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Finishing up the Mistral Arc! Getting some behind the scenes looks at what everyone else is up to this chapter!

Start Chapter 13

To say that Ruby was exhausted as they crawled their way back to their place of residence in the upper levels of Mistral was maybe the largest understatement that mankind had yet made.

She was practically dead.

They'd not stopped working in what felt like a full week, ranging from fighting off the members of Cinder's faction at Haven Academy, trying and failing to apprehend Weiss to get the mirror from her, waking up having slept really terribly because she'd slept on her stomach, and had really bad acid reflux when she did that. They'd also been trying to deal with the fallout of arresting and imprisoning Lionheart, trying to find out where Weiss had gone with the mirror, and trying to track down the members of Cinder's group that had fled.

There had just been a lot of trying, basically.

There had also been that incident where Adam had gone missing, and they'd thought the worst – that perhaps his darkness had returned to him, and he was going to attack them in the dead of night when they least expected it. They probably should've realized that wasn't the case given that all of the White Fang that had been turned with him were still around, but their brains were working with very little sleep.

They'd of course found Adam at a nearby homeless shelter volunteering to assist the people there. He'd been working to collect donations from people on the street – at which he'd been incredibly successful – and then coming back to work the soup kitchens as well.

The people working at the shelter itself had been gutted that they'd needed to take Adam back with them, citing him as the best volunteer they'd ever had. One of the women working there also had what Ruby could only describe as the world's most obvious crush in the world on Adam, which was saying something given that Ruby knew Pyrrha.

Ruby had honestly felt a bit bad dragging Adam away regardless, but then, the fate of the world was at stake. If Adam wanted to come back once they'd saved it, then he was free to do so.

And yes, from the few days that Ruby had seen them together, it was clear that having Adam around was making Blake feel weird. It was also clear that having Adam around was…

Well…

"Hah," Adam chuckled under his breath as he leaned against the wall behind him. "Yes, well, your speech-giving skills were somewhat… off on that particular day."

"Oh, right," Blake rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her face. "And that's why you put your head in your hands, damn-near collapsed to your knees, and then walked out of the hall in disgust?"

Adam coughed into one fist. "I think you must've been seeing things?"

Yang cackled beside him. "Wait, so, her speech was so bad you physically couldn't be there anymore?"

"Again, I've no idea what you're talking about."

Ruby was choosing not to think about how Yang somehow didn't have any bad blood with the man who'd cut her arm off. That way laid madness. Or any other number of equally inconvenient things.

Still, whether or not she'd expected it, it was clear that Blake had always silently hoped that Adam could return to his senses; to being the person she remembered him being. And now, whether or not he'd had any choice in the matter, he had. That had a smile stretching across her face, and a gleam in her eyes that Ruby hadn't seen since before Beacon had been attacked.

Ruby was happy for her, no matter how weird this was.

Still, for right now, Ruby was tired as all get out. She moved towards the couch in the center of the room, plopped down on it, and closed her eyes.

Hopefully, nothing would happen that would otherwise inconvenience her ability to sleep. Nothing at all.

"Hey, Jasmine!"

It was Yang's voice, and Ruby opened a single eye, just to check in on the situation. She saw Yang with her hand around Jasmine's wrist, having stopped her as she was walking by, it seemed.

"Oh, uhm… hello, Yang." She chuckled. "Did you need something?"

"Well yeah, I did." Yang looked back towards Blake, who nodded subtly to her. "Jasmine… you can use magic."

Ah. Right. Of course this had to happen. Ruby wasn't allowed to get any sleep. No, a conversation that threatened the balance of their entire group had to break out once more.

Because that was just Ruby's life.

"That's…" Jasmine clearly didn't want to talk about this. That added up, given that she'd had a week to bring this up on her own, and very much hadn't. "I… I can."

Ruby was honestly surprised she hadn't tried to weasel her way out of that one, but then again, the figure in Weiss' mirror had straight up said she had used magic to save Pyrrha's life. A bit of her semblance as well, but magic to supplement it.

And that…

"Okay, well," Yang hadn't yet let go of Jasmine's wrist. "Where did you learn that, exactly?"

"I… can't tell you that."

