Standing outside of the gates to the Atlesian Military base on the island off the coast of Argus, Yang walked up to the closed gates and puts her hands on the bars of the gate to speak to the guards. "Come on! You didn't even hear us out!" She begged, making me sigh.

"Our orders are clear: The Mistral-Atlas border is closed!"

"Please!"

"Have a good day!"

"But-"

"A good day!!"

"How about I try something?" I asked, with everyone looking at me. Walking forward as Yang stepped back, I held my hand up. "You will open these gates." I said as I waved my hand, with both guards swaying side to side.

"We... will open... the gates." They both said as they turned around and walked off to do that, or so I thought.

"Okay... how did you do that?" Qrow asked, with me smirking.

"Something that the voices jn my head taught me last night, a simple mind trick... only works on the weak of minds." I said, where everyone covered their heads. "Do you all believe yourselfs to be weak minded?" I asked with a deadpanned expression.

"They were... kind of-" Blake started as she looked at the guards as they disappeared.

"Super weird? Uh, yeah." Ruby said, with us agreeing. Suddenly, the gates open up quickly, and the two guards return with someone in tow.

"Introducing!"

"Special operative!"

"Caroline Cordovin!"

Said short-statured elderly woman around Maria's age wearing the standard Atlesian officer uniform stepped forward. She places her hands behind her back, looking up at me. "I don't know what you did, but try that again and there will be major consequences." Cordovin said as she looked at Maria. "Witch." She greeted, narrowing her eyes at her.

"She-devil." Maria said in response.

"I see Miss Schnee is here... Ready to return home?" Cordovin asked, with me stepping in front of her as Weiss looked uncomfortable. "And you are?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Dakota Feichko, Heir to the Feichko Clan." I said, where she laughed at me.

"The Feichko Clan is long dead!" Cordovin said, with Weiss looking at her from behind me.

"It's him." She said as she pulled up a photo of me, showing it to her.

"Oh... my apologies, General Ironwood had informed all of us of your untimely demise, it's rare for him to ever be wrong." Cordovin said as she held her head up high. "How is your aunt, General Ironwood said that she was heartbroken at the news." She said, with me frowning at that.

"To my knowledge, she doesn't know I live." I said as I looked at the others. "We need transportation to Atlas, General Ironwood will want to meet with us, if not us then Qrow." I said as I looked at the huntsman in question, who pointed to himself. "He has important information-"

"No!" Cordovin said, shocking us.

"I've already heard what your other little friends had to say, Mr. Feichko." She said as she looks behind us, noticing Jaune, Nora, and Ren standing a little ways away behind us. "What are you doing back here?! I thought I told you to leave!" She yelled, where Nora tries to charge forward, only to be held back by Ren and Jaune

"And I told you we wouldn't rest until you let us through!" Nora yelled as she tried to break free, but couldn't.

"Nice to see you again as well!" Ren said nervously while waving.

"You civilians are clearly incapable of comprehending the importance of our mission here in Argus. So allow me to say this slowly, with smaller words: This base, that relay tower, the very safety of Argus are all gifts from the glorious Kingdom of Atlas!" Cordovin said as she stands with pride as she speaks of Atlas. "And it is my duty to uphold them, as only I have the wit and tenacity for such a task."

"Such wit!"

"Such tenacity!"

"Don't forget leadership." I said, with her nodding. "Please, just reach out to General Ironwood for me, let him know that I'm alive and trying to return home, to help where I can for the Glory of Atlas, and our family names." I said as I held my hand out to Weiss, who still stood behind me.

"Or maybe Atlas just wanted to get you as far from the kingdom as possible." Maria said, making me groan as that was not the right thjng to say.

Cordovin growled at us as Maria said that. "You're just like the rest of these Argus ingrates! This city wouldn't even be here if it weren't for our Atlesian ancestors, and what do we get in return? The entire world is ready to put a knife to our throats!" She said, confusing me on why.

"Please, we know your kingdom had nothing to do with the Fall of Beacon. We were there." Ruby said as she stepped forward.

"No one's happy about the Atlas borders or embargo, but I know General Ironwood is just worried." Weiss said as she placed her hands on together. "It's why we need to talk to-"

"The General is no coward! Atlas is strong. If all the kingdoms plan to make us their enemy, then so be it! Atlas will prevail!" Cordovin said, mistaking what Weiss was getting at.

