Orange and yellow colors painted the sky in Mistral along with the darkening blue night sky. Athena was shown flying in the air, high enough above Mistral city to avoid being seen, but low enough to see the events unfolding below. From where she stood in the air, the sun was below her. She saw the smoke rising up in the air before dissipating in black wisps. Maura Celandine, leader of the Mistralian White Fang, was dead, executed by fire. And Athena had finally won.
"At last, she is gone." Athena spoke to the smoke-filled air. She made an angry face as she looked at the smoke. "Maura, you have held us back for too long." She folded her arms and her frown shifted to a smirk. "'Tis a pity that you won't be here for my finest moment. So long and good riddance."
Without another word, she flew away, leaving the fire and smoke behind her.
The scene transitioned to a campsite a few miles from Mistral city. As the sunset colors faded, Ares and the five specialists stood outside in the center of the camp, with Marrok on the lookout. Tawny's black hair dye had faded over the weeks, but she still retained the same casual outfit from before.
"She's coming in! Make way for our leader!" Marrok announced.
Athena smiled as she slowed her pace and gradually descended to the ground. Upon landing, she was greeted by her closest allies.
"Athena! We are glad to see your return!" Ares greeted.
Aoi looked at her curiously. "So what news do you bring?"
"Gather the messenger squad." she ordered. "Maura is dead. The time to takeover is now!"
Within a few minutes, all twenty one messengers, including Negra, stood in the center of the camp. Ares and the specialists stood to the side as Athena flew a few feet above the messengers.
"Twenty one messengers of the Lady. Go through every corner of the kingdom and tell everyone in the White Fang that Maura is dead and that Athena has taken her place as the new Mistralian White Fang leader. You know your task. Now go!" the 'war goddess' commanded.
The messengers dispersed and ran in different directions. Some north, some south, some east, some west. They would go to every corner of Mistral to inform the White Fang of their new leader.
"So, Lady Athena. As the new Mistralian White Fang leader, what is your first move?" Marrok asked.
"We will need to find or build a new building to serve as our headquarters. We will have to go someplace hidden and obscure. Wind Path will suit us perfectly." She smirked. "There is no time to lose. Marrok, Aoi, Gilford, and Cola, tell everyone that we're moving out tonight." Athena declared. "Tell them to be ready to move within the hour. Once done, pack up your own bags."
The four specialists left to do their assigned task. Tawny asked, "Is there anything I can do?"
"You are perfectly alright, my dear." Athena answered. "Besides, I wanted to congratulate you. Without your help, this never would have been possible."
"Really?" Athena nodded in the affirmative. Tawny smiled bashfully. "Wow... I'm... touched... I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to. Just know that I appreciate all the extra hard work you've done."
Tawny's face flushed from embarrassment. "Well, uh, you're welcome."
"And thank you."
"I suppose I'll start packing my things."
She gave a swift bow to her lady and left to pack up. The scene transitioned to Athena speaking with Ares in their tent.
"I must say, my partner in crime, this is going along better than I expected." she told him.
Ares expressed his concern. "But I'm surprised that Sienna didn't rush to Maura's defense."
"Maybe Sienna never found her in time?" Athena suggested.
"No matter. We will carry on."
She sighed. "I just hope that she won't interfere."
Ares raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't you think of a backup plan in case Sienna does find us?"
"Yes. Perhaps I can think of one while we're on the road."
Ares got out his scroll. "It's almost time."
"It is time." She kissed him. "Let's move."
She left the tent and Ares followed suit, with the scene transitioning to the open woods. The camp was no longer there, the Revolutionists had packed their bags and stood ready to begin the trek to Wind Path. Athena and Ares stood in the front, with the five specialists behind them. The rest of the crew were carrying things in large wooden wagons pulled by mules or on large dollies. As they started the trek, Ares took Athena's hand and she smiled.
Meanwhile, Ozpin was traveling through the Mistralian woods. The shattered moon illuminated the long and lonely road he had been on for the last few weeks.
