A Song of Ice and Fire Cut Short by Dust (RWBY in Westeros) (Complete)

[prestdan000]

Kind of sad this is ending

 

[Starfox5]

What else could justify means?

Click to shrink...

They do not justify the means in this case.

Welp. That was way vague, and it's not clear to me that "look for traitors near you" is a productive statement unless they get lucky. How likely would they be to just alienate true friends in the search for traitorous folk? I guess I'm just wishing they'd gotten something concrete enough for Ozpin and crew to take that seriously.

Click to shrink...

Well, they did - "The worst traitors are those trusted with the most important secrets", the Blacksmith told them. That means that Ozpin knows someone in his innermost circle is a traitor since RWBY haven't trusted anyoe yet with their secrets except for Ozpin and Goodwitch.

Kind of sad this is ending

Click to shrink...

I never (seriously) start a story without having the ending in mind, so that was always a given.

 

[ATP]

So,they come home with almost useless knowledge.Our Blacmsmith could send them to WEsteros to save people,but not in their own world.Typical.
P.S Poor Marwyn.

 

[ATP]

if you could,please made two epilogues - one covering RWBY, how their limited knowledge helped them compare to canon,and another about Westeros,how all main characters there ended.

 

[Starfox5]

if you could,please made two epilogues - one covering RWBY, how their limited knowledge helped them compare to canon,and another about Westeros,how all main characters there ended.

Click to shrink...

That has been the plan for some time.

 

[ScriptGenius12]

No dragon fight?

 

[Starfox5]

No dragon fight?

Click to shrink...

Wouldn't be much of a fight. The girls still have some ammo left, so the dragon could not even stand-off in the air. Crescent Rose would be enough to down a dragon... or the rider.

 

[ScriptGenius12]

Now put them onto Earth during Doom Eternal or Night City and then we can have some genuine tension.

 

[Starfox5]

Now put them onto Earth during Doom Eternal or Night City and then we can have some genuine tension.

Click to shrink...

The whole point of the story is to challenge RWBY not to go all murder-blender on people who arguably deserve it because RWBY are heroes and won't assimilate into Westeros's culture of violence. It was never about challenging them physically. If it were about that kind of tension, I could have just written a story set in Remnant since Huntresses there risk their lives every time they go on a mission.

 

[ScriptGenius12]

Fair enough, I'll get my murder fix elsewhere

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 72: The Return

'One of the most puzzling rumours to persist for centuries despite being easily disproven - the limited speed of the ships of the time, much less overland travel, and the locations of both parties are proven thanks to multiple contemporary sources - is that there was a secret meeting between Princess Daenerys Targaryen, Queen of Meereen, and the Ruby Order during which the five women settled the succession of the Iron Throne. Even if such a meeting would have been possible - the disappearance of the Ruby Order from Westeros at least theoretically would have allowed a trip to Meereen albeit the Ruby Order would almost certainly not have acted in the crown's name in such a manner, not without authorisation by the Lord Regent, for which there is no source - there would have been records and reports of such an event by everyone involved, distributed to the various parties affected by this. The only such record is an obvious forgery, crafted two hundred years later, in an apparent attempt to discredit the ruling king of the time by his younger brother. However, it is quite evident that the Ruby Order influenced Princess Daenerys's policies, both during the Great Winter Council and the Crusade.'

• A Treatise On The Ruby Order, by Maester Kennet Bracken

*****
​

Meereen, Slaver's Bay, Essos, 299 AC

Standing in front of two massive bronze doors, richly decorated with exotic motives, Quentyn Martell took a deep breath to steady himself. Behind those doors waited the throne room of Princess Daenerys Targaryen - Queen of Meereen, he corrected himself. He couldn't afford to make a mistake now. His mission was too important. Daenerys, thanks to her dragons, was the only one who stood a chance against the Four Maidens. If his family wanted to finally receive justice and topple the usurper from the Iron Throne, they needed her support.

That was the reason Quentyn had travelled from Dorne to Slaver's Bay. His father and his House counted on him. That was why he was standing here, waiting as if he were some beggar, next to the two Unsullied - his skin crawled at the thought of what had been done to them - who were standing guard.

Without warning and with hardly a sound, the doors opened - well-oiled hinges, indeed - and a woman in a silk dress too expensive for a mere servant looked at him. "Prince Quentyn. The Queen will see you now." She stepped to the side without a bow.

Was that an insult, or different customs? Quentyn wasn't familiar enough with Meereen to tell. He banished the thought and entered the throne room with his head held high.

Two rows of Unsullied flanked the carpet leading to the throne, and he could see various courtiers behind them, all looking at him even though a few acted as if they weren't. That was familiar, of course. However, the mix of their appearances wasn't. Even for Essos, the mix of clothes and people was eclectic. Even with just a glance, he spotted what looked like Ghiscari, Dothraki, Lysene, Volantene and even Westerosi fashion.

But the figure on the throne drew, no, caught his attention. Even if he hadn't known her description, he would have realised she was royalty - her composure was as impressive as her Targaryen beauty. Long, pearly-white hair held in an elaborate plait, a white silken dress, cut in a fashion a Dornish could approve of, and adorned with selected jewellery, she looked at him with her chin raised and her mouth set in a slight frown. Stern but oh so beautiful, and he felt his stomach twist a bit at the sight. Dangerous, in more ways than one, as Uncle Oberyn would say. He couldn't see her dragons, though, as he understood, they had grown too large to be kept around during court.

But he was the son of the Prince of Dorne. He was here on his father's orders, and he represented a family that had ruled Dorne three times as long as the Targaryens had ruled Westeros. Unbowed, unbent, unbroken.

He approached the stairs leading to the throne and bowed. Deeply - it was better to err on the side of caution, given the princess's - the queen's - ancestry and what he had heard about her actions in Slaver's Bay. "Your Grace."

"Prince Quentyn." She nodded at him, and her lips twisted into the barest hint of a smile as her eyes narrowed.

"I bring greetings from my father, the Prince of Dorne, and his congratulations for your ascension to Queen of Meereen," Quentyn went on. He gestured at the servant standing behind him. "I've brought a gift as well."

The servant stepped forward and put the small chest he was carrying on the ground, right between Quentyn and the first step, and withdrew again.

Quentyn opened it, revealing a beautiful diadem - not a crown, of course. Still, it was a masterwork of jewellery, a dozen rubies set in white gold, the metal shaped like three dragons with their bodies intertwined.

The Queen nodded in acceptance, but her faint smile didn't grow more pronounced - and she stared at him with slightly narrowed eyes while a servant collected the chest and took it away.

He felt a bit… not unnerved, nor worried, but… curious, he decided, would fit, about it. Of course, the diadem was, while expensive, not worth a fortune - not for the ruler of a city in Essos. On the other hand, it was no trifle, either - a worthy gift for royalty. "It was originally intended for Princess Elia," he explained. "But she was murdered before the craftsman could complete it." He smiled sadly, even though he felt proud to segue into their shared family ties and tragic past.

"I see. You gift me the leftovers of my good sister?" Her eyebrows rose slightly.

"It was never worn," he replied, perhaps, in hindsight, a bit too defensively. "It never left Dorne before this. It is yours, Your Grace." He bowed his head again.

"Yes, it is."

He was growing a little concerned. According to all he had heard, the girl shouldn't be this cold - or hostile - towards him. They did share grievances against the usurper. They were related by the blood each of them shared with Prince Aergon. Why was she acting as if his House - or Quentyn himself - had slighted her? He had done no such thing!

"And it is a not-so-subtle reminder of my family's fate in the Rebellion," she spoke up after a moment's silence.

What could he do but nod? Even though it was quite blunt to lay it out like that in front of the Court. Had the Queen's education been utterly bereft of a courtly education? Or had she taken to the blunt rashness of Dothraki because of her late husband? Nevertheless, he had to push on. "Although perhaps our shared loss of kin could better be discussed in a more private setting, Your Grace." He smiled at her, hoping to convey the right mix of sadness and promise.

He could only hope that she would realise what he implied. The things he had been sent to discuss couldn't be voiced in public; it would be a folly to speak of what amounted to treason when four score of nobles and more guards could listen in; the Usurper's regent would hear about it as soon as the next ship from Meereen reached King's Landing.

She slowly nodded. "Of course you would."

He tensed - she sounded cold. Coldly furious. But why? He caught her glancing - with a thin smile - at the man standing near the corner to her side. Was that Mormont? Quentyn had heard about the disgraced northern noble; his garments, utterly unsuited to the climate, would fit.

But he couldn't let himself get distracted. He smiled winningly at the queen as he cocked his head in genuine confusion. "I beg your pardon, Your Grace?"

"You're here to entice me to support your ploy to take the Iron Throne."

He froze, both at the coldness of her tone and the accusation. How could she say this out loud?

She scoffed. "Do not deny it; Ser Jorah told me about the plans to use me."

She rose and started to descend the stairs.

"About the assassin he was told to stop to earn my trust. About the lies I had been told growing up in exile."

She stopped a few steps before the floor. High enough that he had to crane his neck to meet her blazing eyes.

"About Illyrio's plans to use my dragons and me for his schemes. Your and Varys's schemes."

Quentyn couldn't help it; he glared at Ser Jorah with a gasp. How could he betray their confidence like this?

When he heard her scoff again and saw her sneer, he realised his mistake.

"I am no tool to be used! No child to be manipulated! I am Queen Daenerys Targaryen! Mother of Dragons!"

A shadow fell on her, and a moment later, Quentyn almost cried out in fear when a dragon swept down to perch on the railing of the balcony behind her throne, the impact seemingly shaking the palace walls themselves.

Quentyn swallowed, trembling against his will.

"I will never let anyone use me again!" she spat. "Not through bribes, not through lies, not through empty promises and false tales of the past! I know about your plot! Go tell your father that I will not ally myself with those who approach me under false pretences!"

He wanted to deny the accusation, explain that it wasn't true, beg for a private discussion so he could explain that Father was supporting the rightful heir to the Iron Throne - her nephew - but then the dragon behind her roared, and it was all he could do not to soil himself as he fled the room.

It was scant consolation that the court must have been as frightened as Quentyn himself had been, he realised once the doors closed behind him, for they had not laughed at him, as many would have done to curry favour with their queen.

Father would not be pleased to hear about this. Not at all. Yet he must know as soon as possible to counter whatever consequences this public confrontation would bring for him and their House.

Quentyn could only hope that their ship had already finished reprovisioning.

*****
​

Ruins, Wilderness, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant

Ruby Rose slightly staggered when the ground changed beneath her as she stepped through the portal and the gleaming light vanished. She quickly looked around, Crescent Rose ready. It looked… "...kinda familiar," she said out loud. Old, crumbled stone walls, mostly overgrown. The trees sprouting between the stone remains were old-looking - tall, the branches thick, pretty different from the scraggly trees (except for the Weirwood ones, of course) in Dorne. And the bushes looked different too. And the mountains in the distance… yes, she knew them. Well, not the names.

"Those are the ruins where we were transported to Westeros," Weiss said - her partner was also glancing around, Myrtenaster raised.

She was right - Ruby recognised the ruins. And the forest around them. She had looked at the pictures (a few times) and read their own descriptions of them (often) in Westeros. "That means we're home!" she blurted out.

"It's our moon," Blake said, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah," Yang added. "So, be on the lookout for Grimm - the ones we killed will have been replaced."

Right. They were in the middle of the wilderness. Ruby nodded. Oh! "Cover me!" she pulled out her scroll. "I'll check if we have a connection!"

"They better not have cancelled our subscriptions during the time we were missing," Weiss muttered as she stepped closer to Ruby.

Ruby stared at the scroll, watching the symbol spin as her scroll tried to connect to the CCTS.

"We would need to have a repeater in range to get a connection," Blake said. "And we're in the middle of nowhere, so that's very unlikely. We'll have to trek back to…"

With a soft beep, Ruby's scroll established a connection. "Yes!" She smiled at her friends. "I've got a connection!"

"Really?" Weiss looked surprised - and pulled her own scroll out.

"Yes!" Yang grinned widely as Ruby nodded at her.

Blake frowned. "That means there has to be a repeater nearby, but that means there'd be an outpost, or at least a Huntsman camp nearby."

"Whatever! Let's call Beacon so they can send a Bullhead to pick us up before we lose connection!" Weiss said. "And let's hope that they won't believe that we're bandits trying to lure them into an ambush with found scrolls - we have been missing for over a year, so…" She trailed off with a gasp. "That can't be right!"

"What?" Ruby cocked her head to look at Weiss's scroll. "What's wrong?"

"According to my scroll, it's the same day we left!" Weiss replied, staring at her scroll. "The same hour, perhaps even the same minute."

"What?" Ruby blinked, then checked the date and time on her own. "It's…" She blinked as she tried to remember the date, then checked her scroll's calendar. "...the same day, yes."

"And the same time," Blake added. She looked at the hill. "If that's true, then we should find our own tracks up on the hilltop there."

"Let's go!" Ruby said, starting to jog up the slope.

"Stop! Don't touch the magical artefact!" Weiss yelled.

Ruby turned around to frown at her partner. "I wasn't going to, duh!" Yes, there, on that hill, was the thingy she had touched so long ago. But she wouldn't touch it again - she didn't want to be transported back to Westeros!

Weiss huffed. "You better not. I do not want to return to Westeros."

"To the in-between, as the Blacksmith called it," Blake cut in. "She said the artefact took us there, and she moved us to Westeros."

"No matter the destination, I absolutely do not wish to leave this world again!" Weiss snapped.

"Let's just check for our tracks," Yang spoke up.

"Yes!" Ruby used her Semblance and flew to shortly before the hilltop - no need to risk accidentally touching the thingy. Yes, the area looked like there had been a fight - lots of torn up ground and… "Oh! There's a spent cartridge from my baby!" She picked the case up and held it out so her friends could see.

"Are you certain?" Weiss asked as she came up the slope. "Other Huntresses probably use anti-material rifles as well."

"Yes!" Ruby nodded. "I loaded that round myself - see the mark on the casing? That's my emblem!"

"Not from here, no," Weiss replied.

"Well, it is mine!" Ruby replied. She looked around. It was true. The moon, the location, the connection, the cases… She took a deep breath. "We're home! We're really home!" She used her Semblance again to dash towards Weiss, hugging her partner. "We're home!" And their families hadn't spent a year thinking they were dead! That was even better! Or almost as good!

Weiss tensed up, but Ruby felt her return the hug. "Yes, we are," her partner whispered, followed by what might have been a sniffle. "We're home."

"Yeah! We're back! Group hug!"

Two more pairs of arms closed around them.

Ruby closed her eyes and didn't bother to wipe the tears away.

They were home! They were finally home! They could see their families and friends again!

*****
​

Wilderness, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

Their base camp - which was a fancy name for the spot where they had stashed the supplies that had been too unwieldy to carry into a fight - was untouched. Of course, they had cleared out all the Grimm nearby before leaving for the ruins, so that was to be expected. And with the number of Grimms they had had to kill, the odds of anyone else having been around to loot the camp had been very low.

Ruby was still relieved to find everything whole and where it should be - especially the repeater. Sure, the fact that their scrolls had a connection meant it was working, but… After everything they had gone through, she was justified in being a bit paranoid.

Still, it looked like everything was OK. "Alright, let's call Beacon then!"

"Technically, we haven't finished the mission," Weiss said. Ruby gave her a look. As did Yang and Blake. "But I think the fact that we discovered a magical artefact is enough justification, so it shouldn't affect our grades."

Ruby blinked, then stared at her partner. "Weiss!"

"It was a joke!" Weiss defended herself, blushing slightly with that adorable pout of hers.

Ah! Ruby nodded, and Yang chuckled, which made Weiss pout some more.

"So, let's call Beacon. And hope Professor Goodwitch won't believe we're trying to cut the mission short," Ruby said. This was, after all, as the Headmaster had explained, a way to get them to 'lie low' after they had kinda trashed a highway fighting Torchwick, even though that had totally been that criminal's fault and not theirs.

"Oh, right!" Yang chuckled again. "I'd almost forgotten this was a punishment!"

"It wasn't a punishment!" Weiss objected. "We didn't receive detention or a demerit. It was merely a… "

"It was an informal or unofficial punishment," Blake interrupted her.

"That doesn't count," Weiss retorted.

"Guys!" Ruby shook her head. "I'm calling the professor now!"

She used the repeater's communication mode for it. Using her scroll would feel a bit, what was the word Weiss used? Right, frivolous.

The call went out, and Ruby watched the symbol on the small screen blink as she waited for the Professor to accept it.

After a few seconds, the screen changed to show Professor Goodwitch's face. "Yes?" she asked with her usual half-frown. But before Ruby could start explaining, the professor's eyes widened. "Miss Rose?"

"Yes?" She knew Ruby, didn't she? They hadn't been missing for a year, not at all… Oh. It had been a year for Ruby, but only a few days for the Professor. "Yes!" She nodded firmly. "I know it's a bit early, but… There was an incident. Totally not our fault!" she quickly said when the professor's eyes narrowed. "But it's very important and a long story, and we really need to get back to Beacon right away!" She almost mentioned magic before she remembered that the Blacksmith had warned them of traitors and spies around.

"Is it an emergency?"

Uh. Ruby frowned. Then she nodded. "Yes."

The Professor looked at her, and, for a moment, Ruby thought she would demand an explanation. But then she nodded. "Very well. I'll send a Bullhead. But if this is just an attempt to cut your mission short…"

"It isn't!" Ruby said. It wasn't! "It's really important!"

Ruby grimaced as the screen went dark. The way Professor Goodwitch's eyes had narrowed before the call was ended probably meant she hadn't fully believed them. Well, she would. Probably. "Uh… what do we do if they don't believe us?"

"We've got pictures of the Blacksmith on our scrolls. And pictures of the other world. Worlds," Yang said.

"Those could be faked," Blake said - but Ruby saw her check her scroll.

"We've got Ruby," Weiss said.

Ruby blinked. "Eh?"

Weiss frowned at her - was she still mad about the anvil accident? "You've grown far more than would be possible in a few days."

"Ah, right!" Ruby smiled and looked down at her dress. "I got new clothes." Oh. "That must be why the professor asked if it was me!"

"Well, that, the pictures, the dress - and that our story sounds far too far-fetched to be a plausible lie should help with our credibility," Weiss said.

"And if they don't believe us?" Ruby asked.

"Then we look for those traitors and spies ourselves," Blake replied. "We've been doing it before."

And they had been told quite strictly that they shouldn't be doing it any more. But this was a matter of life and death for the world!

Ruby nodded. "Yeah."

*****
​

Beacon Academy, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

"Goodwitch's waiting for us at the landing pad."

Weiss Schnee took a deep breath when she heard Yang's comment. They should have anticipated this, of course, having called in an emergency, but part of her had still expected to be able to head to the dorms first, get more presentable - their combat outfits had held up admirably, but after a year in Westeros, they were anything but pristine, and part of her recoiled from the thought of attending a high-profile meeting in anything but impeccable clothes.

On the other hand, their current appearance should lend credence to their report; Professor Goodwitch wasn't the type to miss even a hair out of place when they were wearing their school uniforms, after all. And, Weiss reminded herself, Ruby wouldn't fit into her school uniform any more anyway, so it behoved Weiss to show solidarity with her partner and team leader and not change clothes either.

She made a mental note - no, wait, she could use her scroll for non-essential tasks again! She set a reminder in her scroll's calendar to go shopping with Ruby; her friend and partner needed a new wardrobe, and Weiss was quite certain that a bit of fashion advice would be helpful.

But first, a different kind of support was needed. "You can do this," she told Ruby in a low voice while the Bullhead set down. "You've been talking to Kings and Princes."

"Yeah, but… those were just nobles; this is Professor Goodwitch."

"And she will take us to the Headmaster if she believes our story," Blake added - quite unhelpfully, in Weiss's opinion.

But to Weiss's - in hindsight misplaced - surprise, Ruby nodded at that, her expression growing firm. "Right. And the world depends on us. We can do this."

They stepped out of the Bullhead and walked towards Professor Goodwitch. She was tapping her crop against her thigh, Weiss noted, and her expression… Well, the last time Weiss had seen her was over a year ago, so she wasn't actually certain whether the professor was looking more annoyed than usual, but she was definitely not amused. Although not as annoyed as she had been after the food fight - Weiss almost blushed at the memory of that blight on her academic record.

"Team RWBY."

"Yes, Professor!" Ruby nodded. "I mean, reporting in!"

"You've called in an emergency. What is its nature? You do not seem hurt or…" Weiss could tell when the Professor noticed the general state of their combat outfits. And Blake's ears, she supposed, when her eyebrows went up. Yet she merely finished her sentence with "...exhausted."

"It's a long story," Ruby replied. "And one we should talk privately." She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "We know that there are spies around nearby who work for someone who wants to destroy everything!"

To Weiss - this time justified - surprise, Professor Goodwitch stiffened at those words, then nodded. "Is this something the Headmaster should know?"

Ruby blinked. "Uh, yes, I think. It's really important."

That earned her another frown, but the professor didn't rescind her implied offer. "Follow me, then." She turned around without another word, leaving Team RWBY to trail after her.

Which they did, of course.

"It feels good to be back in Beacon!" Ruby exclaimed after they had cleared the landing pad and were approaching the main building of the academy.

"Yeah!" Yang said.

Weiss had to agree. Seeing the familiar spires, the arches, the students milling around or heading to classes… It felt good. It felt like home. More than her actual home did, a small voice in the back of her mind added. She ignored the voice - this wasn't the time to dwell on her personal situation.

Walking in the wake of Professor Goodwitch ensured that the other students gave them a wide berth; no one wanted to earn the professor's ire. It didn't stop them from staring, though, nor from whispering amongst themselves. The gossipmongers were probably speculating what Team RWBY had done this time, Weiss thought. Or they were talking about Blake being a Faunus. They would have to deal with that, of course, Weiss knew - she saw Cardin Winchester frown at them with his team of thugs - but that could wait. They had much more important issues to deal with, first.

And, Weiss thought as they entered the main building, after dealing with plotting nobles and assassins for a year, dealing with a few bigots wouldn't be much of a challenge.

*****
​

When the lift doors opened to the Headmaster's office, Weiss could see that Headmaster Ozpin was sitting behind his desk, a mug in hand, looking far more relaxed than a man in his position and with his responsibilities had any right to be. At least, based on her experience. Although whether he was truly relaxed or merely putting up a front, it wouldn't matter; she was sure the coming revelation would disturb the man. And a small part of her was looking forward to seeing the Headmaster and Professor Goodwitch's reaction to their story.

"Team RWBY to see you, Headmaster," Goodwitch announced them. "They claim to have important information and fear spies of someone who wishes to destroy everything."

She stressed the last words, and Weiss could see how the man briefly tensed at that, though he hid it well by taking a sip from his mug. "Oh?"

"Yes!" Ruby took the initiative. "It's a long story, so it will take some time, but… We discovered magic!"

Once again, the Headmaster tensed, cocking his head slightly to the side. Professor Goodwitch also tensed, Weiss noted - but neither seemed to dismiss Ruby's frankly extraordinary claim out of hand.

And that was telling by itself. Weiss remembered the Blacksmith's words: None except a very small number are aware of the threat.

