Just to let you know that this chapter is an obvious reference to a certain game that you may or may not have heard of before. Now then, let's get onto the chapter!

Dark Souls: Embers of Remnant Volume II

Fourteen

Familiar Faces, New Goals

Ruby gazes out the window of the police airship as it flies over Mantle, then turns and looks at her friends. Nora chewed at the attempt to remove the bolas that restrained her wrists. At the same time, everyone else sat in the police transport silently, the only sounds being Nora's growling and the muffled chattering of the guards piloting the ship. It was at that point she decided to ask her question. "Where do you think they're taking us?"

Her uncle had already gotten an answer. "I'm gonna go with jail."

Jaune still felt bittered by what had transpired earlier. "I still can't believe that fishing pole guy took us out like it was nothing. Right before Ash can even find us."

The Former Heiress sighed as she knew who exactly they had encountered. "Welcome to Atlas. Those were Ironwood's Ace Operatives."

A man with his hands tightly bound looked at them before speaking up. "Hmm? Do you guys have a run-in with the Ace-Ops? Ironwood must really have a bone to pick with you."

Weiss rolled her eyes at him. "They're not that big of a deal."

"Not that big of a deal!?" He spoke up, taking her comment quite seriously. "The Ace-Ops are the elite-of-elite military Huntsmen and Ironwood's personal attack dogs."

"So they got you too, huh?" Nora asked, wondering if he had gotten the exact reason why he got arrested like them.

"Pfft!" He muttered defensively with a tone of arrogance. "I wouldn't let myself get caught by them. I'm here because I've been speaking out against Atlas's exploitation of Mantle, and General Ironwood is trying to silence me."

"You threw a brick at her ship!" The pilot pointed out.

The man got defensive about this claim and jumped out of his head as he spoke to the two pilots." It's worth it if it gets people talking about our cause!" Hearing this caused one of them to get annoyed at him before he sighed.

Blake looked at him with a curious look on her face. "'Our Cause'?"

"Yes, the fight for better conditions in Mantle! Lead by the charismatic, talented, lovely Robyn Hill and her Happy Huntresses!" He immediately answered her question. Because of his constant blabbering, the primary pilot proceeded to press a button, causing the window between the cab and the back of the ship to begin slowly closing. He immediately notices this, stands up and starts frantically shouting to the window so the guards can hear him. "They were all top Atlas Academy graduates, who could've signed up for the military, but Robyn and the Huntresses chose to stay in Mantle. She's gunning for a seat on the Kingdom's council, and when she gets it, she's gonna put an end to Ironwood's tyranny!"

Oscar, like the others, was interested in what he had said. "Happy… Huntresses?"

Yang had the same thought as the young boy. "Is that their real name?"

Weiss had different thoughts about what he had mentioned. "Don't you think "tyranny's" a little dramatic?"

The man turns to face her to respond. Yet, as he was about to, he looked surprised to see who was speaking to him. This made him speak in a very disdainful manner. "Easy to say for a Schnee heiress, living comfortably in Atlas."

Weiss let out a sad sigh as she knew that no longer applied to her. "Not anymore."

All passengers felt the ship going upwards, knowing that this would lead them to the floating city of Atlas. Still, this didn't stop the young leader from looking out the window and was in awe of what she saw. "Whoa, it's gorgeous up here!"

This causes Jaune and Nora to leave their seats and look out the window with the young leader. The former Schnee Heiress looked at their enthusiasm and couldn't help but to sardonically comment. "Don't let that fool you."

The man hummed at her before leaving his seat. He, too, also took a peek out of the window and noticed the building they were heading into. "This isn't the police station."

By a gut feeling, Qrow knew where the airship was landing. "It's… Atlas Academy."

Indeed, all of them were heading towards Atlas Academy, the destination they were initially heading to. It had five enormous towers, one large central tower and four side towers of varying heights surrounding the building. Each side tower had a pair of Hard-Light Dust rings surrounding them and a glass viewing platform at the top. Due to this, it had a blue tint to a seemingly dark building.

The ship docks on a landing pad in front of Atlas Academy and is met by a pair of guards, who open the ship's rear double doors to let Team RWBY, Team JNR, Oscar and Qrow exit while the man stayed behind in the police airship. Ruby gazes up at the towering academy while more guards lining up along the path leading to the building. "I guess we will be seeing the General. For better or worse." They proceeded to walk while a pair of Atlesian Guards escorted to them. Despite their professionalism, none of the soldiers had ever noticed an invisible entity trailing behind the group.

