Chapter 19

The Sith have won a major victory over the Jedi after attacking the city of Cheland. Kaiser stole all the Holocrons in the Jedi archives and Vanus found Raven Branwen, leading to an alliance. Now the final steps to the Sith's plans are coming together.

Rosa sat next to Roman Torchwick. Though it was by complete accident they had been reunited. She needed something from him now. She had already asked her first two questions. She had one last one. But she needed to ensure this wouldn't get back to the others.

"Third… I need to tell you something, and I need it to be kept between us." Rosa said. Roman gave her one of his signature smiles. It may have helped others feel assured, but not her. The last time she had seen it; she had her wrists and ankles broken.

"Yes, customer confidentiality is a key to our lifestyle," Roman said. Neo smirked as the place's owner came out. She put a cup in front of Roman and Neo, turned to Rosa, and left the room. Roman took a sip. Whatever it was, he enjoyed it.

"She makes the finest teas you've ever had. Honestly, she has a secret that no one has been able to figure out. Makes every business discussion easier." Roman raved about the tea, looking at Rosa to see her reaction. She was trying to avoid the fact she was somewhat annoyed by his reaction. She hadn't gotten to their third item of business. The most important one of all. The most dangerous one of all. The owner came back and placed another teacup in front of Rosa. Rosa took out the honey Ruby gave her the last time they saw each other. Roman didn't say anything as Rosa put some honey into the tea. She took a sip and tasted the honey immediately.

She was reminded of those long-ago days at Beacon that were only a few months ago. She remembered all the good times with Team RRWBY. She remembered them enjoying the days off they had and doing things together. She remembered all the days when they were in class. She remembered those stressful test days and the days before when Weiss was helping everyone get ready.

She remembered them so vividly. She thought back on her days as a Sith. She's had long hard days of training. She'd learned how to use different kinds of weapons and skills. She improved so much with the lightsaber. But she also remembered the people she'd killed. Those children she and Kaiser hunted down. Their deaths were on her hands. She remembered the Jedi she killed. She remembered the times when Salem dominated her will. She remembered all the manipulations Salem had used. She was doing the exact same thing Maku had been doing to her.

She remembered having to fear that Salem was going to force her to bear a child with Kaiser. She remembered how that one thing dominated her mind.

She remembered that Valum had enchanted her jewelry to block her connection to the light side of the force. She never had a chance to begin with. She remembered killing Mercury. She remembered Salem grooming her to become a Sith. She didn't know what was right or wrong anymore. Salem and Maku had stolen her choices from her. They had molded her into whatever they wanted her to be. Not what she was meant to be, but what they thought was best.

She lowered the cup. The taste of the honey went down easily. She steeled her resolve. She had to do this. She knew it was only a matter of time before Salem found out what she was thinking. Rosa knew one thing, more than anything else. Salem was evil. Salem was just like Maku.

She knew she wasn't powerful enough to openly go against Salem and Vanus yet. But they had lost her loyalty. She finally realized that. She finally resolved the question in her mind. She saw in her mind Rosa Reidan and Lady Umbra. They had been at war ever since she was exposed at the Oasis of Healing. If they had never found out that Umbra was Rosa, this war may never have happened.

But they did know. And they begged her to come back. They wanted her. They were going to protect her. The fact that they were still hidden from the Sith showed her that there was a way to get out. They would help her. She just needed to ask.

"Third… I'm going to leave the Sith Order soon. There is going to be an attack in Haven where all the Jedi that we've found will be killed. The Sith have planned on gathering my friends together in one place, at one time. They have everything they need now to open the vault below the school. I am going to stop them then." Rosa said.

Roman looked at her, then back at Neo. He grabbed the Sith Holocron as his payment. He put it in his coat pocket and took out two talismans. He passed them across the table to her. They were earrings.

"I had a spare set on me tonight. You're in luck. I got no love whatsoever for the Jedi, but the Sith were just going to let me die. Fuck them. These types of Talismans used to be all over. They were used by the Sith to hide their presence. The Jedi have something similar to this, but I don't have any of those. These I stole from some Sith ruins." Roman said.

Rosa touched them. Immediately she felt the change. It was like a bubble.

"The second one stops the force from getting to you. Wear both of these and you could probably walk past the Sith, and they wouldn't notice." Torchwick said.

"How did you steal these from Sith ruins?" Rosa asked.

"I am a master thief. That's not just a title I gave myself because it sounds nice. I earned it. I learned a lot about Sith ruins. I learned all the booby traps and the secrets. If someone has locked something valuable away, I can get it. No matter what." Torchwick said.

"You'll help me then?" Rosa asked.

"I already have. These talismans will put you one step ahead of the Sith." Roman said.

"Thank you." Rosa said. She finished the tea.

"We'll talk later. Here you go, my business card." Torchwick handed her a business card. She was very confused.

"You got business cards?" Rosa asked.

"Of course I do. Don't spread that one around. Oh, we're going to be moving to Atlas now. So, don't try and find us here again." Roman said.

"Why are you leaving?" Rosa asked. He just gave her a look and she realized.

"Oh, yeah." She had found him.

"It's been a pleasure." Roman said, tipping his hat. He and Neo left the restaurant. Neo turned to him after they left.

"That was a one-time discount. You didn't see what Myst did to her." Roman said. Neo shook her head.

"I am not going soft." Roman said.

