Sera tossed and turned in her sleep. It's only been a few days since her latest episode during training, and every night since then, she hasn't been able to get any rest. Her dreams were filled with a million flashbacks to places she'd never been to and people she'd never met. They happened faster than she could process and by the time she could even think about it, a new one appeared. Occasionally, she saw her own reflection, but with blue eyes and dark hair.
Still asleep, she groaned out and brought her hands to her head, as if to quiet the overwhelming tide of images and sounds. Usually, she could somehow move herself while she was asleep. Now, she was completely immobile and forced to experience it all. She wanted nothing more than to wake up and put an end to it.
A wide expanse of desert with splotches of color here and there, a dense forest of dark green and filled with colorful flowers, a tavern full of laughter and noise, a random Grimm here and there. Sometimes she held a short sword and a round shield, other times a long javelin or a bow and arrow. She saw a tall handsome man smiling at her with a large sword in his hands, and then herself laughing with a group of warriors around a big campfire and some animal cooking above it. Conversation buzzed in her head, but she couldn't understand what anyone was saying. It was like a hundred voices speaking at once and the entire ordeal left her dazed and confused.
Then she was staring into a cracked mirror in a small bathroom with her hands holding a washbasin. Her azure eyes and hair seemed to flicker in the light, changing between white and black, and blue and purple like a camera shuttering. Finally, it settled on Kassandra's blue eyes and dark hair.
Her eyes bored into the reflection, like she was staring directly into her own soul.
"Who are we?" she asked, but it sounded like two voices overlapping at once.
Sera sat bolt upright in her bed and inhaled sharply, searching the room with wide eyes. She patted herself and held her hair in front of her eyes, then sighed in relief when it was still white.
She fell back and put her hands on her face, dragging them downwards and groaning out loud.
"I feel like I'm gonna explode…" she mumbled.
With nothing else to do, she got out of bed and took a shower. Sera didn't even bother making herself presentable for the day. She just put her pajamas back on and went to the kitchen to get a pot of coffee started. It was some sort of caramel flavored kind, but good nonetheless.
After getting a hot mug in her hand, she went outside and sat on the edge of the back porch. The sunrise was gorgeous as always. Usually, it made her smile, but now she just stared into the horizon, feeling rather dejected. She tried to focus on any of the images she'd seen while she was asleep, but it was like she couldn't reach them. She only knew that she'd seen them and some vague descriptions she happened to remember. The only thing she remembered for certain was the very last thing, where Kassandra had seemed to speak directly to her.
Was it a memory? The rest of what she'd seen had to be. But that wasn't possible.
"Ugh!" she resisted the urge to throw her coffee out of frustration. She set it down to prevent herself from doing just that, then put her head between her knees and held it with both hands.
The door opened, but she didn't hear it. She was too deep in her own thoughts.
"Jeez," someone said, and she heard the door close. "Who died?"
Sera looked up and found Weiss Schnee smiling down at her. She wore a white fuzzy robe on her shoulders over her nightgown, and her hair was down instead of the off-center ponytail it was usually styled in. Weiss sat down next to her and took a sip from her own cup of coffee.
"I did. Remember?" Sera laughed bitterly.
"Please," she rolled her eyes. "If you died, how am I going to annoy you?"
"I thought I was the one that annoyed you," she smirked.
Weiss bumped their shoulders together. "How about we just keep annoying each other?"
Sera smiled lightly. She rested her arms on her knees and held her coffee with both hands. Staring off at the sunrise, she tried to think of something to say. It didn't help that she felt like she was about to leap out of her own skin ever since Weiss sat down. It had to be the coffee getting to her, right?
"What's going on with you?" Weiss looked over at her, eyebrows knitted together.
Sera smirked lightly. She's cute when she's worried, she thought, then blinked uncertainly. Where did that come from?
"So much, I don't even know where to start," she breathed, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "There's the existential crisis, the clashing personalities in my head, the visions from Kassandra's life—my life—knowing that I'm responsible for two of my friends' deaths, the guy I killed in Patch, the never-ending stream of BULLSHIT that—"
She stopped. Sera hadn't meant to mention the bull Faunus that had attacked her and Yang. Weirdly, she sometimes forgot that she'd even done it, which really worried her. It was like she'd killed before, and had simply gotten used to it. Was that something from Kassandra's life...?
"Hey," Weiss put a hand on her shoulder, and she jolted. "Relax. It'll be okay. You'll see."
"How do you know that?" she asked, her shoulders sagging.
"Because I know you, moron," she patted her shoulder gently. I've never seen you back down from a challenge, and I doubt you'll start now. You're just gonna shove that big dumb head right into the problem until you figure it out."
"Hey," Sera frowned, but it didn't last long. A smile crept at the corners of her mouth, and Weiss smirked at her.
"See? Didn't take much to cheer you up."
Sera leaned back and took a sip of her coffee. "I guess so. It's just… a lot, y'know?"
"No, I don't," she admitted. "But we'll all be here for you, no matter what. You know we'd follow you anywhere if you asked us."
Sera frowned and looked down at the mug in her hands. "Like it or not, you are someone that others look up to," Ozpin had said.
"What is it?" Weiss raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing, just… Thinking about something Ozpin told me. He said that I was someone others look up to for like, leadership. I don't get it. I'm no leader."
Weiss pursed her lips together and looked towards the sunrise. The sun was slowly getting higher and higher into the sky and covering the land with warm light.
"Do you remember when we took that assignment in Mt. Glenn to find the White Fang?"
Sera raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? I got captured by that big creep with the chainsaw."
Weiss laughed. "Not that part. We were so in over our heads, we had no idea. Ruby was so wrapped up in her fantasies of foiling a criminal enterprise, she couldn't even see the reality of the situation we were in. Yang was along for the thrills, and because she had to be. Blake had her own personal stuff to deal with regarding Torchwick and the White Fang. Admittedly, I just wanted to bring the White Fang to justice and expose them for the criminals that they are. But you," she met Sera's eyes. "You were the most grounded one of us all. That's when I started to admire you, you know. A little sloppy during the fights, though."
"Hey!" she said indignantly.
"I'm kidding," Weiss chuckled. "Remember when you took that hit and you were mad at yourself for being so careless? That's when I fully realized you were trying to better yourself to be a huntress."
"Jeez," Sera muttered. "How do you remember all this stuff?"
She shrugged. "Just do. Anyways, that's how I know you're a leader, because when things get dangerous and started going awry, you take charge of the situation and fight even if you're about to fall over. Does that help?"
Sera raised her hand. "What does 'awry' mean?"
Weiss sighed and brought her hand to her forehead. "You're insufferable."
"I am not!" she crossed her arms, mumbling about Weiss using dumb words that sound dumb, or something.
Weiss laughed, and Sera perked up upon hearing it. The noise just immediately made her forget what she was mad about.
"I forget that you can be as childish as Ruby and Yang sometimes," she held her hand in front of her mouth in that fancy way she always did.
"Your face is childish!" Sera pointed at her.
Weiss ignored her and palmed her coffee mug, a pleasant smile on her face. "Now do you feel better?"
Sera lowered her hand and laughed. She felt like the weight had been lifted from her shoulders just by goofing around with Weiss. "Yeah. Thanks."