-Scene Change-

The group were on the elevator to supposedly meet General Ironwood. Silence was present as they were thinking of what to say if there was a scenario where the meeting could go wrong. Although all of them were still restrained. "So, what do we do?" Ren asked.

"I don't know yet. But we should be careful with what we say." Ruby answered and got a glance from one of the soldiers, unaware that the same invisible entity was with them.

She heard Blake leaning over to her ear before quietly saying, "We'll follow your lead, Ruby." That made the young leader smile, but then she looked worried again.

The elevator beeped as it arrived at its destination. The guards escort them into a hallway and down a flight of stairs. They enter a room just as a familiar individual speaks to someone else. "I swear if I have to sit through one more council meeting like that…" The voice basically confirms it to be General Ironwood, who was accompanied by Winter and Penny.

Speaking of the latter, she turns around and notices them. This caused her to let out a gasp before smiling at the group. "Yay, you're here!"

The eccentric girl's celebratory greeting catches Ironwood and Winter's attention, causing them to stop and look. Weiss steps out from behind Ruby and approaches them. "Winter." She calls out her sister's name.

Said individual gasped lightly in surprise upon seeing this. It would have been a heartfelt reunion for the two sisters if Nora hadn't interrupted as she was leaning in and holding up her bound wrists, grinning and waving her fingers. "Anyone wanna give us a hand with these?

Winter takes a moment to collect herself before returning to her usual stern demeanour and addressed the two guards. "You have ten seconds to take those off before I start hurting you."

The duos looked at one another as they were confused. "Huh?" Finally understanding the situation, they frantically begin removing the bolases from everyone's arms while Ironwood watches with a smile.

"Sorry!" The first guard said to them.

"Please, let us help you!" The second guard added.

"Forgive us!" The first guard pleaded to them.

"There's no need to say sorry or ask for forgiveness." A new voice interjected to the duo. "This is perhaps all a miscommunication."

Now, everyone stopped what they were doing. The Atlesians didn't know who that voice belonged to. But, to Ruby and the others, they knew precisely who had that exact voice. All turned to their back and noticed Ash standing there. With his sword slung onto his back. He just stood there and looked at the others as he was glad, he didn't have to resort to holding one of the soldiers' hostages. But before he can say anything….

"ASH!" Ruby shouted his name, walking towards where he was and hugging him, much to his discomfort. "You're here! How did you manage to come here without getting noticed!?"

"I have my own way." He said without a hint of emotion that Ruby and the others were getting used to it. He didn't want to say that he followed them using his invisibility spell, which would effectively expose him to his usage of magic. He then signalled Ruby to let go as he felt uncomfortable since she was close to him.

Qrow couldn't help but chuckle at the person he thought he wouldn't see anytime soon. "I would say you're lucky. You're the only one that isn't handcuffed. Unlike us."

Nora could say the same thing. "Yeah, and you still have that sword of yours. I don't know if I should feel jealous that you were the only who didn't get yours taken away." At that statement, all of their handcuffs dropped to the ground, and they rubbed their wrists.

The Unkindled looked at them before shifting his gaze towards three unfamiliar faces. He sighed as he knew he had interrupted what one of them was about to say. "Apologise. I should introduce myself after you have your talk with them."

The General narrowed his eyes at this individual. It was reasonable, considering that he popped up all of a sudden. Yet, he knew that there were more important things that needed to be addressed before the stranger could introduce himself. "Right." He then looked at everyone else as the two soldiers walked away. "Please, come in." The group followed Ironwood, Winter, and Penny to his officer. None of them heard another elevator ding after they had left the hallway that led to the General's Office.

-Scene Change-

Ash's first impression of the General's Office? He saw lively things, unlike Firelink Shrine. It was a circular room featuring dark blue metallic walls and windows which could fade to become opaque. The office floors were shown to depict constellations as golden stars. It reflected the General's love for astronomy. Speaking of the General... "It is so good to see all of you."

Yang was massaging her remaining wrist as she was speaking to Ironwood. "Our reception didn't really convey that."

The General sighed as he knew the mess-up that occurred. "I sincerely regret how you were treated by my team."

Qrow rolls his eyes with a slight huff, whereas Ash remains unemotional, as usual. Ironwood walked behind his desk to sit down, and Penny and Winter stood at either side of the desk. "When a rogue airship entered our airspace, it raised some… red flags. We assumed the ship was stolen."