"Wait, what?" Yang's brow drew down. "What do you mean?"

"I just… that's personal, alright?"

Yang clearly didn't want to let that go, but a hand on her shoulder belonging to Blake had her easing up a bit.

"Alright, sure, but…" Yang let out a breath of frustration. She was, evidently, not pleased by all of this. Ruby couldn't really blame her. "I don't know when this occurred to me, but… Pyrrha, atop the tower when she was battling Cinder. That Cinder lady seemed to think she killed her, and yet–"

"That's not–" Jasmine rushed to cut her off, before looking back, making sure the coast was clear. "Don't… don't say that around Pyrrha, alright?"

Yang clicked her tongue. "So, it's the truth?"

"That…"

"Jasmine–"

"What's going on out here?"

Another new voice had joined in the conversation, and Ruby looked over to see that Pyrrha had heard the commotion. Luckily for Jasmine, she'd missed the part where they'd been talking about her survival from what had happened atop Beacon's spire, but…

Ruby had been there. She'd utilized her eyes without even meaning to. She'd watched as Pyrrha crumbled to dust…

And then she'd just… been fine.

She'd been so out of it afterwards that she'd simply assumed she'd been seeing things, but…

"Are you alright, Jasmine?" Pyrrha asked, walking up to her, seeing Yang's hand on her wrist, and glaring over.

"They're just… asking about what happened back at Haven. How I… how I healed you."

"Oh." Pyrrha looked a bit guilty when she said, "In all honesty… I'm quite curious about that as well."

Jasmine seemed caught, then, and as much as it hurt her to see her friend like that, Ruby was in agreement with the others.

"I… I did use magic."

"How did you learn it, though?" Yang stressed. "Because you having magic isn't a problem; it's great, even. It's just… how powerful is it? What can you do with it? Hell, is it something we could learn?"

"…No."

"Why?"

"It's…"

"I'm just saying, I mean, I can't be the only one who's had the thought that their last names are pretty similar, right? Jasmine and that guy in Weiss' mirror?" Yang questioned, and Ruby was a bit embarrassed that everyone else nodded along, when she herself hadn't noticed anything of the sort. "D'Arc and Arc?"

"That's…"

"Is that more than a coincidence, Jasmine?" Blake asked.

Jasmine looked like she was surrounded on all sides, despite the fact that she was among friendly company. Ruby wanted to defend her, and yet… they deserved to know, didn't they?

"I… can't tell you."

"Hey, we're your friends, aren't we!?" Yang grew the smallest bit heated, her eyes not quite red, but becoming a warmer violet. "This is pretty important!"

It was Pyrrha, ultimately, who stepped in front of Jasmine.

"If Jasmine thought it was necessary to tell you, then I've no doubt she would. But if this is a personal matter, then I stand by her decision to keep this to herself."

Jasmine smiled up at Pyrrha as she finished speaking, and offered a smile back towards Jasmine. Yang just rolled her eyes.

"Oh, yeah, because that's a completely selfless thing you're doing."

"Hey!" Nora entered into the room, her hands on her hips. Ren was technically there too. Honestly, he might've been there the entire time. He didn't really have a notable presence. "Don't be mean to Pyrrha!"

"This is more important than being kind, Nora," Yang shook her head. "We need to know what we're up against, or what we're capable of! That woman, Salem, she knew the person in that mirror, and if Jasmine's related to them, then–"

"Enough, all of you."

They all turned, surprised, towards the source of that voice. They found Oscar – although, judging by the tired expression on his face, it was far more likely Ozpin that they were currently faced with.

Then again… that man in the mirror, alongside Salem… they'd called him Ozma.

Ruby doubted that had been a mistake.

"I've kept much from all of you." Ozpin began with a sigh, reaching up and rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "I see now that doing so has only caused a schism to break out among you. In order to rectify that, I'll tell you what you wish to know. As much as I can."

This… wasn't something that Ruby had expected at all. Especially after everything had happened with Lionheart. Ozpin had been… rather closed off.

"You weren't entirely willing to answer questions yesterday." Blake was the one to bring up. "You said we'd know what we needed to know when we needed to know it."

