The Previous Night: Amity Colosseum

SNAP!

Yang Xiago Long, having defeated Mercury Black in the Vytal Festival tournament, crunches through the gray haired boy's leg with one blast from her shotgun gauntlets 'Ember Celica', after he seemingly stood back up and raced forward to attack her, conveniently while she had her back turned.

"MY WORD" Doctor Oobleck jumps out of his chair and lowers his glasses, attempting to get a better look at the horrifying scene

"WHY IS THIS STILL AIRING? CUT THE CAMERAS!" Professor Port shakes his head and also stands up as he scowls at someone to his left side, presumably the technical direction of the broadcast

'In reality' however, when Yang circled around the downed Mercury, he stood up, and while he was just standing still, the blonde hothead suddenly shoots him in the leg! And that explains the crunching sound as Mercury screams in pain and falls over, clutching his leg with what appears to be a shattered knee or a broken lower leg

"Yang Xiao Long, stand down!"

Multiple Atlesian Knights, with two human Atlesian soldiers trailing behind, soon circle around Yang, the exact same way they detained Link the previous day

"WHAT?! WHY?"

Yang's eyes widened in shock as her sights focus on the holographic screen replaying the events that transpired on camera, showing a completely different version to what the huntress in training experienced

"MERCURY!"

Emerald Sustrai somehow makes it inside the arena seconds before the Atlas personnel, and she rushes over to her partner's side, doing her best to comfort him

"Why did she do that!? WHY'D SHE ATTACK ME!?"

Yang gasps in shock at what she 'did', the blonde student gazes into the crowd, knowing exactly where to look first, her team. The rest of team RWBY indeed watches on, with Blake Belladonna displaying a look of horror, Weiss Schnee is wide eyed, and Ruby Rose covers her mouth in shock

…

Elsewhere

"Well well…"

The chuckles Link bounce along the walls of his room as he watches the match live in his still trashed dorm

(Now that Yang knows what I went through, maybe she'll be more understanding of what I was trying to say: This is obviously more trickery by Emerald.) The blonde boy shakes his head as the Atlesian Knights and Soldiers escort the 'guilty' young woman out of the colosseum. (Yang and the rest of my 'friends' need to and SHOULD get a clue now because that is two days in a row now where a 'horrible' attack has occurred.)

Exhaling loudly, followed by a soft sigh, Link stands up and finally tends to his room by at least flipping the mattress over, giving himself a comfortable place to sleep as opposed to the cold wooden floor

Beacon Academy Dormitories: Team RWBY's Dorm, Late Stages of Dawn

With the match officially called off and Yang forced to stay in her dorm for the foreseeable future, thus making her public enemy number two, behind Link. All four of the girls who make up team RWBY wait inside their dorm for two things: a stern lecture and to hear of Yang's likely punishment from General James Ironwood. The blonde teenager is sitting on Blake's bed, shaking her head in disbelief. Her sister, Ruby, is seated directly besides her, showing full support of her sister. Weiss paces back and forth, feeling anxious and nervous as this is the second friend of hers to go through this. Lastly, Blake awkwardly stands by the door, occasionally opening it to be on the lookout for Ironwood or any other Atlas personnel coming their way

"When did the general say he'd be here?" Blake mumbles with narrowed eyes, peeking through the slightest crack of their barely open door

"S-Stop that!" Weiss frowns. "You're only making us look more suspicious

"Us?" Yang raises an eyebrow

"You heard me." The heiress nods. "We're all in this together. You might be in trouble but team RWBY has your back."

"T-Thanks." Yang nods

"My question was not answered." Blake's eyes dart back and forth between her team and the hallways

"I don't know, but hopefully the general believes me." Yang lets out a weak sigh as she buries her face in one of Blake's pillows

"Is there anything we can do for you sis?" Ruby scoots closer and wraps her arms around her sister

"No thanks Ruby, but I appreciate the concern. This is all just a big misunderstanding. He attacked me first!"

"Obviously." Weiss rolls her eyes, "You would never do something like that on purpose, I know it and so does the rest of the team." She looks around. "Right?""

"Yeah!" Ruby shouts. "Of course we know that!"

"Hm..."

Blake's hesitation draws gasps from Ruby, tears from Yang, and red cheeks from a flushing, angry Weiss. The cat faunus immediately senses the tension in the room and thinks of what to say… Before ultimately looking away in shame and leaving the team dorm, promptly sprinting away

"Blake?!" Yang calls out, plenty of sadness lingers in her voice

"What the-!" Weiss frowns and follows her faunus teammate outside of the dorm, but when noticing Blake sprint, she growls. "I'm going after her!"

And just like that, Weiss takes off sprinting as well, with plenty of colorful words ready to be unleashed for the cat faunus. This, in turn, leaves Yang and Ruby as the last people inside the dorm

"No, that can't be right." Ruby shakes her head. "Surely Blake doesn't actually think-!"

"G-Go with them sis! Considering I'm already being doubted by my own teammates…" Yang shrugs off her sister. "I need some time alone before the General rips me a new one."

"But-!"

"Stop damn it!" Yang's anger nearly boils over to the point of activating her semblance 'Burn', until she realizes who she is directing said anger at. "S-Sorry… Just go. Please?"

"O-okay." Ruby retreats from her sister, rises to her feet, and slowly leaves the room with dejection looming across her face. "I love you, sis."

Unfortunately, the silver eyed huntress receives no response from her sister as the young student hesitantly leaves; now it is only Yang sitting alone to her own thoughts. Or so she thinks…

"This is such bull-!" Yang stops herself, picks up her head, and angrily punches one of Blake's pillows

"I agree."

A strange but familiar voice is heard, which startles the blonde young woman and makes her search around frantically

"Why would Mercury attack you after a hard fought match? I thought he, along with Emerald, were your friends?"

The familiar voice comes from Link, who sits on the ledge, something he has done before when he, Neptune, and Sun were spying on team RWBY the previous semester. Link gazes out into the courtyard, resisting the urge to smiles even though he wants to do just that

"L-Link?" Yang gasps. "How did you even... How long were you there?!"

"While I'm not sure about the exact time… Long enough to hear the end of your team's discussion." Link nods. "I took some pointers from a friend of mine, a tiger faunus to be more specific. And while I planned on talking to you one on one, before the general made it to your room. But getting the rest of your team out was going to be a challenge. Luckily, you got rid of that challenge for me and now it is just you and I."

"Well then, say what you wanna say." Yang rolls her eyes. "I'm sure it won't be as bad as what we said, considering that you're calmer than I was yester-!"

"Do you hear me now?" Link mumbles. "Are you seeing what I was trying to explain?