"Stolen?" Ruby spoke before awkwardly laughing. It would have lasted a bit longer if she hadn't turned to the side, where the Unkindled gave her a deadpan look despite the helmet that covered his head. She then proceeded to speak in an apologetic tone. "Okay, yeah, it was 'stolen'." She put the last words in an inverted comma, which everyone knew wasn't true.

Ironwood's eyes widen in surprise. He then smiles, and his shoulders move slightly with a silent chuckle. His second-in-command, Winter, meanwhile, finds no humour in the situation and begins scolding them. More specifically, to her sister, Weiss. "You stole an Atlas airship?" Her sister looked at her with a frown as she approached the former Heiress. "What were you thinking!? You might've been shot down! How unbelievably irresponsible—"

The Specialist was caught by surprise when her young sister hugged her. "I'm sorry I worried you. But we did what we had to do."

"I…" Winter spoke to her, breaking her stern demeanour again before sighing and hugging back. Which eventually calmed her down. "I suppose I understand." This heartwarming interaction between the two sisters only lasted for a couple of seconds before she turned her head and shot a glare at Qrow. "But I cannot believe that you allowed this to happen, Qrow."

"You try stopping these kids when they have their mind set on something." Qrow defensively told her. "Besides, we didn't steal the airship at all. We borrowed it with Cordivin's permission. You can say thanks to our strange new friend over there." He pointed towards Ash, who was now on his left. "He's the one that opted us for that option. If it weren't for him, we would have been shot down."

Now that he mentioned it, the three individuals, as mentioned earlier, shifted their attention towards the Unkindled. If they had to be honest, none had ever seen the likes of him before. This is mainly due to how old and rugged his armor was, in addition to the damages and blood stains seen. Well, that's aside from what he pulled earlier. Ironwood raised his eyebrow at him. "And who you might be?"

Ash looked back at the General while his body was tense. "Just call me Ash, as you may have heard it when the kid hugged me." He gestured towards Ruby.

Hearing this name made the robotic girl tilt her head. "Ash?" It was at that moment that something was within her mind. She had a cheery look on her face. "Oh, you mean the Ashen One, right?"

Hearing what Penny had just spoken caused him to tense again and directly look her dead in the eye. It was reasonable since he told no one about that title. "What did you say?" His voice was stoic, yet there was a heavy hint of hostility as well.

Everyone clearly saw the shift in his tone. They never heard him being so hostile, yet there were no signs of doing anything malicious. Qrow narrowed his eyebrows at him. "Ashen One?"

Winter and the General looked at one another. By analysing their facial expressions, the two seemed to expect this kind of reaction from him. "We may have found the person we're looking for." The former had told the latter. Her voice was that of confirmation.

Naturally, this caused Ash to turn to look at them in disbelief. Everyone else shared his reaction. "Can you explain what's going on?"

The older Schnee, still beside her sister, noticed his voice sounding more hostile as he overheard what they said. She looked at her Commanding Officer, who nodded at her before she answered his question. "We encountered this woman not too long ago in Mistral before shutting our borders. We thought she was some stranger and potentially an enemy. But she had been expected us. Well, me, to say the least"

"Expected?" Weiss spoke, finding it hard to believe that a woman had suddenly expected someone like her sister or Ironwood.

This could have been better with Ash. Although he was still a bit tense, he let a question out of his mouth. "And who exactly is this woman that expected you, Ma'am?"

Winter had the look of uncertainty on her face. "You see…"

"Ashen One?" A soothing, gentle voice of a woman called out to him. His eyes widened behind his helmet as he knew exactly who that belonged to.

Ruby and the others, on the other hand, wondered who it was. They turned around and saw a woman standing at the entrance to the General's Office. She was beautiful. She had long platinum-blonde hair tied up to a braid that reached her spine and wore a formal black and brown attire consisting of a Robe, Manchettes and Skirt. A well-designed metallic blindfold rested on the top half of her head was eye-catching to them, hinting that she was blind. None of them knew who this woman was… except for Ash.

Qrow couldn't help whistling at this fair lady's appearance. This didn't go unnoticed by Ash, and he let out a quick glare. The woman began to approach them and headed towards Ash's direction. Everyone, apart from Winter, Ironwood, and Penny, were caught off guard because she came to him despite having that blindfold on. She was approximately an inch away and looked at him. A few moments passed before a small smile formed on her lips, and she cupped his right cheek gently through the Fallen Knight Helmet with her burnt-scarred left hand. "Ashen One, 'tis genuinely is you. To senseth thy presence is certainly pleasing."