"Which was really confusing, by the way!" Nora complained.

"Yes, well…" Ozpin sighed. "Suffice it to say that my mind has been somewhat altered.

"What altered it?"

It was clear they weren't getting the answer to that question. "Do not worry over such things. For now, let us discuss the situation. Come."

They ended up in the living room, all sat down at – or around – the couch that Ruby had been laying down on. She was trying not to take that personally, but it was a little bit difficult to do so, given she was now sitting on the floor, and very much still tired.

"Suffice it to say, as you may have figured out, I am… rather old."

"Yeah, a bit." Yang muttered. "That guy in the mirror, and Salem, too… they said Jaune D'Arc had been in some way affected by the Gods, and then she implied that you guys had been as well. What was up with that?"

"That…" Ozpin sighed. "Do not concern yourself with the latter sentiment. That matters little."

Ruby begged to differ, and several of the others seemed to as well. Unfortunately, Ozpin just kept going.

"What matters is that I am here. More specifically, that I am here to stop Salem from destroying this world."

"And how long have you been doing that?"

"…Well over a hundred thousand years, now."

There were several shocked expressions on their faces. It was an amount of time that felt almost impossible, and yet… there was not an ounce of falsehood in Ozpin's tone. She genuinely believed he'd been fighting for that long.

But…

"And… you haven't won?"

"Winning is not something I've been able to consider." Ozpin sighed. "Not when I have struggled to even keep this world from the brink of ruin. There have been times where this world has enjoyed eras of peace, and such could perhaps be considered a victory. But there have been an equal, or perhaps greater number of times when it has been pushed to the very edge of destruction. It has held throughout it all, if only just."

Ruby wasn't entirely sure what to make of that. It was evidently true, given they were here.

"Alright," Blake sighed. "What of the man in that mirror; Jaune D'Arc?"

"That was his name, I do believe." Ozpin nodded. "I must admit that it had been a long enough time since last I dealt with him that I had all but forgotten of his existence. It was only when I felt the telltale hiss of magic along the winds of Mistral that I realized what could have happened; that perhaps he had risen from his imprisonment. I was rather glad to figure out that he had not escaped confinement, and that instead, that confinement had only been moved elsewhere."

"So, this Jaune guy," Ruby was startled to realize that it was Qrow who'd spoken, having apparently entered into the room while she wasn't looking. "Is he more dangerous than Salem?"

"That is hard to say." Ozpin sighed. "He has far fewer resources, and his methods of attack will be much less dangerous, trapped within that mirror as he is. Yet if he were to escape…"

Ozpin hesitated a moment, clearly caught on whether or not he wished to say anything.

"This is a world devoid of magic. Whether or not there remain people capable of using it, the truth of the matter is that the world itself wants the magic that was once taken from it. I cannot tell you all of it, but… at some point, this world lost the magic that was once commonplace upon it. Despite this, the world itself did not change. Now, Remnant is like a system of roots, constantly looking for any semblance of water. When actual magic is used by someone capable of casting it, most of it goes back to the person who casted it. But a tiny fraction is shaved away, returning to the planet itself."

"This would not be so great a deal over a period of ten years. Even over a hundred, it is negligible." Ozpin spoke, before looking up at all of them. "But Salem and I have been alive for a hundred thousand years. Our magics, what little remain, are all but spent. What we possess is a mere fraction of what the most capable sorcerers in our time were capable of. And suffice it to say that Jaune D'Arc will not have lost his powers as we have. He still possesses all the magic that once resided within him, and, due to his immortality, he can likely use it without worry for burning out the basin of his power."

"I'm sorry," It was Pyrrha who spoke up, raising a hand. "Uhm… did you say immortality?"

"Indeed." Ozpin sighed. "The reason he is sealed now, and not dead, is because he could not be killed. Myself and Salem working together once overpowered him, but he would not die, no matter what we threw at him. He was imprisoned away, so that he might never walk the face of this planet again. Unfortunately… I fear that he may yet find a method to escape from out of his mirror."

"How would he do that?"