"Any time," she sipped her coffee. "So, tell me about your dream. I know you had one, that's why you're out here."
"That obvious, huh?" she chuckled, turning her mug in her hands.
"Yeah, so spill," she nudged her.
"Fine, fine," Sera laughed. She went on to explain her dream as best as she could, but there wasn't much to tell. Apart from the end, anyway.
"Wow," Weiss said. "You sound like a crazy person."
"Hey. I already think that, you don't need to go making me feel worse," she laughed.
The heiress frowned. "Sorry. I've been trying to work on my… bluntness."
"Weiss, I'm kidding," Sera nudged her. "Jeez, chill out."
"Not funny," she tried to hide her smile.
"Ice Queen, it is always funny to make ice jokes with you. They never get old."
Weiss frowned, then sighed. "Okay, maybe."
"See? The best way to break the ice is to tell a few jokes."
"…I hate you."
Sera grinned. "No, you don't."
Weiss relaxed, and Sera saw her start to smile. For a moment, they just stared at each other. It felt like a presence had just settled onto her and froze her in place. She couldn't move or tear her eyes away from the similarly white-haired girl beside her. She blinked, and Weiss was suddenly moving towards her with her eyes closed.
Then the door blew open, and Yang Xiao Long stepped outside with a broad grin on her face and her hands on her hips.
"All right! Let's get this over with—" then she saw the two girls sitting on the porch, and she raised an eyebrow. Ruby, Jaune, Ren, and Nora appeared behind Yang. "What're you two doing?"
"Um…" Sera's face warmed.
Yang's eyes widened. "Oh. Oh! Aww!" she said.
"Don't…!" Weiss's eyes narrowed and she shot to her feet. "Not a word!"
"That's so cute!"
"Yang!" Sera screamed, her voice cracking.
"Wait, what's going on?" Ruby blinked in confusion.
Yang draped her arm around her sister's shoulders. "See, the two of them are out here being all romant—"
Sera lunged forward and clamped her hand to Yang's mouth, as if that would help anything. She and Weiss had a moment. She couldn't deny it, and the others caught them right in the middle of it. Then again, they also saved her from whatever was about to happen.
"Shut it, or I'm gonna tell them about that," Sera warned.
Yang's eyes widened. Then she rolled her eyes. A muffled, "Fine," came from under Sera's hand.
"Wait. Tell us about what?" Nora raised her eyebrows.
"Nothing!" Yang squeaked.
"But—"
"NOTHING!"
Sera stared at Yang with hard eyes. She brought finger and thumb together and put them to her own lips, sliding them across in the universal "shut up" sign.
"Okay!" Sera turned and put her hands to her hips. "You guys get started on training. Who's hungry? I'm hungry." Then she went into the house and shut the door hard.
Ruby blinked. "What just happened?"
All eyes turned to Weiss. She fidgeted with the hem of her robe. "What?"
Yang raised her eyebrows up and down and nudged her with her elbow. "Weiss, you dog."
"Nothing happened!" She held her fists at her sides.
"Yeah, but something was about to," Jaune snickered.
"Shut it!"
The others laughed at her, and Weiss's face grew as red as a tomato. She stormed inside and slammed the door.
"Aw, Weiss! C'mon!" Yang laughed.
"Jeez. She looked like she was about to blow a fuse," Nora commented.
"You'd know a lot about that, huh?" Yang deadpanned.
"Why, I oughta…" Nora pushed her sleeves up and stormed towards Yang.
"All right!" Jaune stuck his arms out to separate them, an amused smile on his face. "Let's get our training for the day started. Nora and Yang, you can settle it out in the yard."
"C'mon, I was kidding!" Yang laughed, but she and Nora went into the backyard with their weapons ready.
Ruby shifted on her feet. "So, what's up with Weiss and Sera?"
Ren laughed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps we'll learn soon enough."
Jaune shook his head and went out to get started on his own training. "Of course you two haven't figured it out," he laughed, then stepped off of the porch to start his morning routine.
"What's he talking about?" Ruby asked.
"No clue."
. . .
Sera washed out her coffee mug in the sink. She wasn't in the mood to drink the rest of it, and it had gone cold over the course of the conversation outside. She heard the door slam shut and looked over her shoulder to find Weiss walking stiffly with her arms crossed towards the kitchen. When the heiress saw her standing there, she jolted.
"…Hey," she said.
"Hi," Sera stiffened. "So… About outside."
Weiss's face got even redder. "That was a nice talk."
"Uh… Yeah. Are we going to talk about that, or…?"
Weiss shifted from heel to heel, glancing around the room to look anywhere other than Sera.
"W-Well, I—Uh…" she stammered.
Then she hurried out of the kitchen and to her room, the door shutting loudly behind her.
Sera blinked. "What...?"
Another door opened, and Qrow stumbled out of the hallway. "What's all the damn racket?" He grumbled.
"…Nothing," her shoulders relaxed. She turned the sink off and dried her hands. "Hell's wrong with you?"
He chuckled and wiped his face with one hand. "Hungover. The others started training yet?"
"Yep," Sera sighed and walked towards the living room, dropping onto the couch. She was in no hurry to join her friends just yet.
Qrow raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter with you?"
"Nothing," she said. Then she got an idea. She could divert the conversation to her advantage and not talk about whatever's going on with her and Weiss. "Actually… I had another dream. It's kinda bothering me."
His eyes widened slightly, then he sighed. "Let me go get Oz."
She nodded in response and laid back on the couch, folding her hands behind her head. In less than a minute, she heard Qrow and Oscar walk in, and she closed her eyes to prepare herself for the conversation to come.
"Miss Kallisto," Ozpin said.
Sera sat up and looked up at Oscar. His expression was serious, and there was a sort of somber look in his eyes.
"I hear you've made another discovery regarding, well, yourself."
The amnesiac took a deep breath and sat up. "I'm not sure if it's good or bad. Kinda neither, and both at the same time?"
Ozpin sat in a chair near the couch she was on. He tapped his cane on the floor, a kind smile on his face. "I'm sure everything is all right, Miss Kallisto."
Qrow sat beside her and clapped her on the back, then pulled his flask out to take a long swig.
"…Old man, it's like seven in the morning," Sera sighed.
"Eh, five o'clock somewhere," he shrugged.
She could only blink at him in disappointment. She took a deep breath, and looked at Ozpin. "It went like this…"
As she recounted what she could remember from her dream, Ozpin held his cane tighter and sat forward in his chair, listening to every word she said. He asked for more specific details about the images she'd seen, but she just couldn't describe much. When she got to the part about Kassandra with the mirror, he scrunched his eyebrows together and rubbed his chin in deep thought.
"I see…" he said.
"Well? What does it mean?" Qrow asked.
"I'm not certain, if I'm being honest. I've never seen anything like this, and that's saying something. I'm old, and have 'been around the block,' so to speak. Our situations are not entirely different, but yours is much more complex. This is just pure speculation, but it sounds like Kassandra is locked within your mind, and she's close to getting out."
Sera's back stiffened and her eyes went wide. "What does that mean for me?"
"Truthfully? I have no idea. Perhaps the two of you will coexist within your mind, much like Oscar and I. If not… I fear that you'll clash together until one comes out on top. Whoever loses may just be lost forever. I have no idea which, and I have no idea what will happen during either process. I'm sorry, Sera. We will just have to wait and see."