"Magic." The Headmaster set the mug down and interlaced his fingers, elbows on his desk.

"Yes!" Ruby nodded. "A magic artefact - from the time when humans could use magic, or so we were told. But they're all gone now. The humans who could magic, I mean - the artefact is still there where we found it. And, um, where we accidentally activated it."

"You activated a magic artefact?" The Headmaster's eyebrows rose.

"Yes! Accidentally! And it transported us to another world," Ruby went on. "Well, it transported us to the in-between, and someone else transported us to the other world, but we only found that out later - today, actually. Shortly before we returned."

Weiss pressed her lips together. Ruby was… not making a mess out of it, actually, but her presentation wasn't as structured as Weiss would have preferred. But she hadn't missed anything important so far.

"Anyway, we landed in the Lands of Always Winter and were attacked by ice people and ice zombies."

"The Others and their Wights," Weiss added. "That was what they were called."

"Yes, yes." Ruby rolled her eyes. "But they were ice people and ice zombies. Anyway, we fought them - there were a lot of them, and they didn't stop fighting unless they were completely destroyed, both of them, and they had ice spiders, and ice magic, too, but ultimately, we killed their leader - the Night King," she added, and Weiss closed her mouth. "And everyone fell down, dead."

"That is quite a story," the Headmaster commented.

"It's just the beginning," Ruby replied. "And, well, it's mostly for context. Anyway, we looked for a way back, but there were no ruins or artefacts where we had arrived, and so we looked around some more, met some members of bandit tribes, who attacked us, so we defended ourselves, then we met the Night's Watch, who were guarding the Seven Kingdoms against the bandits…"

"Wildlings," Weiss whispered.

"...who are actually called Wildlings," Ruby continued with a slight eye roll. "But they act like the bandits here, raiding villages and all. Anyway, we beat them easily since no one there has any Aura or Semblance, and they didn't have any mechashift weapons, not even guns - they had no Dust at all, it was all horses and swords and crossbows - and then we travelled to the ruler of the North, one of the Seven Kingdoms, Lord Eddard Stark, but he didn't know how we could get back to our world, either, so we went to the capital of Westeros - that's the name for the Seven Kingdoms, and the island it's on - the King of the Seven Kingdoms, King Robert, was willing to help us, too. But his people didn't know where we could return to our world, either, and then he was murdered, and we had to deal with the Court, prevent a civil war or a coup, deal with assassins and spies who used maimed children as agents… Anyway, after a year, we finally found a way home. A magical altar, an anvil, which sent us to the, uh, person who had sent us to Westeros. The Blacksmith." Ruby beamed and pulled out her scroll. "And we recorded what she told us! Which is the important thing we need to talk to you about. Because she told us that there was a person like the Night King in our world, too, and they had spies very close to us."

"And that we should go to our teachers," Yang added.

Weiss nodded. "Because there are supposedly a few people who know about this, and are trying to stop that person." She looked at the two teachers while Ruby held out her scroll, but except for Professor Goodwitch glancing at the Headmaster, they didn't show any reaction.

"I see. Would you mind sending me the recording so we can watch it?" he asked.

"Uh, sure!" Ruby smiled a bit embarrassedly and tapped her scroll a few times. Then a few times more. "Sorry, it's been over a year since I last shared something on my scroll. Ah! Sent!"

"Thank you, Miss Rose." The Headmaster's attention was already on the holographic screen that had appeared above his desk, though - where the recording from Ruby's scroll started playing.

"Your world faces a threat not unlike the Long Night in Westeros. As with the Night King and the Others…"

*****
​

"...you ready to return home, then?"

The Headmaster hadn't taken his eyes off the recording, Weiss had noticed. And that despite the numerous glances Professor Goodwitch had sent him, obviously trying to meet his eyes. He was obviously taking this seriously.

"'None except a very small number are aware of the threat, and only two of them know the true extent of it - one behind the danger, the other trying to stop it'", he quoted the recording. "'Traitors close to you and to those in the know'. And the worst of them are those trusted with the most important secrets," he said, still staring at the now-empty screen.

"As you have seen, we believe they are planning to use Atlesian Knights against us," Blake added.

"That is why we suspect that Roman Torchwick and a cell of the White Fang are working for this person," Weiss added.

"And if the traitors are close to us, to Team RWBY, and to you, that means they have to be at Beacon already!" Ruby blurted out.

"That would be a logical conclusion," the Headmaster said. "However, they could also be a person close to any one of you."

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "You sound as if you have a few suspects already, Headmaster. And I believe you already knew about this threat - as did Professor Goodwitch."

Headmaster Ozpin smiled, though it looked sad rather than pleased. "I believe it would be foolish to deny it any longer."

"Headmaster!" Professor Goodwitch hissed.

He shook his head. "It's quite clear that, despite my intentions, someone else chose to involve Team RWBY in our struggle. Someone whose decisions, I think, are beyond our means to contest, given what we know about Miss Rose and her friends' intentions." He looked at Ruby, then at Weiss, Blake and Yang. "I doubt that I am mistaken when I say that you are determined to do your part to stop this threat."

"Of course!" Ruby nodded emphatically.

"Hell, yes, we are!" Yang bared her teeth.

Weiss, as well as Blake, as she saw, restricted their reactions to firm nods.

"So, we won't. But I have two requests for you," he went on, and his tone removed all doubt from Weiss that these requests should be refused. Not that that would stop her team, should they feel they had to be refused, of course. "First, you should rest. You have, as you have said, and Miss Rose's appearance proves, spent a year in another world. You will need time to reacquaint yourselves with the Academy and our world before you can help with this threat. It will also give me time to find those spies and traitors you were warned against."

That sounded logical. They had spent a year in Westeros, often under considerable stress, and they would need time to recover and refamiliarise themselves with the academy. And, Weiss had to suppress a gasp at the thought, with the curriculum.

"Sounds OK." Ruby nodded. "And the second thing?"

The Headmaster leaned forward. "Tell me everything, every little detail, about the Blacksmith and their meeting with you. Leave nothing out."

Weiss had to swallow at the sudden intensity of his gaze, and a quick glance at her friends showed that they felt the same.

"Uh, of course…" Ruby managed to reply. "Anyway, so, we heard the sounds of her work, first, well, Blake did, and followed those to her forge, where we met her, and…"

*****
​

"...and then we were back where we started," Ruby finished.

Weiss managed not to add 'where you took us from'. It would be unfair - Ruby hadn't expected, couldn't have expected, that the artefact would do this. But after accidentally touching another artefact that might have sent them to any random destination - it was mere good fortune that it had worked out; the Blacksmith had been waiting for them, but they didn't know that - she was oh so tempted to comment to make the lesson not to touch magical artefacts stick this time.

But they were finally home, and it would feel petty to bicker. And make them look bad in front of the Headmaster and Professor Goodwitch - albeit the Headmaster was currently looking at his desk, or at something far away, and mumbling… something about Ascension? Weiss was surprised; they had mentioned the price for such a transformation - or new beginning - quite clearly, and she didn't think the Headmaster would be interested in this.

Professor Goodwitch cleared her throat and broke the sudden silence. "Headmaster?"

"Ah." He looked up and smiled. "My apologies, I was caught up in the narrative." He coughed into his fist. "We have much to ponder after this, as I am sure you know. However, it is also clear that you have gone through an ordeal few have experienced and are in dire need of some rest and relaxation - far more than most teams after much longer missions, I dare say. So, please, do not attempt to look for the traitors and spies you were warned of and leave that to us; take care of yourself, first and foremost." With a smile, he added: "And use the time originally allotted to your mission to refamiliarise yourself with our curriculum; I doubt I am far off the mark if I assume that you have not been able to keep up with your studies in the other world."

Weiss pressed her lips together to avoid gasping; the Headmaster was, of course, correct about that. She would have to make an effort to ensure her - and the team's - academic standings would not be negatively impacted, or not too much, by their prolonged absence.

Ruby made a noise that was close to a whimper at that, Blake sighed, and Yang loudly groaned. "And here I thought we could just sleep in a real bed for a few days!"

If Weiss's friend had tried to appeal to the Headmaster and Professor Goodwitch's mercy like that, it had failed. The professor frowned, and the Headmaster chuckled. "As much as you have earned a respite - and I once again stress that you should rest as much as you can - we cannot risk drawing the attention of the aforementioned spies to you by granting you special treatment; please act as normally as possible. Needless to say, you should keep your experience in strict secrecy from everyone outside this room."

"But…" Ruby started to say, then flinched under Professor Goodwitch's glare. She rallied, though. "That could be a bit difficult, Headmaster. I, ah, have grown a bit in the year we were away."

Weiss nodded. All of them had, though Ruby, by virtue of being the youngest, showed the most pronounced change.

"I had to have a new combat outfit made!" Ruby added, pointing at her clothes.

"So, those are garments made in the other world?" The Headmaster leaned forward, and Weiss inched a bit closer to Ruby before she realised what she had done. "Made in a world with magic…"

"They were made normally, not magically!" Ruby protested.

"I see." The Headmaster leaned back again. "A thorough examination would still be advised, I believe. Of all of you, actually. In case there are lingering consequences of your experiences that could affect your health."

Weiss blinked. She hadn't considered that. And she should have - it was obvious in hindsight. They had been to another world - two other worlds, in fact. And they had brought souvenirs.

"And I believe such an examination might also provide a cover story for your, ah, physical changes, Miss Rose, should your friends notice and comment."

Their friends, right. Their friends whom they couldn't tell about this. Their friends who might actually be spies. Weiss clenched her teeth at the thought. She trusted them, and yet…

She would have to discuss this with the team, to ensure everyone was on the same page. This was too important. As important as restocking their Dust supply, actually - but she could do that through her scroll while they waited.

*****
​

"Not quite the triumphant return we had imagined, huh?"

Blake Belladonna nodded at Yang's comment as they left Beacon's infirmary with a clean bill of health - well, as clean a bill of health as could be expected after 'roughing it' for over a year without access to modern medicine; Aura could compensate for a lot, but not for everything. Still, nothing a few supplementals taken for a week or three wouldn't deal with.

"Taken everything into account, I believe this is the best outcome we could have hoped for," Weiss said. "Our warnings were not dismissed, and we have not suffered any significant ill effects as a result of our mission. Although we will have to study hard to prevent our grades from suffering - which could imperil our cover story," she added with a glance at Ruby.

Blake softly snorted at their team leader's expression. But Weiss was correct; this was almost the optimal outcome. They were back at Beacon, hale and hearty, as the saying went, and the Headmaster was looking into the threat to this world. However… She looked around, ears twitching. She couldn't see or hear anyone nearby, but… "Let's head outside for a quick talk," she said.

The odds of anyone bugging the entire outside area were much lower than someone bugging Beacon's halls or dorms. Blake hadn't been much worried about being under surveillance before this, not even after facing Torchwick and the White Fang - she knew best how limited her former comrades' means were - but now that they knew that spies were close, they had to be far more careful.

"Right." Yang nodded with a serious expression - before grinning and slinging her arm around Blake's waist. "And if anyone asks, we're looking for a spot to make out!"

"With us as chaperones?" Weiss asked with her eyebrows raised. "I have heard better cover stories."

"We're calling it a team meeting to discuss Blake and Yang's relationship!" Ruby said. "If anyone asks."

That was… actually quite sensible. Blake nodded in agreement, then leaned into her girlfriend's side as they made their way outside and then to a remote spot near the cliffs overlooking the Emerald Forest.

A number of students stared at them - at her, Blake knew; her ears were clearly visible, after all. And she caught more than one whispered comment thanks to them. But that could - would - be dealt with later. They had more important problems to deal with right now.

"So?" Ruby asked when they stopped.

Blake looked around again, listening, then nodded. They were as safe as one could be without electronic countermeasures. She sat down cross-legged, then blinked when Yang joined her and plopped her head into Blake's lap with a wide grin.

"Alright!" Ruby nodded. "So… brainstorming! What do we do?"

"The Headmaster said we should rest and relax," Weiss said. Her wording and tone clearly showed that she had some doubts about that, Blake thought.

"Well, yeah. And we do need some, ah, 'downtime'." Ruby nodded again. "But… apart from that? What do we do? We know there are traitors close to us, but we don't know who."

Blake nodded. They didn't know who to trust. Anyone could be a traitor; even their friends. She pressed her lips together at the thought. "We need to keep our eyes and ears open," she said.

"Yeah." Yang made a scoffing noise, and Blake was tempted to run her finger through her hair. She held back, though. This wasn't the place. "We can only hope that Ozpin and Goodwitch find the traitors soon."

"Even if they do unmask a number of spies, that doesn't mean that there aren't any more," Blake pointed out.

Yang muttered a curse under her breath.

"Yes," Weiss agreed.

A brief silence followed. If not for the subject of their discussion, this would be perfect - the sun shone, a soft breeze blew from the Emerald Forest, and her girlfriend had her head in Blake's lap.

"Wait!" Ruby jumped up. "The Blacksmith said 'the worst traitors are those trusted with the most important secrets' - and we haven't trusted any of our friends with our secrets!"

"Just because there are worse traitors does not preclude the existence of other traitors," Weiss said.

"Well, yeah…" Rub sighed and sat down again, leaning against Weiss.

"Still, do you really think any of our friends are traitors?" Yang asked. "Jaune?" She laughed.

Weiss sniffed, but Ruby nodded. Blake wasn't quite so certain. If Jaune was just pretending to be a novice and, arguably, a fraud… No. "His backstory would be too much of a liability," she said. "And revealing it to get bullied?" She shook her head. "No spy would have taken that risk."

"And Pyrrha is…" Weiss trailed off.

"Too Pyrrha?" Ruby offered with a weak grin.

"Too earnest," Weiss agreed. "And too prominent, of course. I doubt she could be turned into a spy for such a threat while being in the spotlight like she was."

That was a good point.

"And she's a student," Weiss went on. "How many would recruit students as spies?" Blake raised her eyebrows at her, and she flushed. "Alright, it would be the easiest way to infiltrate Beacon. And yes, I remember Varys."

And Blake had been an operative for the White Fang since she was a child - and she hadn't been the only young recruit. "Pyrrha is too noticeable, yes," she said. "But we cannot be sure," she added, and winced a little when she saw Ruby's expression turn into a frown again.

"What about Nora and Ren?" Yang asked.

Blake could see Ren as a spy - the boy was quiet and observant and didn't wear his emotions on his sleeve. The kind of unassuming informant that fed the White Fang without exposing themselves. However… "He and Nora are a package deal," she said. "And I don't think Nora could be a spy." Unless she was the greatest actress of her time. Of course, the best spies were great actors and actresses… "But we cannot be sure," she added.

"Ugh! I hate that!" Ruby gestured with both hands. "We're back at Beacon! We shouldn't have to deal with plots and spies and traitors hiding everywhere!"

She was right. But what should be and what was was seldom the same - as a Faunus, Blake knew that better than most.

"So… We keep our mouths shut until we know if they're spies or not?" Yang said, sitting, to Blake's regret.

"And how do we check if they are spies?" Ruby asked - and then looked at Blake. "If we start spying on our friends, what does that make us?"

Blake knew what we meant in this case; of her team, she was the best, probably the only one able to spy on people. Ruby was far too earnest, the less said about Yang's attempts to gather intel, the better, and Weiss… Weiss might be able, actually, to find some clues, after spending a year dealing with plotting nobles face-to-face.

"Cautious?" Yang chuckled at her own, weak joke.

"It's the only course of action open to us," Weiss said. "As despicable as it might be, we have to keep our eyes and ears open even near our friends. Especially among those close to us."

Which included their families, Blake realised. Well, perhaps not her own - she hadn't talked to them in a long time. Though she could, had to, rectify at least this -Yang would never let her forget if she procrastinated on such an important task.

And she did miss her parents more than ever after a year spent in another world without knowing if they would ever return. If she hadn't returned, the last thing she had said to her parents, the last words they would have remembered of her, would have been… She really needed to call them.

*****
​

"Hey, Ruby!"

"Oh! Hi, Jaune!"

"Yo!"

"Hello."

Blake nodded at Jaune. They were fortunate to have met him first - anyone else might have noticed how forced Ruby's greeting sounded.

"Are you already back from your mission? I thought it was supposed to be several more days," he commented as he paused in front of the door to his dorm room.

"Ah, well… Yeah, things happened, and we finished early," Ruby replied. "A problem with our scrolls."

"Ugh." He winced. "I hate when that happens. Back home, there are spots where we have a spotty connection to the CCT."

"Exactly! Anyway, we've got orders to rest and relax, so…" Ruby smiled, again forcedly - although probably not as blatantly as she would have done so before their time in Westeros.

"Oh, yeah. Go get some rest!" He smiled at her, then started to nod at everyone else - and froze, blinking. "Ah…"

Blake nodded at his unspoken question. "Yes, I am no longer hiding who I am."

"And we're not hiding our relationship, either!" Yang cut in, wrapping her in a one-armed hug and resting her cheek on Blake's shoulder.

"Ah…" Jaune was still - or again - staring, seemingly frozen with surprise.

"That's another thing that happened," Ruby told him.

"Right. Uh, so… Good to have you back, safe and all." He smiled, genuinely this time, and waved - and then fumbled before he managed to open his door in the second try.

Blake heard him call out: "Guys! You will never expect what I just discovered!" when she followed the rest of her team into their room.

"Good distraction." Weiss nodded at Yang and her.

Blake winced and felt her ears twitching as she heard a door being slammed open. "I'd hold that thought. Jaune just told his team."

A moment later, the door to their dorm was pushed open by Nora. "Is it true? Oh, it is!" she cried out as she barged in, followed by an apologetically smiling Ren as well as Pyrrha and Jaune, who was grimacing.

Nora, meanwhile, was staring at Blake, then at Yang. "Is it true too?"

Yang used the opportunity to pull Blake into her lap. "Yes to both!"

And Nora started rapid-firing questions, not leaving them any time to answer. "Oh! Did you get together during your mission? How did you do it? Who took the first step? Was it in the middle of a deadly fight that you thought you would die? Or was it when you were sharing a guard shift, under the light of the moon, just the two of yours?"

While Ren tried to rein her in and Pyrrha seemed to blush more, Blake leaned back into Yang, enjoying the familiar chaos. Yes, they were back home, at Beacon.

And yet, no matter how much she tried, she couldn't push the nagging thought that wondered if any of their friends were hiding something from them away.

*****
​

Beacon Academy, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

Her scroll was looking positively daunting today, Blake felt as she held it. Or that was just her nerves.

"No getting cold feet now!"

She rolled her eyes, ears flattening, as she glared at her - pushy - girlfriend. "I'm not getting cold feet." She was merely slightly nervous about contacting her parents. That was a perfectly justified feeling after having a falling-out and running away from home. And her stomach felt like it was trying to bury itself in the ground and drag the rest of her down with it. She groaned and closed her eyes.

"Blake," Yang said in a much softer voice than her teasing remark before. "If you're not ready for this…"

"I am. I'm just… nervous," Blake said, hoping she wasn't lying. "Let's get this over with."

"That's my girl!" Yang cheered, but Blake caught her glancing at her with concern when she started the messenger service, and she put her hand on Blake's shoulder. "Besides, it's not as if you're calling them. You're just sending a message."

That made it even worse, actually, Blake thought. You could explain things much better face-to-face than in a message. But Menagerie didn't have a CCT tower, and so she couldn't call her parents - she had to send a message to a contact - former White Fang, but her parents' generation - who would then send it to Menagerie with the next ship that went to her home island. Another sign of discrimination against her people.

But she didn't want to think about that right now. She had to think about her parents. How she missed them. How much of an idiot she had been to run away - and with Adam, at that. And how she had almost lost them forever.

She leaned into Yang a bit more and started recording. "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. It's me. Blake. Ah… I just wanted to tell you that I'm fine. I'm now attending Beacon, in my first year, training to become a Huntress. I've… broken up with my former boyfriend. He got too extreme. That was before I started here. If he asks after me, please don't tell him anything." The message would be encrypted, but she was loath to reveal too much. But these comments should be enough to ensure her parents wouldn't trust Adam. She forced herself to smile. "So… I've got a great team, RWBY. Our leader is Ruby Rose, a prodigy. Her partner is Weiss Schnee. Funny, right?" She laughed, actually genuinely. "And my partner is Yang Xiao Long, Ruby's sister."

"Hi!" Yang leaned past her to grin and wave at the scroll.

Blake rolled her eyes but couldn't stop smiling. "She's also my girlfriend," she added when she pulled Yang back.

Then Yang used that to kiss her, in front of the recording scroll, but that was fine as well.

*****
​

"So, how long until your parents get the message?" Yang Xiao Long asked her girlfriend as they stepped out of their dorm to join the others in the library for more studying; they were really behind things, as they had found out to their, and especially Weiss's, dismay.

Blake shrugged. "It depends on when the next ship leaves for Menagerie. Could be a week, could be longer."

Damn. Yang knew Faunus had it hard, but to be cut off from the CCT? That drove it home. If Yang wanted to talk to Dad, or her friends from Signal, she could just call them any time she wanted. Sure, Uncle Qrow wasn't often available, but he was roaming the wilderness as a Huntsman, so that explained it. But your whole family and friends being out of touch like that? "They really should build a tower there."

Blake snorted. "Who would pay for it? And who would give us the option to shut down the entire communication network? We'd need a main tower, a repeater wouldn't work, and those are all so intertwined, if one goes down, the net goes down. Atlas would never allow that." She frowned. "Of course, if they could avoid that, they would probably like being able to listen in on our communication."

Yang snorted, though it wasn't funny. "Well, maybe they'll develop something better." Lame, she berated herself. She should have thought of something more optimistic or thoughtful to say. Not something lame like that. She should…

"Look at that animal! Finally stopped hiding, Belladonna?"

With her arms hooked around each other, Yang felt Blake tense at hearing those words - and the snickers that followed. Cardin Winchester and the rest of Team Bigot, looking as if they had come straight from combat training, stood in the hallway crossing to the side, sneering at them. "Couldn't find a better lover, Xiao Long?" Winchester added. "Or do you like the animal parts?"

Alright, Blake wouldn't like it, but Yang wasn't going to let that… She blinked when she felt Blake pulling her towards the group - and separating on the way. Oh!

"No answer to that, huh?" Winchester gloated, but he looked as surprised as Yang felt when Blake stopped in front of him, Yang falling in next to her partner.

Two versus four, and the four were wearing armour and carrying weapons. Not the best odds. But that never stopped Yang before.

She glanced at Blake, but her girlfriend was staring at Winchester. "And here I thought bigots like you had learned better than insulting my people."

Yeah, Winchester looked surprised. But he doubled down almost at once. "People? Don't make me laugh. Those ears clearly show that…" He reached out to touch Blake's ears.

And she cocked him right in the face, then drove her knee into his stomach while he was reeling back, followed by a disarming move that sent the idiot's mace flying.

"Alright!" Yang grinned while she launched herself at Thrush, next to Winchester. He tried to draw his daggers, but she grabbed both his wrists and twisted them, and he cried out as his blades clattered to the ground. Disarmed, he couldn't really do anything while she threw him with a wrestling move from Ser Barristan into Bronzewing, then kicked the latter's short sword away.

Blake, meanwhile, had already disarmed Lark as well.