"Huh?" Yang raises an eyebrow. "What does that me-!"

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Link quickly spins around and slides into the room, shutting the windows behind him on his way in

"I've always heard you out Link, what's your point?" Yang scowls. "Are you here to deflect from your situation by kicking me while I'm down?"

"N-No? Why would I do that?" Link shrugs as he walks over and sits on Weiss' bed, across from her. "Have you really heard me out?" He looks up and stares right at the angry girl. "Because from what I recall… You slammed me against a wall in my own dorm yesterday and called my reasoning what again? Backpedaling?"

"Oh hell no! No, no, no!" Yang shakes her head. "You are not about to compare the two situations, right?"

"Look at where you're at right now, Yang." Link's jaw drops in disbelief of his friend's denial. "You should be in the city, celebrating with your team, then preparing for your next opponent after an afternoon of fun. Not here, on the brink of getting chewed out by General Ironwood, you're in the exact same position I was in yesterday."

"Okay, you have a point there but..." Yang continued shaking her head, despite the good points being made. "Mercury attacked me after our match, that's a fact. Y-You attacked Jaune after he was eliminated and Pyrrha while her back was turned with a really dangerous move-!"

"Do you still believe that?" Link leans his body forward, teetering closer to the edge of the bed as he attempts to lock his dark blue eyes with her lilac eyes. "And please, this time look at me when you answer."

"I..." Yang meets his eyes briefly, but that is short lived when she turns away

"You know something, Yang. I don't think you did it." Link chuckles. "I will assure you even more, I know you didn't attack Mercury unprovoked, that isn't you."

"R-really?" Yang looks up, her expression beaming with hope

"No, because I saw through Emerald's illusions in the past. I did not recently but that is besides the point." Link shrugs, "I cannot always tell, but I know when something isn't right. Carter would never call me by my name, Jaune was clearly seeing something that was not there, the same applies to Pyrrha, she was moving strangely in the same way Jaune was." He tilts his head, attempting to look the blonde girl in her eyes with a different angle. "And then there is you, Yang. You would never attack someone after fighting and defeating them, regardless if you won or lost."

"Everything you're saying makes sense… I suppose." Yang finally meets Link's gaze. "I don't get it. Why wouldn't you tell us about Emerald or Mercury sooner? Especially since they played an important role in your past."

"The truth is, I didn't think you would believe me." He sighs. "And the timing was not good, I told you guys everything after your team became friends with Emerald so quickly, that girl knows how to butter up anyone. Naturally, when you become friends with her, her companion Mercury becomes your friend too, and that complicated everything."

"I see." Yang sighs. "...I'm sorry Link."

"Oh?" Link smiles. "Why's that?"

"Huh?" She narrows her eyes. "No I mean I'm sorry you wasted your own time and my time. Because I still don't buy anything you're saying. After everything you told us that day, do you really think we wouldn't have believed you?"

(That's fair, I realize now that I've made a grave error by keeping certain information to myself.)

"That's what I thought." Yang sighs. "Link, you poured out your heart to us, which I still appreciate and applaud you for sharing. My problem is this, you told everyone your story would have precise details, but you left out very crucial ones, unless you were lying to us."

"Do you really think I would lie about my past?" Link's weakening smile fades and a scowl emerges instead

"I don't know, but if you feel the need to make up that Emerald and Mercury were somehow in your past… Then what else was a lie in your past?" Yang rolls her eyes. "How about that girl who saved your life, is she re-!"

"No!" Link shakes his head as his brows furrowed in anger. "Don't even try to argue that Amber is in some way not real. Your uncle knew about her! He protected her from the enemy and even me!"

"Then how come Qrow has never mentioned her before?"

"You really think your uncle is going to be open about what he does behind the scenes with you and Ruby?" He balls up his fists. "Give me a break, Yang. I barely know your uncle but I can just tell he's hiding so many stories, details, and best of all... Secrets."

"Even if you happen to be right, it still doesn't change my thoughts on all of this. I know I did nothing wrong." Yang scoffs. "But you? You know what you did."

"Fine." Link shuts his eyes and suppresses his emotions as sadness is about to pour out, "Then you were right, it's clear that this has just been a massive waste of both of our time." He opens his eyes and frowns. "Do you see this Yang?"

The one person team reaches into the brown pouch on his belt, positioned alongside his hip. Soon, after what seems to be a long time of digging and shuffling through items, he grabs Ray's pink pendant and presents it to the hot headed huntress in training

"Y-Yeah, what about it?" Yang turns away, clearly uncomfortable

"This was Ray's and she was real." Link mumbles. "In case you think I am making her up too."

"Okay come on!" Yang jumps off the bed, standing tall while she loudly shouts. "You know I didn't mean it in that way!"

"Regardless, I do not care about your opinion anymore. I happily made my way over here, thinking you and I could relate." Link smacks his lips in frustration,"Sadly, it is clear that you might be too far gone." He presses both hands against the mattress and pushes himself up to his feet, "I hope that now you open your eyes and realize you and Emerald are not friends. She was getting in your good graces so you don't suspect her of any future mischief. Clearly it worked-!"

"Get out." Yang growls. "Now."

"O-Okay." Link shakes his head in disappointment as he walks back to the window. "I suppose I have better places to be. Such as talking with people who know I didn't attack Jaune and Pyrrha on purpose."

"What?!" Her eyes widen. "You're bluffing! Unless… Who would believe you when it looks like you clearly-!"

"Why do you care if Pyrrha wants to believe me when your mind is already made up?" Link opens the window. "Please open your eyes, Yang. The longer you don't believe me, the bigger the danger we are all going to be in if they strike soon."

"Huh?" Yang cracks her knuckles in anger. "What are you talking about now?"

"They are up to something, so far only a few people believe me and only one of those three trusts me about Emerald." The blonde boy's gaze remains on the beautiful sky and warm weather outside. "I have suspected their motives from the moment they arrived at Beacon. And while I do not know what exactly will come of their intentions, they are not here for the tournament Yang. I really hope the consequences are not dire, because if they are-!"

"Just go already." Yang sits back down on Blake's bed and loudly exhales. "I already have so much on my mind right now. I don't need your theories that you're only coming up with to clear your name."

"You have a lot on your mind? Trust me Yang, you do not now have a clue what that is like." Link hops on the ledge, sharply inhales, slowly exhales, then looks back at Yang one more time. "This is no threat, but know that I will never forget who did or did not take my word about this. If everyone would believe me, we could really make a difference right now."

