Dutiful Destruction

by Joey245

Three months after the defeat of Makuta and Team RWBY's return to Remnant, a new foe emerges with one goal: to eradicate everything on the island of Mata Nui. With Salem casting her shadow on Vacuo and tensions mounting among the refugees of Atlas, Ruby and her friends may find themselves strained as they fight for the worlds of Man, Matoran, and more. (Sequel to Destiny's Divide.)

16. Miracle

(A/N): Got another Remnant-focused anthology chapter today, this one all about how things are looking after the introduction of the Dustfruits. We'll also be taking a look at some characters who haven't gotten much focus lately, as well as a glance at how Petra's doing (since she hasn't been seen in full for a few chapters now). Enjoy this 18k word update!

---

"You're pushing her too hard, Schnee."

The words echoed throughout the secluded corner of Shade Academy's courtyard, and cut right to the heart of the matter. Winter tore her gaze away from the target dummy Petra was straining to set ablaze, whirling around instead to meet Emerald's judgmental glare with one of her own. The sun's morning rays shone down on the trio, bathing them all in light that had yet to reach absolutely scorching temperatures…yet the air between the two Huntresses felt hot and charged with tension all the same.

"I don't recall asking for your opinion on my Maiden lessons," she spat.

"Well, you're getting 'em anyway." The green-haired Huntress folded her arms across her chest. "You've been running her through the same stuff for over a week now, and they're obviously not working if she's not doing magic yet. More than that, keeping up with the pace you're setting is taking its toll on her - all those exercises, all those drills, all that practice you keep forcing her to do, it's wearing her down and tearing her up. She's not a badass warrior with soul armor and Huntress training like you and me, Schnee. She's a kid."

Winter furrowed her brow. "That's exactly why I have to keep pushing. You, of all people, should know that. Her age and inexperience makes her a target, and our enemies won't hesitate to use that. She won't hesitate to use that."

"And you think having a tired, crabby, stressed-out Summer Maiden is gonna help?"

"It's preferable to having no Summer Maiden at all."

Emerald frowned as she gestured towards Petra. "Yeah, because this is exactly what Vacuo needs right now."

Winter turned her attention back onto her student, just in time to see Petra give up on trying to make flames with sweeps of her arms. Instead she launched herself with a frustrated yell, and started wailing on the stone target with bare, bloodied hands and feet. Before either woman could move to stop her, however, Berix rose from his spot in the floor and instantly rushed over with servo-enhanced speed. He gently took her off to the side even as she kept wailing and struggling, before the young Maiden eventually flopped over into his metal embrace with a wet sob.

"Hey, hey, it's okay…" whispered the Agori, giving her a gentle shake.

"No it's not…" wailed the little seven-year-old with a nation's hopes on her shoulders. "I'm still not doing the magic thing, no matter how hard I try. I'm doing everything Miss Winter says…why isn't it working?!"

"I don't know, but punching and kicking rocks isn't gonna help - your human skin's a little too soft for that." Berix chuckled lightly, then started wrapping tiny bloodied knuckles in strips of fabric that seemingly came from nowhere. "Need a Toto break while I bandage you up?"

Petra gave one more pitiful little sob. "Y-yeah…"

As the Agori led her over to a sleeping black mountain of fur, Winter's brow furrowed even further. She didn't dare look at Emerald, but was certain she had the most smug "I told you so" expression written all over her face. Much as she hated to admit it, the former thief had a point. The last few lessons hadn't yielded any displays of magic from the fledgling Maiden - only temper tantrums and crying fits and even minor injuries, all of which were becoming increasingly common as Petra grew more and more frustrated with her lack of progress.

Maybe some kind of paradigm shift was necessary.

Maybe.

It took several more minutes for Winter to muster the will to actually turn and address Emerald. "Since you obviously care so much about Petra and her well-being," she said icily, "what would you propose, then?"

The crimson-eyed Huntress masked her growing concern over the girl with a nonchalant shrug. "Honestly? At this point, I think it'd be best to ease off completely. Give her a few days of no lessons, no exercises, no practice unless she wants to. Let her be a kid, instead of a Maiden-in-training. That should give her a chance to recharge, and take some of the strain off you. And we don't start back up again until she says she's ready. That's the important part."

Ice-blue eyes widened. "You'd place something so critical in her hands? What makes you think she'd want to come back?"

"You've seen how excited she gets about magic whenever she sees you do it," countered Emerald. "You've seen how hard she works to keep up with your demands, just for the chance that she can do it too. She wants this almost as much as you, Schnee…but she needs to find her own path to it. She needs to be her own Maiden, not just a reflection of you."

Despite every part of her violently disagreeing, one look at Petra exhaustedly sobbing into Toto's fur was enough to convince her.

"…very well," Winter finally relented with a sigh. "We'll pause the Maiden lessons until she feels she's ready again. But I expect her to practice the techniques I've taught her so far at least once every day, at a time of her choosing. And if there's any new developments, or if someone attacks her, she's to come see me immediately."

"Fair enough." Emerald nodded. "Berix can probably be her accountability partner, to make sure she's doing the lessons on her own time. You wanna go give her the good news? Or do you have to go save a burning building full of puppies or something?"

She snapped one more glare before her eyes burst into magical flames. "It was your idea. Tell her yourself as you take her back to her father."

Crimson eyes rolled in their sockets. "Babysitting duty. Again. You just love taking me outta my comfort zone, huh?"

Winter had a biting remark in response to that, but kept her tongue in check as she took off on jets of azure fire. Shade Academy - and the Summer Maiden - grew further away the higher she soared, cutting through the violet-gold sky of a Vacuan morning. Yet no matter how fast or far she flew, exhaustion always seemed to catch up with her…and there always seemed to be some new crisis to worry about, even with the miracle of life and food her brother had discovered just days ago.

Perhaps pausing the Maiden lessons will give me time to focus on my other duties again, she mused as the desert city passed her by yet again. It's been too long since we've seen Salem make any overt moves towards her goals…no sightings of Skrall, either. What are they planning?

---

A low groan escaped Mercury's throat as he watched the video file on his Scroll, kicking back lazily in his seat while Tyrian and Stronius watched over his shoulder. The Skrall's contact had discreetly shot some video footage of Vacuo's latest miracle, walking through the new orchards at the heart of the city while celebrations were in full swing. Huntsmen and Huntresses from all walks of life were channeling Aura into seed packs and making new trees blossom in seconds. Children were laughing. Elders were weeping in joy. Atlesians were breaking bread - or fruit, rather - with Vacuans, Faunus, and Agori alike. Everyone was happy. Everyone was smiling.

It was sickening to watch.

The young assassin groaned and tossed the Scroll away dejectedly, letting it fall to the desk with a pathetic clatter. "Your contact said that the source for this came from that other alien planet? The one Ruby and her friends fell into after Atlas?"

Stronius gave a stiff nod, eyes narrowing beneath his spiked helmet.

"Great. Just great. So now we've got a third world full of stuff to worry about." Mercury groaned again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Jeez…Salem's gonna be pissed when she learns about this, if she doesn't already know. Cinder really screwed the pooch by throwing those kids onto that island, huh? Should've just run 'em all through, that would've made everything so much easier. And it would've kept this whole thing from happening and ruining everything."

"I fail to see how this changes anything," intoned the Skrall Enforcer. "They will all die when we ride to victory. What does it matter if their bellies are full or empty on that day?"

"You don't understand, big guy," he said as he leaned forward. "One of the biggest sources of tension here in Vacuo was too many mouths to feed, and not enough food or water to go around. This place has been a wasteland for hundreds of years, and the folks living here had enough trouble surviving day-to-day without half a Kingdom's worth of refugees showing up out of nowhere - or aliens dropping from the sky looking for a new home. That near-constant hunger and thirst, the fear and desperation that came from half the city being in perpetual poverty…it was like a drug to the Grimm, drawing them in to keep exerting pressure on the defenses, and without a steady supply of Dust they'd struggle to fight that too. It basically made our job a lot easier, 'cause all we had to do was watch them tear each other apart. But now?"

Mercury snapped his fingers for emphasis. "Gone. Destroyed. Obliterated for the rest of time. No more empty stomachs. No more counting bullets. No more fights over who gets to take a sip from the watering hole. Our job of keeping 'em at each other's throats just got a whole lot harder, thanks to these Dustfruits. All because the little Schnee brat decided he wanted to be a humanitarian, unlike his old man."

"We could poison the orchard," suggested Tyrian with a manic giggle, his tail rattling over his shoulder. "Or better yet, burn it down completely. Doesn't matter if it's Dust or not - last time I checked, trees still burned quite nicely."

"They'd just take the seeds and plant new ones somewhere else," countered Mercury. "At this point, these Dustfruits aren't going anywhere. They're like a weed now…a big, stupid, magic weed that sets stuff on fire."

Stronius gave a low hum. "I see now why this is a problem," he rumbled. "Although…"

"Although?"

"I believe that this, too, can be used to our advantage."

The Skrall Enforcer slid a metallic finger over the discarded Scroll, pointing out a still image in the video of a Glatorian loading a melon into some kind of tool and firing it at a wall. "Back on Bara Magna, we commonly used explosive fruits called Thornax in a similar manner as this. Though they were inedible except in the most desperate of times, they still served quite well as ammunition - and from what I understand of your Dust, you have a variant that is dedicated solely to detonating with extreme incendiary and concussive force."

"Combustion Dust, yeah," said Mercury with a nod. "Folks use it as fuel for stuff like cars and bikes and airships, 'cause most of them think it's too rare and dangerous to use in a fight."

"Too dangerous for humans, perhaps." Stronius smirked. "But not for Skrall."

Tyrian cooed and cackled while tapping his fingers together. "I do like the idea of having a garden full of freshly-grown rockets and grenades, right in our backyard. Though we'll have to get some of those seeds out here…and hide the resulting trees so that they can't easily be found or tracked. Wouldn't want a trail leading right to us, hmm?"

Much as Mercury hated to admit it, Tyrian was starting to make sense.

"Fine," he said with a resigned sigh. "We can talk to the boss lady about this later - "

CRRRKTKTKTKTKT.

"…or she can call us right now." Mercury rolled his eyes as the Seer slipped out of its hiding spot, hovering over with a glowing orb and twitching tentacles.

Tyrian cackled and bowed as Salem's face appeared on the surface of the dark jellyfish. "My queen…how may we serve you today?"

"I'm sending my first gift to Tuma and the Skrall," intoned the shadowy woman in her usual oily voice. "Go to their camp near the crashed Ark engines, and bring my Seer with you. Make sure there are no issues with the Grimm being dropped off - I worked rather hard on these to fix their flaws, and I won't have them be wasted due to user error."

The scorpion Faunus grinned and snapped an enthusiastic salute alongside a promise to do well, already running off to fire up the dune runner. Stronius, meanwhile, gave only a stiff grunt in affirmation. Gods, Mercury couldn't imagine liking the taste of boot leather as much as his acquaintances. He slumped his shoulders and folded his arms across his chest, far less enthusiastic about the new errand.