She felt like the entire world just came crashing down on her. Her mind was reeling, and all she could do was stare at the wall with wide eyes. There were too many questions, and zero answers.
"Hey," Qrow patted her shoulder, and she was brought out of whatever trance she was in. "It'll be okay, Sera. No matter what happens, you're going to be all right. Coexist with her if you can, kick her ass if you have to. Kassandra's time is long gone, but Sera still has a life to live. You're a huntress, kiddo. Just keep calm."
She nodded, but his words did little to settle her nerves. She turned her eyes to the flask in Qrow's hand, and he followed her gaze until he saw what she was staring at. With an amused grunt and a shrug, he held it out to her. Sera took the flask and gazed at it for a moment, then ultimately decided she had greater problems than a nip of alcohol. She tilted her head back and took three long swallows before the burning liquid could make her gag.
"Gods!" she stomped her foot and clasped a hand to her throat, her head shaking to dispel the taste of the alcohol.
"Heh, take it easy, Snowball," he took the flask back.
Ozpin chuckled. "While I don't exactly condone underage drinking, I think you're allowed a pass on this."
Sera wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and sat back. "What about the other one?"
"Other one?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow.
"The one that controlled me on top of Beacon Tower. The one that killed Pyrrha."
Ozpin and Qrow shifted uncomfortably, glancing at each other.
"I'm not sure," the headmaster admitted. "It's quite possible that presence is, well, present. To be quite honest, I have no idea who or what it is. We know of you and Kassandra, but this third mind is a mystery. Let's just hope it doesn't reappear."
"And if it does? If I can't even control my own body again, and I start attacking people?" she asked, her expression hard.
"What would you want us to do?" Qrow asked.
She pursed her lips and thought for a moment. She already knew what she'd want to happen, but she wasn't sure how they would react.
"If you have to, you need to kill me before I can hurt anyone else. I refuse to allow what happened to Pyrrha happen to any of my friends."
The huntsmen glanced at each other once more, then returned their eyes to Sera.
"Are you sure, kid?" Qrow asked gently.
"Absolutely."
"...Very well," Ozpin said.
She exhaled deeply and put her head in her hands. Qrow and Ozpin just watched her silently, giving her all the time she needed. It was a lot to process, after all.
For a time, she just sat there contemplating what Ozpin had said. If he was right, there was a strong possibility that she wouldn't be quite herself anymore. What would that mean for her?
She thought about her friends. Weirdly enough, she was more worried about not being there with them for whatever the future might hold. More than the possibility of dying and being replaced by her old self.
Sera laid back, her head already starting to swim. Her face was hot and the liquor sat like tar in her stomach, but she didn't care. Apparently, she was a lightweight. Then again, she learned that much when she drank all that sake on the journey to Mistral. Still, it was surprising that the alcohol had numbed her mind that quickly.
"Ugh," she groaned.
"Snowball, it's like seven in the morning," Qrow said in a mocking tone.
"Shut up."
"Miss Kallisto," Ozpin said. Sera looked over at him. "Do try not to worry. Qrow's right, everything will work out."
"Ugh, I'm tired of being told that!" she groaned and got to her feet. "Stop saying it'll be okay! What if it's not? What if I wake up tomorrow, and I'm not even me anymore!"
"Kid—" Qrow tried to reach up from the couch and put a hand on her shoulder.
"No!" she stepped away, almost tripping over the coffee table. "Stop telling me everything's going to 'bE oKaY,'" she put up finger quotes. "I could be dying! And the only way you're going to know is if I suddenly get less funny!"
Qrow snickered.
"Don't laugh at me!" she pointed at him.
"Sorry, kid," he tried to keep from laughing. "It's just… I've never seen you drunk."
"Pfft, that?" she pointed at his flask. "It'll take more than that weak-sauce whiskey of yours."
"Hey," he said indignantly.
"Miss Kallisto—" Ozpin said.
"And you!" Sera turned to him. "What makes you think anything will be okay with me? In my friggin' head, I've got some old hero on one side, and a godsdamn psychopath on the other! I'm a fucking time bomb!"
Ozpin planted his cane and rested both hands on it. "Because this is you we're talking about."
"Bah!" Sera waved her arm.
Qrow got to his feet and put his hand on her shoulder. "Let's get you some breakfast, huh? I'll get Ren in here to whip something up."
At the mention of food, her stomach rolled over and begged. She took a deep breath, realizing she was getting too worked up.
"…Yeah. S-Sounds good," she muttered. Sera twiddled her thumbs and shifted from heel to heel. "Sorry about... that."
"It's quite all right," Ozpin said, clearly amused by her outburst.
Half an hour later, Ren sat a plate full of bacon, eggs, and biscuits in front of her. Over the course of that half hour, Sera could only sit on the couch as the room spun around her. Unfortunately, that swallow of liquor had made her head begin to buzz pleasantly and turn her goofy and inebriated. Turns out, she was only feeling the beginning of its effects after she'd drank. Now, she could barely remember where she was. She cursed herself for being a hypocrite. During the wait for her food, she talked nonsense, and Qrow was the only one who could keep up with what she was saying. Plenty of experience both being drunk and dealing with the drunk, she figured.
She picked up a fork and knife and looked around the room. "Where's Weiss?"
"Weiss?" Qrow asked. "I can go get her—"
"No!" she pulled him onto the couch. Then she leaned in and whispered, "The other's'll find out I like her. It'd be embarassaming…"
Qrow chuckled. "Sure, kiddo."
"Wait. You like Weiss?" Ren asked.
"Shh!" Sera turned to him and held a finger to her lips.
"Uh…" he raised an eyebrow.
"Thanks, Ren," Qrow interrupted. "I'll handle her from here. You can go back to training."
"Very well," he nodded, then removed his "Please Do Nothing To The Chef" apron and went outside.
Qrow pushed the plate closer to Sera. "Eat, kid."
Sera looked at the plate, as if seeing it for the first time. Then she dug in.
Qrow and Ozpin sat silently as she ate. In no time at all, the plate was empty, and the two huntsmen watched her curiously. Sera pushed her plate away from her and fell back onto the couch. She was starting to feel better already, at least a little.
"So," Ozpin palmed the head of his cane. "There is something else that has happened."
"Oh boy," Sera groaned.
Qrow nudged her. "This is important, kid."
"Fi-ine," she rolled her eyes.
"Jeez, no more drinking for you."
"You're one to talk," she hiccupped.
Ozpin sat forward, his expression as calm and serious as ever. "It seems that Professor Lionheart has changed his mind about allocating the local huntsmen to find the Spring Maiden. Now, he says the council has unanimously agreed to dedicate as many huntsmen as we need to the task."
"Hmph," she crossed her arms. "Didn't he say the council would be 'difficult to manage?' Something about defending the city?"
"Yeah, he did," Qrow said. "Sounds fishy, Snowball."
"Indeed," Ozpin said.
"So… What does that mean?" she raised an eyebrow, swaying from side to side. Noticing this, she sat back against the couch. Mostly so the others wouldn't think she was that far gone.
The former headmaster sighed. "It means… it's quite possible that he has betrayed us."