Rosa knew they went to Cheland. She was going to have to wait to see them again. She waited outside the gate from the docks. She would see them soon. She sat down in a chair and thought about her decision. She saw in the darkness a shadowy figure.

"You're so pathetic." It spoke.

"Umbra." Rosa said.

"You let them get to you. I should have killed ourself before it got this bad. You are throwing everything away for what? For them?" Umbra said.

"Yes. I am." Rosa said. The shadow laughed.

"I won't let you leave." Umbra rushed at Rosa. She raised her hand. She closed her eyes and felt something change in her. She felt it deep inside. It was like a shard of light had entered her. Umbra vanished.

Rosa sat down on a chair. She took out the Jedi Holocron and looked at it.

"Can I really be forgiven?" Rosa asked. She looked up and saw her friends. She shot up from the chair. They didn't see her… except for that boy that joined them. Jaune stopped next to him.

"What is it, Oscar?" Jaune asked.

"We're going to have a visit tonight. The choice is almost upon us." The boy said. Rosa was so shocked to see Jaune that she didn't catch the boy's name. She felt the power Jaune had in him. He was so much more powerful than the last time she saw him.

"What?" Jaune asked.

"I've seen a vision. The seers were right. There will be a choice that will change everything. And that choice will be tonight." The boy said.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked. The boy turned his head and looked directly at Rosa. She almost took a step back. She didn't know what it was about him, but she knew he was far more powerful than he had any right to be. There was something to him that unnerved her.

She shook her head. She had to focus. Jaune saw her now too. He instantly went on guard. He began to reach for his lightsaber.

"I've waited here for you for a bit. We have to talk." Rosa said. Really, that was her best? 'We have to talk.'

"What do you want?" Jaune asked with suspicion in his voice. She couldn't blame him. Anyone with sense would do the same with her. How were they going to accept her decision? She felt the Holocron in her pocket. She took it out and held it out so they could both see it. The boy saw it and his face changed. His eyes began to glow.

"Your choice is the one we've been waiting for Rosa. Who are you really?" He said. She felt something different… but similar to her now. Rosa closed her eyes. She tried to activate the Holocron.

Another crack of the light entered her. She looked at the inside of her mind. She was in a dark room. It looked like an old chapel. She was looking at a massive window, with darkness completely covering it. There were two shards of light coming out of the window now.

"Please… help me." Rosa asked.

Another crack. She heard something inside of her roar.

"Let me help you now." She widened her eyes. Ozpin was standing there, in her mind.

"Ozpin?" Rosa asked. She said it out loud, not being able to stop herself from saying it.

"I'm here Rosa." Ozpin said with his kindest smile. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry." Rosa said. "I was… I couldn't… I tried…"

"I know. The darkness was the only thing you had inside of your heart for some time there. You have to look at your mistakes now Rosa. Acknowledge your part in them, and they lose power." Ozpin said.

"I… I did so many horrible things. It all started on the train…" Rosa said.

"Silence!" A voice roared from within. Another shard of light appeared on the stained-glass window.

"You're doing good so far. Please, let me help you through this." Ozpin said.

They sat down in a pew. Rosa sat down, with the face of a penitent sinner, about to confess. Ozpin sat next to her, just listening. The roaring was still there but Rosa couldn't feel it. She couldn't see it.

"I kept using the darkness. I kept finding the easy way out." Rosa said. Another shard.

"Please, continue. This is working." Ozpin said.

"At Vytal, I was so scared. I saw everything crumbling around me. I saw what Maku tried to hide. I felt all the fear of the people outside. I felt the pain of betrayal. I thought that the darkness was the only way for me to live. So… once again I started to use it." Rosa said.

"What about after that?" Ozpin asked.

"I trained to be a Sith. I killed people. I killed Jedi. Not many… but I killed some. I felt that there was no redemption for me at all. I felt that the darkness was all I had left. I felt that my friends betrayed me." Rosa said. Tears started coming to her eyes. Another shard fell.

"I felt that Salem was the only one I could trust. She was the one who told me that. I realized at some level that she was doing the exact same thing Maku was doing, but I still worked for her. I still killed people. I trained to use Sith Magic. I… I called upon the darkness. I hurt my friends. They say they want me there, but I hurt them. How could they ever forgive someone like me? I threw their love and kindness in their face time and time again. I did terrible things, and they just saw me as who I was." Rosa said.

"Rosa. They don't see you as who you were. They see who you can be once more. They want you to return to them and become who you were always meant to be. They know you've done bad things. I know they know that. You know they know that. But they still want to help you. That's the kind of people they are. They are kind people. You know they will do anything to help you overcome this." Ozpin said.

"Silence! Lies!" The voice cried out. More shards of light appeared.

"Can they help me?" Rosa asked. Ozpin looked her in the eyes and smiled.

"You already know they can. I think there's enough light now." Ozpin looked at the window. There was still some darkness, but the image behind the showed Rosa smiling with Teams RRWBY and JNPR.

"Before we leave your mind, I have something important to ask you. This is a secret I paid my life to ensure. This one request will paint a massive target on your back and the backs of everyone else, but it will ensure that Salem's plans will be stopped." Ozpin said.

"What is it?" Rosa asked.

"We shall meet again, soon. When Vanus gathers you to confront us…" Ozpin explained the plan to Rosa. She realized what Ozpin was asking her to do.

"I… Is there a choice?" Rosa asked.