"What, you can't just throw in a free Seer for the ship camp?" he quipped. "Or are you just trying to cut down on overall shipping weight? Do you really need to keep sending us all the way out there just to play telephone?"

Skrrrrr… The tentacled terror raised its toothy tendrils.

"…fine, fine, we're going. But we've got some news for you along the way - and a possible mission idea…"

And so the trio took their usual seats in the dusty old truck - Tyrian behind the wheel, Mercury in the shotgun seat, Stronius squeezing himself and his armor into the flatbed - and set off into the arid desert morning once more.

This was already shaping up to be a terrible day.

---

"Good morning, students! Welcome to another wonderful, exciting day of learning!"

Velvet's bunny ears winced and shook at the sound of Professor Port's booming voice, waking her harshly from her little power nap in the lecture hall. She snapped awake and sat up a little straighter in her desk, pen in hand and chocolate-brown eyes focused on the portly mustached man making his way to the central podium. Her nearby classmates' reactions to the Grimm Studies lesson starting were more mixed - Yatsuhashi's head begrudgingly lolled off the smaller Faunus's shoulders, Coco slumped further down into her own seat, and Nebula groaned while slamming her forehead into her desk.

"Looks like we've got your old windbag as a substitute again," sighed Octavia as she leaned into the blonde next to her. "Wonderful. I could use the white noise while I catch up on sleep."

Dew cast a sharp look at her friend. "Tav, if you doze off during the lecture, I'm not giving you my notes."

"Yeah you will, Dewdrop."

The blonde sighed and rolled her eyes, seemingly accepting her role as a living pillow. "…yeah, I will, won't I?"

"I don't know why everyone complains about Professor Port," said Gwen with a hopeful smile. "I rather like his stories."

"That's because you're hearing all of them for the first time," grumbled Coco. "We had to listen to those same tales for years, and they don't get any more interesting on repeat retellings. I swear that if I have to hear about that stupid Beowolf one more time, I'm taking a dune runner and driving it right into the gods-damned ocean."

Nebula visibly shuddered. "Think I'll join you. Hell, I'll build us a ramp."

"And I'll bring the popcorn to watch the show," said Fox with a smirk. "Ada, begin lecture mode."

A tinny voice came from an almost-invisible earpiece, but even Velvet and her enhanced hearing couldn't pick up on the specific words. She instead focused on her old Grimm Studies professor from Beacon, who stepped up to the podium and tapped the ancient microphone several times. Not that he needed it, of course - his own voice was loud and bombastic enough to reach the entire lecture hall all by itself, its volume matched only by the dullness of the lecture themselves.

But today, something was…different. Velvet heard more footsteps following the professor, ones that came from the hallway and filtered in through the open doors. Some of them sounded…metallic?

Port almost certainly had a grin hidden beneath his bushy gray facial hair as he spoke. "Now, I know, I typically regale you all with my wonderful tales of glory and personal experiences whenever I step in for Professor Sundowner…"

The entire class groaned.

"…but in light of recent developments, I felt it prudent that today's Grimm Studies lecture be a more immediately-practical lesson. Which is why I'd like to welcome my substitute today - please give a warm welcome to Mister Arc and the good Agori of Bara Magna!"

Wait, what?

Everyone's gaze snapped to the door as Jaune walked in while carrying a box of fruits and seeds, followed by at least two dozen Agori of various colors doing the same. The blonde Huntsman set his load down and greeted Port with a manly handshake, while the shorter Magnans started making their way into empty seats within the lecture hall. Upon recognizing one of the green-armored aliens moving through the rows of students, Velvet grinned and waved and beckoned her over; the Jungle Tribe engineer gave a smile of her own and claimed an unoccupied desk in front of Team CFVY, then twisted around to face her friends.

"Hey Azina," whispered Velvet warmly. "How've you been?"

"Busy as usual," answered the Agori with a grin. "Been helping out with the harvests at the Dustfruit Orchard for the last few days, and working with Whitley to 'blend' new kinds together. I think you in particular are gonna like what we've come up with…there's something special just for you. But I'm getting ahead of myself - that'll come later."

As tempted as the rabbit Faunus was to pry, she could tell that Jaune was getting ready to speak. The knightly young man stepping up to the podium was a far cry from the blonde goofball that had fumbled his way through most Beacon classes - even though his hair was still long and his face was still boyish, there was a piercing wisdom to his blue eyes that contained years of hard-won experience and lessons in pain. The sword resting in the shield-scabbard on his arm was well worn with nicks and marks of battle, a reflection of the soul wielding it, yet like Jaune himself it endured.

We've all had to grow up pretty quickly since Beacon fell, she thought with a bittersweet smile, but Ruby and her friends had to grow up even faster. I'm so proud of them…

He cleared his throat and gave an awkward little wave. "Um, hey. I'm Jaune, and like Port said I'll be your guest speaker today. You don't have to call me 'Mister Arc' or 'Professor Arc' or anything fancy like that…unless you really want to, of course."

A quiet chuckle rippled through the classroom.

"Right! So…Dustfruits." Jaune reached into his box and picked out what could only be described as a grape the size of a chicken egg. "You've probably heard of them by now. Heck, you've probably eaten some by now. But they're more than just delicious snacks or quick ways to refresh your Aura - they're powerful weapons in their own right, and as Huntsmen and Huntresses you should know how to use them."

He took a bite from the violet fruit, then bobbled it in one hand while unfolding Crocea Mors into shield form with the other. "Now, this one here is a Gravity Dustfruit. It's full of juice and protein, and tastes like a popsicle made with aged wine. And today, it's gonna show off something that we've started calling 'Resonance.' See, if you take a Dustfruit of any kind and expose it to an activated matching elemental energy source - whether it's a Dust Weave, a crystal in your weapon, or even another Dustfruit - it not only activates the energy inside the seeds…"

Jaune tossed the fruit over his head and bunted it higher with Crocea Mors, the crest of his shield glowing purple as the Gravity Dust came alive. With a pulse of force the Dustfruit was sent flying with the speed and power of a bullet, resembling little more than a violet streak that crashed against the ceiling of the lecture hall. The entire classroom gasped as a tiny black hole manifested above their heads for a few seconds, then exploded in a reverberating impact wave that rocked every seat and sent papers flying.

"…it amplifies it," finished Jaune with a smirk. "The bigger the fruit, the bigger the Resonance. Works with every kind of Dust and Dustfruit, every element, every combination. Feel free to experiment with it on your own time…just, uh, don't try it inside."

Excited murmuring rippled through the students.

"I have got to do that with Dawngrass," said Dew with an awed whisper.

"Impressive…" mused Gwen.

"Hmm…this may finally give me a ranged option beyond Aura Slashes…" intoned Yatsuhashi. "Perhaps I should add a heated edge to Fulcrum?"

After waiting for the class to settle down, the blonde knight picked up a vial of red dust and gently shook it. "Now, while this might not be as visually exciting…it should still make a lot of you happy. See, I know you've all been struggling with the Dust shortage lately, counting each bullet you fire and rationing fuel and ammo as much as possible. Well, I have some very good news for you all - the seeds and leaves and stems of Dustfruit, when ground up into a fine powder, acts exactly like the energy propellant you all know and love. And yes, that powder works great in bullets, bolts, grenades, Dust Weaves…anything you'd usually use Dust for."

Several students cheered. Coco looked like she was about to faint with excitement. Jaune waited once more for the lecture hall to settle, then lifted up a slice of what looked like a red melon.

"For those of you that prefer using crystals or Dust magazines to modify your Semblance…good news is, you can still do that too! The bigger the piece you're holding while channeling your Semblance, the more potent the effect. Just make sure that you're not reaching out into the seeds themselves with your Aura. Otherwise, you'll sprout a tree right in your hand - and trust me, it's pretty painful to clock yourself in the face with a branch out of nowhere."

A chuckle rippled through the class. Velvet watched as the gears spun in the mind of a green-haired punk girl, who raised her hand excitedly.

"Yes, Miss Chloris?" boomed Professor Port. "You have a question for Mister Arc?"

Reese grinned mischievously. "You say that Aura activates the seeds and makes the tree thing happen, right? Would it be possible to turn a whole fruit into an instant tree grenade? Just activate it, throw it at the Grimm, and boom?"

Jaune chuckled. "In theory, yeah, you can do that. But you'd need some really quick reflexes and a stiff throwing arm to make it work without hurting yourself, and there's a lot of ways it can go wrong. Remember that the more seeds you activate at once, the bigger the resulting tree…we haven't mathematically nailed down the relationship yet, but for now it'd be best to err on the side of caution. No one wants to go digging Huntsmen out of tree trunks."

The adrenaline junkie of Team ABRN deflated somewhat, which was helped by the pink-haired Nadir nudging her in the side.

"Any other questions?" asked Jaune.

Several students raised their hands.

"No, you can't eat Dustfruit bullets."

Most of the hands went down.

Jaune chuckled and slicked back his hair. "Well, speaking of which…if there's no more questions so far, then I'd say we've reached the point of the lesson where I stop lecturing and you start getting your hands dirty. In that case, I'd like to invite the Agori here to start handing out Dustfruits and materials to the different teams, then after that we're gonna walk you through how to make bullets for your weapons. I know, I know, you all probably already learned this back in pre-Academy combat schools, but a little refresher never hurts…and it's also a good chance for our alien friends to learn the tricks of our trade, so that they can make enough ammo for all the other Hunters in Vacuo. I'd like to thank Azina from the Bara Magna Outreach Committee for volunteering her services, as well as for organizing her people into one heck of an efficient workforce."

"Happy to help, Jaune," said Azina proudly with a warm smile. "Each Agori here has spent thousands of years working with our hands, and we pride ourselves on being fast learners and even faster workers. If your people need ammunition, we'll make sure there's plenty."

"And we'll make sure that you're all paid fairly for your efforts." The blonde Huntsman looked over the classroom with a nod. "Alright, team leaders - go over to the table and grab the tools you'll need, while the Agori all pass out the stuff. One ammo press per section, one mortar and pestle per team. Like Mom always says, 'sharing is caring.' If any of you want to help pass out the fruits, feel free…oh, and try not to eat all the fruits that the Agori give your table. You'll need the seeds for the assembly process. This is still a lesson, remember, not lunchtime."

The lecture hall soon became a hotbed of activity, as Azina stood up and took her box down to the front row of desks alongside the other Agori. While some students stood up and made their way over to an old dusty cabinet, the alien guests started passing out sheets of thin metal and fruits of varying colors. Nadir instantly reached for some odd combination of a strawberry and a melon, only for Reese to snatch it away with a quick glare. When her partner hit her with an especially sad pair of puppy-dog eyes, the green-haired punk relented and split the fruit anyway.