Deciding to change his mind as to how to make an exit, Link drops down from the ledge, closes the window behind him, and stares directly at Yang as he initially walks to the door. However, when required to turn his back to leave the dorm, Link turns and takes backward steps to the doors, never breaking eye contact with Yang. With every second the blonde boy takes to leave, his words sit and marinate in Yang's mind before he ultimately leaves and swiftly jogs back to his room

Minutes Later: Nearby Link's dorm

Expecting a better outcome, the one person team slowly walks back to his dorm, unsure of what to do now. With only Weiss, Pyrrha, and team SLVR on his side, the latter of whom are practically strangers, the blonde boy's hope for his name being cleared is slim. Now, it is time for his meeting with Pyrrha, as they agreed to talk and spend time together the prior night

"That did not go as well as I hoped."

Letting out a heavy sigh, the dejected teenager turns the doorknob to his room without the need for his scroll, as his dear friend Pyrrha used her semblance 'Polarity' on said door and unknowingly broke the lock in the process

"Then again, I did not expect Yang to be such a-!"

"Please do not speak that way about a woman."

"H-Huh?" Link jumps the second he enters his dorm, he is shocked to see Pyrrha inside, tidying up his room, "Pyrrha? What are you doing here? We said to meet at the courtyard by the fountain."

"You were late." Pyrrha narrows her eyes. "I assumed you were still sleeping considering you had a long day. I came over to check on you but when I knocked, you were not here and your door was not locked. I hope you do not mind what-!"

"My door is not locked because you broke my lock" Link smiles. "And are you kidding?" He chuckles. "I'm surprised you're not scolding me for trashing my room."

"That was my intention when I initially saw the mess." Pyrrha giggles, "Just kidding. I assume you have been going through plenty over the twenty-four hours. I cannot speak for how you are feeling right now, but I know if my mental state was damaged with a controversy like this… The last thing I would want is my friends not being there for me." She picks up the thrown canteen and does not need to unscrew the top to smell the alcohol. "Oh Link this is a strong smell… Please tell me you didn't."

"As strong as you guys think I am physically…" Link sighs. "I am very weak mentally."

"Sorry if this is rude but were you drunk when we talked last night?" Pyrrha quickly shakes the canteen and sets it on top of the bookshelf, then carefully slots the handful of books back in their rightful spot

"Do not apologize, for I understand." Link solemnly nods. "It was not full, so no I was not drunk." He chuckles and quickly jumps into action, helping her pick up the scattered books. "I should be the one saying sorry, for having to do chores for someone else and this early in the morning."

"It is my pleasure to help, the important thing is that you're here and safe." Pyrrha grins. "The entire premise of our meeting was to talk after all." She softly exhales. "I may also have some things on my mind as well and I need to talk with someone about them."

"Really? Is it about the tournament?" Link tightens his grip on the 'Twilight Demon' book before cramming it in between thick books

"No, it is something else far more important and potentially life changing for me." She mumbles

"O-Oh." Link turns to Pyrrha and grabs her arm before she can lift another book. "In that case, this can wait. I appreciate your help but you've done plenty, we should talk now. You already fixed most of my room, I will handle the rest."

"You promise?" Pyrrha narrows her eyes like an angry older sister would to their stubborn sibling

"Yes. I promise" Link nods as he glances at his ransacked closet. "Do you want to stick around in here and I can make us coffee? Or would you prefer a nice walk around Beacon?"

"Both are very good suggestions." She rubs her chin, thinking carefully. "Let's find a spot around campus. This could take a while or get emotional… I would like the fresh air."

"Fine by me. Lead the way, captain." Link chuckles

"Please, I am very satisfied with my current team. Although having us two on a team would be amazing as well, we might be unstoppable." Pyrrha giggles

The pair walk out of the dorm and after a handful of minutes worth of walking, exit the dormitory wing of the school, soon making their way to the main entrance of Beacon Academy…

Moments later, Link and Pyrrha find themselves walking around the courtyard, where they are immediately met with loud gasps, shocked expressions, and boos from other Beacon students thrown mostly at Link, while others cannot believe the two involved in the major incident are walking side by side. To their credit, the top rookies barely acknowledge these actions as the latter is calm, but the blonde is angry deep down

"They don't get it." Link grunts as his hands curl up into balled fists. (This isn't fair at all. How can anyone blindly believe what happened without questioning anything?)

"H-Hey." Pyrrha grabs her friend's right arm, grips his forearm tightly, and does not let go until she can feel Link calming down and releasing the built up pressure of his closed fists. "Come on, we need to get away from everybody. It is not doing any of us any good right now."

"Do you have a place in mind?" Link's left hand continue to shake, but Pyrrha's angelic touch brings the boiling pot of rage brewing inside him down to a simmer

"It is one you and I are very familiar with."

Within seconds, the two friends change course and steer clear from the known trails of the courtyard. But as they approach Pyrrha's chosen location, her shield suddenly slides in the girl's hand and she lifts her shield in front of Link's face. Instinctually, the blonde boy walks slower as he is soon led onto grass before the green surface trails downward, getting slightly steeper

"Oh no, you're not going to push me off a cliff, are you?" Link nervously chuckles

"Stop it. Only part of that question is accurate." Pyrrha rolls her eyes

"I thought you believed me that-!" Link removes the shield from his sight and looks over the Emerald Forest. "O-Oh, this is very familiar, you're right."

"You did say cliff but do not worry, for I have no intentions of pushing you off." She giggles

"Good, I'm happy to hear that." Link shrugs his shoulders and sits down on the soft grass, all with a weak smile on his face as he allows his legs to dangle over the cliff

"It does bring back old memories, despite the fact that our launch into the forest was not too long ago." Pyrrha sits next to him and breathes in the cold breeze as the wind picks up pace

"It's a shame we didn't meet right then and there. I was probably just another person in the back while you, the rest of team JNPR, and team RWBY stole the show."

"Link?" Pyrrha raises an eyebrow with a sarcastic gaze, "You did on your own what it took eight of us to do. I think you made a name for yourself in your own way." She nudges him. "I want you to go first, tell me what happened from your perspective."

"Yes of course." Link nods and gazes into the large forest. "As you know, she is a girl called Emerald, she's competing in the tournament too. But she isn't just another student from Haven."

"I know who you speak of, she has become very good friends with Ruby and her team. She has tried to befriend us as well but… We are only acquaintances."

"Smart." He narrows his eyes whilst nodding with approval. "And that's the reality of Emerald, she is not their friend, she and Mercury are playing their roles while the puppet master pulls the strings. It is unfortunate that I still do not know why they are here. What I do know is the games they're playing on us at the moment."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asks. "Are you referring to the recent incidents with Coco appearing delusional mid fight? Your 'attack' on Jaune and I? Or what Yang supposedly did to Mercury?"