"Yes. There will always be a choice. If you choose not to do this, then you better come back with us tonight." Ozpin said. She looked at Ozpin and back at her hands. She knew she had to do it. It was the only way to ensure the power didn't return to the Sith.

"I'll do it." Rosa said.

"Then… we shall see each other soon." Ozpin said. Rosa opened her eyes. It had been only a few seconds. But she had opened the Holocron. She didn't turn it on, but she had opened it.

The boy smiled.

"Well Rosa, I think we have our answer." He said.

"Yes…" Rosa stared at the boy.

"Do… do you not know my name?" The boy asked.

"…" Rosa couldn't answer that. Her face turned red.

"How? You've heard it a few times now." He said. Jaune was smiling at this.

"Oliver?" Rosa tried. Jaune couldn't hold back his laughter.

"It's Oscar." Oscar said.

"And I'm Rosa." Rosa said.

"We know." Oscar said. Rosa continued to blush.

"I need to tell you everything that's going on." Rosa said.

"Not here. There's the safe house." Jaune said.

"No. I have to go back among the Sith for a little bit." Rosa said.

"You do?" Jaune asked.

"She's made the choice, but there are still consequences. That is one of them." Oscar said.

"Then we can take her into the safe zone." Jaune said.

"That's safer."

They went to the edge of the protected area. Rosa told Jaune and Oscar all the plans she knew about.

"I see. So, they are going to make a play for the relics. Now that they have the spring maiden, they have all they need to get the lamp." Oscar said.

"We need to find out the day they plan on attacking and tell Ironwood." Jaune said.

"I agree. That's why we need Rosa to go back to the Sith. I assume it's not going to take long. They know we're looking out for them. They will issue a direct challenge. They are still looking for teams SSSN and ABRN. They will issue the challenge, and we will have to meet it." Oscar said.

"That's where I come in." Rosa said.

"We must assume the White Fang will appear at this battle. It's probably going to be the last of them they have here after Cheland." Jaune said. Jaune felt a buzzing with his scroll. He took it out and saw Pyrrha asking where he was. He told her what was going on.

"Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora are probably going to be here soon. They want to see you, Rosa." Jaune said. Rosa took a sharp breath. She felt a wave of concern wash over her. She didn't know how team JNPR was going to reach to seeing her again.

But they were there so quickly. Even in the dead of the night, they came running after her. Nora was the first one there. She stopped when she saw Rosa sitting on a bench. Rosa closed her eyes and couldn't look at Nora. Ren was there next. Last was Pyrrha. She couldn't look. She didn't want this to become the nightmare she kept having. She didn't want to see the hate on their faces. She didn't want to see them angry at her.

"Rosa. It really is you." Nora said. She stepped up to Rosa and poked her cheek. Rosa started to creak open her eye. She needed to see them. Nora poked her again, and this time Rosa fully opened her eyes. She saw Nora standing there with a smile. Rosa's heart started to warm. She saw Ren standing there with a smile on his face and arms at his hips.

"It is good to see you again." Ren said. Rosa turned to Pyrrha. She brought her hands up and felt a wave of wonderment and confusion overcome her as she saw Pyrrha standing. Pyrrha was smiling.

"Does this mean you've finally come back to us?" Pyrrha asked. Rosa couldn't respond back. She… she couldn't understand why they were all so happy. She attacked them. She told Pyrrha to kill herself. Why were they so accepting?

"Not yet…" Rosa said. "I still have some business to do. You'll know when I'm ready." Rosa said.

"I see. When you are ready, we'll be waiting." Ren said.

"It will be like the old days!" Nora said.

"The old days…" Rosa said.

"Rosa, we need you. I hope you really understand that." Pyrrha said. Rosa smiled at her.

"It won't be long now." Rosa said. "I do have to get back. They'll start to get suspicious."

"Don't take too long." Jaune said. Rosa stood up.

"Next time you see me… we'll have to defeat the Sith." Rosa said. She stepped out of the safe zone and made a portal.

Team JNPR arrived back at the safehouse and saw everyone there. Oscar stepped in after they did.

"We have news." Oscar said.

"What news?" Ruby said.

"On the way back, we ran into Rosa. She's going to rejoin our side soon. But with that, we have a fight that will be coming our way." Oscar said. He explained everything.

Rosa went back into the dorm and saw Valum looking over some files.

"What took you so long?" Valum asked.

"After I went to see Kaiser, I decided to get something to eat." Rosa said.

"Took you a while. Something go wrong?" Valum asked.

"No. I decided to go on a walk about town for a bit after eating." Rosa said.

"We found two more Jedi." Valum said.

"Good." Rosa said. She went to her door. She was about to go in when Valum stopped her one more time.

"Three days. It's happening in three days. It's going to just be Vanus and Vox. Ira and Memores are going to Atlas." Emerald said.

"Why so soon?" Rosa asked.

"Why not? We have everything we need. Salem wants the relic as soon as she can get it." Emerald said.

"I see." Rosa said. "Ravik and Kaelor? Are they coming?"

"Yes." Emerald said.

"Finally. They'll have to prove themselves." Rosa said. She closed her door. She had three days to see what she could still do. Rosa needed to be ready.

Rosa went to sleep, feeling Umbra inside of her. She saw she was still in that chapel. She looked around and noticed that the chapel entrance was the door Maku had locked away.

