Requiem for the Hollow Rose

by sreshtiyer

After witnessing the death of Pyrrha, white fills her vision and the Rose huntress finds herself in a desolate and bleak place. Confused, lost and still grieving the loss of her friend and her own helplessness, little does Ruby realize that was just the beginning of her arduous journey. Innocent to Mature Ruby. Rated M for psychologically disturbing themes (non-sexual).

52. Chapter 52: Prelude to the great war

Chapter 52: Prelude to the great war

Bright rays of the morning sun. The familiar scent of strong perfume. Iris, plum and saffron. One that sent waves of nostalgia and longing, and one he could recognize instantly. Though his eyes were still half asleep, the scent overwhelming his senses materialized images for him to see and a single name to pop up in his mind.

Raven.

His mind was still hazy regarding his current situation as well as his recent memory. But that one word was more than enough to get Taiyang up and alert.

As if pulled from the past and into the present, Raven Branwen stood in front of him with a hard expression on her face that belied her emotions. Flashes of events were slowly surfacing, including Raven's defeated and desperate looking face standing in front of him.

And soon it dawned on him. The dinner he'd just finished making, the soap drama that was running in the television that night, Zwei's unusual whining, as well as Raven's sudden appearance before his memories blanked out.

In a rush of adrenaline, Taiyang rushed towards his first wife, grabbing her by her shoulders. The Branwen tribe leader didn't so much as flinch, merely observing him with the same expression. As if confused by his own hasty actions, Tai let go of her, looking around the unfamiliar room he found himself in. The room looked quite modern, in that it was such a stark contrast to the cottage rooms and the fragrance of wilderness that defined his own house. Everything in the room screamed class. The windows, the accessories decorating the floor, ceiling and the walls, the furniture, the paint and even the fragrance around the room. Not to mention the temperature inside the room itself that seemed to be maintained exactly at 24-degree Celsius to create the most comfortable environment for people to stay in. Looking outside, he could tell that it was late into the morning if not noon.

"You're rather carefree in unfamiliar territory" came Raven's voice. "Have the years of isolation in that peaceful little hut of yours truly made you this soft?" Taiyang flinched. The tone of her voice, as well as the coldness he felt coming off from her. It sounded nothing like the woman he once knew.

"Are you saying there's a reason I need to be on guard in front of my own wife?" retorted the blond, facing her in earnest.

"Wife? You're talking as if nothing has changed between us in the past few years. So much so that you didn't so much as question why I brought you here against your will" she said, narrowing her eyes. "Or, are you still the same, naïve man who refuses to believe that people and circumstances change and still stubbornly continues to hold on to things from the past? You thought things were back to how they were just because of the things I told you yesterday? How weak, Tai. You never change. Even when circumstances require you to. And look where that has led you. Right at the heart of enemy territory, taken captive by someone whom you blindly trusted. It's a wonder that you're still alive. And you have no idea do you? You have no idea just how much that comfortable little bubble you call a home has blinded you to the real things happening outside. Even Yang, for all of her immaturity, will be better than you are now. At the very least she didn't give up just because her mother abandoned her, unlike you who simply chose to become a shut in recluse after Summer and I left"

Was it anger? Or Hatred? He couldn't tell. His 1st wife felt so foreign to him now, merely affirming her words. But there were things he could definitely tell. She sounded hurt. Remorsefully so. Almost as if she was looking at an ugly part of herself that she couldn't ever forsake when she spoke to him. One that she wished didn't exist at all, but one that she still held dearly as part of herself. At first, it had been Ruby and Summer. And now, this. He truly began to doubt if he ever knew anyone properly at all, despite them being his own family. Was Yang the same? And Qrow? Was she right after all? He had been soft, of that he had no doubt. For if he had simply tried to fight back, tried to protest and tried to understand her, he could've kept her from leaving them and becoming one of the worst criminals to ever plague Remnant. And even now, he had no idea what was happening in the world around him, much less his wife to make her look the way she did now. Even so, the one thing that he did possess was his stubborn desire to hold on to those he considered dear.

"You're right" he started apologetically, looking her right in the eye, unflinching "I don't know anything. Even recently, I had no idea the kind of horrors that Ruby and Summer went through. Though one would say that it was something that happened 'suddenly', I cant help but feel like I still neglected them. The same goes for Yang and Qrow too. I'm not out there like those guys risking my life and fighting the Grimm and whatever else is out there. I'm not out there like you risking your life for what you consider family. But that doesn't mean that I'm not trying from my own end, Raven. Even when I was wasting away at home, I was still looking out for them in my own way. Just as I have no idea of everything that you've gone through, you have no idea either of what I've done to make sure Yang and Ruby had a place to call home once their mothers left them. And you don't know how much I've tried to find Summer, as well as convince you to change your ways. And just as I've done till now, just as I did when I saw what became of Ruby, I'll do the same to you as well" He promptly went and took a seat in front of her.

"Let's talk then, Raven. Tell me everything you've been up to all these years. Don't leave anything out. I promise I'll listen patiently without judging you. And I also promise that I'll help you with whatever you're facing right now. Even if I can't do much about it"

The raven haired woman continued to look at him stone faced, before turning her back on him.

"Is that it then?" demanded Tai. "We may not be on the best of terms, but is that all I amount to? Especially when you brought me all the way here?"

"Follow me" she said simply. "Talking here is pointless. There wouldn't be any point whatsoever in telling you anything. You can see for yourself"

Knowing that he had no other choice, he sighed, walking behind her and observing her back as the two made their way outside. As they walked on, he could tell from the things around them that this was no doubt Atlas Military HQ. But it looked so very different from the place he remembered it to be. For one, the noisy hum of machinery working non-stop and what appeared to be robots of all different sizes and shapes working on things all around him was everywhere his gaze fell. Machines that were making more machines that looked more and more alien the further away he looked. In fact, the HQ itself was nearly 50% alien and much too different from what he could remember. And that wasn't all. People in strange white coats and uniforms were constantly working and moving about as well, working on the consoles and machines. What was stranger still was the uniform they wore was not of the Atlesian military's nor any other military force that Tai recognized. As Raven passed them by, some even saluted her before going about their work, while others didn't so much as bat an eye. Raven herself was indifferent.

And it was then that she began talking. About everything he'd been so ignorant about. The current state of affairs at Atlas and everywhere else in the world. The Quincies. Her own tribe. Salem, the maidens, the relics. All of it. Of the world that he lived on and yet had changed so much in the course of a couple of days. What surprised him even more was how cold and indifferent she sounded. Even as she was talking about the massacre of her own people, her eyes were just as blank and sharp as they had been ever since he saw her when he woke up.

"…does Ozpin know?" he asked slowly.

"There you go again, trusting in that fool" said Raven with ice-cold spite. "I've told you once before, and none of you listened. But even so, his incompetence this time around is nigh unbelievable. To think that he would be just as ignorant as you are despite his position. I don't know whether I should laugh or cry about how powerful they are, or how weak Ozpin is. They've somehow managed to stop all forms of communication to and from any place in the planet. They control the masses and media all over the world, shaping it to their needs. And because they leave those under them in-charge of the kingdoms, none is wiser about the true leaders of this world. They already have control of three of the four kingdoms"

"You're lying" argued Taiyang. "I can understand Ironwood, I can understand Leonheart. But Theodore?! You're telling me they even managed to convince Theodore to join them?!"

"If that's what you truly believe, then you really didn't know your allies well enough. Theodore and the Kingdom of Vacuo have only cared about strength and survival of the fittest from the beginning. Theirs has always been a survivalist way of life. They simply follow the one with the most might. Not so different from how my own tribe used to do or how things are in Hueco Mundo" she replied, surprising her husband with her knowledge of Earth.

"….you know?" he asked. "You knew and you still didn't think about-!"

"I know more than you'll ever know, Tai" she replied. "I was 'educated' to be up to date with all of their knowledge and intel. Knowledge of strange worlds and creatures was poured directly into my mind with no choice of my own on the matter. About the 'glory of the Quincy race' and about the honor of being allowed to serve a greater race. About all of their 'colonization of lesser races' in the past and present, on Earth and on Remnant. All while you, Qrow, Yang and Ozpin remained blissfully unaware. Nothing you can do or say matters. All that remains is the fact that none of you were there to witness and go through what I had to all by myself. I survived, through my own wits, tenacity and will to live. You don't get to judge me for what I needed to do to live another day"

"So that's why you've resigned to work under the Quincies and become one of them? You'd go so far as to join our invaders if it means you get to survive?" demanded Taiyang, raising his voice. Something that he rarely did. He then went up to his wife, confronting her. "You've given up, haven't you? Look at you. You don't even care anymore. You look more dead than alive. You're like a mindless soldier simply following orders and your own stubborn will to live. Your eyes were once filled with the tenacity to live your own life as you pleased. Now, they just look cold, uncaring and dead. You didn't even flinch when you spoke about Qrow, Summer, Ruby and Yang and how they might all die by their hands! Is that really how you feel deep down?! Do you really think they'll spare Yang and the others just because you've given yourself up to them?"

"I've done what I can and what I needed to do as is my duty. I'll get my foolish brother and my daughter away from all of this. After all that, if you still manage to die, then that's just the way it is. I would simply accept that you were not strong enough to survive in this world, or that this was just some kind of inevitable fate and leave it at that. But at the very least, I have done my part" she replied. "And with that, I've told you what I needed to. Beyond that, you're free to do whatever you please. Whether you stay here or go back to your cozy little hut or even back to Ozpin, I couldn't care less. But you have nothing more to worry about me. I won't be after you, Qrow, Ozpin, Yang or even Summer and Ruby" she said, leaving him to his thoughts.

Taiyang's arms slumped to his side, his eyes wide. In all his life, he never imagined Raven Branwen, for all of her experiences and character, was someone capable of uttering such words. He couldn't help but reach out with his hands and grab her. The woman didn't even bother looking back.

"Raven….what in the world have they done to you?! The Raven I knew would have never said such inhuman words. But you….are you really that far gone?"

"…"

The woman could feel her once betrothed's hands tightening, as well as the sound of his teeth gritting.

"You may have abandoned us Raven. But that doesn't mean we will. I know Yang wont, Qrow wont either, though he'll probably be pissed off. And I know Summer and Ruby will be the last people to ever hold you in bad light. As for me, I'm not leaving you. Not when you're like this. You might think that I, Qrow and Yang simply use our bonds as family to get what we want out of you when its convenient, but the reason we don't constantly keep tabs on each other to check if we're needed is because as family, I trust what my daughter is capable of handling herself. I trust that Qrow can lookout for himself out there in the field and more importantly, I trust that they won't hesitate to share their problems and call out to me when they need me. That's why we're family, Raven. You never really understood that. And that's the reason why I'm staying right here with you. I won't abandon you. Not when you're this lost. And I'm not abandoning Summer and Ruby either. I trust them well enough that I know they can do just fine. I also trust that they will understand why I chose to stay here rather than go back to Oz and report everything you just told me. I know Summer and Ruby will take good care of Qrow and Yang. So, you just worry about yourself and forget about them. Because I'll take good care of you" he finished, forcefully accompanying her and holding her hand as they walked.

Taiyang wasn't sure if Raven felt anything at all; be it anger, guilt, shame or all or none of the above. But it didn't concern the ex-huntsman. If Raven Branwen was a lost cause, then he would correct her path, even if he was going to become lost temporarily along with her. But that wouldn't mean he was going to simply stay put. There were people he knew who were here apart from Raven. For instance, Winter, Ironwood, Theodore and Xanthe. If the situation was such that he could no longer make contact with his allies back home, then he would simply make the best of his current situation from where he was right then and there.

---

The city of Kuo Kuana on the Island of Menagerie was what one might call, a closed off paradise for those that do not belong. While not the only city on the forsaken island, it was certainly the largest one, containing the greatest number of inhabitants. But that wasn't saying much, for the island itself was the smallest of all continents of Remnant, and the city of Kuo Kuana was still nothing in size and population compared to some of the other major cities of the world. And yet, the people of Menagerie were content with their lives. They had all they could ask for at the Island. Food, shelter and most importantly, like minded people that did not discriminate them for who they were. It was a haven for Faunus kind, and as such, it was only them who were permanent residents of the continent. Though the occasional human did visit the isolated island and its cities, it was hardly ever a pleasant visit. From jeers to whispers behind their backs, as well as open discontent, there was no reason for humans to ever stay on an island that made it very clear that they wanted to be left alone.

But outside of the times humanity had to impose upon the relatively peaceful atmosphere of the island, the island and its inhabitants enjoyed a very serene time. The only exception to this was the White Fang. The organization that was for its people, made up of Faunus kind started by the Faunus kind themselves to fight for those that stayed outside of the confines of the safe haven that was Menagerie. The organization itself had its own history, with changing leaders and motives and directives that changed with each change. From being a peaceful protest organization to one that used the threat of violence to oppose injustice, it was an organization with a very diverse history. Just as diverse as how the people of Menagerie themselves saw it as it stood currently.

Today was no different. The air in Kuo Kuana was tense, a stark contrast from its usual frolicking self. Parents asked their children to stay indoors, many adults, elderly and the sick stayed inside with some of the adults keeping watch at the Belladonna household. If one was to peer at the streets of Kuo Kuana, nothing would appear out of the ordinary, save for the absence of usual activity. But when the leader of the White Fang as well as the notorious Adam Taurus visited the Faunus city of Kuo Kuana, the situation was a lot different.