"I'll go and grab an ammo press for our section, Coco," said Nebula as she rose from her seat, her teammates moving to help the Agori pass out the Dustfruits. "We can share, if you want."

The leader of Team CFVY raised an eyebrow under her omnipresent sunglasses, but smiled anyway. "I think I'd like that, Nebs. That okay with you, Velv?"

Velvet looked back and locked eyes with her former bully, who she could tell was trying so hard to be better, and forced herself to nod tightly. She wasn't sure if she was ready to forgive Nebula herself just yet…not after going through the hell that was Team NOVA…but she wasn't going to let her own discomfort ruin the growing bond between the two teams. Yatsuhashi seemed to notice her tensing up, because as soon as the team leaders left he put one mighty arm around her shoulders and hugged her close.

"I'm right here," he said gently, softer than his frame would suggest. "She's not going to hurt you anymore, Velvet. None of them are."

She gave a smile and returned the side hug, wrapping her hands around his trunk like her boyfriend was one big teddy bear. "I know. I just…I never wanna be on another team ever again unless you're there, Yats."

A soft kiss graced her sensitive Faunus ear. "Lucky for you, the feeling's mutual. I love you, dear."

"And I love you…" she whispered back, fully red in the face as she nuzzled against Yatsuhashi.

Really, you two? Right in the middle of class? C'mon…I can't even see what you're doing, and I'm still feeling awkward.

Velvet had to suppress a snort at the voice ringing in her mind. Come off it, Fox. Don't be jealous just because you're still an eligible bachelor.

Jealous? Me? The scarred young man smirked. Have you met me, Velv?

Unfortunately, yes.

Well, you might wanna take a rain check on the classroom cuddles. Azina's coming to our table next.

…do you mean "rain check" in the Vacuo way, or the normal way?

Eh, you can pick your own poison.

Velvet giggled as she reluctantly withdrew from Yatsuhashi's embrace, scooting back to her own seat just as the Jungle Tribe Agori set her box down and started handing out the goods. Fruits of all shapes and colors were neatly stacked into a little pile in the middle of the desk, from what looked like flaming apples to ice-blue bananas, from peaches that resembled gnarled bark to pomegranates that crackled with static electricity. But what caught the rabbit Faunus's eye the most was a long ivory vine, one containing dozens of what she could only describe as crystalline strawberries that all seemed to sparkle with their own inner light. Compared to the other Dustfruits, which were almost identical to what the other teams were working with, that vine of glowing lights felt like a rare treasure.

"What's this one?" she asked, pointing to the bunch of strawberries.

Azina smiled as she spoke. "That would be the 'something special' I mentioned earlier. Your weapon's unique in that it uses something called Hard-Light Dust to generate copies of weapons, right? Something that was rare, expensive, and only manufactured in Atlas?"

Velvet nodded. "It's why I haven't been using Anesidora as much these last few months. It's not mined naturally, and even if it was there's better ways to use it than as a weapon. I've had to rely on Dust Weaves and actual forged blades just to pull my own weight, as well as learning some…new…"

She gasped as the realization dawned on her, eyes welling up with tears. Yatsuhashi and Fox reached the same conclusion almost simultaneously, because their jaws both dropped at the same time. The Agori just took all their incredulous actions in stride, plucking a few berries off the vine and depositing them into the stunned rabbit's palm.

"Whitley and I spent all night trying to recreate it using Dustfruits. Here. The fruits themselves are inedible, so we won't be growing many of these in the Orchard just yet. But if you plant these seeds in your room, or anywhere else, you'll have your own personal supply of Hard-Light Dustfruits. These are dangerous times, and we need every Huntsman, Huntress, and Glatorian fighting at their prime…and that means giving you everything you need to shine, Velvet Scarlatina."

Gripping the crystal berries tightly in her trembling hands, Velvet sniffled and pulled her alien friend into a tight embrace. "Azina, I…gods, thank you. Thank you so much."

With a laugh and a glowing smile of her own, Azina returned the hug and patted her twice with a comforting metal hand. "Anything for the warriors who saved us in our darkest hour. Anything."

As she finally withdrew and settled back into her seat, as Coco and Nebula returned with the tools, and as Jaune expertly walked everyone through the process of crushing up seeds and pouring the powder into freshly-stamped bullets…Velvet decided that this was her favorite Grimm Studies lesson ever.

And in the corner of the classroom, watching over all the students, Professor Port was beaming in pride.

---

Kiina approached Shade Academy's designated firing range as the sun bore down overhead, and was promptly greeted by the sound of gunfire and the smell of burning sulfur. The sandy, open-air field was laid out with surprising order and structure, with students standing behind a chest-high sandstone wall and firing all kinds of weapons at distant paper targets shaped like Grimm. Lines in the sand and numbers painted onto wooden signs clearly sectioned off the wall into zones, some of which were occupied by a single Hunter in training while others were empty. The Water Tribe Glatorian shuffled her way over to an unoccupied section - or "lane" as they were apparently called - and hummed pensively for a moment before kneeling and meeting the target at its intended height.

The human next to her, a young man with messy red hair and pink eyes, looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. "You alright there?"

"Yeah, just need to get down to your level," said Kiina with a small huff. "Everything is so small on this world…feels like I'm constantly bumping my head on ceilings or squeezing through doors. And I'm one of the shorter Glatorians, believe it or not."

That got a laugh out of the Huntsman-in-training. "I'd believe it. Give it a few years, and I'm sure folks'll be building stuff more friendly for giants like you. Especially if that 'New Atero' thing I've been hearing rumors about pans out."

"Here's hoping." Kiina paused for a moment as she unlimbered her new trident, connecting the dots in her mind as something clicked. "You're one of the Huntsmen who protected the Ark initially, right after we crashed. Nolan, right?"

"That's me," said Nolan with a nod and a smile, pausing to reload his pistol. "I usually don't come down here, but I got an upgrade for Royal Command here that finally lets it turn into a gun. So naturally, Scarlet gave me some firing drills as homework, to make sure I know how to use it." He glanced over at the taller warrior with a pensive hum. "Looks like you've got a new toy too, huh?"

The Water Tribe Glatorian gave a nod of her own as she brought the blue-plated trident - Vaporstrike, she remembered Ilia had called it - to her shoulder and flipped a few switches along the shaft. In the blink of an eye the weapon began transforming and collapsing, the prongs of one end retracting and folding into a stock while the other set arranged themselves into a triangular formation near the barrel. The handle bent in the middle to form a natural grip with a waiting trigger, and a loop of adjoining metal big enough for her fingers unlocked itself with a click. According to the instructions she'd received alongside the weapon, Vaporstrike had turned into a "Lever-Action Dust Rifle" that could either fire a torrent of water using Water Dust nodes within the firing chamber…or it could compress that same water into a high-powered piercing shot that destroyed anything on the wrong end.

Kiina opted to try the compressed mode first, racking the lever forward on its hinge joint several times as instructed. Once the green light blinked along the top she braced the stock against her shoulder, took aim at the paper Cadejo staring her down, and squeezed the trigger.

BOOOM.

Gresh had warned her about the kickback from Dust weapons, so she thought she was ready - at least until the world went sideways and something hard slammed into her shoulder armor. While it didn't hurt, it did knock her flat on her back and send Vaporstrike clattering out of her hands, which was obviously quite lethal for her pride. Grumbling and ignoring the chatter from the students around her, Kiina pulled herself back into a kneeling position and retrieved her weapon, lining up another shot…only to find, to her delight, that there was now a gaping hole where her target's chest used to be.

Nolan looked over with a barely-suppressed snicker, his amusement quickly fading to approval. "Not bad for a first-time shooter. Though you'll want to lean on the front foot when actually firing in combat - or find a way to use the recoil to your advantage."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time." Kiina grunted and dug a metal finger into her ringing ear. "I don't know how you kids manage to not go deaf each time you shoot. Guns are loud!"

"It helps that Aura keeps our eardrums from blowing out, and raises our own natural pain tolerance for loud noises. Plus all the training we do kinda conditions us to the sounds our own weapons make." Nolan laughed, then tilted his head with a curious hum. "…speaking of which, has anyone tried that with you guys? You know, unlocking your Aura?"

"Oscar - or Ozpin, to be specific - gave it his best attempt, a few days after we all arrived," answered the Glatorian as she locked the lever handle into a permanent forward position. "Didn't work, obviously. According to him, he couldn't feel any of the 'soul points' that let Remnant life manifest Aura, so there was no way to actually reach whatever energy powers it. Might be our bio-frames interfering with those energies, might be something that life on your planet evolved to have that ours didn't. Either way, Aura's a no-go for us Magnans."

"Oh…" The Huntsman-in-training frowned. "That's a bummer."

"It is what it is." Kiina shrugged, then shifted her stance and aimed down Vaporstrike's sights. "At least we're strong enough to keep up with you guys when it comes to pulling our weight, Aura or no Aura. And hey, it's not like we need magic soul powers to use your weapons. On that note…"

FWOOSH!

The results were a little better this time around. A burst of high-pressure water shot out of the barrel in a continuous stream, threatening to knock her to her feet again, but careful positioning and bracing kept the recoil from knocking her over yet again. To her delight, the surge of sea foam blasted away the paper Grimm and tore it to shreds, and the flow stopped as soon as she snapped the lever back against the handle.

"Yes!" whooped the Glatorian as she hefted Vaporstrike over her shoulder. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Nolan gave a nod of approval and a smile. "Nice! You're a natural crack shot…and a fast learner. May would've loved you; hell, she and Roy and Brawnz would've all tripped over each other trying to impress you. Wish they were here to see you…to see all of this…"

As soon as the names left his lips, the young man's spirits fell, before he finished with a quiet sigh. Kiina's gaze softened as she looked down at the suddenly-silent Nolan, nearly overwhelmed by the waves of grief and sorrow practically radiating off his soul. She did the only thing she could think of and knelt down next to him, laying a metallic hand on his shoulder and patting gently.

Nolan wiped his eyes and gave an attempt at a smile. "Heh…thanks, Kiina. I thought I was doing better at keeping it together…at living for their sake…"

"Healing is a journey with both hills and valleys," she said with an understanding nod. "That's what Ackar always says, anyway. It's okay to miss the ones we've lost sometimes, and it doesn't make you a weaker person to remember them."

"I know," said the young man with a sniffle. "Scarlet says the same thing, too. So does the Augur I'm talking to. Seeing a counselor and having an awesome boyfriend helps a lot with moving forward…it's just a matter of making my heart believe that, not just my head, y'know?"

"Oh believe me, I understand completely." Kiina patted Nolan's shoulder with a smile. "Wanna do something to take your mind off things? Like maybe, oh I don't know, challenging an alien to her first-ever shooting contest?"

That finally got a laugh to escape the grieving Huntsman, who nodded as the Glatorian stepped back. "Yeah, I can set something up for us. The range here may not look like much, but it's got a hidden computer that's perfect for running games like that on the spot. Loser buys lunch?"