"Atlas will prevail!"

"Do you guys seriously have to do that?" Yang said as she wasn't impressed with the two guards.

"If Miss Schnee has truly come to her senses and wishes to return to her family, and Mr. Feichko wishss to return, then, of course, the Atlas military will escort them home." Cordovin said as she looked at everyone. "But the kingdom will not be responsible for her "friends" of... questionable character." She said, glancing at Blake specifically upon saying her last statement.

"You sure with want to speak to my Fiancé like that?" I asked, getting gasps from everyone.

"Our engagement was signed off before my birth, and luckily for me, I brought the form!" Blake said as she stepped forward and pulled out the book, where Cordovin snatched the book and went through it, stopping at the page we pointed out.

"When were you going to inform us!?" Ruby aksed as she grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth.

"Answers, NOW!" Yang asked as she did the same to Blake.

"What's this supposed to mean?!" Weiss said as she grabbed her head in shock, trying to understand what was going on.

"It means... she too would have passage, as Mr. Feichko's Fiancé." Cordovin said as she gritted her teeth. "I... apologize, I spoke out of turn." She said as she gave Blake a slight bow.

"It's fine, its not public knowledge." I said as I took the book back once Ruby stopped shaking me. "As you can see, my friends were unaware as well." I said as I handed the book to the dizzy Blake. "With that said, will you allow all of us to pass?" I asked, where the gates to the base are closed quickly, leaving us outside once again.

"Oh yeah? Well, your face looks... like a big dumb boot!" Nora called out, with us turning around to look at her and the others as they walked ofer to us.

"Way to show her, Nora..." Jaune said as he shook his head at Nora.

Everyone looked at Blake and I, as well as Weiss. "I don't-"

"Weiss. I told you we wouldn't leave your side for a second. We'll find a way to Atlas. Together." Ruby said as she places a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "You two are going to answer a lot of questions!" Ruby said as she grabbed my ear and pulled it, making me wince.

Qrow starts to walk away, with all of us seeing him. "So... where are we going now?" Ruby asked as she caught up to him.

"Yeah, what's the plan?" Nora asked as she looked at them.

"The plan? The plan just got shut on our face three times over. I'm going for a drink." Qrow said, with me frowning at this.

"Not entirely." I said, where he looked at us. "There is no guarantee that she will reach out to Ironwood, but there is a slim chance." I said, with him walking off again.

"Uncle Qrow, I really think we should try and come up with something-"

But Qrow just walks away before she could finish.

"-together." Ruby said, saddened by her uncle's actions.

"What's his problem? It's not your fault we can't go on." Jaune said, with it dawning on us that Jaune and the others didn't know.

"If he's gonna be a jerk then we'll just come up with something without him. I mean, we've got Ozpin with us! He usually knows what to do." Nora said, where Oscar looks down sadly, and the rest of us looked at the other, troubled bu what we had to explain.

"What is it?" Ren asked, with us walking away as this was not the place to explain this.

Later

Back at Saphron's home, Jaune punches the wall, leaving a very large crack in it. "Jaune!" Runy called out, with us having finished explaining everything to them.

"Everything we did was for nothing!" Jaune yelled out in anger.

"That's not true." Blake said as she sat next to me on the couch. We had yet to explain our engagement situation, as this was more important.

"Really? Cuz it sure does sound like it." Nora said as she looked at Blake.

"Trust us, its not." I said, where Nora looked at me.

"If Salem can't be killed, then how are we supposed to win this?" Ren asked, with me looking at him.

"Ozpin's question was "How can I defeat Salem?" Which he cant. When I asked my questions, I learned that I am the one who defeats her, and that it's a force ability that can harm her. I just have to figure out how to use it." I said as I leaned my head back to think about what to do about it.

"Wow... Great plan." Jaune said sarcastically.

"Look, most of this is great, we know. But we're not the bad guys here." Oscar said as he tried to defuse the situation.

"Are we sure about that?" Jaune said in a hostile voice.

"What?" Oscar asked, with me standing up.

"He's in your head, isn't he?" Jaune asked as he turned to face Oscar. "Did you already know about this?" He asked angrily as he walks over to Oscar, with me doing the same.

"He didn't know any of it!" Weiss tried to defend, with me grabbing Jaune's arm before he could grab Oscar.