"What?" she exclaimed. "Betrayed? What makes you say that, and why would the headmaster of Haven even do it?"
"Let's just say I've seen it before," he replied grimly. "Miss Kallisto, when you've been alive for as long as I have, you experience many things. Betrayal of a friend is not excluded from that. Tell me, what do you remember from when you met him?"
"Hm," she thought about it. "He was like, all nervous. Like we would suddenly attack him, or something."
"And do you remember when we first saw him?" Qrow asked.
She blinked. "Yeah, you kicked the door in and knocked him on his butt."
"No, no," he laughed. "When we saw him."
"Uh…" she replayed the events of when they met the Haven headmaster. "Oh! When he saw me, it was like he recognized me. It was really weird."
"That's what I feared," Ozpin said.
"Told you, Oz. I saw it too," Qrow said.
"I wanted to hear what Sera thought," he said. "Is that all?"
"Uh, I guess? The whole conversation was kind of awkward," Sera crossed her arms and sat back.
"I see," Ozpin said. "And he doesn't know about me yet, and I'm planning to keep it that way until it suits me."
"So… What are we going to do?" she asked.
Qrow cleared his throat. "He's called a meeting with us to discuss the plan to find Spring. All of us."
Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Why would all of us need to—"
"Exactly," Ozpin said. "Why would students need to be present for such a meeting? I've never known Leo to do such a thing, even under the circumstances. Ideally, only Qrow would go to meet him, and he'd suggest you students focus on preparing for the coming school year. So, why?"
She thought about it for a moment. "…He wants all of us together in one place."
"Good job, kid," Qrow nudged her. "Might be a huntress after all."
"Hey," she knitted her eyebrows.
Ozpin chuckled lightly. "All jokes aside, yes, that's what we were thinking too. This may be unrelated, but your new friend Neo has informed us of an increase in White Fang activity near Mistral. Something is happening. Soon."
Sera took a deep breath as she processed all of this. "Great. Just, great. Let me guess—it's probably Salem that Lionheart ratted us out to. Right?"
"We think so," he nodded.
"Grea-at," she swept her hair back and looked up at the spinning ceiling fan. The effects of Qrow's liquor had faded a little, but she could still feel a numbness to her senses. "So, what? We have another Fall of Beacon on our hands?"
"Not if we can help it," he gave a small smile.
Sera put her face in her hands, remembering everything she experienced during the attack on Vale. Grimm overrunning Mistral? She could only imagine what it would be like. Would Salem come here? She hoped not. And what did the White Fang have to do with this? Were they really working for her? If so, why? The only thing she could think of would be that Salem promised to eradicate all humans with what she had planned. They probably didn't know that would also include the Faunus. Jeez, she was good at manipulating people.
"Calm down," Qrow said gently and put a hand on her shoulder.
She looked up. She didn't realize she was shaking.
"I'm okay," she forced herself to relax. Then she put on a brave smile. Or tried to, at least. "Whatever happens, we'll stop it."
"That's the spirit," he smirked. "Tell her the plan, Oz."
The former headmaster nodded. "We're going to meet him as he requested, in Haven."
"Wait, what?" she asked. "We're just gonna go? Why don't we just jump him?"
"Because we don't know anything for certain yet, kid," Qrow said.
"We need to confirm our suspicions. I'm open to suggestions as to what else we can do to solve this, but I want you to remember Leo is an old friend and trusted ally. He's the headmaster of Haven Academy, personally handpicked by me to protect the secrets of the Relic of Knowledge, the Maidens, and Salem. I'm not about to just accuse him of something we think he might have done. Believe me, I know how it looks. But we need allies, not enemies. I'm sure you understand, given…" he glanced off to the side, and Sera turned her head to find Neo leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Where the heck did she come from?
"Jeez, announce yourself when you enter a room," Sera said.
Neo frowned. Qrow snickered.
Sera got to her feet, grabbed Neo by the collar, then headed for the back door.
"Where're you going?" Qrow asked.
"To strategize with the others. You two might wanna be there to answer questions," she pushed the door open and went into the back yard.
The huntsmen glanced at each other, then got up to follow her.
Ruby and Jaune were in the middle of squaring off against each other while Yang and Nora went head-to-head at full strength. Ren was sitting off to the side and meditating, and Weiss was nowhere to be found. Probably still in her room from earlier, Sera thought.
Sera saw Yang catch Nora's hammer with both hands, then threw the redhead across the yard. Jaune blocked a hit from Ruby with his shield and shoved her back. Ruby zipped away in a flurry of rose petals, then flew straight at him with her scythe spinning like a blender.
Neo slapped and hit at Sera's hand to get her to let go. She released her, and Neo shot her a glare and flashed the middle finger. It was becoming fun to annoy the mute. Sera smirked and shoved her playfully, and Neo punched her back. It's funny, Sera would have done anything to fight this chick to the death months ago. Now, they were actually getting along. Outside of training, Neo had even started teaching her sign language to communicate better. It was getting annoying to have her type out what she wanted to say all the time.
"Old man, can you get Weiss?" she asked.
He shrugged and wordlessly went inside. Less than a minute later, the ex-heiress was standing near her with a puzzled expression on her face. She glanced at Sera, then quickly looked away.
As soon as she saw Weiss, Sera's heartbeat quickened and she shifted from side to side restlessly. She cleared her throat and returned her eyes to the others. Sera put two fingers to her lips and whistled loudly, and they all stopped to look at her.
"Listen up!" she put her hands on her hips. "We're going to meet with Lionheart later. Says he's made some sort of breakthrough with the Mistralian council to organize a search party for the Spring Maiden."
"That's good, right?" Ruby asked, noticing the frowns on their faces.
Sera glanced at Ozpin, and he nodded at her gravely.
"Normally, yeah. But we think it's weird that the council has suddenly decided to support the mission. And that Lionheart wants to meet with all of us. Why do we need to hear about this, if we're not going on the mission?"
"We're not?" Nora asked.
"No. Remember? That was Qrow's assignment to lead, and we're supposed to be getting ready for next semester," she said.
"Oh. Right," Nora scratched her head. "I dunno, I just thought we were gonna go on a big adventure to find the Maiden."
"Yeah! Why would we want to sit around when we could go find the Spring Maiden?" Ruby said.
"I wouldn't mind staying in Mistral," Ren added.
Ozpin cleared his throat. They were getting off task.
"Anyways!" Sera raised her hands to return their attention to her. "Ozpin thinks there's a possibility that Lionheart has betrayed us. To Salem."
"Wait, huh?" Yang asked. The others' faces were a mixture of shock and confusion. Jaune and Ren didn't look all that surprised.
"Indeed," Ozpin said. "Call it paranoia, if you wish, but I'll just say this isn't the first time something of this nature has happened."
They looked to Sera. She suddenly felt a lot smaller. Here it comes, she thought.
"What do we do?" Ruby asked.
She shifted on her feet and looked at each of her friends, then to Qrow and Ozpin. Qrow nodded at her encouragingly and Ozpin winked. They were just as curious to see what she would say as the others.
