A/N: Wild ride so far, huh? Felt like Sera needed to hurry up and start developing her own plot of self-discovery instead of just being led on forever and ever. I think it's an interesting twist, at least, and I already know how it'll end up. Also, the shipping poll is still up, and Weiss is still in the lead. If anyone wants to vote, the poll should be on my profile page or a simple PM works too. If not, that's cool too. Again, thanks for keeping up with the story and all comments, either complementary or criticization, are welcome.

"Hah!"

Thunk!

"Hyah!"

Thunk!

"Fucking!"

Thunk!

"Piece of…!"

Thunk!

"Crap!"

Sera's axe cleaved into the tree she was hitting and sliced it in two. The trunk of the tree slid across its bottom half until it fell over and hit the ground with a heavy boom. She panted heavily, her chest rising and falling while she stared at the remainders of the tree.

"You know… When I said we needed more firewood, I didn't mean that you should run out here and start swinging," Taiyang laughed dryly from where he was leaning against another tree.

Sera looked over at him and shrugged half-heartedly. "Yeah, well, I couldn't just keep sitting around, could I?"

"I guess not," he laughed. "Are you sure you're feeling up to this?"

She smirked and flexed her fingers before curling them into a tight fist. "I feel good. There haven't been any pains in a while, and training has been going well."

"Glad to hear it," he nodded and crossed his arms. "I think that's enough firewood. It should last a good while," Tai chuckled, then approached the fallen log. "C'mon, we need to chop it up so it can be carried back to the house."

Sera nodded and got ready to swing at the fallen tree.

An hour later, she was covered in sweat and panting heavily, but the deed was done. The tree was chopped into much smaller pieces and able to be easily carried. She'd insisted on doing it all herself, even when Taiyang tried to help. Sera wanted to know if she could accomplish this without feeling that pain again, and she had.

She exhaled heavily and embedded the head of Jupiter into a nearby tree, then jumped into the air with glee.

"Yeah! Hell yeah! I did it!" she laughed and swept her back with both hands, holding them against the top of her head.

"Yeah, you did it," Tai smiled. "Now, you uh… want something to drink? You look like you're about to keel over."

She panted breathlessly and just nodded her head.

Once they made it back to the house, Sera slumped into a chair and took a deep breath. She laid her hand on her face and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her chest rose and fell slowly, still tired from the whole ordeal.

After a few moments, she was tapped on the shoulder. Sera removed her hand and glanced up, finding Taiyang smiling down at her with a glass of lemonade in his hand.

"Here," he handed it to her, and she drank from it eagerly. Once she downed half the cup, she exhaled and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Thanks, Tai," she nodded.

"No problem," he laughed and took a seat near her. "After all that work, a cup of lemonade is the least I could do."

A sudden pounding of footsteps drew their attention and they turned to find Ruby tromping down the stairs. She saw Sera in what looked like poor condition and hurried over to check on her.

"Are you okay? Is your injury acting up again?"

"No, no," Tai laughed. "She just got done chopping up a big freaking tree. She's tired, Ruby."

"Uh-huh," Sera agreed and took a sip of lemonade.

Ruby's shoulders relaxed. "Oh, good. You up for a sparring match later?"

Sera opened her mouth to reply, but Tai spoke before she could. "Actually Ruby, I was going to show her a thing or two about fighting. I was a professor at Signal."

"Ughhhh," Ruby groaned exaggeratedly. "Fine-e-e-e."

"Hey, enough of the teen angst," Tai pointed at her with amusement. "If Sera's almost back to full strength, it's my job to get you two back on track to being huntresses. Besides," he slammed a fist into his open palm. "I've been wanting to fight again."

Sera watched him quietly. She wasn't sure what exactly she was in for, but Qrow once mentioned that Taiyang was the best fighter on their team. If her hunch was right, there were many long training sessions ahead of her.

"We'll start tomorrow morning," Tai confirmed, nodding at her with an eager gleam in his eyes.

"Uh… Sounds good," she said. Then Tai nodded again and got to his feet before going to the kitchen.

"You better rest up," Ruby laughed. "You're definitely gonna need it."

Sera sighed and laid her head onto the chair for a moment before getting to her feet. "I'm gonna take a shower," she stated.

"You should," Ruby frowned slightly. "You stink!"

"Thanks, Rubes," she rolled her eyes, a light smile on her face. Sera made her way upstairs and took a quick shower, then changed into a Beacon Academy sweater and dark jeans.

She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed, fluffing her hair so that its natural spikiness became more prominent. She left the bedroom and was about to head downstairs, but halted in front of Yang's door. They hadn't spoken in a while, mostly because the blond was just too busy sulking in bed. Sera wanted Yang to get up and move around, but it was already hard enough just to get her to eat. It's been weeks like that, and she wasn't sure how much longer the brawler could stay like this.

Sera knocked on her door lightly. "Yo, Goldilocks," she smiled lightly. "You gonna stay in there forever, or do I have to drag you out?"