"You are going right back to the monsters that abused us." Rosa heard Umbra say.

"No. Maku was the one who abused me. Salem is manipulating me just like Maku did. I'm leaving both of them." Rosa said.

"You're a traitor and a coward." Umbra said.

"She betrayed me and my trust." Rosa said. She saw shadows rushing all around the chapel. She brought her hand down to her lightsaber and turned it on. It was her green blade.

"Jedi!" Umbra shouted.

"I am no Jedi. Not anymore." Rosa said. A cloud rushed at her. Rosa rolled and saw Umbra there with her Sith lightsaber.

"I would rather us die than serve the Jedi again!" Umbra said. Umbra took form and slammed on the ground. Rosa took a step back.

"I am responsible for everything we are! I am the one who saved you and broke the chains that shackled you to Maku!" Umbra said. She rushed in. Rosa blocked Umbra's wild strikes. Umbra was jumping from pew to pew to get to her faster.

Rosa brought her hand up where Umbra landed. Umbra launched into the air. Rosa jumped in the air and slashed at Umbra. Umbra blocked the strike. They both fell to the ground. Rosa rolled out of the way of force lightning. She brought her hand forward and sent a force wave at Umbra. Umbra flew backward into the wall behind the pulpit. Rosa rushed forward. She jumped in the air and spun her saber. Umbra blocked the attack and kicked Rosa. Rosa stumbled back.

Rosa was on the defensive now. She jumped in the air and landed on the pulpit. Umbra jumped at Rosa. Rosa jumped back and landed. She brought her lightsaber up and blocked Umbra's attack. She quickly broke the attack and rolled back. Rosa brought her hands up and sent shards of rock and wood at Umbra. Umbra brought her hands together and sent out a force repulse. Rosa went flying. She hit the ground and rolled.

"They hurt us. They made us into a Sith." Umbra shouted.

"We chose to become a Sith. It may have seemed like there was no option for us, but there was. We could have rejected that darkness. We could have fought against the darkness we naturally let build up in us. We were afraid. And fear is the path to the Dark Side." Rosa said.

"Don't you dare give me that bullshit. You can't just quote Yoda and think that makes things right!" Umbra shouted.

"You were born out of fear and rejection." Rosa said.

"How can you understand so much and yet so little? I don't understand it." Umbra said.

"You do understand little. But it's not my fault. You understand so little because you refused to look! You knew deep down what we were doing was WRONG!" Rosa shouted.

"Does that excuse what they did to us?" Umbra asked.

"I didn't say it did. But we can't just keep blaming everyone else for our mistakes. They deserve better than that." Rosa said. Umbra stood over Rosa.

"Our friends have forgiven us Umbra. They don't hate us." Rosa said.

Rosa saw Umbra fade away. She wasn't gone. She'd be back. Rosa knew that, and she knew that she messed up. There was something she missed. There was some way to help Umbra, but this wasn't it.

Weiss was doing her meditation outside on the patio. She was trying to center herself. It was working. She felt through the force, Winter. She couldn't believe that she could feel someone from so far away. It was only because of their relationship, but she was still able to feel her.

She raised her hand and opened the Holocron of Niclas Luis Schnee. She saw him appear.

"Welcome back." Niclas said.

"I need some advice." Weiss said.

"That's what I'm here for." Niclas said. Weiss took a deep breath.

"Today there was a battle where Sith Magic was used. I don't know if we have anyone here that can defend against it." Weiss said.

"I see. I faced off against Sith Magicians in my day. We don't have spells like them. We have the light side. It is our ally. It is our greatest strength. We build defenses against the Sith magics. For example, there is a spell that forces the victim to go through mental anguish. This can be countered with high mental fortitude." Niclas said.

"Is that it?" Weiss asked.

"No, it was one example. Battle Meditation is another asset against the Sith. If you have someone strong with battle meditation, you can completely counter the focus a Sith needs for their spells." Niclas said.

"Are there other ways?" Weiss asked.

"There are." Niclas said.

"Are you going to tell me?" Weiss asked.

"I cannot tell you everything that counters the spells. For some spells, a lightsaber is all that's needed. For others, you would create a light barrier. It is very situational. Other Jedi masters had more to say about this. I fought only a few of them in my life." Niclas said. Weiss leaned into the wall.

"Thank you." Weiss said. Niclas smiled as the Holocron closed.

Oscar stood at the Hologram Table next to Qrow and a tired Sun.

"Here he is Jimmy." Qrow said. Oscar stepped forward.

"When you said he was young I didn't think he'd be that young." Ironwood said.

"I didn't choose it." Oscar said.

"We know Ozpin." Ironwood said.

"The vision the seers had about the choice in Mistral, I believe it was made tonight." Oscar said.

"That vision they had. What was the choice?" Ironwood asked.

"Rosa Reidan has decided to leave the Sith. She's going to return to us." Oscar said.

"How was that the choice?" Ironwood asked.

"Because she's the key to stopping Salem from getting the relic." Oscar said. Qrow turned to Oscar.

"I don't follow that one." Qrow said.

"That's not important right now. What is important is getting the third fleet here in Mistral. By the end of the week, Haven will be under attack." Oscar said.

"How do you know?" Ironwood asked.

"I've seen it in a vision." Oscar said.

"You are seeing visions now?" Qrow asked.

"It was recent when I first started seeing them." Oscar said.