Taking a deep breath, she started to speak. "Ozpin says we should go to the meeting to confront him. I think we should too. But we're going to go in there armed to the teeth. We don't know what's going to happen, but we need to be ready for anything. Lionheart doesn't know that Ozpin's back, and he doesn't know Yang, Weiss, and Neo are here. He still thinks it's just us and Qrow, so we have an element of surprise. If he did sell us out and there's an ambush waiting for us, hopefully they planned to have just enough people there to take on six people rather than ten."
Ruby raised her hand. Sera blinked. "Uh, Ruby," she pointed at her. "What's up?"
The scythe wielder looked nervous. "Do you think those guys that attacked us are going to be there?"
"Or Cinder?" Jaune asked, tightly gripping the hilt of his sword.
She tensed at the mention of the Fall Maiden. "I hope not, but it's a possibility. If Lionheart did betray us and he told Salem that both I and Ruby will be there, I have a feeling she'll send some badasses to try and take us, or whatever that guy Tyrian was talking about."
Yang slammed her fists together. "Anyone that tries is gonna get a beating from yours truly."
"Yeah! No one's taking anyone away!" Nora pumped her fist.
Weiss glanced at Sera. She looked nervous, so Weiss walked over to her side and put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her. Sera straightened herself and set her jaw.
"Look, I have no idea what's going to happen. None of us do. For all I know, Lionheart really did convince the council to get some huntsmen for the assignment, and we could all be stressing out for nothing. But if there is something going on, we'll be ready. In Beacon, we were separated, and we know how that turned out. Now, we're all here and ready for whatever they throw at us."
That seemed to relax them a bit. Whenever Cinder and the others were mentioned, Sera wasn't the only one that got nervous.
"Yeah… Yeah!" Nora said. "She's right! What can they do against all of us? We're kinda badass."
Yang snickered and flexed her prosthetic arm. "Kind of?"
"How'd you lose that arm again, Blondie?" Sera smirked.
"I'll beat you to death with it," Yang removed her arm and held it up like a club.
"All right," Qrow laughed. "We should go over a game plan in case of a fight."
"Already on it," Sera said confidently. She turned to him and Ozpin. "Where are we meeting Lionheart?"
Ozpin planted his cane. "The main room of Haven. I can give you a detailed description of it."
"Okay," she nodded.
"It's a large square room that's partially elevated towards the back. Two sets of short stairs on either side of a statue of a woman. There is a large balcony in the room with dozens of bookshelves, and support beams for it are on the first floor. Wide stone pillars are on either side of the main path, and could provide cover in a fight. Other than that, the area is rather spacious. Plenty of room to move around," he explained.
Sera nodded and pursed her lips together, putting together a battle plan. In the event of an ambush, she figured there would be at least six others to fight them. Just in case, she tried to plan for even more. In hindsight, it was rather simple.
While she silently planned, the others just glanced at each other. Ruby got impatient and used the end of Crescent Rose to draw pictures in the dirt. Jaune inspected his sword, testing its edge. Yang reattached her prosthetic arm. The others just looked bored, apart from Ren who stood with his arms folded behind his back.
Weiss just kept her eyes on Sera, watching her pace back and forth with her chin in her hand. She shook her head, an amused smile on her face.
Qrow leaned over to Oscar. "Think she'll come up with something?"
"Who knows?" Ozpin mused. "Perhaps some of the old Kassandra will come out. It wouldn't be the first time she's had to make a plan on the fly."
"'F you say so, Oz," he muttered.
"She'll think of something," Weiss said with certainty. "You're right, Professor. It's not the first time."
"I know, Miss Schnee," he said kindly.
Sera brought her fist down onto her palm, a smile on her face. "I've got it."
"Well?" Yang asked, eager to see what she had planned.
The huntress turned to them. "Okay, we're the ones entering the room, yeah? Either way, if Lionheart goes to meet us or stays at the back of the room, that puts us near the exit. If we have to fight, we're going to form up in a semi-circle and take on whatever comes our way. Stick together. No matter what, we have to stay in a group. If the group breaks, we'll be at a disadvantage. If that happens, I want us to at least get into pairs or more if we can. Don't get too far away from anyone on our side. We're going to work together to take them down, until we make it to Lionheart. Then we're going to beat some information out of him."
"Uh… Wha?" Ruby asked, completely lost.
"Hm," Ozpin put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "I've heard worse plans. Well done, Miss Kallisto. But I don't think we'll have to 'beat' Leo for information."
"If he betrayed us, he's still getting beaten," she crossed her arms.
"Eh, good point," he planted his cane.
"I like it," Jaune said. "Sera and I can take the front with our shields and you guys can shoot them from behind us."
"Until they reach us, you mean," Qrow crossed his arms. "Then all hell breaks loose. Trust me, once that happens, a plan can go sideways. Besides, what if Cinder is there and she just blows us up? Then we'll have to separate to avoid it. What then? Regroup so she can try it again?"
"If that bitch shows herself, I'll take care of her," Sera hooked a thumb at herself, only half believing her own words.
"By yourself? I don't think so," Weiss said.
"Fine, Ice Queen," Sera said. "If she's there and we have to break formation, Qrow and I will both fight her. You guys would have to fend off the others so we can beat her."
"Eh, not a terrible idea," Yang shrugged.
"Especially if you can transform or whatever like before," Jaune said.
Shit, that's right. If she wanted to fight Cinder, she'd better use that power to face her. If she even can. There's no guarantee she'll be able to, but she'd have to try.
She tried to look confident, but her usual full-of-herself expression wavered. "I'll do my best."
"Remember, this is if the Fall Maiden is even there," Ozpin said. He swayed where he stood, having to use his cane to support his weight. "Oh, dear. I fear my control over Oscar is wavering. Okay, no problem. If I have anything to add, I'll have Oscar speak for me."
Qrow nodded. "Go ahead, Oz."
His eyes flashed green, and Oscar was back. He looked at the cane in his hand and rose to his full height, glancing at each of them nervously. "Wow," he commented. "Pretty heavy stuff."
"You have no idea," Sera swept her hair back to get it out of her face. She really needed a haircut.
Ruby rested Crescent Rose on her shoulders and laid her arms over its staff. "Well, we have a solid plan. The only thing that could really go wrong is if we're outclassed."
"I doubt that'll be the case," Nora flexed her arm smugly.
"All right," Qrow said. "Don't get cocky. We still don't know if we're even in for a fight at all. But if we are, I think Sera's plan is a good one to go with. Any objections?"
No one disagreed. Some smiled approvingly at Sera and she felt her face warm up. What can she say? She was embarrassed.
Then someone tapped on her shoulder. She thought it was Weiss, but when she looked over, Neo was looking at her questioningly.
She quickly made a series of hand gestures that Sera barely understood, but after a moment, she realized what she'd asked.
"What do I do?"
Sera blinked uncertainly. She'd nearly forgotten that Neo was even there. She grinned and clapped her hand to the shorter girl's shoulder.
"I want you to stick to the shadows. At first, at least. No one knows you're with us, right?"
Neo nodded affirmatively.
"Good. Then if-slash-when the fighting kicks off, ambush them. They wanna attack us, so let's get the jump on them right back. They'll see Yang and Weiss with us, so they shouldn't expect anyone else new to show up, yeah?"
Neo shrugged, then nodded, a smirk on her lips.
"Again, not bad, Snowball," Qrow whistled.
