take care of things!" Smirking, Qrow's black wings grew larger, and his black and red aura attack intensified. "Sorry, but round three goes to me!"

"Qrow! You bastard!"

"You've always been a zit on my face, you know that? Guess I'm just your bad luck charm in turn!"

With the combination of Yang and Qrow's Semblances – and having already been dealt damage by Weiss's ice – Hazel's yellow bubble of armor shattered, and the colossal man quickly lost the Semblance clash; he began to be pushed towards the closest mountainside, with his own yellow ball coming along with him for the ride.

"This isn't over, Qrow! I'll be back for you!"

"Yeah, yeah... I'll see you later, you fucking cancer."

Hazel's shouts faded as he was carried away, and they abruptly ended upon hitting the mountainside, dust and rubble visibly coming out of the point of impact, even from this distance.

"Heh... I would've hit that guy just as hard if you weren't here, old man..." Yang's golden dragon dissipated, and the girl fell to the ground right after, letting go of her greatsword and her Semblance, her face looking up at the night sky, gasping for breath as she held her right arm. "Hurts like hell, but that wasn't bad at all..."

"He'll be back," Qrow said as he released his Semblance; with small particles of his black and red aura still lingering on his gauntlets, he shook them off with a single movement of his hands. "I've fought the guy way too many times now, and he's become too strong to be killed by just that. But knowing him, he'll be thinking twice before causing any more trouble... And take that back, I'm not old."

"You were great out there, Dad..."

Qrow turned to find Ruby cradled in Weiss's arms, and he quickly went to her side.

"I'm ok, Dad... Just need a breather here..." Ruby still felt lightheaded ever since she came back with Weiss – after three blinks in succession no less – and the thought of trying to stand up was beyond her right now, but Ruby still managed to smile. "Heh... You were amazing too, Yang. And I got my blink working right too, I guess..."

"Ruby..." Stabbing Myrtenaster to the ground, Weiss let go of her own Semblance, and shook her head. "You pushed yourself again, didn't you?"

"...I did what I had to do."

"Didn't I tell you to run away?" Qrow was still by Ruby's side, with a stern look on his face, but at the same time he also began observing her teammates; deep thoughts seemed to run through his head.

"I could never leave you behind, Dad... And I didn't want to risk losing you..."

"I see you brought some friends with you too."

"I thought I saw Yang's fire from a distance, so I took the chance to win the fight... They're my teammates too, so can you really blame me? And you've been gone a while, Dad..."

"..."

A few tears fell down Ruby's cheeks before she wiped them away; even while being so lightheaded and weak, Ruby managed to chuckle. "And I can't have Yang be the only one to have her body hurt like hell, you know?"

"..."

"Speaking of which..." Ruby chuckled again. "'Bad luck charm'? Really, Dad? Was that supposed to be some cool sendoff against that big guy or something?"

Qrow remained quiet, his eyes still stern...

And then they slowly lightened up. "Hey, why not? Hazel thinks that I'm a wretched blight on his life ever since we met on the battlefield, so why not live up to it? I thought it sounded pretty cool, and it's right up my alley."

"You and your style..." Ruby looked at Weiss. "That's my dad alright..."

"I'm sure they don't see the resemblance." Having said that, Qrow stood up and took a smoke by grabbing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket; he then looked at Weiss and Yang. "Did the dress code at Beacon change or something? You kids are wearing the craziest outfits..."

"Yeah, he's definitely Ruby's dad," Yang said.

"Anyways, the name's Qrow Branwen, Ruby's dad. And you girls are..."

"I'm Weiss Schnee."

"Yang Xiao Long."

"...Schnee, huh?" Qrow paused for some time there, seemingly enjoying his smoke, but Ruby noted the look of his eyes. "...I see. I knew you looked familiar. Tch, what are the odds..."

"Huh?" Weiss raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You girls just rest up and listen. I'm here because of what Ozpin told me, and I got a lot to talk about."

Ozpin... Even in her weakened state, an anger threatened to boil over – as to what Ozpin hid from her, along with questions as to what Qrow had been doing while he was away, and his own secrets – which Ruby quickly suppressed. But in doing so Ruby remembered something else. "Dad... Cale's alive."