Their visit itself was strange; It was no news that Sienna Khan and Ghira shared a very strained relationship. One might even call it the greatest mishap to happen to the White Fang. Or what could have been. While both deeply cared for the well being of Faunus kind, Ghira was a pacifist while Sienna had no problems using threats and violence to make their voice heard. It didn't help matters that Ghira maintained his views even after a human nearly assassinated him, requiring Adam Taurus to kill the human and save the current chieftain of Menagerie. Something that Sienna thought was well deserved while Ghira thought otherwise, leading him to step down as leader of the White Fang while Sienna took over.

Ever since then, the views that the Faunus kind had of the White Fang were divided. Some believed in Ghira's vision, while some others sympathized with Sienna. Though nothing of violent nature ensued, disagreements even amongst the people certainly did. Which is why the entire city and all of Menagerie itself was very eager to watch the events unfold. The other reason for their surprise was that it was just Sienna who came to visit. Which was very bold on her part, since she would have no way of handling herself if the situation ever went south, regardless of how improbable it was.

However, all that was on the surface. The truth of the matter was that Sienna was a much bigger influence and presence within the Belladonnas than most ever knew. Most only know of her role as Ghira's lieutenant. However, to the Belladonnas, she was no less than family. To Ghira, she was a trusted lieutenant as well as someone who truly cared for the well being of Faunus kind, and someone he could leave his family in her care. To Kali she was no different than her own sister, and the two often shared many peaceful and calm moments together, engaging in talks about many things and other hobbies.

Though no related by blood, the tigress Faunus was a lot of things to Blake as she grew up. A mentor, an elder sister, a friend as well as her greatest role model. Everything that Blake knew about fighting she had learnt from Sienna. Whenever she needed advice about things she couldn't ask her parents, or whenever she was faced with a particularly difficult situation, it was always her that supported her. To Blake, while Sienna wasn't the most open and warm person, she was the one who cared for her the most after her own parents. It was through her that her initial contact with the White Fang happened, as well as everything regarding Adam Taurus. It was her who paired them together, supported their partnership through happy and difficult times, and it was also her who suggested Blake to sever her link to Adam Taurus when his ideals and morals no longer abided to the code set forth by Sienna. And it would only be much later that Blake's own parents would realize the depth to which Sienna's connection to Blake went, despite the bitterness that existed between them. On one side, Ghira blamed her for influencing his daughter into joining the White Fang and keeping it a secret, but on the other side he appreciated her efforts in keeping Blake relatively safe while allowing her to grow up in the outside world and mature, even helping her overcome her dilemma with Adam Taurus.

Ghira and Kali were seated on one side of the Belladonna dinner table, with Sienna sitting on the other side. Refreshments were laid out on the table with Kali preparing more. She had a worried look on her face, while Ghira appeared to be stressed. Sienna however, was completely calm, even making herself at ease in front of them as she calmly sipped on the tea placed for her and helped herself to some of Kali's delicious fish-shaped snacks; a local delicacy at Kuo Kuana.

"It's been a while, hasn't it? Kali? Ghira?" asked Sienna. "Hope things have been well. Sorry for dropping in without prior notice, but I didn't want to feel like I was here on behalf of the White Fang. I didn't want the one place where I felt at home change because of recent developments"

"What do you mean, dear?" asked Kali, concern visible on her face. "Did something happen? Is it perhaps Blake..?"

"No, it's not about her, Kali. I've actually come here to talk about things happening outside. And something that concerns the fate of our entire race" she said with a serious tone.

"Our race? What's this about?" demanded Ghira. "More importantly, what's your reason for being here? Please don't tell me the White Fang has stirred up more trouble with the Schnee Dust Company or picked up unnecessary attention with the other kingdoms…"

"Dear! I know you two have your differences but this is still our Sienna! She herself said that she isn't here as part of the White Fang. Drop that frown on your face, will you?

"It's fine, Kali. I won't hold it against Ghira. Whatever happened between us is regrettable. And while I still cannot agree with his views, I still respect you both for all that you have done in keeping our people safe here in Menagerie. However, you'll soon learn that such things will be reduced to nothing more than petty squabbles of the past compared to everything that is going on right now. How much do you know about what's going on outside of Menagerie?" she asked.

Kali had a thoughtful expression on her face. "Not much unfortunately. We hardly ever hear much about the outside world after all. Not unless we're like some of those youngsters who are always on their scrolls. As far as news goes, as chieftain, I'm sure Ghira is much more knowledgeable about the political aspects. I try and take my interest of course, but sadly, it's one area I'm no good with as you already know. Us folk of the older generation don't really get the youngun's after all!" she chuckled amusingly.

"All that I know is General Ironwood is rather bold for promising the things he did. It feels like Atlas city is undergoing major changes. I tried to contact some of my connections in Atlas, and all of them more or less told me the same thing. That the city has been undergoing some really MAJOR makeovers, with machinery working around the clock on the infrastructure. Machinery that has never been seen before in Atlas. Almost as if the general plans to follow through the promises he made. I've even heard that the Schnee Dust Company has come completely clean with everything that has been happening on the inside. They severed ties with all of their partners who've previously been responsible for the despicable work force conditions for us Faunus within the company, as well as completely redoing all of their policies that don't agree with the internationally agreed upon Ethnic and Moral Workforce Code. Such as the minimum safety regulations for working in dangerous locations. Or how they've promised to send half of their profits to Faunus communities including our own for the betterment of Faunus kind. It raised major outcry here and every other city in Menagerie. It felt too good to be true and almost pretentious. But I managed to calm the situation for now. I have yet to hear back anything more however. And it is indeed surprising that I was never told about such a major happening" he replied. "Hold on…..dont tell me that the White Fang played a hand at this..?!"

Kali scowled at her husband but Sienna didn't seem to mind. In fact, she seemed to give a rather empathetic look. "I understand why you'd think so Ghira. But this wasn't us. Not directly anyways. That's why I wanted to know just how much the two of you knew about the status quo. No matter. I know where to start now" she said, continuing on to talk about everything that happened in Atlas City, as well as the knowledge that was imparted into her. The Quincies, Earth, the different races, their capture of Atlas City, the role of the White Fang and the rest of the Faunus in the new world, the fact that it was really the Quincies who were in-charge of a majority of the kingdoms of the world and their plans to unify them all under one major ruler, including Menagerie. Which of course included things such as her maiden powers and the relics, as well as Salem whom she spoke of as 'history'.

The atmosphere in the room following her talk was understandably tense. It as just far too much information for the middle aged couple to take in. Ghira looked at his ex-lieutenant with expressions of disbelief, confusion and other mixed emotions. They were left with more questions than answers, despite Sienna having spent a good deal of time explaining herself.

"Ho-how did all this happen in such a short span of time?!" asked Kali. "Wh-what about our Blake? About Menagerie? About the other Kingdoms? And…all of us? Just what do they really expect from all of us?"

"I know it seems unbelievable. When I first saw them, I too had my doubts. But their power is very real. And so far, whatever they have promised they have delivered. It was thanks to them that the Schnee Dust Company did the things you mentioned. And….the reason for my visit today is for the same. They want Menagerie to enter an alliance with them. A peace treaty of sorts. And naturally that's why I was sent here. But they wanted to accompany me, and I convinced them otherwise. As I said, this place, despite how things stand between us, holds dear memories for me as well. For one, I want Blake to remember this place as home regardless of what happens from now on. In return for an alliance, the Quincy promise to improve our lives here in Menagerie. For one, they plan to make the rest of our island habitable by clearing out the Grimm and using their technology to make life sustainable. That alone is an undertaking that they can't make in jest, and is reason enough for an alliance"

"They what?!" exclaimed the chieftain, standing up abruptly. This wasn't just about Menagerie anymore. In his mind, this was the kind of news that would shake the very foundation of the world. Atleast for the Faunus, this was revolutionary.

Historical.

Magical.

It meant that the safe haven called Menagerie would grow larger than ever before, paving way for limitless possibilities for their well being. Skepticism and doubt still plagued his mind. After all, these so called Quincies had nothing to gain from such a thing. No matter how he looked at them, they were invaders. And the Faunus had suffered more than enough fighting and losing wars. These were things he could not overlook, and things he felt like he needed to voice out.

"What do you think, Sienna dear?" asked Kali. "Clearly you know more about this than we do. If what you say is true, you have been with them, seen what they are capable of and the kind of people they are. Is this really the best option we have?"

"I…..I think Menagerie will be very fortunate to be governed by the Quincy" she replied, deep in thought. "Though they would be our rulers, nothing would be too different to the common folk. To our citizens, you would still be their chieftain. It's just that you will be answering to me and in return I to His Majesty. The Quincy may come here once in a while to help us with the restructuring of Menagerie. And we might be expected to assist them when the time appears. But they are so stupendously powerful that our assistance as a whole would amount to almost nothing. On the other side, thanks to them, we would see an increase in jobs, the economy, our military and so on. Trust me when I say this; Just one of their elite soldiers is capable of wiping out all of Menagerie in a single night. I myself could do it as I am now, and I am not even as strong as they are. They would not have granted me such power unless they were absolutely sure of their superiority. And I stand with you in that we have suffered enough as a race. The Quincy are a race of people who have gone through far worse than our own at the hands of their own enemies. I truly think they can empathize with us and want to help us. When His Majesty first told me about his plan for Menagerie, I finally felt as if we were getting the help and grace of a higher power that we deserved. I truly think this is the best way to avoid any bloodshed between our people and ensure our survival and prosperity"

Silence once more. Ghira had his hands on his temples, his expression weary. Where should he even start? He truly did not know.

"I-I need some fresh air" he said, getting up and going out to the veranda that faced away from the town. Kali watched her husband go with an expression that mirrored him. And then she too slumped against the dinner table chair with a downcast expression.

"I don't know Sienna" admitted Kali honestly. "All this is just….I'm sorry, I just don't know how to process them. I've always felt guilty about everything that Ghira and even you had to shoulder for our kind while I did nothing of the sort. Though I tried my best in helping him with delicate matters that concerned our town and city, there was still only so much I could do. I simply didn't have the knack for this kind of thing. I couldn't even handle our city's protests whenever something regarding the White Fang happened on the outside. I simply wasn't strong enough to take any kind of harsh action. But this…."

Sienna placed a comforting hand on Kali's tired shoulders. "Let us catch up like old times, just the two of us as we always did while Ghira takes the time he needs to think" she suggested. The chieftain's wife gave a hesitant nod as the two Faunus women dropped their formal pretences and headed over to Kali's room. Her room was a very traditional looking room large enough to fit a small party of people within. However, she had it filled with shelves of books, embroidery, stitching tools, drawing tools, half-filled drawings, paint and anything pertaining to the cultural arts of Faunus kind. Sienna could fell the familiar scent of incense which sent waves of soothing nostalgia. Her tough expression did soften, if only a little and she did feel much more relaxed than before. Almost like it was routine, the two women sat across each other, talking about days long past as well as the days to come in much more animated and open way. Kali was much more social in their current conversation, talking about her current life in Menagerie as well as Blake, Ghira, the townsfolk, about her current daily life and so on.

"You said you had the power of the Summer maiden. What is it like? I can't say I understand much, since I only heard about maidens a few minutes ago" questioned the cat Faunus.

"Hmm, as much as it might surprise you, this is new to me as well" replied Sienna. "I didn't even know I possessed something like this at first. I do remember that at some point, I saw the strangest vision. I was in this dream like place. And in front of me was a Faunus I met just moments ago. A Faunus that was dying. I remember kneeling down by her side and sending her off peacefully before her final moments. She seemed content, even though she knew she was going to die. I felt a lot of regret back then, and it was after that I saw the girl, seemingly all healed up in that mysterious dreamscape. I remember her placing her hands on my hands and feeling a warm, tingling feeling. After that, things went back to normal. I didn't think too much about the vision after that. But ever since then, whenever my emotions were heightened, I could feel this warm feeling, this strange power welling up in my body. And if I really lost control, I found that I could use magic"

"Magic..?" asked Kali. Sienna nodded.

"That's what I believed it was at first. It was far too different from my semblance, and it worked even when I didn't have any dust crystals on me or even if my aura broke. I found out that I could use magic of various elements. Over time, I learnt how to control it. I was most comfortable using fire and lightning. Earth would be a close second. These were more offensive and complimented my semblance quite well. Now of course, after his Majesty assistance, I have better control over many of the other elements as well, though he mentioned that I still had a lot of room to improve" she said, raising her hands and manifesting small flames, sparks of electricity, a gust of wind, snowflakes and then finally something that made the snowflakes sink to the ground as if they were rocks. Kali continued to watch Sienna with amazement, like a little girl being shown magic tricks. "Of course, from what I've seen, people like Cinder Fall prefer to use specific elements. But as someone who likes to be resourceful, it seems quite wasteful not to make full use of the abilities you were gifted with. It can be quite handy when I work with the White Fang, especially when I see insubordination from Adam and other like minded people"

Sienna felt no qualms about openly voicing her displeasure and pleasures of her position as leader of the White Fang and as the representative of all Faunus kind under Yhwach, as well as the Quincies themselves. One topic in particular that got both women talking about was Adam Taurus. Sienna had plenty to talk about him, especially his past with Blake as well as his current situation with the Quincy as well as his role within the White Fang.