"Yeah, well, someone had to come up with something," she shrugged. "What else were we supposed to do? Just walk in?"
"…Actually, that was the Plan B if you didn't come up with anything," he said.
Her eyes widened. "Wait, seriously?"
"That's just sad," Weiss crossed her arms. Sera smiled when she saw the ex-heiress next to her, then she cleared her throat and straightened herself out to look inconspicuous.
"Yeah, well, what can ya do?" Qrow chuckled, having clearly noticed Sera's reaction. She shot him a glare, and he grinned wider.
Yang appeared next to her. "Wait. How long do we have until we meet the headmaster?"
"This evening. Why?" Qrow asked.
"Then we have that long to train for a big fight!" Ruby jumped excitedly.
"If there is a fight," Ren added.
"It's better to be prepared for something than not prepared for anything," Ruby shrugged.
Sera blinked at her. "Ruby, I think that's the smartest thing you've ever said."
"Hey! I say smart stuff all the time!" she puffed her cheeks out indignantly.
"Sure you do, sis," Yang ruffled her hair.
Weiss smirked. "Still, a heck of a plan for someone to tell while still wearing their pajamas."
Sera frowned and glanced down. Oh. She was still in her pajamas. Her face warmed and she instinctively crossed her arms. Embarrassingly, that outfit consisted of only a tank top and loose pajama pants.
"Why don'tcha go get changed, kid?" Qrow chuckled.
She muttered to herself and hurried to the door, mumbling about dumb clothes. The huntress took her time changing. She felt weirdly particular about what she wanted to wear since there was a chance she'd be fighting some no-good evil doers later.
Finally, she decided. It was a bit of a Beacon throwback. Sera put on a violet tank top, white jeans, her old jacket, and her black boots. She'd intentionally went with her first jacket rather than the new one she'd gotten, partially because she didn't want the new one to get messed up, but also because she was still overly attached to the first. That jacket was worn through every major event in her life. It was a part of her, in a way.
Sera slid her arms through the sleeves and sighed in relief when the jacket rested on her shoulders. Perfect fit, like always. She found the box that she'd gotten from Lavender and pulled her new necklace out of it. It was similar to the one she'd had before, but with more design carved into the metal. The Omega was covered in floral shapes and had a simple band of flattened, interlocking loops. Sera put the necklace on and fingered the pendant thoughtfully, remembering when she'd left her last necklace at the grave of Summer Rose. It was strange. Once she'd said her piece to the headstone, she could've sworn she felt a presence in the gust of wind that had blown afterwards.
Then someone knocked on her door, and she was returned to the present. To be honest, she was expecting Ruby or Weiss, but when she looked over, it was Neo.
"Oh, hey," she straightened herself. "What up, short stack?"
Neo frowned and stepped inside. She signed, "Think there's really gonna be a fight?"
"No idea," she admitted. "But if there is, they're getting more than they bargained for. Right?"
She smirked and gave a curt nod.
Sera grinned. She had full confidence that all of them together could take down anything that may come for them. Salem, the Grimm, whoever.
"You know, it may not have been easy to bring you in. I still kinda want to throttle you just for what happened in Vale. But I'm glad I did. Partly because it'll be nice to have an extra fighter on our side, and partly because I was right that I could convert you. Congrats, Miss Gelato, you're a good guy now."
Neo raised her eyebrow. "Miss Gelato? I've heard better from a drunkard."
"I haven't figured out a good name for you yet! There's only so much you can do with 'ice cream' as a foundation for jokes," she whined.
The shorter girl smirked and crossed her arms. She signed, "Good guy, huh? You sure?"
"I mean… What else would you call this? You, a former bad guy, helping us, the good guys, to beat Salem, aka the evilest person in Remnant? Sounds like you're a good guy to me, shorty."
Neo frowned.
Sera flashed a cocky grin. "You don't like it, you can leave. But you might miss your shot at getting Cinder. Whatcha gonna do, tiny?"
Neo crossed her arms again and went to sit on the edge of Sera's bed.
"That's what I thought," the huntress smirked.
. . .
The day passed slowly. It felt like time crawled by while everyone waited to go meet with Lionheart. Sera was losing her mind as the minutes slowly ticked by on the clock. No matter what she did, nothing made it go by any faster. She played Jupiter, checked and double checked all her gear, sharpened Igni and Jupiter's blades, made sure all her Dust was ready, and even just sat with her headphones on to listen to music.
The others went over every detail of her plan they could think of. Like what to do if one thing happened, and how they could counter it by doing another thing. She knew that she should probably be listening, but her attention span could only last for so long before her brain started to collapse in on itself.
Only an hour before they were supposed to leave, she went back to her room to unwind. She's been so indescribably bored, she forgot that anxiety was a thing. Well, it was nice while it lasted to not be stressed out of her mind.
Sera laid on her bed and put her hands on her face, groaning in frustration. Then just like before, someone knocked on her door.
"My room is a hot spot for visitors. Come in," she said, voice muffled by her hands.
Weiss stepped inside and raised an eyebrow at Sera on her bed. "You okay? You look… done with the world."
She sat up and ran her hands through her hair. "Oh, y'know. Just the crushing realization that we might be in for one of the biggest fights of our lives coming down on me."
Weiss laughed and sat on the edge of her bed. "Come on. We don't even know if Lionheart really is up to anything. You could be freaking out for nothing, dummy."
"Then why does it feel like everything is about to explode?" she groaned.
"Well, did it feel like this before The Fall? You know, when you went on your first date?" Weiss nudged her.
Sera stiffened. "You remember that?"
Weiss smirked at her. "Of course, I remember that, you dolt. I caught you in the middle of it."
"…Right," she said, remembering that night in the festival. Cerulean had confessed her feelings and kissed her, and Sera turned her down. And then she died trying to protect her. She felt awful about it, and it made it even worse that she was only just now remembering that Cerulean was from Haven.
"Thinking about Beacon?" Weiss asked. She watched Sera's face morph through a series of expressions while she thought to herself. Finally, her eyebrows furrowed and she set her jaw as she stared off into space. That was when Weiss decided to speak up.
"…Yeah," she said, her voice small. "And by the way, I did get this same feeling before the attack on Beacon. I even saw Cardin, before it happened."
"Cardin?" she raised her eyebrows.
"Yeah. He got better, by the way. Wasn't a dick anymore. The dude even started dating this Faunus chick. It was actually nice to see him. Then I saw Goodwitch, then went to the colosseum," she listed off.
"Why're you telling me this?" she asked.
Sera hesitated. "Because Cardin died in that attack. One minute I was talking to him, the next we were all fighting for our lives. Cerulean, Pyrrha, and dozens of others. If things go south later, I don't want that to happen again. I won't let it happen again."
Weiss flinched when she saw Sera's eyes flash red. She shook it off and put her hand on the amnesiac's shoulder. "Nothing like that is going to happen. Not when we're all here to stop it."
She smiled lightly. "If you say so, Ice Queen."
"Shut up," Weiss smiled.
Almost without thinking, she put her hand on Weiss's while it was still on her shoulder. The ex-heiress jolted at the contact, but she didn't pull away. Ever since Weiss sat next to her, her presence eased her anxiety yet also made it skyrocket.