Looking at Ruby, Qrow's eyes widened, even if only for a moment. "...yeah, we really do have a lot to talk about. But we'll have to park that for later." He then looked at Weiss. "Her first."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Weiss asked, her tone slightly rising. "What are you talking about?"

Qrow was about to speak, but a ringtone suddenly came up, coming from his phone; Qrow picked it up, and the three girls went silent as Qrow answered with grunts and uh huhs.

"I see, what a coincidence. Because I found her, by the way. Yeah, that's what I thought. We'll meet up shortly." It was all Qrow said, and the call soon ended.

"Wait, who was that?!" Weiss's tone was rising sharply now. "Tell me!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Thanks again for the save Ren, but you can release us anytime you feel like it, you know! We look silly dangling up here!"

"No problem... Just as soon as I figure out how to do just that! Wouldn't want any of you guys to be swept away just to fall down a waterfall, you know..."

"Look, I know you saved us, and we can't thank you enough... I can't thank you enough!" Nora's cheeks started to turn red. "But make it quick, Ren! We're dripping wet and we might catch a cold... And I'm starting to have an itch on my back!"

"Just calm down for a bit, it's not like we're in danger right now! Besides, we'll be laughing about this when we get older anyway!"

"I'm sure you don't mind stalling though... I bet you're liking this too, aren't you Ren? Especially when I'm right on top of all three of you guys!" Nora tried to move her right arm, but to no avail; Nora's arms were too spread apart and her body tied up tight for her to move at all. "And don't look at me like that, I've seen your custom card art collection! And what's in your laptop too!"

"Trust me Nora, this isn't the most embarrassing thing we've seen of either of us."

"Ugggh! I'm going to shock you after this is done!"

Jaune couldn't help but chuckle; even in their situation, these two were just something else.

The explosion at the bridge caught them all by surprise, and they barely made their way out of their vehicle underwater while being swept away by the current. Team RWBY was nowhere to be found – Jaune believed they survived, but he didn't want to bring that up right now – but as far as Team JNPR was concerned, none of them would've made it if it weren't for Ren, who managed to cast a net much like a spider's web to catch them. Though he had to do it with such haste that they were all caught like flies in... Very interesting positions.

And as for their method of escape... Everyone knew that Pyrrha summoning the ground from the stream bed below to make a platform was their only hope, but it wasn't as straightforward as that. Pyrrha only needed her arms freed to save them, but with the raging river right below them – and with Ren's net not that far above the water – he couldn't just release his whole weave carelessly and have them just fall...

Ren looked at Jaune and Pyrrha, who were tied up below him. "Sorry I'm taking a while... You guys still doing ok down there?"

"Never been better, Ren!" Jaune said. "We're fine and dandy!"

"Those cat's cradles you've been doing in your spare time are about to pay off!" Pyrrha added. "So take all the time you need, no rush!"

"Yeah..." Ren chuckled again, but this time with a hint of nervousness. "That's what I'm doing alright..."

"Just relax!" Jaune added. "You saved us once, you can save us again!"

"Cool, just making sure! This doesn't come up in training, much less in actual combat!" So saying, Ren took a deep breath. "Alright, you know what? We've been hanging here long enough, so I'm going to do it right now!"

"Ready when you are!" Pyrrha said.

"I believe in you!" Nora shouted.

"You do, huh?"

"Well, duh! That's why I'm so impatient... Because I already know you can do it, Ren!" Nora clenched her teeth. "And my back is really itching bad here, I'm serious!"

Ren sighed. "...I guess that's all I needed to hear."

After a few moments, Ren looked at Pyrrha and moved his right hand's fingers...

A few of Ren's threads tore apart, and Pyrrha's right leg was left tied and the only thing keeping her from falling, her ponytail wet from hitting the river.

"I'm good!" Pyrrha gave Ren a thumbs up, even while upside down. "I'll take it from here!"

Ren breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "We don't get paid enough for this."