"…Come in," Yang replied, and she could hear a hint of amusement in her voice.

She opened the door and found Yang sitting on her bed with a blanket over her lap. The TV in her room was muted, playing some music video she was previously watching. Sera closed the door behind her.

"What's up?" Yang asked, clearly in a bit of a better mood.

"Just checking on you," Sera slipped her hands into her pockets. "You doing okay?"

She nodded slightly and managed a smile. "Feeling a bit better, actually. This room is getting kinda cramped, to be honest."

Sera smiled and stepped up to the bed. "Well, you wanna go on a walk? Since you're feeling so much better, and all."

"Actually, I have another idea," Yang said.

She raised an eyebrow in question, but Yang just flashed a smile. "Come on, Snowball."

. . .

"You can't be serious," Sera gaped at what she was looking at. She'd been told to get her gear, so she now wore her white coat over the Beacon sweater and had her body holster on her shoulders.

"Completely," Yang grinned. "I've been cooped up for weeks. I wanna ride." The blond wore a yellow hoodie and dark brown shorts with Ember Celica on her left wrist and her Aviator sunglasses sitting atop her head.

Yang's golden motorcycle, Bumblebee, was sitting under a small wooden shed behind the house. Its kickstand kept it upright, and when Yang yanked off the tarp covering it, Sera's eyes had gone wide at what the blond had in mind.

"You want me to drive it?" she looked at Yang. "You wouldn't even let me look at it back at Beacon!"

"Well, it's different now," Yang smiled lightly. "Besides, it's not like I could drive her, even if I wanted to." She lifted her severed arm, with her hoodie's sleeve tied in a knot so that it didn't hang down.

"I don't even know if I can drive, Yang. Why would you trust me with it?"

"Because I do trust you, idiot," she patted Sera on the shoulder. "And if you crash, I'll beat you with Bumblebee's remains."

Sera gulped. "Got it."

"Good. C'mon," she gestured at the bike.

She swung her leg over the motorcycle's seat and sat on it gently, grabbing its handlebars to balance it under her. Sera squeezed the handles lightly, almost caressing them in her grip. The throttle was at her right hand, and it rotated back when she twisted her hand.

"Does your dad even know we're leaving?" She asked, the thought suddenly occurring to her.

"Of course," she shrugged. "I told him I was going to show you around town. The old man was just happy to see me out of my room," she said half-bitterly. "Now, turn her over."

Sera frowned and searched for the ignition. When she found it, she twisted the key and saw the headlight flash on, as well as the digital screen in front of her. Then she squeezed the clutch at her left hand, then braced her right foot on the kickstart. She pushed down hard, and the engine roared to life.

She smiled at Yang, feeling pretty full of herself for getting it on the first try.

"Not bad," Yang shrugged, then picked up pair of helmets that were sitting on a nearby workbench. Sera recognized the yellow one as Yang's, but the other was simple and black. Yang flicked her sunglasses onto the bridge of her nose and grinned. "Here," she tossed the black helmet at Sera, and she nearly fell over trying to catch it.

Sera looked down at the helmet and put it on her head, not bothering to strap it. She rolled her neck, getting used to the feeling of the helmet, then walked Bumblebee out of the shed, its engine rumbling quietly. Once she was out, Yang climbed onto the motorcycle behind her and Sera had to plant her feet to keep from tilting over.

"Okay," Yang said and put her hand on Sera's shoulders. "Start off slow, barely twist the throttle. I'll help you keep balance, but you're gonna end up having to be in full control. Don't worry, it's not that hard. Just don't crash."

"Or you'll beat me with Bumblebee, got it," Sera repeated. She had to admit, she was nervous. She'd never driven anything in her life, as far as she knew. Nevertheless, she slowly twisted the handlebar until Bumblebee lurched forward. Her boots skidded along the ground, and she fought to regain her footing. "Whoa!" she yelped.

Yang giggled and patted her shoulders gently. "It's okay, just take it easy."

Sera nodded stiffly and twisted the throttle again. Bumblebee moved again, slowly rolling forward. They moved at a crawl, and Sera walked along with the motorcycle so they wouldn't fall.

"Good," Yang said approvingly. "Now, give her some gas."

The amnesiac twisted her hand and yelped when Bumblebee lurched forward, taking off along the dirt path beside the Xiao Long house. They didn't move that fast, but it was enough that she had to lift her feet and plant them on the foot pegs. Her heart hammered in her chest, afraid that she might crash right away.

"Calm down," she said over the rumbling of the engine. "You're doing fine, Snowball."

She nodded again and forced herself to chill out, her shoulders relaxing slightly. Sera took a deep breath and twisted the throttle further. Bumblebee flew down the road and sped away from the Xiao Long House.

"Whoa!" Yang yelped and put her arm around Sera so she didn't fly off of her own bike. "Okay, maybe slow it down a bit?" Her golden hair whipped in the wind.