"Unbelievable….to think that unruly boy would be so well behaved after everything he did. You weren't joking when you said these Quincy mean business. Of course, a good portion of that is still thanks to you no doubt. But I don't think he would be this mellow had it not for their intervention" remarked Kali, surprised.

"You're not wrong there. I don't think he would have seen reason just from what I told him. Still, it is really the end result that matters. In that sense, I am happy that his motivations and ambitions are truly being put to use for the betterment of our kind. I know you might think of him as nothing more than an unchained beast. But he just needed a guiding light to show him how to redirect his energy" she explained.

"What about Blake then?" asked the black haired Faunus. "Does she know? About Adam? About you? About all….this?"

"No. I doubt it" answered Sienna. "I wanted her to hear it from you directly after things settled. There is no rush after all. But you needn't worry. I won't let any harm befall her. If you wish for me to leave her out of the things we do, I am willing to respect that. I've already made it very clear to Adam that he is not to go anywhere near her. And Blake is a very capable young Faunus. I'm sure she'll do just fine"

"I know. After all, you did take care of her to be who she is now. But even so, a mother worries. I'm sure you'll understand too when you have your own family one day" replied Kali.

"I do have a family, Kali. Every single Faunus out there is no different than family to me. But I understand what you mean. On that regard, I'm not sure. Perhaps one day, after the dust settles, it might be nice to find a mate to live with. But until then, I don't plan to let my sight waver" she replied in a resolute manner.

"You haven't changed at all. Even back then, you held us with the same regard as you do now. I still remember the times Blake used to run behind you saying 'Big-sis Sienna!' all the time. You have trained her quite well. It's too bad that because of that she picked up your silent, stoic nature over my own, fu fu fu!" Kali sighed fondly. "Sienna. I want you to be Blake's godmother"

The tigress Faunus blinked in surprise. "Me?"

Kali nodded, gently placing her hands over Sienna's. "It can only be you. You've been there for her as her role model. You were the one who trained her and taught her things she knows now. She looks up to you as someone she can rely on and as family. Perhaps she does not need our guidance as much anymore. But even so, in the event that something happens to either me or Ghira, I want you to promise me that you'll take care of Blake"

"Are you sure? I'm not in the same position as I once was, Kali. For one, not all of our people agree with my way of doing things. Even if His Majesty's intervention will supress internal conflicts, they won't disappear completely. Not everyone looks at me with approval. Blake herself might not. For one, Ghira likely will not want someone like me to have anything to do with his daughter. You are better off asking someone else for that role" she replied.

But Kali shook her head. "I trust you" she said simply. Sienna took a long pause, before sighing loudly. "Very well. If that's what you want, I shall take up that responsibility"

Kali had a very grateful smile on her face. "Thank you. I feel so much better now. In fact, I think…I would not mind going along with your proposal, Sienna. I can tell you really mean the best for us"

"You can thank me once there is no longer a need for this role anymore. But until then, the two of us can do what we can to ensure she and all of us don't lose our way. We've spent a long time talking. Shall we go and check on Ghira?" The Faunus woman nodded, and the two made it back to the main hall. And as speculated, the chieftain was indeed waiting for them with an expectant look on his face. Kali and Sienna returned to their seats.

"After collecting my thoughts, I've come to a decision" he said in a matter-of-factly way. "I've concluded that at this point it would do no good to take any action that opposes these Quincies. Though we have our differences, I know you have our best interests at heart, method aside. And I've chosen to take my chances and trust you. I can see that Kali does so as well"

The Faunus women both had content smiles on their faces.

"However" he interrupted them. "Don't mistake my decision for approval for what is happening and your actions, Sienna. I just want to avoid a situation that can drag our people into the horrors of war yet again. And in this case, the stakes are simply much too high for me to overlook. A war now could mean extinction of our kind, if what you say about them is true. Even so, make no mistake and take my words to heart. I can tell from your tone that you truly believe in these Quincy as ones who can empathize with us. I pray that you don't let that get to you. In all of our conversation, not once did you mention the plan these Quincy had for the combined fates of humans AND Faunus. Or the status quo of the human side and their thoughts on the matter, which I'm sure you should know. At the end of the day, they are nothing more than invaders under sheepskin. Though not as hostile as the humans had been towards us back then, this race merely finds no reason to openly declare their contempt towards us. And that is why you are still immature. Even when you worked under me as my lieutenant, you could not see the humans as anything more than our enemies. And that hasn't changed even now. And that is why you never understood them completely and why you could never see the correct path towards peaceful coexistence. I can only ask that you not make the same mistake again, both as your ex-leader as well as someone who cares for your wellbeing and all those that follow your lead"

Sienna remained silent, coming up with an appropriate response. "That's…"

Kali went over to the tigress Faunus, consoling her. "He may be strict, but both of us know that's how he is. As much as you might disagree in your methods, you know that he has a lot of experience in these matters. The end result is that you have our support in this matter. You can ask for our counsel or for whatever else you need"

"I know. I haven't forgotten. But these were words that I needed to hear as well. I'll keep them in mind" she said, picking up her things. "Now that we have a consensus, I think I'll be on my way. It's best I don't keep them waiting on these matters. You might see some of them come here and talk more about the plans for Menagerie's development, culling of the Grimm and such. But those are topics for when the time comes. Until then, be well, Kali, Ghira"

Kali went over and embraced the Faunus leader, while Ghira was content with a formal handshake. As they watched Sienna go, thoughts about how to convey the entirety of what they heard in an acceptable manner to their citizens flooded their mind. Not to mention their concern for Blake for things to come. All in all, it appeared that their days of relative peace would be put on hold for a while.

---

*swish swish*

Blake's ears twitched in annoyance, and her eyes fought to look elsewhere.

*swish swish*

This time, other Faunus students joined in along with Blake in her silent discomfort. Ruby's words and explanations seemed to fall on deaf ears. It was something that she noted the previous day, but lost the chance to mention it to Ruby. The cheetah Faunus herself didn't seem to have a clue as she nonchalantly continued to address them.

*swish swish swish*

Blake was fighting with herself, suppressing the urge to grab the object nonchalantly swinging in front of her eyes. She tried her best to focus her eyes elsewhere, but they would automatically lock on to the swinging object as if by instinct.

*swish flick swish*

"Ruby..!" called out Blake without thinking twice. The cheetah Faunus looked puzzled, tilting her head and staring at the black haired cat Faunus.

"What's up Blake?" she asked.

The cat Faunus quickly walked over to Ruby, almost as if she was whispering something.

"Ruby, I realize this is something you might not be familiar with considering how…new you are to this but it's considered rude to leave your tail swinging and swishing like that, especially in a class or lecture or something similar. It's called Tail Etiquette for any Faunus with a tail. Some Faunus such as feline or dog-like Faunus can find it extremely distracting and hard to focus when you leave your tail swinging like that, since it would stimulate our instinct to grab or chase them. I'm sure you would've felt the same if someone else had their tail swishing like that while addressing out. And while you're at it, you might want to try resisting the urge to groom your paw…I mean hands. I understand how, ahem, irresistible it is, but when you're outside, try to suppress it if you can. Anyways, what I'm saying is that you should still your tail or keep it tucked away and any other feline instincts" she explained. "I was almost at my breaking point, but those guys look a bit…."

"Oh..! Sorry, sorry! I'll keep it still!" apologized an embarrassed Ruby, observing how some of her students did indeed look a bit stressed, as if they were holding in the urge to do something. "Thanks Blake"

Blake flashed as thumbs up as she walked back to her place.

---

"That makes sense" said Brunhilde in a matter-of-factly way, her round blue eyes looking at the distance. "Ever since the major incident involving an international ambassador from Menagerie where her swinging tail was found to be disruptive towards the senate meetings, it was decided unanimously that things such as Tail Etiquette will be put in place to avoid such things"

The time was past noon and the two women were sitting at a park bench right by the bazaar of Beacon. The hustle of people grabbing quick lunches before returning to work and other shoppers filled the area around them.

"You really know everything, don't you?" asked Ruby.

"I don't know everything. I just know what I know" she replied, lightly shaking her head. "But I do not quite understand why you would be so perturbed by such a thing, Ruby. After all, all humans make mistakes. Especially with things pertaining to customs and traditions"

"You're right. Normally I wouldn't be. Let's just say that my first introduction to them didn't go quite so well. After all, who wouldn't be wary of a girl who just randomly attacked three seemingly innocent students out of the blue minding their own business? There were reasons of course, but it still doesn't change the fact that it's scary. Ozpin did manage to pacify the situation, but that hint of fear was still there when I was teaching them. Since then, I was being extra careful with things that might set them off" she answered.

"I see. Now I understand! That makes sense" she nodded. "But if you ask me, I would never be scared of you, Ruby"

Ruby never expected that the enigmatic lady would be there at school, waiting for her just as she'd promised. The moment Brunhilde's eyes locked with her own, Ruby could sense ecstasy emanating from the woman as her round blue eyes lit up. Brunhilde wasted no time grabbing Ruby's hands and urging her to take her to bazaar. Though Ruby was definitely curious about the whole thing, seeing the joy on her face made her look past her thoughts as the duo grabbed something to eat and then found themselves a place to sit and enjoy the afternoon view.

Even as they were eating lunch, Ruby was intrigued to see the elated expression on Brunhilde. She looked curiously peeked at her food before nibbling at it first, following which her excitement only grew before she gobbled the whole thing. All in all, Ruby felt as if she was in the company of an excited child as opposed to an adult woman. But given that Brunhilde had never stepped outside often and had been more or less raised within four walls, Ruby could understand. Which only made her desire to have Brunhilde experience a good time grow even more. It didn't help that her innocent expressions and childlike curiosity simply made her too irresistible.

However, all that truly belied how knowledgeable the orange haired woman was. She seemed to be the very definition of a walking encyclopedia. It wouldn't take longer than five seconds before Brunhilde would point at something randomly and start stating some facts about said object or thing of interest. Ruby supposed that being stuck indoors and hailing from an upper-class family had something to do with it. Heck, she taught Ruby things she didn't even realize about herself, such as her instinct to chase after rabbits and anything that a cheetah would consider prey even in her current 'Faunus' form. She assumed those instincts were things she got over after she transformed into a Vasto Lorde.

Just like the previous day, Ruby never noticed the time pass by. Their time together easily went beyond just few hours. Brunhilde had made it a point to spend as much time with Ruby as she could, literally dragging her everywhere she went. At the rate she was going, Ruby was sure she would visit not just Beacon but all of Vale itself. It was then that Ruby was recounting her current day's Combat Training class to her.

"From the way you speak, it sounds as if you are new to being a Faunus" wondered Brunhilde. "Would it perhaps be similar to how I am still new to being out in society?"

"You could say that" answered the cheetah Faunus, licking her own softie cone. "I'll say, I never thought this would be your first time trying one of these. Now I'm really curious about the way you lived until now"

"I understand it may appear rather strange" she replied. "But I was considered special. My dad really loved me, so he wanted to make sure that I wasn't dama..hurt in any way. Which is why I'm really, really thankful for everything you've given me so far, Ruby"

"Ah, don't be" she waved off. "Honestly, I'm enjoying our time together as much as you have. It's a bit odd, but being with you is rather relaxing. You know, there was a time in my life when I was lost and alone in a completely alien place. But someone really dear to me found me and sheltered me for an entire year. She showed me many things, and took care of me like I was her own. When I look at you, it feels as if I'm getting an opportunity to play the role that person played for me"

The long-haired woman had the oddest expression on her face, one that Ruby couldn't really put a finger on. It felt as if she was deep in thought and was almost looking at Ruby with an expression of longing. As if there was something she wanted to tell her right then and there but couldn't quite bring herself to.

"I see….I think you shouldn't use such words lightly, but I feel rather happy regardless. Thank you, Ruby" she said finally. "In any case, I believe my time for today is up. As I mentioned, I'm afraid that I cannot linger around here for too long, lest the people back home get upset with me. You also have things to look forward to, right?" She was done eating her softie, and got ready to leave.

"Yeah, but I'm in no rush honestly. I don't have anything more for today, so in fact, since you've been so nice to me, why don't I accompany you to Atlas? I can take you there in a second" offered the rose huntress, preparing to open a Garganta.

But Brunhilde fiercely shook her head. "Please don't trouble yourself. I have my people waiting for me. It would be bad if I left them waiting. Thanks a lot for the offer, but I'll manage myself. Don't worry about it Ruby"

Ruby stood silent for a while, puzzled. But after a pause, she gave a sighing smile, placing a hand on Brunhilde's shoulder reassuringly. "Alright, no need to get so tense, you know. If that's what you prefer, it's totally fine with me"

"Sorry" apologized the woman once more, but more relieved this time. She placed both her hands on Ruby's shoulders. "I promise I'll take you to my home once day. It's just that right now is not a good time. Let's see. I think I might still be able to come over once in a while. Let's exchange numbers. I'll let you know if I'm around the area!" Ruby nodded her head, and the two bleeped their numbers to each other. "Perfect! In that case, I'll see you around, Ruby" she said, turning and leaving Ruby to stare at the enigmatic woman once more. Or so she thought.

Not a moment later, before the cheetah Faunus knew it, the orange haired woman's arms were tightly wrapped around Ruby. She could sense a rather curious hints of longing that was laden with the slightest hints of worry, almost as if she was trying her best not to let it seep out of her.