"We'll make sure they're in the airspace." Ironwood said.

"We'll be at ground zero of the attack. We're going to have to be ready for anything." Qrow said.

"You'll have whatever you need." Ironwood said.

Oscar got to the top floor and almost collapsed. He held onto the couch for support. Qrow grabbed hold of Oscar.

"What's wrong Oz?" Qrow asked.

"I'm just tired. Using Ozpin so long today took most of my energy." Oscar said.

"I get that. Why don't I give you a hand." Qrow said.

Qrow helped Oscar to his room.

"Thank you." Oscar said.

"Please be careful." Qrow said. Before he closed the door Oscar stopped him.

"Qrow… I have to ask." Oscar started.

"Yeah?" Qrow answered.

"My aunt… Aunt Em, did the two of you… Did you sleep with her?" Oscar asked.

"Oscar I…" Qrow started.

"I know she was the friend who told you about this place." Oscar said.

"Oscar, she and I…" Qrow really didn't know where to go with this.

"Just tell me the truth." Oscar said.

"We enjoy each other physically. That's all it is between us." Qrow said.

"Is there anyone else in our group that you have slept with an immediate family member?" Oscar asked.

"I don't know why you're asking." Qrow said.

"When you talked about my aunt, Ozpin had to keep me from wanting to hit you." Oscar said. "We need to not have that happen at a bad moment."

"Fine. Yes, Willow Schnee and I had a drunken one-night stand, okay?" Qrow said. "That's part of why Winter hates me in case you forgot."

"You did what to my mom?" Weiss was behind Qrow, coming up the stairs.

"Shit. Just my luck." Qrow said. Weiss was almost visibly disgusted at Qrow.

"Oh gods… I'm too tired to handle this. I get it now. It all makes sense why Winter hates you. You… You are the worst." Weiss said.

"Look…" Qrow started. Weiss slammed the door to her room.

"You need to stop womanizing." Oscar said.

"Look kid, she didn't have to know…" Qrow started.

"Do you think she never would have just asked Winter why she hates you so much?" Oscar asked.

"Not really. I don't need to be grilled like this. Good night." Qrow left the door open. Ruby slowly opened her door and looked across the hall at Oscar.

"We're going to have to unpack a lot in the morning." Ruby said.

Weiss left her room and saw Ruby. For the first time since their arguments back at Beacon. Weiss was genuinely annoyed by Ruby. She stopped herself and took a few deep breaths.

"Your uncle is the worst." Weiss said. She turned her head and saw Oscar.

"Did Ozpin know?" Weiss asked.

"He didn't tell me." Oscar said. Weiss went down the stairs.

"Yeah, tomorrow's going to be a very awkward day at the table." Ruby said.

"What happened now?" Oscar heard Yang calling out.

"Looks like Uncle Qrow and Weiss's mom were something in the past." Ruby said.

"No fucking way." Yang said.

"Yang go back to bed!" Ruby yelled.

"No. I've got to talk to Weiss about this now." Yang said, getting past Ruby.

Blake opened her door and went downstairs. Of course, she heard everything. Oscar looked back at Ruby.

"Are you going down too?" Oscar asked.

"I think I have to now." Ruby said.

"Can you get my door?" Oscar asked.

"You are coming to Oscar." Ruby said. She grabbed Oscar and dragged him downstairs.

Raven looked over the plan that Vanus gave her. They were going to enter the school after getting the trouble Jedi out in the open. They were going to kill them, except for Yang, who Raven would take, and they would open the Vault.

Raven knew that she should be okay with this… But… She hated Summer. Ruby was just like her. She shouldn't have any problem letting her die. She shouldn't have any problem letting any of them die. She should be okay with killing Qrow. She tried to before.

She thought she did.

But… she didn't understand it. Why was she feeling guilty over this plan? She put the plan down and got into bed.

"Raven. Get up." Summer Rose's voice rang out. Raven shot out of bed.

"You're dead Summer. How did I hear you just now?" Raven asked.

"You know what you have been doing all these years is wrong." Summer said.

"I don't listen to you anymore." Raven said. She left team STRQ long ago. But… they were still a scar on her heart.

"You know you can change this. You know that you don't have to do this. All the pain and suffering you are about to unleash can be stopped. You know that you can do it." Summer said.

"I'm no Jedi!" Raven yelled.

"Of course you aren't. But you are no Sith. You are Branwen. The clan that was meant to walk the balance. You were meant to keep the Jedi and Sith in check. That was your destiny. But you ran from it." Summer said.

"Look how fucking well it went for you. You may have killed a lot of Sith, but it wasn't enough to stop her. She's still out there and still actively recruiting more and more Sith. Was it worth your life? Did you think of Ruby? Of Yang?" Raven said.

"You are one to talk. You know Vanus won't let Yang live. She would kill all of them if she got the chance. You know she will betray you. She hates you and knows that you pose a threat." Summer said.

"Why are you telling me this? Why not let me die since you hated me so much?" Raven asked.

"I never hated you, Raven. I was disappointed in you, yes. I was upset that you decided to run away, yes. I never hated you. I never blamed you. You have done that yourself. You have been doing nothing but hurting yourself for years now. Don't you think it's time to stop?" Summer said. Raven couldn't see Summer.

"What am I supposed to do? Haven't we all given enough?" Raven asked.