Ash couldn't help but sigh as he felt the tension easing. He was so happy to see her again but didn't show it. He gently gripped the woman's left hand before setting it down. "It… certainly is Firekeeper. I... was worried I wouldn't get to see you again."

Ruby and her friends couldn't help but have their hearts melt at this sight. By the looks of things, this woman seems very close to Ash, like a mother to her child. It was the first time that he had displayed some sort of compassion for anyone. Yang cleared her throat to grab their attention. "So, Ash? Mind telling us who's this woman of yours?"

The Unkindled was about to open his mouth yet decided not to. Knowing that she would do it instead. "Greetings, acquaintances of the Ashen One. I am a Firekeeper. I thank all of thee to accompany him here, to Atlas."

"Firekeeper?" Ruby muttered. She can't help but find that as an odd name. Or was it a title? The same could be said for the others.

"Firekeeper…" Ash spoke to her as he looked at his closest friend. "You are here? How?"

"A story I believe we should speak in private, Ashen One." Firekeeper cryptically answered as she looked back at him, earning confused and interested looks from the others. She then turns her head towards Winter. "However, if thou wishes to know how I have arrived in the Kingdom of Atlas, I believe Specialist Schnee can explain herself."

Everyone turned to the said Specialist, who was curious about what the blind woman was saying. If one could tell, Ash seemed to be the most curious if his Fallen Knight helmet was not hiding his face. "You found and brought Firekeeper here?"

"Indeed, I have." Winter said with a professional tone.

"How did you find her? And why did you bring her here?" The Unkindled continued to question the Specialist.

Despite her professional appearance, she was inwardly unsettled by the armoured man's questionings and insistence. She turns to General Ironwood for assistance, who notices and is thinking about it for the moment before giving a silent nod of approval towards her. She silently sighed before turning towards the Ashen One. "I found her through… unintentional means."

The newcomers were all confused at what the Specialist said while Ash raised a brow underneath his helmet. "Explain." He continued to insist, making Winter's eyes twitch as she was growing annoyed by him.

The elder Schnee took a deep breath to calm herself and reluctantly explained. "This… is how it went. It happened in Mistral before I returned to Atlas before its borders shut, where I was assigned to find a potential threat. There was a soldier who went out of base without any authorization and was waiting, and I was ordered to go there and grab him. When I went there, he told me he was securing something valuable and told me to look over a cliff."

She let out a breath of air as she had to say what occurred next. "Once I looked to where the soldier was pointing, I saw something shiny. I didn't expect that same soldier to kick me down without any warning. I landed deep into the cave with my aura shattered and Scroll destroyed. I got back up to see that the exact soldier was an unknown man who was bald and informed that he punished me for, as he puts it, 'no matter what pathway the Schnees chooses, greed always runs within the family. Don't you say? That's why it's my job to teach them a lesson' before leaving me stranded there, aura-less and without communication."

She let out a breath to calm down as she felt in that situation before continuing. "There were colored stones in a pathway, and I followed it. It took a while to follow it as it was deep in the caves, and I eventually entered an area where there were a lot of candles lying throughout. Then I saw her." She gestured over to the Firekeeper. "She was tending them with her bare hands, and I was shocked that she was doing it with her bare hands. I wanted to stop her from burning herself and was about to walk towards her. That was when she turned around and greeted me with my last name. I was shocked. I didn't know who that person was before she introduced herself as a 'Firekeeper' and had been expecting my arrival." She looked over to the person who was looking at her. "Would you like to explain them yourself?"

"Art, thou wish." The blind Fairy Lady nodded before looking towards the others. "As Specialist Schnee mentioned herself, I was expecting her arrival. The reason is that she was trapped and wanted to find a way out. I told her a way to get back to the surface. Yet, she was suspicious about my presence. I told her I was seeking someone special in Atlas. Specialist Schnee was hesitant to bring me to her Kingdom. Though, I convinced her I would go with her as long as I hath provided the necessary information needed until thy arrival, Ashen One."

"And… that's how I found Firekeeper." Winter finished explaining, gaining silence from the newcomers and even Ash, who was still staring at her. "She was placed in a safe building within the Academy and given the necessary information. Until now." She was glad she didn't have to resort to using force towards the Fair Lady. Otherwise, the possibility of Ash doing anything that would potentially kill her by the way he had looked at her.