Pyrrha went to work; embracing her Semblance right after taking out her dustmetal weapon Kyrie Eleison, she made earthen platforms straight from the stream bed connecting to the river bank, and it was just a matter of Ren removing everyone's ties so that they could get to safety. It was about the best outcome Jaune could have envisioned; awkward, but much better than the alternative.

"Everyone alright?" Jaune said to his team, ready to heal anybody at a moment's notice. "Any injuries we need to take into account–"

"I'd like to ask the same thing," a voice said from behind Jaune. "May I help you four with something?"

Jaune and the others turned to the sound; an old man that felt very much out of place from where they were, even with his nondescript casual wear.

"I'm sorry... Who're you?" Jaune asked as the old man approached them; there was an air of elegance to him, so much so that he really looked far too expensive to be around these parts.

"Don't mind me, I'm just someone with little time and nothing to lose." There was a defeated look in the old man's eyes for some reason, now that Jaune was looking closer at him. "But I have a campfire and food to share nearby, and your teammate's shrieks were too hard to ignore... I thought it best to assist in any way I can."

"...thank you." Jaune then looked at his teammates; this old man didn't appear to be a threat, and they really needed that campfire to dry themselves, so what did they have to lose here? Other than Nora's pride, who was still red in the cheeks?

"Come on, don't be shy. At least allow me to help you all before something bad happens."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

The old man chuckled softly to himself. "You think I'm not aware of what's going on right now in Atlas?"

"Well, I–"

"You all look like fresh graduates... May your dreams never get taken away from you." The old man said all this with his back turned to Team JNPR, his hands inside the pockets of his pants. "Now follow me. I assume none of you want to catch a cold due to those wet clothes."

The old man began walking away, still not giving them a glance; knowing what they needed right now, Jaune only hesitated for a moment before following, and the rest of his team followed.

"Still nothing from Team RWBY?" Pyrrha whispered.

Jaune shook his head.

"I figured... Nora and Ren said pretty much the same thing, and I got nothing on my end either."

Jaune thought as much; still no signal from any of their phones, never mind the damage they might have gotten from being wet. But they themselves needed to rest and warm up first before they could search for the others, and this old man seemed trustworthy enough for that; Jaune said as much to Pyrrha, mainly to allay the distrust in her green eyes.

"I sure hope you're right about that."

"We'll get to the power plant soon enough. And don't worry... If this guy tries something funny, I'll protect you."

"Jaune..."

Soon Team JNPR saw a tent set up near the bottom of the cliffside, some distance away from the destroyed bridge, with the much desired campfire; Team JNPR rushed towards it.

"Help yourselves with the heat, a cold is too much of an annoying thing to have to endure."

"...thank you again for helping," Jaune replied as he and his team huddled near the warm campfire; a welcome comfort compared to being damp against the wind. And maybe after half an hour, they could get moving again on foot...

"Don't thank me just yet," the old man replied; he then took out his phone to make a call. "Yes, it's me. How are you doing out there? I'm doing fine myself, thank you... I'm still where you found me, of course. What's with that tone, where did you think I would be? Did you really think I would leave you behind? Hmph... Anyways, I stumbled on a team of Hunters near our hideout, so I figured I should tell you."

Jaune suddenly saw the old man's face turn pale with shock.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Cale?"

The apartment was pitch black, of course, when Sienna opened the door of their apartment. There was a blackout everywhere she went, supposedly because of an attack at one of Atlas's largest power plants, and she figured that their room was no exception. But this wasn't why a chill went down her spine. Rather, it was because she had texted Cale to wait for her here outside the apartment as soon as the blackouts happened, but he never replied, and now he wasn't here, with no sign of him anywhere. Which meant either he left to who knew where – highly unlikely – or he chose to stay inside, alone in the darkness.

"Hey kid. I'm back." Sienna said, her tiger eyes adjusting to the lack of light in the apartment. "You saw the news?"

No response.

Keeping the door open for light from the shattered moon and the stars, Sienna took a few steps forward...

And she stopped upon hearing glass crumble under her boot.

"Still not feeling Atlas, huh?" So saying, Sienna quietly took out her dustmetal weapon Creoboros Lash, and embraced her Semblance, a russet aura enveloping her. "Me neither. Even after days of adjusting, it's still too cold. And now we get this kind of crazy news..."

