"Still not used to this cold…"

Ilia rolled her eyes as Emerald pressed into her. The pair trudged through the snow as an attached pair, heading for the central building of Aurora's Cradle. Ilia was faintly feeling the cold too, though she couldn't help but wonder how much of her companion's statement was just an excuse to get closer. She decided to play along, snaking her arm beneath the back of Emerald's white leather jacket and around her waist.

"No one should live out here, to be honest. It's cutting through your aura already, though?"

"Lil' bit," Emerald admitted sheepishly. "I don't have a huge reserve. Doesn't take much to knock mine out completely."

"With a Semblance like yours?" Ilia asked, sounding surprised as she looked over at the other girl. "I figured you'd have a lot in the tank…"

"Nope. That's part of why I don't stick around the frontlines too often and focus on hiding myself from direct combat until going in for the kill."

"Makes sense," Ilia considered. "Mine's always been above average for my size. Might be why I'm not shivering yet…"

"She said, with her exposed navel and short sleeves," Emerald mocked as she ran her hand along the chain veil over one of Ilia's shoulders. "And steel rings in the freezing cold. What were you thinking with this outfit, exactly?"

"I was thinking it was hot and I wanted to show off my physique a bit," Ilia snapped as they reached the front door of the building. "And I was right. So… shut up, or maybe I won't let you see it again."

"Fine, but don't come crying to me if your aura gets blown and you end up frozen out on the ice," Emerald said with a roll of her eyes.

"Why would I be out on the ice?" Ilia asked, pushing open the door and heading into the lobby. "We're probably going to end up fighting Salem in Vacuo, or… maybe Sanus? Those are the Relics that are still in play, after all. She never told you her master plan? No hints at all about where the final battle is gonna go down?"

"Salem never told me shit," Emerald said with a sigh. "I was always just a lackey to a lackey, in her eyes. And as much as I hate to say it… take your hand off my waist. These people don't need to know we're messing around, if we're seen. The less they have on us, the better."

"What if I move it… here?" Ilia asked as she dipped her hand into Emerald's waistline to wrap her fingers around half of the thief's butt.

"Don't start something we can't finish right now," Emerald said, though she didn't sound particularly upset. All the same, she forcibly moved the hand out of her pants and cracked her knuckles. "Any idea where we're going, or is the plan to just head upstairs and ask? I don't think they want to be interrupted right now…"

"Alice said Jacques and Robyn were in 'a cell down in the basement', so… look for stairs," Ilia suggested with a shrug. "Can't be too many people down there… right?"

"Maybe," Emerald considered as she led Ilia toward a black door off to the side of the lobby. "Something about all of this doesn't feel right, though."

"Why's that?" Ilia asked as she watched her friend pull open the door to reveal a small closet filled with cleaning supplies. "Strike one."

"They're all so…" Emerald paused to think as she closed the door and eyed another one on the adjacent wall. "Nice."

"Trust issues much?" Ilia asked as she followed Emerald to the other door, revealing a stairwell leading only up. "Strike two. Not that I can really talk, there…"

"Yeah, I do have trust issues," Emerald admitted with a glare. "You can thank the old gang, Cinder, and… in a way, my parents for that. What's your excuse?"

"I… don't want to talk about it," Ilia warned as she beckoned Emerald to follow her. "Not right now, anyway. Maybe when we're alone, and we have time. Involves a lot of death and people I thought were friends. Fucked me up real good for a long time. I didn't even trust Sun at first, and he's practically a boy scout."

"…sorry I asked," Emerald said quietly as she walked along behind Ilia. "See something?"

"Well, it stands to reason that if that door goes up," Ilia started as she walked Emerald across the lobby to the door's counterpart on the opposite side. "This one might head down."

Ilia threw the door open with a dramatic flair, showing off a dimly lit staircase leading beneath the building.

"…well done," Emerald praised. "Look at you with your logic."

"Nah," Ilia said coolly as she brushed off a shoulder. "I've just got the magic touch."

Emerald jumped a bit as Ilia's hand touched her butt once again, though with far more force as the slap echoed in the confined space.

"Gods. You might be the horniest person I know…"

"Yeah, well, I haven't gotten much action in a long while," Ilia complained as she led the way down the staircase. "When we first got up to Atlas, I was thinking Yang and I might have a bit of a spark between us. We made out a bit and did a lot of cuddling, but we just weren't really… compatible like that. Ended it before it even really got started."

"Well, don't leave me hanging with just that little bit of info," Emerald teased. "Do go on."

Ilia drew her scroll and began using it as an additional light as the staircase rounded a corner and continued back in the direction it came, going deeper down.

"I mean, I like being the dominant one…"

"I've noticed."

"And so does Yang. She was a bit much for my tastes, and she can easily overpower me. Even cuddling felt like a fight sometimes," Ilia lamented. "We agreed to just stay friends, but then she sat on Jaune's face and now they're a couple, so good for her."

"Yang and Jaune?" Emerald asked, taken aback. "Seriously? Like… almost-wet-himself-in-Port's-class-due-to-exam-fear Jaune? That guy?"

"Sounds like him, yeah," Ilia confirmed. "We only got to know each other up in Atlas, but he's an okay dude. Definitely wouldn't be my type if I was into guys, but he'd probably make decent husband material. Hopefully Yang can fuck some confidence into him."