"Jaune, calm yourself!" I said as I pushed him back from Oscar. "Cool yourself, look how far we came without Ozpin." I said as I crossed my arms. "Oscar is as much as a member of this team as anyone else. He has helped us more than Ozpin has, remember that." I said as I crossed my arms.

Jaune looks back over to Oscar, who is cowering in fear. Jaune, realizing what he has done, and looks away from him. Jaune then goes upstairs, leaving us behind. Soon after, a door could be heard opening and slamming shut.

"Is he... gonna be okay?" Yang asked as she looked at the others.

"I don't know!" Nora yelled as shegets up and leaves as well.

"I think it would be best if we had some time to ourselves." Ren said as he made his way upstairs as well.

"We all could use some time to ourselves." I said as I walked over to the backdoor and walked out, leaving everyone to do their own thing.

Later

The sun poured golden light over a modest backyard. The cold climate burning my lungs with each breath, each breath visible. It was an unlikely training ground, yet here I stood, determined to master what the voice in my head called a Force Leap.

I focused intently, my brow furrowed with concentration as I tried to harness the Power of the Force. I had been told that the leap would allow me to soar through the air, bridging gaps that seemed impossible to cross. However, after several attempts, my feet remained firmly anchored to the grass.

"Come on, Dakota." I muttered to myself, pacing back and forth. "You can do this." I said as closed my eyes as tried to focus once more.

I took a deep breath and spread my arms wide, imagining the energy surrounding me building like a swell in the ocean. I envisioned myself floating, gliding effortlessly through the air as I catapulted over the low fence at the end of the yard. My mind raced, drawing on training exercises, connecting with the Force that pulsed through me.

With a determined grunt, I crouched low and sprang upward. For a split second, he felt a rush of exhilaration-but it quickly turned to disappointment as I landed awkwardly, stumbling before falling against a pile of soft gardening soil. "Again." I groaned, pushing myself up and brushing dirt off.

From the nearby porch, Maria, had been watching. Her curiosity had drawn her away from her book as she witnessed my repeated attempts. "You're making quite the effort, Dakota! Want some ice water to recharge?" She asked, with me looking at her as I walked back over to my starting position.

I waved a hand at her dismissively. "I don't need a break!" I replied, though my voice lacked the conviction I hoped for, and she saw through that. The truth was that I was beginning to feel frustrated. Why was this so hard?

I shook my head, dismissing the thought, and steadied myself once more. Before the next attempt, I closed my eyes, allowed myself to feel the gentle breeze, and listened to the sounds around me. All at once, I felt a connection to the vibrant life surrounding the house. Drawing on that feeling, I threw caution to the wind, crouched down once again, and leaped.

This time, something was different. I felt a surge of power as the Force enveloped me. My feet left the ground, and as I soared through the air, I experienced the intoxicating freedom of flight. The world below stretched out, and for a moment, I was weightless, gliding like a bird.

But, as I landed on the top of the fence, it was not entirely graceful. I stumbled backwards off the fence, and rolled across the grass, and ultimately failing to land the jump. While I was sprawled on the ground, I let out a sigh of annoyance.

"It wasn't perfect." I admitted as Maria approached, a smile on her lips. "but it is possible." I said as I sat up, looking up at the fence.

Maria clapped her hands. "That was amazing! You really leaped!" She said before laughing.

Brushing off the remnants of soil, I looked at her. "I think I need a little more practice. But for now, a break sounds nice." I said as I walked over to the poarch and sat down on the edge, where she walked over to the chair and sat down in it.

Maria leaned forward, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You know, Dakota, that was a great start. But there are a few things you might want to tweak to really get the most out of your Force leap." Maria said as she pointed at me.

I perked up, eager for any tips she could give me. "Really? What do you suggest?" I asked as I crossed my legs.

"Well." Maria said, placing her hands on her lap. "The first step is to center yourself. It's not just about physical power, but also about mental clarity. You need to visualize not just the leap itself, but also the landing. Picture where you want to go and how it will feel when you get there." She explained, pointing at me.

I nodded, my brow furrowing in concentration. "So, more focus on the destination?" I asked as I wasn't entirely sure that was true.

"Exactly! Picture yourself landing softly, as if you're being cradled by the Force." Maria explained, her voice calm and encouraging. "And don't forget to breathe. Deep breaths help you connect more with the Force and clear your mind." She said as she pointed at her head. "Next, it's all in the timing. You need to feel the Force building within you before you make your jump. Think about pulling the energy up from the ground and into your legs. When you feel that rush, that's when you propel yourself upward." She said, where I got up and walked over to the starting point again.