"Exactly." Link sighs. "Emerald's semblance has everything to do with hallucinations. I have known this since… Well, do you remember when I told all of you the story of fighting Ruby and Yang's uncle Qrow, after being deceived into almost killing Amber, then escaping by the thinnest margin."

"Yes."

"Do you recall what I said next?" The one person team mumbles

"I do." Pyrrha nods. "Your friend and mercenary associate Carter was executed by three people right in front of your eyes,but you saw through the illusion because of a crucial mistake by the caster."

"That caster was none other than Emerald."

"You're kidding." Pyrrha gasps

"Not at all. Unfortunately, Ruby and her friends had already gotten 'close' with Emerald, which by association made them friends with Mercury, with the same applying to your team. However, that's not the only instance I've seen her manipulate and trick people. As you already mentioned, Emerald and Mercury's fight with Coco and Yatsuhashi? You and I both saw Yatsuhashi get finished in the geyser field. Why would someone as experienced as Coco see him in the forest?"

"Coincidentally as she happens to be fighting Emerald." Pyrrha's eyes widen

"Yes." Link shrugs. "I keep hearing this talk about combat induced stress and delusion, but I don't buy it for a second. During our fight, you and I checked each other's aura many times. Coco must have known Yatsuhashi was defeated, correct?"

"Mhm. I do remember seeing her turn around and talk as if someone was there, when in reality there was nobody." Pyrrha looks down and gazes at the massive forest as well. "What you said does make plenty of sense too, Emerald conveniently had Coco in an isolated position to activate her semblance."

"And now comes the big one, you and I." Link chuckles, "Ruby tells me Emerald was not there but I do not believe that. As resilient as Jaune is, we both know that final sequence on him was it. Until he suddenly rose to his feet and desperately hurried to you for some reason. His aura was in the red and it did not take another significant hit." He shamefully turns to the left. "I am, of course, talking about my last strike, the sprinting slash. You absorbed most of that damage and while this information may not be important, it proves that I did hold back because neither you or him were seriously hurt, other-!"

"Otherwise his aura would have dropped to zero and he would have taken grave d-damage." Pyrrha's voice cracks as she pieces everything together with her friend's precise explanation

"And what did you see?" The blonde swordsman asks. "Jaune was not the only one moving irrationally and desperately trying to 'help' you."

"I thought you would never ask." Pyrrha sighs. "J-Jaune was bloody, as if his aura were depleted and then he was stabbed multiple times. He also could not breathe and it was terrifying to witness after. Especially after I had seen him get eliminated from the match, relatively unharmed and only unconscious."

(Hm… I wonder if Jaune saw the exact same hallucination with Pyrrha bloody and injured. There is no way Emerald has mastered her semblance enough to freely manipulate three people.) Link thinks carefully, unaware that he has stopped listening to his friend (She must have kept it simple for Jaune and Pyrrha, then-!)

"Link?"

Pyrrha leans over and gets as close to him as she can, then waves her hand in front of his face to bring the blonde back to reality

"S-Sorry." Link shakes his head while sharply exhaling. "Did you say something else?"

"Yes, I asked you what you saw during our match." Pyrrha nods. "Assuming you were affected as well? Our short talk last night did not clarify much, other than confirming that you didn't actually intend to hurt us and that I was right to doubt what I was told."

"I am glad it clarified that at least, having you on my side means everything." Link grins. "But yes, I did also experience hallucinations and I feel embarrassed because I have seen through them before."

"You should not feel embarrassed, I do not imagine it is easy to tell when it looks and feels so real." She places her left hand on Link's shoulder and lightly squeezes. "Please, tell me what you saw."

"Okay, I will keep it brief though."

Link sighs, picks up his left hand and drapes it over Pyrrha's, the warmth she radiates from only a single hand helps eradicate the nervousness consuming him

"That man I described, a self declared leader of the White Fang, it wouldn't surprise me if he forcefully took over some day. The same man that blackmailed my mercenary group into working with them and then the 'associates' I did not name but anyway… He also sent a spy to find me during my short time in Garanda-!"

"Yes, I remember your story very well. His name was Adam, right?" Pyrrha asks

"Adam Taurus, yes." Link nods. "I saw him when you and Jaune were seeing each other in critical condition. You had your back turned, Jaune was on his back, and Adam was in front of both of you, about to unsheathe his sword and 'strike' but that is when 'the demon' emerged."

"What was going through your head at that moment?"

"Something I have never felt before." Link mumbles as he watches carefully as tiny nevermores fly through the forest, "When 'the demon' takes over, there is almost nothing I can do, apart from stop it from completely taking over, but it still emerges. This time, I felt more in control than ever before, even if it was not good enough to stop the attack from being executed." He shuts his eyes and shakes his head in embarrassment. "I apologize."

"Link, it isn't your fault." Pyrrha sighs. "Besides, deep down, I knew something was wrong too. I should have been suspicious long before and realized sooner, I'm sorry."

"Please don't apologize. You had every right to have all your thoughts and concerns on Jaune's safety to be fooled by an illusion, especially since he got up and walked over to you." Link solemnly nods. "I will admit my faults too. To me, you were tending to a downed teammate, with your back turned and I took it as an open chance to strike and potentially finish the fight… Before I saw Adam at least. Attacking you while your back was turned was not honorable, I did it because you were my biggest competition in the tournament, and I took my chance to defeat you."

Link opens his eyes, turns to look at Pyrrha, and looks at the red haired girl directly in her eyes

"Next time you and I match up in a tournament match or friendly sparring, I will fight honorably and defeat you, the way a respected huntress should be."

"I appreciate and respect the sentiment." Pyrrha smiles and squeezes on her friend's shoulder, "And I understand why you intended to attack me when I let my guard down. It was a great opportunity to win and technically you did get the result you wanted by defeating me." She wipes her eyes with her right hand. "Unfortunately the aftermath of your victory did not do us any favors."

"Us?" Link grins. "You got the hero's welcome when you returned to Beacon on your feet. I am the most hated student, with Yang being a close second."

"It's not that. I..." Pyrrha trails off until she cannot look her friend in the eyes anymore, "I am happy you told me this Link, our talk yesterday had my mind spinning with theories over what happened during our match. As for Emerald, Mercury and their deceptive activities, what else can we do to let others know of what they are up to?"

"I'm not sure, so far only you and Skylar, and the team believe me about Emerald. Not to discredit Weiss after all, she was the first one there for me. Speaking of Mercury, I just realized why he volunteered to fight you last semester." Link sighs in annoyance. "Whatever he, Emerald, their leader Cinder, and whoever else is on their side are plotting, they want to scout the biggest threats to their plans. They already know about me and they scouted you recently."

