#the way winter's fingerprints are ALL OVER weiss' person is just

[theseerasures]

I love that quick little moment in 7x01 when Weiss is all "there has to be something wrong okay Winter wouldn't be A Part Of All Of This there must be a reasonable explanation for her doing Canned Propaganda Over Viewscreen" and you just see Blake behind her share a quick little sad look with Qrow over Weiss's shoulder like "oh god how are we supposed to explain to her that her sister is like, 83 different levels of complicit, I thought she already knew that"

Weiss learning about things like “complicity,” and “microaggressions,” and “fragility” and then IMMEDIATELY having to rush home to have a drawn out Thanksgiving dinner with her entire family, only Thanksgiving dinner is the apocalypse, is like *chef’s kiss*

seriously though: for all that i’m invested in Winter having a drawn out tortuous arc for Winter herself, i’m just as invested in Winter’s progression/regression as a character being a MAJOR challenge for not just Weiss but the RWBY team dynamic as a whole. because like. it’s all well and good to apologize to your best friend for calling her a bunch of slurs and insinuating that her people made your dad abuse you, it’s cool and powerful to kick a guy into the dumpster and arrest your abusive dad, it’s nice to look sorrowfully at a place where many many people died because of your family and think “someday i’m gonna change all this” (how tho?? i guess that’s the domain of post-canon fic), but so far Weiss' path to becoming a more tolerable person hasn’t really come at any cost other than the fact that i guess she is now technically A Poor? which in the context of this show is mainly cosmetic (or not even that--WHERE DID YOU FIND THE MONEY TO BUY ALL THOSE BELTS, WEISS)

if they REALLY want to bring the affective hammer down and make Weiss realize that there are actual COSTS to becoming a good person, even beyond losing some of your excess privilege, then Winter is the best place to go, and the detente between the two has to turn into real confrontation(s). because there’s no way Weiss can be rational about Winter; even now, having not uttered Winter’s name for half a season, she is still giving Winter far more credit than she deserves. from that irrationality can come a WEALTH of bad judgement calls and story opportunities that can put Weiss’ genuine desire to do good at odds with her (just as strong and genuine) desire to protect the people she loves, to protect the one person she’s loved longer than anyone else.

and it can very easily put her at odds with her found family in some dark reprisal of the scene where they all band up and face off against Jacques. at what point does Winter become a material problem that the whole team has to suss out the way that Raven was, the way that Adam was? at what point does Blake (or Yang! since she already called Winter a bootlicker) have to pull Weiss aside and say “hey, your sister is a fascist and/or villain and i think you’re too close to this to realize?” would Weiss respond to that gracefully, or would she lash out? because Blake is less biased, but not unbiased, and it’d be pretty easy for Weiss to accuse her of being excessively unfair because Blake’s own personal history is making her jump to conclusions. the lines between Winter as a person and Winter as a socio-political figure can get really blurred, really fast, and...it could get ugly, even if it’s all coming from a place of love. even if everyone is on Team Weiss, Weiss’ definition of Team Weiss has ALWAYS included Winter, and--you said there aren’t any sides. you said

[ruffsficstuffplace]

The Viridian Vanguard (Part 20)

As Yang had warned, the line at the Pits’ administrative desk moved painfully slowly. It seemed that every number that was called was for a huge team that needed to form a secondary line as they signed and vetted their paperwork in batches, an individual who was missing some important document or other bureaucratic hang-up, or a counter had suddenly closed, and just wouldn’t seem to open again.

The take-a-number holo chimed, Weiss looked up, back down at the number in her hand, before she groaned. “This is taking forever...” she whined as she stuck it back into Pyrrha’s jacket pocket, then pulled the garment around her again. “How can this system be so slow and inefficient...?”

“Welcome to paperwork for the rest of us!” someone quipped as they headed up to the counter.

The standing crowds began to shift as folks found seats, curses and yelling erupted as others were stolen by particularly sneaky and agile individuals. Someone looked pointedly at Weiss as he put a hand on a free spot on a bench, she shook her head. The Fae shrugged, and took it.

“Oh come on!” Yang shouted as she knelt on the ground on all fours.

Weiss ignored her and continued sitting on her back, calmly readjusting her legs.

Some time later, Pyrrha returned from her trip to the “Grub Hub,” carrying a single shake. “I’m back!” she said. “I’m sorry it took so long, it looks like the breakfast rush is already here.”

“Just hand me my shake, please,” Weiss said as she held out her hand. Pyrrha did, Weiss took a sip out of it, and immediately perked up. “Mmm! This is actually pretty good! How much was this?” she asked before she took another drink.

“180 Shinies.” Pyrrha replied.

Weiss nearly choked on her drink. “WHAT?! How does the Pits expect to charge so much for this?” sheasked, looking at her cup.

“Primary business tactic,” Yang explained. “Cheap entry, jacked up everything else. That’s part of the reasons they can afford to pay us so well, by the way, so I wouldn’t be the most vocal critic of it, if I were you...”