Sera grinned. She was getting a feel for the motorcycle now. The engine rumbled beneath her and made her body vibrate as it sped down the road. The wind whipped her face and made her squint, but she didn't mind. Her hair flew back under the edges of her helmet.

"Nope," she laughed, not letting off the throttle.

Yang held on tighter, her heart racing every time Bumblebee hit a slight bump in the road. Over time, she just relaxed and smiled into the wind. "You're getting the hang of this!" she yelled over the rushing wind.

"I've never done this before!" Sera laughed. "But it's fun!"

She kept driving, fully enjoying the freedom she felt riding through Patch. Restless energy surged through her arms, and the next thing she knew, she was turning the throttle as far as it could go. Bumblebee's engine roared through the forest and Sera smiled broadly.

"WOO-HOO!" she howled.

Yang laughed and laid her head against Sera's back, just enjoying the ride.

Minutes later, she saw a wide expanse of low buildings coming up fast. Dirt path met stone brick as the road transitioned, and Sera eased up on throttle to start slowing down. Bumblebee slowed to a more comfortable pace until Sera was obeying road laws, even if she didn't want to.

"Up here," Yang pointed, and Sera followed her finger.

She turned to the side of the road and hit the brakes, her boots skidding along the ground until she could stop. With a sly grin, she let go of the handlebars and cracked her knuckles. "Think I can get my license?"

Yang laughed and dismounted Bumblebee, her legs still feeling like they were shaking from her cycle's engine. "That might take a bit more work, but I'd say you have a chance."

Sera grinned excitedly. She felt good, better than she had in days. She started to swing her leg over Bumblebee.

"Wait!" Yang held her hand out, and Sera froze. She exhaled and pointed towards the ground by Bumblebee, then removed her helmet and hung it on one of the bike's handlebars. "Kickstand."

"Oh," Sera said. "Right." She flipped the kickstand down with her foot and leaned the bike onto it. She dismounted and laid her helmet on Bumblebee's seat, then turned to her teammate.

"That was close," the blond exhaled a laugh. "Come on, I wanna show you this place." She walked towards a nearby door that looked like it was for some sort of coffee shop. Sera looked up at it in wonder. The shop was one of many, all in a row along the road. She dismounted the motorcycle and followed Yang into the store.

"Whoa…" she marveled at its interior. Okay, it was the nicest, and only, coffee shop she'd been in. It had a dark wooden floor and rows of booths along the wall. Small tables were scattered around with a few people sitting at them. A long counter ran beside the opposite wall with an employee operating a complicated-looking machine that seemed to be the coffee maker.

Yang grinned at her. "Cool, right?" Then she walked to a booth, and Sera followed her. They sat down, facing each other. Yang smiled and tapped the tabletop lightly. "So, what are you in the mood for?"

"Huh," she thought for a moment. "I dunno. I've never like, gotten coffee before. Apart from when Tai or Qrow gave me some, I mean. It's all right, I guess."

The blond raised an eyebrow, a quizzical expression on her face. "I'll just get you what I'm having. Sound good?"

"Sure?" she chuckled, raising her shoulders in a slight shrug.

"Be right back," she knocked on the table, then left the booth to order.

Sera blew a strand of hair out of her face, then felt her head curiously. She frowned. 'Great, helmet hair.'

By the time Yang got back, she'd somewhat fixed her messy hair and was looking at her reflection in her scroll.

Yang smiled and handed her a to-go cup. "You get used to it," she gestured to Sera's head.

"Ugh," she pushed her hair over one ear and took the cup from Yang. It was warm to the touch, so she held it with both hands and took a sip. She recoiled at the burning liquid and ultimately decided to wait a bit for it to cool.

"So," Yang said once she was back in her seat. "What're you and Ruby planning?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?"

Yang took a sip from her drink. "Come on. I know you're thinking of something. What is it?"

Sera stared down at the cup in her hands and thought for a moment. There really wasn't any harm in telling her. She just wondered what Yang would do with the information.

"Okay," she sighed. "Ruby wants to go to Haven to continue our training. She wanted to tell you, actually. But you were… busy."

Yang frowned slightly. "Yeah-h-h, I probably could've talked to her a little more. Not really that good of a big sister lately."

"Hey," Sera said. "You're the best sister she could ask for. She doesn't blame you for being a little down about…" she gestured to her missing arm. "If you wanna go with us, I know she'd be happy to have you."

She smiled lightly. "I appreciate it. But… I'm not sure if I'm ready for something like that just yet. I'm not even sure how I'd fight again. What am I gonna do, only use one hand?" She chuckled.

"You'll figure something out," Sera smiled. "You always do. But it won't be just Ruby and I. Jaune, Nora, and Ren are going too."

"When?"

"I'm not sure yet," she admitted. "Ruby's been waiting on an answer. Being forced to use letters is kinda slowing us down," Sera laughed. She finally took a sip of her coffee and hummed at the flavor. It tasted like caramel and chocolate, and she found herself wanting more.