"You know what you have to do." Summer said. Raven opened her eyes again and she was back in her bed. She didn't know what happened after Summer stopped talking. But she knew what Summer was trying to say. But Raven wasn't strong like Summer. She couldn't ever apologize for anything. She's done too much to ever be forgiven.

Vanus was preparing for the day. It was almost upon them. Salem had just received a large amount of the stolen Holocrons and had handsomely rewarded Ira and Kaiser by extension. She was rewarded with the promise of the Spring Maiden powers. She could feel the power calling out to her. She knew that she was going to be the next heir of the Spring Maiden. She would become next to Salem. There would be no other Sith that would ever question her skills again.

She was in Lionheart's office.

"Send out the message tonight. Make sure they know it is from us." Vanus said. She felt the promised power in the back of her mind. She knew that she was always going to become something of a legend. She was meant to be the greatest of this generation.

"You never knew when to quit." She heard the voice of her old master, Uriel Ventris. Back when she was a pathetic Jedi, she admired the old man. She saw how powerful he was compared to her. She wanted to be just like him.

But that image was shattered when they fought Memores. Vanus saw that Cinder was too weak to save herself. That she used to be too weak to stop herself from being captured. Memores brought her before Salem after nearly killing Uriel. Both thought he was dead at the time.

She held out for a brief time. But she learned she had a taste for power. The power that allowed her to forge ahead her own destiny, and the power to kill Uriel. But he still haunted her the same.

"You never were good at card games. You were always too eager." He said.

"Lilith has given me a few suggestions for the message. Here they are." Leo said. Vanus looked down and read over the messages.

"You never knew when you were going to lose." Uriel said.

"This one." Vanus picked one. She gave no hint she was hearing from her old Jedi master.

"I see. We'll send it out immediately." Leo said.

"You focused so much on power you became blind. Do you think you could have stopped Mercury's downward spiral?" Uriel said. Cinder stood up.

"I'll be leaving now." Vanus said.

"Understood. See you soon." Leo said. Vanus went to Magis's old hideout. She needed somewhere she could be alone right now.

"You're never alone. You've got me." Uriel said.

"Now you can read my mind?" Vanus asked.

"I've known for so long that you used to find me attractive. I was very awkward when I was trying to teach you." Uriel said with a smirk.

"Shut up." Vanus said.

Uriel stopped talking.

"Tomorrow is a critical day. I don't want you to have any part of it." Vanus said.

"You mean when you betray Raven?" Uriel said.

"Exactly." Vanus said.

"And how long until you are betrayed? How long until Vanus or Umbra betray you?" Uriel asked.

"Valum would never betray me." Vanus said.

"So, you worry about Umbra?" Uriel said.

"I don't need to hear this from you." Vanus said.

"They sent out the challenge." Qrow said.

"Haven Academy requests assistance from trusted Hunters and Huntresses to locate two vital teams, SSSN and ABRN, who have recently gone missing under unexplained circumstances. These teams possess skills and knowledge critical to ongoing efforts, and their recovery is of the utmost priority. We invite you to Haven Academy to receive further details and to coordinate efforts. Your expertise and discretion are essential to this mission." The message read.

"Looks like Rosa's information was correct." Arslan said. Rosa had told them when the battle would happen. Ironwood sent the message to Ironwood.

"They're ready for a fight. Are you?" Qrow sent Ironwood.

"Now we just have to get ready for the fight." Oscar turned to the others. "We should expect heavy resistance after we defeat Vanus. Give it everything you have, or you will die."

Weiss's scroll rang. She picked it up.

"Weiss, this is Winter. We have information on the White Fang. You're going to be seeing some familiar faces soon." Winter said.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.

"Ilia was able to hack into the White Fang communications. We found where they're hiding." Winter said.

"She's joined our side in the end." Weiss asked.

"Yes, and in exchange, she's being forgiven for many of her crimes." Winter said.

"Who should we expect to see?" Weiss asked.

"Ghira Belladonna will lead a special division to stop the White Fang plans. The civilians of Menagerie seek to destroy the White Fang. They want to create a positive voice for the Faunus." Winter said.

"We're getting ready for the battle now." Weiss said.

"Good. We'll be there." Winter said.

"We'll?" Weiss asked.

"Don't worry. You won't be alone on this one." Winter said.

The Third and Fourth fleets of the Alliance were converging on Mistral.

Asha Kael looked at the report. She accepted that Winter would be part of this operation, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She couldn't stand the constant overreach that Atlas had been making. Argus was the worst example of their arrogance. Argus was a good place to live and was technically Mistral territory, but everyone knew Atlas ruled it. The city council was filled with Atlasian citizens. Winter Schnee herself owned a property there.

She had to fight her way up the rankings without any help from Atlas. She had no handouts in life. Unlike Winter.

"Why do you hate General Schnee?" Her second in command asked her once. It was right after the fleets were formed.

"Winter Schnee? She's an ice sculpture. Beautiful, cold, and destined to shatter." That was her answer. But Asha knew her duty. She would keep the Fourth fleet safe, including Winter Schnee. She had to admit, if only to herself, that part of her hatred was Jealousy. It was recent she realized… but she was jealous. It was a challenging thing to admit. The force chose Winter, and not her, the daughter of a Jedi.

But she knew how to put that aside. She knew what her duty was and how to work with people she didn't agree with or like. She had to if she was going to succeed. Her home was invaded by the Sith, and they didn't see it until it was too late to stop them.