"I know I keep saying this, but I'm glad we're not at each other's throats all the time anymore. It was getting exhausting. I thought seeing you mad at Ruby during the first semester was bad, then it was like you turned it all on me. Like, for what?"
"You were indescribably annoying," Weiss rolled her eyes. "Don't act like I was the only one at fault for us fighting. It was like you were trying to anger me."
"…That's because I kinda was," Sera grinned.
"You…!" Weiss's eyes narrowed.
"Hey, what can I say? It was funny!" she laughed.
Weiss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe I willingly put up with you."
"And why do you do that?" Sera nudged her. She hoped she'd get a straight answer out of the ex-heiress. Sera knew that Weiss was about to kiss her earlier. She saw it. But then Weiss deflected her attempts to talk about it, and she was forced to overthink everything about it all day. Sera wanted answers.
Immediately, Weiss's face turned red and she began to stammer and fidget with her skirt. "W-What are you trying to say?"
Sera raised an eyebrow. "Weiss, c'mon. You know what I'm saying. Before, on the porch, you were about to—"
"I said I don't know what you're trying to say!" she fumed, face as red as a flame Dust crystal.
The amnesiac sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "You're impossible, Schnee."
Weiss crossed her arms angrily. "Well, you're not making this any easier either, you know."
"Weiss, I'm asking you about it. Can you just give a straight answer?" she looked her in the eye.
They maintained a stare-off for a count of ten heartbeats before Weiss relented. She took a deep breath and looked away, fidgeting with her fingers. Her eyes searched the wall on the other side of the room, as if she would find all her answers somewhere in the wood.
"Look… This kind of thing isn't easy for me, you know? I've never… You know." She said shyly.
"What? Liked someone? Newsflash, I haven't either. And what about Neptune? I remember how much you were freaking out about him. I'm just as new to this. But even my dumb ass can see that there's something between you and me. Unless I'm just crazy."
Weiss sighed. She wouldn't meet Sera's eyes. "You're not crazy. Ever since that mission in Mt. Glenn, and then the Vytal Dance… I don't know. I started to hate you less. Those feelings I thought I had for Neptune just sort of... evaporated."
"Wow. I feel so special," Sera said unenthusiastically, crossing her arms.
The ex-heiress scowled, but it disappeared quickly. Her eyes turned sad. "When you got hurt, I thought you were going to die. Sometimes, I can still see…" she stared at her hands, imagining blood on them. She shook the negative thoughts away and finally looked at Sera. "I think that's when I realized. I didn't want to leave your side, but my father's company practically dragged me away. I didn't know if you'd even survived or not, you dolt. Can you imagine what that was like? Not knowing if my friends were alive or dead? You were hurt. Ruby was unconscious. Blake ran off. Yang was missing an arm. In one night, my entire life fell apart. Then Yang found me in that bandit camp, and…" she smiled lightly. "Here we are."
Sera gulped. She put a hand on Weiss's arm. "I know exactly what you mean. Again, I know I've said it, but thank you, Weiss. Thanks for… everything. I know we've had our problems, but you're one of my best friends. You guys made me feel like I had a home. Beacon was nice, after waking up in that forest. It was strange, not having any memory and not knowing who I am. But it wasn't that old castle that made it feel like home, it was all of you. And… I kinda went through something similar. When I was in Patch, I thought about what you did constantly. I think that's when I figured out the same thing. It uh... just took seeing you again to make it real, I guess. I'm glad I got to be a part of both teams, because you guys are the best friends I've ever had. Even if you are a stuck-up princess."
Weiss smirked. "And you're an infuriating, maddening, irritating dork."
"That all means the same thing," Sera raised an eyebrow.
"And you are every single one of them."
"…Yeah, maybe."
Weiss laughed, and Sera found herself laughing with her. When they stopped, Weiss just looked at her. There it was again. That feeling of tension, like she'd just gotten pulled underwater and dragged to the bottom of the ocean. Their eyes locked together, icy blue meeting violet. Sera's breath hitched. Her heart hammered in her chest.
Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned forward and closed her eyes. Weiss did the same. Her hand brushed against Weiss's. At first, the ex-heiress pulled away, but then she interlocked their fingers.
They were inches apart, Sera could sense it. Just a little more and…
The door flew open and hit the wall, and they both jumped at the sudden noise.
"Holy hells! Don't do that!" Sera yelled, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Yeah! What're you trying to do, scare us to death?!" Weiss berated. Her face was redder than a tomato, but her eyes were full of cold fury.
"S-Sorry!" Ruby exclaimed. She closed the door just enough to peek her head in. "We're getting ready to leave. You guys okay with that?"
Sera stifled a groan and wiped her face. "Yeah, Rubes. We're on our way."
"Okay," she nodded. "And sorry for barging in."
"It's okay," she promised.
Ruby closed the door, and the two white-haired girls were alone once more. Weiss stared at her own lap, her fingers clutching the hem of her skirt. Sera straightened her jacket and shifted from heel to heel.
"So…" she trailed off.
"…We should get going before someone else barges in here," she got to her feet and walked to the door.
"…Yeah," her shoulders sagged.
Weiss shuffled out of the bedroom and left Sera alone. The amnesiac let her head fall forward as she sighed heavily. Who knows what would've happened if Ruby hadn't interrupted them? Her thoughts ran wild. Nothing X-rated, of course. Just simple stuff. Sera glanced at the hand that had held Weiss's, slowly curling it into a fist. She would get to the bottom of all this, even if she had to tear apart Salem herself.
She took a deep breath and grabbed her things. She fastened on her body holster and clipped Jupiter to her belt. She's checked all her gear a dozen times over, but she wished she could do it one more time just to be sure.
The huntress took one last look at the bedroom. Her bed was still unmade and messy. A wireless speaker she'd bought sat on her nightstand. Her extra clothes hung in the closet, and her suitcase sat in the corner. Something told her she might not see the room again.
"All right…" she sighed and opened her door.
The others were waiting in the living room, checking their things and chatting with each other. Something was off. Sera thought they were just talking, but their tones were urgent. When Sera walked in, everyone went silent and turned their eyes to her. Neo stood off to the side with her parasol in hand. Weiss looked distressed, and Sera resisted the urge to go to her side.
"Jeez," she chuckled awkwardly. "Who died?"
"Miss Kallisto," Oscar—no, Ozpin said. "I'm afraid there's grave news."
"Uh… Like what?"
Qrow shoved his hands in his pockets. "Seems someone was kind enough to tip us off, Snowball."
"Wait… What?" she asked.
Ozpin planted his cane and shifted it from side to side, as if he was doubting something. "Jaune received an anonymous message just minutes ago. It said that Salem's forces were moving into Mistral. We can only assume that they'd be heading for Haven Academy, if the tip proves right. However, this would confirm my suspicions about Leonardo. Coincidence is not a luxury we can afford."
"Well… Great," Sera said dejectedly. "What do we do? Who the heck would even know this to warn us? And why Jaune?"
Qrow and Ozpin glanced at each other. The others were just as curious to see what they'd say.
"We stick to the plan," Ozpin finally said. "Is everyone agreed?"
Silence.
Finally, Yang spoke up. "I don't really see any other options," she shrugged.
"How else are we supposed to get answers?" Ruby added.
The others murmured in agreement, confident expressions on their faces.