"Seems you like the coffee," Yang laughed, then took a drink from her own. "So, journey to Mistral? Are you even ready for something like that?"

Sera faltered and she sat her cup down. "I have to be. I know you'll be safe with your dad, so I don't need to worry about that. But I need to watch over the others. I promised myself that there wasn't going to be another…" she trailed off, finding it surprisingly difficult to say Pyrrha's and Cerulean's name.

"I get it," Yang said gently. "For the record, I'm glad you'll be there for them. Not that the others can't handle themselves, but you being there just makes me feel… better, I guess."

"Thank you," she nodded slightly. "I promise nothing is going to happen to Ruby," Sera put her hand on Yang's. "I'll make sure of it."

Yang smiled and squeezed her hand. "I believe you." Then she lifted what was left of her left arm. "Just make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else either, yeah?"

"Of course," Sera smirked. "If it happens to anyone, it'll be me. 'Cause they're gonna have to put me down to stop me."

The blond smiled wider. "Man, what is up with you lately? You seem… I dunno, different."

She shrugged. "What happened at Beacon affected everyone. Some lost their arm, others saw what was really important to them, even if they already kind of knew before."

Yang's face hardened and she squeezed Sera's hand again. She inhaled sharply. "That night was terrible. I saw so many bodies and…" she trailed off.

"I know," Sera squeezed reassuringly. "It'll be okay, though. Before we know it, Vale will be cleared out and everything will go back to normal. As normal as it can, at least."

"Yeah," Yang said, her eyes a million miles away. "Yeah, I know. But just… I still get nightmares. That guy's sword, all the Grimm…" She shook slightly, letting go of Sera's hand and clenching her fingers tightly.

"Hey," she said softly. "You'll be okay, Yang. If I'm being honest, out of everyone, you're who I'm least worried about. Because I know you can bounce back after any hit you take. You're the strongest out of all of us, Blondie," she smirked.

Yang absently held onto her left shoulder. "Not this time. I don't think…"

"Hey!" someone said, and they looked over to see a person standing next to their booth. It was a guy that looked older than them by a few years, with short, spiky orange hair and eyes of the same color. He was pale and wore a black cloak over a black jacket and shirt, with the buttons, zippers, and interior being orange. Besides that, he wore tight black pants and a pair of traveling boots. A scabbard rested on his hip, and the sword had a long handle with a narrow crossguard-looking piece at the base. The blade was curved slightly, and from the way it looked, the sword had to be single-edged.

"Hi?" Yang blinked, but he was looking at Sera.

"You two are from Beacon, right? I think I saw you in the Vytal Tournament," he said coolly and leaned onto the table.

Yang frowned at his hand, already piecing together what was coming. 'Great,' she thought irritably. 'Some guy thinks he can hit on us.'

Sera blinked uncertainly, trying to read the strange glint in this guy's eyes. "Uh, yeah, we are. Who are you?"

"That's not important," he waved the question away. Looking around the shop, he tapped his knuckles on the tabletop. "Nice place, huh? Decent town. It was a little hard to find it."

Sera and Yang tensed. "Sure," the amnesiac said. "You on vacation or something?"

"Something like that," he shrugged half-heartedly. "Really just been exploring Anima, trying to see what I can get myself into."

'Here it comes,' Yang groaned.

The guy smiled, but something was off about it. Like it didn't look genuine. "It's been fun, especially when I come across someone like you," he nodded at Sera.

She raised an eyebrow. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

He smirked. "When I find who I'm looking for."

Sera's shoulders tensed. She reached for her weapon, but this orange-haired guy had the advantage of not being confined to a booth. He drew his sword in a flash, and Yang flinched at the sight of it.

'Shit!' the amnesiac cursed when the thin blade swung towards her. There was no time to react, nothing she could do to stop the incoming attack.

A flash of yellow appeared in front of her eyes and stopped the thin sword. Yang had her arm outstretched, Ember Celica expanded into a gauntlet. The golden weapon was just inches from Sera's face. The other shop goers were staring with wide eyes and slack faces. Some took the opportunity to run out the door and away from the store.

The orange-eyed guy narrowed his eyes and pulled his weapon back. He tried to swing again, but with an angry shout, Yang blasted him in the chest with her gauntlet. Mr. Orange flew backwards and crashed through a table, landing in a heap of chairs.

Sera grabbed Yang's hand and ran towards the door, shoving it open with her shoulder to get onto the street. 'Gods damn it!' she mentally screamed. 'They found me already?!'

She just had to get back to the house. Tai and Qrow could help them, she knew it. Salem's words rang through her head like a bell. "My dear, you have no clue how outmatched you are against my forces. You'll see, I promise you."

"What's going on?" Yang demanded, looking back into the shop.

"I don't know!" Sera said, her eyes on Bumblebee. She grabbed her helmet and was about to put it on, but glass suddenly exploded behind her. They whirled around, seeing the orange-haired guy standing outside the shop with the shattered remains of the window on ground at his feet.