Alright. Just another week's worth of walking, and we'll be there. Ozpin told himself. Oh boy...
Can't you walk faster? the hermit asked.
What's the rush? It's not like he'll be able to save the world immediately. the drunkard retaliated.
But the world is descending into chaos! a new voice protested.
Shouldn't you be used to that, since you left your two children and wife behind to save the day? asked the guy who had to wait two years.
Hey, I survived that ordeal! the settler quipped.
Oz tried to drown out their voices by thinking to himself. And his thoughts led him back to the last few moments of his life.
"This whole time... right beneath our feet. She was right about you." Cinder spoke. Ozpin turned his cane in his grip, glaring at Cinder. "Such arrogance." The two stood still for a moment. "And such arrogance will bring your downfall."
Cinder pulled out her weapon, Midnight, in its bow form and fired a barrage of arrows of Ozpin. The headmaster took his staff and spun it around as a shield to block them. Seeing as she was getting nowhere, she used her semblance to turn her bow into two glass swords. She swung at her opponent, only for him to avoid each move. He then knocked the swords out of her hands and she used her semblance to form glass shards, taking out almost all of what little light was in the room. She threw fireballs blindly, trying to find him and end him.
Looks like I don't have much of a choice here... Ozpin thought to himself.
Flashes of green and scarlet light in arcs were illuminated in the darkness. More of those flashes were shown as Ozpin and Cinder Fall clashed weapons against each other. After a clash, Cinder slid back, using her hand to melt the floor below her, and summoned ice crystals from the newly-formed substance, hurling them towards Ozpin. He deflected them all by moving at superhuman speed, and then darts forward and delivers a series of strikes at Cinder with his cane, with the last blow launching her back. Unleashing her Maiden power, Cinder levitated in the air above as fire swarmed around her. Ozpin slammed his cane into the floor, forming a spherical force-field around him. The Fall Maiden unleashed a powerful fire blast, with the headmaster leaping into the attack with the barrier protecting him.
Ozpin remembered the strain he felt trying to hold his barrier shield, for as an old man, magic didn't flow as easily to him. And as Cinder increased the pressure of the fire ray at him, he felt the feeling of his end coming.
Glydna, Qrow, Ironwood... Stop her... he prayed.
And he was right. For within a matter of seconds, the fire broke the barrier. Immediately after, she put both her arms forward, channeling the fire forward, which flash-incinerated him.
There was a rush of fire, a rush of wind and a loss of consciousness.
When Ozpin's spirit woke up, he found that Cinder was gone, but Amber's lifeless body was still there. He looked at new form; his green specter and looked at the Long Memory. He sighed sadly.
How long have I been out? Oz thought to himself.
A few hours. the hermit answered.
Tell me that Beacon is safe.
I'm afraid not. the drunkard responded.
No... What happened?
Well, you might wanna come up and see for yourself.
Ozpin teleported from the vault to the ground above. He saw Grimm everywhere. If he had any tears, he would have sobbed.
We failed...
The feeling of crushing failure that night was even more painful than being burned alive.
As Ozpin came back to reality, the voices of his predecessors were heard once again.
We keep getting weaker and weaker. the old man said.
I'm honestly worried this new guy doesn't stand a chance against the threats he will soon face. the long-awaited successor stated.
Even worse, it seems my plan to unify the world has gone out the window. a regal voice said.
Can we really get the world back on track before something major happens? the inquisitor asked.
Ozpin sighed. I can only hope so. There's no looking back. All we can do is move forward and hope for the best.
Over in Atlas, Iris was making her way towards the Grand Chateau Concert Hall. The camera was zoomed to show her purple winter coat and her newly gifted slate blue gloves as she walked by a store. Through the tinted glass, she looked at herself- her hair was neatly brushed, styled into a side bun on her left and her purple eyes reflected her fear and nervousness. She was nervous, but she felt that she had no reason to be. She was a spectator, not a performer.
Just calm down, Iris. You've done your part. Your painting will sell. You look fine enough to be a member of the upper class. She closed her eyes and breathed in to calm herself a few times. When she stopped, she opened her eyes and they were grey. Now it's time to get to the concert.