"You're on. Make the magic computer do its magic thing, kid!"

With a few keystrokes on Nolan's Scroll, a digital series of concentric rings appeared for the pair within their lanes. Kiina grinned and locked Vaporstrike back into continuous-fire mode, while her opponent raised Royal Command and took a steadying breath. Numbers of hard-light floated overhead, an electronic buzzer blared out, and the warriors of both worlds opened fire!

---

"…so then you just bury it in a little bit of soil, push Aura into it, and…ta-da!"

In the Ark's primary (and currently only) laboratory, Tarix's eyes widened behind his helmet as he watched the elderly human woman back away from the flash of silver light, just in time for the metal pot to suddenly sprout a bouquet of azure plants. Next to him, the crimson-armored Perditus almost fell out of his seat, catching himself at the last minute as he typed furiously into a larger-than-average Scroll. The woman who'd come to visit their ship - Maria Calavera, remembered the Water Tribe Glatorian - was smaller than even the Agori themselves, but her smug smirk made her seem larger and stronger than she actually was.

"Remarkable…" breathed Tarix, stunned at the sight of water spilling into a waiting trough from petal clusters as blue as his own armor.

"Not bad, huh?" Maria's mechanical eyes clicked as the azure light in her own palm faded. "My Aura's not quite what it used to be, but I've got enough to make some flowers grow at least. FNKI and Oobleck are out planting the trees around your ship right now, so you'll have plenty of food right here at the Ark, and Water Dust flowers like these will make sure you've got enough to drink."

"That'd be a boon," Tarix said with a nod. "It'd certainly make the need for supply lines between Vacuo and the Ark less of a pressing issue - transporting food and water across those distances is already a difficult endeavor, even without the Grimm. And while we're safe from those monsters here, thanks to the Drive Core, as soon as we leave the crash site perimeter we're fair game for those beasts."

The elderly human nodded, leaning against a stool for support as she looked up at Perditus. "Speaking of which…any luck figuring out that light show outside?"

"Not as much as we'd hope at this point," reported the Fire Tribe scientist. "Azina showed us the sequences she used to stabilize the Drive Core following our crash, but they were all commands she and other engineers were entering throughout our entire flight - and while the core was regularly discharged and purged of excess radiation every few cycles, it certainly never did this while we were traveling the stars. It's possible that the mere presence of Grimm triggered some hidden protocol within the Drive Core, a fail-safe of some kind that activated once the core stopped destabilizing…but we don't know for sure, and narrowing down the variables that caused this through trial-and-error testing is unfeasible right now. For obvious reasons."

"Right…no guarantee that it'll act the same way if you turn it off and turn it back on again." Maria frowned and hummed pensively. "And I don't suppose we can just take it out and move the Drive Core on its own, huh? Just let it do its glowy thing while we haul it across the desert?"

Perditus shook his head. "Not without extreme risk to ourselves and the surroundings. That much mass in constant motion generates its own gravitational vortex; if it's not kept in check by directed electromagnetic fields, it'll tear apart anything short of Exsidian within seconds. And if being ripped to shreds at a molecular level doesn't kill you, making contact with the Drive Core itself will - anything that touches the surface either gets transmuted beyond recognition, or disintegrates on the spot."

"There's a reason we gave the Drive Core its own chamber when designing the Ark," Tarix added, "behind a yalm-thick wall of fortified glass on top of that. Even then, only a select few crew members were even allowed near it while we were in flight, just because of how…temperamental it could be."

Mechanical eyes blinked several times in either awe or concern. "…how'd you even get it onto the Ark, if this thing's so dangerous?" asked the bewildered woman.

"Very carefully," answered both Glatorians in unison.

Seemingly content with that answer, the smaller human hummed for a moment as she looked around the lab, optics clicking with each blink and expressive motion. Tarix followed her gaze and noted the various projects being worked on - each half-yalm-high slab of porcelain-white steel had several Agori gathered around some trinket or tool or gadget, with some taking notes on newly-manufactured Scrolls while others worked with tools of two worlds in steady metal hands. One table group was stripping an old power cell for parts. Another was examining a steel block full of pumping pistons. A third was poring over a wireframe model that detailed a disassembled propulsion system, one that Tarix immediately recognized.

That last one seemed to catch Maria's attention as well. "What's that? The one they're working on…is that a rocket?"

"A booster rocket, specifically." Perditus swiped and brought a copy of the model from that table's Scroll to his own, projecting schematics of hard-light between the Glatorians and the human. "It took a lot of thrust to get the Ark off Bara Magna; even with the Drive Core reducing the entire ship's effective mass, the engines weren't quite powerful enough to get the job done. That's where this thing came in - Kiina and Azina found it in the same ruins where they got the Drive Core, and after a bit of studying we found that it could give us that little extra push we needed to reach escape velocity. Once we were off-world, we retrieved the booster rocket and stored it in the docking bay near the nose of the ship, and let the Ark's own engines do the rest to get us through space. Tarduk's team has been looking into how to reverse-engineer the booster rocket and scale it up using local materials, but it's been… slow-going, to say the least."

"Interesting…" mused Maria as she peered at the schematics. "You've definitely gotten farther than us when it comes to space travel - Dust loses its power as soon as it leaves Remnant's atmosphere, so that obviously stalls out most of our attempts to reach the stars. Farthest we've ever gotten is upper atmo, and even reaching that was a challenge in the best of times."

"A shame most of our own fuel was destroyed in the crash," said Tarix with a sigh. "As it stands now, the booster rocket's the only thing we still have that's able to escape Remnant's atmosphere…for all the good it does us now."

"Ship's too heavy for one little rocket like that to lift, huh?"

"More or less," confirmed Perditus as he looked up from his Scroll. "It was designed to work in conjunction with our engines and the Drive Core to lift the ship - the rocket itself has only a fraction of the thrust our engines once did, and even half a ship is still too heavy a load to move in this atmosphere. So as long as we're missing the engines, our half is stuck right where it is."

The elderly Huntress hummed for a moment, then tilted her head as her eyes snapped open. "Right…but what if it gave something else a push into space? Something lighter than our half of the Ark, but just as useful?"

Tarix raised an eyebrow behind his helmet. "Did you have something in mind?"

She nodded excitedly. "See, there was a project my friend Pietro was working on during the last days of Atlas, something that could've united the entire world like never before. It ended up getting sabotaged by Salem's little lackeys, but we might be able to make it work again…if you're fine with lending the booster rocket to us, that is. Er, maybe 'giving' would be a better term - I don't think we'll be in a position to give it back to you once things get moving."

A single glance was shared between the stationed Glatorians, before they both shrugged. "I don't see why not," answered Tarix. "Not like we're going back into space anytime soon, right? If you can think of a better use for it, feel free. It'd just collect dust otherwise."

The elderly human grinned. "Excellent. Lemme just make a call…be right back, boys!"

Maria keyed her own Scroll and saved a copy of the schematics to her own device, her frame practically shuddering with excitement. Then she tapped a few more buttons and started hobbling out of the labs, bringing the screen to her face and animatedly speaking to whoever was on the other end. While Tarix was only privy to half of the conversation, the parts he could hear didn't exactly fill him with confidence.

"Hey, Fiona? It's Maria. Heh, yes yes, it's nice to hear from you too dear…so, question. Remember all that salvage from Amity Tower we brought on the Skyboats when we landed with Team RWBY? The stuff I asked you to stow away for a rainy day? Mm-hmm…yes, that stuff. How long do you think it'll take you to pull it out and put it back together? …oh really? A few days? Perfect. Start unloading all of that and get Oz on the line. I've got an idea that's just crazy enough to work…"

"Do you have any idea what she's talking about?" asked the Glatorian scientist. "Or what project she meant?"

"Not in the slightest," admitted Tarix with a shrug. "But for some reason, whenever that particular human smiles I get nervous."

"As do I, friend," said Perditus, keeping one eye on the retreating woman's form. "But if she believes that this will help her people, and ours…I suppose I've no choice but to trust her."

"Never thought I'd see the day where you became an optimist, Perditus." Tarix smiled wryly.

The chief Glatorian scientist gave a smirk of his own in response. "What can I say? There's a lot to be optimistic about these days. We've got food, clean water, shelter from the sun, and no Bone Hunter raiders or wild Vorox packs to fend off. In Bara Magna, having even half of that means we'd be living in luxury…and we've had all of that and more in the last week alone."

Tarix couldn't help but nod. "True…we've been quite fortunate lately. Here's hoping all that remains true in the coming days."

---

Yang smirked as she pulled her hand back from a mound of freshly-generated dirt, golden Aura still lingering on her fingertips as the buried seeds came alive in a flash of silver and a crackle of energy. Like its cousins outside of Vacuo's walls, Outpost Four had once been a sparsely-decorated forward operating base that gave travelers and passing Hunters a chance to rest, resupply, and recharge before setting out once more. As refreshing as that sounded on paper, the reality of the last few months had been anything but - the ramshackle tarps and patchwork tents barely blocked the sun's wrath, ammo bins and Dust drums often lay barren and empty, and any water in the central tank was either lukewarm at best or halfway to boiling at worst. Compared to the well-maintained military stations in Atlas, it was an insult to the entire idea…but compared to the rest of the desert, it was almost hospitable.

Now that it had over a dozen Dustfruit trees planted around the perimeter, providing shade and water and fresh elemental fruit, it was looking more like an oasis than a military installation.

"Goldilocks to Songbird," said the brawler as she keyed her Scroll with a grin. "Bookworm and I just finished giving Outpost Four a makeover. Want us to head to the next one?"

Robyn's amused chuckle filtered over an electronic speaker. "First off, Yang, you don't need to use codenames. Second off, no need - I've got May and Elm working Outpost Five, while Joanna and Harriet just set off for Outpost Six. That should be the last of them, so you and Blake are free until sundown. Good work out there, girls."

"Always happy to help," said Blake as she clapped the dust off her hands, leaning against a newly-grown tree bearing ebony bark and Gravity Dustfruits. "We'll radio you once we're back in the city."

"Roger that, Blake. See you soon."

With that the other blonde disappeared from the conversation, leaving just Yang and her partner amidst a little grove in the desert sands. Each tree that surrounded the outpost was a fair bit larger than their counterparts in the Dustfruit Orchard, a natural result of more seeds being used at once…and that difference in size translated to both an increase in the number of fruits generated every few days, and in the intensity of the tree's ambient elemental effects. An Earth Dustfruit tree with gnarled bark provided fertile soil for its cousins, while a willow-like Wind Dustfruit generated a steady breeze from its leafy curtains that wafted throughout the base. Fire, Gravity, Ice, and Lightning trees already had most of their fruits harvested and deposited in the ammo containers, while Plant and Water Dustfruit trees provided the most nourishing (and in Yang's opinion, delicious) options for fresh fruit and clean water. And on the very outside perimeter a steady stream of life-giving liquid flowed from the roots of cerulean trees into a deep circular trench, forming both a river for camels and desperate travelers to drink from and a moat to keep out the Grimm.