"You didn't think you'd get away that easily, did you?" he laughed, twirling the katana in his hand. Yang stared at the weapon, her eyes a million miles away.

"What do you want?" Sera glared at him and drew her shotgun, aiming it at him.

"Whadda you think?" he smirked. "Time for you to meet your maker."

Yang raised her arm, ready to throw a punch if she needed to. "What's this ass talking about?"

Sera held her gun tighter. "He knows Cinder."

The blond narrowed her eyes and thrusted her arm, cocking Ember Celica. He grinned, laughing at her.

"Really, One-Arm? You gonna pummel me?"

Yang clenched her jaw, her eyes blazing red. "I'll tear you apart, asshole. I don't need two hands for that."

Civilians watched from afar, clearly nervous about what they were witnessing. Things like this never happened in their little town, and Yang knew that. Some even had their scrolls up, presumably trying to contact the authorities. Either that or they were recording them. On the plus side, if some cops or huntsman did show up, they'd be on Sera and Yang's side.

The guy took a step forward, and the huntresses tensed. Sera held her arm straighter, pointing her shotgun directly at his face. Even with aura, buckshot to the head wouldn't feel too hot.

He stopped, a cocky smirk on his lips. "Hey."

Sera and Yang glanced at each other uncertainly.

"What?" the amnesiac demanded.

"Head's up."

Her eyes went wide as she heard a sudden pounding of footsteps. She looked to the right, just in time for something very big to slam into her and send her flying.

"Sera!" Yang exclaimed.

A large man built like a freight train had shoulder charged the white-haired girl with all his might, making her fly directly into a lamppost and fall to the ground. Her shotgun clattered out of her hand, skidding across the sidewalk.

Sera groaned, her aura visibly shimmering as she picked herself off the ground. She looked up to see a mountain standing before her. No, not a mountain. A man, at least seven feet tall with a pair of curved horns jutting out from his shaved black head. He had tanned skin and wore only a pair of dark pants and boots that left his torso bare. Rippling muscles covered in scars decorated his massive arms, chest, and neck.

"What the…?" Sera trailed off. "Gods, you're a big one."

His lip curled and he raised his foot to stomp on her. Behind him, Yang was trying to fight the orange-haired one. Despite only having the use of one arm, she was managing to hold him off. But he was too fast and moved like a professional huntsman. She didn't know how long Yang could last.

Just as the big guy, she decided to call him "Horns," stomped his foot down, she twisted her body and avoided the blow. Sera was on her back, so she braced her palms on either side of her head and propelled herself to her feet. She drew her sword and swung it at the guy, but he just braced his arm and caught the blade on his elbow, green aura flickering in response.

Horns swung his other arm in a wide arc, hitting Sera in the side like a club. She grunted when she was knocked aside, her aura only absorbing a portion of the attack.

"Yang!" she coughed.

"She's busy!" the orange-haired guy laughed, landing precise blows on the blond with his narrow sword. Yang winced every time he hit her. She could be doing so much better if she had her other arm. But she had to deal with this now, for the rest of her life.

The orange guy grinned to himself as he landed another attack. He grasped his sword with both hands, preparing to deliver the final blow. Yang's aura was low, he knew that much. Now, he just had to finish her off. He swung his weapon, aiming straight at her neck.

Yang brought her hand up in an instant and caught the edge of the sword, her aura flickering. She glared at him with blazing red eyes, her blond hair turning fiery from her head to its ends. Yang clenched her jaw and wrenched the sword out of his hands, then delivered an explosive uppercut under his chin.

He grunted as he was propelled upwards from the force of her blow, surprised that she'd managed to land such an attack.

'That's right, this chick made it to the final round in the tournament…' he thought bitterly, then twisted in the air until he landed on his feet. He shot her a glare, seeing Yang with a fierce look in her blazing eyes.

Sera winced when Horns managed to land another hit on her. She caught his arm and tried to kick him, but he didn't even flinch when she connected. Horns frowned and grabbed her by the boot and flung her to the ground.

The huntress's eyes went wide as she was suddenly lifted into the air and slammed into the concrete. A painful noise escaped her lips and her vision went fuzzy. Then she was lifted up again, and Horns slammed her in the opposite direction.

"Uggghhh…" she groaned incoherently.

Then Horns lifted her into the air, holding her above the ground by her ankle. He frowned at her and looked over to see how his comrade was doing.

Yang yelled and sent an explosive blast towards her opponent. He deflected it on the edge of his sword, which he'd managed to get back from the angry blond. The projectile was sent over his shoulder and into the building behind him, causing several more windows to explode and send glass raining to the ground.

Horns grunted, and the orange-haired guy looked over to see him holding their target. He grinned at the tall Faunus. "Good! Now we can get out of—"

Yang's fist collided with his jaw, sending the katana-wielder directly into the coffee shop with a loud explosion. She turned to the enormous Faunus and clenched her fist.

"Put. Her. Down!" she roared.