"Whoa easy there…you ok?" asked Ruby, concerned. Brunhilde nodded.

"Yeah. I am. Don't worry. I just felt like hugging you" she replied. "I thought I'd recharge myself with some 'bestie energy'. You have a lot to spare, don't you?"

The rose huntress let out an amused chuckle. "Sure. Though, don't you think a grown woman like you hanging on to a teenage Faunus like me look a bit weird? Although, I'm happy you think of me that way"

"Is it really that much weirder than the time you said your mother walked into your brother's room when he walked out of the shower?" she asked.

"Ahahaha nope!" she agreed, returning her hug and comforting her. "Don't worry, I'll be here if something happens. Just text me and I'll be over at Atlas City in an instant. Or you can come here. Whatever it is, I can help you with it"

"Yeah. Thank you so much Ruby. But I'll be fine. I just needed some….closure. Cool down my brain circuits a little, I suppose. It's just that I don't know when we can meet like this again. That's all" she assured, letting go. "Anyway, I think I'm just worried for nothing. And as you said, I can always see you whenever I want" And with that, she turned her back once more, disappearing behind the shifting crowds within her sight.

For a farewell so ordinary, the rose huntress would have never dreamed that it would be a long, long time until they could meet once more under the same circumstances.

---

"Quite strange, isn't she?" said Yang, munching on a pack of crisps. Teams JNPR and RWBY were seated together in team RWBY's dorm. Since the time Ruby spoke of her past, it had almost become the norm for the two teams to hang out more often than usual. That evening was no different.

"Tell me, which family did she mention she was from again? If she really was from an influential family as you say, there is no way I wouldn't have heard about it" asked Weiss, taking a sip from her Dr. Salt soda, which she also called 'a drink for the intellectual ones'. Yang felt the need to roll her eyes every time the snow princess felt the need to announce it proudly.

"I…didn't ask, actually" admitted Ruby. "But maybe she has her reasons. Maybe she's tired of being treated differently thanks to her family background. She did seem a bit tense when talking about her family after all" Pyrrha nodded in agreement, for it was a sentiment the red head understood all too well.

"Is she on any social media?" asked Yang, already checking for name in known social media apps on her scroll. When her search turned up nothing that resembled Brunhilde, there was a puzzled look on her face. "That's strange. In this day and age, who the hell has absolutely no social media profile?"

"I dunno" countered Blake, seemingly not interested in the whole discussion. Her eyes were completely taken in by the book that was in her hand. "With that logic, you could say the same about me as well. I personally don't see why people feel the urge to openly talk about themselves on the internet to gain some kind of skin-deep affection and attention"

"But isn't that because you're a brooding, moody cat?" snickered Yang, earning her a glare from Blake.

"Anyway Blake" cut in Ruby, her tail swinging mischievously. "I almost forgot, this was one of the first things I had in my to-do list for when I finally came back home. Now listen to me very carefully. It's a very important thing I need to ask from you"

"Why do I get the feeling this is going somewhere I'm not expecting..?" asked the cat girl with a suspicious look.

"Are you going to ask her to do 'that'? The same thing that you asked Yoruichi to do and the same thing that made Urahara fall over when he saw Yoruichi doing 'it'?" snickered Summer from within. Ruby nodded. She pulled out a piece of paper and began scribbling furiously, adding what appeared to be a long sentence. Then, she then placed the note in front of Blake, and then a forceful hand on Blake's shoulder with a serious look.

"Now, my dear cat girl, repeat that sentence at the bottom for me. Take however long you need, but it's IMPERATIVE that you read it with one of your hands curled like a cat. Go"

Blake eyed Ruby suspiciously, and then looked at the note. It read:

Naname nanajyuunana-do no narabi de nakunaku inanaku nanahan nanadai nannaku narabete naganagame.

And right below that, there was what seemed to be a modified version of the sentence.

Nya-nya-me nya-nya-jyuu-nya-nya-do nyo nya-rabi de nya-ku-nya-ku i-nya-nya-ku nya-nya-han nya-nya-dai nya-n-nya-ku nya-ra-be-te nya-ga-nya-ga-me.

The Faunus cat blinked once, twice, before looking at Ruby again in a skeptical manner. "Ruby, I'm not sure I understand what you're-"

"Just do it! Oh, and sway your body from side to side if you can" she insisted, only making her confused further. It didn't help that the sentence Ruby wrote out looked nothing like anything that made sense. But perhaps it was some weird kido or spell or something, she thought.

"F-fine, I'll do it. Just give me a sec, this looks really hard to pronounce" she replied, and her eyes scanned the sentence several times as she repeated the sentence in her mind. Ruby crept over, whispering the sentence to help her with the pronunciation. And then, once she felt she was ready, she lifted her head to face a very expectant looking Ruby and her curious looking teammates. She curled her hands like the paws of a cat, which came to her as naturally as breathing.

"Nya-nya-me nya-nya-jyuu-nya-nya-do nyo nya-rabi de nya-ku-nya-ku i-nya-nya-ku nya-nya-han nya-nya-dai nya-n-nya-ku nya-ra-be-te nya-ga-nya-ga-me..." she repeated, slightly swaying her body from side to side while keeping her hands curled like cat paws, but in hesitant and shaky manner. While Yang, Weiss, Nora, Ren, Jaune and Pyrrha looked at the Faunus girl confused and lost, Ruby sported a look of immense satisfaction.

The cheetah Faunus almost seemed to moan. Her hands were clasped in prayer and she seemed to be looking skyward with an expression of peace. "Aah~~master, although it wasn't anywhere as good as Yoruichi's….I've attained bliss~~"

"Ahahahahahaha well that's to be expected, isnt it? That joke only works in Japanese. Our cute cat girl doesn't really know Japanese does she? It would make sense that she wouldn't get the pronunciation right on her first go!" mused Summer.

"Ok, mind telling me what all that was about?" asked Blake, dying to know the reason for which she put herself through such an ordeal.

"You wont get it, it'll take too long to explain" waved off Ruby. "Anyway, sorry about that Blake. I'll tell you about it one day. But for now, I feel really refreshed, so let's just leave it at that"

There was a heavy, awkward mood around the room for a few painful minutes, before Ren decided to break the air.

"Anyway, getting back to your friend Ruby, you two seem to hit it off pretty well huh?" said Ren. "So much so that you even think it was alright to leave class early just to rendezvous with her"

"I mean, I didn't think I had much else to talk about and thought you guys could manage for the day. And Brunhilde did mention to me that she was only going to be here a short while. Since I can coach you guys pretty much anytime, I simply took the most appropriate decision" answered Ruby.

"Speaking of class, what you did today was amazing!" complimented Pyrrha. "I didn't know you could use your aura like that!"

"Yup!" agreed Nora. "I'll admit it wasn't what I was looking for, but being able to literally stand on air and moving ultra fast is pretty cool too!" Yang, Jaune, Ren and even Weiss sported nods of amazement and agreement.

Ruby returned the compliments with a silent nod, a smile adorning her face and a slow, subtle blink as she nodded; a sign that Blake instantly recognized as the feline sign of appreciation and affection that felines including herself showed whenever one's ego was stroked.

"So what's next?! Some boom perhaps?! Or ooh ohh! Maybe now we can finally start using our weapons! I'll tell you Rubes, you're wayy too devoted about this whole 'Thou aren't worthy of wielding me' stuff when it comes to our weapons. I'm amused and glad to see that part of you hasn't changed a lick" mused Yang, with Nora agreeing.

"Haha maybe. As I mentioned to you guys, a lot of the techniques that I know of pertain to hollows and soul reapers. You guys are human. So naturally there is only so much I can teach you before it becomes impossible for you to do the things I can. But what I can teach you are the basics that remain common for all races. Like swordsmanship, movement and reishi control. As for weapons, I still feel that you guys aren't ready yet, but I suppose I could accommodate something" she explained.

And that she did, for Ozpin had somehow managed to fit in a session of combat class for Ruby to teach for the entire week. And as promised, she did indeed allow them to fight with their weapons and yet managed to disappoint them at the same time. For held in their hands were not their own weapons but sticks of various sizes and shapes, each one mimicking the functionality of their own weapons.

"But whaaaiiii?!" wailed Nora, almost pleading with Ruby. The latter however, merely had an amused smile on her face.

"I did say I would train with you guys using weapons. And these are definitely weapons, even if they don't look like it. Out there, you might not always be able to rely on your own weapons. You should be good enough to use anything that you can come across to your advantage. Remember, as I mentioned to you guys, there are only so many things I can teach you. This is definitely one of them" she explained.

"But come on Rubes, a stick is still too much! Atleast let us use some actual practice weapon or something" complained Yang.

"You underestimate the stick, sister mine. And this goes for all of you as well" she said, addressing all of her class. "You might not think much of this, but a stick is incredibly useful. All of the weapons that you guys are using right now is nothing more than a stick in another form. A sword is just a stick but made of metal and sharp. A spear is just a stick with a pointy end. The same can be said for a scythe, except that it's two sticks stuck at an angle with each other. A blunt weapon like an axe, halberd or hammers are merely sticks that have heavy sharp/blunt ends to them. A bow and arrow are just a combination of a curved stick that shoots other straight sticks. And a gun is merely something that shoots out other smaller sticks. And a shield is just a wide stick that you can block stuff with and bash other things. And besides, a stick is so much easier to find and get a hold of" she said with a tone of finality. And yet, her students looked unconvinced.

"That's simplifying it way too much" said Blake deadpanned.

"Let's do this then" she said, picking up a nearby stick. "I'll move at your pace and match your level. But I'll fight using this. You guys are free to use your own weapons. Feel free to attack me any way you'd like. I'll show you just how useful a stick is"

"Hoh? Sounds fun. Mind if we join in?" came a confident declaration from Coco Adel, surprising her class of students. Alongside her were three others; namely Fox Alistar who was facing Ruby with an expression of interest, Yatsuhashi who was calmly observing Ruby with curious eyes and finally Velvet, who seemed to be the one who was most interested in Ruby, watching her while shying behind Coco and Yatsuhashi.

"Team CFVY? You're here?!" voiced out Weiss in surprise.

"Weren't you guys supposed to be here a week ago?" asked Blake. Murmurs amongst the students followed, with the words 'second-year students', 'that Team CFVY', 'shit's getting interesting' and other similar quotes wavering in the air.

"What can we say? We left a long time back but who would've thought there would be that many Grimm along the way? And the final stretch was just insane. We couldn't even finish off some of those ones. They were also quite different compared to the other Grimm we've seen until now. I don't think I've ever seen Grimm like that before. Still makes my skin crawl when I think about it" said Coco, shuddering. "I really hope Ozpin has a few answers, because with the joint missions coming up with the teams from the other academies, I sure as hell hope he knows what he's doing"

"Strange Grimm…?" asked Pyrrha, raising her eyes but Coco stopped her with a tired look on her face.

"No no, let's not even go there now. I'm not in the mood for it. And besides, it's something we need to take care of with ol' Oz. You kids dont need to worry about it. Right now, we're more interested in the other interesting things we heard" she mentioned, looking at Ruby.

"Just when we thought nothing would surprise us back in Beacon, we see Pyrrha Nikos being insta-killed by a random chick that popped out of nowhere. And what's more, I hear this one used to be a regular human according to the records until one day she's just mysteriously turned into a Faunus. You can tell why this one's been on her feet since then" pointed out Fox, facing Velvet's general direction who peeked out from behind Yatsuhashi with wide, curious looking eyes.

"Amazing…" she said in a soft voice, inching forward towards Ruby. Her eyes were observing every single detail about the cheetah Faunus. "It really was true…you've really become a Faunus. B-but how is that possible? Are these..ah! I'm so-sorry!" The rabbit Faunus didn't even realize when her hands had reached out for Ruby's ears and tail, making her extremely embarrassed when she did.

"It's fine Velvet, go ahead" offered the cheetah Faunus, allowing the excited member of team CFVY to feel her ears and tail, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"They're real…! No way.!" She exclaimed. "But I've never heard of a human just turning into a Faunus overnight. How did this happen? I'm surprised such a thing hasn't already been made national news. Is the professor keeping the press from reporting this? And you look much older than I remember as well. And those eyes…Ruby, pardon me if I put it the wrong way but…was your transformation the reason for your increased abilities?"

"Hmm….not quite I'd say, but you're not totally off. It's a really long story to explain I'm afraid. I don't mind telling you, but I don't want to keep them waiting too long" she said, pointing to her students.

"So you're really taking their class then. A first year student teaching at Beacon. Now that's something I never thought I'd ever see. Not even we can take classes for students. Not until our final year that is. If Ozpin really put you in-charge of THAT Glynda's class, not to mention how easily you defeated Pyrrha Nikos…you must be pretty skilled, right?" asked Yatsuhashi.

"You were looking for someone to spar with, I believe? In that case, we can lend you a hand. Though, you might want to pick up your weapon in that case. Or…we could use sticks as well. Now that would be rather fun on its own too" chimed Coco.

Velvet seemed hesitant, but Coco brushed over her, convincing her that it was 'merely a spar' and that she was all up for something more relaxing after their recent Grimm experience.

"Alright. I think it would be good experience for those guys as well. But you might want to use your own weapons. I can manage with this. After all, the point is to get these guys to train with sticks first. I can't do that unless I show that it IS possible to fight without a weapon, now can't I? Oh, and feel free to come at me all at once" said Ruby, taking a relaxed stance.