After spending so many weeks in a sandblasted desert, this was almost like setting foot into paradise.

"So, it sounds like we've got some time to kill before we're needed for night patrol," said Yang as she turned to face the gorgeous feline Faunus staring at her. "Wanna fire up the runner? I'll let you drive this time, as a treat."

Blake smiled, then started tugging at the edges of her pale puffy shirt. "Actually…I was thinking about taking a swim. Care to join me?"

Yang snorted, doing her best to hide her blush as Blake's toned stomach peeked out from beneath her usual Huntress outfit. "You're seriously gonna go swimming in the moat?"

"No, I learned how to dive through sand like a Thresher Fin." Amber eyes rolled in their sockets, unseen by the shirt being pulled over her head. "C'mon, I feel all sweaty and dusty after all that digging, and I know you feel the same."

Violet eyes flitted over the sports-bra-clad form of her partner and almost relented, but Yang still made some attempt at playfully resisting. "You, uh…you realize that's where the camels drink from, right?"

"I don't see any camels around," purred Blake as she stepped first out of her sandals, then her shorts. "Do you?"

…dammit, this woman was gonna kill her if she made her heart race this fast.

With a sigh and a smile Yang followed her partner's lead and started undressing, hanging her own vest and cargo pants on a nearby tree branch and setting her boots down at its root. She undid her ponytail and let her golden hair flow freely, carefully untied the armband containing her Fire Dust Weave, and set it down alongside Ember Celica on an elevated table. After making sure that her mechanical arm still had shells loaded - just in case - she heard a splash from beyond the line of magical trees, followed by a sharp gasp and a moan of relief.

Jeez, she really didn't waste any time getting in the water, thought the blonde brawler with an amused chuckle. Then again, I can't really say I blame her, considering that we haven't gone swimming since we were over in Mata Nui…

A hollow feeling threatened to well up in her chest, but she pushed it aside as she strolled through the gaps in the treeline. Parting the willowy curtain of windy leaves, she stepped into the desert sun once more, though the sight of it bouncing off slightly muddy-looking water was enough to tolerate its presence. And sure enough, Blake was already letting the surface waves lap against her chin as she floated along, drifting on her back down the middle of the five-foot-wide moat like a lazy river ride.

"How's the water, babe?" she asked as she knelt at the water's edge.

"Freezing, filthy, and not as deep as it looks," reported the Faunus with a blissful smile. "So don't dive headfirst."

Yang gave a mock pout. "Aw, and here I was hoping you'd give me mouth-to-mouth if I knocked myself out."

"You know that's not a real kiss, right?" Blake's ears flattened against her head. "Seriously, I can't stand it when stories treat CPR and resuscitation as some big romantic moment…"

"I know, I'm just teasing ya." She smirked as she stood up and backed away from the moat. "Welp…here goes nothing. Cannonball!"

Like she'd done so many times as a kid, Yang took a running leap and curled into a ball just before she hit the water, plunging under the surface in a splash and a ripple of bubbles. The world around her went from scorching hot to bitterly cold in a second, as though a blizzard hit from out of nowhere, and her breath felt compelled to explode from her lungs. Silt stung her eyes when she tried to open them. Her hair floated in wild and untamed curls of gold. Everything was blurry and murky and muted.

In other words, it was awesome.

She finally let out a rippling laugh as she stood up and threw her head back, breaching the surface with a gasp and a sigh. The water only came up to her chest when her feet were under her, but that was fine - there was plenty of fun that could be had even at this depth. Yang crouched-walked over to Blake as she wiped her eyes and peered through a sopping wet curtain of gold, the sight of which made her partner choke on her own giggle fit. With a grin of her own she dipped her lower face underwater and leaned into the whole "swampy cryptid" angle with a gurgling groan, stretching her arms out like an undead shambler and grabbing the floundering Faunus around the waist.

"I've got you, my pretty…" she said in a throaty whisper as she pulled Blake close, "…and your little dog, too."

It took her partner a minute to regain her composure, but she smiled wryly once she stopped wheezing. "I thought you were Zwei's owner."

"Technically Dad owns him, but you're an honorary dog mom for the little guy too." Yang grinned and kept hugging her beloved from behind, idly kicking to let them both drift along the moat. "I've seen you snuggle with him during midterms."

"Hey, that was one time and it was not my choice," said Blake with a mock pout. "And if you think I'm bad with dogs, you should see how Mom reacts. One time she got spooked by a poodle. Took Dad hours to calm her down, if you can believe it…"

"Nah, I'd believe it." The mental image of Kali Belladonna needing to be protected from an oversized cotton ball brought a soft laugh out of her lips. "Ah…I think she'd love Zwei, though. He's got a way of worming his way into the hearts of folks who think they hate dogs, and proving them wrong. Heck, he even managed to help Ruby overcome her fear of anything on four legs when she was little."

At that, amber eyes widened. "Really? Ruby was scared of dogs at one point?"

"Yep! Oh, she threw a fit when Dad first brought that little guy home. She practically holed up in any corner across from him for the first few weeks, always complaining about his barks being too loud, his kisses being too slobbery, his smell being too strong, and his food being too gross. Got to the point where we were all afraid that we'd have to take Zwei back to the shelter if she kept throwing tantrums around him…but one night, I saw her sitting in her little toddler bed with the puppy sleeping in her lap, and she just had this look of awe and delight on her face." Yang smiled. "Still the cutest thing I've ever seen."

"That sounds adorable," said Blake with a wistful smile.

Yang matched the expression with one of her own. "They were pretty much inseparable after that. I dunno what happened exactly between them, but it was enough to make Ruby firmly a pet lover. She still wouldn't handle his food, though. According to her, it's probably an autism thing."

"Canned dog food is pretty disgusting," admitted the feline Faunus, leaned deeper into Yang's front and nuzzled into her chest.

Despite the blood rushing to her face, Yang smirked playfully. "And canned tuna isn't?"

"…that's different, firestar."

"Whatever you say, dear," said Yang with a soft chuckle, kissing her beloved behind the ears.

Blake looked torn between being indignant and infatuated, but eventually settled for the latter as she let herself be pulled along by the blonde brawler. A calm little silence washed over the two while they simply let the waters carry them, circling the perimeter of the moat and letting the sun shine down on them. While they kept one eye on the desert beyond their little river - one always had to be vigilant for Grimm while outside the city - most of their attention was on either the trees they drifted past…or on each other, on every curve and soft patch of skin and every rippling muscle.

"It's still incredible, seeing all this…" mused Blake after a few minutes of admiring the forest for its trees. "All this lushness, all these miracles…all coming from one little seed. All because Weiss found a Vuata Maca berry too hard to eat on our way to Makuta."

Yang had to agree. "Yeah. It's beautiful. Almost as beautiful as you, of course."

"Same to you." Her girlfriend purred softly, then flitted her gaze over to a billowy willow tree. "But it's not just the Dustfruits that's changing Vacuo for the better - it's everything. The Glatorians, the Agori, the promise of a new Kingdom…after so many centuries of being a wasteland, the desert is finally starting to heal. I can't wait to see Ruby and Weiss react to…well, all of this…when they get back."

At that, the blonde's smile started to fade without even realizing it. "Yeah…when they get back…"

Or if.

That thought took the wind out of her sails, and snuffed out her inner fire harder than the water around her ever could. How many days had it been since her little sister went off on another Mata Nui adventure? How long had it been since the Red Scroll last rang? And even while swimming with her beautiful girlfriend in the shade of a literal miracle…why did her stomach still feel like it was pumped full of lead?

Blake must have noticed the brawler's voice trailing off, because she instantly turned in the water to look at her. "Sorry," she said hastily, worry written all over her face. "I didn't mean -"

"It's fine, Blake." Yang reached up and cupped one soaked cheek with her good hand, feeling ivory skin glide over her rough palm. "I just…it's always hard being away from her like this, y'know? I keep telling myself that she's gonna be fine, that she'll come back, that she's got folks looking out for her over there…but I still just…"

"You're still worried about her. You still miss her."

She nodded numbly, the brave facade crumbling.

"It's okay." Soft thumbs traced over the pools of water building behind her eyes, gently wiping them away while also inviting them to release. "You're allowed to feel sad, remember? Let me be your shade, Yang. I'm right here."

A choked sob rang out, marking the release of tears she'd been holding in for so long, and Blake's patient hands caught most of them as they fell. The cool water lapping at her neck helped ground her, contrasting with the warm palms that pressed against cheeks that felt hotter than the surrounding desert air. When Yang finally felt like she'd drained herself of every withheld worry and frustrated fear, when she was done falling to pieces, Blake was there to put her back together with an understanding gaze and a soft kiss on the lips.

"Thanks, Blake…" she finally whispered after a while. "I…I don't think I'd be even half as strong as I am without you there."

The feline Faunus gave a tender little smile as her fingertips trailed down to her chin. "And my days would be a lot darker without your incredible light."

Yang sniffled and rubbed her tear-stained eyes. "Heh…what's with us and turning swimming dates into therapy sessions?"

Blake laughed softly and kissed her forehead even more gently. "I'll do it as many times as you want, firestar…though if you're still in the mood to have some fun, I have a few…ideas…"

Her voice was lower now. Huskier. More intense. And her touches weren't solely with comfort in mind anymore…Yang was no Augur, but she was pretty sure that grinding bare thighs together wasn't something most people did in a counselor's office.

"You're thinking of doing that underwater stuff again, aren't you?" Yang blushed, her cheeks burning as hot as the sun. "The stuff that had me snorting water outta my nose for hours after the fact?"

"You need the distraction," purred Blake with a voice as cool and soft as night. "And I need…no…I want you. Always."

The trail of kisses going down her neck and the fingers searching for the edge of her underwear quelled all thoughts of protest. "In that case…lemme see if I remember what you showed me. Deep breath, kitty."

Blake barely managed to stifle her giggling long enough to suck in enough air, as Yang flopped forward and dove into the moat with her beloved in her arms. Lips crashed together in sloppy, bubbly kisses. Hands made their way on familiar journeys across sensitive skin. And as much as her lungs protested the lack of air and her nose burned from the water flooding her face, her desire to make love to this woman was stronger than any other need.

If Yang ended up becoming the first person to ever drown in the desert…she doubted she'd mind that much.

---

"Are you sure it's okay for me to be out here?"

Emerald took her gaze off the dusty streets of the Vacuo City Bazaar, turning instead to the freckled little girl that hugged her leg with uncharacteristic timidness. It was a strange group that wove their way through the markets - a mint-haired Huntress, a blue-armored Agori, a novice Maiden, and a very large black dog - but few paid any attention to them. After all, there were countless Agori and Vacuans and even Atlesians that wandered the stalls and perused the wares, so for all intents and purposes they blended into the crowd…which suited the little field trip party just fine.