Horns curled his lip, remaining silent. She hadn't really noticed before, but a long handle stuck up from behind his back. He reached behind him and drew the hammer, its head square and even larger than Nora's.

"Unnnnhhh…" Sera groaned, her arms hanging down and nearly touching the ground below her. Horns lifted the hammer, holding its head near the huntress's head.

Yang clenched her jaw, glaring at him with her blazing red eyes.

The orange guy suddenly flew out of the shop, heading directly for Yang with his sword drawn. "You fucking bitch! You think you can just—"

The brawler looked to the right and grabbed his wrist effortlessly, then spun and kicked him in the chest to send him sprawling onto his back.

Horns smirked lightly at the scene and raised his hammer, preparing to swing it into his captive.

Sera was finally coming around when she saw Yang send the orange-haired guy flying. She looked up and saw the ground below her, her white hair standing on end while her arms dangled on either side of her head. Looking down, her eyes widened when she saw a massive hammer heading straight towards her.

She yelped and raised her arms just in time to somehow catch the hammer before it could hit her. Or at least, slow it down. It tapped her chest and made her gasp, but she'd managed to block the hit. Horns looked down at her questioningly, finding that she was conscious again.

Sera narrowed her eyes and pushed the hammer away, then quickly drew Jupiter from behind her and expanded it into its guitar form. Before Horns could even react, she brought her hand down hard to strum its strings. Jupiter's speakers emitted a deafening blast of noise that reverberated through the streets. Yang wisely covered her ears as best as she could, but their assailants weren't so lucky.

Horns groaned deeply and covered his ears while squeezing his narrow eyes shut, dropping Sera to the ground in the process. She landed on her back and grunted at the impact, then scrambled to her feet and tried to swing Jupiter into Horns's head. Unfortunately, he'd recovered quickly enough to stop the swing and throw her back.

Sera stumbled backwards and scooped her shotgun off the ground and holstered it before gripping Jupiter with both hands. She dug into her pocket and pulled out a shard of white dust. Slipping it into her weapon, she smirked and watched Jupiter's head start to mist with ice. She played a chord and shot a beam of white energy towards Horns, hitting him in the knee. Ice spread around it in an instant, encapsulating his leg in the frozen substance.

"Ha! How'd you like that?" she laughed.

Yang had taken the opportunity to surge forward and start taking swings at the orange-haired guy. Sera would have to think of nickname for him too, but she had more pressing matters to tend to. Anyways, the guy was desperately trying to avoid her punches, but Yang could only do so much with the use of one arm.

Horns frowned at the ice on his leg and flexed his arms. He breathed deeply, clenching his fists while he glared at Sera. Uh-oh, apparently she'd ticked him off. From what she could tell, he was a bull Faunus, so that could explain it. She was just glad she wasn't wearing red.

As he watched him, he seemed to flex his muscles to make himself look bigger while he glared at her. No, wait… He wasn't making himself look bigger, he was getting bigger. His arms and legs grew larger while he increased in both height and slightly in width. Horns had been about seven feet tall, but now he easily reached eight. The horns that jutted out the sides of his head elongated until they stood straight up to the sky. He now sported a pair of proper bull's horns and boy, they sure looked pointy.

"Ha, you're screwed now, you little shit!" the orange-haired guy, who's nickname had just popped into Sera's head as 'Carrot Top,' cackled from several feet behind her. "Big guy only breaks this out when he really wants to hurt someone!"

She blinked at the Faunus, who seemed to be staring a hole through her head. He flexed his leg and shattered the ice with ease, then rolled his neck and lowered his head slightly.

Despite everything, Sera couldn't help but shout at him, "Oh, what's the matter? You couldn't get any bigger, you li'l bitch?!"

He frowned and charged, his horns aimed straight for her.

"Uh-oh," she muttered, then widened her stance and waited for him. Her eyes narrowed, every muscle in her body screaming for her to move. He was ten feet away. Nine feet. Eight feet. She twitched her fingers anxiously, one hand holding Jupiter's neck tightly.

Six feet. Five feet…!

Sera leapt straight up and planted her boot on his head, then used it as a springboard to launch herself into the air. Horns reared his head to look up at her, but the sun's glare blinded him, and he raised a hand to block it. The huntress shouted happily, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness.

Too late, he saw Sera with her guitar raised above her head and a broad smile on her face. Horns's eyes narrowed and he moved to intercept the attack. But he was too slow. Jupiter slammed into the top of his head and he stumbled back, his aura flickering slightly.

She landed nimble and pressed the button on Jupiter, transforming it into an axe while swinging at him before he could react. Her weapon clashed against his side, shaving off a decent chunk of aura. He made a deep rumbling noise of annoyance and tried to hit her, but she was quick to jump back and avoid it.

Horns narrowed his eyes at her, filled with anger and indignation. She flashed a grin and motioned for him to try charging again, since that went so well the first time. He was smarter than that, though. Instead, he just rushed her and tried to bring both of his massive fists onto her head.