"Got it." I said, taking a deep breath as I felt the energy igniting again. "Feel the Force and then release it when the time is right." I said as I stretched my legs.

"Exactly! And don't be afraid to use your arms for balance. They can help guide your jump, adding to your momentum." Maria said, with me looking at her.

"I'll give it another shot, but this time, I'll visualize the landing and use my arms more effectively." I said as I looked back at the fence.

"Perfect!" Maria encouraged, rocking back and forth in the chair. "Whenever you're ready." She said, with me nodding.

I took my position once again. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the gentle rustle of leaves, allowing myself to feel the rhythm of the backyard, its stillness, its energy. I pictured the fence in front of me and imagined landing smoothly on the other side, as if it were a soft mat waiting to catch me.

Feeling the Force flowing through me, I crouched low and held my breath. With a sudden exhale, I pushed upward, focusing on that rush of energy beneath me. Instantly, I felt the familiar sensation of weightlessness as I soared into the air, higher than before.

This time, I felt the force guide me as I extended my arms outwards, achieving better balance in the air. I could see myself floating, almost gliding, as I approached the fence. The landing spot drew closer, and I braced for impact, visualizing the soft touch of Earth beneath my feet.

With a satisfying thud, I landed firmly and gracefully, my feet staying planted firmly this time as I took a moment to catch my breath. "I did it." I said, a little shocked at how much a small amount of advice could change the outcome.

"Now that was a leap!" Maria cheered from her chair, clapping her hands. "You really nailed it!" She said as she placed her hands on her lap. "Remember, practice makes perfect. You'll get the hang of it even more as you continue. Just keep that focus and connection with the Force." She informed, with me nodding, grateful for her guidance.

Later

Standing on one hand, I had a rock on each foot as I held my other arm out, moving more rocks, stacking them one at a time. Ruby then steps outside from the back door, with me taking a quick goance at her before going back to focusing on my training. "Come on, please..." She said, where I looked at Maria, who nodded her head. I dropped everything, falling into my back. I had been at this for a few hours, so I was exhausted. "Where are you?!" Ruby yelled as she throws her Scroll into the yard, but before it could hit the ground, I pulled it towards me, where I caught it.

"You know, I came out here to avoid the yelling." Maria said as I looked at who she tried calling, seeing that it was Qrow.

Ruby sees us, where I walked over to her and handed her the scroll. "Sorry. The others went to get food for tonight." Ruby said as I sat down and corssed my legs, where I patted the ground next to me.

"Why not go with them?" I asked as Ruby sat down.

I don't know... I don't know anything... What do I tell Jaune and his team when we don't even have a proper plan? Qrow's out drinking, Ozpin hasn't come back and even if he did, I don't know if I could trust him. And there's always Jinn... you have an infinite amount of questions you can ask but we don't even know what to ask... or even if we should ask them... I feel like I'm letting everyone down." Ruby said as she lowered her head in defeat, with me nodding as I could understand how she was feeling.

"You know, you don't give yourself enough credit." I said as I looked up at the sky.

"Oh... Thanks." Runy said as she rubbed the back of her head with a chuckle.

"I wouldn't take that as a compliment." Maria said, where Ruby looked hurt.

"While... yes, it's not entirely a compliment, but there is much to be learned." I said as I understood why she said that. "How about we discuss those eyes of yours?" I asked as I looked over at Maria. "Care to explain? I asked as Ruby stood up.

"Please, ma'am, I would be honored!" Ruby said as she saluted.

"Sit back down, for Pete's sake." Maria said, looking up from her plate of fruit. Ruby does so, but instead of sitting on the porch, she sits in the dirt on her knees. "Let's start with what you do know. Tell me." She said, where I looked at Ruby as I was curious as well.

"Uh... Silver-Eyed people are supposed to be legendary warriors. Or something." Ruby said as she tilted her head to the side in thought. "And at the Fall of Beacon, I turned a giant Wyvern into stone." She informed, impressing me.

"Oh, boy." Maria said with a shake of her head.

"Look, if I already knew everything I wouldn't be asking for help!" Ruby yelled as she crossed her arms with a huff.