But Sienna was answered only by the passing of a cold night breeze, and that made her pause – for very good reason – to ponder her next move.

What have you uncovered about his weapon?

The runes on it are ancient, going back to the times when the Kingdom of Mantle still existed. But yes, it definitely comes from the north, and I was still able to decipher most of it... Just not the name itself. It's basically a greatsword... 'of the Torn Aeons'.

Yes, just as I suspected. The trail runs deeper than meets the eye... But we can worry about that later. What about the boy?

He's sleeping calmly right now, but he's always been easy to wake up. We'll be leaving shortly.

Was there any pushback from him?

Getting him to admit vaguely that he's 'sick' took some time... He still wouldn't tell me why he went to Patch, but I eventually got him to agree to come along to Atlas. Ultimately, he's desperate enough for any cure he can find.

He's a kind boy, isn't he?

...Kensei?

Yes, he has to be. Only fate could be so cruel as to do that to him. And you don't have to hide it, Sienna. I can hear it in your voice. I too wonder why he wished to go to Patch, only to abruptly leave.

...

Anyways, I've already activated the reinforcements I can afford. But be careful out there. Our agents report that Atlas is on the move, their eyes fixed on the Grimm stronghold in Solitas, and they provided evidence that a specimen of their experiments is up and about. The science has finally been proven at last, and without their citizens even knowing it, too... A far cry from what our dear kingdom did.

I'm ready to fight by myself if need be, Kensei.

But too many of our spies had been killed already trying to get Atlas's secrets. I don't want you to share their fate.

I'm not afraid to die for Menagerie.

But I wish that you live to see our kingdom prosper, Sienna. Victory sours when there's less people to share it with.

I'm not afraid to do what's necessary either.

...so am I.

His words to her before leaving for Atlas were still fresh on Sienna's mind. With their agents significantly reduced due to previous conflicts – including those from unknown forces; they weren't the only ones spying in Atlas after all – that left their group little choice but to send more experienced eyes, herself included, to address the acceleration of Atlas's activities, activities that could very well pose a threat to the new Menagerie they were working hard to create.

The kid wasn't supposed to be with her, though. Recalling an earlier conversation, what was originally supposed to be a plan to leave Cale behind in a homeless shelter in Vale became something radically different.

...Kensei?

How is the boy?

Sleeping soundly at the back seat. And I'm just about to reach the–

Turn around now, Sienna. There's been a change of plans.

Huh?

The fog of fate remains thick, but it reveals itself to me, little by little. And it just revealed to me white snow, a rising darkness, silver tears, and the ululation of laments... Turn back, Sienna. Now.

A vision again? So soon? ...yes, Kensei. Turning back now.

Good. His weapon, his 'condition', and Atlas's recent schemes... They are linked somehow, and fate decided to let me know of this.

...

Continue to rendezvous with our agents there in Atlas, and investigate on what that kingdom could be preparing for next. But the boy must come with you, Sienna. Assist his every concern as needed. And be ready should the worst happen, just in case.

...yes, Kensei.

The why and how of it all still eludes me, but destiny has its way of weaving things for its own purposes. As long as you keep an eye on him, as long as he's in the right state of mind, then the fog should lift in due time, and tell me just what kind of key he really is.

I understand, Kensei. As you command.

In truth Sienna didn't know anything, no idea how Cale could be a key to their plans, or how his condition could possibly be deemed useful to them instead of a threat worthy of extermination. But Kensei had wholehearted faith in his Semblance, even when his visions simply came when they wished without rhyme or reason, and that meant she had to have faith in him too. His wisdom, despite his arrogant exterior and overwhelming power, rightfully landed him the position of undisputed leader in their group, and with his visions yet to lead them astray, his confidence was enough to allay her doubts.

And it wasn't like Cale proved to be a detriment to her mission; in fact, other than his ravenous appetite, Cale was surprisingly good at carrying himself despite his circumstances. Somehow he was still easy to have a conversation with, to have talks that went deeper than simple hellos and questions on how her day went, though the latter was due to her constantly being out the whole day to do 'Vale and Atlas outreach', which were of course her spying missions. But she still appreciated his questions – and him playing along with her jokes at his expense – as they reminded her that she wasn't alone in her job.