Sera tensed and jumped to the side, just barely evading a devastating blow. She brought Jupiter up fast, nailing him in the arm. If his aura hadn't shielded him, she would've taken it clean off.

Yang was faring similarly. She traded blows with the orange-haired guy, but she was getting tired fast. After not having the will to train or even exercise her body, her stamina was quickly depleting in the intense fight.

She ducked under the swing of his sword and brought her fist up, slamming him in the ribs hard enough to launch him away from her. Yang panted heavily and watched her opponent with cautious eyes. She tried to predict what he'd do next, but it wasn't easy. She'd deactivated her semblance as well, wisely choosing to conserve her energy in case she needed it in a bind.

Then Carrot Top grinned and rushed forward, appearing in front of Yang faster than she'd anticipated. Everything moved in slow motion. She looked down, seeing his katana flash in the sunlight while it drove straight towards her chest. With nothing else to do, she tried to sidestep it. Too slow, however. The blade grazed her, shattering her already weak aura and slicing a sizeable cut into her side.

When Sera heard Yang cry out, she whipped her head around with wide eyes. She pieced together what had happened instantly, and she wasn't happy.

The huntress bared her teeth and turned back to her opponent, who was trying to grab her by the neck. She ducked under his hand and swung Jupiter upwards, bringing the axe under his chin as hard as she could. When Horns reared back and grabbed his jaw, she stepped to the side and kicked the back of his legs as hard as she could. His body went horizontal, eyes wide with surprise.

Sera glared down at him and raised her weapon, swinging it towards him while he was still aloft with all the strength left in her body. Jupiter's blade slammed into his chest and sent his body crashing to the ground hard enough to crack the stone beneath them. She yelled in rage and swung again, hitting him in the shoulder.

He looked up just in time to see her prepare her third attack, her eyes glowing crimson. Sera swung, but just before her axe made contact, his aura shattered. Her face went slack at what was about to happen. It was too late to stop her weapon before it could hit, so she tried to divert its path.

The Faunus's eyes went wide when he saw the axe come down on him.

Then everything went dark.

Sera screamed when she'd realized what she'd just done. She'd failed to divert her weapon. Instead of missing his body like she intended to, Jupiter's blade sliced into his neck and completely separated his head from his body.

Crimson blood splattered the ground and covered her axe, and she just stared with wide eyes at the remains of the man that laid before her.

Carrot Top turned his head when she heard Sera scream, and his face went slack at what he saw. His comrade's head laid on the ground, his eyes still wide while they looked directly at him.

Yang noticed it too. She stared at the corpse on the ground, then lifted her eyes to Sera's back.

"Sera…?" she said uncertainly.

The huntress turned around, her pants spattered with drops of blood. Her eyes were wide and had morphed back to their usual color while she looked at Yang with despair.

"I… I didn't…" she stammered.

The orange-haired guy's face hardened and he reared back to swing his sword into Yang. Sera's eyes went wide at the sight as panic rose in her chest.

"NO!" She screamed and reached her hand out. Yang's eyes widened and looked to the side, just barely seeing what was happening.

Sera flashed back to the night Beacon fell, when she'd watched through her own eyes as Jupiter cleaved into Pyrrha's shoulder and Magnus's sword pierced through Cerulean Myst.

She screamed, all of the rage and anguish she'd felt since that night in her voice as she watched the sword get closer and closer to Yang's body.

Then everything slowed to a crawl around her, and she jolted as she felt some sort of mental tug that poured all of her aura into whatever she'd done. She blinked uncertainly, like she couldn't believe the situation. Pure adrenaline coursed through her body, making her limbs vibrate with energy like she'd just taken a quadruple shot espresso.

The only thing she could think was that she had to save Yang.

Sera's body lurched forward as she took off running towards them, a tear running down her face as she got closer. She narrowed her eyes and yelled as she swung her axe directly into the guy's chest. Oddly enough, as soon as she'd connected with him, the world around her began to move normally.

Mr. Carrot Hair flew backwards and into a wall, sending him directly through it and into a building. Sera panted heavily and stared at the human-sized hole he'd created. She held Jupiter tightly at her side, her shoulders still tense.

"Sera?" Yang asked, and her teammate looked at her with intense eyes. She flinched, like she was afraid the amnesiac would turn the axe on her next.

The huntress relaxed slightly, her eyebrows raising when she saw the fearful look on her friend's face. Her eyes drifted down at her weapon, seeing the redness that stained its edge.

She dropped Jupiter and brought her hands to her face, remembering what she'd done just seconds ago. She'd been so focused on saving Yang, she'd momentarily forgotten about the person she'd just slain.

"I didn't mean…" she looked up with tearful eyes.

Yang immediately hugged her tightly, her arm wrapping around her neck to hold her close. "Thank you," she whispered.

Sera broke down. She couldn't help it. As soon as she heard Yang say that, the ball of tension and anxiety in her chest immediately fell apart and let her emotions run wildly. She hugged Yang and buried her face in her neck, sobbing uncontrollably while tears poured down her face.