"Husband material?" Emerald questioned. "Seriously? You're still thinking like we'll all get some ending where everything just returns to normal and we can live out our lives l-"

"Shh," Ilia commanded, holding up a hand as she aimed the flashlight on her scroll down the staircase ahead. "Someone's coming."

The two huntresses paused their descent and waited as a figure slowly appeared within the beam of light. At first, Ilia almost thought she was looking at a ghost given how incredibly white the figure appeared, only to realize her foolishness rather quickly thereafter.

"Winter…?"

"Amitola," the Schnee woman confirmed as she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the light of the scroll. Ilia was quick to lower it and mutter an apology. "I take it you're headed down to see my father and Robyn?"

"That's the plan," Ilia replied. "See what information we can get out of them about the current situation. Maybe one of them will know a way to help Mantle, or…"

"Don't bother," Winter said bitterly as she shook her head. "Jacques won't talk and Robyn is being spiteful and accusatory. She keeps trying to pin all of this on me somehow. Neither of them will be of any help."

"What the hell?" Emerald asked. "How could any of this possibly be your fault?"

"It isn't," Winter stated firmly. "But she's a snake. Anything to shift blame and make herself look innocent. The paramount politician. Both of them are, really…"

"Yeah, well. When you want to break a politician, send in the career anarchist," Ilia suggested. "You're too caught up in red tape and thinking like a military official. I'll get something out of them."

"…a bold proclamation," Winter said with a healthy amount of skepticism in her voice. "But I suppose it's worth a try. Worst case scenario, we find out nothing useful and leave them to rot down there. If they refuse to help the overall war effort, we can't afford to let them get in the way."

"That's assuming Alice doesn't let them out after striking some deal," Emerald added. "She seems… shifty. She also employed Arthur Watts, albeit unknowingly."

"What?" Winter asked. "How do you know that?"

"That Moss guy who runs the warehouse," Ilia answered. "We just got done talking to him and his partner in crime. They're meeting with Alice now to discuss it, but apparently Watts tricked them into building weaponry that played a part in the fall of Mantle. If nothing else, we've got those two invested and on board for the fight with Salem."

"Sounds like you're making progress," Winter observed, folding her arms across her chest. "I wish I could say the same. I… can't even properly get through to Whitley and make him feel safe. He's struggling with all of this despite putting on a brave face, and that Neon woman of all people is doing a better job at playing big sister than I am."

"Hey, there's no shame in that," Ilia said softly. "It sounds stupid, but learning how to be a family is… kind of a skill. I might not really have any blood relations left, but it took me ages to start accepting Sun as my bro and actually feel it. I honestly thought it was a little stupid and forced at first, but he eventually won me over. You might have to do the same thing with the kid, for his sake. And yours, probably…"

"Perhaps, but do I really have time t-"

"You have time for what's important," Ilia interrupted. "Let me take the lead on this. All of this. You've got enough shit going on with Whitley and worrying about Clover up in Atlas… alongside whatever you're still probably feeling about the whole Operation Snowfall mess. We've been over this before, Winter- stop trying to be Lieutenant Schnee in a situation where she isn't needed. Be Winter, for once."

"…not to say we don't need you," Emerald quickly added with a nervous grin. "She just means…"

"No, I… I get it," Winter acknowledged with a sigh. She blew a hanging strand of hair out of her face and shook her head, looking a bit uncomfortable. "You're right. Letting go of who I feel like I'm supposed to be in a situation where I can't be that woman any longer is… difficult."

"I know that feeling better than anyone else here," Ilia reminded. "Sometimes you just wake up, look in the mirror, and realize you just can't be who you were yesterday. That feeling sucks, but… it's not one you can fight if you want to avoid breaking down completely."

"Yeah…" Emerald agreed, more to herself than either of the others.

Winter took in a deep breath through her nose and released it as a sigh. Slowly, her shoulders seemed to relax a bit, though her face still had a distinct nervousness written all over it.

"…you're sure you can handle Jacques and Robyn?"

"I've handled worse," Ilia reassured. "Just trust me on this."

"Very well," Winter finally relented. "Then I'm going to go and… see my little brother. Make a call up to Atlas and try to get a handle on how Clover is doing. Take care of what I need to in order to feel like I can be ready for whatever you need me to do."

"That's the spirit," Ilia praised before patting Winter on the shoulder and moving to squeeze past her in the stairwell. "Leave it to me, and… once we're on relatively stable ground, how about you and I get fucking wasted one night and just talk about our issues? Would probably do us both some good."

Winter could only stare as she considered the notion.

"I'm not saying no…"

"Good," Ilia replied. "See you soon."

The faunus moved on to the remaining length of staircase with Emerald in tow, their boots against the steel steps the only noise in the narrow space for the remainder of the journey. As they touched down onto concrete far below the ground, Emerald finally spoke up again.

"…I really don't get you."

"Good," Ilia said immediately. "Mystery is sexy, and I plan to keep you on your toes for as long as I can."

Emerald rolled her eyes as the pair entered the cell block, looking for their captive targets.

Author's Note:

Will Winter actually let her hair down? Will Ilia remain confident? Will Emerald and Mercury successfully make up?

Will Yang drain Jaune of all of his bodily fluids and break Qrow's bed?

Yeah, probably.

-RD