"I am not sure he has realized; in fact, I pray he has not, but in the time since I first felt his magics, and the time I actually encountered him… it felt as if he had already grown stronger. It's possible that utilizing his magic is bringing him closer and closer to the fore. Potentially, if he were to rest against the very edge of the prison that binds him… he may just find a method of escape."

"And if he does?"

"I am not so sure what might happen, in truth." Ozpin admitted, running a hand down his face. "Either way, that cannot be allowed to happen. We must remove him from the board. I have been playing this back and forth, zero-sum game with Salem for eons now. And I have managed to hold her to a stalemate. Only the insertion of a new, dangerous element could possibly shake the game. Take D'Arc and bury him away, somewhere no one will ever find him again, and this world can continue to stand as it has for so very long."

Ruby's brow furrowed somewhat, although that seemed to be a sentiment that no one else in the room shared. She didn't quite know why, but there was an uncertainty hanging about her chest, something that threatened to spill out into words.

She held it back. Instead, she shook her head, and, seeing as how everyone had largely broken off from their earlier arguments, sought to get some sleep, finally.

She made for her room, laid down on the bed, and was asleep within a minute.

/

Evernight had never once been a location that Cinder Fall would describe as 'alive'.

It was likely the single most inactive place on Remnant. Only seven figures lived upon the entire continent, and many of them stayed for only a few weeks at a time, before disappearing to other remote corners of the world.

And yet, despite all of that…

When Cinder entered into the dining hall for the meeting that Salem had called, all of her enforcers present, she couldn't help but feel like the entirety of Evernight was humming.

"It is good to see you all," Salem spoke, and where her voice normally sounded empty, like a mere mockery of speech, there was something there, now. "There are several things to discuss on the docket for today. I'd also imagine that many of you have things you wish to ask of me, and have held back for fear of retribution."

Salem was right on that front. She'd been wanting to ask what the hell this entire mirror debacle was even about for weeks now, but just as she'd said, hadn't done so because she'd been worried what Salem might think.

"Worry not. I will answer your questions today. I am, after all, in quite the good mood."

"Ooh, ooh, me first!" Tyrian raised a hand, and Salem nodded towards him. He clapped his hands together excitedly, before asking, "Are you going to be punishing Cinder and Hazel for their failure at Haven!?"

Cinder had to bite down on the string of insults that immediately threatened to spill out of her, then. That utter bastard Tyrian was always like this.

"I will not be." Salem spoke, and Cinder couldn't quite hide her surprise. Tyrian actually seemed disappointed, too. "The reason behind such is simple; I was under the impression that the mirror would've taken control of its host, using them merely as a means to get around. I had not expected for it to have seemingly formed a symbiotic bond with the one carrying it. She was unwilling to surrender it, and fought to defend it fiercely. I had also not expected for him to be capable of magic within the mirror, and yet, certain spells seem available to him despite his condition. Added onto that, he seemed against coming with you. Your chances of capturing him, in that case, were slim to none."

"Is he so grave a threat?" Hazel asked, leaning forward.

"Hm. I suppose. He will almost inevitably serve to hinder us. But on the other hand, I somehow doubt any of you would lose in a straight fight to him were he to be released from that mirror. His magical skills were not particularly noteworthy in my time, although perhaps such power would be of note now. Regardless, the only things you must be worried for, in truth, are the abilities that he has gained from the transformation he took on to best myself and Ozma a hundred thousand years ago. The true extent we knew not of, given that he was sealed away by the Gods only an hour or so after he took the transformation on, before he could fully unleash whatever powers it might've granted him."

Cinder wasn't alone in reacting to the 'hundred thousand years' comment, and yet none of the others seemed to want to broach that topic. Cinder didn't quite want to dredge up the backstory of the Queen of the Grimm at the moment, either, and so she left that particular thread hanging.

"The girl who carried him was Weiss Schnee, correct?" Watts brought up. "Her father owes me… somewhat of a favor, to put things bluntly. If you'd like, mistress, I can have him put out a reward for her to be returned to Atlas, and from there, once she is returned home, we'd have little difficulty getting him to hand the mirror over to us. Our handiwork wouldn't even be noticeable at all without someone digging into the matter extremely deeply."

"An excellent idea, Watts." Salem smiled. "Utilizing the entire world's population as an information-gathering network. Clever. Do so once this meeting has been adjourned."