"It was not that important to me but that question was at the back of my mind, resurfacing once every few weeks, he wanted to scout me then like you said... So that means they definitely have their sights set on us now, right?"

"More than likely yes, if anything happens here or in Vale, there is no doubt they will do everything possible to take us out early, after all our professors and headmaster are out of the picture." Link narrows his eyes as he leans forward and spots the uncomfortable look on her face. "Now it is your turn. Tell me what's bothering you, Pyrrha."

"W-What are you referring to?" She attempts to speak calmly, despite the stuttering

"Don't do that. I noticed you changed the topic moments ago. You seemed like you were going to bring up what was on your mind before I brought up Mercury."

Pyrrha's head drops as multiple thoughts race through her mind: the woman that saved Link was in a glass pod, being kept on life support with Atlas technology, the possibility of becoming the new fall maiden by transferring Amber's aura to her. Lastly, the unknown, frightening, life changing request that could change the trajectory of her life, as well as entirely change who she is as a person

"Link..." Pyrrha sighs, picks her head up, and fearlessly turns to him. "Do you believe in destiny?"

Beacon Academy: The Dormitories

Ruby peeks through a slight crack in the door of her team's room, she pauses for a second to see her sister Yang slump forward before shutting the door completely. The silver eyed girl sighs, then joins Weiss and Blake while the two girl's wait for their leader in the middle of the hallway as they glance at team JNPR's door which is directly across from theirs. Soon, with the exchanging of glances between the them, team RWBY decides to approach their friends and speak to them next

"Is bothering them a good idea?" Blake asks while Ruby knocks on the door. "They are going through their own situation just as much as we are."

"Which makes even more sense to speak with team JNPR this instant." Weiss says as she pats down her skirt. "If anyone can tell us what may be going on or what we can, it's them."

"I have to admit, she does have a good point." Ruby nods

"This is all a mess." Weiss shakes her head, "First Link, now Yang, who else is next? But the real question is why won't you two believe him?"

"More like the real shock is you of all people are on his side." Blake's eyes widened in shock. "You hate Link."

"R-RIGHT?!" Ruby gasps

"No I do not! Hate is such a strong word." Weiss smacks her lips and stares daggers into the cat faunus

"Fine." Blake rolls her eyes. "You very much dislike Link."

"Unacceptable!"

"Heh!" Ruby chuckles, "Good one, Blake." She then turns to the angry heiress. "But seriously, Weiss, you know why we did not side with-!"

"No!" Weiss snaps at her leader. "He may have more than one close friend but you call him your best friend, as does he for you. You believed your sister would never do something like that, right? Why not your best friend too?"

"Weiss..." Ruby sighs in disappointment

"Leave her alone." Blake mumbles

"You are not off the hook either, we established Yang was not reckless, how is she any less dangerous than Link? They both fight with their hearts and emotions over brains, plus you could even argue Link has more composure than Yang, so if anyone has a more believable story, it's him!"

"Okay, I do admit it does seem coincidental that Link warned us about this only for it to occur the very same day, at night." Blake's eyes drop to the floor. "I still don't know how to feel, Yang was easy to believe. Link on the other hand, is not. With his occasional bursts of anger, justifying it rightfully by talking about his past and don't get me wrong-!"

The cat faunus closes her eyes and sighs deeply whilst shaking her head. She knows what she wants to say next, but momentarily hesitates. Sadly, skepticism prevails over the little bit of doubt in her head

"We were all in full support of him when he told us what he remembers of his life in Remnant. But then, all of a sudden Emerald is involved in his past? Those are details he omitted on purpose for some reason, and now she is the cause behind what has been going on with Coco, Link, and Yang?" Blake shakes her head, doubling down on her disapproval of the one person team. "You cannot blame me, Weiss. Or anybody else who thinks he did it, it just seems like convenient timing that Link threw Emerald into his past as a way to frame her and convince us he didn't do it."

"I've heard enough!" Weiss steps closer to her teammate. "What does Link gain from lying to us? Sure he would clear his name but then what? His guilty conscience would eat him alive! He wouldn't lie to us now after everything he shared with us. You need to listen-!"

Creeeak!

"H-Hey guys!"

Jaune's voice is heard in a hushed whisper as he peeks out of Team JNPR's room, with his team minus Pyrrha peering around the edge in concern of Weiss and Blake's shouting that is quickly escalating

"Jaune! You're back on your feet! I'm so happy to see that!" Ruby cheers

"Thanks." Jaune smiles. "Is she doing okay?"

"Yang is... Doing the best she can." Blake opens her eyes, turns her body to face Jaune, and nods

"Unfortunately, it doesn't get any better. I heard Mercury and his team rushed back to Haven to be with his family." Ruby throws her hands up in defeat. "So, until they land, no one can really question him about what happened."

"Well… Are you guys okay?" Jaune looks between Blake and Weiss, who are coming off a brief but intense standoff

"Everything's okay! Right girls?" Ruby nervously giggles, doing her best to portray confidence

"Yes." Blake answers calmly

"For now." Weiss narrows her eyes

"Stop it." Ruby growls and extends her arm, quickly pinching the bicep of the heiress

"OW!"

"Good to see you can still play around." Jaune smiles

"If there's anything we can do, please don't hesitate to ask." Ren leans forward with a gentle smile on his face. "Yang has our full support, right?"

"DUH!" Nora nods

"Of course." Jaune grins

"Awesome, everyone's support is gonna cheer her up in no time. The only thing we have to ask is gonna be addressed to a certain someone…" Ruby turns her gaze towards the dorm room, expecting the fourth member of team JNPR behind Nora or Ren. "Wait a second, where's Pyrrha?"

"She is not here at the moment." Jaune's expression with disappointment. "We don't know where she is either."

"Yeah and she didn't even tell us where she was going." Nora looks out into the hallways with concern. "She just woke up, got dressed and left early."

"Actually, we kind of know." Blake mumbles. "Yang did say he was going to meet with-!"

"SHHH!"

Weiss angrily waves her hand in front of Blake, which promptly ends what she was going to say, but all ears perk at the near answer

"Meet with who? Blake, do you know where she is?" Nora rushes over and shakes her

"N-No! She doesn't! None of us do." Weiss shakes her head

"We can't just lie to them." Ruby shakes her head, pouting at her teammate's attempts at deception

"She's right." Blake shakes her head and looks at the remainder of team JNPR whilst heaving out a sigh. "Apparently, Yang spoke with Link even before the General spoke to her or us as a team. She didn't go into specific details but she mentioned the end of their conversation."