"Yelling." I said as I lightly hit her over the head with a chop. Ruby looked back up with a sorrowful expression on her face.

"It's not your fault. I had my father to teach me, and even he didn't have all the answers. But what he told me makes sense, given what I've seen." Maria said, with me looking at her.

"Was he a Huntsman too?" I asked, wirh her nodding her head.

"It wasn't really an official title back in his day. I only knew him as an old soldier and an excellent teacher. I never attended one of those fancy academies of yours, but I scored higher on the license exam than any other Huntsman or Huntress that day." Maria informed as she looked from me to Ruby.

"You must've been proud." Ruby said with a smile.

"Heh, he would've scolded me for showing off." Maria said with the fondest of smiles. "He'd never been able to find much information about our abilities. Just legends of warriors whose eyes shone like mirrors, reflecting the light of the world onto darkness. He found so little, in fact, that it made him cautious. How could such powerful bloodlines be so rare? Unless something was actively seeking to destroy them." Maria said, confusing us on what she was talking about.

"Salem?" Ruby asked, looking at me.

"I tried to keep my powers a secret, but as you know, it wasn't enough. I owe my life to my training with the Jedi and Father, and my Semblance. At the end of the day, those are still your most powerful tools." She said as she pointed at us.

"What is your Semblance?" I asked, when suddenly a lemon drops from the tree, which Maria catches before it could hit the plate of fruit.

"Preflexes! A silly name I came up with. Hard to explain, but I can sense everything better than most and react to attacks almost before they happen. Combine that with my training and secret ability to turn Grimm to stone, or blind them, or vaporize them." Maria sajd before she cleared her throat. "And that's how you become the Grimm Reaper!" She said with a smile.

"So, how do I laser beam monsters with my eyeballs?" Ruby asked, with me lightly hitting her in the head with another chop.

"Patience." I said as I crossed my arms and looked back at Maria. "First, you stop thinking like that!" I said as that clearly wasnt going to help.

"He is right." Maria said as she closed her eyes. "I want you to think of all the times you've triggered your powers. What did those moments have in common?" She asked, pointing at Ruby.

"I... was scared, and stressed. Is it emotional? Like unlocking a Semblance?" Ruby said as she wasn't entirely sure, all the while rubbing her head.

"It's emotional but more focused than that. Think, what is it you wanted?" Maria asked, wanting Ruby to dig deeper.

"I wanted to protect my friends." Ruby said as she clinched her hands.

"Precisely!" Maria said with a smile. "It is the desire to preserve life which fuels the light inside you. And to make no mistake, it is light. Preservation is an extension of creation, or, at the very least, an enemy of destruction. The Creatures of Grimm were made by the God of Darkness, but your light comes from his brother." She said, where I remembered how the God of Light used a similar ability to kill the Grimm.

"His eyes... were silver?" I asked, with Maria looking at me as she paid closer attention to the story than we did.

"I always knew how to use the light, but never why it only worked on the Grimm. Then, Jinn showed us her vision." Maria said, with me looking at Ruby as she had a way to defeat Salem as well.

"The God of Light... has silver eyes!" Ruby said as she stood up. "Okay, where do we start?" She asked, looking between the two of us.

" Well, not here." I said as I stood up. "From what she just said, it only worked in the presence of Grimm. Meaning the only practice you'll get will be a trial by fire, unlike me." I said as I reached out and rubbed her head as now I wasnt the only sure way to defeat her. "But, what you can do is focus on creating a state of mind that you can tap into when you need it. Don't think about your light as a means of destroying evil, but as a way to protect the people of Remnant." I said, giving her a proud smile as this was something she needed. Not to be called a weapon, but a protector.

"But, that can't be right." Ruby said, confusing us. "You said the light only reacts to Grimm, but... I used it during our battle at Haven. It reacted to Cinder." She said, confusing me even more.

"Interesting... Perhaps there was something that you just weren't seeing?" Maria suggested, with the door sliding open.

"Ruby!" Yang called out as she, Blake and Weiss stepped out of the house.

"Oh, hey guys!" Ruby said with a smile as we walked back inside as our conversation was done, for now. They followed, but each looked concerned for some reason.

"What's going on?" Jaune asked as he, Nora and Ren walked intk the room.

"It's Oscar. He's missing." Blake informed, a saddened expression on her face. We shocked to hear Oscar went missing, and right a way I ran out of the house to begin my search for him.