She was gathering her forces together and getting ready for the fight the next day. They were on the move now. They were headed home.

Emerald was getting ready for the attack. Umbra had been acting strange for the last few days, but no stranger than she normally was. Emerald caught her eating a spoonful of straight honey one day when she walked into the kitchen. Umbra turned around with the honey in her mouth and a blush covered her face.

"What are you doing?" Emerald asked confused.

"Eating…" Umbra said.

"Why are you… You know what, I don't want to know." Emerald said.

It was things like that that confused and disgusted Emerald. She didn't know when Umbra dropped that serious aura she had on her, but she needed to get it back. The fight was happening soon, and she would have to kill team RWBY and JNPR. She had to be ready.

Emerald saw Umbra walking into her room. Emerald opened the door. Umbra turned around with a questioning look she gave Emerald.

"What's been going on with you?" Valum asked.

"What do you mean?" Rosa said.

"I mean you've been acting weird recently. Does this have to do with the fact you're going to have to kill your friends soon?" Valum asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Rosa said. Valum grabbed her arms and slammed her against the wall. Her eyes flair. Rosa wasn't ready for that.

"You will not endanger this whole operation. You will kill them. Tonight." Emerald said. Rosa was surprised at what was happening, but she was able to break Valum's grip. Rosa pushed Valum back.

"What was that for?" Rosa asked.

"You have to be focused. Nothing can go wrong tonight." Valum said.

"I understand! Why did you attack me?" Rosa asked. Valum opened her eyes wide for a second and looked away.

"I… I don't know. It felt right." Valum said.

"There's something wrong with you." Rosa said.

"Shut up. Are you ready?" Valum asked.

"Are you? You seem more nervous than ever." Rosa said.

"I am ready to do whatever Vanus needs me to do." Valum said.

"I'm ready. Let's just get to the lobby." Rosa said. She was in her Sith robes, as was Emerald. They were going to reveal everything today to Mistral after killing the Jedi.

Leo had finished calling all the teams that were found to have Jedi. Each Sith team found a few of them. They were all going to be in the courtyard while the Sith attacked. He looked around the room and looked at Lilith.

"Shall we go?" Leo asked.

"I believe it's time." Lilith said. Lilith got up and hooked her Light whip to her belt alongside her standard lightsaber. They closed down the headmaster's office and walked to the Lobby of the school.

Vanus and Vox were waiting for their apprentices to open their portals. They were in Raven's base camp. They were going to take a dozen of Raven's force users with them to help hunt down the Jedi. Tonight, they were going to end the Jedi in Mistral.

"The Jedi will never be able to recover after tonight. I can feel it. We shall start the final purge. Mistral will become their graveyard." Vanus said.

"Then we can find Ozpin. I'll rip him apart with my bare hands." Vox said. He looked at the others around them. The spring maiden looked at the two of them.

"I'm okay with the Jedi being destroyed. Just don't forget who your allies are as we fight." Vernal said.

"You are safe. We don't lose track of details like that." Vanus said. Vernal stared back at Vanus. Did she know that soon, she too, would lie dead at her hands?

Even if she did, there was nothing she could do to stop her. She was too weak to stop her. They all were too weak. She was strength.

Uriel was there. Not saying a word, but he was there. He was smiling at her. For a moment, it looked like she was seeing more people. She saw some of the Jedi she killed. She saw the Jedi she killed at Beacon.

Their ranks will be joined by more tonight. She would guarantee that.

Qrow opened the door to the safe house and looked at everyone behind him. They were all going to Haven tonight. Pyrrha was in the chair again. Oscar said it would give them a surprise advantage the Sith would never see coming. He saw Oscar and stopped him.

"Ozpin is sure his plan will work? We're walking into a trap here." Qrow asked.

"He is. He is certain his plan will work. Whatever it is." Oscar said.

"Whatever it is? Are you saying you don't know?" Qrow said.

"I don't but I trust him. He told Rosa whatever this plan of his was. Somehow, he was able to link to her mind. I don't really get it, but he has assured me that his plan will succeed." Oscar said.

"He went to her mind? Since when has he had that ability?" Qrow asked.

"He told me he got the idea from Ruby." Oscar said.

"What are you talking about?" Qrow asked.

"Last time I completely collapsed, Ruby wandered into my mind. Ozpin thought that trick was neat and figured out how to do it, probably using my force energy." Oscar said.

"Come on Uncle Qrow. We have to get there." Ruby said. Qrow saw Weiss was still avoiding him. He was young and dumb back then. He was still dumb sometimes, but he was only young in his dreams.

He had felt that Weiss and Oscar became closer. It may have been in disgust against him, but it was something he could handle.

"Winter's almost here." Weiss said.

"And General Kael's almost here." Jaune said. Qrow looked around at everyone. They had to hope that Ozpin was right. He sighed. He had to trust in Ozpin.

Arslan was ready for anything that could happen. She helped get Bolin his new staff. It was an expensive staff that used different kinds of dust and was highly lightsaber-resistant. Reese got two pistols, and an SMG along with new boots, which allowed her to slightly hover for brief periods. The boots had both gravity and wind dust in them that Weiss provided for her. The dust was put into capsules. Each boot had a dozen capsules in them.

Reese walked next to Arslan. Since her boots were changed, she was a few inches taller than before.

"I wonder what would happen if I put fire or ice dust in here." Reese said.