That left them still at two to one odds, but with their weapons gone? Yang grinned and motioned at her two opponents to come at her. Unarmed, she'd bet on herself against all four, and she was with Blake.

*****
​

"What part of 'rest and relax' and 'catch up on your studies' includes beating up your fellow students?" Goodwitch asked, tapping her crop against her thigh as she glared at Blake and Yang in her office.

Yang was about to answer that a good brawl was relaxing, but that Winchester and his fellow idiots had been too weak to give them a good fight, but Blake spoke up before she could. "We were defending ourselves against Winchester's attempt to molest me, Professor."

"What?" Goodwitch stared at them.

Yang managed not to do the same.

"He tried to touch my ears, Professor. Against my will. They are very sensitive," Blake replied.

Oh! Yang nodded. "Yeah. Very sensitive." Which was actually true.

Was Goodwitch blushing a little? "Nevertheless, that doesn't justify such a… beating."

"Should I have let him molest me? He has a fixation with Faunus body parts. And when I fought him off, the others attacked us, and we had to defend ourselves against them. They were armed and armoured, and we weren't," Blake retorted.

Yang nodded again. Granted, they had jumped the idiots before they had managed to draw their weapons, but they had clearly tried to attack. Probably. "Besides, we didn't hurt them. Much," she added after a second.

"Beacon still doesn't condone fighting between students in the hallways - or anywhere outside the combat training halls."

"It also doesn't condone sexual assaults," Blake retorted. "If you punish us, we expect them to be punished as well. Otherwise, how could any Faunus feel safe at Beacon when Winchester and his ilk are allowed to molest them?"

Yang nodded once more. Not that she was much concerned about being punished; Ozpin wouldn't drive them away. Not after what they knew.

For a moment, Yang expected Goodwitch to argue further, but the woman scowled instead. "I will discuss this with the Headmaster. You are dismissed - for now."

"Alright, Professor!" Yang managed not to say 'teach', but she couldn't quite keep the grin off her face as they left the office.

Though her grin vanished at once when she saw Ruby and Weiss waiting outside. Ruby was looking far too concerned, and Weiss's scowl was worse than Goodwitch's.

"Hey!" Yang plastered a confident smile on her face. "I know we had planned to study together, but something came up, and we had to beat it down."

"Winchester tried to fondle my ears," Blake added.

Both Ruby and Weiss immediately switched from concerned and annoyed to angry. "Oh! Where are they? My baby and I have to discuss this with them!" Ruby announced.

"I think they need a lesson taught. One that sticks," Weiss added with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, we already beat them up," Yang told them.

"That's not enough!" Ruby retorted.

"In… another place, they would be sent to the Wall for that!" Weiss added.

"Really, we handled it," Yang said, holding her hands up. "If they try it again, we'll do worse. But it's OK for now."

"I don't think we'll be punished," Blake added. "They would have to punish the entire Team CRDL as well."

"Well, they should! Punish them, not you," Ruby clarified.

"They won't," Blake said. "But news will spread."

"It already has," Ruby replied. "That's how we found out." She frowned at them.

Oops. "We were going to call you, but Goodwitch appeared too fast," Yang explained. And they might have taken a bit too much time ensuring that CRDL stayed down, but that was neither here nor there.

Ruby huffed. "Anyway, now that you're free, let's head back to the library to study!"

"Who are you and what have you done to my little sister?" Yang joked.

"Yang!" Ruby pouted, then frowned. "Don't make me look for Faceless Men!"

Right. No jokes about people who could copy your appearance - after killing you. Yang still looked around, and the others did the same. It would probably take some time to lose that habit. Then again, who knew how spies here operated? Maybe they should be staying on their toes…

*****
​

Patch, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

"...and now news from the world. Atlas's military leader, General Ironwood, has declined to comment on concerns about another procurement scandal and speculation that the Paladin that went on a rampage in Vale a bit over a week ago wasn't the only piece of expensive equipment that had been misappropriated. He didn't answer any questions in the Council, either, about the delay involving the planned additional troop deployment for the Vytal festival, or so anonymous sources claim, and…"

Yang Xiao Long closed the app showing the news on her scroll. "Wanna bet how many Paladins Torchwich stole?" she asked the others as they made their way up the hill through a light forest.

"No," Blake replied.

"I doubt that he managed to acquire more than one," Weiss said. "They aren't in full production yet, according to Winter."

"Oh? Pumping your big sister for information?" Yang grinned.

"I merely voiced my perfectly reasonable concern after I was attacked by what was supposed to be an exclusive piece of Atlesian military hardware," Weiss replied with a sniff. "And my sister didn't break any regulations; the information she shared was publicly available already, if not quite as easily found as other information."

"The Atlesian information security is not very good," Blake said. "So, we can't assume that they didn't lose more such machines."

"Enough about that talk!" Yang called out. They could do that once they were back at Beacon. This weekend, they were visiting family! "There's our home ahead!" She could just see the roof from here.

"Yes! Zwei! Can you hear us? ZWEI!"

Yang winced, then reached out to grab Blake's hand. To steady her, not to keep her from running away. Though that was a secondary motive, Blake should have gotten better about her fear of dogs after spending a year close to direwolves. Of course, Zwei had his Aura awakened, and so he was quite a bit more dangerous than a grown-up direwolf, but still!

Anyway, Blake did manage not to flinch too much when Zwei dashed out of - and through - the underbrush to jump into Ruby's arms with enough force to push her back a step or two.

Good. Not that Yang had truly expected to have Dad meet her girlfriend while Yang was trying to coax her down from a tree or something, but she hadn't excluded that either.

But as it was, they approached the house at a steady pace while Weiss and Ruby fussed over Zwei.

And there was Dad! "Dad!" Yang waved with her free hand and started running towards him.

"Yang!"

She reached Dad, released Blake - oops, had she dragged her with her? - and hugged him with all her strength. "Dad!"

"Oof, you've grown stronger! Watch my back!" he mock-complained - she could feel his muscles, tough as ever. "Welcome home, my little dragon!" He pushed her back and looked her over, head to toes.

"Dad! Weiss, hold Zwei!"

"Of course!"

And Ruby threw herself into Dad's arms - and this time, he staggered. "Oof! You've grown more than I thought!"

"Dad!"

Dad was laughing, but Yang noticed that he looked longer at Ruby than at her. Right. He would notice that she had grown older than expected. But he wasn't making a deal about it, not yet. Then again, Ozpin had said they could trust Dad with the truth, just not over scrolls… Well, something they could address later. "And you must be my girls' partners!" Dad turned to the rest of Team RWBY without releasing Ruby.

"Yes, sir. I am Weiss Schnee." Weiss actually curtsied, Yang noted.

"Best partner at Beacon!" Ruby cut in with a beaming smile as she grabbed Weiss's arm. "We're besties!"

"Ah."

"And this is Blake Belladonna!" Yang wrapped her arm around Blake's shoulders - so she was between her and Zwei - and beamed. "My partner and girlfriend!"

"Oh!" Dad wasn't nearly as surprised as Yang had hoped, but he played along. "Well, I'm sure you have lots of stories to tell about your adventures." And that wasn't a joke, Yang could tell.

So could Ruby. She winced. "Yeah, Dad. It's a really long story. Kinda."

"Well, get inside and sit down then." He waved at the hut.

"Alright!" Ruby dragged Weiss inside, followed by Dad, but Yang hesitated.

"Something wrong?" Blake asked in a low voice.

"No," Yang said. "Just…" She looked around. "...taking in the sights, you know?" She smiled. "I'll take you to meet Mom after this," Yang told her.

Blake nodded.

"Yang! Stop making out with Blake and come inside!" Ruby yelled from the living room, followed by Zwei's bark.

Yang chuckled and hooked her elbow into Blake's. "Well, you heard her. Don't worry, neither Dad nor Zwei will bite."

Blake gave her a look, and Yang grinned, then kissed her.

"Yang!"

"Blake, drag your girlfriend inside!"

Laughing, they stepped inside.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Yang felt perfectly alright - and at home.

*****
​

 

[ATP]

Thanks for chapter.Is magical artefact in Vale still working? if so,they could send Salem to other world,right?
Only problem is,how to use it only on her.....

P.S Quentyn is not aware,how lucky he is.And never be.Just another person saved by RWBY without even trying.

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 73: Epilogue I

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, AC 303

"Prince Aegon."

Prince Aegon Targaryen took a deep breath as he rose from his seat next to Prince Doran, in the inner circle of the Great Council, which would decide the fate of Westeros. The Heads of the other Great Houses were also seated here, although Lord Eddard, as the Lord Regent, sat at the place of honour, representing the crown. Next to him, Prince Tommen looked even younger than he was - the boy was clearly out of his depth, in Aegon's opinion. That wouldn't help his claim to the Iron Throne.

Uncle Doran had argued that it would have been better if the boy hadn't attended at all - easier to paint him as scared and soft, unfit for the throne, but Aegon disagreed. It was better to let the nobles in attendance see how different he was compared to his rival. He was a man grown, experienced in life and war. Prince Tommen was still a child and took far more after his mother, the Mad Queen, than after his father, the Usurper.

"My lords!" Aegon's voice, thanks to Ser Jon's training to command on the battlefield, easily carried through the Great Hall, to the ranks furthest in the back, where the lowest nobles permitted to attend this council were seated - clustered around the few fireplaces set in the wall. It was winter, after all. "I am Prince Aegon Targaryen! Son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Princess Elia! I was saved from certain death and raised in exile in Essos by Ser Jon Connington!"

The assembled people were whispering, forming a droning background noise.

Aegon ignored them and went on. This was the moment he had spent years preparing for. "I stand before you as the rightful heir to the Iron Throne! And yet, I do not merely base my claim on my line - I base it on the fact that I was raised to lead, both in battle and in peace. I have fought in dozens of battles in Essos, and I have studied the laws of my ancestral home as well as the history of Westeros! I am no stranger, either - I have been living with my kin, House Martell, for years! As King, I will be a just ruler. Kind when I can, strict when I need, but always putting the realm before me. You will not find me lacking in statecraft or valour. I will not hide behind others and let anyone else fight my battles. My family has led the Seven Kingdoms for centuries, and here, in the city my ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, founded, I stand ready to take the throne. Not as a conqueror, but as the rightful king."

He nodded at Lord Eddard but didn't sit down, facing the Lord leading the Great Houses instead. A man stood in the face of adversity.

Lord Tyrion, a cup in hand that was rarely empty, chuckled, a bit too theatrically to be genuine amusement. "You mentioned your namesake, Aegon the Conqueror, my prince. He had dragons. You don't."

"The Targaryens ruled without dragons for decades," Aegon retorted. "And the land prospered under our rule." He didn't bother to try and be friendly with the Imp; the Lannisters would never abandon Prince Tommen; tongues might wag in the shadows, questioning the boy's actual lineage, but none would ever claim he didn't have Lannister blood. Fortunately, House Lannister had disgraced itself in the eyes of the Westerosi nobility through the actions of Lord Tyrion's siblings, so Lord Tyrion didn't just lack true allies outside his own realm, his control of his own House was, despite his efforts since he had followed his father as Head of the House, still a bit shakier than most.

"And it suffered as well," Lord Renly Baratheon cut in.

"No kingdom never suffered," Aegon retorted. "For no lineage is perfect." He straightened his shoulders. He wasn't perfect, far from it - Ser Jon had taught him that - but he knew he was handsome. Both smallfolk and nobles tended to blush at his smiles.

"But yours is a bit further from perfect than others, isn't it?" Lord Renly commented. "You're the grandson of the Mad King, who tried to burn down the entire city - and his own men with it. Your father went and kidnapped Lady Lyanna, the Lord Regent's sister and my brother's betrothed, breaking all the laws of kings and gods. That does not look very promising for your hypothetical reign."

He glanced at the other lords in the inner circles. Lord Eddard's face had grown even more impassive than it had been before, remembering, no doubt, his sister. His son, sitting where House Stark was seated, his direwolf lying at his side, shared the expression.

Lord Stannis Baratheon, occupying the ancestral seat of Aegon's House, showed no expression either, but Aegon knew the man was always like that - even on the day of his marriage, he had been so terribly dour. And yet, he was said to value the law and justice above everything; if the council went Aegon's way, he would not raise his banners in rebellion.

Unlike his brother. Lord Renly, smirking, was far too close to House Tyrell, as Uncle Doran had explained. But Uncle Doran had also told Aegon that Lord Renly harboured doubts about the legitimacy of Prince Tommen. The Lord Paramount of the Stormlands could be bribed - as could the Tyrells. If Aegon promised to wed Lady Margaery, they might support his claim, and Lord Renly would follow their lead - or, at least, might not throw his might behind Prince Tommen.

The representative of House Arryn, a member of a cadet branch, Aegon did not grace with much scrutiny; Lady Arryn had declined to attend the council in person, claiming traveling during winter would be far too dangerous for her precious son's health, and according to everything Aegon had heard, the regent of the Vale was not the most stable ruler to begin with, never having recovered from her husband's death and not truly commanding the loyalty of her banners.

Unlike her brother, Lord Edmure Tully. He had arrived in place of his father, whose ill health was known, and the young man cut a fine figure despite looking a bit out of his depth. But he could rely on his father - ravens carried messages back and forth every day, or so the rumours claimed - and while the Tullys were allied with the Arryns, but also, and more importantly, with the Starks, Uncle Doran and Uncle Oberyn agreed that Lord Hoster would not blindly follow either, but consider the interests of his own house first and foremost.

And that meant his support, if Aegon gained it, might be leveraged to gain the support of House Arryn and House Stark. Unfortunately, he had no daughter or granddaughter to wed, and Princess Arianne would not abandon her own claim to rule Dorne to become Lord Edmure's bride. Still, there were other possible ties to be made, although they would require careful manoeuvring to avoid insulting anyone.

He barely glanced at Lord Balon Greyjoy. No one liked or trusted the Iron Islands, and they had less clout than anyone else. And despite - or, perhaps, because of Lord Eddard having taken Lord Theon, Balon's heir, as ward (and hostage) and raised him, relationships between the North and the Iron Isles remained as precarious as ever. No, Aegon didn't need the Iron Islands' support - on the contrary, their support might damage his admittedly shaky prospects, instead.

Still, it wasn't a hopeless task. Just a challenging one. A very challenging one. Albeit, he had to admit, less so than attempting to take the throne by force would be, especially in Winter. Even if they had the coin to hire the Golden Company, neither the Spears of Dorne nor the sellswords from Essos were used to campaigning in Westeros in the Winter. And, of course, the damage done to the land, and the deaths amongst the smallfolk, would have been much worse in this season. Any food lost would be almost irreplaceable, and Aegon knew how much food was wasted when an army foraged on the march, much less during a siege.

No, as long as he didn't give up, he had a chance.

"Why should we trust you? You betrayed the Four Maidens!" someone yelled from the back.

Aegon clenched his teeth. That slander again! Those rumours had been going through the city since before his arrival, despite his and Uncle Oberyn's best efforts. It wasn't a formal question, but he replied anyway. "We have not touched a hair on their heads!" he retorted. "And if we had been so foolish, do you claim we could have harmed them in any way? Those blessed by the Seven? Have you so little faith in the Seven and the Maidens? We honoured them as guests, and they went off on their quest!" It was the truth, but how many would believe it? And how many would believe it, yet claim the opposite?

Too many, he knew.

But few would dare to claim that the Four Maidens, Blessed by the Seven, would have fallen to mortal treachery and trickery instead of having ascended to the heavenly realms where the gods lived - or so Leaf had claimed upon returning to the Water Gardens with the news. In private, alas, lest the tale would draw more people to perish to the magic protecting it since the days of the First Men. Uncle Doran felt that this was a bit too convenient to let the Children of the Forest keep the ruins of their former capital secret, but Aegon didn't share such doubts. Certainly not after he had seen how fervently the smallfolk, and even many nobles, in King's Landing revered the Four Maidens. If they knew where they supposedly ascended to heaven - or returned to their home, which might as well be the heavens, given their power - they would start pilgrimages to their deaths.

And Aegon wouldn't want that on his conscience, not even if it might make it easier to secure his claim to the Iron Throne. After all, he would have to stand before the Seven as well, one day, and be judged, and he would rather do so as a Prince with nothing but honour to his name than a King with blood on his hands.

"Indeed," another noble, Lord Gyles Rosby, once a potential match for Arianne, spoke up. "None could harm, much less kill, the Four Maidens. We saw them walk through wildfire without even a hair out of place! They stepped into the House of Black and White, drank the deadliest poison as a test, and left with the leader of the Faceless Men found dead and wanting!"

Rosby… They had been loyal to the Targaryens, once. Might they be loyal once more? Loyal enough to weigh in in favour of Aegon? He would have to meet with them, perhaps trading on his account of his meeting with the Four Maidens to gain the man's ear…

But before Aegon could word a fitting addition to the man's declaration, the doors to the Great Hall were pushed open, and guards stormed in. "Dragons! Dragons!"

For a moment, Aegon froze. Was this treachery? Were they about to attack him under a pretext? He wasn't the only one reacting - the noise from surprised gasps and exclamations rose at once as the guards pushed to the centre of the room.

And they were eying him with more than suspicion, Aegon noticed. He glanced at his Uncle, but the Prince seemed as surprised as he was.

The Lord Regent spoke up. "What is the matter?"

"Dragons, my lord!" the guard blurted out. "Dragons are approaching King's Landing! Three of the beasts!"

Aegon froze again, then glanced at Prince Doran once more, both of them grimacing. There was only one explanation for this.

Princess Daenerys, Queen of Meereen and Aegon's aunt, was coming. Even though she had ignored his letters and overtures last year, when he and his kin had been working to make the Great Council happen. Apparently - obviously, he corrected himself - she had not washed her hands of Westeros as Aegon had assumed.

And as everyone's eyes, from the Lord Regent and Prince Tommen to the lowliest guard, turned on him, Aegon knew things had just grown even more difficult for him, through no fault of his own.

And yet… What king would he be if he did shrink from this new challenge? So he suppressed a chuckle and smiled apologetically as he turned to look at the Lord Regent. "I am as surprised about this as you are, Lord Eddard, but if this is truly my aunt, Princess Daenerys Targaryen, then we should move to greet her lest she feel unwelcome." It wasn't as if anyone in the entire realm could stop a dragon, much less three, so to treat her as anything but an honoured guest was suicide.

Lord Eddard stared at him for a moment that seemed to stretch into an eternity, then, to Aegon's relief, nodded. "As was declared when this Council was called, all who come in peace to attend will be granted guest right."

As he followed Lord Eddard out of the Great Hall, presumably to the ramparts facing the sea, Aegon overheard Lord Renly muttering behind him: "And I thought the days of having young women dictate the politics of the realm were over."

Despite their differences, Aegon couldn't help but agree with the sentiment.

*****
​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, AC 303

Daenerys Targaryen, astride on Drogon, watched the city below her as her dragon, guided by her light touch, flew in a wide turn around the Red Keep, Viserion and Rhaegal following behind them. She could see people running through the streets and felt a pang of guilt. She had meant to impress upon the nobles gathered that she was not to be ignored, but she had not intended to scare the smallfolk. At the very least, they weren't forming a panicking mob, as far as she could see - though there was a crowd gathering in and around the Great Sept of Baelor.

And there were people pouring out of the Red Keep's Great Hall, where the Council was being held. Once more, she cursed Hizdahr's plot that had delayed her journey to Westeros from Meereen. But as the many banners outside the Hall showed, she had not arrived too late. And dealing with the traitor had been worth it, of course. He and his pawns, the Sons of the Harpy, had finally paid for their crimes. Hizdahr hadn't lasted too long on the cross, but others had died hard. Just as they had deserved for murdering the slaves Daenerys had freed, and the people who followed her.

Taking a deep breath - the air above the city, at this height, at least, was fresh - she flew another turn around the Red Keep, headed towards the sea where her ships were approaching. It would be foolish to land alone in the middle of a city and a keep full of ancient enemies of her House, even with her dragons at her side. She felt her arm's scar flare in pain at a sudden movement and once more thought of how close Hizdahr had come to killing her despite his main plot having been undone already. No, she would arrive with her ships and guards at her back and meet the regent on her terms.

As she flew over the harbour - and took stock of the warships moored there - she narrowed her eyes when she saw a figure ride what looked like a broken wheelbarrow. Oh, that must be one of those 'bicycles' that she had heard of. They were apparently growing in popularity in King's Landing. She flew a bit lower, banking to take another look, then winced when the rider, spooked by Viserion flying a bit lower than he should, cried out in fear - and drove straight into the harbour.

She hadn't intended that, either. Frowning at her carelessness, she nudged Drogon to gain more altitude and continued towards her ships now visible on the horizon even from this height. Fortunately, Missandei hadn't seen this; her friend and closest advisor would be reminding her that as the Mistress of Dragons, she couldn't afford to be careless lest others might suffer.

And Daenerys was already berating herself for her lapse in judgment.

*****
​

Harbour, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, AC 303

Lord Regent Eddard Stark wasn't easily scared. He had fought in two rebellions, once against and once for the crown, and in dozens of skirmishes with bandits, mountain men and Wildling raiders besides. He had fought the greatest knights of his age, any single one of whom could have killed him easily - and had almost done it. And he had stood firm in the face of Team Ruby multiple times.

And yet, he couldn't help feeling fear while he stood at the head of the pier, facing the three galleasses approaching the harbour, each of them escorted by a dragon. A single one of those beasts could set the city aflame, burning King's Landing down as surely as the Mad King's wildfire would have done.

"Seven Above!" he heard Lord Renly exclaim next to him. "They're even bigger than I heard."

Next to him, Prince Aegon wordlessly nodded.

"They are still growing," Lord Stannis pointed out. He seemed barely moved by the sight. "Arrows won't pierce dragon skin that thick. And the odds of hitting them with a scorpion's bolt are low."

Ned nodded in agreement. They had looked into the old records once the presence of dragons - and under the control of a Targaryen - had been confirmed. And they had looked at the dragon skulls stored in the cellars of the keep. The dragons ahead of them were not nearly the size of the largest beast the Targaryens had ridden, but they were still young - still growing. Despite already being large enough to easily carry two or three riders each.

"Well, let's hope that Princess Daenerys shows similar restraint as Lady Ruby did and restrains her three fiery retainers as effectively as well."

Ned frowned at Lord Tyrion. This wasn't the time to make jests.

"We might be burned to cinders as soon as we introduce ourselves, and you make japes?" Lord Renly scoffed.

"What else can we do but quip?" Lord Tyrion fired back with a snort. "We stand powerless in front of a girl who will not have forgotten what our houses did to hers. But if she truly wanted to kill us all, I doubt she would have merely flown above the city - she could have burned down the Red Keep easily, at least."

"She might merely wish not to damage her future capital," Lord Renly retorted. "Not overly much, at least. Or she might wish to taunt us before our deaths."

According to the reports Ned had received, the princess had dealt quite brutally with the former rulers of Meereen, and with those of the rebels she captured. But he had not heard about her lashing out against smallfolk - quite the contrary. Of course, she might also have held back since her nephew, Prince Aegon, was present - even though he seemed genuinely surprised by her arrival; Prince Doran had looked shocked, Ned recalled, before he was carried out of the Great Hall.