"Very well," Ozpin tapped his cane against the floor. "Also, we will need to make sure they do not reach the Vault underneath Haven. I know for certain that Salem is after the Relics, so we will need to ensure its safety above everything. She cannot attain the Relic of Knowledge."
"Wait," Sera said. "Why are we just now talking about this? I mean, we know about the Relics. But why is it just now coming up in the planning?"
Ozpin held his cane tighter. "Since we were not certain about Lionheart, I saw no reason to bring it up. It wasn't relevant. Now it is. And we still don't know if our anonymous helper is even telling the truth. It's as simple as that, really. Coincidentally, we'll be meeting him near the entrance to the Vault. That means that Sera's plan might end up being obsolete. We cannot allow them to reach the Vault."
"They can't reach the Relic unless they have the Maiden anyway, right?" Jaune asked. "So, what's the big deal?"
"If they're after the Relic of Knowledge, we have to assume they have a means to reach it," Ozpin said.
Sera shifted uncomfortably. "That would mean that they found the Spring Maiden."
"Precisely," Ozpin nodded.
"Ugh, this is confusing!" Nora exclaimed. "Why can't we just blow them up or something?"
"Because, Miss Valkyrie, we are after the Relic of Knowledge as well."
"Wait, huh?" Sera asked.
Ozpin smirked and casually paced the room, planting his cane on the floor with each step. "We are provided with an unexpected opportunity. If Salem's forces are able to open the Vault with the Spring Maiden, we can take the Relic before they're able to. That is, if they reach the Vault. Ideally, we'll stop them before they even make it down the lift. But if we fail, we can still grab the Relic and retreat. No matter what, it cannot be allowed to fall into their hands."
Ozpin kept pacing. "It's all but confirmed that we're in for a fight. If Salem's forces are here to meet with Lionheart, it's also all but confirmed that he's betrayed me. The question is, what do they want with him? He doesn't know any particularly sensitive information that Salem would find valuable."
"Maybe she's just using him," Ruby said. "I mean, headmasters have to have a lot of power, right?"
"She surely is," Ozpin nodded. "But there has to be more to it. Salem is an intelligent and cunning individual. She'll use anyone she can if it furthers her agenda. Take Kassandra Kallisto, for example."
Sera stiffened and looked over at him, ignoring the nervous glances from her friends.
"Apologies," he told her. "But she used you as an attempt to have someone inside Beacon to help her other underlings. Fortunately, it didn't work."
"Yes, it did," she muttered. The others looked at her, but she couldn't lift her eyes to meet their gaze. "I killed Pyrrha while Cinder and her buddy slaughtered my friend. I'd say her plan worked pretty damn well, don't you?"
Neo shifted uncomfortably. Everyone here knew that she was partially responsible for the attack on Vale. No one said anything, but some glanced in her direction.
"Miss Kallisto—"
"Forget it," Sera mumbled. "Cinder and her fake team were Haven students. Did you think that maybe they used Lionheart to forge them fake IDs or something to get into Beacon?"
Ozpin seemed taken aback by that. "Very insightful. The second question is, who will be there? Salem doesn't recruit the weak; only the strong. We know of four of her underlings—Cinder Fall, Magnus Arc, that Tyrian psychopath, and that Phoenix individual. You all were able to compete with them before, so if they appear again, I believe that all of us could defeat them. But only if we work together, as Sera said earlier today."
The others nodded and murmured their agreement. Sera wasn't entirely convinced, and Ruby and Jaune looked worried too.
"You forgot something," Sera looked up. "Cinder is the Fall Maiden. When I fought her before, she'd only just gotten her powers. It's been months since the Fall of Beacon. She's had time to practice and perfect them. If she's there, we'll be dealing with the full strength of a Maiden. Plus, another Maiden. And only you know what she's capable of, old man."
"She's right," Ren said. "What exactly are we in for here?"
Ozpin gripped his cane tighter and seemed to collect his thoughts. "Well… It will not be easy. Instead of worrying about her being there, let's think of a way to combat her just in case. Miss Kallisto?"
She frowned slightly and brought Igni into her lap before sharpening its blade, careful to mind the chip in it from when it fell from Beacon Tower. "She's good. She can make these black glass weapons appear out of thin air, but she seems to like a pair of short swords the most. And a bow. But there's no telling what else she can make. But she's not that good. Fast, sure. Just keep your eyes peeled and watch out for fire."
"Fire?" Nora asked.
"Yeah. The Maiden powers let her shoot fire and fly, but that's all I know. If I can use that power again with the red eyes and everything, I could wear her down. Almost beat her in Beacon," she shifted from heel to heel.
"If you can use that power again," Ozpin said.
She stopped what she was doing and looked at Ozpin. It was strange, looking at the face of Oscar Pine and talking to Ozpin. "If I see that woman, I have a feeling it'll happen."
"Fair enough," he said, a smirk on his lips. "If Cinder is there, I believe that Sera, Qrow, and Yang should focus on her. We don't know about the others, but we'll make a plan once we get there. Generally, I believe Sera's plan is quite sound. But in battle, some things you just cannot plan for."
"Why me?" Yang asked.
Sera smirked. "Yang Xiao Long, backing down from a fight? Man, didn't take you for a chicken."
Yang clenched her jaw. "Screw it, I'm in."
"There she is," Sera patted her on the back.
"What about those other two, Emerald and Mercury?" Ruby sat forward, a determined look in her eyes.
"Good question," Ozpin said. "We'll just have to adapt. Those two certainly aren't the most impressive fighters, given their footage from the tournament, but they know how to work together. We just have to outperform them. Ren, Nora?"
"You got it!" Nora slammed her fist into her palm and gave a fierce grin. "Those guys are going down!"
"If they're there," Ren corrected.
"If they're there, I'll break their legs!" she said energetically.
"I'll help you," Ruby mumbled.
Sera smirked and went back to sharpening her sword. She looked across her friends until she settled on Weiss. The ex-heiress smiled lightly, and Sera returned it.
"You okay?" Weiss whispered.
Sera lifted her sword. "I'm gonna cut that bitch's head off."
Her eyes widened slightly and she cleared her throat. "Well, good to see that you're in a better mood."
"What's so special about this Relic? I mean, I get that it's important, but why does she want it so badly?" Jaune asked.
"That is a long and complicated story that we no longer have time for," Ozpin turned to him. "We should leave soon, or we may be too late to stop them."
Sera knitted her eyebrows together. Something was fishy about Ozpin's explanation, but she couldn't figure out what. He wasn't telling the whole truth. She hated it when he did that. Why is he still hiding things from them? What does the Relic of Knowledge even do?
"He's right," Ruby said. "We should get moving. The meeting is in like ten minutes!"
"Come on!" Yang said. "Let's go kick some evil butt!"
"Yeah!" Nora cheered and hefted her hammer.
Ozpin chuckled and placed his hands behind his back. "It's good to see that all of you in such high spirits."
"We going, or not?" Nora said impatiently.
He chuckled and made his way to the door. "Indeed. Let's see what Leonardo has in store for us." Then his eyes flashed green, and Oscar was back. "Jeez, I hate that…" he mumbled.
Qrow clapped a hand to his shoulder. "You'll get used to it, kid. C'mon, let's get this mess over with."