"Please don't break them. They were expensive." Arslan said.

"I know. But I wonder if I mixed fire, wind, and gravity, what would it make?" Reese was stuck in her head thinking about different combinations of what she could do.

"You could always ask Weiss Schnee. The Dust Heiress who probably can tell you." Nadir said.

"She was very kind to help us with these new weapons." Bolin said.

"Focus. We're going to another battle." Arslan said. Reese patted her on the back.

"Come on, Arslan. We know what we're doing." Reese said. Arslan sighed.

"Please, don't do anything to get yourselves killed." Arslan said.

"We won't. We promise." Nadir said.

Blake got a call from Ghira.

"Dad, what's going on?" Blake asked.

"We've arrived in Mistral. Don't worry about the White Fang. They will be busy today." Ghira said.

The group made it up to Haven. They stared at the gates. There were Sith troops there. The troops were about to alert everyone, but Qrow brought them down to the ground. The slam was enough to kill them. Qrow used the force to open the doors. They walked toward the main building. They all knew what was about to happen. Qrow looked back at the group.

"Once we get in those doors, expect massive resistance." Qrow said.

"We know." Yang said. They didn't find any more Sith along the way. They made their way to the main building. Qrow used the force to throw the doors off their hinges. They slammed into the walls, sticking out.

Leo and Lilith were standing at the railing of the Balcony. Rosa and Emerald appeared along with two Sith they didn't recognize.

"I see we've finally found out missing students. Thank you for returning them to me Qrow." Leo said. Raven's portal formed behind Leo. Raven stepped through with her people. Emerald and Rosa opened a portal, just like the two unknown Sith did. Darth Vanus and Vox walked through the portals. Pyrrha's hands were shaking. Jaune put a hand on her shoulder.

"We got this." Jaune said.

"Pyrrha Nikos. How are your legs doing? I see you still have the chair, so I guess the Oasis didn't do its job." Vanus said. She grabbed the railing and looked at everyone.

"Who's the kid?" Vox asked.

"This was meant to happen. You were all meant to come here today and learn that you were not enough. It is so sad that you thought you were promised glory." Vanus said.

"Raven. You still have a chance to make this right." Qrow said. Raven didn't look at Qrow. She was looking at Yang. Qrow felt something different about Raven.

"You should know that after you all die, we're going to get the relic that stand below our feet." Vanus said.

"Leo. Once you were a close ally. I trusted you. But you have determined to throw away that trust time and time again." Oscar said. Vox realized who he was. Everyone was able to feel his anger. They could almost see it radiating off his body.

"Ozpin!" Vox said. He crushed the railing. Vanus held up her hand.

"They should see the full power of a Maiden before they die." Vanus said. She rose in the air, the wind started to gather around her.

"You fool!" Ozpin had taken over Oscar's body. "I win."

Ozpin raised Oscar's hand.

Back at Beacon, when Vanus first stole the power of the fall maiden, Ozpin realized he was going to die in that battle. But he knew he would be coming back soon. He gathered a large reserve of his remaining magical energy and gathered it in his fingertips. As Vanus plunged the lightsaber into his chest, Ozpin, with the last of his strength, touched Vanus's back.

That power stayed there undetected. Until now. She opened her eyes wide as she felt the activation of the magic on her back. Rosa looked up at Vanus as she was in the air.

Ozpin clenched Oscar's hand. The energy of the magic was released all at once. In a second, Vanus's spine exploded, and she collapsed to the ground. Vanus hit the ground hard, but she couldn't feel it. Rosa rushed over to Vanus and grabbed her head.

"Master!" Rosa shouted.

"Rosa…" Vanus said, while looking at Rosa.

Rosa's green lightsaber went through Vanus's heart. She finally understood.

Uriel stood there, a smile on his face.

"Yes, you were betrayed by a Jedi. This is the end for you Vanus." Uriel said.

Vanus couldn't feel anything. She looked back at Rosa. She was impressed by her. She should have seen it coming, as Rosa's eyes no longer glowed yellow.

Vanus died. The power of the Fall maiden left her and went into Rosa Reidan. All in a few seconds. All as the opening Salvo of this battle.

The Third and Fourth Fleets arrived on the scene.

Author's Notes: This moment was planned long before Beacon of Hope finished. I set up everything for this plot twist earlier on. Cinder Fall is dead. That was Ozpin's plan.

This chapter is a pivotal moment for this story. It was always going to be Rosa who killed Vanus. But before, it was to keep the Maiden power in the hands of Salem. Now, Rosa has taken the power for her friends. Rosa is no longer a Sith.

This is probably the biggest change to canon since I kept Pyrrha alive. This is massive. It changes the whole plot line. Probably the second most important villain from the show is dead, and the second most important Sith in the order.

The only reason I had Qrow and Willow have a one-night stand was because I think their ship has the best ship name and has so much potential for amazing character moments. The comics by Eryx45 have shown how great the ship is. The fact that Winter cannot stand Qrow and it's because she caught those two or because she knows I find hilarious. I also wanted Oscar and Weiss to have a moment where they get closer because of Qrow.

The next chapter is the Battle of Haven. With a change this big, things are going to go down.

There were no new reviews.

Please leave a review and all the rest. If you have any questions about the story I do answer them in the Author's Notes section of the next chapter.

Welcome to 2025

May the Force be With You

-DragonZlayerx12