Whatever the reason for her not burning down the keep, welcoming her as a guest - and as a participant in the Great Council - was the best course of action. The only course of action that was both honourable and offered a chance to avoid a massacre of the smallfolk. If Ned had to die, he wouldn't drag the population of King's Landing down with him. Or the children - he had sent them out of the city as soon as the dragons had left for the open sea again. If the city or the keep burned, they would survive and hopefully escape to the North. No, if he died, he could at least do so in the knowledge that he had done his duty, and…

"The Prince!"

"The Prince!"

"Your Grace!"

What? Ned whirled around, just in time to see the not-so-large crowd behind him - mostly the stoutest and most loyal bannermen of Houses Baratheon, Stark and Lannister, as well as guards - part and reveal…

…Prince Tommen and Arya, as well as Jon and Ser Barristan, with Nymeria and Ghost flanking the group.

Ned felt his heart freeze and his ire rise at the same time. "What are you doing here?"

Jon had the grace to flinch, but Arya scowled at him, hand on her sword, and Ser Barristan calmly met his eyes. "Prince Tommen insisted he could not run and endanger his family. He's the Prince. You taught him well, my lord."

The prince was a child! Barely ten-and-two!

"Myrcella and Sansa are safe," Jon said.

Tommen flinched as well, and Ned saw him bite his lower lip, but the boy faced him. "If Princess Daenerys wishes to avenge her family and take the throne, she will come after me wherever I am. Better she finds me here than with my family."

"And what am I, Tommen?" Lord Tyrion asked. "A stranger?"

"Would you have run, Uncle?"

"I couldn't have run anyway - my legs are too short to make my escape," Lord Tyrion replied.

Prince Aegon snorted, though he looked surprised at himself.

"You did the same, Father!" Arya added.

Ned glared at her. "I told you to leave the city!"

"I'm a squire of the Ruby Order! We don't run unless a Knight of the Order commands it!"

As was often the case, she looked so much like Lyanna at that moment, Ned had to wince. He shouldn't have let her join the Order, but he was still certain that Arya would have run away to become a sellsword if he had denied her. But, speaking of Lyanna… He glared at Jon.

Jon tilted his head. "Would you give an order you know would not be obeyed, Father?"

Ned clenched his teeth.

"Well, let us hope that Princess Daenerys is very fond of foolish children," Lord Renly spoke up before Ned could find the words to express his displeasure.

Glancing over his shoulder, Ned realised that they had run out of time - the leading ship was about to reach the pier.

At least Bran and Sansa were safe, he consoled himself as he straightened to greet the Queen of Meereen and Mother of Dragons.

And she looked like a queen - like Prince Aegon, she had the appearance and grace of the Targaryens, but a stronger, more impressive presence. Although the three dragons flying above and behind her as she walked down the hastily lowered plank to the pier, following four of her famous Unsullied Guard, were a factor as well, of course.

Ned took a deep breath and steeled himself. Honour and duty, he reminded himself. They would see him through this. Or so he hoped.

Behind and beside him, he heard muttered prayers to the Seven, and calls for the Blessed Maidens' protection. But he had only eyes for the Princess - though he noticed the young girl, Arya's age, perhaps, at her side.

"Welcome to King's Landing, my princess," he greeted her with a bow. "As Lord Regent for Prince Tommen, I offer you bread and salt." At his gesture, a servant approached - slightly trembling, he noted - with a plate bearing bread and salt.

"I am a Queen, not merely a Princess," she replied.

"Of Meereen, not of Westeros," he said.

"Wouldn't want there to be misunderstandings," Lord Tyrion - who else - added behind him. "We've got a Council underway to settle who will be King or Queen."

"Welcome, Aunt." And Prince Aegon spoke up as well.

She looked at him, nodding, then stared at Ned. A moment passed, and Ned had to force himself to take another breath. Then she nodded. "Call me Mereeno dāria, then. For now."

Queen of Meereen. For now? Ominous. But as long as she wasn't going to burn down the city as her grandfather had intended, Ned would still call himself and the realm fortunate.

She eyed the bread, then him. And he saw her rub her arm - which showed, peaking out from under a heavy bracelet, a red scar. Fresh. Oh.

Ned took a piece of bread himself and ate it. He should feel angry at the implied slight to his honour - as if he would ever stoop as low as to poison a guest! - but he couldn't fault the princess for being wary. History was not lacking examples of such perfidy, and he wouldn't trust everyone present either.

But his example had been enough, apparently, and she nodded once more and then took a piece herself.

And Ned allowed himself to relax a bit. A massacre had been avoided for now. Guest right, offered and accepted, was binding both of them now.

"So… Just for our ledgers: How much meat do your dragons eat every day? We'd rather not have them grow hungry, I think," Lord Tyrion spoke up again. "And, unfortunately, we were not notified of your visit in advance, so we couldn't refurnish the Dragonpit for them."

Ned glared at him, but the gods had to be in a good mood since the princess seemed to be amused rather than insulted by the question.

He wasn't sure if that was a good omen or not.

*****
​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, AC 303

Missandei didn't like King's Landing. It was far too cold for her taste, it stank, and the people, smallfolk and nobles alike, didn't respect Mother as they should. The only good thing the city and realm had going for them, in her opinion, was that slavery was banned and slavers were executed when caught.

That this also meant that Jorah hadn't been able to join them on this voyage was another good thing, in her opinion. The Westerosi wasn't just a former slaver, he was a spy as well. The Westerosi might have confessed to Mother, exposing the entire plot, but he had only done so after having participated in the fake assassination plot and gained Mother's trust for seeming to save her life. And Missandei didn't think that the man had had a change of heart because he realised how dishonourable he had acted; she was almost certain his actions were driven by his feelings - lust, she had realised - for Mother.

So, even if his presence wouldn't have been an insult to their hosts - Missandei didn't care overly much for their feelings, not after what they had done to Mother's family - she was glad he wasn't present to offer Mother his biased advice. She was better off without him.

Or so Missandei told herself when she watched Mother stare out of the window of her quarters as rain was falling outside. The woman who had saved her life and the lives of so many people like her in Slaver's Bay was, as had been the case too often during their stay, looking melancholic.

"Do you need anything, your grace?" Misandei spoke.

Mother blinked and turned to look at her. "'Your grace'?" she raised her eyebrows.

Missandei smiled as she bowed her head. "We're in Westeros, your ancestral home." Mother had had her drop her title as Queen of Westeros from her introduction, and that didn't sit right with her.

"That would be Dragonstone, I guess." Mother sighed. "Or maybe Valyria. Not that the difference between the stench here and the Doom might be as large as I thought."

Missandei didn't wince at the tone, though she wanted to. Since they had arrived in this city, Mother had been in such moods far too often. "Surely you jest, Mother."

"Maybe a little," Mother replied with a faint smile. "It is not nearly as deadly as the Doom, of course - to anyone else. And yet, I feel staying here would result in my personal doom."

Missandei gasped. "Mother!" How could she say this? This was her ancestral home! She had but to choose, and the realm was hers! For who could stop her when she commanded three dragons? None alive could! The nobles gathered knew it, the smallfolk knew it - they prayed to their gods to see the Four Maidens Blessed by the Seven return - and her nephew, Prince Aegon, knew it as well.

That's why all of them talked about tradition and the law, as if that would matter! Prince Aegon had been raised a sellsword. He had but a couple of battles under his belt. Prince Tommen was a child, younger than Missandei herself! He had achieved nothing of consequence! Mother, though, was the Mother of Dragons, the Breaker of Chains and Queen of Meereen! She had proven her worth thrice over! She was the only choice to rule Westeros!

"Ah, Missandei…" Mother chuckled and stared out of the window again, at the Dragonpit, where her dragons rested, well-fed and well-guarded by half of Mother's Unsullied. As Missandei had feared, Mother's smile was fleeting. She was rubbing her scar again. "I have eyes and ears, you know."

"Yes, Mother." Missandei nodded firmly. Eyes to see that this was hers. Ears to hear the oaths sworn to her.

"I am not welcome here."

"The Lord Regent welcomed you himself," Missandei protested.

"As a guest. But as a ruler?" She shook her head. "Nobody in the city wants me to rule them. Not the nobles, not the smallfolk. Certainly not my nephew."

Missandei couldn't deny this. Prince Aegon treated Mother with all the courtesy due to her, but it was plain to anyone with eyes to see that he wanted the dragons for himself, or under his control. And yet… "You are the Mother of Dragons," she reminded her. None could stand against her.

"And what good did that do to me when the Sons of the Harpy murdered my followers and friends? When Hizdahr tried to murder me?"

"All of them are dead, Mother."

"So are their victims. And I only escaped death by a hair's width. If Hizdahr had had his poisoned blade instead of having to grab the servant's knife…"

Missandei clenched her teeth. Mother would have died. "He didn't," she insisted. "And he and his ilk are dead!"

"And yet, they came close." Mother sighed once again. "And they were few - the sons of the rich. The slavers."

"Yes!" Missandei knew that the freed slaves loved Mother, almost as much as she did. And they were the vast majority in Meereen.

"But here? I can see how they look at me, smallfolk and nobles alike." Mother scoffed and balled her right hand into a fist while she gripped her wrist with the left, covering the scar. "I can hear how they whisper about their gods and their Maidens, and how they did not support me."

"They're gone as well," Missandei replied. Gone home to Heaven, some claimed. Gone to another world, according to others. Dead due to Dornish treason, whispers said. But all agreed that they were gone.

"But their followers remain. Nobles and smallfolk. They call me the daughter of the Mad King."

"They fear your dragons, Mother."

"You think that will stop them? All of them?" Mother shook her head again. "Even if the Faceless Men stay out of it, all it takes is one man or woman to get close enough with a blade. Or a vial of poison. And how many of my friends will die before that? How many of my guards will be knifed in the back?"

Missandei tensed. Her brother had died like that, in Meereen, at the hands of the Sons of the Harpy.

"Oh, Missandei, I am sorry!" Mother smiled and reached out to hug her. "I shouldn't have brought up such painful memories."

She shook her head. Mother shouldn't worry about that. She should worry about herself. And her future. "Does that…" She swallowed. "Does that mean you do not want to become Queen?"

"What Queen would I be if I could not trust anyone in my realm?" Mother hugged her more tightly.

A soft noise made Missandei turn her head. They were supposed to be alone, so what…? She didn't see anyone, though. Just a bird sitting on the windowsill. And yet… Those birds didn't chuff.

*****
​

Ruby Order Headquarters, King's Landing, Westeros, AC 303

"...and she said she didn't want to become Queen!" Squire Arya Stark finished her report with a wide smile. This was important, crucial information!

But Jon didn't look pleased - he frowned at her. "You spied on Princess Daenerys? The Lord Regent's guest?"

Arya winced. She hadn't thought about that. But… "Ah! I was following Nymeria through some secret passages, and we got lost? She went after a mouse!" She added with a bright and fake smile. "Besides, those passages were built by the Targaryens, so it's her own fault?"

Jon sighed. "Stop making it worse, Arya. You broke guest right."

"Spying isn't breaking guest right," Bran objected at once. "And even if it were - we didn't grant them guest right. We're answering to the Gods, not the King. Or Father."

Arya nodded. Her brother was right! She hadn't done anything wrong!

Jon narrowed his eyes at him. "Did you spy on them as well?"

Bran, the idiot, blushed. "I didn't sneak through a secret passage."

"He warged into a bird." Arya blurted out. If she was going to be punished for this, he'd suffer as well!

"Arya!" Bran protested.

She scowled at him. "What? Jon knows what you can do; mincing words won't work." He had exposed himself!

Jon sighed again. "You shouldn't have done that. You're squires of the Ruby Order!"

"You can never have enough information!" Arya protested, quoting Lady Blake.

"Knowing is half the battle." Bran quoted Lady Yang. Good, that should change Jon's mind!

It didn't. "And what did they say about honouring vows?" he asked.

"To weigh them?" Arya cocked her head to the side.

"They spied on people under guest right, too!" Bran said. "Father granted them and the Royal Family guest right, and Lady Blake spied on Cersei and Ser Jaime."

Jon frowned, but this time, Bran didn't flinch. And he was right, Arya knew - Lady Blake had said she had stumbled on the two in Winterfell, but she must have been sneaking around for that.

"Anyway, can you tell Father about that? He has to know that the Princess doesn't want the throne!" Arya said. She smiled. "No one needs to be afraid of her dragons any more!" That was important!

Bran nodded as well.

Jon sighed once more.

Arya couldn't understand why he was so difficult. No one wanted Daenerys to become Queen of the realm - she had overheard too many people talking about that. Some said not even her people in Meereen wanted her to become Queen of Westeros since she would have to abandon them to rule here. But everyone wanted her to support whoever they wanted to become King. And many were afraid that she'd act like her father, the Mad King - Arya knew what she had done to the slave owners in Meereen after she had freed the slaves. And to those who had betrayed her.

Jon shook his head. "But you're right - Father needs to know this so the Great Council won't end in violence."

"Yes!" Arya beamed.

"Are you going to tell him then?" Bran asked.

He had to, Arya knew - Ser Brienne and Ser Lancel were both busy talking with all the nobles trying to bribe the Order, or so Gendry had told her. So, that left Jon as the third of the founding members - Gendry was the fourth since he had been knighted later than them.

Jon grimaced. "I will. Father won't be pleased."

Arya nodded. But the Four Maidens had taught them to do what was necessary, not what was expected. If she had done what was expected, she wouldn't be a squire! And this was necessary, even Jon agreed. But… She grinned again. "Don't tell him it was us who found this out!"

Bran nodded, of course.

Jon narrowed his eyes at them. "We will talk about this once I am back."

Arya winced. That wasn't good. That was bad. She heard Nymeria whimper a little before Jon left for the Red Keep. She'd probably have to muck out the stables again for a week or two.

But she would do it again, in a heartbeat! This was what the Order was about!

*****
​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, AC 303

Lord Renly Baratheon couldn't help feeling tense while the votes were called, even though he knew that this was a mere formality. But stranger things had happened, although less frequently since the Four Maidens had left for their world. Still, he reminded himself that the outcome was already decided, in a not-so-small part thanks to his own efforts during the last few weeks. Although he had to admit that without Lord Eddard's efforts, his own might have been insufficient, and paired with Stannis's own efforts, which probably had hindered Renly's as much as they had helped, if Renly were generous, things might not have worked out as well as they did. Renly loved Loras and trusted him with his life, but he had no illusions that House Tyrell would have reconsidered their support in certain circumstances. Such as three dragons weighing in on the Council's decision, and no Blessed Maidens present to counter them.

But once Lord Eddard had revealed to Renly, Stannis and the Imp that Princess Daenerys - Renly knew better than to call her Queen even in the privacy of his mind - did not desire the throne, that had no longer been a consideration. It was remarkable how quickly opinions had settled once people were no longer under threat of either being burned alive or assassinated in the middle of the night for failing to acquiesce to the missing Maidens' inscrutable will as interpreted by the Faceless Men. No one of importance actually liked the Martells, and the disappearance of the Four Maidens in Dorne hadn't helped.

Of course, the fact that Lord Eddard had acquired this information from a 'trusted source' that he didn't want to reveal had its own consequences. The Lord Regent had built up his own network of spies independently of the Master of Whispers, no doubt a result of Varys's betrayal, and that would require Renly to adjust a few of his own plans. Having Margaery marry Tommen might not be as easy as he had hoped when Lady Sansa could depend on such support in addition to having three of her siblings in prominent or soon-to-be-prominent positions in the growing Ruby Order. Shireen, of course, was not a factor, even though that would add unquestionably Baratheon blood to the royal family; Stannis didn't have enough support for such a push. If Renly's niece was not barren, they could have her offspring marry Prince Tommen's kids. Unless the girl decided to follow Lady Arya's example and join the Ruby Order; Margaery had told Renly that amongst younger noble ladies, the Order was talked about as a possible way to escape an unwanted betrothal. Renly didn't think that was more than a flight of fancy amongst girls, but Shireen was Stannis' daughter, and if she was even half as stubborn as her father, she might actually do it - unless she also had inherited even half of his reverence for duty, of course.

He watched as one after another noble rose to cast their vote for Prince Tommen. Prince Aegon was showing remarkably little frustration or surprise; the lad must have realised long ago that he would lose this should he fail to acquire his aunt's support. And the aunt in question was all but sneering at the process - her little handmaiden was actually sneering.

But they could sneer all they wanted, as long as they accepted the Council's decision. They didn't even have to bend the knee, since neither held land in Westeros. It would actually be best if both withdrew to Essos, in Renly's opinion. Princess Daenerys certainly would, as Renly's own informants had told him; her ships were provisioned already, and she would leave in the next few days.

Oh. Renly sat straighter as Lord Eddard rose. The votes had been tallied, and now it was time to make it official and announce that Prince Tommen would become the next King upon his maturity.

Renly took care to smile and applaud enthusiastically, of course.

*****
​

Ruby Order Headquarters, King's Landing, Westeros, AC 304

"Hey!"

Ser Gendry Storm - his friends and especially Arya insisted on his title - looked up from where he was adjusting the chain on the Order's newest bicycle and at who was arguably his best friend as well as his worst annoyance. "Yes, Arya?"

Leaning against the doorframe to the Order's forge - or Gendry's second room, as she called it - the latest knight of the Ruby Order grinned at him. "Still trying to get your steel horse to work?" Next to her, Nymeria's head filled out most of the doorway by itself as she peered in; the grown direwolf was larger than some of the Order's pack horses.

"It's a bicycle," he corrected her, shaking his head.

"Most people call them steel horses. Except for those who get stuck in the mud outside town; they call them lots of other names." She walked inside.

"Only a fool gets stuck in mud with a bicycle," Gendry replied. "You don't ride them on bad roads after it rained."

"That's pretty much all the roads, though." She shrugged.

"They're very useful in King's Landing," he said. And they were! Lots of people could attest to that - Gendry knew dozens were in use, most of them built by him or Master Mott, but a few by other blacksmiths; those broke down more often, though. And none of them used pedals and chains; that was Gendry's own invention, albeit inspired by Lady Yang's descriptions.

"Yeah, yeah, but King's Landing is one city in the entire realm."

"Other towns and cities will adopt them. I've had requests from Essos, too." It was a familiar argument. He'd even heard about petitions to pave the streets near King's Landing to make it easier to ride the bicycles - and use carts and wagons, of course. And walk. But those weren't 'gifts from the maidens', so they carried less weight in certain circles.

"Yeah, yeah." Arya snorted, and Nymeria chuffed. "Anyway, stop fiddling with the steel horse! We're getting our first assignment!"

"We are?" That was a surprise; Gendry knew there had been talks about going on a journey together, but he hadn't heard anything concrete.

"Yes, we are. Now that I am a fully-fledged knight, you don't have any excuse any more!" She beamed at him.

He narrowed his eyes. "What did you do?"

Her smile turned into a grin. "I just mentioned to Brienne that I should visit Winterfell, now that I have taken the oath, and that none of us has patrolled the North so far, so if someone would come with me, someone who hasn't really ridden out too often and doesn't know the North…" She grew serious and began shifting her weight from one foot to the other, in the way Jon had taught them not to in battle. "Of course, you don't have to come. If you don't want…"

Part of Gendry wanted to say he didn't want to come. He might be a knight, but he was a bastard. And unlike Jon, he hadn't been raised like a noble. He was, and would remain, a blacksmith at heart. The lessons taught in the Order didn't change that. If he showed up in Winterfell, he was bound to embarrass himself and the Order. And, of course, travelling there with Arya was another problem. He didn't know what exactly their relationship was, but he knew it wasn't just the comradeship between two fellow knights of the Order. He hadn't kissed any of his other fellow knights.

But a bigger part of him couldn't say no to her. So he nodded, and the way her face lit up with another smile made his heart beat a bit faster.

Until Nymeria almost smashed him into the wall behind him when she came to lick his face. While he fended the playful beast off - he was one of the few strong enough to do so, at least when the direwolf was playing - he frowned at Arya. The direwolf only ever acted so affectionately, as Lancel called it, with him, but she maintained it was not her doing.

She met his gaze with an impish grin. "So… coming?"

He nodded.

*****
​

Winterfell, The North, Westeros, AC 304

"...and when we saw the poor women that Nymeria had smelt, we had to step in and save them - any knight would have done so. That's why we killed Bolton's bastard. We didn't know he was Bolton's bastard at the time, though. That we heard from the smallfolk in the next village. So, we came straight to Winterfell afterwards."

Catelyn Stark barely managed to calmly nod in response to hearing her younger daughter's tale. She had weathered worse news than that - such as hearing that she had mistaken Lady Yang, one of the Faith's Blessed Maidens, for a bastard - but there was just so much to take.

Her younger daughter had returned from King's Landing a knight. Cat had known that would happen, ever since Arya had managed to force Ned into letting her join the Ruby Order as a squire - Cat knew how that had come to pass - but she had still hoped that her daughter would come to her senses somehow. And even when she had heard that Arya had been knighted, she had hoped her daughter would serve in a safe position in King's Landing, running the Order's household, instead of going out as a knight-errant fighting bandits, slavers and worse.

Of course, Arya had then done exactly that, and she hadn't merely fought bandits, but the bastard son of Roose Bolton. That had implications that they couldn't handle without Ned. Roose might have willfully ignored the atrocities his bastard committed - the Dreadfort's Lord kept a tight rein on his lands, after all. In the worst case, Roose would call his Banners over this and rebel. Hous Stark would have to call their banners lest they be caught unprepared, but if they did so, Roose might assume he was about to be attacked and raise his banners in response. Yes, this could spiral out of control quite quickly. If only Ned and Robb were already back at Winterfell, instead of at Bear Island, negotiating a betrothal with yet another warrior woman… Catelyn privately, very privately, blamed Lady Ruby for her eldest son's taste in women. Though, to be fair, the match wasn't that bad and would strengthen their ties to the North. Right when they needed it, with this new calamity.

She suppressed a sigh. Once again, a bastard caused trouble. And speaking of bastards… She glanced at Ser Gendry Storm. Arya's friend - and founding member of the Ruby Order - was a bastard as well. Acknowledged by the King himself, he was the spitting image of the late King in his youth. And he was causing trouble as well. Cat wasn't blind to the glances he and Arya had exchanged. She would have to talk to Arya about that as well; her daughter might be a knight, but she was also a lady. And for the daughter of a Lord Paramount and farmer Lord Regent entering a dalliance with a royal bastard, when the King had just been crowned, and rumours about his legitimacy still lingered, would cause tensions. However, that talk would require a soft approach, lest Arya decide to flout propriety even more out of spite. Or to marry the bastard - Cat didn't know which outcome would be worse. Even the Bolton problem might be easier to solve than this.

Though that could wait. First, she had to hug her wayward daughter and assure herself that Arya was unharmed.

*****
​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, AC 307

Prince - now King - Tommen Baratheon softly sighed with relief when the High Septon finished his sermon. He followed the Seven, and he was well aware that the High Septon was the voice of the Faith. Ned had also told him that there were dissenting voices in the Faith as well, but in King's Landing, the High Septon's influence on the followers of the Seven was unchallenged; Uncle Renly had joked that the man wielded more power in the city than the Court, and Tommen wasn't quite sure if that had been a joke at all. And he didn't doubt the man's sincerity, either. The High Septon was widely held to be an honest and deeply faithful man.