When was the last time she felt alone since the kid came to her life, actually?

You were always happy to see me, weren't you?

Maybe that was the reason he held on for so long – remained in the right state of mind, as Kensei told her – now that Sienna thought more about it. Because for all the time she spent with him, both back in Vale and here in Atlas, Cale never failed to treat her as a friend, even when he really shouldn't.

You're leaving again?

Well, what can I say? I got plenty of assignments to do today... Vale's a harsh mistress.

Alright, just be careful out there, Sienna. And thank you.

What, you're thanking me already? I haven't even done anything for your condition yet, whatever it is.

I'm surprised you even found me that night. But the fact that you're trying to help me means a lot, even though you could've just put me in a hospital back in Vale and left me behind.

And why would I leave you behind?

...just a gut feeling.

Of course I would never abandon you. You can be silly sometimes, kid.

Yeah, yeah, I know I'll always be a kid to you, Sienna. But still, thank you. For everything you've done for me. I don't know what I'd be doing without you.

Wait a minute. Didn't you say something like that to me already?

Heh, maybe.

Tch, crazy kid. Didn't I tell you to save that for a girl you love?

But I already did.

...?

Remember how we first met at the shore? Who knows what I'd be doing if you didn't find me and took me in to your house. So I think that's worth something to be thankful for, right?

Cale...

Hey, you remembered my name.

...

Just tell me if you need anything from me, alright? Other than me being on cleaning and cooking duty, of course.

Your hunger's going to be the death of my wallet, by the way.

Sorry about that. But I promise I'll make it up to you. It's about time I returned the favor, you know?

Sienna held her chain weapon tight. Tonight was an unfortunate setback; she had been so busy documenting the Grimm attack at the Atlas eastern wall – to safely report back to headquarters upon her arrival in a much calmer Vale – that she couldn't make it back to their apartment as soon as she could. And this was considering that she had to postpone a planned meeting she had with their agents about that James Ironwood and what to do about him. But all of that meant that she only returned late in the night, which also meant that Cale was left unattended for much longer than planned.

A loud growl pierced through the quiet darkness.

Sienna took a deep breath. Finally, there was her answer; Kensei did tell her to prepare for this, so she knew what she had to do.

The faunus slowly moved forward, then turned to open the bathroom on her left; nothing.

Funnily enough, she had to rent an apartment for four people even though there were only two of them because it was the only room available in the apartment building that was best located for her mission. Even Cale found it funny too that she insisted on renting this, but it couldn't be helped at the time. Unfortunately her decision had come back to complicate things for her; even with her night vision, there was just no sign of Cale, and with more rooms to go, Sienna couldn't afford to make a mistake.

"Those Grimm are upping the ante, huh?" Sienna said to the darkness as she slowly moved her way to the living room, betting that Cale would want as much space as possible. "That wurmcoil went ripping right through the eastern wall like it was nothing. And did you see that giant weapon Atlas had? Who thought they'd be the first to have railgun tech up and running?"

Again, no response.

And when Sienna got to the living room, that was when she saw the ripped sofas, the shattered remains of the TV, and the marks on the walls.

So much for her asking the kid if he saw the news. Then again, maybe his phone...

Sienna then felt something crumble again under her boot; it was the remains of Cale's phone, crushed into scrap.

Well, so much for that too.

But still no sign of the kid. Just where the hell was he?

Her ears then picked up the sound of bones breaking, and Sienna's heart began pumping fast.

"Hey kid, it's me, Sienna. Sorry that I just got back, but this isn't exactly the warm welcome I got accustomed to, you know?" The sounds were coming from the kitchen... He had to be there. "What's up, you got a girl with you that you're trying to hide from me? Heh, you–"

Out came a loud snarl – definitely coming from the kitchen – and that startled Sienna so much she almost dropped Creoboros Lash.

"...ok, ok, no girl, got it."

Sienna reached the kitchen, and the first thing that caught her eye was the dining table, torn in two as if it were paper, and the broken plates and streaks of food stains littered on the floor... The bone remains of the meat Cale told her he would cook for their dinner tonight.