"Sure I'm sure," she said with a soft laugh, giving Petra's shoulder a reassuring squeeze with one hand while adjusting her grip on Toto's leash in the other. "I grew up in a city twice as crowded as this, so I know my way around markets and mobs. We've still got some time before you need to be back in your dad's office, so there's no need to worry about being late. Soon as the sun starts going down, we'll go back…and since Winter's giving you a break from Maiden lessons, why not take that time to do something fun?"

Petra didn't seem entirely convinced, but nodded all the same. The huge black dog chuffed and shot a big dopey smile over his shoulder, confirming his complete faith in the lady holding his leash. That seemed to set the Maiden's nerves at ease just a bit, if the decrease in pressure on Emerald's knee was any indication. Good thing too. This kid was stronger than she looked.

"Y'see? Toto's right there, and he's on board with this. He's not gonna let anything happen to you." Emerald smiled encouragingly. "And besides, we've got Berix here too - he'll keep you safe. Right?"

The Water Tribe treasure hunter didn't give any indication he'd heard her over the angelic chorus playing in his head, as he looked around with eyes sparkling in mischief and wonder. "So many shiny things…so many valuable things…"

"Berix. No. No collecting."

"What? I wasn't actually going to take anything!"

"But I could see you thinking about it." Emerald sighed. "Knew I should've bought two leashes…"

Thankfully, she was able to keep her party together long enough to approach a wooden snack shack at the corner of a crowded intersection. The market stand itself was nothing remarkable at first glance, aside from how unusually cold it felt as the group came closer - and the reason for the sudden chill was obvious as soon as she saw the white timber used to construct it. A clear sign of wood that came from an Ice Dustfruit tree…had folks already started using lumber from the elementally-charged trees to make new buildings and additions to the Bazaar? She wasn't sure how safe or practical that'd end up being in the long term, but for now she had to admit it was somewhat ingenious. Who needs bulky air conditioners and freezers when the building itself can keep entire vats of ice shavings frozen for hours?

"Three bowls, please," said Emerald as she laid a fistful of Lien on the counter. "Whatever flavors you've got on hand."

"Bork!" Toto's eyes glistened greedily.

"…on second thought, make it four." One more money card was quietly added to the deck. "Hold the spoon on the last one."

The old man running the shaved ice stand - wait, why does that guy look familiar? - gave a nod and turned his back on the odd group for a moment. There was a sound of tumbling crystals and squelching syrup, before the attendant whirled back around and slid a tray with four moderate bowls of shaved ice toward the Huntress. Each generous mound of tie-dye-colored slush seemed eager to spill over the rim of card stock, seemingly inviting the four of them to dig in before it started melting in the desert heat. Once upon a time, Emerald would have stuck her entire face into her helping like a dehydrated camel; today, however, she had enough self-restraint to wait until she led Petra, Toto, and Berix to a small picnic area off the side of the road, with wooden tables and seats perfect for people to stop and enjoy their meals.

Only when she set the tray on a table and sat the Summer Maiden between Berix's chair and her own did she finally let her guard down.

"Alright," she announced as she started handing out the paper bowls. "One bowl for Petra, one bowl - and only one - for Berix, one for me…and one for the dog."

Toto's tongue flopped out in a series of excited pants as he laid down on his belly behind Petra's chair, never taking his big black eyes off the spoonless bowl until Emerald finally set it down in front of his face. He thanked her with an especially loud bark and a few dozen slobbering kisses on her hand, before squishing the bowl between his front paws and messily lapping up the ice crystals. Emerald just flicked her hand dry and gave him a little rub behind the ears, then took her own seat with a sigh. Being a chaperone was exhausting…surely now that everyone was seated and had their snacks, things would settle down. Right?

As if to prove her wrong, Berix scooped up a heaping handful of shaved ice in one metallic palm and eyed it curiously. "Another intriguing Remnant treat…seems to be ground-up water crystals infused with some kind of nectar. Reminds me of dry snow from the peaks of Iconox's mountain ranges, but less chalky and corrosive. Can't wait to see how this one tastes!"

Emerald frowned. "Um, you might wanna be careful there -"

"Homph!" Too late, he'd already shoved the entire pile into his mouth and swallowed it with a thoughtful hum. "Mmm…tasty…vague hint of citrus…a light, pleasant crunch with a slight - KHHRHK!"

The Water Tribe Agori suddenly went ramrod stiff as his glowing eyes crossed in their sockets, shaking from helm to boot while clutching his seat.

"Mister Berix!" wailed Petra. "Are you okay?"

"Mind…freezing…" he said through gritted copper teeth. "Joints…locking up…can't…move. Is this…how it ends?"

The former thief rolled her eyes at the dramatics. "I've seen you chomp down plastic, dude - you'll be fine. Just sit tight for a minute and ride out the feeling until it passes. If this kills you, I'll eat my left arm."

Another moment passed as Berix began making more whimpering and grunting noises, and for a split second Emerald wondered if she'd have to eat her words - and her limb - over letting one of Remnant's first alien guests die from eating frozen food too fast. Fate, thankfully, was kind enough to spare her a lifetime of one-handedness, as the Agori finally let out a heaving sigh of relief and nearly doubled over. Toto gave the metallic collector a single glance of concern, then chuffed and started licking his own shaved ice once more.

"Spirits above…" gasped Berix, rubbing the crown of his helmet. "What was that?"

"That's what we humans call 'brain freeze,'" deadpanned Emerald, reaching over to pat his shoulder in some measure of comfort. "Use the spoon next time."

Berix blinked and looked down at his innocuous little pile of frozen water. "Brain…freeze. Wow. That was…the most unpleasant experience I've felt in centuries." A grin spread across his leathery lips. "I'm gonna do it again!"

"Hey, it's your funeral." Emerald rolled her eyes once more as the Agori willingly froze his mind again, then looked down at the concerned and cautious little Maiden. "Go on, kiddo. Take a bite, nice and slow. This is something you wanna savor, not inhale all at once."

Petra tentatively dipped her spoon into the syrupy slush, then brought it to her lips with a smack and a hum. Emerald could practically see the gears turning in her head, the taste buds coming alive with new sensations, and it only took a few seconds for those little hazel eyes to absolutely sparkle in delight.

"Whoaaaaaa…" breathed the little Maiden. "It's so good! It's like…it's like water! But crunchy, and cold, and…sweet! I love it!"

"I knew you would," said the mint-haired Huntress with a soft laugh as she licked her own spoon clean, savoring the taste of sugar and processed berries. "Nothing better on a hot day than a cool treat, I'll tell you what. Heck, when I was your age I used to go visit this old mom-and-pop shop on the corner that sold ice cream and popsicles and all kinds of other frozen stuff like that. I'd get myself the biggest fudge bar, go down to one of the canals, dip my feet in the water, and just let myself chill from my head to my toes. Good times…good times."

Of course, Emerald was leaving out the parts where she'd steal said fudge bar from under the owners' noses (usually with a Hallucination), or how she ate her ill-gotten treats by the canal so she could easily swim away from the roving bands of brutal policemen. But Petra didn't need to know about her many crimes as a child. Not yet, at least.

"That sounds nice!" said Petra, her grin growing with another bite of shaved ice. "Your parents must've been really cool to let you run around by yourself like that!"

"I wouldn't know if my folks were cool or not," mumbled Emerald through another mouthful of slush. "I never met 'em."

Clank.

Crimson eyes glanced over to see a very stunned Petra fumble her spoon, letting it clatter against the table as her hazel irises widened. "You didn't know your own parents, Em? You grew up…without grownups?!"

Oh crap, I think I broke her.

"Explains a lot, doesn't it?" quipped Berix with a smirk just before stuffing another handful of ice into his waiting gullet.

"I will smack you." Emerald sighed, then shrugged. "I mean, yeah. Been an orphan for as long as I can remember. Wasn't easy growing up like that…always looking for food and avoiding trouble…but I made it, when a lot of other kids I knew back then didn't. Got lucky enough to escape that life."

Lucky enough to be scooped up by a power-hungry sociopath, she thought to herself, scooping another mouthful of sorbet slush into her mouth to keep the bitter comment down.

Petra picked up her spoon again for a few more helpings of shaved ice, frowning as she did so. "Huh. That…sounds pretty dangerous, being out on your own like that. And scary. But that also sounds kinda…nice?"

Emerald almost choked on her next bite. "Jeez…" she gasped with a laugh of disbelief. "Didn't know you hated your old man that much, that you'd rather be an orphan."

Hazel eyes widened as Petra shook her head fervently. "N-no! I don't mean it like that! I love Dad, I do, but…"

"But?"

"But I don't get him sometimes!" Her brow furrowed as she stabbed into her shaved ice. "He's always saying stuff like 'Petra, stay in your room while I'm away!' or 'Pumpkin, don't come into my office when I have guests over!' or even 'Petra, don't open the safe door unless you see the signal!' I get that he wants to keep me safe, and now I know why, but I'm always hiding! I barely get to meet people! I've never gone to the Bazaar. I've never had shaved ice before. I've never even had friends!"

"Bork?" Toto looked up, clearly offended.

"Oh! Besides you, Toto."

The dog, easily reassured, went back to scooping up syrupy slush with his long tongue.

"I mean, it's a little better now," sighed Petra, her sudden surge of anger abating as she stirred her bowl of snow. "I've got other people to talk to, like you and Berix and Miss Yang and Mister Oscar. And Dad is…he's nice, and he's funny, and I can tell he cares about me. But sometimes he's just so…just so…"

The little Maiden seemingly deflated before the final thought in her rant. "…mmm. Never mind."

A small pang of guilt welled up in Emerald's heart. That tracked with how timid Petra seemed at first when they arrived in the Bazaar, as well as how she seemed to shrink into her diminishing bowl of ice anytime a stranger came too close to their little rest area. She realized that this was probably the farthest that the little Maiden had ever been from home, and that realization made her gut twist into knots. Was Headmaster Theodore really so paranoid, that he never even took his own daughter out for a snack like this?

"I'm guessing you didn't have other family members that could take you on such outings?" asked Berix as he came down from yet another brain freeze. "No, uh…cants and carbuncles?"

"That's aunts and uncles," corrected Emerald with a roll of her eyes.

"Eh, close enough."

Petra once again shook her head, this time far more slowly. "Nope. For as long as I can remember, our family's just been me, Dad, and Toto. No aunts, no uncles, no…mom…"

The spoon pushed pathetically into the half-eaten bowl as the Maiden's gaze drooped. The knot in Emerald's stomach tightened, and she soon sprouted her own frown to match Petra's sullen expression. For some inexplicable reason, it twisted her up inside to see this kid in a bad mood. Even more puzzlingly, she felt an overwhelming urge to change that.