When that was over, the Unkindled was annoyed at learning who was responsible for Firekeeper's discovery but was upset about how it went. It was a good thing his mask covered his reaction as he remembered what he said to him back at that campsite in Argus. "And I managed to trick a Schnee down a cave. I'm surprised that despite one of their kind being in the military, they are always tricked by their greed."

"Patches…" Ash inwardly groaned, annoyed that the trickster merchant did another favour for him, but it was through his entertainment. Firekeeper noticed his reaction but decided to not speak.

The silence was broken when Qrow laughed profusely while holding his sides. "Hahaha! I… I can't believe that happened to you of all people! I take back what I said about coming here. I was not expecting that at all!"

"W-Winter…" Weiss muttered, not knowing how to react at hearing her beloved sister was so deceived in the most humiliating way.

Ruby was conflicted. So she stayed entirely. Not wanting to hurt her partner's feelings. Oscar was the same.

Blake was trying not to laugh but just quietly chuckled.

Yang and Nora couldn't help but laugh at the elder Schnee's misfortune.

Jaune chuckled nervously, and Ren stays quiet with a straight face, no doubt using his Semblance to hold himself.

Winter couldn't help but have a hint of red on her face in embarrassment, feeling humiliated and angry what had occurred on that day. She swore that she'd get revenge on that man who had tricked her one day. That and how rumours had spreading through the ranks about her being tricked in the funniest way possible.

It was eventually broken when Ash cleared his throat, ultimately grabbing everyone's attention. He didn't want them to delve deep into Winter's situation any longer. "Moving on, I think they want to tell you something."

That was when Qrow stopped laughing and continued where the Unkindled left off. "Yeah, about that. We have some important information for you that's… confidential." Ash just rolled his eyes at hearing the last bit.

The tone of the room shifted in a militaristic way. "Oh, is it about the Relics?" Penny asked as he moved to the General's side.

Winter had seemingly switched back to her professional tone as she stood by at the General's other side. "Or perhaps the Winter Maiden?"

The Huntsman was surprised to hear this and had an obvious guess as to who. He looked over to Ironwood. "You told them?"

Said the individual just hummed at the Drunkard's words. He stands from his desk and retrieves the Relic of Knowledge from his drawer, which makes it grow to its standard size as he holds it up. "Did you really think you were the only one who got to work on a new plan after Beacon? With Ozpin gone, I needed a team of people I could trust. So yes, I told them. The Ace-Ops too." He looks over to the Firekeeper, who is gleaming over the object in his hand. "Not the Firekeeper. But she somehow knows about them." He then goes back on topic. "I'm so glad you're here… with this." He gestures to the Relic of Knowledge. "Until now, I believed it was impossible to truly turn the tide against Salem. Oz has pushed her back, has kept victory out of her claws, but she will keep returning stronger and stronger… unless we destroy her."

He places the Relic atop his desk, and the Firekeeper immediately remarks about it. "Ah, the Relic of Knowledge. 'Tis a real thing. It holds a rather…" She immediately stopped as she realised that everyone, apart from Ash for an apparent reason, was looking at her in bewilderment. "Forgive for my intrusion. T'was drifting into my own thoughts." The General was not too bothered with her words. Although, he was sceptical of what she had said and would like to know how she knew them.

Ruby was deep in her thoughts when she decided to ask her question. "But… what about the Atlas Relic?"

Ironwood knew what she was talking about. "You mean the Staff of Creation?"

"It's safe inside the Vault!" Penny enthusiastically told them.

"And the Winter Maiden?" Qrow had asked them.

That was when Winter decided to answer that. "She is secure and in stable condition."

Yang was obviously confused by her words. "Stable condition? What does that—"

"She's, uh, not exactly a spring chicken." Her uncle informed her right away.

"I know how this all looks," Ironwood told them while looking at them in the eyes. "Recalling my military? The embargo? I probably don't seem the most trustworthy right now."

"Then why continue it?" Blake asked.

Nora continued where the Faunus girl left off. "The people of Mantle are hurting!"

Ironwood seemed to understand what the two were trying to say and was confident in his decision. "I needed to ensure Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas. And I wanted my military here, protecting my people."

"But it's not protecting them! It's making everyone hate you." Yang had pointed out.