Then she saw Cale's large metal case, resting at the far right corner of the kitchen. Still unopened – with the weapon it held surely still inside – but there was definitely an attempt to open it, simply because the case wasn't supposed to be in the kitchen in the first place.

"Sienna..."

Behind her?!

Sienna immediately turned to the sound, and saw a figure huddled at the near left corner of the kitchen, closest to the entrance from the living room, a spot she completely missed.

...it was Cale alright. But the that awful sound of cracking bone... The kid wasn't doing anything, but Sienna knew exactly where it was coming from. She made sure to keep calm – to not show agitation or fear – and she firmly stood her ground.

"...sorry I'm late. Did you see the news?"

Cale made a small gesture, hinting that he did, but he showed no interest; he looked straight at Sienna instead.

"...you can see me, right?"

Sienna made a small nod. "...yeah, it's a cat faunus thing. And I know you can see me too, kid."

"You should leave." Cale recoiled further into the corner of the kitchen upon hearing that. "I'm... I'm not feeling very well..."

His voice was pained in every way, and the sound of bones breaking continued, as he went through his... It was just like the last time she saw it; Sienna had yet to find the words. She still had her dustmetal chain weapon ready of course, but it was just for show at this point, knowing that she stood no chance. But that wasn't going to stop her from doing what was needed; Sienna made efforts to keep herself calm. Keep him talking, keep him in the right state of mind.

"This must be your condition, then..." Sienna made her voice as warm as she possibly could. "But do you really think I'm going to leave you like this?"

"I don't know what kind of things you've seen..." Cale was laboring hard just to speak. The voice was still his, but just barely. "But this is different... I'm sorry, just forget we ever met. I shouldn't have involved you in my mess..."

Cale suddenly wretched where he huddled on the floor; he clutched his head with his hands. "Shut up... I said shut up!" he growled. "I don't want any of your shit! Just leave me alone! I'm not your dog! I'm not! I SAID I'M NOT!"

"Voices in your head?"

Cale remained twitching for a while before the attack on his mind – Sienna had no other term for it – subsided, and when it did, he slowly nodded; Sienna made a mental note of it.

"I didn't think you meant this when you mentioned headaches and muscle spasms."

"It's ok... It's my fault that I didn't tell you the truth."

"You really should've." It would be very easy to berate Cale for his mistake in judgment, but this wasn't a normal situation by any means, and so Sienna made sure that she didn't imply that she was pointing fingers. "I understand why, but hey, you're somebody I found washed up on a beach, with the most incredible powers I've ever seen. The things I'd readily believe shot way up after that."

"Because I..." Cale suddenly couldn't speak, and so he hacked and coughed multiple times before he finally got to talk again. "I didn't want you to abandon me. But it's too late for that..." Cale groaned. "I know you're a tough girl Sienna, but you don't have to worry, I'll be ok... Just go, get out of here, and forget about me..."

"I already said I'm not leaving–"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

Out came another snarl, this time much more sharp and violent, along with more bones breaking again, and Cale now had a look of wanting to rip Sienna's throat clean off her neck.

Not good; Sienna felt her heart pumping wildly now. Was she losing him? Even during the last time she saw him like this, Cale still managed, somehow. But in this case... Sienna gathered all of her resolve.

"No, I'm staying with you. Because to be honest, I haven't been truthful to you either." Still ensuring that her tone of voice had warmth in it, Sienna let go of her Semblance by unsheathing her weapon. "But now's a good time for both of us to be. And for my part, I know what was done to you, Cale."

Bones continued to break, and while he still hadn't budged from where he huddled at the corner of the kitchen, Cale was no longer cowering, and he still had that murderous look in his eyes; a flaring, bloody desire to kill her right where she stood.

"I'll tell you a secret I've been keeping. I'm not a Vale agent sent to monitor Grimm activity at the edge of the kingdom's borders... I'm not even a Vale citizen. Rather, I'm a member of a group that has dedicated itself to liberating those oppressed by my kingdom of birth, Menagerie. Yes, the same kingdom that insists to all the world that it's doing fine... The greatest farce I've ever seen... But in reality our kingdom is teetering on the edge of civil war. And not only does our group intend to deal justice to Menagerie's oppressors, but also to those who might one day threaten the new Menagerie we intend to create as well... Atlas, Vacuo, Mistral, and Vale."