The man nodded his head.

"Cinder, have you any questions?" Salem turned to her.

She did. She just… wasn't quite sure how to word them.

But…

"Why are you in such a good mood?"

Salem's eyes briefly widened, before they returned to their previously lidded look. She gave a light chuckle as she leaned forward, balancing her chin on her elbow, as she stared across the table at Cinder.

"Because things in this world have been stagnant for a very long time. For eons longer than any of you have been alive, I have sat in this castle playing a veritable game of chess with Ozma. Neither of us can truly win, and whenever one of us grows close to losing, the other is unable to truly finish them off. But for the first time in… a length of time I know not the true scope of, there exists a new piece on the board."

"The Maidens, the Relics… all of these I have contended with time and time again. Though I have not wielded Destruction, and I have yet to truly discover the truths of Knowledge, I find myself bored with their potential. And the Maidens? Mere shadows of what the most basic of mages in our time were capable of. Nothing more. Just keys to locks."

"But he," Salem shook her head, but the smile on her lips was undeniable. "He is something different. And it has me excited. I must confess that I find such refreshing after spending so very long… adrift, without purpose or meaning."

Cinder wasn't quite sure what Salem was trying to say, there. Hadn't she been trying to gather the Relics to destroy and recreate the world? That was what she'd always told them, anyhow. Had that plan been going for so long that such no longer held meaning? That even a victory would be hollow?

"For now, we shall change our plans." Salem spoke. "I have felt a shift in the magics of Mistral. I believe that the Vault of Knowledge now stands empty. I can feel that the Relic is moving, and that it is likely still on Anima, but as for its exact location, I know not. Regardless, three of you, Hazel, Tyrian, and Cinder, alongside your cohorts, will be sent there to investigate, and to hopefully find the girl who wields his mirror."

"What of the Relic, ma'am?"

"If you can capture it without difficulty, then take it. But do not overextend yourself for it, or choose it over taking the mirror instead. The Relics are no longer a priority."

Cinder wasn't alone in reacting to that. The others – other than Tyrian, of course, who ate up everything Salem said – seemed mildly perturbed that objects of their previous missions were now reduced to… afterthoughts.

Were the Maidens as such to Salem now, too? Almost assuredly so, if she cared not about what laid behind the locks that the Maidens could unlock.

Cinder bit down on the inside of her cheek. If that was the case, then what did Cinder provide that made her useful to keep around? And more important than that, what did Salem offer her that made it so that she should stick around?"

Nora Valkyrie's idea…

It wasn't sounding quite so imbecilic all of a sudden.

"Regardless, we have sat here and spoken on the matter long enough." Salem announced. "Hazel, you will continue to act as the gatherer of information. Do not threaten anyone unless you believe such will lead you to your goal, and be unafraid to bribe them heavily in exchange for information. I care little for the lien I have built up."

Hazel nodded his head.

"Tyrian, I will have you trail Ozma's group. They are, in my eyes, the most likely to come into contact with that girl if she is not brought back to her father. Do not make yourself known to them. I understand that you have business with the Silver-Eyed girl, but such will have to wait for a later date."

"Of course, my goddess," Tyrian bowed.

"Cinder, you and your cohorts will move to Argus. It is the second largest city on Anima, and the most likely destination for someone looking to leave the continent. You will keep track of all of those attempting to flee the city, and keep abreast of the situation with the Atlas military in that sector as well."

"Understood."

"Watts, after you have made contact with that man, go to Atlas yourself. It will likely be her destination, seeing as how Vale is all but in ruins."

"As you say."

"Well then," Salem cleared her throat, before reaching out and flicking her hand. "You all have your orders. Go, and contact me if anything arises."

Cinder stood, as did the others, and made her way towards the door. She was the last one out, and was, therefore, in charge of closing the doors.

Yet, as she did, as the gap between those doors grew ever smaller…

Cinder did not miss the almost manic smile on Salem's face.

End Chapter 13

Salem has been bored an awful long time, and oh, look, entertainment.

Not much else to say! Next week, we're back to Weiss and Jaune in the Anima Wilderness. See you all then!

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