Still, Ironwood had already decided on his choice. "It's a price I'm willing to pay." He reaches over to a glowing panel of buttons on his desk and taps a button on the controller that resembles a table emitting light from its surface. "Just as you all have been entrusted with the knowledge of Salem's existence, I need you all to trust me. I have a plan."

Shutters come down outside the windows, darkening the room. A circle in the center of the floor that bared Atlas' emblem begins to rise up, which makes Ruby and Oscar step off of it. Ironwood starts to talk and makes his way over to it, as the circle increases and transforms into a table. "Ozpin believed the best way to fight Salem was to do so in secret. Whether that was the right choice or not isn't for me to say. But we find ourselves in a position of needing, well, a new approach."

"And what do you suggest?" Qrow asked.

The General responded by bringing out a tiny remote from his jacket and pressing a button, which activates a hologram display of Amity Colosseum that hovers above the table. Jaune and the others instantly knew what was presented to them. "That's… Amity Colosseum."

"Where the Vytal Festival is held?" Oscar spoke, remembering as he watched the event on television.

"Indeed." Ironwood has answered the two questions. "When Beacon fell, and everyone on Remnant lost contact with one another, I knew our current system was outdated. Amity was built to bring the nations together, and it will serve that purpose once again."

He presses the button again, and the hologram Amity Colosseum gains an antenna atop it. Ruby and her friends stare at the hologram and look at each other. Not Ash, as he was still processing what had been said. "Isn't it great? We're not going to just replace Beacon Tower. Building a new tower on top of Amity Colosseum will re-establish global communications!" Penny enthusiastically informed them.

The Specialist decided to add on where the robotic girl left off. "By launching the tower high into the atmosphere, our scientists believe we can create a sort of… satellite out of reach of the Grimm and capable of maintaining global communications even if we were to lose another tower."

That idea seemed the most practical for almost everyone. Ruby had uttered what was on everyone's mind. "That is great."

Her uncles could agree with her. Yet there was one thing he disagreed with the General. "James... you don't need the entire military for this."

Ironwood looks back at the Huntsman with a plain look on his face. "I will for the next part, where I finally tell the people about Salem."

That seemed to Qrow. Though, he remained doubtful. "Huh, so that's why you withdrew your troops, to handle the panic that would break out in Atlas."

Ironwood had acknowledged his ally's statement. "Yes, panic is inevitable, and panic brings Grimm. But I believe we are ready. Once Atlas has come to grips with the fight ahead, I'll use Amity Tower to spread the message to all of Remnant."

The former SDC Heiress pointed out a flaw within the General's plan. "But everything will fall apart. Grimm will be everywhere!"

Her sister just assured everybody of her Commander's plan. "You're right, but Atlas is willing and prepared to assist."

"Trying to hide the truth from the world will eventually kill us all." Ironwood continued off where his second-in-command left off.

It was at this point Ash decided to bring up one realistic problem. "That is true, General. But do you honestly think Atlas can be the only one who can assist everyone after revealing the truth of Salem?"

Now the General looked at him with and eyebrow raised towards the Unkindled. "And what are you trying to say?"

Ash immediately answered his question. "Just because Atlas is the most powerful kingdom in the world, that doesn't mean your military can assist everyone. From what I learnt, Remnant is full of Humans and Faunus people with different backgrounds. I simply cannot see how the entire Atlesian Military can assist everyone. That's going to waste a lot of resources."

Ironwood looked at the Unkindled with a hint of irritation. "That does not affect what I have already planned."

Ash wanted to say something, but he knew he would only get irritated and would only react with negativity. He let out a sigh and looked back at the General. "I was only speaking out of my concern, Sir."

Ironwood nodded as he pressed a button on his remote, and the hologram disappeared. The table transforms and recedes into the floor, and the shutters pull away from the windows. "Oz spent his whole life, many lives, keeping this secret." Qrow had spoken up to him.

The General seemed to accept his friend's words as he returned to his desk. "I know. But since Beacon, things have changed. Without him here to guide us, all I can do is use my best judgment." As he was talking, Oscar shifted uncomfortably. As if he had sensed something, Ironwood stops and looks back. "What is it?"

The Farmboy was in his thoughts before he spoke. "Actually, Oz isn't completely gone."

Qrow had to point the obvious out. "Uh, Oscar here is… is the next Ozpin."