Cale slowly stood up.

"I'm a Menagerie spy, Cale. A natural enemy of Vale. But in this case, we're allies, because I know what you're going through right now. The same horrors Menagerie did against its people... They're the same things that were done to you."

"..."

"I saw it when you stayed in my house to sleep... I've seen these same awful things done to innocent people before. But if the gods are willing, I don't want you to end up like them... I don't want you to become another victim of someone else's plans."

Cale took a small, labored step forward.

"My master thinks highly of you, actually. He senses more in you than being another victim of unscrupulous, unchecked desire. And I can see where he's coming from. That's why we observed you, Cale. Because we found out that there's something different about you, something special... You're not like the others. Because you're showing incredible resolve despite being subjected to this, and you're a good kid deep down too... Those mean a lot when self control is of the utmost importance."

Cale made another step.

"You couldn't have done anything wrong for you to suffer this, and be forced to carry around a weapon that you don't even know why you have it, or why you have to protect it. But my master believes that these things aren't a coincidence. He believes that you're destined for the greatest of things... That your fate is to blow away the foundations of this world and lead it to a new future, for better or worse."

Cale slowly reached with his right hand...

"But you can't be carrying that burden by yourself, whether you know it or not. Your drive to go to Patch... What exactly did you do there, Cale?"

Cale stopped, and a low, raspy voice came out.

"Ruby..."

A girl? For all the lost memories he yearned to remember, Cale's first instinct was to go to Patch... To find a girl? And to think Sienna suspected revenge, or that he claimed a debt... She didn't think about this at all. Clearly a mistake on her part. "Ruby? Ruby who? Who is she? Is she–"

"SHE'S MINE, YOU HEAR ME?! MINE! MINE AND MINE ALONE!"

Sienna gasped from Cale's outburst, so much so that she almost fell, her heart on the verge of exploding from how fast it was beating. Because at this point Cale's right hand was only a few inches away from her neck, ready to throttle the life out of her at a moment's notice.

But that was only for an instant. As if realizing what he was about to do, Cale mellowed down just as quickly, falling back and huddling once more at the corner of the kitchen; an almost fetal position now. "...Ruby's mine," Cale repeated, in a much softer, defeated tone, along with a whimper. "I'm sorry... But she's all I have."

"...I understand." Sienna did her hardest to keep calm; her heart was thumping so hard she was sure Cale could hear it. But she still had to push forward. "...I just want to know her more, Cale. Is she your girlfriend?"

"...more."

"...did you see her again in Patch?"

"...yes."

Sienna slowly nodded. Cale's life must have revolved around this Ruby girl for him to look for her at the expense of everything else. Yes, even over getting cured; Sienna didn't know when exactly Cale became aware of what was happening to him, but surely it had to have reached a tipping point right when he reached Patch. "Tell me more, if it's ok with you."

Sienna honestly didn't expect much from that question, but to her surprise Cale obliged, even with his voice like that, talking about who Ruby was like his whole being depended on her... And in a way, that was actually true. So much so that as Cale talked, telling his story on how he and Ruby met and fell in love, Sienna realized that the bones had stopped breaking; she made more mental notes of it.

Sienna listened to everything Cale said. Ruby Rose was a girl from Patch, who lived alone due to circumstance, having dreams of becoming a Hunter, but thought herself too mediocre to make it. She then met Cale and fell in love, but suffered the loss of her mother, and did to Cale what Sienna could only describe as the height of foolishness...

"And that's when you lost your memories?"

"Yes, but I promised to be with her... Promises have weight."

And when it came down to it, you chose to protect her, even from yourself. Sienna slowly nodded. Ruby seemed to be just an average girl, a mere mote in an ocean of Hunters. Maybe even below average, given this Ruby's recent mistakes; no amount of kindness or understanding could ever compensate for that as far as Sienna was concerned.

"I just want to be with her again..."