Jeez…what would Lewa do in this situation? Or Ruby? Her mind raced furiously to find a solution. The kid hero would probably be all like "Hey, my mom's gone too! Twinsies!" And the big green oaf would probably pat her head and go "Aww, chin-up little sprout-leaf! You've got family-bonds all around you!" She cringed internally. Ugh…both of those sound terrible. Although…maybe…?

Before she could stop herself, her hand moved - almost of its own accord - and rested gently on Petra's head. Hazel eyes instantly darted up to meet trembling crimson as soon as her palm touched fluffy brown bangs; Emerald's first instinct was to flinch and draw back, but something compelled her to run her fingers across the girl's crown for a few seconds, as if she was petting Toto behind the ears. To her relief, Petra's smile came back almost instantly. To her horror, she leaned against Emerald's palm for a few more seconds before finally pulling away, leaving her hand hovering awkwardly in mid-air.

Did I really just…headpat her?

Berix interrupted the awkward silence with a well-timed cough. "Well, that was…delicious," he said, picking the last few flakes from his emptied paper bowl and popping them into his mouth. "I'm gonna go see if that merchant will let me have more. Second helpings are a thing on this planet, right? If not, they really should be."

Emerald brought her hand down, grateful for the distraction. "You're gonna have to pay for it, you know."

"I'm sure we can work out a bargain."

Before she could even ask what kind of bargain he meant, the Water Tribe Agori took his leave - and his bowl. Emerald sighed for the hundredth time that day, then looked down to see Toto clawing at shreds of damp multi-colored paper and burying them in the sandy ground. The giant black dog had thoroughly licked his own shaved ice container clean, and was now eyeing up her own half-empty dessert with a pleading whimper.

"Go with Berix if you want more," she commanded with two finger snaps and a point. "Keep him out of trouble. And if he tries stealing anything, bite his arm. Got it?"

"Bork."

"Good boy. Off you go."

The big mountain of a mutt pushed himself to his front paws and ran off after the Agori, oblivious to the cries of shock that came from nearly-trampled shoppers. Once more the former thief heaved a sigh at the antics of her non-human companions, then savored another spoonful of shaved ice as Petra did the same. She studied the little Maiden as she happily chomped away at her treat, a smile on her face that was even brighter than before. If she was worried about being away from Toto, or being alone with Emerald, she didn't show it.

After a little more of a silence punctuated only by crunching and chewing, Emerald pinched the rim of her bowl and slurped up any melted remnants of her dessert, foregoing the included straw altogether. Watered-down syrup and juice filled her taste buds with sweet fruity flavors on the way down, but not all of it made it into her mouth - some of the leftovers ended up splashing against her face, leaving a dark stain around her lips when she finally lowered the bowl. Petra watched her "drink" for a moment, then followed her example…and got a molasses mustache of her own in the process, complete with a little goatee of slush dribbling down her chin.

One look at each other was enough to make both girls explode into giggle fits.

After several minutes of breathless, almost painful laughter, the former thief finally composed herself. "Ah…gods…" gasped Emerald as she clutched her side with one hand, using the back of the other to wipe her lips clean. "My sides…I can't even remember the last time I laughed like that."

"Hehehehe…" Petra tried to clean her own mouth with a hand cloth from her dress pocket, only to smear more juice stains around her dimples. "Sorry, it's just…you usually try to be so cool, but you look so silly…ehehe…"

Try to be so cool?! Emerald scoffed and snatched the rag from the little Maiden's hands, then leaned in to do the job right. "Well, you look even more ridiculous right now. Jeez…did you miss your mouth completely? C'mon, lemme wipe your face down."

Petra's continued giggling and fussing made that far harder than necessary. "Aww, do you have to? I wanna show Dad that I've got a beard just like him now!"

"Do you also want sand and crap sticking to your face all day?"

"Nooooo…"

"Then sit still for a sec. This won't take more than a - that's not staying still! Ugh, will you - just - hold - gah! There…good enough."

The little Maiden kept laughing and squirming even as Emerald wiped off the last of the syrup, cheeks so red her freckles were almost invisible. "Ahaha…thanks for doing this, Em. That was so much fun…and really, really good…"

Gods…that smile was too pure. Those eyes were too bright. And that face was too innocent.

Especially when all of them were aimed at someone like Emerald.

She swallowed her discomfort and pulled away, whipping the cloth through the air in an attempt to dry it out. "Don't mention it, kid. We've still got some time before sundown…was there anything else you wanted to do before we head back to Shade? Or should we go get Toto and Berix out of whatever trouble they've gotten themselves into?"

Before Petra could answer, someone else spoke first. "Whoa, incoming! Wild ball!"

Emerald snapped her head in the direction of the shrill voice just in time to notice something leathery and sphere-shaped flying right at her. It smacked her in the face - why was it always the face?! - and flopped back down to the ground, skipping pitifully across the sand a few times before rolling to a stop right in front of Petra. The Huntress knew there wouldn't be any lasting damage to getting smacked between the eyes with a football, thanks to her Aura…but sadly, no amount of soul armor could heal a wounded pride.

Anger rose up within her. Who the hell has the nerve to be playing so recklessly around my kid?!

…her kid?

That fury was washed out like a campfire in a rainstorm at the realization of what she'd just thought, and only drowned out further when the perpetrators came running into view. A half-dozen kids - none of them older than ten - came to a halt a few feet away from Petra, looking at the ball and at her expectantly. Some of the kids had the natural Vacuan tan about them, others looked like they came from Mantle or Atlas, and still others sported things like horns or tails that marked them as Faunus. All of them had clothes that were run down with age and use, and only half of them even wore shoes.

Orphans, realized Emerald with a newly-hollow heart.

"Oh kids…" came another voice, this one making said heart run laps around her chest. "This is why I said to wait until we got off the road to play! And why I said to make sure no one was in the rest alley! Now, make sure to apologize to - oh! Emerald, hi!"

She gulped as a very familiar chameleon Faunus rounded the corner with a breathy gasp, then gave an awkward little wave. "H-hey, Ilia. Um, it's fine. I'm not hurt or anything."

Petra looked between the two older women, and grinned.

Kid don't you dare -

"Oh! You must be Miss Ilia! Emerald talks about you all the time! Are you her girlfriend?"

…how mad would Theo be if I wrung his kid's neck right here and now?

Ilia's spots changed from yellow to purple to pink, not helped by the snickers from the kids she was apparently supervising. "Ah…well…y'see…um…"

Emerald's mind raced for an escape, and she looked down at the damned orb that had started all this. "Hey, um…why don't you give these nice folks their ball back? Give it a little kick, kid. Nice and gentle."

Hazel eyes flitted between the group of kids and the ball, brightening as their owner made the connection. Petra reared up her foot with almost perfect form, and punted the ball back to its former owners with just the right amount of force. It sailed through the air and landed right in the hands of the group leader - a sheep-eared Faunus girl with a missing tooth - who grinned and giggled.

"Whoa, you're a natural!" said the leader of the pack of wild orphans while bouncing the ball. "Wanna play with us? If that's alright with Miss Ilia…"

"I've got no problem, just make sure you play here."

"Yes, Miss Ilia!" The little lamb's grin widened. "Well? How bout it, Freckles? Sorry, I don't know your name yet…"

The little Maiden looked between the expectant kids and Emerald with apprehension in her gaze. "Can…I…?"

"If you want," said the former thief with an encouraging pat on the back. "Go on. I used to play this all the time as a kid, and I can assure you it's a lot of fun."

Spurred on by the encouragement, Petra beamed and ran forward into the group of kids, who eagerly parted and passed her the ball to accept her as one of their own. The air rang out with the excited squeals and laughs and shouts of children at play, engrossed in a game where only they knew the rules and nobody was bothering to keep score. Even when she took a tumble into the dust, even when she flubbed a kick, the freckled girl had the biggest and brightest grin on her face…so bright, in fact, that Emerald didn't even realize she was smiling herself.

"That's her, right? The Summer Maiden…Petra?"

She didn't even realize Ilia had taken a seat next to her until the whisper reached her ear. Emerald shot her an incredulous look, and was met with a shrug from bare freckled shoulders. "Blake told me," offered the Faunus.

Not surprising, considering how close friends the two were these days - and how, unlike Sun, Ilia knew how to keep a secret. Still, she gave an annoyed huff. "What else did she tell you?"

"Just that she's very special," answered Ilia with a warm, reassuring smile. "And that she's working very hard to master her powers. And that you've really stepped up when it comes to looking out for her…that you really care about her."

"Well, most of those are true." Emerald sighed. "I'm just doing the job I promised Theodore I'd do, nothing more. It's not any different from a mission where I'm killing Grimm or skulking in the shadows."

Ilia hardly looked convinced. She hummed and scooted a little closer, gently taking Emerald's hand and squeezing softly. Part of the former thief wanted to pull away. The rest of her craved the touch.

"It's not a weakness to get attached to people," she said quietly. "It's what makes us strong. Just look at the kids I brought to the market - the orphanage is full of Faunus and Vacuans and Atlesians like these, but they all mostly get along and work together. They don't have families, so they make their own…and that's what lets them get through each day. It's what gets us through each day."

Right…Ilia had lost her own folks when she was only a few years older than the kids running around and kicking a dusty ball. Emerald gave her palm a quick little squeeze, then shook her head.

"If it was anyone else, you'd have a point," admitted the mint-haired Huntress. "But it's too dangerous for me to get close to a Maiden. Especially a Maiden like her."

Sapphire-like eyes snapped a glance at her, seemingly staring into her soul. "Dangerous for her? Or for you?"

Emerald didn't have an answer, except to look down at the ground. That seemed to be enough of an answer for Ilia, who leaned and rested her head against a dark bare shoulder. A warmth spread through her, a feeling of comfort and peace…one that paradoxically made some corner of her mind scream for an escape.

"Let yourself be happy, Em," whispered Ilia with a smile pressed against her bicep. "You deserve it, no matter what you say to yourself."

A deep crimson hue reached her cheeks. "…you know that the kids are gonna tease us about being girlfriends again if they see this."

"Let them look."

It was hard to argue with that statement, so instead Emerald's eyes trailed back to the kids at play. Petra was laughing and kicking with the best of them, putting the muscles she'd built under Winter's training to good use. Eventually, Berix and Toto returned with new helpings of shaved ice (and a bite mark on the former's gauntlet, much to the latter's pride); upon seeing the game in progress, the dog and the Agori quickly scarfed down their treats and joined the children, who laughed even more raucously as the new players quickly adapted to the unspoken rules.

Maybe it was okay for things to be normal like this for a while.

Maybe.

---

The Remnant-styled mechanical chariot came to a halt with a sudden lurch, allowing Stronius and his allies to climb out of their designated places and step onto the sun-scorched sand. He took in the familiar sights of his people's new encampment - the half-buried engines of an old Glatorian ship, the rows of hastily-pitched tents, and the hordes of black fur mingling with ebony-crimson steel. Hammers rang out and flames belched embers, byproducts of Rock Tribe metalsmiths turning Exsidian ingots into weapons of war. Skrall of all ranks and sizes were sparring and scuffling to keep their skills sharp, either with the nearby Grimm or with each other.