There was a tiny spark of hope when the General heard what they said. "Oz?" With a smile, he quickly and eagerly approaches Oscar, who looks nervous. "I'm so glad you're here. I didn't think you—"

Oscar puts his hands up and interrupts Ironwood as the latter crouches to Oscar's level. "Not quite. He's kind of, um, gone... at the moment."

Ironwood's smile fades, and he lowers his head. "That's not normal." He lifts his head up to look back at the boy. "How did he—"

"We don't know," Ironwood, Qrow and Oscar look at Ruby, who was looking directly at Ironwood. "We were in a train crash, and ever since, well… suddenly, Oz wasn't there anymore."

"That's the worst news yet," Ironwood spoke as he got to his feet. "Did you learn anything from him about the Relics before…?"

Ruby slightly looks away while answering his question. "He told us the lamp can answer three questions. But all the questions were used up already." Hearing the lie Ruby had told the General caused Yang and Blake to look at one another. Yet they weren't the only ones.

Ash just slightly shook his head in disappointment when he heard about this. "Ruby. Why…" The only person who noticed this was the Firekeeper.

"Right, right." Ironwood before walking back behind his desk and staring out the window. "Ozpin told us that too, once upon a time." He turns to face them. "At least we have you, Oscar. You're safe here in Atlas. Maybe together, we can figure out how to bring Ozpin back."

Oscar was grinning while speaking to the General. "Thank you, sir." He stands up straight while having an awkward smile on his face. "I mean, uh, general. Uh, Ironwood?"

Ironwood picks up the Relic of Knowledge, walks over to Ruby and offers it to her. She was surprised by this. "You're giving it back to me?"

Ironwood nodded at her. "After what happened with the Ace-Ops, I don't want you to think I'm keeping anything from you, especially something as important as this. For now, I think it's safest with the people who brought it here."

As he handed the Relic to her, the young leader couldn't help but thank him. "Um, thank you." The object seemed to shrink, and she hooked it onto her belt before exchanging a look with Oscar.

"We must work together if we're to fight Salem and win," Ironwood told them. "Now, if you're all on board…"

The young leader thinks it over for a few seconds. It took a while to give her an answer before she looked directly at Ironwood. "Tell us how we can help."

Ironwood was glad to hear her and the others willing to help him with his plans. "Good, because getting the Amity Tower ready to launch won't be easy." He proceeds to walk back to his desk once again. "But first, I think we need to get those weapons of yours up to our standards."

A hologram screen shows Blake drawing her broken katana before their fight against the Sabyrs in Mantle. Seeing the footage caused Blake to react with embarrassment.

"Remember, this is Atlas." Winter informed the group, "While assisting the military, we will provide you with the best equipment our scientists can devise."

Hearing what has been said causes everyone to have various reactions. Nora seemed to be excited about this. "Ooh!"

Ren was surprised about it as well. "Really?"

Like the orange-haired girl, Yang put her first up in the air for excitement. "Yeah!"

Ash was the only one who didn't react like them. But a sudden thought came to mind as he glanced at his Wolf Knight's Greatsword. Pulling the weapon from his back and giving a few looks. Speaking of that, everyone saw the condition it was in. Penny couldn't help but comment at his sword. "That sword seemed to have better days. Are you thinking of upgrading it?"

The Unkindled was too focused on his sword until he answered the robotic girl's question. "This sword holds many memories. I do not want to ruin the way it is." He looked over to Ironwood and Winter. "I want to restore this sword."

Both were, of course, taken back by what he stated. But none didn't display such a reaction. Winter remained as professional as ever. "Is there a reason for not wanting your sword to be in Atlas's standards?"

Again, the Unkindled was about to open when he felt the Firekeeper speaking up. "'Tis a sword that has brought a lot of memories to him. He does not wish to not have it ruined. Art, thou grant him his request?"

The two Atlesians looked at one another, uncertain if they could do such a thing. It took a bit of time for the Elder Schnee to look back at him. "Alright. If that what he wants, then out scientists can try to restore it."

Ash felt relieved to hear about it. "Thank you." Without thinking, he gave the Wolf Knight's Greatsword to Penny, who wrapped her arms around it. "Please don't get it ruined. That sword means a lot to me."

The robotic girl let out a smile, "It will back get once it's done, Ashen—"

"You can just call me Ash." He told her.

The girl was caught off guard by what he said. "Why can't I call you—"

"That's a mouthful, and calling me Ash is simple." He responded bluntly. Ash turned to see Ruby and her group looking at him worryingly. He just sighed at what he did. "Damnit! I did it again!"