After calming herself, she continued making her way to the concert hall. As she stood in line, she noticed the attire of the other attendees. The woman wore dresses in various hues, usually cocktail style, men in tuxedos or suits, and some members even had fur coats.
The painter's eyes turned blue for a moment as she thought to herself, Do I really look good enough?
"Ticket please." the man said, disrupting her thought.
Her eyes turned back to grey. "Oh, of course. Just a moment please." She reached into her right coat pocket and handed him a ticket. He tore off the end of it and gave it back to her.
"Thank you. Enjoy the show."
She smiled, pocketed her ticket and went on her way to the coat room as her eyes turned yellow. She took off her gloves and put them in the right pocket of her coat. After taking off her coat, she saw a mirror and gazed upon her outfit; a long sleeveless dress in a rainbow color scheme, with each layer of color going horizontally down her body. The top of the dress was red, with a faux red rose bud on her right strap. The pattern continued as follows- the bosom was orange, her stomach area yellow, hips to thighs green, thighs to knees blue, knees to shin indigo, and the hem of the dress was purple, stopping at her ankles. To complete her outfit, she wore two inch purple heels, a faux pearl necklace taught around her neck and faux square-shaped diamond earrings.
Who knows? Maybe they won't notice you. She internally laughed to herself. Come on, you're wearing a rainbow dress. You better just get going.
So she did. She went to the Opera Hall and found her seat- front row even. As she sat down and silenced her scroll, Iris couldn't believe her luck. From tramp to an artist once her painting sold. This is, if her painting sold.
She breathed in again to calm herself.
If this painting sells, maybe I should invest a small sum of money for stress balls. She laughed to herself. Here's to hoping for the best.
As Weiss stood backstage, she stood sadly, mostly alone with her thoughts. Sitting on a small black bench, Bianca warmed up her fingers by gently stretching them, humming Mirror Mirror softly to herself.
The heiress turned away and looked at the blue curtains backstage. I don't want to be alone, but yet I feel alone now more than ever. How can I forget all the pain of the past? How can I go to Atlas when the ghosts of Beacon haunt me each day?
She looked at a group picture of team RWBY, JNPR and SSSN on her scroll, taken right before the Vytal Festival Tournament. They all stood in front of the statue in Beacon Courtyard, smiling like nothing could go wrong. As she felt her eyes water up from the picture, she made an effort to keep them from falling and realized...
It's time to move on. I can't let anyone or anything control my life. I'm the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, and a semi-pro huntress. The road in Beacon may have been destroyed, but perhaps I can still forge a new one in Atlas. There's no looking back. As soon as the concert's over, I will tell father that I wish to go to Atlas Academy. I must bid the past and everyone in it farewell. Adieu, Yang, Blake and Ruby... May you succeed in your endeavors. To Sun, Scarlet, Sage and Neptune... Wherever you are, I hope you're doing well. Sayonara, Ren, Nora and Jaune. May you find your way in this dark, ever changing world.
She heard the owner of the concert hall walk onto the stage and press test the microphone.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Schnee Dust Company Charity Concert and Art Auction." he greeted them. "We are very happy to see you join us tonight..."
As he spoke to the audience, Weiss silently bid the last farewell.
Farewell... She internally sobbed as a tear fell from her eyes, which fell down her cheek and landed on the ground. Pyrrha... May you rest in peace.
"And now, without further delay, may I present to you our special guest stars; the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, Weiss Schnee. Also featuring on the piano Bianca Delaney."
Applause was heard throughout the auditorium. Weiss breathed in, letting go of her sorrow and entered the stage along with a calm Bianca. She made her way to the standing microphone as Bianca made her way to the piano. She looked to the pianist and nodded, and she nodded as she began the first song. It was time for the royal test to begin.
[cue RWBY music- The Path to Isolation]
A single note was played before Weiss added her sad, soft voice into the sound. Soon other instruments joined the pianist and vocalist. The concert was off to a good start.