But Tommen had sat through so many sermons and hymns and speeches, not to mention oaths, during the crowning ceremony, all of them started to merge together, and he was now really hungry. Also, the cooks and servants had been working so hard for the feast - Tommen had seen that himself during his visits - it would be an insult to make them wait even longer.

So, when the High Septon finished, Tommen nodded graciously and rose from his seat, nodded at the guests of honour, and then let Ser Barristan lead him and his family and the other guests out of the Great Sept.

He offered his arm to his betrothed, of course, as was proper. Margaery took it with a smile, and Tommen was, as usual, feeling a bit conflicted. She was so beautiful, he couldn't help but smile whenever he saw her. But she was also eight years older, a woman grown when he had been a mere child when they had been betrothed, so she was also a bit intimidating. She was always nice to him, though. Myrcella thought she was too nice, but… He could handle that. It was far better than being spiteful. He almost shuddered at what he remembered of his parents' marriage. The shouting, the screeching… No, nice was better. Much better.

As they stepped out of the Sept, under the watchful eyes of the Four statues of the Four Maidens, everyone outside bowed - Lord Eddard, his three uncles, the other nobles lining the entrance. Even the knights of the Ruby Order. All bowed to him. Even the smallfolk in the street.

Tommen swallowed. He was King now. All of them were his subjects. If he made a mistake, people would suffer. It was such a huge responsibility, he still wasn't sure he could handle it - he only knew he would try his best. Not even the Seven asked for more than that, after all.

As he walked past Arya, he caught her grinning at him, and he felt his mood improve. She wouldn't change now that he was King. Bran smiled at him as well, and Tommen smiled back. He was another friend. And he knew more about cats than anyone else Tommen knew. And he was as honest as his father, Lord Eddard.

A King needed such people - especially as friends and advisors. Lord Eddard and all his uncles had taught him that. And if all of them agreed on something, it must be true. If only Lord Eddard had agreed to stay as his Hand… Well, Uncle Renly should serve as well. Tommen would have preferred Uncle Tyrion, but not even Tyrion had thought that would be a good idea.

As they approached the carriage that would take them back to Keep, Tommen's eyes fell on the statue at the corner of the square. Unlike the ones of the Four Maidens, which dominated the entrance to the Great Sept, this one was a bit smaller and depicted Father as a young warrior. As usual, he felt a pang of loss - and guilt that he didn't remember as much of Father as he did of Mother. He knew it wasn't his fault, but still…

He tried to push the bad memories away and smiled as he waved from the carriage. He was King now; he couldn't dwell on his dead parents; he had to focus on the future of the Seven Kingdoms.

And on his family's future. Myrcella's. His sister needed him to be strong for her as well. Or people would force her into a marriage she didn't want.

He straightened as the carriage set off.

He would do his best for everyone.

*****
​

Outside Lys, Essos, 315 AC

"Dragons! Dragons!"

Ser Lancel Lannister tensed when he heard the sentinels' yells. Dragons. He turned to face east, searching the sky, eyes narrowing… There! Three specks, visible in front of a white cloud. Dragons indeed. So, Queen Daenerys was finally arriving. And just in time, too.

He couldn't help but wonder if the Queen had planned that as he cast his gaze upon the walls of Lys, which had protected the slaver scum inside, and their victims, from the Order's army besieging the city. The dragons would turn a costly - and, if he was honest, chancy, given the size of the walls - assault into an assured victory. The Queen had demonstrated that on several cities lining the shores of Slaver's Bay, after all, during the last few years. People were already talking about renaming the bay, once she took the last city.

And, if not quite as openly, worried about on which area she would focus next. Daenerys might be called the Breaker of Chains for fighting slavers, like the Order was, but she might as well be called Daenerys the Conqueror after her ancestor Aegon, the way she took over city after city.

Was she planning to take control of Lys as well? That would… not sit well with the Court in King's Landing. And while he hadn't discussed it with the rest of the Order leadership yet - and couldn't, what with Jon stuck in Lys - he knew the Order and their friends who had followed them were fighting to end slavery, not to conquer Lys for someone else.

But he couldn't dwell on that; he had to head back to the tent where the others were gathered; it wouldn't do if he were late to welcome Queen Daenerys. So he nodded at the sentinels and quickly made his way back to the centre of the camp.

When he arrived at the tent, people were already clearing an area for the dragons while Brienne, in full armour, was watching. "Lancel!" She smiled at him. "Looks like you were right about her."

He shrugged. It had been a guess, but a well-founded one. Queen Daenerys had conquered much of Slaver's Bay as the Breaker of Chains, freeing the slaves wherever she trod, and so it was an easy deduction that she would not want to lose face when invited to help topple another slaver city. "It's a gamble," he said. "She will be aware that we need her because we cannot take the city without her help."

"She has more experience with sieges than we do," Brienne agreed.

"She also has dragons, which is a bit of an unfair advantage," he retorted as he looked up.

The three dragons were now circling above the camp. He saw two riders on the same dragon, but none on the others. Either Daenerys didn't trust anyone else with her dragons, or no one but her could command them. Prince Aegon might be able to, but Daenerys had, as far as they knew, and Bran had confirmed, spurned all his advances so far as she had spurned all offers for alliances from everyone else. Until the Order's, or so it seemed.

"They've grown some more since the Council," a voice commented behind him.

He turned and saw that Arya and Gendry had arrived. Together, as usual - their relationship was the worst-kept secret in the Order. Then again, few would dare to gossip about it where a direwolf might hear it.

"They have," Gendry agreed.

"Let's hope Bran was right about her," Arya went on without taking her eyes off the dragons circling above. "If she means us ill, she can wipe the Order out with one command."

The crow sitting on the flagpole cawed, and Arya snorted.

Lancel sighed softly. Jon, Arya and especially Bran's warging talent was another secret that should be guarded far more diligently, in his opinion. If the Order's enemies ever learned about them, a significant advantage would be lost. With the code that Bran and Arya had worked out, they had managed to exchange words across half of Essos, and the ability to scout any battlefield from the air was invaluable, even if it hadn't been enough to make breaching Lys's walls feasible.

But he would have to nag his friends in private; the leading dragon had started its descent. Daenerys was landing.

Brienne, ever courageous, stepped forward before the huge dragon had touched down, followed by her current squire, Tywan. Lancel's cousin was trying not to tremble while he carried the plate with bread and salt.

Lancel felt the earth shake more than a little as the weight of the huge beast pressed down on the ground, and he saw two stablehands struggle with horses in the back - the animals must have caught the dragon's scent. He couldn't let that distract him, though - he had to focus.

Daenerys slid down from the dragon's back with the kind of grace her family was famous for, followed by her handmaiden. Missandei, too, had grown since the Council; she was a young woman now, Lancel noted. But her scowl when she saw him had not changed. Well, he was used to being judged for his family's deeds.

"Your Grace." Brienne bowed her head. "Welcome to the Ruby Order's camp. We offer you guest right."

Tywan stepped forward, trembling as both the dragon and the two women eyed him, and offered the bread and salt. Missandei scowled at him as well, but Daenerys nodded and shared the food with Brienne and her handmaiden.

Lancel relaxed a little bit. The worst part was over. Behind him, the crow cawed again, then took off - Bran must have released it, and the bird, suddenly finding itself in close range of a dragon, had reacted as expected.

"Your Grace, these are my fellow Order members," Brienne introduced them. "Ser Lancel, Ser Gendry and Ser Arya."

The Queen nodded at them, then narrowed her eyes. "Ser Bran spoke about you. But where is Ser Jon?"

"Ah… That's a matter we should discuss privately," Brienne told her.

Daenerys looked at her, then slowly nodded. "Very well."

Lancel wondered if the Queen was merely curious about the missing member of the Order's leadership, or if she had a more personal interest in Jon. Lancel's friend had been the one who had spent the most time in Essos, tracking down the Westerosi pirates had kidnapped and sold as slaves until he finally found them in Lys - and had acquired quite the fame in the process.

He hoped she was; that might help with the negotiations, and the Order needed all the help they could get. But if they could manage this temporary alliance, maybe they could pave the way for a more lasting arrangement as well. It would be better for the Order and Westeros. Aegon might have accepted the verdict of the Great Council and was, according to all accounts, involved with the resettlement of the Children of the Forest in Dorne, but Lancel doubted Prince Doran had. And if the Prince of Dorne couldn't put his nephew on the throne, he might switch his ambitions to his grand-nephews and grand-nieces - he had finally managed to arrange a marriage for Aegon, after all…

But those were problems for the future. For now, Lancel reminded himself, they had to focus on taking Lys. The future could wait.

*****
​

Lys, Essos, 315 AC

Ser Jon Snow carefully moved to the window of the run-down building in which he had spent the last month and peered through the gap in the broken shutters. Outside, the narrow alleys were mostly deserted; the slaves living in this part of the city were hiding, had been hiding ever since the dragons had overflown the city two days ago. Usually, that would have prompted a swift demonstration by the Magisters' guards to cow them into working as normal, but the Magisters were hiding in their palaces with their guards.

"Will the Order attack?" a hesitant voice asked behind him.

He turned and smiled reassuringly. "They will, Lyn, trust me. And soon."

Lyn nodded slowly. "Then I will lead you to the palace where your friends are being held."

"You don't have to," he told her. "You've described the area well enough for me to find my way."

She shook her head. "You don't speak Valyrian. If anyone challenges you, you'd have trouble avoiding suspicion, even if Ghost can hide."

Ghost raised his head, having heard his name, but didn't make any noise.

Jon nodded. Ghost was skilled at sneaking up on anyone anywhere despite being a fully-grown direwolf, but she was correct. Even in the state the city was in right now, with the Braavosi ships blockading the port and the Order ready to storm the walls, it would be hard to avoid all guards. Especially since they would be watching for deserters from the mercenaries hired to defend the city trying to get away from the walls - and possibly loot a place or two on the way.

He had seen two such fights last night.

Still, as much as he could see Lyn's reason, he didn't like endangering her. She was a runaway slave, and from a reputable pillow house; her former owners - those who hadn't fallen to Jon and Ghost when things came to a head in the brothel - were looking for her. They might have abandoned that search in the light of the dragons' arrival, or they might not have; Jon didn't like taking the risk. He felt bad enough that she had gone out to get them food the last few days, while he had hidden like a coward.

"I'll be in danger if left alone here," she went on as if she had read his thoughts. "You know what happens when a city is sacked."

He wanted to protest that the Order wouldn't act like that, but he knew that even the best men might lose control in a battle. And not everyone who had followed the Order's call for this had done so for the best reasons.

So he sighed and slowly nodded, and tried not to show a reaction when Lyn smiled at him. She was just so beautiful. And so brave.

"We still have to wait, though - we cannot…"

Ghost standing up, ears erect, made him trail off. He turned away, acting as if he were looking out the window again, and concentrated on his partner.

And then he heard the cries. He didn't speak Valyrian, but he knew some words. And that one he recognised.

Dragons.

He nodded sharply. "Let's go! They will attack the gates." The dragons couldn't burn down the walls - or so Jon assumed - but they could turn the gates to ashes.

She returned his nod and took his hand. "Follow me. We will have to hurry before the streets are choked with fleeing people."

Jon nodded and gripped the hilt of his sword as they climbed down the stairs. If the people they had come to save were killed so close to being liberated… He wouldn't let that happen.

*****
​

Ser Brienne Tarth led the charge through the main gate, gritting her teeth at the heat from the still-smoking stone walls and the belt and molten iron bars that were all that remained from the massive gates after the dragons had struck. Usually, defenders would rush to block such a breach, forming a line, even though it would be futile far more often than not, but not here. The dragon attack had routed the defenders - sellswords, already unwilling to die for their employer - and so Brienne set foot into Lys proper without crossing blades with anyone.

She turned around, raising her sword, as Tywan raised the Order's Banner, blessed by the Four Maidens, at her side, the four colours visible in the morning light despite the smoke. "Follow me! We'll root out the Magisters!"

The knights and men-at-arms behind her cheered. Brienne hoped they wouldn't stray and start looting the city; they were here to liberate the slaves and captives, not to rob the smallfolk. But she couldn't stay to make sure of that - nor would it help if she did; Jon and the others were counting on her.

So she raced up the street, towards the palaces of the city's Magisters. After the first few buildings, a group of people carrying bundles and children rushed out of a side alley, saw them, and promptly fled back, screaming for mercy.

Brienne clenched her teeth and kept running. She wanted to order a knight or two - Ser Aden was closest - to protect them, but they were already fleeing in panic; sending anyone after them would only make things worse.

At the first intersection, two dozen guards had formed a line from building to building, a shield wall covering crossbowmen. Brienne didn't stop. She merely raised her shield, caught one bolt on it, and then crashed into the line, sheer strength overpowering the guard facing her and forcing him to the ground. Her blade lashed out as Ser Barristan had drilled, cutting down the guards next to him with two strokes, before she buried the tip in the stomach of the crossbowman in front of her. He gasped, staring at her with wide-open eyes as the crossbow fell from his trembling fingers.

She pulled the blade back, and he collapsed, falling on his knees, hands grasping his wound. Before he could scream, she hit his face with her gauntlet, and he fell down on his back, hopefully unconscious as he bled out. Brienne glanced right and left - checking that the guards had been dispatched already, Ser Fedor just put the last one out of his misery with a stroke to his throat - and then led the charge on.

They cut their way through two more groups of guards and sellswords, but half of them broke ranks before they crossed swords, and soon, Brienne reached the quarter on the hill where the most powerful and richest citizens resided - and foremost, the Magisters. From here, she could see the dragons burning down the ships trying to flee and clearing the walls still manned with sellswords, and couldn't help shivering at the sight. No one deserved to die like that.

They were slavers, she reminded herself. Slavers who held people she was sworn to protect in bondage. People taken from their homes and sold to the brothels in this cesspit. Snarling, she raced on. Jon had, thanks to Bran's talents, managed to pass on where the majority of the kidnapped people were held hostage - a particularly vast palace belonging to Qerim Lorins, an ambitious Magister. They had to secure the palace as soon as possible.

It wouldn't be easy, though - the palaces here were built for defence. The walls were no match for a proper castle or citadel, but they would stop a charge on foot quite the same. And they could risk the dragon setting the gates aflame; if the palace proper caught fire…

But she reached the palace and saw that the gate was open - and that people carrying chests and bags were streaming out. Plunderers?

They saw her and her column, and the smarter ones dropped their baggage and ran. The ones with more greed than brains were weighed down and failed to escape. "Strike those down who resist!" Brienne yelled as she ran past them into the palace's yard.

She saw two dead guards there - one with his face half-cut off, the other with his throat ripped out. Jon and Ghost's work, then. And another guard lay fallen on the stairs leading up to the open door between two massive pillars. She pushed on despite the sweat soaking her. Jon and the others needed help!

As she crossed the threshold, she heard screams and weapons clashing from the inner yard. She used her sword to cut down two curtains in the way and smashed into the door leading to the courtyard. The thin and extensively carved wood broke on her armoured shoulder, and she stumbled into the courtyard, where Jon was fighting against three - no, four - guards, with Ghost at his side. Behind him, a dozen people, all of them beautiful young men and women, were cowering. Two more guards were down on the ground, she saw, one dead in a spreading pool of blood, the other trying to drag himself away with only one working arm and leg.

With a yell, Brienne launched herself at the guards. Caught between her, Jon and Ghost, they were cut down before Tywan arrived on the scene, still carrying the banner, Ser Aden at his side, followed by the rest of Brienne's column.

As soon as the last guard, trying to flee, fell to Ghost biting his ankle and ripping his tendons, Brienne turned to check Jon. He had been fighting against half a dozen guards, and as good as he was, that would still…

But one of the people he had been protecting was already at his side, hands running over his armoured side. Oh.

She blinked. Well, it seemed he was in good hands. She looked over her shoulder. "Search the palace! Secure anyone who looks like he's not a slave!"

With another cheer, the men fanned out, and Brienne turned back to Jon, who was still trying to calm down his friend. Who, Brienne realised, was a local, a slave it seemed. She must be the ally he had mentioned to Bran, then, 'Lyn'.

Well, the girl didn't look hurt, so Brienne moved to check if the rescued captives needed help. Jon could handle himself. Or he better should.

*****
​

Lys, Essos, 315 AC

Ser Bran Stark had learned to fake paying attention while he let his thoughts wander long before he had learned to warg. And what had once served to let him endure the boring lessons of the Septa now was of much greater use as it allowed him to jump into the minds of any animal he chose while appearing to pay attention to a boring meeting.

And it was a boring meeting. He had already told his friends in the Order that Queen Daenerys didn't intend to take Lys for herself, and he had no reason to doubt her word - not after he had listened as a small bird to her sharing her concerns with Missandei. As he had found out during his time as an envoy to her court, the famous Breaker of Chains was, though she hid it well, expecting treason from almost anyone around her except for her most trusted companions and friends.

She didn't trust the freed slaves of Lys not to betray her, even though her dragons had been crucial for taking the city, just because it had been the Order that had stormed the city and actually freed the slaves on the ground.

Which was, actually, not that stupid - most people had only seen her dragons burning down gates and ships, and were as awed as they were frightened of her as a result. It wouldn't take much for that fear to turn against her; many slaves had been hurt or killed in the fighting despite the Order's best efforts.

More importantly, though, Daenerys was afraid of assassinations. Namely, at the hands of the Faceless Men. Again, a rational fear - Daenerys didn't know that the Order hadn't had contact with the House of Black and White since Team Ruby had left. And that was a secret the Order guarded well, as well or more than they guarded Bran and his siblings' talent for warging.

In any case, while the others argued and negotiated, and Arya and Gendry were exchanging notes under the table, Bran let his mind jump from animal to animal, exploring the city. And tried not to blush when he saw things that absolutely should be private. Well, people had a right to celebrate their freedom.

Of course, Lys was but one of Essos's city-states that practised slavery. The commander of the Braavosi ships had already hinted at other opportunities, but that wasn't a decision they could take today; the Order was now responsible for Lys, and as Bran's time at Daenerys's court had shown him, it would take a long time until the city would be stable without them. That was another reason Daenerys would not try to claim the city: She had no men to spare to garrison another city. So, the Order would have to do it. And their allies, of course.

But that was OK. Bran liked it here. For now, at least. It wouldn't be a good thing if the Order took over a city for good. That would ruin their neutrality.

As he jumped into a cat climbing a wall, he suddenly thought of Lady Blake again. She had taught him so much, she and the rest of Team Ruby. He hoped they had found the way back to their world - they certainly had earned it. Without them, he doubted the Order would exist. And Bran wouldn't be a knight.

And who knew how the realm would have fared without them?

*****
​

 

[Starfox5]

Thanks for chapter.Is magical artefact in Vale still working? if so,they could send Salem to other world,right?
Only problem is,how to use it only on her.....

P.S Quentyn is not aware,how lucky he is.And never be.Just another person saved by RWBY without even trying.

Click to shrink...

That will be revealed in the second Epilogue. And yes, Quenty is very lucky.

 

[ATP]

That will be revealed in the second Epilogue. And yes, Quenty is very lucky.

Click to shrink...

Smart Dany - i like it.she undarstandt that capturing do not mean ruling.And dragons are like tanks on modern battlefield - they could destroy part of city,but not hold it.
Killing Ramsay in such way - nice, he do not deserved fight scene.
Althought i would like to knew which Mormont girl would Robb get.
Poor Cat - Arya would get Gendry and there is notching what she could do about it.

P.S What about Tyrion getting Brienne for some reason? i remember some fanfic where it happened,forget title as usual.

 

[Starfox5]

Smart Dany - i like it.she undarstandt that capturing do not mean ruling.And dragons are like tanks on modern battlefield - they could destroy part of city,but not hold it.
Killing Ramsay in such way - nice, he do not deserved fight scene.
Althought i would like to knew which Mormont girl would Robb get.
Poor Cat - Arya would get Gendry and there is notching what she could do about it.

P.S What about Tyrion getting Brienne for some reason? i remember some fanfic where it happened,forget title as usual.

Click to shrink...

I don't think Brienne deserves Book Tyrion, which this fic is based on. And here, Tyrion burned a few bridges with the Order killing Tywin, so the odds of Brienne falling for him are very low.

 

[ATP]

I don't think Brienne deserves Book Tyrion, which this fic is based on. And here, Tyrion burned a few bridges with the Order killing Tywin, so the odds of Brienne falling for him are very low.

Click to shrink...

True.Gave her somebody better !
RWBY - i hope,that magic do not start working there.They do not need more problems.

 

[ThrowawayAccount]

Loving the epilogues, nice work.

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 74: Epilogue II

Beacon Academy, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

"Come on, Weiss! You got her!"

"Kick her ass!"

"Go, Pyrrha!"

"Crush her, Pyrrha!"

Lie Ren didn't frown as he watched the sparring match in front of him, but he wasn't nearly as calm as he appeared. He had noticed that something was off a few days ago - even without Nora loudly declaring that Ruby had been visited by the booby fairy during their mission, it would have been impossible to miss how the then-blushing girl had changed practically overnight. She had grown, and not just in the chest, but also in height. Whereas she had been very close to Weiss's height the week before, now she was slightly but noticeably taller.

"Yes! Show her why you're on Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes!"

He would have written that off - for sheer implausibility, since there was no such thing as a 'booby fairy' - as having missed a growth spurt of the leader of Team RWBY if not for the fact that Nora had also noticed that Ruby had replaced most of her wardrobe yesterday. Growth spurts were not that fast.

"Go, Pyrrha!"

And Ruby hadn't been the only one who had changed, though it hadn't been as obvious for the other members of her team. At least not until now.

Now, seeing Weiss spar against Pyrrha, it was quite obvious, at least to Ren. Whereas Pyrrha would have easily defeated the girl before their mission - and had, actually - this was no longer the case. Oh, Pyrrha was still the better fighter, Ren was growing more certain the more of their match he saw, but Weiss made her actually work for her victory. Some of her moves - especially the ripostes and the parries - seemed to surprise even Pyrrha.

"You have her on the ropes, Pyrrha!"

On the other hand, Weiss seemed to use less Dust than before - and when she did, she was also slower and less precise. Quite peculiar; Weiss was, unsurprisingly, given her background, one of the most experienced users of Dust in combat in their year, possibly the entire school if one counted the more exotic Dust categories.

And yet, she was fighting more like Jaune when facing Pyrrha, favouring her sword Myrtenaster and close combat as if she had not a variety of different attacks to launch at her opponent.

And as good as Weiss had revealed herself to be, Pyrrha was better in close combat. Even without using her Semblance - Ren was keeping an eye out for that - she was driving Weiss back, each blow seeking to create an opening in the girl's defences she could exploit.

"Go, Pyrrha!"

There! Weiss had been forced to move her blade a bit too far to deflect a sweep with Miló, and Pyrrha moved like lightning, smashing Akoúo into Weiss's face while Miló changed from Javelin into Xyphos, stabbing into Weiss's stomach while she was still reeling.

"Yes!"

A leg sweep later, Weiss was on her back, held down by Pyrrha's knee on her chest and the edge of Miló at her throat.