"Ashen One..." He heard the Firekeeper speaking to him.

"I know." He immediately replied to her. "I just need somewhere to go to relax myself."

His close friend understood why he decided to say that. "I have a room within this academy. Shall I take thee?"

The unkindled didn't say a word, and he nodded at her to lead the way. Before leaving, he looked at them once more. "I'll see you all in the first assessment." He continued to follow his close friend to relieve himself from what he had just possessed.

As Ash and the Firekeeper exited the General's Office, Weiss felt much better. "To think he'd have such malice..."

For once, Jaune had to agree with the former Heiress. "Yeah. To think he can emit while being extremely calm."

Ren can see what they were implying. "I can assume what both of you are about Ash. But don't you all think it's all just a facade?"

As the calm huntsman-in-training mentioned, Ruby and the others had their own thoughts, which makes sense. "Now that I think about it, Ash seems unbothered by it. Like he doesn't care at all."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"There must have been something we don't know about," he explained. "He went through something we do not know that made him stop caring. Whatever he experienced, it made him what he is today."

"What do you reckon?" Nora asked her close friend.

-Scene Change-

Ash and the Firekeeper reached the room, and, as dull as it looked, they didn't seem to bother about it. The Unkindled looked around. "Seems like they were careful when they were looking after you?"

"Indeed," she spoke. "Though they remained sceptical about me."

The Firekeeper sat on the bed, whereas the Unkindled proceeded to grab his bottomless box to grab for something. Yet, he began to speak to where of what he had learned. The Ashen One had explained to her the truths of the Relics, the Maidens, and the secretive war between Ozma and Salem that had been going on for thousands of years that Ruby had not informed about Ironwood. He had also told her how he killed a deranged individual called Adam and took his soul and weapon.

When he had finished his explanation, the Firekeeper pondered for a few moments. She was taken back to what he spoke, yet she remained stoic as ever. "I see. 'Tis a lot to take in."

"I know..." Ash replied, still busy with his bottomless box.

"Ashen One, art thou sure 'tis wise to keep such a secret hidden from the General?" His dear friend asked him with concern.

Ash didn't say anything as he was busy getting a particular armour set from his bottomless box and a shield. "It is Lady Ruby's choice and not mine. I will not guide them all the time. Sometimes, they need to deal with the consequences on their own. Besides, Ironwood doesn't trust me and you, and I don't trust him as well with what he is doing."

The Firekeeper seemed to accept his words. Something came to her mind when the subject of secrets was brought up. "And will you tell them, about your past and the First Flame, Ashen One?"

"And explained to them how I was brought back from the dead as an Unkindled all because of that pathetic First Flame?" The Ashen One spoke with confidence. "It is not the right moment. I do not want them to have the knowledge of our accursed..." He stopped talking as realisation had hit him that he was raising his voice out of anger and stopped what he was doing. "I'm sorry, Firekeeper, for snapping at you. I... let my emotions get the better of me."

His close friend didn't utter a word. Instead, she stood from the bed and came to the Unkindled's side. She then held his right hand with a gentle grip. "'Tis alright. Thou no need to apologise. You hath bottled up too many emotions after your experiences."

Ash didn't reply as he gently squeezed her hand to share this tender moment.

For now, the two close friends can have this moment to relax until the Ashen One joins with the others on their first assignment.

INSERT: Escalate by Aimer as the Second Opening to the Second Volume

Finally, onto the second chapter of the second volume! And the Firekeeper is here, hooray! It looks like Ash is about to get that set seen in the preview. I wonder how they'll react.

Anyway, I just realised that the first volume was that the Ashen One/Ash has been following the cast and only having a few moments on his own. That and I gotten a PM that says this Fanfic is 'lean on Team RWBY'. I need to get that sorted out.

One more information. As you know, Ash is seen being wise and and experienced yet he is also jaded, distrustful, bitter, and cynical. He is also untrusting, cautious, prudent, stoic, adaptable, perceptive, unyielding, resolute, pensive, mysterious, merciful, isolated, venerable to people he is deeply close with ( as seen with Firekeeper and to some extent Patches), and somewhat Bloodthirsty. I wonder how that would play out?

I need to thank triscythe59 for aiding me in this chapter. I wouldn't have made this without his help. Give him big thanks.

Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed the chapter so far and I will see you all in the next update.

Also, give some constructive criticism if I were to make improvements