But you can't, Cale. Sienna knew what love could do to a man. A man that was, based on his own account, very lonely, and Sienna watched as Cale turned away and closed his eyes. He began murmuring to himself, with Sienna picking up Ruby's name in his whispers.

Wait, Ruby Rose?

Something clicked in Sienna's mind; right then and there, she knew what she had to do.

Sienna took a few steps forward. "I'm happy you found your one true love. That's quite rare. And she must be very cute too, I imagine. Prettier than an old hag like me for sure."

"You're beautiful in your own way, Sienna."

"You really think so?"

"I..."

"I don't think I deserve that, given that I've kept secrets too. I'm sorry that I'm not who you thought I was."

"...that doesn't change a thing," Cale replied, still with his eyes closed. "You're still my friend, regardless of our kingdoms..."

"But I meant every word I said about you, Cale. And thank you for the kind words. So let me make things up to you in some way, at least. To show that we're still friends."

"You being with me for this long is all the proof I need..." Right after saying that, a few bones broke again; Cale growled from the pain. "But you have to leave, Sienna. You have to go away right now. I'm not fooling around here, I don't want to–"

"Cale, look at me."

"...?"

"Just look at me."

Cale, who was ready to rip her throat off just a few minutes ago, went completely tame upon looking at Sienna, who did what was needed.

"To be honest, I didn't think you'd be the romantic type." Sienna showed him a sincere smile; a smile she hadn't shown to anyone beyond their group for the longest time. "But it's good that you are... You're very sweet, Cale. A kind person like you shouldn't be suffering like this."

"Ruby..." Cale cowered, trying to look away, but his eyes kept going back to Sienna, looking at every inch of her, despite his best efforts; he whimpered. "Ruby..."

"This isn't what you're thinking." Sienna moved to be closer to Cale. "It's not like that at all. Your love for each other was the reason why you even got this far. And you're not the type to hurt an innocent, much less break his lover's heart. I know this because I'd be dead right now otherwise."

"But I–"

"You're hurting, Cale. Hurting because of something that was done to you, something that you can't recall, torturing you to the brink of insanity, and as much as you miss Ruby, you also can't bear to have the love of your life see you like this. But it doesn't have to be this way. Even though we're from different kingdoms, I want you to know that you can trust me, Cale. So please, let me help you..."

Cale whimpered again, unable to say a word.

"You put on a brave face, but I know deep down that you're scared... That's why I'll never fault you for doing what you did. You did the right thing, Cale. Because I'm sure Ruby would want to be with you no matter what, regardless of the risks, and you'd rather die than risk her life. Believe me, I understand. But you need help too. And since Ruby isn't here, let me be the one to heal your pain..."

Sienna kissed Cale's forehead, and the awful sound of bones breaking came out once more; Cale endured and cried out from excruciating pain, for how many times now, Sienna couldn't say. But this was different. Because finally, Cale was recovering from his ordeal – his body not angrily trashing around was a good sign, and that was how Sienna managed to stay by his side – and upon him calming down, Sienna reached out to hold his shaking right hand.

"See? You're doing better already." Sienna wiped away the drool from Cale's lips, and looked deep into his tired, glazed eyes. "You're still in pain, though... No, don't even try to deny it." Sienna caressed Cale's cheek, and smiled warmly; moving even closer, their faces were now inches apart. "If you really think of me as a friend, then let me be here for you..."

Cale breathed deep. "Sienna..."

"Please let me help you," Sienna whispered. "It's ok, Cale... Everything will be ok..."

Cale closed his eyes. He wasn't growling or snarling anymore, only murmuring Ruby's name. But of course, he... Well, it wouldn't be right to blame him for that. Cale was in pain, and very lonely too, whether he wanted to admit it or not, so it wasn't a surprise that it came down to this. And since this was the only way...

For someone I found lost at the shore one night... You really are something else, kid.

"...and Ruby will understand."

Sienna then kissed Cale on the lips; a deep, sensual one as she ran her left hand through the back of his neck, while her right hand was on his chest, feeling the bumps of his terrible scar, and of his rising heartbeat, syncing with her own...

She soon felt Cale hold her tightly in his arms.