"And victory goes to Pyrrha Nikos. Well done, both of you," Professor Goodwitch announced while Nora launched into a cheerleading routine and Jaune beamed at Pyrrha, who helped Weiss up before she wiped some sweat from her brow.

Ren, though, was paying more attention to Weiss and the rest of Team RWBY. They were acting oddly, he noticed. He would have expected them - at least Yang and Ruby - to console Weiss quite loudly, maybe banter with Team JNPR. But while Ruby did hug Weiss when the latter returned to her team, they all, including Weiss, seemed more subdued than usual. And had been so during the match.

No, not subdued, he realised when he went over their behaviour again.

Analytical.

They had watched the match like Ren had - studied it.

And he couldn't help feeling that the next match, against any of them, would be more difficult than this one.

*****
​

Beacon Academy, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

Pressed against the roof, inching forward slowly so she wouldn't be heard, Nora Valkyrie was a woman on a mission. A top-secret mission - or a counter-top-secret mission. It depended on your viewpoint. In any case, something suspicious had happened to their sister team on their field mission, and Nora would find out what had happened!

And she'd start with Ruby the Booby. Nora was no doctor or nurse, but she knew enough to know that girls didn't grow girls like Ruby now had overnight. Not unless they discovered a booby Semblance, but Ruby already had a Semblance. Although… perhaps she had a second Semblance? That would explain the secrecy and all the evasive answers Nora's questions had received - and that despite Nora using her tried and true question-Blitz tactic combined with her 'embarrass the hell out of them' tactic.

None of Team RWBY had fallen to that, though, not even Ruby herself, who Nora had expected to at least let something slip when she had commented on her grown chest size with a few lewd comments and a joke about Weiss growing jealous that could have been taken in at least two ways.

Another weird change. Just as people didn't grow a cup size or three in a day, they didn't grow up so fast, either.

And it wasn't just Ruby; all of Team RWBY had changed. Jaune claimed he didn't see it, and Pyrrha claimed she couldn't tell - she was just trying not to undermine Jaune, Nora was sure - but Ren, smart, perfect Ren, agreed with Nora. And he really, honestly agreed - she hadn't had to wear him down into agreeing, or just tell him that he agreed.

Team RWBY had changed. They were less… spirited, Ozpin had called it after the glorious food fight. More serious. More secret agent-like, always looking around, always armed. They almost never let their guard down, and Nora only assumed it was almost never and not actually never because she couldn't be sure if they actually let their guard down in the privacy of their bedroom.

And, speaking of privacy and bedroom, Yang and Blake were acting far too into each other, too! Sure, they had been partners before becoming lovers - a completely natural and inevitable process, if you asked Nora, and you should, as Jaune and Pyrrha and Nora and Ren proved, or would, once Pyrrha got over her shyness, and Ren finally realised that Nora was in love with him and…

Well, back to Yang and Blake. They were acting far too comfortable and familiar with each other, and having been partners couldn't explain that - they hadn't been partners for that long. And they weren't acting all lovey-dovey, as all couples did in the first few weeks. (Nora had checked that with multiple couples, taking notes for future use.) No, they acted like the older couples, the ones who had been together for years, as if they were already used to each other instead of still discovering each other's secrets. Secrets like Blake's ears - and she had suddenly decided to stop hiding them? Yeah, right!

Anyway, that was something else that was suspicious about their sister team. Ruby and Weiss were acting the same. Well, the familiar and comfortable part, not the lover part. Although there were some hints Nora thought she had spotted…

Anyway, those two had been partners, but not that kind of partners. They had still been feeling each other out, learning how to trust each other, how to tolerate each other - and that wasn't something you did in a few days; Nora knew that from her own team.

So why was the entire team acting (and looking) as if they had grown up years in a few days? It made no…

Nora gasped. That was it! She had found the answer!

She jumped up, then jumped off the roof and rushed back to her dorm, beating her record - well, probably; she hadn't timed herself.

She slammed the door open.

"Ren! Pyrrha! Jaune!"

The door bounced off the wall and slammed closed behind her.

"I've got it!"

"You got what?" Jaune asked.

"The answer to the RWBY-Mystery!" Nora beamed and nodded several times. "The answer to why they are all so suspicious and weird, suspiciously weird."

All her teammates were staring at her. And Ren wasn't frowning.

"Time travel!" Nora smiled proudly.

Now Ren was frowning, Pyrrha was doing that grimace that meant she disagreed but didn't want to undercut Nora, and Jaune…

…was laughing. "Good one, Nora!" He stepped up to her and patted her shoulder. "Like in Back from the Grimm Future! I loved that show!"

"NO!" Nora shook her head. "I am serious! Time travel is the only answer that explains all the changes!"

"Nora…" Ren shook his head. "Time travel doesn't exist."

"Says who?" Nora glared at him. "Just because no one has had a time travel Semblance doesn't mean it's impossible!" Hah! That was perfect logic!

"It's impossible," Ren insisted.

"If time travel were possible, the space-time continuum would be shattered," Jaune said.

She glared at him as well. She recognised a movie quote when she heard one, even though she hadn't seen that movie. "It's time travel!"

"It's not."

"It does sound a bit… far-fetched? Sorry!"

"Nora…"

A knock on their door interrupted Jaune.

Nora glared at her three treacherous friends and turned to open the door.

Blake was standing there, with Yang behind her. Nora blinked. "Uh…"

Blake smiled wryly, and Yang sighed. "So… we kind of overheard your discussion," Yang said.

Oh. The ears. Nora nodded.

Yang nodded towards their own dorm. "Let's talk there. No bugs."

Nora nodded. It was so time-travel!

Ren frowned, and she heard him whisper "Bugs?"

But Nora's team followed her as she followed Blake and Yang.

She would get her answers!

*****
​

"...and then we discovered that we had returned at the very moment we had left," Ruby finished.

Jaune Arc was floored. Had been so for a while. This was the most fantastic story he had ever heard - not counting some of the cartoons he had watched as a kid, of course. But it was the most unbelievable story he had been told was true. Supposed to be true, he corrected himself.

Transported to another world? A world without Dust or Grimm? Where people didn't, couldn't have Aura or Semblances? But where magic was real? And knights and assassins and nobles and kings? And a whole different species? And then being transported to another other world, with a magic tree and a magic… god? "Wow!" he said. "That's unbelievable."

"It's the truth!" Ruby insisted. "We got pictures and souvenirs!"

"Pictures can be faked, and your souvenirs…" Ren shook his head. He didn't believe them. "Those clothes and items could be made by anyone with the right skills."

"But they're real!"

Ren was right about that, of course - those weren't magic clothes or items. Still…

"But it explains everything!" Nora spoke up, waving her arms around. "Ruby's boobs, how they got so weird, how they act like spies… Everything!"

Nora was right as well. Jaune had to nod. It also explained why his attempt to invite Weiss to the dance had been met by a curt dismissal that had made him feel far worse than an insult would have.

"There could be other explanations for that," Ren objected.

"Like what?" Yang asked. Uh-oh! She looked annoyed, Jaune noted.

Ren didn't answer, but he matched her glare. And he was right again, of course.

"Uh. You could be body doubles who replaced the originals, so no one would find out that they are missing?" Jaune spoke before he realised what he said. If they were doubles taking the place of Team RWBY, what had happened to their friends? Were they on a secret mission no one could know about, like in 'Double's Trouble'? Or… dead? He gasped. A little.

"Really?" Weiss scoffed. "And they would have messed up Ruby's double like that?"

"Hey! I'm not messed up!"

"Not like that! I mean…" Weiss flushed. "I mean, if they managed to find near-perfect body doubles for us, they could have done so for Ruby as well."

"Right!" Mollified, Ruby nodded.

That was correct as well, so Jaune nodded.

"Or got a sports bra with extra-tensile strength!" Nora nodded vigorously. "Or surgery."

Jaune winced at that idea.

"Anyway, the Headmaster can vouch for us," Ruby went on.

"And it goes without saying that you cannot tell anyone about this," Blake added.

Yang nodded and flashed her teeth.

Once again, Ren frowned. "If it is true, and if it is, it's clear it's meant to be a secret, then why did you tell us in the first place?" He glanced at Nora. "We didn't know about the other world, and Nora is known to make up stories."

"Hey!" Nora scowled. "I only make stories more interesting! I don't make them up!"

Ren nodded and went on: "And you mentioned that your room wasn't bugged."

Jaune blinked again. That… "There are spies you're hiding from?"

"Did someone follow you from the other world? A magic assassin?" Nora leaned forward with an eager expression. "A magic bird spy?"

Ruby winced in return. "Ah… Not quite. But there are people who could be spying on us - like Roman Torchwick and his gang. And if they learn about this, that would be bad."

"You think Roman might spy on you?" Ren wasn't convinced. Jaune could tell.

"We've ruined three of his operations so far!" Yang said, grinning. "Why wouldn't he try to keep an eye on us? He chased after us in a Mech last time, so he's taking it personally."

Jaunce wouldn't be proud of having the most infamous criminal of Vale carrying a grudge against him, but Yang was, well, Yang.

Ren nodded. Reluctantly, but he did. Jaune knew that didn't mean he was fully convinced - only that he didn't have any points left to argue.

"Good! So, please, no more time travel talk!" Ruby smiled.

"OK!" Jaune nodded. They could do that. Would do that.

"And we'll talk with the Headmaster tomorrow so he knows you know," she went on.

Jaune froze. Meeting the Headmaster? And about such a secret? Uh… He glanced at his team. Nora was still smiling widely, but Ren was a bit too stiff, as he usually was when hiding how nervous he was, and Pyrrha seemed to have frozen.

Yeah, Jaune wasn't looking forward to that meeting.

*****
​

Beacon Academy, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

Leaning against the wall next to the balcony and watching the crowd below dance - or attempt to dance, in some cases - Mercury Black kept a polite smile on his face. It wouldn't do to draw attention; not when they were trying to pull one over the likes of Ozpin and Goodwitch while working right under their noses. He hadn't liked that plan from the start, not that he would have said anything, of course - he knew better than that. Still… Sure, Lionheart had provided them with student IDs, but lately, the teachers had seemed to pay a bit too much attention to their students.

Cinder had claimed it was because they were watching Team RWBY so the four girls wouldn't screw up again, but Mercury wasn't so sure. Sure, he had confirmed himself that those troublemakers were under close scrutiny by the teachers, which was why Cinder had had them keep their distance - over the silent protests of Neo, who wanted to mess with them - but…

Something was off with those girls. He couldn't put a finger on it, not exactly - he wished he had paid more attention to them before things had grown so tense - but they weren't acting like the typical students here. No matter the year. Whenever he saw them - they couldn't avoid the girls completely, after all - they seemed ready for an attack. And they had grown quite a bit more intense in the sparring matches. Was that a result of Torchwick almost killing them with the stolen Paladin?

He glanced at the disguised Neo. No point in asking her; even if she wanted to give him an honest answer, which he was sure she didn't, she couldn't talk, and he wasn't about to give her an excuse for another mocking gesture or charade.

"Is the coast clear?" Cinder asked over their secret channel.

Mercury didn't bother answering; Emerald, fool that she was, jumped at the chance. "Yes, Cinder! Everyone's dancing or watching the dance. I can see Ozpin, Ironwood and Goodwitch down there."

Not Team RWBY; Belladonna and Xiao Long were probably somewhere making out - the two couldn't keep their hands off each other - and Rose and Schnee had already bothered them with an attempt at smalltalk that Emerald had handled. The two had been checking if they liked the dance just because they weren't jerking around on the floor. Well, Schnee was a perfectionist and arrogant. She probably gave herself a failing grade if not everyone was in awe of her organisational talents.

"Alright. I'm going in."

Mercury snorted. "Look at them, down there. Acting as if this is anything but a school dance. Organised by students, to boot."

"Organised by Weiss Schnee," Emerald replied, and he didn't need to look at her to know she was scowling. "Wouldn't surprise me if she doubled the budget out of her allowance for this month."

"Envy is a sin." He turned his head to grin at her.

"So's murder," she shot back, turning her scowl on him.

"Oh, I know that. Very well." He chuckled. At least, he could have some fun riling up his supposed partner while they waited for Cinder to plant the virus in the CCT. Between her hopeless crush on Cinder and the chip on her shoulder about her childhood, Emerald was an easy mark, too.

Certainly more fun than watching stupid kids dance.

*****
​

Beacon Academy, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

Cinder Fall smiled as she disabled the last guard in the CCTS Tower's base. Everything was going according to plan. Those fools had just checked in, so they wouldn't be missed for the next twenty minutes. The Atlesian military was nothing but predictable in its strict adherence to schedule and orders. It meant she had plenty of time to plant Watts's virus and get back to the balcony, where Neo was keeping an illusion of Cinder up as her alibi.

But just as she was about to call the lift down, she caught movement behind her - at the entrance. Whirling, she drew Midnight, shifting the daggers into her bow. Who would…

"Stop right there and surrender!"

She almost groaned as she recognised Team RWBY. Those troublemakers just didn't know when to stay out of her way! Well, she could handle four first years! Especially first years dressed for a dance, not a battle. Too bad she couldn't go all-out and kill them - that would draw too much attention and threaten the whole point of this mission. But she had to take them out quickly so she could still plant the virus and escape before reinforcements arrived - those girls were not the smartest, but they would have alerted the teachers.

But as she drew Midnight's string back, the little girl vanished in a cloud of petals. Cinder threw herself to the side, letting an arrow fly at the Schnee girl in the back - best to take her out quickly before she managed to cause a mess with all the Dust she carried.

To her annoyance, her arrow smashed into a shining glyph - and the little girl reappeared not where Cinder had been but in front of her!

She managed to jump back, narrowly avoiding the oversized scythe the girl wielded, and shifted Midnight into daggers. Change of tactics, finish the little girl first, and in close-quarters combat - the Schnee girl couldn't use Dust unless she wanted to risk hitting their leader, and…

A purple blade cut into her shoulder, throwing her off course - the cat was above her, and dropping down!

Cinder whirled out of the way, using her Semblance to superheat the spot where she had been standing. A moment later, the floor exploded, sending splinters flying at her attacker, shredding her body and causing her to… vanish?

The cat had used that Semblance of hers to create a clone in mid-fall to catch the splinters, and was jumping at her! Cinder had to parry two quick slashes before she could kick her to the side and set herself up for a lunge at the little girl.

She rushed forward, Midnight's blades, heating up as well, lashing out in a cross-cut that would burn and melt anything it touched - only for the girl to vanish right when Cinder reached her! Cinder's eyes narrowed in frustration - and then widened when the bimbo appeared next to her, grinning like a madwoman a moment before her fist struck Cinder's side and sent her flying into the wall.

Her Aura took it, of course, but she had barely jumped back on her feet when the little girl and the cat were upon her again, with the bimbo right behind them.

Cinder moved to parry the cat's attack first, wrecking her sword with Midnight and sliding to the side so the little girl would miss and block her sister's attack at the same time, so…

The Cat twisted her sword and sent one of Midnight's blades away with a blow that made Cinder's fingers hurt despite her Aura. Disarmed, by a student? She gasped, glancing at the cat as she reflexively moved to deflect the scythe arcing towards her.

And her second blade was knocked out of her hand, numbing it in the process - by that damned scythe! Cinder would have cursed if the bimbo hadn't buried her fist into her stomach with a blow she felt through her Aura, together with a shotgun blast at point-blank range.

Once more, she was sent flying, folded over, and hit the wall behind her - no, a glyph that sent her flying upwards. And more glyphs appeared as Cinder sailed through the air - in a formation… Was the Schnee girl trying to keep her airborne so she couldn't dodge the volleys from the rest of the team? Could she actually lose this battle?

No! She clenched her teeth as she straightened. She wouldn't be defeated! She was Cinder Fall! She was too powerful for this!

Calling upon the Maiden's power, she stopped her fall and let the magic course through her, manifesting flames in her hands. They thought they had disarmed her? "Hah!"

"Fire Sorceress!" the little girl called out. "Mel's Mayhem!"

Did they know about the Maidens? Were they Ozpin's agents? Of course, that explained how they could stymie Cinder - they weren't students, they were undercover agents at the school! And they had fooled her with their naive act! The audacity!

"No more holding back!" Cinder snarled and threw fire at the fools below. She'd burn down the tower if she had to, as long as those girls would die!

But her targets were shielded by glyphs - how many could that girl create at once? She must have held back during school! - and when Cinder switched to blowing up the ground behind and near the girls, they jumped on the glyphs above them to escape. No, to attack her!

Cinder felt bullets hit her aura as the little girl, the cat and the bimbo opened up with their weapons, and she cursed. But now they were too close to dodge her fire! Grinning, she threw even more flames at them…

…and recoiled when a large glyph appeared right in front of her, deflecting the fire - and throwing it back at her. She screamed against her will as she cut off her power out of reflex, hurling herself backwards - and hit another glyph.

And then the three others were upon her. The scythe slashed into her before she could react, sending her spinning, and a flurry of blows hammered into her exposed side, further depleting her Aura. Then arms grabbed her - far too many arms. The cat had multiplied!

Cinder felt the cat's blade slash into her back, amidst shotgun blasts, then that scythe struck again, shattering her Aura.

And as she recoiled, still held by the clones, she saw the blonde bimbo's grin again - right before her fist filled Cinder's face, and everything went dark.

*****
​

Beacon Academy, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

Standing at parade rest in the lift that led up to the office of Beacon's Headmaster, Specialist Winter Schnee had very mixed feelings about the upcoming meeting - briefing, she reminded herself. The newest recruits would be briefed about the true scope of the war they found themselves in. She shouldn't be conflicted about them - they had proven their worth when they stopped an attack on the CCTS against one of the enemy's best and most dangerous operatives and exposed the traitor Lionheart - but they were so young. First years, not even close to graduation. And they included Weiss. Her younger sister. How she had become mixed up in this whole secret war, Winter wasn't quite certain. But she had her suspicions, she added to herself, glancing with narrowed eyes at the second person waiting in the room.

"What's up, Ice Princess? Someone misfiled a report?"

She clenched her teeth at the slightly slurred drawl of Qrow Branwen. If someone had told her that there was a traitor in Ozpin's inner circle, he would have been her first suspect. His sister had already turned traitor, after all. However, he had been cleared - even General Ironwood had vouched for him.

"Huh? Cat got your tongue?" He cocked his head to the side in that exaggerated manner of his that made it impossible to tell if he was truly drunk or merely faking it, probably in a childish ploy to be underestimated. And to annoy her; that she could tell.

But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of showing a reaction to his childish antics. "I am merely concerned about the fact that my little sister is to join us before she has even finished her first year at Beacon."

"Huh." He blinked, as if he hadn't even considered that. Then he shrugged. "Right. Your sister is on the team. I guess she doesn't have quite the same stick up her butt as you do, since Ruby and Yang haven't complained about her."

Winter could have done without the reminder that his nieces - one in blood, one adopted, as she understood the situation - were part of the same team as her sister. Not to mention that Blake Belladonna, all-but-confirmed member of the White Fang terrorist organisation, was their fourth member. If the General hadn't quite strongly insisted that she had left the White Fang and that they were to ignore her past, Winter would have never accepted such an obvious threat to her sister. Although, honesty compelled her to admit that the lack of any harm done to Weiss during the months they had spent on the same team made for a semi-convincing argument that Belladonna didn't present a clear and present danger.

However, none of that was a reason to ignore the insufferable man's insulting allegations. "If anyone has grounds for complaints, it is my sister," she retorted. Winter had read the files provided by Ozpin, after all, and the mere thought of what kind of situations Weiss had been dragged into… She clenched her teeth and schooled her features. She was better than this.

He chuckled. "Of course you would think that."

She narrowed her eyes again but didn't take the obvious bait. She was very familiar with Branwen's utterly incorrect and misguided views of proper discipline and standard operating procedure in the field.

Obviously realising his childish provocations were pointless, Branwen pulled out his ever-present flask and indulged in his alcoholism. Judging from the manner in which he did that, it was easy to conclude that he also chewed with his mouth open when he ate.

But she had been aware of that already.

Fortunately, before Branwen could make another attempt to needle her, the lift stopped. They had arrived. Unfortunately, he managed to stash his flask before the lift's doors opened. Not that Winter doubted that both Headmaster Ozpin and the General were aware of his drinking problems.

Head held high, she stepped into the office and saluted. "Specialist Schnee reporting, Headmaster, General!"

"Yo!"

"Welcome!" Ozpin smiled at both of them while the General nodded curtly. Professor Goodwitch followed his example. She must be quite vexed about Branwen's antics as well, Winter suspected. "You're right on time!"

As if Winter would be late for a briefing!

Branwen, of course, acted as if that was something to be proud of instead of the barest minimum expected from anyone who was part of this group.

"Will anyone else join us?" she asked.

"Taiyang Xiao Long, but he'll arrive with our latest recruits."

"Tai's arrived early to spend some time with the kids," Branwen added.

Winter didn't let her distaste show. She hadn't met Branwen's former teammate so far, but the man had married Raven Branwen, and while he hadn't outright betrayed Ozpin, he had retired to teach at a combat school despite his obvious talent. Either was enough to cast some doubt on his character, as was his continuing association with Branwen, of course.

But she would defer to Ozpin's judgment here, as usual. For all his faults, Branwen did achieve results when he wasn't drunk senseless. As his handling of the situation at Haven had proven.

So she took up a position to the side and slightly behind the General and assumed parade rest again. Branwen, of course, leaned against the wall with a slouch so prominent, she half-expected him to lose his balance and fall down any moment.

"Ah!" Ozpin tilted his head slightly and took a sip from his mug. "I believe they are on the way up now."

Winter raised her chin. This would be the first time she saw Weiss in person since she had left for Beacon. They had exchanged messages, of course, and brief video calls, but that was no replacement for an actual meeting.

The lift's doors opened, and five people entered. Winter's eyes instantly sought out her little sister. Weiss… had changed, she noted at once. She had grown - a little, but it was more than Winter had expected. But there were other, less obvious changes as well. The way she glanced around, hand on Myrtenaster, tensing for a fraction of a second, before she relaxed. And then again, when their eyes met. That brief tension, before her little sister relaxed again with a brief but more heartfelt smile than Winter would have expected from her.

"Uncle Qrow!" And that was Ruby Rose, the leader of the team and Weiss's partner. Who had just used her Semblance to instantly appear at Branwen's side to hug him in defiance of both protocol and common courtesy. If she didn't know better, Winter would assume that Ruby was the one related by blood to the lout.

But to Winter's surprise, Weiss didn't seem annoyed at her partner and leader's actions. Instead, she seemed… to smile fondly at the sight? And then smile at Winter in a way that made it almost seem as if she wished to do the same?

Winter must be mistaken. Because if she wasn't, then her little sister had been changed far more profoundly by her association with those girls than she could have imagined.

"Uncle Qrow!"

"Hey, little spitfire! Ow!"

"Hah!"

"Headmaster."

"It's good to see you, Taiyang."

"Likewise… I hope. Professor. General. Specialist. Qrow."

"Yo!"

"Uh… Good evening, Headmaster, Professor, uh… General Ironwood and… Specialist Schnee."

"Yo!"