And atop the shattered hull, on a throne of scrap metal that overlooked the entire camp, sat Tuma.

With a nod and a motion to follow, the armored warrior led his smaller companions through the crowded camp and over to the ancient commander. Any Skrall that crossed their path snarled in challenge at first, but a single glare was enough to make them reluctantly slink away and give the visitors a wide berth. Those with names among the Rock Tribe were rare, as were warriors with skill enough to become high-level Enforcers. Stronius was a Skrall who had accomplished both in his long and storied career, and as such enjoyed many perks that his underlings did not - such as being able to approach Tuma's throne without being summoned first, an act which usually left one with missing fingers and a split helmet.

Once they were at the edge of where the desert met the shattered hull, Stronius knelt and laid one metal fist against the sand. "Lord Tuma…" he rumbled reverently. "I have returned to your side, and I bring both news and allies to your court."

The Skrall Commander gave the elite Enforcer a brief nod of acknowledgement and respect, which was more than most others were lucky enough to receive. "Your presence has been dearly missed, Stronius. The young are far more restless without you to corral and intimidate them, and even the other Enforcers have struggled to keep them in line. But I understand the importance of your assignment among these two humans, and so we shall adapt."

"Just one human, technically," said Mercury with a sigh. "That'd be me. Freakface over here's a Faunus, a completely different group of people with their own culture and biology. Exhibit A, the tail - most of us humans don't have anything like that."

Tyrian cackled, metallic stinger rattling over his shoulder for emphasis.

"It is no concern of mine what species you call yourself," snarled Tuma with a dismissive wave of his hand. "So long as you swear to serve the Skrall and further this alliance, your identity matters not. Human, Faunus, Agori, Glatorian…soon, the only divide between them will be whether they submit to our banner, or fall on our swords."

The silver-haired assassin raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Oddly progressive of you, big guy. Never would've thought death or servitude would settle the whole 'equal rights' debate once and for all, but here we are."

Tuma just growled in annoyance. "Do you make a habit of being so…flippant?"

"Forgive the boy's impudence, sir Tuma. I'm afraid that he's a little bit…" Tyrian hummed thoughtfully, tapping his fingers together. "…unbalanced."

"You're one to talk." Mercury rolled his eyes - an act that would've been met with Tuma's blade, had a Skrall done it in his stead - and tapped the bulbous Grimm that floated nearby. "Anyway, enough politics talk. Boss? We're here."

"Excellent timing," came the voice of the ashen woman who appeared on the Seer's surface. "My regards to you, Tuma."

There was a flicker of something beneath the Skrall Commander's helmet, an expression that was quickly masked just as Stronius caught it. "Likewise, Salem," he drawled. "I trust there's a reason you sent your court members here?"

"Perceptive as always. Turn your attention to the northern sky, if you please."

If Salem's instructions hadn't told them to do so, the distant chorus of caws and screams would have done the trick all the same. Stronius turned and saw four-winged creatures of feather and shadow darken the golden skies, each one carrying what looked like a massive box of black steel in multi-jointed talons. When the Grimm birds set their loads down with heavy thumps and splashes of sand, they slashed at veiny chains and allowed the doors to drop open with reverberating thumps…which, in turn, allowed the creatures within to stomp out with snarls and shrieks.

"Behold, Tuma, the first of my many gifts to you and your people. These specific species of Grimm are yours to command; unlike their duller brethren, who live only to destroy all that Man has built, these special creatures will heed your voice and echo your will. In their eyes, you are like them. In their eyes, you are Grimm."

Stronius watched as packs of bipedal, hunched-over canines came out in droves, with matted black fur and bone-like armor and eyes that gleamed with hunger. Though they bore a passing resemblance to the Cadejos that littered Skrall territory, their legs and heads and torsos were far larger than their desert cousins - although, curiously, their front arms were far smaller than the rest of them, bringing to mind the preferred steed of Bone Hunters on Bara Magna. Other details cemented the comparison, such as the rows and rows of sharp teeth, the stingers capping off their sinewy tails, and the ridged gap in their bladed spines that served as a natural saddle.

"As promised, the Skirmishers will serve as your loyal mounts in battle as the Rock Steeds once did." Salem sounded incredibly pleased with herself as she spoke through the Seer. "I've made the improvements you suggested on your visit, Tuma, and the Skrall you assigned to my inner circle gave further feedback until I finally perfected the design. They will be swift, precise, strong, and hardy - as deadly as their rider, and every bit as cunning. But they are not my only offering to you on this day."

More bipeds hobbled out behind the Skirmishers, smaller creatures that marched in perfect formation on long claw-bearing legs. After trekking across the sand for a short distance they began flapping feathered arms and taking to the skies, letting feral growls from fanged feline maws echo across the desert. "The Valkyries shall rule the skies on your behalf, and elevate your glory to the heavens themselves. I understand that aerial combat was not common on Bara Magna, but here on Remnant battles are often decided by who can fly and who cannot. With little more than a command they can swoop down to carry you or other Grimm aloft, perfect for a strategic insertion - or they can swarm a target of your choosing, bringing claws and fangs to bear against anything that dares stand against you."

Next came several monstrous serpents with crimson insectoid wings and sharp talons for forelegs, curving their bodies as they moved behind the Valkyries. Some of them dove forward and burrowed into the sand, others flitted into the sky, while still others kept scuttling along on their claws. "The Nidhogg will fulfill the role of all-terrain shock troopers, skilled in desert warfare and air combat alike. Burrowing, demolishing, crushing, slashing…these serpents are not only capable of doing all these things, they excel at them. They even have a little bit of Merlot's serum kept in a separate organ, ready to inject on your command, just to give them a little more of an edge…and a lot more aggression. Careful not to cross their path, while they're deep in their rage."

Finally, the boxes themselves - which, Stronius now realized, were not metal but in fact bone - began to unfold and shift to stand on four marbled legs, which connected to pearl-white domes that were almost as large as the Ark itself. "Last but certainly not least…the Svalinn shall act as armored transports for you and your people, walking fortresses impervious to all but the strongest of blows. Though slow and not suited for attacking, they advance on their target with single-minded determination, and nothing can withstand the force of their trample. Use them to bulldoze cities to the ground, or simply have them hang back as artillery platforms…I'm certain that you can fit some of those Combustion Dustfruit launchers to their carapaces. However you use them, or any other gifts, I leave to your discretion."

Mercury just gaped. "Jeez…you really outdid yourself this time, huh boss?"

"Half of my Gray Widows worked themselves to death fulfilling this request. The rest built twice as many to replace them."

"Such small prices to pay for your brilliance, my queen." Tyrian cackled with glee.

Even Stronius blinked behind his helmet. "It is quite impressive."

Tuma just furrowed his brow and huffed. "It is…acceptable."

"High praise indeed, coming from you." Salem gave a soft laugh. "Now, your people will need instruction on how to use these Grimm. Mercury, Tyrian, take Tuma and follow my Seer to the edge of camp and gather any Skrall you pass. Listen carefully, for these instructions shall not be repeated…"

The floating bulb of lights and shadows levitated away, and the native warriors followed it with varying levels of enthusiasm. Tuma, tellingly, did not rise from his throne; he stayed right where he was, thus so did Stronius. The pair simply watched as Mercury and Tyrian wove their way through the Skrall crowds yet again, this time followed by ebony-armored warriors - slowly at first, then more enthusiastically.

Stronius cast a curious glance to his leader. "You do not wish to be present for her instructions?"

Tuma scoffed and waved his hand while slumping to one side of his throne. "Let the Skrall tell me what I don't yet know, after her messenger Grimm is long gone. I grow tired of her voice…and her attitude. I've had enough of both in recent days."

The Skrall Enforcer hummed thoughtfully. "You have spoken little of your visit to see Salem, Lord Tuma."

"Only because there is little to speak of," answered Tuma with a huff. "She is strong and cunning, certainly, but her wit and resourcefulness are matched only by her arrogance and bitterness. Her curse of immortality has made her sloppy, complacent even. And her fighting style relies almost entirely on magic and outlasting her opponent, wearing down their resolve until they're forced to relent to her. That's made her reckless in martial affairs, and overconfident in all other manners."

"A warrior who fights with no respect for death does not last long," noted Stronius. "And it sounds like this Salem yearns for it, according to our contact."

The Skrall Commander nodded. "I saw it in her eyes, no matter how much she masks it behind poisoned smiles and false promises. Nothing else matters to her, aside from her own destruction…and, in turn, the destruction of this world."

Stronius gave another tight nod, then frowned. "If I may be so bold, Lord Tuma…I must ask. Why are we aiding her, then? Surely the destruction of this world means our doom, as well."

Were it any other Skrall standing by Tuma's side, they would have found a sword through both their hearts within an instant for daring to question their leader's judgment. But Stronius, by virtue of his accomplishments, was met only with a sharp glare of disbelief, which soon melted into a wicked grin.

"Because whether we aid her or not…her plan is doomed to fail."

That made the elite Enforcer flinch. "My Lord?"

"I understand your concern, Stronius, and I'll admit it seems counterintuitive. I've no intention to see our people annihilated by cosmic deities, and even less intention to call a glorified asteroid belt our new domain. But according to our contact, Salem and Ozma have been engaging in this shadow war of theirs for a very long time…perhaps, even, for as long as we have called ourselves 'Skrall.' So whatever magic tricks the wizard uses, whatever tactics he's put in place to keep the Relics safe, they have thus far been effective at staving off mutually assured destruction this entire time. It has only been recently that she's begun to make plays out in the open for the Relics, to bring the Kingdoms to their knees and steal the artifacts for herself…which can only mean one thing."

"She is becoming desperate," realized Stronius, eyes widening behind his helmet.

"Exactly." Tuma's smirk grew. "Desperation breeds mistakes, and mistakes breed further desperation. Her presence was unknown for much of this world's history, but now the secret is laid bare for all to see and fear and work against. At this point, now that all on this planet know of her, this crusade of hers can only end in two ways. Either she fails at securing all four Relics, and thus falls deeper and deeper into a spiral of failure…or she succeeds, at which point all remaining peoples of Remnant set aside their differences to keep their world from being annihilated by vengeful gods called by a delusional madwoman. Remember that this 'Brother of Light' warned Ozma that they would only destroy the world if Mankind remained divided, and impending doom has a way of bringing strange alliances together. Thus, by proving themselves united - against Salem, no less - the gods' hands would be tied by their own promise, and this planet would be spared their wrath."

The Commander finally rose from his throne, looking over the tide of black that came from both creatures of living darkness and warriors of hewn steel. "Either way, Stronius, the Skrall will do what we do best…what we have done since the Core Wars and the Shattering. Survive. Adapt. Conquer. Crush. And above all else…win."