"Are you really sure? You know, we may not be trained huntsmen, but we HAVE been out there where the real stuff has been. Plus, it would be four upperclassmen vs one freshman. Not that I wouldn't be totally amazed if you did hold all four of us off, but I would feel extremely bad for sending my dear underclassman to the hospital because she underestimated her seniors" challenged the leader of team CFVY, her hand on her handbag.

"Yeah, maybe we shouldn't be hasty Ruby….I'm a bit worried that something would happen" added Velvet meekly. But even so, she was clutching her camera.

"Really, I'll be fine" assured Ruby, making team CFVY yelp and jump back in surprise, with hushed gasps and whispers following from her students. For standing right in-between the four upperclassmen was the cheetah Faunus, her hand casually placed on Coco's shoulder.

"Wh-when did she?!"

"I was watching her the whole time…so then how?!"

Ruby herself said nothing. However, it was very clear that her words were not in exaggeration. And Coco couldn't be more excited about being outplayed this spectacularly.

And so, without any further ado, the fashionista began her attack, swinging her handbag that was a lot heavier than appeared to the eye. Following along with her closely was Fox, with the blind huntsman in training complimenting his leader with quick, deadly strikes with his tonfa-like blades attached to the gauntlets on his arm. The most amazing thing however, that almost everyone watching that day would remember is how gracefully Ruby appeared to dance around her opponents, with her lithe and acrobatic movements, using nothing but subtle movements and light jabs with her stick to throw her opponents off balance or to disrupt their timing and deliver what would have otherwise been a lethal strike. She moved with a speed that was observable, which made it so much more relatable to them. Weiss, for instance, could almost picture herself being able to copy Ruby's movements to the T. She could almost imagine herself in place of Ruby being capable of performing such feats herself, uplifting her spirits.

But that wasn't all. During the entire spar, Ruby was constantly giving tips and correcting Coco and Fox whenever they missed a step or misjudged something in their movements. A fact that did irk the fashionista but in a rather docile way. It didn't take long for Velvet and Yatsuhashi to join in the fray, with all four members now trying to defeat a single freshman, only to fail by mere inches. Velvet's weapon copy camera gained her a lot of gasps of amazement and surprise, as did Coco's gatling gun handbag, especially when the rabbit Faunus perfectly replicated the weapons of students present in the class.

Be it backflips, slides, subtle jabs, wide swings, vault overs, spins or other techniques, there was not one single moment Ruby received a single hit. Her moves were efficient and most importantly, doable.

After what seemed like several minutes, team CFVY was left feeling dejected, surprised, beaten and panting. Even so, it didn't stop a huge grin from forming on Coco's face, as well as a smirk of disbelief on Fox's face, while Velvet looked ready to let out a huge squeal of amazement. And after all that, Ruby's stick didn't have so much as a nick on it. The result was clear.

"So you see? If you're good enough, you can fight with any weapon, as you should" said Ruby. "And that's all for today"

"That was fuckin' badass!" panted Coco, slapping Ruby's shoulder, who once again, returned a cat blink.

"I never thought even we'd learn something from fighting a freshman. I was always skeptical whenever Yatsu here said the same thing about not underestimating others" admitted Fox.

"For the first time, I truly felt as if I could let go of my worries and fight without worrying about the consequences of my actions. It takes a lot to convince me of that, and for that, you truly have my praise. If you ever feel like needing someone to spar with at any point, I would be happy to assist" he said, giving a small bow himself.

"That won't be necessary" said Ruby. "Instead, I would be quite happy if you could do me a small favor, Velvet"

The bunny girl raised her eyes. "A favor? Me? Um, sure, what is it?" It was then that Velvet felt the need to do a double take and even take a nervous step back, owing to the somewhat hungry look Ruby had on her face.

"Do you think you could join me for a run sometime?" she asked, her eyes gleaming. This was also accompanied by her tail swinging excitedly and her ears perking up.

"Wait, that's it?" asked Coco with an exasperated look. "If that's all you want, feel free to borrow her anytime you like. I figure the two of you have things to talk about as well"

The others nodded but Velvet seemed to be rethinking her thoughts, still nervously averting her eyes. "Um..I-I'm not.."

"Ah come on, it'll be fun! Please! I promised I'll make it worth your time!" she promised, placing a hand on her shoulder, the hungry and expectant look on her face still present. The rabbit girl could feel her neck tingle, and Ruby's hand really looked like the paws of a predator placed on her neck. Seeing the expectant looks from her team mates, the bunny girl had no choice but to meekly nod.

"Awesome! I'll ping you once I'm ready!" patted Ruby with a toothy grin, before heading off. After she disappeared, Velvet sighed heavily.

"I know you're shy around new people, but I didn't think you'd be this dejected just from a request like that" wondered Coco.

"It's not that, it's just….how do I put it? It's just that she's a cheetah Faunus and I'm a rabbit so….well, what I'm saying is…" she replied, dwindling her fingers.

Coco stared with a blank look on her face at first, before raising her eyes in mild surprise and then going into silent fits of snickers.

"Ahahahahaah! Now I get it! Oh man, so that was it! Welp, seems like you walked right into that one. Now I almost feel bad since we practically coerced you into it. All I can say is…good luck!" she said, patting her companion in an amused manner.

Following that, Ruby would find herself wrapped within the happenings of school life and her life as a teacher. Qrow and Amber would occasionally drop by to her lessons, otherwise electing to spend time helping Amber recover or give her something to work on while she sat idly by. As much as Amber wanted to be back out on the roads doing missions to help people, her condition made it impossible to doing any serious fighting. Qrow on the other hand, who would have normally gone for missions chose to accompany her and lookout for her. The two would bicker and banter quite often, mostly with regards to chores and responsibilities but still remain vigilant at the end of the day where it counted. Though most others saw their current stance as nothing more than duty, Summer elected to believe otherwise, snickering that she might finally see a dusty old crow find himself a place to roost. Team CFVY would drop in at times too to take lessons from Ruby, with Velvet now being much more comfortable around the cheetah Faunus, happily reveling in their shared Faunus natures and even offering to go on morning runs with her. Ever since that day, Ruby neither saw hair nor hide of Brunhilde, a fact that surprised her own teammates as well as Summer and Crescent, for they had gotten quite fond of the orange haired woman themselves. No matter how much she texted or called the orange haired woman, they would hear back nothing. As much as Ruby was tempted to pay a surprise visit to Atlas, she put it off thinking she would simply wait for her to get back before she did.

And so, seven days had passed since her return.

---

How long had they been there? They couldn't tell. But the days felt considerably longer after Salem was gone. Quieter too. The difference in the mood in the air before and after was painfully noticeable, regardless of how little the two actually interacted. It was as if her presence alone had been like an invisible shield, protecting them from the worst of the worst dished out by Quilge. After she had literally become one with the black sludge, they heard neither hair not hide about her. For a span of time they couldn't calculate, the jailor continued to procure and capture menos, hollows and hell beasts in Grimm clothing with other Quincy soldiers occasionally coming over to transport them away. Nel was sure that they must have enough hybrid Grimm to form a battalion.

Their conditions were no better either. Though Tier expected their treatment would get worse without Salem to cover for them, the fact that Quilge focused most of his time capturing the Grimm meant that their situation was more or less unchanged.

And so it was, until that moment.

It appeared out of nowhere.

Unexpected and unseen.

A massive, almost insurmountable wave of nauseating reishi that reached out to the shattered shards of the broken moon itself.

It was sick, twisted and resembled nothing less than a wailing tempest of lost souls.

And its strength was unparalleled.

Greater than their own spirit energies combined, and certainly many magnitudes greater than Quilge's.

From the panicked and confused expression on Quilge's face, it was evident that he was just as confused as they were. The hybrid Grimm under his control were agitated like they'd never been before, to the point that they didn't seem to mind the harm they were inflicting on themselves as they struggled to get free.

"Wh-what's going on?!" exclaimed Lilynette, looking around. "This spirit energy…!"

"Who in the world could have such immeasurable spirit energy..?" remarked Tier, looking around and trying to pinpoint the source of the reishi. But the sheer volume of it made it feel as if it was present everywhere.

Quilge himself was having his own breakdown.

"Scheiβe! Scheiβe! What in His Majesty's name is going on?! The sensors are going haywire! Urgh! Quiet down you foul beasts!" he screamed, kicking the cages. But that only made then further aggressive, with the hell Grimm dangerously rattling the cage.

And then, their view was enveloped by a curtain of black.

Something was approaching.

Something was here.

Something ominous.

The Quincy jailer could do nothing but mutter and curse as the familiar black sludge swept across the floor.

The wails, moans, growls and cries of things beyond could be heard accompanying the wave of blackness like an accompaniment to a musical cacophony. The castle itself seemed to rearranged to pave way for whatever was coming their way.

A tattered robe stained in red and black decorated with eerie runes.

Skin as pale as a ghostly apparition, with markings the shape of red veins running across her pearly white skin.

Eyes as black as lacquer and iris gleaming red.

Long, unkempt white hair hung loose over her face, with bangs framing her forehead and giving off a regal yet youthful appearance.

Two white devilish horns protruding from either side of her head.

Her black, angelic wings drew them in as they lightly fluttered and shed ominous, black feathers.

"Sa….lem…?" called out Nel, uncertain.

"You?! Black Witch, you still live?! How is it that you still stand here after His Majesty himself exorcised you?!" screamed Quilge, pointing his military saber at the undying witch.

The witch said nothing, save for pointing at the Quincy. Upon her command, the Grimm captured by the Quincy melted, seeping outside their cages and then reforming outside of it, joined in by other similar Hell and Hollow Grimm that materialized. They wasted no time attacking Quilge on sight.

Quilge was swift in his movements, as were his strikes. Each one striking vital points such as the masks of the Hollow Grimm or the eyes, limbs, head or torso of the Hell Grimm. Combined with his expert control of reishi arrows, it took no time for the Quincy to dispatch the incoming hoard of evil. With one swift movement, he then formed a glowing cage of reishi around Salem.

"Demented witch! You should have accepted the gracious mercy of death when His Majesty offered it. Now you can spend eternity being trapped and used as fodder for His Majesty's plans!" he growled, constricting the reishi cage.

Even then, Salem spoke nothing, merely raising a finger and lightly tapping the cage. Like poison encroaching the bloodstream, black, twisted reishi traveled withing the reishi cage, deteriorating it and cracking it open.

"Lächerlich! Incomprehensible! My Jail is impossible to break for any who aren't Quincy!". Quilge, for all of his disbelief, would soon learn that common logic ill applied to the Left Leg of the Soul King.

She extended her hand with her palms facing down. And then, in an almost incomprehensible and inaudible whisper, she chanted what appeared to be an unsettling array of spells. They were like the whispers of the tempest of souls around them, and it echoed all throughout the entirety of the crystalline castle.

A large, glowing red-orange rune appeared beneath her, which then brought forth a large array of Hell Grimm and Hollow Grimm. This time however, each one of the monsters she'd summoned were as strong as an Adjuchas, if not stronger. And they were of many different shapes and sizes, in forms and shapes defying common understanding.

The Arrancars watched in horror as the demonic exchange continued in a clash of blue and black, with Quilge using his Völlständig and manifesting angelic blue wings that were a stark contrast to Salem's own. However, while Salem instantly regenerated any damage that reached her, Quilge was not so fortunate, despite being protected by his Blut. They attacked by shooting burning beams of light that instantly pulverized anything that stood in their paths, some others firing off fireballs and other energy projectiles that did various things and there were even some humanoid shaped Grimm that held very modern looking weapons. Apart from them were all different kinds of Hollow Grimm that used Ceros, Balas and other similar attacks. Their numbers were immeasurable and worst of all, they all revived a while after being killed.

Soon enough, there was nothing left but a very exhausted and beaten Quincy, while Salem herself didn't have so much as a rip on her clothes. The undying witch approached the beaten Quincy, holding him up by his face.

"On my name as the overseer of Hell, Kindred of my kin, you shall now be judged for all of the sins you have committed in the name of your kind" she spoke with an inhuman, monotonic voice. Quilge quivered and shook as black tar began to invade and pour into every orifice of his body, with his inhuman screams being muffled by the black unholy liquid pouring into his mouth and down his throat.

"You who looked down on other forms of life for being what they were, you who allowed pride to blind you, shall be reborn as the thing that you despise. And no matter how many deaths you shall see, you shall always be reborn as the thing that you despise from the bottom of your soul. You shall continue to feel the pain and anguish of all those you scorned and tortured, and it shall become that which drives you towards damnation. Your loyalty shall be that which drives you to seek out my brother's death until the end of time. And you shall never be reunited with my brother's soul, for you will serve under me in bringing those of your kind to their justice" she spoke, like she cursed his very soul itself.

And with those words, Quilge's form became contorted and disfigured, resembling something that was just barely human if someone looked close enough. Pained, muffled noises could be heard from the lump of flesh, black tar, blood, hair and bones that was Quilge, reaching out towards Salem with a tendril like appendage that was once his arm. His weapons, clothes fell uselessly on the side.

Lilynette couldn't hold it in, and felt the contents of her stomach empty out on the floor. It was impossible to believe that the putrid, vile, retched thing in front of her once resembled a human being.