Winter tried to ignore the stammered and belated greetings of Miss Rose and looked her father over. Mr Xiao Long had kept in shape, she noted, and he seemed a far more social man than his brother-in-law, though it was also obvious that he was no stranger to such a meeting.

She glanced at his two daughters, then focused on Blake Belladonna. The former terrorist had remained beside Weiss, seemingly impassive. Winter wasn't fooled. The Faunus was tense and kept glancing around, checking for threats. Like a bodyguard - or an assassin looking for an escape route. That Weiss didn't seem bothered at all was another oddity that Winter couldn't explain at the moment. Her sister was far too composed for such a meeting, anyway - she didn't look half as nervous as Winter would have expected.

She mentally added another point to a growing list of questions she would ask Weiss about once they could speak privately.

Then Ozpin cleared his throat. "Now that everyone's here…"

"Except for our friends!" Miss Rose muttered, then blushed when Ozpin glanced at her.

Winter narrowed her eyes. Were more students involved in this?

Ozpin tilted his head again. "Now that everyone necessary for this briefing is here, let us begin." He took another sip from his mug. "First, I believe it would be best if Team RWBY would share what happened to them during their last field mission, so everyone is on the same page."

Once again, Winter was surprised - an occurrence that happened far too often today, for her taste and peace of mind. She had been under the impression that the reason her sister's team was here was that they had discovered a conspiracy at Beacon centred on the CCTS tower during the school dance. What was this about a field mission?

She narrowed her eyes at Miss Rose as the girl nodded, cleared her throat, and started to talk. "Right! So, we were sent to check out a few ruins for Grimm, mainly so things could calm down after Roman Torchwick tried to kill us in a stolen Paladin, but that's not really important."

Winter disagreed. Torchwick would pay for trying to kill her little sister!

"What is important is what we found in the ruins. A magic artefact!"

A what? Winter barely stifled a gasp.

"A magic artefact that transported us to another world," the girl went on.

"After you carelessly touched it."

"Weiss! No one could have expected that! Anyway, from one moment to another, we found ourselves in another world - a world with a different moon, and lots of ice and snow - at least in the part where we arrived. So…"

*****
​

"...and then we were back in the ruins, at the same time we had left!"

Another world where people couldn't have Aura or Semblances. Ice zombies and Children of the Forest. People being able to see through the eyes of animals. Magic and yet another world - the realm of the gods.

Winter would have dismissed the whole tale as a delusional piece of fiction if not for two things. First, it would explain the changes her little sister showed, both physical and mental. And second, Ozpin and the General obviously believed the tale as well - Winter's early suspicion that this might be a test of how vulnerable to manipulation she was had to be discarded. In addition to that, Weiss had chimed in with corrections so often, it was obvious she believed this, and Winter refused to think her little sister could have been fooled into believing such a story - or manipulated into going along with it.

"So, in that world, you were spied on by crows and ravens?" Branwen spoke up with a twisted grin.

"Yes, Uncle Qrow!" Miss Rose nodded earnestly.

"And other animals," Weiss added.

Branwen glanced at Ozpin, whose smile twisted slightly, Winter noted. Then the man nodded at his nieces and said: "Good instincts."

Winter filed that tidbit away. As she filed away that Mr Xiao Long had already known the story the girls had revealed today.

"So… you've spent a year in another world while a day passed here?" Branwen asked.

"Yeah." Miss Xiao Long nodded.

"Less than a minute, actually," Weiss replied.

"And you spent so much time dealing with plotting nobles and assassins, you easily spotted the traitors at Beacon?" Branwen chuckled with a glance at Professor Goodwitch, who scowled at him.

"Well… not at once," Miss Rose replied. "But Cinder was just too friendly, you know? Even though we didn't really know her. And she reminded us of the queen."

"Yeah. And Mercury was too smug," her sister added. "And the third too silent. Only Emerald was kinda normal, but she was still giving off faker vibes."

"And they were too careful," Belladonna said. "As if they expected spies around."

"Spies like you?" Branwen asked.

Belladonna narrowed her eyes slightly at him but didn't comment.

Winter made a mental note of that as well.

"So!" Miss Rose spoke up again. "We had suspicions that they were up to no good, but we had no proof. So we kept an eye on them. And then Cinder slipped out from the dance and was replaced by a decoy, and that was even more suspicious."

"Yet, you didn't alert either Glynda or Ozpin," the General said.

Miss Rose flushed a little. "Well, we weren't sure if they were your spies or the enemy's, and well… we didn't have a safe way to alert you to check that wouldn't have alerted them."

"You could have called us," Goodwitch said.

"Yeah, but…" Miss Rose glanced at her friends.

"Scrolls can be compromised," Belladonna said. "A spy would ensure that they had taps into their target's internal communication network, if they had the opportunity."

Winter made yet another mental note to check their cybersecurity later. They already knew that the enemy had a virus that could suborn their systems, but it wouldn't hurt to check for other weaknesses specifically related to White Fang incidents.

"Anyway, we were ready for that stuff, and so we followed her. I mean, us four against her by herself?" Miss Xiao Long shrugged. "Not that hard."

"And what if she had taken her team with her? Or met with more minions?" Ozpin asked.

"We would have alerted you then - and stalled them," Weiss replied.

Winter pressed her lips together. Her little sister supported such reckless behaviour? Or was that a result of having no one but her team whom she could trust, for over a year?

"I see," Ozpin said. He looked at the General. "As I said, it's quite a tale - and a stroke of fortune the likes I have not seen in a long time."

"To have a god help us?" the General asked.

"Exactly." Ozpin slowly nodded. "I would not involve students in our conflict, but if a god, or the closest to a god that was seen in aeons, chooses you, it would be arrogant beyond measure to think I might know better."

It was obvious that Mr Xiao Long didn't quite share that opinion. Branwen was harder to read, but he didn't seem pleased, either. But it was also obvious, both from their expressions and their history, that Team RWBY shared the Headmaster's opinion.

Winter might not be familiar with the other members of her team, but she knew her little sister, and Weiss's expression told her that she wouldn't budge.

And Winter wasn't quite certain whether she should be proud of Weiss or angry at her - or both.

*****
​

"You have survived an ordeal few could even imagine, sister," Winter said once she was finally alone with Weiss in one of the guest rooms of the academy that she had personally checked for recording devices. She would have preferred a private dinner at a five-star restaurant, but given the current situation, that was out of the question.

"As I found out, that is not entirely correct, Winter," Weiss replied. With a sly smile that felt both familiar and out of place to Winter, she went on. "Blake showed me that there is quite a range of literature focused on people being transported to another world."

"Fiction," Winter corrected her.

"It's still literature. The Sailor on the Moon is one of the oldest surviving tales from our past, actually, and describes how a sailor is thrown to the moon by a Leviathan's tail slap."

Which was physically impossible, of course. But that wasn't the point. "You are very close to your teammates," Winter said. Closest to her partner, of course, but that wasn't a problem.

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "I trust Blake with my life."

Spending a year dealing with the nobility of another world had taught Weiss more about reading between the lines than a decade at home, Winter noted. She nodded. "I bow to your experience in that matter." She would still look into the matter, of course, if not quite as urgently as she normally would, given the circumstances.

Weiss frowned some more, then nodded. "For over a year, we only had each other. We've made friends there, of course, but… there was always a gap we couldn't bridge. Secrets we had to keep, and customs and views that kept us at a distance from everyone else."

Winter would have expected that gap to exist between Weiss and all her teammates - Branwen's nieces from Vale and a former White Fang member from Menagerie certainly had lived drastically, critically different lives compared to her sister, who had grown up as a Schnee in Atlas. And yet, Weiss obviously disagreed. "It is obvious that you all have grown very close. Some perhaps a bit closer than others."

Weiss blushed at that, and Winter couldn't help wondering if she had missed something else during the recounting of their ordeal. "Blake and Yang love each other, but they are not the most discreet couple. Although, to be fair, most of that is Yang's fault. Not that there's anything wrong with being open about your feelings."

Winter nodded, although she didn't quite agree. Tight control over one's emotions was essential for a soldier - she certainly had found that proven true during her career. And tested, most often, by Branwen. She briefly pondered asking if there had been any romantic interests from Weiss but decided against it; if Weiss wanted to confide such things to her, she would, of course, welcome it and give advice, but she wouldn't pry. Not without a good reason, of course.

"You worked well together when fighting the intruder," she said instead. Indeed, defeating a foe who not only was experienced enough to give Branwen trouble but who had been wielding part of a Maiden's power as well was an impressive feat. Of course, the Maidens' power remained a secret, not the least because of the fact that Weiss and her friends had been called 'The Four Maidens' in the other world and had been selected by what was described as a god had thrown up a lot of questions Winter wasn't certain she would like being answered.

"We trained for fighting a sorceress," Weiss said, trying in that endearing way of hers to hide how proud she felt. "It actually went more or less like how we expected it to happen. Although we still need to practice ranged attacks better; since we had to conserve ammunition and Dust, we couldn't keep up our training in that area. We've taken steps to remedy that once we were back at Beacon, but we haven't yet reached the desired level. We were fortunate that Fall used a bow and arrows and not a more advanced ranged option for her weapon."

Well, that was the kind of ambition and self-criticism Winter was familiar with; Weiss hadn't changed that much, then. "Understandable. Yet, you advanced significantly while training with local knights." The test scores and recordings Winter had studied on the way to Beacon didn't lie.

"We were trained by the most accomplished knight of the realm, Ser Barristan the Bold," Weiss replied. "He has decades of experience."

"But no Aura."

"Of course. Yet I think it is fair to say that he is the most skilled swordsman I've ever met or heard of," Weiss said. "His technique put him far above every single one of my various tutors, for example."

Winter narrowed her eyes slightly at that. "Well, your tutors were chosen for their talents as teachers, not as Huntsmen."

"They were chosen for their ability to curry favour with Father," Weiss replied. She didn't sound or look as angry about it as she would have before she came to Beacon, Winter noted.

"They still taught you adequately," she said. Father wouldn't have accepted substandard results.

"Adequately for an Academy environment, I'll grant you that." Weiss leaned back. "But not for the field."

"That is what you are learning at Beacon Academy, isn't it?" Winter raised her eyebrows at that.

Weiss nodded. "Yes. It doesn't detract from my point that Ser Barristan was a great tutor, far beyond any other teacher I had."

Winter would like to contest that, but… this wasn't the time to head to a combat salle. And she had seen the records of their fight against Cinder Fall. "You have trained to support your team in such battles."

"Yes. My Semblance makes me uniquely suited for that task."

"But you have yet to master summoning."

"I didn't think training in a potentially dangerous technique would be a good course of action when we were stranded in another world without any experts on the topic," Weiss replied - a little evasively, in Winter's opinion.

But she was correct. "Indeed," Winter nodded. "A mistake could have had grave consequences." Could - most failures only damaged your pride, nothing else. Winter knew that. But as one progressed towards mastering this part of their Semblance, the potential consequences of a mistake grew more dangerous. "But since I am here… would you like to train in it?"

"I would like that, yes." Weiss's smile made her look far younger than she was - and made Winter feel much better about what her little sister had gone through and would face in the future.

*****
​

Ruins of Mountain Glenn, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

Adam Taurus wanted to scowl but he forced himself to smile confidently as he watched his subordinates load the train cars with the Dust they had gathered for months. Even people dedicated to the cause as his own needed a confident leader to look up to when going into battle. And this would be a hard battle. Many of them would not come back, but that was a price that had to be paid to strike such a blow against the humans that they would never forget it.

If only it hadn't been the idea of a human. Adam clenched his teeth. He should have come up with the plan, not Cinder. But that didn't matter any more; Cinder had failed with her plan, and with her and her henchmen gone, Adam was free to put the plan into action on his own. In a way, things had worked out almost perfectly. Instead of being used by Cinder, he ended up using her resources and planning for his own goals. The White Fang had gathered most of the Dust they would use for this, anyway - Torchwick, for all his boasts, had proven to be pretty useless.

Adam shouldn't have kept the human around for so long. But once the train was ready, Torchwick would have outlived what little usefulness he still had. Just like Cinder and her minions had.

Cinder… If no one else had known about her, things would be perfect; Adam could claim that this had been his own plan all along. Well, once Vale's walls broke, and the White Fang spread such terror amongst the humans that every Grimm between Mountain Glenn and Vale would gather at the breach, it wouldn't matter anyway - people would know Adam's name! Everyone would know what he had done - and fear what else he could do. Blake would know, and she would regret betraying him.

His lips twisted as he imagined her reaction when she realised what she had done, how she had betrayed him and the cause, for the losing side. Would she come back and beg for his forgiveness? Or run? And if she came to beg, would he forgive her? Eventually, maybe. After ensuring that she knew her place. Thoroughly. She wouldn't dare to even think about betraying him again, and…

He raised his head. Had that been a distant explosion? But no one knew they were here - they had been lying low for weeks, after Cinder had left, and he had had their old base under surveillance for the entire time, in case someone came snooping around there. Perhaps a guard had had to deal with a stray Grimm?

Another distant explosion. More clearly heard, this time - some of the Faunus at the train stopped, even.

"Keep loading!" he yelled at them before he drew his scroll. "This is Taurus! All guards, report in!"

Three guards failed to report in.

Adam clenched his teeth. An attack? When he was so close to accomplishing his goal? No! He would have his revenge!

"Keep loading the train! And prepare to head out!" he snapped at the White Fang members who had again stopped working. While they snapped to attention and hastened to obey, he turned to his Lieutenant. "Take a few men and go check this out. Deal with it, if possible, stall whoever this is if you cannot." He glared at him until the other nodded, grabbed his chainsaw and left.

Good.

Adam took a deep breath. He wouldn't let anyone stop him. Not when he was so close to striking the greatest blow for the Faunus cause anyone had ever seen. He just needed a bit more time, and they were off in the…

Another explosion, much closer, cut his thoughts off, and he found himself stumbling as a shockwave hit him. Looking around, he gasped.

The train engine had vanished in a cloud of dense smoke! And the first car had been derailed!

No! It was impossible! How had anyone gotten past his guards? And who was it?

As he gripped Blush and moved towards the smoke, his scroll started vibrating, but he ignored it - there were people moving through the smoke! And they would pay for this!

"Enemies at the tunnel! Kill them!" he yelled. "Now!"

The White Fang members at the back of the train started running towards the smoke cloud. Adam fired two shots with Blush at a figure half-hidden in the smoke, then drew Wilt.
Whoever it was, he would personally cut them down!

After his men had flushed them out, of course. "Go in! You cannot hit them from here! Go! Show them that everyone who opposes the White Fang will die!"

The White Fang charged into the smoke. More shots rang out. Then a shotgun blast, and a White Fang flew out of the smoke, bouncing once on the ground before he came to a stop at Adam's feet.

"Whoo! Nice Yangtime!"

Adam blinked as a blonde girl stepped out of the smoke, grinning widely. He knew that girl! Blake's new partner - and lover. Torchwick's partner had provided pictures!

"You!" he spat, grinding his teeth.

"Me!" the girl replied. "Oh, I know you, I think!"

Adam snarked and charged her, Wilt lashing out, as another White Fang engaged her. No matter - he would cut her down even if he had to cut through his own men, and…

His blow was stopped before he reached her by another figure - who crumbled to dust a moment later.

He gasped. Blake! He whirled around, swinging Wilt in a wide arc. As he had expected, Blake had tried to use her clone to get behind him. He had foiled that, but she had still managed to parry his blow. Twice now. "Blake…" He hissed.

She was looking at him with wide eyes, trembling and panting. As she should.

He struck twice, cross cuts from high to low, too fast for her to block.

Yet she did. Both cuts.

And suddenly smiled.

Adam felt a shiver run down his spine. She wasn't supposed to smile - she was supposed to cringe in fear! Grinding his teeth, he lunged, stabbing at her side with all his might. People were fighting around them now, soldiers, Huntsmen and White Fang, but he had only eyes for her.

She deflected it - without moving her feet - and his momentum brought them face to face.

And with bared teeth, she kicked him in the stomach, driving him back. "He's mine!" he heard her snap.

He recovered, bringing Wilt up in a stance - and then had to deflect Gambol Shroud as Blake attacked with both sword and cleaver, in a whirlwind of slashes, cuts and swings. How could she move so fast? He was driven back, one step, two, three, and half the blows struck him, depleting his Aura.

Enough! He roared, and lunged again, moving Wilt in an underhanded strike that would cleave her apart…

…pain shot through his hand, and he stared as Wilt sailed through the air - to be caught by the blonde bimbo.

He tried to bring Blush to bear, but Blake swung Gambol Shroud's cleaver, and Blush disappeared in the smoke.

Adam stared at it, then at her face. She was again smiling, but… she looked sad?

Then he noticed the pain and realised that Gambol Shroud's blade was stuck in his chest.

He tried to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he realised it was full of blood.

The last thing he saw was Blake pulling her blade back, and then the ground coming up to his face.

*****
​

Atlesian Airship, Above the Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

Roman Torchwick resisted the urge to whistle as he stepped out of the Bullhead. As much as he would like to - this was going more smoothly than he had hoped, so far - Atlesian soldiers, one of whom he was impersonating, didn't whistle. They marched, they saluted, and they obeyed. They certainly didn't think.

If they could think, they wouldn't have sent most of their troops to Mount Glenn after Roman had dropped an anonymous tip about the White Fang's plans. Ah, well, he'd never complain about his opponents making a mistake! Unless they ruined his plans by being more stupid than he had expected, of course.

Two guards came towards the Bullhead, and he faced them, courier case under his arm. "Refuel the ship, I have only a few minutes to drop this off!"

His impressive bearing, natural charm and acting talent, not to mention his faked orders and the helmet that hid his face, did the job, and they nodded and let him through.

Once inside the airship, he quickly followed the route he had memorised, avoiding the security checkpoint by going through a maintenance corridor that was only secured by a lock he could have picked since he had been a kid, and arrived at the brig.

The guards there wouldn't be as easily fooled, of course - he hadn't been able to fake orders to transfer the prisoner. But that was OK. When he rounded the corner and saw them standing there, he came to a stop and acted confused. "But… they told me the bridge was this way?"

"The bridge? This is the brig, buddy!"

Roman groaned. "I knew I shouldn't have laughed when the guy stumbled over his own legs!" He stepped closer while both guards chuckled. "So, which way to the bridge?"

One turned to the right, pointing, and Roman used the opportunity to hit the other guard with a vial of ice and earth dust that froze him, then drew Melodic Cudgel from his courier case and hit the other on the side of his head. While the man stumbled, stunned for a moment, Roman grappled him, then choked him out using his cane to block his windpipe.

Sketching at the frozen guard who could only watch him, Roman grabbed the keycard from the downed guard and entered the cell block proper.

This time, he whistled.

"Who's there?"

"What?"

A face appeared at the cell door's force field, then another at the next.

"Roman! How did you get in here? Have you seen Cinder?"

"Get us out, man!"

Roman ignored them both. He wasn't here for those two losers. Although he took a mental note that their boss wasn't here and they didn't know where she was, either. He hoped that meant the crazy woman was held somewhere safer. If she got out, that would complicate things for him and…

"Neo! There you are!"

His partner stood in her cell, smiling at him.

"Roman! Get us out!"

He pulled his keycard out, entered the code he had copied from an Atlesian officer out on a bender last night, and the forcefield holding Neo prisoner vanished.

"Come on, let's blow this joint!"

Neo hugged him, hard enough that he knew she had been worried, and then she nodded with a broad smile.

"Roman! Get us out!"

He looked at Neo and raised his eyebrows. His partner sneered at the other two. That told him enough.

"Sorry, guys, but this prison break is limited to criminals. Terrorists have to wait their turn! I wouldn't want to show up your boss by springing you before she could do it herself!" He flashed his best smug smile at the two idiots and turned away.

"Roman! You can't do that!"

"Cinder will kill you for this!"

He rolled his eyes as they stepped out of the brig area and the doors cut off the losers' whining.

The frozen guard was still there, and Roman waved at him while they passed him. Now they only had to get to an escape hatch and then leave this whole mess behind them.

Vacuo should be nice this time of the year.

*****
​

Beacon Academy, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Second Semester, First Year

"...and while the operation in Mount Glenn was a complete success - the White Fang's plan to cause a breach in Vale's walls was stopped, most of the stolen Dust was recovered, and we think we captured the vast majority of the White Fang members involved in this - I also have some bad news." Ozpin sighed as he leaned forward on his desk.

Qrow Branwen didn't grimace upon hearing this, but he clenched his teeth. Bad news. That would be his Semblance at work, again. Typical.

"Bad news?" Ruby asked. For someone who had spent a year in a world filled with people who would have fit into the Branwen Tribe without any problems, she still sounded so innocent, Qrow wouldn't believe that she had killed if he hadn't seen her fight the White Fang. It was a testament to her strong morals - and Yang's - that she hadn't grown more brutal and more cynical through that time. Qrow wasn't sure he would have held up as well - not that he'd had any strong morals to begin with, of course.

"Someone, we assume it was Roman Torchwick, broke Miss Neopolitan out of her cell in the Atlesian flagship," Ozpin went on.

Oh. Qrow perked up. Maybe that hadn't been his fault, then - Jimmy's tin cans and tin soldiers could screw up perfectly fine without any help.

"Oh, no!" Ruby shook her head. "Will he come after us to avenge his friends?"

"That is not very likely," Jimmy spoke up, trying to cover his butt as usual. "The intruder who sprung Neopolitan from the ship's brig left the two other members of Cinder Fall's team in their cells."

"Oh." Ruby blinked.

"Sour grapes?" Yang asked, tilting her head to the side.

Her girlfriend nodded. "Perhaps. Roman is a bigot, and I doubt that he liked working with the White Fang, nor that they didn't resent him."

That, Qrow could believe. Just as he believed that Adam Taurus hadn't been killed in self-defence. The man had been disarmed when he died. Though since he had been planning to mass-murder civilians in Vale and lure Grimm inside the city, he had more than earned that, of course. And if his death made it harder for Jimmy and his 'specialists' and 'ace operatives' to track down more Faunus who had issues with Atlesian policies? Well, according to all Qrow knew - and he had looked quite thoroughly into the matter, ever since he had heard that Yang had shacked up with a White Fang princess - Adam's cell had been the worst of the lot; the others weren't doing anything like what Adam had done and planned.

Still, while Qrow wouldn't mourn the guy, or condemn Blake for killing him, he would have to keep an eye on the couple. Killing a bastard like Adam was one thing, but if that continued… He wouldn't be able to bear Yang following in Raven's footsteps.

"Indeed. And there is the matter of the anonymous tip we received that allowed us to move against Adam Taurus and his followers in the first place," Ozpin went on. "It must have come from someone on the inside, and while I cannot exclude that a White Fang member had a change of heart, the timing of this prison break also leads to the assumption that Mr Torchwick engineered this to use it as a distraction. So, while we will, of course, keep our eyes open, I do not think that Mr Torchwick will attempt to avenge his hurt pride."

Qrow snorted softly. Ozpin might be a bit too optimistic here. Torchwick was a scumbag, and his accomplice wasn't any better - might actually be worse, if the way she had fought was any indication. Well, if they actually went against his nieces and their partners, they might bite off more than they could chew. Ruby and her team were better than any student Qrow had seen.