"And what was said at the end?" Ren asks

"Yang said Link was going to meet with Pyrrha. She did not say where but they're probably together as we speak and-!

"What!?" Jaune shouts. "Why is HE with her?"

"I don't know." Blake whispers

"Grrr." Jaune reaches for his left hip, making sure he has his sword and shield 'Crocea Mors'. "How can she even think being in the same room as him is a good idea?!"

The leader of team JNPR then takes off, without waiting for another response from his team or team RWBY, his intentions are clear and there are known spots where her teammate could be with Link

"Jaune!" Ren shouts

"Why did he make sure he had his weapons with him? Did Jaune not learn that he stands no chance against Link in combat?" Weiss sighs while crossing her arms angrily. "Although he does bring up a good point. Why is he with Pyrrha?"

"Oooooh." Nora gets in Weiss' face. "Is someone a little jealous-!"

"No!" Weiss turns away and stomps on the ground. "I'm just re-iterating a good question!"

"We should get going after Jaune." Ren puts his hand on Nora's shoulder. "Come on."

"Right! The last thing we want is another fight between them, even if Pyrrha is playing the peacekeeper role." Nora nods. "Jaune is still Jaune after all, plus Link clearly can't be trusted right now."

"Make sure to let Pyrrha know I'll be sure to watch tonight in case she's picked!" Ruby shouts. "We will all be rooting for her! Tell her she is representing Beacon!"

"Of course." Ren nods as he and Nora chase after Jaune, who is almost long gone

"Should we go assist them?" Weiss worriedly watches the three teammates run off

"Maybe." Ruby nods. "There's no need for a fight, I'm sure Link and Pyrrha are just talking… Right?"

"Like you have to question it!" The pale huntress in all white scoffs in disgust. "We should go just in case something happens."

"I think Link can take care of himself, we saw his latest performances." Blake nods

"That isn't what I meant! You…"

Ruby and Blake tactically decide to walk in the opposite direction of team JNPR and Weiss, too angry at her teammates, follows along, unaware that she and her team are not going to interfere or assist with team the remainder of JNPR finding our Pyrrha is speaking with 'the enemy'

Meanwhile: Edge of Beacon Cliff

Link calmly looks into Pyrrha's green eyes as it is now her turn to share what is troubling her. However, despite how much she can trust her blonde friend, Pyrrha hesitates, unsure of how much to say due to the importance and significance of what she was told by Professors Ozpin, Glynda, Atlas' General Ironwood, and Qrow Branwen. And more important, the fifth person Pyrrha saw, Amber, is a significant person who Link has history with, with the comatose fall maiden having saved his life

"Are you telling me your destiny will change?" Link's eyes widen. "But how?"

"It is about to get changed severely, yes." Pyrrha turns away. "I keep thinking I have the choice to change it but who am I kidding, you cannot change your destiny. The path laid out in front of you must be walked, there is no alternative road. You could say it is predetermined in a way."

"How can your path be set if you said it may change soon?" Link raises a hand and nervously scratches his cheek, "And considering your tone and body language, this is life changing, isn't it?" He nods. "I do believe in destiny, but what really is destiny?"

Pyrrha blinks in confusion, but does not provide an answer, curious to what her friend is going to say next

"You can say it is something you work towards or something 'predetermined' and unable to change, but it should not define who you are or affect who you can be and what you can do for the world."

"What are you implying?" Pyrrha raises an eyebrow, more confused than before. "That I can change my own destiny? Such as do something different from the two options I have now?"

"Yes." Link nods, "After surviving the wrath of a monster I called my 'father', a big fall into a strong river, and nearly drowning… I thought my destiny was to live my life as a mercenary. Then I tried to change that destiny in the form of how my group operated because I saw us as more than mercenaries." He shrugs. "However, as you know, that did not work out because of the White Fang. Next up was discovering Garanda and thinking that was my permanent home, but Atlas mercilessly killed everyone except me."

Suddenly, the one person team begins to shake when bringing up the little village with good, innocent, but naive people, who were rightfully afraid of the world outside of their village

"Now look at me, my life has changed so much over the last two years. Some of it was due to circumstances out of my control, while the other changes happened because of my own actions in an attempt to better my life… Whether they were good or bad decisions is up for people to decide."

"Is it really as simple as it sounds coming out of your mouth?" Pyrrha looks back at him with worry in her eyes. "Not that I am implying the last two years of your life were 'simple', but when you word it the way you did…"

"Simple? Not at all." Link shakes his head. "You can change your destiny at your own will, but it will not be easy. Sacrifices will likely be made, or you will have to make some difficult decisions."

"Is it possible to do that?" She gasps. "Can I really change my destiny, on my own terms?"

"Of course." Link smiles warmly. "To me… Doing whatever you want is always an option."

"I see, what a unique perspective regarding destiny… I like it." Pyrrha nods, feeling more assured with Link's uncertain but confident words. "I was offered something..."

Pyrrha's brief sense of assurance quickly fades as her breathing get shorter and louder with each passing second, unsure of whether she should tell anyone what she saw in the vault under Beacon Tower

"Pyrrha?" Link squeezes on her hand that still rests on his shoulder. "W-What's wrong-!"

"Stop." She looks back down at the forest. "I don't know what to do, Link."

"Help me understand, give me small clues if you cannot bring yourself to say it all."

"I suppose I can do that..." Pyrrha takes a deep breath, calmly, exhales and turns to her friend once more, more composed, "After we talked, I only imagined we would be here the following day to talk about what happened between us in our match." She slowly pulls her hand away from his grip. "However, what I saw after you were gone and I went up to meet with Professor Ozpin, which actually was a meeting with Professor Goodwitch, General Ironwood, and Ruby and Yang's uncle was... Fascinating, intriguing, but scary."

"That does not sound like a good combination." Link fiddles with his leather gauntlets. "What did you see?"

"Well, it was more about what I learned and then shown. I was informed of something beautiful that we learned as children being real and currently happening today. The story of the seasons fairy tale is true."

"I do not recall what that was about, but I do know it was one of Ray's favorite fairy tales." Link chuckles. "True you say? I suppose in this world, who knows what else exists." He puts on his best surprised look. (I did not mention Amber was the fall maiden, did I? W-Well, how could I? How would I explain maidens to everybody when I have little knowledge of them.)

"Please, I am not joking. I know it may sound crazy, but I even got to see what it was like to see a maiden up close and personal... It was horrifying, she was in such bad condition."

"A maiden in bad condition? B-But… Ray said in the story they were magical, strong, and wise." Link nods. "They are supposed to be powerful women with incredible abilities, bursting with magic at every given second, how can one be in bad condition?"