"Oh dear lord…what has he unleashed upon this world…" gasped Nel, cupping her mouth.

"You kill one and 10 more take their place…" growled Grimmjow in disbelief. "And she cna just bring them back like nothing.."

"This might very well be the end of this world" remarked Mila-Rose. Her voice was calm but her internal thoughts were anything but calm. While their power was many leagues above the creatures in front of them, it was what they were capable of together that worried her. These creatures were undying, lacked anything resembling pain, emotions, doubt or even life, and could regenerate given enough time. Whereas they, albeit strong, were mortal. And their numbers paled in comparison to what these things could grow to be.

"Salem….no, you are not Salem, are you? You are something else…" called out Tier. The witch herself hadn't paid any attention to them so far. Then, with a loud, audible klink, the collars binding them in place came apart, a black misty substance escaping from them. She then slowly walked over to them, lightly treading on the black tar like substance covering the floors of the castle. The undying witch placed a gentle hand on their bodies, and they could feel the fatigue and injuries disappearing.

"I am the will of the Left Leg of the Soul King. The overseer of the realm of the damned. For all purposes and intent, Salem is no more. She has willingly given up her soul so that I can manifest in this world so that she may find release. You who were never meant to be here, who were brought here against your will and had your flesh and soul tortured for sins you did not commit against the kin of my kin, must be compensated for your suffering. This is but a small fraction of that indemnity. It was also her wish to alleviate your pain. Though you are not free of sin, you have paid for some of those sins through the torture and suffering you have unjustly undergone. But now is not the time for your retribution. The Quincy King must pay the price for his unforgivable act. The weight of the two worlds lie on his soul. On the duty bestowed upon to me by my father, I must bring Quincy King, my brother, and all of his kin to be judged" she answered.

Nel gasped. They knew of the overseer of Hell. After all, it was Ruby herself who spoke about the being responsible for Summer's million years of suffering, as well as the one responsible for making Ruby experience those years of suffering herself. A being just short of being a deity.

"What is your objective?" asked Ulquiorra. "If you are truly the ruler of Hell, this is not your realm"

"That may have been so at one point. But my brother in his hatred against those from my realm and yours sought to destroy it all by using the laws of a world that worked to his favor. However, he miscalculated. He assumed that none could house my soul. He overlooked the fact that I could manifest in this world by using Salem's immortal body. If he had taken steps to seal away this body after using it to open the doors to our worlds, he would have succeeded. But now, I shall do that which has always been my sole duty. No matter where I exist, in what form I exist, as long as that which can be called the realm of the damned exists, I shall continue to judge the sins of those that enter my realm" Salem then began chanting again, with her palms outstretched and facing down. She then sliced off her own arm, letting the black, inky blood that ran through her veins pool down at the floor. This time, the incantations were long, fast and eerie. The entire castle seemed to reverberate with power.

Something despicably evil was approaching.

Many blood red runes and symbols appeared all over the black sludge. Each one of them gave of enough spirit energy to surpass the Fraccione's own spiritual pressure. Some even came quite close to the Espada's.

Nel's jaw dropped.

Twisted, morphed, evil and yet, there was no mistaking the forms of the beings that stood in front of them.

"Szayelaporro…!" exclaimed Lily. "Barragan….Nnoitora…Yami…Zommari….Aaronierro! All of the dead Espada...!"

"It's not just them" gasped Sung-sun in disbelief. "The Fraccione that died too..they've also been..! Wait….I can't believe it…that one. I know him! That's Arturo..! It's not just the Espada that died in the winter battle..she's even resurrected someone that outrageous" Her body began to involuntarily shake, both from the spiritual pressure as well as the scene reflected before her eyes.

"…..I recognize that man" said Mila-Rose, gritting her teeth. "That was the captain that died to the head-captain's flames during the winter battle. Mayuri Kurotsuchi..and that one as well…and that one. And that one. They're all soul reapers that died in Aizen's battle..and I see others that I do not recognize as well, but their strength is off the charts..!"

"Damn….some of these spiritual pressures surpass our own.." cursed Starrk. "If she's resurrected soul reapers and Arrancars from the era of the Quincy war…we could be having a really bad situation.."

The once-Arrancar scientist merely flashed an eerie smile at Lilynette before he along with all of the others knelt down in front of Salem. They looked fundamentally different from how they did as Arrancars. All of them had what appeared to be massive halo like rings floating just behind them. They had markings across their bodies that looked ritualistic, with some of them resembling chains, some resembling blood, some resembling fire and so on. Chains dug into and out of their bodies, wrapping around them. They also had body parts that had been caked in the same black, inky tar covering the surface they stood on which dripped from said body parts. Some had horns and other protrusions from parts of their bodies that dripped with the black tar constantly. Some of those protrusions also curved and pierced into another spot on their bodies. They were the very embodiment of suffering given form, of eternal torment, of something that was just barely alive and continued to be so till the end of time.

"Fulfill your atonement, go and seek out the kin of my brother and drag them to my domain so that they may face judgement" she commanded and at once, the figures melted into the black tar, disappearing along with their spiritual pressures. She then spared one final glace towards the Arrancars' general direction. "…..Although brief, I feel content in knowing you found what you sought and meeting you in this form, long lost kindred of mine. With our brother out there in this world, perhaps it will not be long until the four of us meet once again. But until then, I pray that our paths do not cross, for I will be forced to exercise my role as an arbiter should that happen"

Following that, the Queen of Hell herself vanished, leaving behind nothing but silence. Though the castle she stood on was more than appropriate to be her adobe, she still had one place to be. The Queen of Hell, unlike her kindred, was no fighter. She was simply the arbiter of laws and the karmic ways of life and death. And she exerted her influence through the jailers of hell. Yet, of all those that she had summoned, none held the mantle of her most capable servant. The one worthy enough to be called the greatest warrior of Hell. To vet justice against her kin, the Queen needed all of her soldiers. One whom she would personally seek out in the world with the broken moon.

Meanwhile, the Arrancars themselves were in a fix. So much happened in such a short time that they were unsure of what actions they needed to take. Over the course of time they spent as captives under the Quincy jailer, they had come to learn of their circumstances and the world they were in through Salem and in some small part, Winter, during her very brief visit. Which of course meant, that their first action was the easiest one.

"We need to find Ru-chan" stated Lily, voicing their thoughts. They nodded their heads in agreement. Tier helped her up, comforting her.

"Will you be fine?" she asked, to which Lily weakly nodded. She could feel Lilynette's uncontrollable tremors that came to her as a result of being exposed to the toxins from Quilge's experiments. Pangs of anger shot up within her. Despite Quilge's fate, Tier couldn't help but feel bitterness for not being able to put the man to rest herself. She couldn't protect those under her and so she felt cheated at the fact that she couldn't even avenge them. But she subdued her thoughts to focus on the current situation at hand. After all, they could always think about everything once things were relatively calmer. Following that, she helped up the Tres Bestias.

"But where do we look?" asked Apacci. "For all we know, she could be anywhere in this world. And from the looks of things, we might not have the time"

"Is there anyway we can get back to Earth and contact Ichigo or Urahara?" asked Mila-Rose.

"Dumbass, if we knew that we wouldn't be here in the first place" snapped Grimmjow. "Who the hell cares where she is, we just need to use our Pesquisa to find her"

"We could split up and use Sonido to cover distance while we look for her spirit energy" added Nel. "Right now….with all of those resurrected Arrancars and soul reapers, it's not just her but this entire world that's in danger"

"That is acceptable" said Ulquiorra. "Ruby Rose is also the only one who can enter freely between out worlds. We need her to return to our own"

"Then let us be on our way. If they find her, we call for the others. Ruby by herself cannot fend off two massive groups of enemies at once. All of us combined may not be enough either. Our objective is only to find the little one and help her and ourselves leave this place. We can then decide on the next steps of action once we're in a better place" suggested Tier.

And so, the Arrancars split off into groups; Starrk and Lilynette. Nelliel, Pesche and Dondochaka. Grimmjow. Ulquiorra. Tier and the Tres Bestias. With each party heading in a different direction in search of any spiritual pressure that resembled Ruby's.

---

With the exception of Gremmy and BG9, Haschwalth, Bazz-B and Penny stood in front of the Quincy King with anxious expression on their faces. None could predict the reasons for the immediate summons from their ruler, nor the manner in which they had been asked to present themselves. Gremmy for one was rather displeased that he had to drop his work halfway through, for imagination and creation were things that happened at the spur of the moment and hence could not be called upon at will. The thought of not remembering a flash of inspiration because of interruptions was something he despised, even if it came from Yhwach himself. Naturally these were thoughts that seldom presented itself outside of his mind.

BG9 was of a similar opinion, although in a much more passive way. He lacked the emotions needed to process such disappointment save for expressing it as 'being inefficient'.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, my comrades" addressed Yhwach. "There has been a change of plans. We shall begin our strike against the soul reapers right here and now, as well as taking the Kingdom of Vale"

Shocked gasps ran across the room.

"Now, your Majesty?" asked Haschwalth, surprised. "If I may ask, did something happen that required His Majesty to change the plan that you put forth so meticulously?"

"Indeed, Haschwalth. It would appear that the worst possibility has come to be. My sister has awoken in this world" he answered. "It was a mistake on my part. I should have separated the bloodied remains of that cursed witch after using her body as a conduit to Hueco Mundo and Hell. And she will be a far greater threat than the soul reapers as they are now. While she is not a fighter, her authority is far superior to my own. It is what she excels in, frighteningly so. It is her very nature. Quilge's soul has already been lost to us. If she were to make her way here, many more will be lost. But there is one who can stop her in her tracks for us. I cannot allow my sister to hamper our war against the soul reapers. And that is why, we move out now, before my sister's influence reaches us here and takes control of the Grimm we have under our control.

Here are my orders, and heed them well. Haschwalth, you and Bazz-B shall head over to the Soul Society to spearhead the attack along with the other Sternritter assigned to battle the Soul Reapers as planned before. Take the captured Grimm with you to initiate the attack. You are also to take Raven Branwen and Sienna Khan and those they command to support your strike. I shall head over to Vale along with Brunhilde, Gremmy, Winter Schnee, Theodore, Xanthe, James Ironwood and the Atlas Military to hold back my sister's forces while I deal with her. This will be crucial in helping them improve their abilities. After my sister's forces reach Vale, it will only be a matter of time before they are overrun. However, Ruby Rose is sure to act. Her silver eyes will reduce my sister's forces to ashes. Then, once the Grimm have been thinned out, that is when we act"

There was a unanimous salute from those present in the room. "Jawohl!"

"Your Majesty, if I may ask, what of Ichigo Kurosaki?" asked Haschwalth.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki have been taken care off. It also appears that Uryu Ishida is with them, which works much to our favor. They will be kept away from the Soul Society until our attack ends" said Yhwach. With that, no words were needed, and all that was left was to fulfil their duties.

---

"I don't know you guys, but I'm a bit concerned" said Tatsuki, her expression laden with suspicion and unease. She was dwindling her thumbs as she walked along the river banks of Karakura Town. With her were Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu, all of whom were on their way back home after school. Normally, the dark haired girl would walk home with Orihime or by herself to Urahara's store for training. Ichigo was the same, except that he would meet up with his sisters midway and the siblings would walk back home.

They all had their own lives to live and schedules that seldom matched. And yet, they would always find the time to take a stroll by the same pier in Karakura town that barely changed ever since they were little kids. Though they hardly played together like in the old days, the feeling of being in each other's company like family was something that never went away. And to that effect, Tatsuki felt that her concern was justified. Especially since Ruby was not there with them. She felt she had to take upon herself that extra responsibility in Ruby's place to look after her family.

"It's fine, it's fine Tsuki-nee" assured Karin, waving her hands. "We'll be careful. It's not like we're telling them anything important or giving them anything. In fact, they don't seem all that interested in even hanging out with us. And besides, after all that stuff with Aizen, how bad could a couple of women be?"

"A couple of Quincy women" corrected Tatsuki, interjecting in. "Didn't that four eyes mention that he and his old man were the only Quincy left? I mean, sure, you guys would technically count as well, and if we include aunty in the Soul Society, that's all. You're telling me you guys aren't the slightest bit worried about these women who just popped up out of nowhere and start running into you almost every single day since Aneki left? In just a week, they've somehow 'run into you' 5 times!"

"It is strange" agreed Ichigo. "I asked Ishida about it, and he didn't seem to know them either. He was just as surprised as we were. He even asked us to call him if we ever run into them again. And then he tells me that they did meet him as well, and that apart from being just as confused as we were, he didn't sense anything too off. But as you said, it's not like we know where they're going or where they even live. So far, all that's' happened is that they come by and we talk for about 20 minutes and then they just leave"

"They don't seem to be bad people" added Yuzu meekly. "They were really nice when they spoke to us, and from their spirit energy I could tell that they were quite strong. If they wanted to, they could've attacked us anytime they wanted. But they didn't, and they even paid for our snacks and drinks whenever we did meet"

"It's very obvious they have favorites though. They never leave without stuffing Yuzu's mouth full of savories and snacks saying she needed to grow up strong or something" said Karin dryly. "Of course, you wouldn't think they're bad people. Not when they baby you that much"

"I really wish they wouldn't though…" replied Yuzu, apparently embarrassed.

"But that's exactly what I mean! That's how they get you to lower your guard and then get you when you least expect it!" cautioned Tatsuki, going into her stern-protective-aneki-mode.