That didn't make Ozpin dragging them into his war acceptable, of course. Yeah, the girls wouldn't have let anyone keep them out of this, now that they knew about this, and it seemed a literal god had meddled with the whole mess, but Ozpin could have done a better job at keeping the girls safe instead of using them as shock troops. Well, Qrow would keep an eye on them, and Tai was just a short hop with a Bullhead away from coming over and sorting things out, if Ozpin did anything questionable.

He took a sip from his flask, ignoring the frowns from Glynda and the Ice Princess, and sighed.

Silver-eyes and combat experience and travels to other worlds and whatever, they were still students, not soldiers. And Qrow would do what he could - and he could do a lot if he wanted - to keep that so.

History wouldn't repeat itself with them. Even though two of them had already started dating in the team. But that was a can of worms Tai could deal with.

*****
​

Chieftain's Residence, Kuo Kuana, Menagerie, Remnant, Break before Second Year

"Hi, Mom! We're… urk!"

"Blake!" Kali Belladonna didn't let her little girl finish her sentence before she hugged her. "It's been so long! You've grown so much!"

"Mom…"

"Hello, Miss Belladonna!"

"Hello, Yang. Call me Kali!" Kali replied without letting her girl go. Not when she could feel Blake tremble and sob softly.

"OK, Kali!" Yang - her little girl's girlfriend - nodded with a broad smile, though Kali could tell that she wasn't as comfortable as she tried to act.

"Mom…"

Ah, Blake started to wriggle and push back.

Kali reluctantly released her daughter - well, she kept her hands on her shoulders - and took a close look at her.

Blake's ears flattened against her head. "Mom! I'm fine!" But she was blushing. And her eyes were still glittering with tears.

"You'd say that even if you weren't," Kalie replied. But Blake did look healthy. Healthier and happier than the last time she had seen her. Or in her first video messages. Still, she nodded. Best not to push. Blake didn't react well to that. "Come inside. Ghira's on the way - you're a bit earlier than we expected."

"The ship's captain said they had a good run, no trouble with Grimm," Blake said. Of course, she would take the change of topic Kali offered. Though Kali didn't miss how she looked around, and blinked a few times as she took in the entrance. She must be remembering how often she had walked through that door, before…

"Hoped for a bit of action, actually," Yang added. She was standing close to Blake, Kali noted. Not touching, but offering support.

Kali approved. Blake needed a supportive partner after that… She managed not to scowl when thinking about Adam. That foolish, cruel man had done so much harm to her family, her old organisation, and all Faunuskind. To think they had trusted him! Had he been like this when he had saved Ghira's life? Or had he changed later? She probably would never know.

She led the couple into the living room. "Sit down! I'll fetch a few snacks and drinks!"

Blake, to her mild surprise, didn't argue and sat down with Yang.

Glancing behind her, Kali caught them holding hands, their thighs touching, as she entered the kitchen. "Cute," she whispered, just loud enough so Blake would pick it up.

She grabbed the prepared plates from the fridge, put them on her favourite tray - Ghira had made that himself, shortly after they had moved here - and grabbed some drinks as well.

And she grinned when she found the two girls slightly blushing when she entered the living room again. "I picked sodas from Vale since I don't know which you prefer," she told Yang as she put the tray down. "And Blake's old favourite," she added, handing a bottle to her daughter.

"Thanks, Mom!" Blake's face lit up with a smile that made Kali both happy and sad. To think such a small thing could create such a reaction… Blake looked older than she should, too, Kali found. She must have spent too much time in some White Fang camp, living rough.

"Sorry that the rest of the team couldn't come," Yang said. "But, well… Weiss wanted to show Ruby Atlas."

"And Miss Schnee visiting Menagerie could have caused some trouble," Kali added.

"Yeah, that too," Yang nodded, with a slightly embarrassed expression.

Blake nodded. "We've discussed the matter internally."

As Kali had expected. Blake might have made a few mistakes in the past, but she wasn't stupid.

She caught her daughter's eyes looking around again before Blake leaned slightly forward. "How did Sienna take the news about Adam?"

Ah, the kind of question they hadn't wanted to ask through messages. Kali nodded. "Sienna first condemned the reports as propaganda. Once independent sources confirmed it and it started to spread here, she blamed Adam for going rogue and did her best to ignore the matter. That's the official stance." Kali hesitated a moment. Yang wasn't a White Fang member or a former member. Or a Faunus. But she was Blake's partner. And her lover. So, she was family. "The whole thing caused an internal struggle in the organisation. Sienna had been a bit under pressure for not being as active as Adam, and she used that to turn the tables on some internal rivals."

Yang whistled. Blake, though, winced. "The Albains?"

Kali raised her eyebrows.

"Adam mentioned them back when…" Blake trailed off.

Kali nodded. She wouldn't pry; that wound was too raw still. Even though Blake had killed the bastard. Or despite that. Her girl, a killer. Adam had even more to answer for, not that he ever would. "Yes, them. They've left Menagerie. They might try to build up their own cell, or a splinter group." And dealing with the economic impact of two of the richer citizens of the town leaving had been a headache as well, but mentioning that would make Blake feel even more guilty than she already did. And that wasn't her fault at all.

Blake nodded. She hadn't eaten too many of the snacks, Kali noted. Unlike her partner.

"Is something the matter?" Kali asked. Except for being overwhelmed by coming home after such a long time, of course. If she wanted to talk about that…

"We've got to tell you something important, Mom. Too important to pass through the mail," Blake said. "But we'd better wait until Dad's here."

Kali blinked. That sounded… concerning. "Let's hope he won't take any longer. Or I could call him."

"No, no, Mom! Dad's the Chieftain," Blake said. "He can't just drop everything for us."

Kali smiled. "He would, dear. In a heartbeat."

Blake blushed a little.

"Dad would as well," Yang added.

Kali nodded firmly. "I'll call him."

It didn't take Ghira long to get home.

"Blake!"

"Dad! I… urk!"

After a minute, Ghira turned his head to look at Yang. "Hello, Yang."

"Hello, Mr Belladonna. Or is it Ghira?"

"It's Ghira."

"Ghira it is!" Yang's smile was a bit forced. Kali could tell. Ghira had that effect on people who didn't know him.

After Ghira had settled down, and Blake pretended she hadn't cried again, Kali turned to her daughter and raised her eyebrows.

Blake sighed, then cleared her throat. "Mom, Dad - we've got something important to tell you. Something we couldn't send over mail. And it's a secret you cannot share with anyone. Except Headmaster Ozpin."

"And General Ironwood," Yang added. "If you ever meet him."

Kali felt both relieved - it wasn't about what she had feared - and confused. A secret involving Headmaster Ozpin and General Ironwood?

"Is this related to Adam?" Ghira asked.

"No. Well, only in the most tangential, indirect way," Blake replied. Then she took a deep breath. "Back when the semester started, after an incident with a stolen Paladin that we had to fight, we were sent on a field mission. And on that mission, we found ancient ruins which contained a relic. As we discovered, it was a magical relic - which sent our entire team to another world. A world we spent over a year in before we could return. And… you don't believe us." Blake sighed.

Kali exchanged a glance with Ghira. Magic? Another world? No, that was literally unbelievable. And concerning, should their daughter sincerely believe that.

"It's OK. We brought proof. Kinda," Yang said. "Testimonies. Please delete after watching, or Ozpin will keep us in detention for the entire year."

That would probably keep them out of trouble, Kali thought. Or in therapy.

"Alright, here's a message from Ozpin, here's the one from Ironwood, here are the pictures we took…"

Kali stared at the scrolls Yang handed out. They were cheap, sturdy models. Outdated, too. Burners, in other words. They had used similar scrolls when she and Ghira had been active in the White Fang. And the recordings on them…

*****
​

"So, do you believe us now?" Blake glared at them.

"Dear, we believed you after the testimonies. It's just… what you just told us about your time in the other world is a lot to take in," Kali replied.

Ghira nodded. "And the ramifications of this… Not only another world, but gods as well."

Kali nodded as well. That would, if spread, and not dismissed as wild rants, rock Remnant.

"That is why this is a secret. Because there are people trying to destroy everything," Blake went on. "And they were working with Adam."

Kali froze, and Ghira cursed Adam under his breath. That man… If he weren't dead already, she'd kill him herself.

"So, yeah," Yang spoke up. "It would probably be a good thing if someone could keep an eye on Adam's friends in the White Fang."

"That's why you travelled here," Ghira said with a frown.

"No." Blake glared at him. "We came to visit you. And so Yang could meet you. If we hadn't travelled here, Ozpin would have sent someone else."

Ghora nodded, accepting the rebuke. But a glance from him told Kali that he had realised the same thing she had: Ozpin, and General Ironwood, since they were working together, were using their daughter and her friends in this conflict.

"Sienna will already be on the lookout for traitors after their internal power struggle. But another warning about Adam's mess wouldn't be amiss," Kali said. As both Blake and Yang started to smile, she added: "And later, we should travel to Beacon to meet your friends. All your friends."

Ghira grumbled his agreement.

Both Blake and Yang winced at that. Good.

Kali would have words with those people. Though she would have to have a talk with Sienna, first.

*****
​

Schnee Manor, Atlas, Remnant, Break before Second Year

"I've made reservations in the Palace Hotel for lunch, so we won't return until the evening - I'll be showing Ruby the Market District."

"Yes! We'll be checking out the Weapon Shops! Atlas has the finest weapon technology in the world! And then the zoo!"

"Very well. Have fun." Jacques Schnee nodded with a polite smile at his wayward daughter and her simpleton of a partner. To think a Schnee played second fiddle in a partnership! It was an embarrassment.

"Thank you, Father." Weiss returned the nod with far too much poise and confidence, then linked her arm with their guest as if she wanted to rub their relationship in his face.

As soon as the pair had left, Jacques dropped the smile and scowled. What had happened to his daughter in Vale? She had left as a rebellious, naive girl who had thought attending Beacon instead of Atlas Academy would somehow prove that she wasn't beholden to him, and instead of returning properly cowed by realising that she owed everything she had and was to him, she came back as if nothing he had done meant anything. As if he were not holding all the cards in what pathetic game she was playing.

What had happened at Beacon Academy? According to all his sources, Weiss had spent the year training as a Huntress. Fighting and mixing with violent ruffians from Vale and the rest of Remnant - even Faunus! A typical case of teenage rebellion, slightly different from Winter's, who had at least chosen a somewhat respectable career in the Atlesian Forces. And yet, she acted as if she had spent the year at a finishing school in Atlas!

And she dared to drag one of those ruffians from Vale to his home and parade her around! It was a miracle that Weiss was discreet enough not to have her sleep in her room!

Did she think she was untouchable because she had achieved some fleeting fame for helping to stop the White Fang's attack on Vale? Or because she had the protection of Ozpin? Or contacts to the animal that ran Menagerie? Jacques had disinherited Winter for defying him; he could do the same to Weiss. And yet… Weiss was acting as if she didn't fear being disinherited at all. Was Ironwood involved as well? The man should know better than that. But together with Ozpin… Between the two of them, they would know a lot about the skeletons in the closets of the other Atlesian council members. And coupled with the damned press celebrating her… Even the SDC board members might bow to public opinion. No, Jacques couldn't risk forcing a confrontation until he was certain of its outcome.

Especially not since Willow had taken an interest in Weiss again, when she wasn't drunk. If she worked with those people…

He clenched his teeth in frustration. He couldn't stand disobedience - least of all from his own children! But if the alternative was to risk his life's work, he had to bear it.

He snarled as he forced himself to focus on his work. The worst was that the sycophants currying his favour would praise her 'brave actions' at every party and other social event in the coming weeks, and he would have to act as if he were proud of her - cementing her status as his heiress!

*****
​

Beacon Academy, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, Break before Second Year

She opened her eyes with a gasp. She had been attacked - hurt. Wounded. She had felt… pain. Unimaginable pain. She shuddered at the memory of it. And then… She felt her heart race as she looked around. Where was she? She was in some sort of… open pod?

"Calm down, Amber. You're safe."

She knew that voice. "Headmaster Ozpin?" She turned her head. There he was! Standing at the side of the pod - it was a pod - and smiling at her.

"Yes."

"What happened? Where am I?" She saw several machines connected to the pod - and connected to something covered by a dark and large tarp. And she was wearing… white, unfamiliar underwear.

"You're in Beacon Academy, in a private area underneath the main building," Ozpin told her. "You were gravely hurt by your assailants. Qrow saved you, but you were in a coma. It took us some time to restore you."

She gasped again. She remembered the fight, but not much more, except pain. But she did feel better. She didn't hurt. Though she felt weak still. And… "Restored me?" That sounded… weird. And concerning.

Ozpin nodded. "They had stolen part of your powers, part of your soul, leaving you in a coma."

She froze. Her powers? Her soul? She raised her hand, focusing… Power gathered in her palm. It was a familiar feeling. "They had stolen my soul?" How was that possible?

"Your powers, which are linked to your soul," Ozpin told her. "But we caught your assailants. Including the one who had taken your power."

"And you took it back from them," Amber said. She glanced at the thing covered by the tarp. Which had the same size as her pod. "Oh."

Ozpin nodded with a sad smile and reached out to pat her shoulder. "It was my decision. My responsibility. Welcome back, Amber. We've missed you."

She slowly nodded - and couldn't help glancing at the covered pod. "Can I… see them?"

"If you wish."

She did. That person had almost murdered her. Had stolen her soul. She needed to see them, to know they were no longer a danger.

"I do."

He helped her out of the pod and handed her more suitable clothes. Amber only slipped into the shoes before walking over to the other pod. She grabbed the tarp, then hesitated.

"You can come here later, when you've… settled down some, Amber."

"No." She shook her head and pressed her lips together. She had to do it now.

She pulled the tarp away and looked at the dead woman inside the pod. She looked asleep, peaceful even. And familiar.

"We're not like them," Ozpin said. "She didn't suffer."

Amber nodded and dragged the tarp back over the coffin.

Then she let Ozpin guide her to the lift, which would take her out of the room. She couldn't wait to get away from this all.

*****
​

Beacon Academy, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, End of Third Year

Ozpin looked at the image on his scroll again. He had lost count of how often he had watched the record from the cameras he'd had personally hidden in the ruins Team RWBY had discovered. Yet, no matter how often he watched it, he couldn't stop.

On the screen of his scroll - this data was only on his scroll and in a secure backup site, not anywhere else, of course - he saw a Bullhead land practically on top of the ruins. A couple of people got out, and he wondered who amongst them had been the pilot. Hazel could pilot a Bullhead, Watts certainly could, but he wasn't sure about the Scorpion Faunus.

It didn't matter. There she was. Salem.

She stepped out of the Bullhead with the grace of the queen she had been, and he couldn't help feeling a pang of longing at the thought of what they once had, the innocent girl she had once been, as he watched her walk up the small hill, to the artefact waiting at its top. So beautiful, so terrible…

The others trailed after her. It didn't seem as if she had bothered to talk to them as she had left the Bullhead - she had just walked past them without even a glance. And she didn't hesitate even a moment - as soon as she reached the artefact, she grabbed it.

And vanished in a flash of light.

Ozpin closed his eyes. There was no need to watch how her servants and agents waited in the ruins until the Scorpion Faunus touched the artefact and disappeared as well. Or how the Bullhead with which the others left when Grimm started to appear was shot down by the stealth ship James had provided.

Salem had gone to another world. To the realm of the gods, according to his research. To ascend and escape her curse. Had she realised that he had deliberately leaked the information about the ruins and Ascension? Had she known that this was as much a way to get rid of her as it was a way to help her finally find peace? Or had she gone to the realm of the gods thinking she had, as Qrow would put it, pulled one over him?

He would never know, always wonder. But that was a small price to pay for finally stopping Salem's efforts to end the world.

If she had ascended… a small voice in the back of his head whispered.

He ignored it. The longer the cameras and other sensors covering the ruins failed to show Salem's return, the more likely it was that Salem was, finally, truly, gone. Her soul, or spirit, might remain, but her mind, her consciousness, her memories - effectively, what made her the person he had known for so long - would be gone. Was gone - after all, Team RWBY had returned the very second they had left.

He sighed and stopped the recording when it focused on the burning wreck of the Bullhead, a team of specialists dropping down to confirm the deaths of the crew and passengers.

Ascension. A new beginning. A new life. Free of your past, of your old burdens, of all the pain and suffering you experienced. And of all the joy and wonder you ever felt. All the memories of his friends and enemies, all the people lost to history he had known, would be lost for good as well.

And yet, he was tempted to seek Ascension as well. Oh, so tempted! To finally end it. To finally stop taking over other people and merging with them. To finally rest again.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes again as he craned his neck, turning his face to the turning clockworks in the ceiling. He would finally be able to leave everything behind. Maybe his new life might see him meet Salem's new life? A second chance?

He scoffed at his own foolishness. He wouldn't do it. He had a responsibility. A task given to him by the Brother Gods themselves. As much as he might loathe it, he wouldn't abandon it.

He would struggle on to achieve what he had been ordered to. And do his best to make the world a better place.

As he had always done. Since before he had entered Salem's tower and freed her.

*****
​

Beacon Academy, Kingdom of Vale, Remnant, End of Fourth Year

"...and now you will leave Beacon Academy with your licenses as fully-qualified Huntsmen and Huntresses!"

Ruby Rose jumped and cheered as loudly as she could when Ozpin - Headmaster Ozpin - finally finished his speech. She had done it! They had done it! They had graduated! She grabbed Weiss's shoulders and yelled into her partner's face: "We're now licensed Huntresses!"

"The graduation is merely a ceremony; we graduated when we passed the final exam, and…"

Ruby cut off her partner's technicalities with a strong hug. "We're Huntresses!" She pulled back, beamed at Weiss, then hugged her again. "Huntresses!"

"Ack… Ruby…"

Ruby felt Weiss struggle and push back, so she released her partner. "Weiss?"

But before Weiss could say anything, two more arms closed around them both, and Yang's hug pushed them against each other again. Not that Ruby minded. "We're Huntresses, Ruby! Weiss!"

"We're aware," Weiss managed to say.

"There's no stopping her." Blake smiled at them - though without hugging.

So Ruby hugged her as soon as Yang released her. This was a day for celebrating! "Huntresses!"

"As everyone else here," Weiss pointed out.

"Right!" Ruby nodded. "We have to celebrate with our friends as well! And our families," she added belatedly. She looked around. Their families were at the edge of the field, last she had seen them, but that had been before Ozpin's speech, and now everyone was mingling, new huntsmen and huntresses and their family members, so… Ah! A lot of blonde girls and women - that would be the Arc family! First target spotted!

"Come on!" She grabbed Weiss's hand and dragged her with her. She almost ran over Winchester, but he managed to get out of her way in time. "Jaune will be there." And that meant Ren and Nora would be with him, because they had no family to attend, though Nora had talked about starting a family of their own 'soonish'. And Pyrrha would be there as well, of course. She had gotten way better about hanging on Jaune's arm as if she feared she'd lose him if she let go, but she would be trying to make a good impression on Jaune's family even though they all loved her already. "Jaune! Nora! Ren! Pyrrha! Congratulations!"

"Ruby! And Weiss!" Jaune waved at them. "Congratulations!"

"What are we? Chopped liver?" Yang asked as she arrived with Blake.

Ruby snorted as Jaune apologised to them. Oh, the Nikos were also here. Just a bit hard to see with all the blondes around.

While they were still exchanging hugs and congratulations, Dad managed to track them down, followed by Uncle Qrow. And Ghira and Kali right behind them - how had Ruby missed Ghira? He towered over almost everyone in the crowd!

"Dad!"

"Uncle Qrow!"

More hugs followed, of course. From everyone. And Uncle Qrow didn't smell as if he had been drinking, which was a plus.

"Congratulations, Weiss."

"We're proud of you, Weiss."

"Thank you, Winter. Mother."

"And congratulations to your team."

"Thanks, Winter!" Ruby beamed at her. And then smiled at Weiss's mom. And tried not to scowl at the absence of Weiss's brother and father. She would have words with them on their next visit to Atlas! Business was not more important than family! Even Penny had been able to attend… Ruby blinked. "Where's Penny?"

"She said she saw a suspicious bird and took off in pursuit," Winter replied.

Oh. Ruby grimaced, and Weiss sighed. Their friend had taken the tales about people using birds to spy on others far too seriously.

And she glared at Uncle Qrow, who was chuckling. It wasn't funny! Penny was only concerned about her friends.

"There she is!" Blake pointed toward the back, ears twitching.

Ruby turned. Yes, there was Penny, using her jetpack module (which was actually part of her robot body, but that was a secret) to chase a poor black birdy across the campus.

Uncle Qrow was now laughing out loud. Even worse, Dad was joining him.

What was wrong with them? She should give them a piece of their mind!

But before she could find the right words - it wouldn't do to start scolding them and then trail off in the middle of a sentence, and come over as clumsy and stammering - Weiss grabbed her hands. "Let it go, Ruby. Penny won't hurt the bird. This is a day of celebration."

As usual, her partner was correct. Ruby smiled at her. "Right! We're now licensed Huntresses!" It felt so good to say it!

"And we have reservations in the best restaurant in Vale," Weiss added.

That, too, was great!

"With a dessert buffet."

Even better!

Ruby hugged her partner again. She was the best! As was their team.

Look out, world - or worlds! Team RWBY is coming!

*****
​

The End.

*****
​

 

[Starfox5]

True.Gave her somebody better !
RWBY - i hope,that magic do not start working there.They do not need more problems.

Click to shrink...

Magic never stopped working in Remnant; the humans who could use it were wiped out by the brother gods, except for Ozma and Salem, and Ozma gave part of his powers to the Maidens so they can use magic. The Vaults and relics are also magical.

Loving the epilogues, nice work.

Click to shrink...

Thanks!

 

[AAAustinYu]

Sooo, Salem in Planetos or out in the Multiverse?

 

[Renko]

Oh, that must be one of those 'bicycles' that she had heard of.

Click to shrink...

Kinda disappointed that this was their lasting technological legacy in Westeros.

For over a year, we only had each other.

Click to shrink...

But I understand if that was the case. A year is barely anything to go by just to add more changes in a society.

Blake and Yang love each other, but they are not the most discreet couple.

Click to shrink...

Then he noticed the pain and realised that Gambol Shroud's blade was stuck in his chest.

He tried to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he realised it was full of blood.

The last thing he saw was Blake pulling her blade back, and then the ground coming up to his face.

Click to shrink...

Canon #ss ending? *le sigh*

The End.

Click to shrink...

I still maintain my opinion that the whole story could have been much more "better" if more mature story elements weren't sanitized for a more conservative and prude audience like the folks from SB and AH.

But it is what it is, I guess.

Congrats for the completion of this story! A rare feat among fanfic writers!

 

[Starfox5]

Sooo, Salem in Planetos or out in the Multiverse?

Click to shrink...

Likely ascended and not Salem any more, living in the Ever After.

 

[AAAustinYu]

Likely ascended and not Salem any more, living in the Ever After.

Click to shrink...

Finally getting rest from the curse I guess, hopefully reuniting with her daughters

 

[Hologram]

Congrats. This was a wild ride over the past 7 months

 

[wtungsten]

This was wrapped up far more neatly and completely than I expected, even after all the great writing that came before. Thank you for this!