"This one I am speaking about was attacked." Pyrrha starts to glance away from her friend again. "Luckily she survived, but her condition is critical."

"How did you see her? What did she look like? Wait, is she... Here?" Link thinks profusely. (Attacked and in bad condition? N-No… It can't be. Has another maiden been attacked or is this who I think it is?)

"Link." Pyrrha scoots back a short distance, before fluidly standing up in one quick motion, "I c-cannot let you know any more."

"Pyrrha." Link rolls back and slickly transitions back to his feet, one-upping the red haired huntress regarding style points, "And I can't let you go with these emotions bottled up." He softly grabs her arm. "You can trust me, I promise."

"O-oh." Pyrrha gasps in surprise, looks at the grasp on her arm, and slightly blushes in embarrassment when realizing he is being gentle. "Link, I was offered the opportunity to become a maiden."

"W-what?" Link blinks profusely and shakes his head. "You? That's amazing and the choice seems obvious, right? Become a maiden and protect the world. That's what we're both after isn't it? Unless there are inevitable changes to come."

"There could be." Pyrrha sighs. "Professor Ozpin and Glynda made it clear that we do not know what will happen to me, my personality, how I act, the list goes on… The Pyrrha Nikos you know may be no more if I do this. I could change completely, hardly change, or I could not change at all."

"Wait, Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch? Who else was there?"

Just as he was about to let go, Link tightens his grip on her arm. Pyrrha's hands glow in a glint of her black aura, her intention is to push Link back with her semblance, 'Polarity' but the genuine look of concern in his eyes makes Pyrrha reconsider what she wants to do next

"General Ironwood." She mumbles

"That guy?" Link frowns. "Why would he be involved?"

"Atlas made the proper technology currently being used to keep the current maiden alive, she is only living because of that pod she is in."

"So she is barely living?" Link chuckles, like a person in denial would. "Was anybody else there?"

"A man with red eyes." Pyrrha figuratively bites her tongue and looks away

"Okay, red eyes. That narrows it down a bit. Where is this pod you mentioned that the maiden is in?"

"I can't tell you that." Pyrrha shakes her head. "I already told you too much."

"Tell me Pyrrha." Link's eyes water. "Please."

The blonde boy lets go of the grip on Pyrrha's arm and slides his hand down to grab her hand. Link then looks into her eyes, pleading without using any more words

"I was led to a vau-!" Pyrrha stammers. "There is a long hallway and then-!"

"Get your hands off her!"

Jaune's voice comes out of nowhere but his incoming attack is just predictable as it was in the tournament. Link gives Pyrrha a gentle push, turns around, but gasps when he sees Jaune coming in with a straight overhand vertical slash. However, with more than enough time to react, due to Jaune giving up the element of surprise, Link simply sidesteps and allows Jaune to run nearly off the edge of the cliff!

"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouts

"I'm on it!"

Link stays close and fully extends his arm, grabbing Jaune by his hoodie, but the weight and momentum of the bigger student nearly sends both of them off the cliff

"No!" Pyrrha acts quick as her hands glow, and suddenly both Link and Jaune stop at the same time, completely stabilized. Her polarity on both of their weapons and her leader's armor holds them steady

"Good call." Link nods as he walks back, pulling Jaune to safety in the process before roughly throwing him to the ground like an object

"Hey!"

Nora's voice is also heard as she and Ren finally catch up. The orange haired girl springs in the air, with her hammer 'Magnhild' ready to strike, and comes down rapidly, intending on striking Link with full force!

"I am not in the mood for fighting guys!"

Link grabs his shield and gets in a firm stance: Right leg bent and left leg extended behind him

Boom!

Nora slams the hammer directly onto the strong and firm defensive weapon, with no luck on connecting with her target. Link easily withstands the strike, being only slightly pushed back, before he pushes forward with his legs and sends Nora flying back to her team

"Grr..."

The sight of Jaune, Nora, and Ren alone infuriates Link to the core, as these 'friends' did not even have enough respect to come see him the previous day

"Why are you talking to Pyrrha?!" Jaune growls and sprints forward again

"Stopit !" Pyrrha uses her polarity again, but this time to hold only Jaune back. "We were talking about important topics! This was necessary because-!"

"Pyrrha… Save your breath." Link turns his head away from the remaining JNPR members. "They wouldn't understand."

"Link, please." Pyrrha shakes her head while her eyes well up

"It's okay, I enjoyed our talk, Pyrrha. At least now, I know who my real friends are now." Link turns to smile at her but the smile fades quick

"Don't talk like that. We are all your friends." She sighs

"How can she say that?!" Jaune frowns

"Pyrrha… What do you know?" Ren thinks carefully

"Speak for yourself, woman." Nora shrugs

"As for our conversation cut short, I think I have enough to know what I need to do next."

"Please don't do anything you shouldn't do." Pyrrha pleads

"I need to know something first." Link nods. "Then we will see where it goes from there."

"Know what?" She asks

"Here." Link leans closer to her, covers his mouth to prevent lip reading, and lowers his voice. "Who is in the pod..."

Before Pyrrha can give her opinion, Link walks away and the rest of team JNPR gladly steps aside for him to leave them alone

"Link no-!"

"Forget him!" Nora jumps in front of Pyrrha and gives her a big hug. "We're so glad you're okay!

"Y-Yes, why wouldn't I be?" She raises an eyebrow

"Because Link is dangerous." Jaune shakes his head. "You should not be alone with him."

Ren does not speak nods in agreement with Jaune's words

"Link is our friend, I trust him." Pyrrha mumbles

"Sure he is." Nora rolls her eyes. "ANYWAY! More importantly! Ruby told us to tell you she and team RWBY will be watching and rooting for you, but that's not enough! We need to get you ready..."

Nora's voice gets lower and lower as Link walks away. Soon enough, he is back on the brick trails of the courtyard, having to immediately push past a handful of students who want to stop him for questions or insults. Link speeds up his pace, until he runs into Ruby at the entrance of the school

"Ruby." Link's mumbles, his mind quickly goes recalls the words he just spoke to Pyrrha about real friends

"Link." Ruby responds with a soft whisper

Thinking fast, she tries to take off again like last night, but she does not realize Link is right in front of her, blocking her path inside

"W-Whoa! you've gotten faster."

"I learned from the best." Link chuckles

"That's right, I am the best, aren't I?" Ruby giggles, "So!" She looks up at the taller boy in front of her. "How did things go with Pyrrha?"