"Wait, you don't think they're gonna kidnap us, are you Tsuki-nee?" asked Karin, raising her eyes. "I would be more worried about them than us if that was the case. I mean, sure, they're strong, but compared to Aizen or heck, even Ruby-nee or Nel or any of the older Espada, they're nothing. I'm sure Ichi-nii alone would be more than enough to take care of the situation if something did happen. Or one of us for that matter"

"Ichigo, you don't think you're being a bit too careless, aren't you?! As the elder one, what would happen if you were too trusting of strangers and these two got hurt or worse because we weren't being careful?" asked Tatsuki.

"Well, they did say that they were really close to mom. Mom didn't really mention them, but we never asked her either. But from how they were talking about mom, they did seem quite fond of her and were just genuinely happy to see us. Still, I get your point. As I said, we're being careful. And if something did happen, I'll be sure to protect them. Don't worry about it" assured Ichigo, and the four found themselves at the end of the route where their paths diverged. "Anyways, this is your stop. Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. As Karin said, they aren't weak, but Harribel-san, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Nel-san and Nee-san are all just as powerful. I'm sure we can handle them. And I don't want to believe that someone whom mom took care of back then is out there to hurt us" he said, and the three walked towards their home.

As Tatsuki was left watching their backs, she could do nothing to suppress the cloudy feelings and anxiety in her mind. "Yeah, I know. But that's what I'm worried about"

No sooner had the Kurosaki siblings parted ways with Tatsuki, as they walked through the commercial district that lay en route the Kurosaki clinic, they could see some familiar figures waving at them from the distance.

"Yahoho!"

Approaching them with a bright smile and waving at them was Candice Catnipp, in casual denim and a very fancy looking handbag. Around her were Bambietta Basterbine, Giselle Gewelle, Liltotto Lamperd and Meninas McAllon. Each of the women were wearing different styles of clothing, ranging from a simply one-piece blouse, a jacket and denim pants, a frilly skirt and top and so on. Each one even had things on their hands, once again ranging from food, clothes, cosmetics and so on. They soon caught up with the Kurosaki siblings, with Meninas not even waiting for their response before she started caressing Yuzu with a cheery expression.

"We seem to be running into each other often, don't we?" asked Karin, raising her eye. "In fact, we were just talking about it"

"It's just a coincidence" said Liltotto with a rather confident expression. "No really. Although maybe we should come clean, don't you think? They're not that stupid you know. They are lady Hilda's kids after all. Unlike you lot"

Candice glared at Liltotto. "Of course I know that! But don't pretend as if you had zero interest in seeing them. If I remember correctly, you were the most excited of us all"

"Says the one shamelessly flirting with Ichigo" retorted the girl. "Although, I don't totally blame you"

While the two started a series of arguments, Bambietta stepped in. "Here you go" she said, giving some lebkuchen to Karin. "It's a specialty from our hometown. I know they have their favorites, but I'm sure they care for you equally as well"

"It's fine, it doesn't really bother me" replied Karin. "Unlike that dork, I like my personal space. But you still haven't told me why we keep running into each other this often. Or why you keep giving us this stuff. I know you were friends with mom, but this is a bit too much, isnt it?"

"We're really just here to shop" she said, showing them the bags on her hands. "Although, running into you kids definitely made the whole thing better. And I'll admit that the past few times we did look out for you guys. I mean, you can't really blame us, can you? The moment we heard that lady Hilda's kids were here, we just had to come and see. We were just planning to visit the arcade before heading back. I can see you guys are still in uniform. If you have time, why not accompany us?"

Karin and Yuzu looked at each other, while Ichigo looked away unsure. Sure, they had time to spare, but meeting and hanging out so often was not something they were too fond of. Considering that they were just high schoolers and middle schoolers, their allowance was just enough for some basic needs and the occasional splurging. And considering that Bambietta and the other girls had already paid for them the last few times they met, it didn't feel right that they kept depending on them. The quincies seemed to be able to read their thoughts.

"It's fine, its fine" assured Giselle. "We're not so low as to make school kids pay when we're the ones who invited you. And well, it would be an insult to ask our lady's children to pay for our expenses. So just tag along"

At that point, the Kurosaki siblings felt like they had no choice. Heck, Meninas was already grabbing Yuzu hands and yanking her along.

"Fine, just for a short while then" said Ichigo, sighing.

As they made their way to the arcade, the siblings could only think back to how this whole thing even started. It had been close to a week since Ruby left for her world, and the siblings thought nothing eventful would happen for a while. After all, after Aizen's defeat, the following 2 years had been relatively quiet, something that wouldn't necessarily change because of the lack of a single person.

So one could only imagine their surprise when a group of Quincy women came rushing at them out of nowhere with huge grins on their faces, proclaiming that they were absolutely delighted to finally meet with Masaki's children. No one could blame the siblings for being interested. And the several minutes they spent recounting their past with Masaki seemed all to genuine, even describing how their mother had been to the dot. Which was something that Masaki had told them herself whenever she spoke about her old days back at the Wandenreich during their yearly visits to the Soul Society.

However, whenever the siblings proposed to introduce them to Urahara or Isshin or even Ryuken, the Quincy would strongly but politely decline their invitation.

"I know they're people whom you care about. And that Isshin is your father and Lady Hilda's husband. But they're still soul reapers. I'm sorry, but we'll have to decline. Some of us are more 'mellow' about soul reapers, but for many Quincy, bad blood still runs strong" replied Liltotto calmly, while the sour expressions on the faces of the other girls was obvious to see, even if they didn't voice out their opinion.

"Ah….I..alright. Then what about Ryuken? He's a Quincy, isnt he? So then why?" asked Karin.

"You're right. We wouldn't mind paying the Ishida family a visit. After all, Souken Ishida was one of the many quincies who was tortured and killed at the hands of the Soul Reapers. We do plan to visit him at some point. But we just want to spend time with you when we're with you and leave seeing Uryu and Ryuken for later" she explained.

Normally, such a response would sound ominous and somewhat disconcerting. Because even if they were part Quincy, it didn't change the fact that they were also soul reapers and in Ichigo's case, part hollow as well, a class of beings that he knew quincies detested from the bottom of their hearts. But perhaps it was that honesty from their end that made the siblings trust them, even if just a little.

After another long day of talking, shopping, fooling around at the arcade and overall having a fun time, the Quincy bade farewell once more, as they always had so far. Ichigo saw the watch on his wrist display '18:30', so it hadn't been that late.

"That was fun" said Candice, stretching her arms. "Man, the World of the Living sure has some fun places to go to. It's too bad we have to come here all the time"

"But unfortunately, this is where we leave you. But we'll see you soon enough" said Meninas, petting Yuzu's head once more and then flashing a flirty wink at Ichigo and surprisingly petting Karin as well, which greatly embarrassed the girl.

"Actually, we were thinking about something" said Bambi. "If you're free tomorrow, we can take you along to our place. You can see how some of the Quincy have been living for the past few years. I'm sure it will be an experience for you"

"Your place…?" asked Ichigo, uncertain. "I'm not sure…"

"For one, we still have school and stuff.." added Karin.

"It'll be fine, it's a weekend anyways" assured Giselle.

"Don't worry, we're not gonna gobble you up you know" assured Liltotto. "To begin with, you guys are way stronger than we are. Even if we tried something, there's no way we're getting too far. Not from the ones that beat Aizen himself"

"And besides, the three of you are way too sweet for us to do anything of the sort. To bring harm to lady Hilda's kids…..unthinkable..!" shuddered Meninas.

"Think about it" suggested Candice. "It's not often we get to invite outsiders you know. And we figured you might want to check out Masaki's old place"

"Mom's old place..?" asked Ichigo.

"Uh huh. It's where your mom used to live with her family. No one lives there anymore, but we do visit that place once in a while. Technically, all of the stuff there belongs to you now" she replied. "It would be a shame not to go and see it for yourself atleast once, now wouldn't it?"

"I…I guess.." answered Yuzu.

"Take your time to think about it" said Bambi. "We'll be around here tomorrow morning around 9:00. Of course, if you don't feel like you can come over that's fine, even if it would be a big shame. For now, don't worry about it. We'll see you around" she waved, leaving them with the box of lebkuchen.

The next day, the Kurosaki siblings were back but they noticed that the Quincy women had somewhat anxious looks on their faces.

"Is…everything alright?" asked Ichigo. "You guys look a bit on the edge"

"Of course, of course, we'll be fine" assured Bambeitta. "Glad you guys are here. Actually, there's been a slight change in plans, but I can explain that when we're there"

"Uryu…you're here too" noted Meninas, cocking her head. "And…I'm not sure who you're supposed to be"

"Will that be an issue?" he asked, adjusting his glasses. Tatsuki angrily stared at Meninas with a shrewd look.

"What? Of course not. In fact, this is just perfect. I'm surprised Herr Ishida didn't volunteer himself, considering how much he cared for lady Hilda" questioned Liltotto. "And you must be Tatsuki Arisawa. If I remember right from what Ichigo told us, you've been like family to them. So naturally I can understand why you'd want to come along, and you're welcome of course. As I mentioned, we have a slight change in plans. There's something that we heard, and we weren't sure this was a good place to talk. Because of that, we thought we would call those close to you as well"

"That so? You guys sound more suspicious by the minute. You sure you aren't trying to pull anything funny?" asked Tatsuki.

"My father didn't feel like he needed to, and I'm not going to bother asking why. And I am personally quite interested in learning about how the other Quincy have been doing. Hence the reason for my presence. However, what is this 'sudden change of plans' you spoke of?"

"We'll explain along the way. I can understand the reason for your suspicions, but trust me when I say that it is something you want to hear. But we cannot speak of it here. As I mentioned, you are free to leave whenever you like. But please, just give us an opportunity to explain" asked Bambi.

Tatsuki continued to look at Bambietta with suspicion, while Uryu was looking to Ichigo on what he planned on saying.

"…..alright. Lead the way then"

---

Too long. It had been far too long for her liking. Save for slight muscle pain and light bruising here and there, Neopolitan felt her lying down on bed was absolutely pointless and wasted. The hospital was supposed to be a place of healing and rest, and yet, as each day had passed, she could only feel her anxiety grow. For some inexplicable reason, she could feel pangs of terror and distress build up with each passing day, as if something horrendous was coming. It put her on the edge and sleep was something that seemed like a foreign memory. In the 7 days she spent, Neo doubted she got more than 20 hours of collective sleep. Her head ached and pulsed painfully and made it difficult for her to continue looking at her scroll without squinting. She really needed to put her anxiety to rest. A good night's sleep was all that she wanted currently, and the only one who could guarantee that right now was Ruby Rose and the headmaster of Beacon. They had to. The monster she saw back at the Witch's castle was something she did not like thinking about, but she held on to the hope that Ruby Rose would be the solution to that problem.

Suddenly, blaring alarms went off all over the place.

Despite it being afternoon, red flooded through every nook and cranny of the hospital. Neo could make out the hallway just outside of her door colored red from the alarms that were going off with an eerie, mechanical and emotionless sound.

What in the world? Thought the Ice cream girl to herself, making an effort to rip off the bandages and cast on her body. Halfway through, the doors to her room burst open, revealing a familiar looking figure in a bowler hat and a familiar looking cane.

"Neo! Oh, thank the brother gods you're awake. We're leaving. Grimm alert!" shouted Roman, grabbing her umbrella and helping her remove the rest of her bandages and cast. The ice cream girl reached out for her regular outfit, but Roman threw her a look of disbelief.

"Really? You want to change at a time like this? I know the hospital gown isn't really fashionable, but I'm not sure the Grimm care about how much of a diva you look like, Neo" sighed Roman, grabbing her wrists and leading her outside. The girl scowled, clearly unhappy about leaving her favorite outfit for some measly Grimm. Why the hell was Roman making such a fuss about Grimm? The whole alarms thing was overkill too. After all, this dingy island to her was the kind that Neo described as sickly sweet. One filled with ignorant people that had nothing to worry about in their lives save for the occasional Grimm attack which by themselves were rare. Even if the Grimm did enter the hospital itself, some measly low level Grimm was nothing that Roman couldn't handle. So then why was he so frantic? Why was he sweating buckets?

"Dammit" he cursed, squeezing her hand tighter. "What in the world was that earlier?! I've never seen Grimm act that way. After what I saw, I'm really beginning to think you weren't kidding, Neo. You good enough to fight?" he asked, looking back at her quickly. Neo gave a firm nod. She was already holding her umbrella ready to attack at a moment's notice. Roman was the same, holding his cane ready to fire off explosive dust rounds at any who managed to catch his sight. Neo still couldn't figure out what was happening.

And then, the two of them heard it. Shouts, explosions, inhuman and unsettling growls that sent shivers down their souls followed by screams, the sounds of crackling fire, electronics going awry and the ever-present alarm still ringing in the background all in an unholy cacophony. Roman quickly checked the floor map for the nearest exit, but threw the idea in the bin. After all, that would be the first place everyone would have tried to go to. A crowd was the last thing he wanted to run into. Not after what he'd seen just moments before grabbing Neo. So far, the two of them had only seen other patients and nurses scampering around frantically looking for clues as to what happened.

After a sharp turn towards the stairs leading down, she understood. The reason for Roman's panic. The reason for everyone running around like their heads were cut off. And the why her anxiety since the past week felt so real.