"I—I didn't mean to—" she stammered.

"Shh," Yang hushed. "You saved my life. It'll be okay."

She cried harder, squeezing the blond tighter. Sera couldn't stop, and she desperately tried to. The tears and flood of emotions just wouldn't stem. She had to pull herself together, or she was going to start being known as the crybaby in their friend group.

"Well, this is just fucking fantastic," a voice said, and they looked over to see Carrot Hair climbing out of the wall he'd been sent through. His black clothes were covered in dust and torn in several places and he looked tired, but he didn't back down. "She's just going to love this," he spat and readied his sword.

"Who?" Yang demanded and raised Ember Celica in his direction.

He laughed, then coughed suddenly and wiped the dust from his face. "Wouldn't you like to know, bimbo?"

Yang's face hardened and she cocked her gauntlet. "You better leave, pal. Or you'll end up like your friend."

Sera said nothing the whole time. She was still trying to comprehend the situation she found herself in. Instead, she just watched through blurred eyes as Carrot Hair pointed his sword at them.

"If you think I'm going anywhere, you're sorely mista—"

He was suddenly blown to the side when someone new appeared out of nowhere and gave a right hook to his chin. Sera wiped her eyes and separated herself from Yang, immediately drawing her shotgun and pointing it at the orange-haired man.

Their savior gave the guy a distasteful look and turned to them, and Sera was surprised she hadn't recognized him even through her teary eyes.

"Dad?" Yang said in disbelief.

Tai allowed himself to smile when he saw that they were alright. "Hey, you two. Gotten into some trouble?" He chuckled and walked towards them. Carrot Hair laid on the ground, unconscious from the earth-shattering blow he'd received. Sera wouldn't be surprised if his jaw had been shattered.

Then he saw Jupiter lying on the ground with what was clearly blood on its blade and he searched the area, his eyes falling up on the beheaded corpse lying just a few dozen feet away. Surprise filled his face as he brought his eyes back to them.

"What happened?"

Yang quickly filled him in, then explained how Sera had no other choice but to put the Faunus down to save her life. Tai listened carefully, but his attention hardly left Sera's face. The amnesiac was holding her arm at her side nervously, her eyes switching from the ground beneath her and the body of the man she'd called Horns. When Yang was finished talking, Taiyang sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair.

"We need to get back to the house. Now." he looked at them both.

"Duh," Yang said. "We just need to get—Hey, where'd he go?!" she turned her head from side to side, searching for Carrot Top.

Sera saw that he was no longer where he'd been laying after Tai's punch. A flicker of movement caught her eye, and she looked up to find the man in question running along the top of the buildings beside them. He looked over his shoulder and sent a glare their way, then kept running.

"Hey!" she started to go after him.

"Wait!" Tai shouted.

She froze and looked at him impatiently. "We have to go after him!"

"No!" he shook his head. "We have to get back to the house. We have to regroup. There could be more of them."

"Ugh," she groaned, but he was right. "Okay."

Tai nodded at her. "Good. Come on, let's get out of here before the cops show up."

"Now, that's more like it," Yang flexed her arm.

Sera and Yang mounted Bumblebee and sped off down the road. Apparently, Taiyang had taken his car into town. He jumped into it and followed them, and all three kept an eye out for anyone who might be looking for them.

. . .

Back at the house, Sera and Yang quickly dismounted the motorcycle and ran towards the front door. Tai arrived shortly after, a look of worry on his face.

"Qrow!" Sera shouted when she slammed the door open. She saw the huntsman sitting at the kitchen table with his eyebrow raised.

"The hell's the matter with you?" he asked. Then he saw the alarmed expressions on Sera's and Yang's faces, and he put his coffee down. "What's going on?"

Tai appeared in the house, ready to bust heads. When he found no one to pummel, the huntsman relaxed.

"We need to talk," he said urgently. Tai turned to Yang. "Go check on Ruby."

"But—"

"Yang," Tai said, more insistently.

The blond groaned and headed upstairs to find her younger sister. As soon as she was out of earshot, they quickly explained the situation to Qrow. There were huntsmen in town, looking for Sera. They all knew what that meant—Salem.

Qrow was surprised when Sera got to the part about the Faunus she'd fought but said nothing. Once they were finished, he looked rather distraught.

"We need to get you out of here," he told her, his eyebrows knitted.

"But…" she said. She wanted to say she didn't want to leave. Sera liked being a guest in this house, and she'd gotten used to the day-to-day routine. Then again, she and Ruby had been planning to leave anyway. There was still a job to do.

Sera had to get to the bottom of Salem's plan. She knew that the witch was plotting something, she just had no idea what. And if she staged an assault on Beacon, who's to say she's not going to attack any of the other academies? If she could be there when it happened, she'd have a better shot at stopping them. Even if Cinder was there with all her new powers.

"Okay," she nodded. "What are you thinking?"