"Yang told you guys, huh? As expected, that's my own fault for saying anything." Link nods. "Things went very well for the most part. We ended on a sour note because Jaune and Nora attacked me, but what matters is Pyrrha believes me." Link grins. "I know who really is on my side and who has my back now."

"L-Link!" Ruby narrows her eyes. "That's not fair! You know-!"

"Do not continue!" Link looks down at her, meeting the silver eyes that always leave him mesmerized. "You want to talk about fair? I told you everything about me, I laid out nearly everything for my real friends, because I thought these were going to be lifelong relationships." He frowns, his expression more aggressive than Ruby's. "And how was I repaid? You all turn your backs on me. You want to talk about fair? The way you've all treated me is not fair. The way you have shut me out is not fair!"

"I would never betray you, Link, but everything is so complicated right now." Ruby's frown drops to a neutral expression. "If your incident with Pyrrha and Jaune never happened, but then everything with Yang went down the way it did last night, I'm sure you would have thought differently too."

"You're wrong." Link shakes his head. "Emerald would still be a thorn in our sides and I told Yang I would have been on her side regardless."

"Well you don't have to worry about Emerald anymore. She and her team flew back home to be with Mercury's family."

"Somehow, I doubt that but do you want to know something, Ruby?" Link reaches out and grabs her hand

"W-What is it?" Ruby gulps in anticipation

"No matter how angry I am at you or the rest of my 'friends' who do not believe, trust, or love me anymore…" He smiles. "You Ruby, will always have a place in my heart."

"Link please." The silver eyed girl shakes her head

"Everyone has made their choices, now we have to live with them."

Link leans closer, pushes the strands of hair in front of Ruby's face off to the side and plants a kiss on her forehead

"I'll see you around, Ruby. I have other places to be right now with many thoughts coursing through my head."

Link releases her hand and walks past her with mixed emotions running through him. He does not turn back to look at Ruby one more time, who unbeknownst to him, is covering her cheeks with both hands, not wanting anyone to see them turning red or her flushed expression

Hours Later: The Dormitories, Link's room

Returning to his dorm to sleep for some much needed rest, it is now nighttime and without the assistance of an alarm, the one man team wakes promptly up

"It's time."

Link's eyes shoot open as if he were a machine, he throws the blanket covering his body to the side, slides over to the edge of the bed, quickly puts on his boots, stands up, and sloppily throws his weapons where they usually go, bow, sword, shield, and quiver of arrows hanging from his belt and resting against his backside

"Pyrrha said vau... And the only word I can think of is vault, which I think would be located underground."

The unique 'team' comprised of one person takes the same path required to make it to Beacon Tower, the same path used when chasing after Pyrrha before her meeting with Professor Ozpin and his group of professors and a military general. It only takes him a few minutes in order to get to the elevator even quicker than before

"Here we go." He sighs as he clicks the button to call the elevator. (Time to find out if she really is here or if Pyrrha meant another maiden. The man with the red eyes makes me think of Qrow, who was protecting her that day.)

Link enters the elevator and eyes all the buttons closely, but the second he presses a button off to the bottom, one that is not near one of the regular elevator buttons, something is visibly wrong as the light flickers and the car does not move

"What the? Am I stuck here?" Link pushes the button again, hoping something changes very soon

…

Meanwhile, at the very top of Beacon Tower, Professor Ozpin's office to be exact, the aforementioned Ozpin, Glynda, Ironwood, and Qrow circle around the desk of the beacon headmaster

"Oz!" Ironwood points to Ozpin's scroll

The screen blinks with a blood red color and repeatedly casts the word 'warning' while showcasing the vault as the destination of this mystery person's doing

"Someone who is not authorized is trying to get to Autumn." Qrow grunts and grips the handle of his weapon, 'Harbinger'

"What do we do?" Glynda asks. "Right now they are trapped inside the elevator, what is the next move?"

"Whoever they are, they will answer to us." Professor Ozpin rapidly taps away at his scroll, re-routing the elevator car to head straight up to his office

…

Back to the elevator

"What the-!" Link stumbles as the elevator shakes before quickly going upwards with tremendous speed. "No… No no no! Why is it going up? I know I didn't press the buttons for Ozpin's office."

Despite knowing exactly what he was doing and which button to press, it does not stop or even stall the elevator from rising until eventually the car reaches the top of Beacon Tower. Each passing second feels like minutes, which only seem to enrage Link, as all he wants is to find out who is down in the vault

"Okay… Let's do this." Link grabs his sword and shield but then moves to his left and hides at the last second

Ding!

BLAST! BLAST!

The elevator doors open and immediately there are shots fired from what seems to be a shotgun fired directly into the elevator!

"QROW!" Professor Ozpin shouts

"Raaah!"

Link emerges from the elevator shield first! And instantly has to block more incoming shots until he gets close enough to lunge at Qrow with a flying vertical slash! Qrow effortlessly dodges the straightforward attack, but Link responds quickly by crouching, spinning, and using his sword to sweep Qrow off his feet with a low slash

"Ngh!" Qrow drops to the ground back first

"You!" Ironwood reaches for his weapon 'Due Process'

"Back off Jimmy, I can handle this one." Qrow hops back up to his feet with a swift rising handspring

"Handle? You don't even know me." Link's eyes burn with anger as he looks back and forth at Qrow and Ironwood

"All of you stop!" Professor Ozpin stands up and shouts, but Qrow's ears do not process the demand

"This one's for last time." Qrow grips the handle of his weapon and whips his hand upward, soon the shotgun barrels move out of place as the weapon returns to its sword form

"And this one for lying to me and your nieces!" Link's feet shift as he gets into an offensive attacking stance, something rare of him

"Enough!" Ironwood runs in between both of them with his arms extended, "Fighting will get us nowhere today." He glares at Link. "Even if you are my enemy, you are not the enemy."

"What is that? A play on words? 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' or some garbage like that?" Qrow shrugs

"Qrow." Ironwood's head snaps to the outspoken huntsman

"And for someone who said 'fighting will get us nowhere today', you brought your army to Vale." Link shakes his head

"Yeah no kidding." Qrow chuckles

"That's enough already! It's very clear he knows something, so for once…" Ironwood turns to Link, who's eyes do not let up. "Let's talk."

"Assuming the person in the vault is who I think it is… I have met her in the past. I told Professor Ozpin about my encounter with her, but I never imagined she would be here." Link growls as he points at the ground. "Right underneath me for over a year while I worried for her well being."

"Say what you have to say already." Ironwood narrows his eyes

"..."

Link goes silent, only letting out faint grunts as he grinds his teeth angrily, until the words slowly come out with a burning intensity behind them

"Where. Is. Amber."

(Not quite every Friday / but still weekly nonetheless lol)