Red, red and red.

Even with the red from the alarm filling up the normally white hallway and stairway of the Hospital, the red in front of her stood out. In fact, the ominous red lights seemed to accentuate the bloody red stains splattered all over the stairway, accompanied by chunks of flesh, the grotesque stench of guts spilled onto the walls, blood running down the floor and flesh burning.

The ice cream girl nearly screamed out in horror. Two bodies lay half sprawled on the stairs, but it was the thing that was above them that made Neo's knees almost give away.

Like a pack of rabid animals ripping apart a carcass, two black things were taking apart the what remained of the corpse, devouring them greedily. She could hear the bones of the corpse snap in a sick crunch, the sounds of flesh being ripped and torn accompanied by the unholy snarls of the beasts in black. They appeared to be Grimm but were obviously very different. One of them was nearly hairless, rugged, reverse-facing hybrid human-like legs, a rotund body with a couple of strands of hair here and there, a long, thick muscular neck almost as wide as the body itself and a huge trunk like an elephant that ended with a five fingered hand. On the top of its 'trunk' was a wider portion that had several spotted red eyes. The creature was ripping apart pieces of the corpse with its bloodied trunk and shoving it into its wide human like mouth located just below its trunk. The other creature resembled a Grimm much more, although this one had fur that was just a tad bit grey-black in color as opposed to pure black. It had an elongated mouth and its face seemed to be covered with some kind of bony mask. The most notable feature was a giant see through hole in its body.

Neo felt sick in her stomach. If Roman hadn't been holding on to her, she was sure she would've emptied out the contents of her stomach. The stench was so overwhelmingly nauseous, it took all of her effort to stay still. She could feel her breathing getting erratic and difficult. Her life hadn't been an easy one. Ever since she was young, she had lived through troubles that most others in Remnant would not have dreamed off. Her partnership with Roman Torchwick further proved that. During the course of their criminal life, she had been in several life threatening situations and seen death like it was second nature, either due to the Grimm or due to humans being humans.

But this, this was nothing compared to any of that.

The environment around her flickered violently, changing and morphing as her semblance went out of control.

Roman wasted no time emptying his ammunition on the two creatures, which then moved with inhuman speed towards him. But the awkward position of the stairs and Roman's own higher position gave him enough time to punch two holes straight through their bodies. But instead of evaporating like normal Grimm did, these ones exploded like any organic creature would, splattering blood and black guts all over Roman and Neo. Quickly reloading his cane, he looked at his partner and shook her rather forcefully.

"Oy! Snap out of it! I know it's not a pretty sight, but I need you to stay focused! You can puke all you want once we're out of here! Till then, I really need you to hold it in and help us leave this goddamned place! Argh dammit, I'm talking like I don't feel a shred of disgust looking at all this! What in seven hells is happening?!" he cursed, stepping through the pool of blood and guts and the corpses of the creatures. Neo bit her tongue and forced herself to focus on the stinging pain and put her mind in a state of alertness. Her weapon was already out and ready to skewer and stab away at anything they might come across.

Down the stairs and round another corridor they ran across huntsmen engaged with another group of similarly shaped unnerving monsters trying their best to hold them off, with many other bodies scattered around them.

Two more came charging at them. Neo dove to the ground and sliced away at the legs of one of them and then used her momentum to swing around and stab the other one straight through the head. These ones were humanoid in shape and they were carrying what appeared to be firearms. Roman grabbed one of them and fired away at an incoming fireball from another bull-human hybrid creature. The blue plasma bolts from the gun in his hand collided with the fireball creating a miniature explosion that kicked up shards of glass, dust, blood and wisps of flames. Wasting no time, the duo dashed towards the bull creature blocking the way towards the exit of the hospital. Neo delivered yet another frantic stab at the creature's eyes, but the tip of her weapon didn't penetrate all the way through. The creature, seemingly dull to the pain swung its clawed hand at her, sending her crashing into the wall and ripping off a portion of her clothes. Her aura dulled the damaged from the clawed slash, but it sent a streak of pain up her torso.

Roman used his cane to hook onto the ice cream girl and pull her out of harms way from a follow up attack coming from a second creature just past the one in front of them. Then, using his cannon, he sent the embedded tip of Neo's weapon right through the bull creature's head and blasted a clean, cauterized hole.

Through more hallways and doors the duo went, sustaining more and more damage to their auras as the numbers overwhelmed them. It didn't help that these things didn't behave anything like any Grimm they knew. Some of them had weapons that were clearly human in make and yet seemed alien, as if they were fundamentally different from the type of dust weapons found in Remnant. Some others shot fireballs and energy projectiles. But the most deadly ones that the duo found were the eerie looking things that had giant, glass like eyes with the body of what appeared to be a skinless fly and human like limbs. The lasers it shot from its eyes pulverized anything without an aura in an instant. Neo found herself on the receiving end of such a beam and while it only nicked the skin on her left arm, she found that part of her arm had been charred black to the point that the nerves on that small patch of skin had been completely burnt. Roman himself looked completely toasted, with bleeding injuries on his face and legs, while Neo, along with the burn on her arm had a huge slash mark on her chest as well as singe marks on her leg and shoulder.

She was scared; more scared than anything she had to face in her life of crime out in the worst streets of Vale. This was the first time she had been out fighting without her aura or semblance to protect her. The fear of death and injury weighed down on her. She could die. She could be wounded fatally. It hurt, it stung more than ever without her aura. But they had to survive. They just had to. And they would.

The final stretch was the worst, as they had nothing to use as cover and the open hanger and entranceway was crawling with enemies. Roman was sure that was the end of their journey, but when a chance projectile from a creature hit another creature behind them, they found the ray of hope they needed.

"These uglies can fight with each other…!" huffed Roman with a smile on his face. "Neo, you know what to do" he told his partner, who then nodded. The two triumphantly stepped towards the nearest Hell Grimm, only for the girl to realize that her bleeding wounds meant that her aura was long gone and that her semblance was not coming back anytime soon.

A quick stab and reflexive movements incapacitated her enemy, but not before attracting the attention of every other enemy all over the place. Their objective was a bullhead that was present just a few dozen meters away from them that was obviously primed and getting ready to go. Though their enemies were approaching them, the presence of hope just within reach made them more determined than ever to get out of their current perilous situation.

About halfway through the entranceway, when things looked optimistic, Neo's heart skipped a beat when her umbrella snapped in two. The sheer unexpectedness of the situation froze her on her tracks. Her orange haired partner didn't notice her current ordeal as he tried to keep two other hybrid Grimm off his tracks. A clawed hand swung straight down onto her face, and Neo braced for the worst.

The dull sound of something heavy hitting the ground assaulted her ears, and she saw a blur pass right beside her missing her by mere inches. She could hear a new growling sound coming from right in front of her. Attached to the arm of the Grimm in front of her was a black and white shape, latching onto the arm like its life depended on it. But Neo couldn't waste the opening that thing gave her. And so, picking up the remnants of her useless weapon, she stabbed the sharp end of her umbrella straight through the eyes of the Grimm, causing it to shudder and go motionless.

"Neo, the hell are you playing at-oh damn, how the hell did that happen?!" cursed Roman, dispatching another approaching Grimm. It was only then that the duo noticed the thing that saved the ice cream girl from a certain death moments ago. It was a corgi with a red collar around its neck and a gold pendant. It was panting rapidly, and appeared to be extremely tired, injured and barely holding on. And yet, there was still strength in its gray eyes.

The bullhead was just a couple of meters away from them, but four other Grimm were approaching them. They had to move now.

While Roman held off the Grimm, Neo grabbed the corgi in one hand and then dashed towards the entrance hatch of the bullhead, trying to pry it open with all of her strength.

"Neo what are you doing?! Let go of that mutt already or you'll get both of us killed!" he shouted, inching backwards towards them while keeping the Grimm at bay. But the ice cream girl held onto the corgi, and merely doubled her efforts to manually override the hatch. After a familiar hiss, the hatch opened, and Neo wasted no time diving inside along with the dog. Roman delivered a final kick to the Grimm that had latched onto his arm, and used his cane to hook onto the entrance hatch and force it close. While one of the Grimm tried to reach in, the hatch closing crushed the appendage of the Grimm, spilling its blood and severed fleshy appendage onto the bullhead floor. Roman wasted no time taking over the pilot controls and started the engines. Some energy projectiles flew towards them dangerously close, striking the body of the bullhead in a sickeningly loud 'thunk'. The criminal mastermind could only hope that the bullhead hull withstood the attacks without giving away until they could be airborne.

After several painful seconds, they could see the ground becoming smaller and smaller as the aircraft took flight. Soon, the burning hospital filled with the hellish Grimm-like creatures was nothing more than a blight-like spot as the aircraft made its way towards Beacon Academy.

---

Next chapter will start off some major events as many of the individual parts of the last few chapters come together. And of course, kudos to you if you caught the Monogatari references!

---

Response to reviews:

Monster King: Thanks!

Argorok: Thanks a lot! They are yet to get a lot more gruesome. The end part was just a small taste of what was to come. And well, shit is really hitting the ceiling.

Spellflame: Something like that. It will be made clear soon enough. Yeah, kinda. You could say that Salem and the overseer of Hell have very good affinity in terms of their natures. Thanks! Aizen will soon appear. Very soon. Indeed, all four limbs will slowly make their move. Yeah, Brunhilde is Penny.

Lucian Naruto: Yeah, Raven is a piece of work alright. You see that so much more in the beginning of this chapter. But well, she'll learn.

Cassnova5424: Thanks a lot!

Mobian: I mean, he has his plans. He can take care of Ruby, it just doesn't have to be him doing it directly. That way, he can fulfil his oath. Well, now he does, and he knows he fucked up. Yeah, Raven will definitely have her time. It will be a hard one, but she will get some redemption towards the end. Thanks a lot!

fightingchampion: I've answered you in our PM!

firewyrm2: Yeah, and it is something that will appear in the next chapter. Specifically, Yhwach's thoughts on the relics. Regarding Salem, that is an interesting comparison.

MaxHD2490: This is really just the tip of the iceberg. Neo and Roman got a taste of it.

PoofyOhio: Yhwach really did fuck up badly when dealing with Salem just because she was a weak immortal.

Fregreg: Ah that person. Actually the answer to that will come in the next chapter! No, since she isnt directly 'connected' to the realm of Hell. But that doesn't mean there wont be some interesting consequences. After all, this is almost as if their reunion was just waiting to happen.

L4 of the WEST: Thanks a lot! Glad to hear that you've progressed with your writing!

RandomName3064: Well, there was some emphasis on Sienna's maiden powers. Hope that made a bit of sense? But the point I wanted to go with was that she had the maiden powers. I really did research the maidens, and nothing I found in RWBY the show stated that the Summer maiden had to be in Vacuo. Or any of the other maidens really. After all, it isnt a given that the maidens have to be in the city containing the vaults they can open. So I kinda just went with the liberty the show gave me to conjure up an interesting plot setting.

Aizen will appear. After all, Kyouka seems to have some plan for him and Yhwach in her mind. And she did break her seal in order to do something about Yhwach, who is in Remnant. Soon.

Poor Penny. But the worst of what she would need to face is still not here. But hey, atleast she got some wholesome moments with Ruby.

Yeah, that is indeed true. Ozpin might have noticed something off with Brunhilde, if only she had been seen by Ozpin that is. Too bad they kinda just narrowly missed each other. Was it intentional? Or was it just coincidence? Who knows. But well, regarding Tai, it wasn't as if he had a reason to contact Ozpin daily. So it would be surprising that Ozpin remained unaware. Also, even in the show it has been shown that Ozpin can 'overlook' things happening right under his eye even if he can see the grand picture of things. Heck, even RWBY chibi made fun of that. So the fact that a vastly superior race managed to keep themselves hidden from one man for a week isnt too farfetched.

Hell walking Remnant is indeed what is happening. But you know, Salem isnt a fighter. She is more akin to a summoner. But an insanely powerful one at that. And an immortal one. Yeah, things really aren't looking good.

Nope, that training is really pointless in the face of what's actually coming.

Yeah, you're right. Which is why I focused a lot on the background info in this chapter as well.

Xeno01: You're right. It's a fact that Kali tried to convey to Sienna, alongside Ghira. Jacques siding with them is pretty much a given. He has been shown to be that kind of a person even in the show. He's really in it only for personal monetary gain.

As for Raven, perhaps. But will Taiyang being with her change her? Will her time with the Quincies change her? Time will tell.

Haha yeah! She does indeed look younger. Nah, it's not actually Salem in control. It's the overseer of Hell in Salem's new body. And that overseer takes no sides. She only mets out judgement based on karma as is her role.

It's the left leg that created Hell, and it's the left arm of the soul king that created Hueco Mundo.

As for Ruby and Penny, it's just a tease. There's nothing more to it. Which is why Summer mentioned her being similar to herself and Unohana.

Well, Aizen will appear. Kyouka does have her plans after all.

Thanks again!

NinjaGogeta: I understand and I really thank you for your support till now. I understand that the TYBW arc isn't something that everyone likes, which is why I tried making it a bit more interesting. And Remnant needed a way to be on equal terms with bleach verse. Otherwise, with Ruby there, the story would have ended really fast. Still, I really, really appreciate all of your support so far, and thanks a lot!

rama alif: Thanks! Sorry for the delay!