Weiss sighed, and sipped some more of her shake, enjoying it a lot less than earlier.

Just ten minutes after six, their number finally came up. Having already read through the terms of their contracts, and briefed on any issues through holo-chat earlier in the week, all they really needed to do was personally affix their signatures on paper copies, alongside giving their fingerprints, and additional hard evidence that they were actually there at the Pits when the documents said they were.

<Is blood needed?> Weiss asked sarcastically as they seemed to near the end of the list of proofs.

<If you wish,> the clerk replied in all seriousness, reaching into his desk, and pulling out a small knife wrapped around a clean cloth, glass vials, and a box of bandages. <The Pits never says ‘No’ to additional security.>

Weiss paused, staring at them, before she said, <I was joking.>

The clerk looked mildly annoyed at that as he put the items back into his drawer.

Eventually, the newly registered Furies left the counter, each with their own personal duplicate of their copyright, contained inside complimentary waterproof, fireproof, and reinforced tubes, complete with a leather-covered chain that they could use to tie it around their wrists or waists.

“This seems a little excessive for copyright,” Pyrrha said, feeling the weight of it all in one of her hands.

“It is once we rise up the ranks, and our name starts to be worth something!” Yang replied as she tied her duplicate around her wrist. “This is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to shutdown anyone trying to take advantage of our rep without our permission, like selling ‘official’ merchandise on the sly, so keep it somewhere safe, never forget where you hid it, and do not, I repeat, do not tell anyone else where it is.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you guys, it’s just that I’m worried about what certain unscrupulous folks will try to get all three of these babies, among other things.”

“So basically, treat this like criminal syndicates treat their real estate deeds?” Weiss asked sarcastically.

“Exactly!” Yang replied, pointing at her. “Anyway, that’s everything we needed to do in the Pits today! I’m going to go ask around and check out our competition, you guys can go do your own things now.”

“I’ll be watching a couple of live matches, then!” Pyrrha said. “Weiss, would you like to join me?”

“Maybe some other time, when I’m not as under-dressed,” Weiss said, looking down at herself. “I’m heading home, I’ll leave your jacket at the living room.”

“Alright, have a safe trip!” Pyrrha said, waving goodbye before they all went their separate ways.

Weiss returned to Keeper’s Grove, stashed her contract in her and Winter’s safe, then went down to her laboratory with Penny, working and checking on her ongoing projects, and practicing some useful skills, like how to make medicine with field equipment. Thanks to her collar, and Penny needing to stay plugged into the wall to after joining Winter on her night shift, almost everything went by at a snail’s pace.

On this particular day, Weiss didn’t mind, enjoying the peace.

Then, by ten o’clock, she got a message from Yang: “We’ve got trouble heading straight for the Grove in 15 minutes. Look decent, put your game face on, and make sure to bring either Dad or Penny with you to the road leading to the Tube station.”

Weiss tried to send her a reply, but Yang’s comm-crystal was already set to “Do Not Disturb” mode. She sighed as she took her hands off the magic oil press she was using, and muttered, “Well, this doesn’t seem ominous and menacing at all...”

“Would you like to me to ready my defensive measures, Weiss?” Penny asked. “If you carry me to the meeting location, I’ll be capable of doing one or two stunning blasts before shutting down for lack of power, but that should be enough to help you get away to safety.”

“Don’t bother,” Weiss said as she began to take off her working gloves and mask. “With Yang and Pyrrha, I’ve already got more than enough protection if things get ugly.” She noticed her loaner runeblade as she hung up her gear, before she shook her head and headed out without it.

“It’s not like I’m going to be able to do much with it, anyway...” she thought to herself.

It turned out to be the right decision as Yang, Pyrrha, and a trio of female Fae she’d never seen before also came completely unarmed, even if the atmosphere was far from friendly. With Penny in her hands, Weiss stepped up beside her friends, and checked out the strangers.

The one in the center was was a stockily built tamaraw Fae, an impressive set of V-shaped horns extending behind her head. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, and was so angry that Weiss could clearly see the puffs of hot air coming out of her nostrils.

The one on her left was a slender chicken Fae with a prominent crest of obnoxiously bright, neon green feathers styled like a Mohawk, the prominent talons of her feet making her seem even taller. She gave them all the evil eye, the decorative spikes and crystalline skulls on her clothes and accessories gleaming as ominously.

The one on her right was a meerkat Fae, much smaller and younger-looking than her companions; she seemed just as pissed as the others, but her being just as tall, if not shorter than Weiss ruined any sort of intimidating quality she had.

“Who the hell are those?” Weiss whispered to Yang.

“Big one’s Keren, tall girl’s Vigne, tiny gal is Sayuri,” Yang whispered back, eyes still on the trio.

“And why exactly do they all look like they want to kill us?”

“Because they’re not too happy we’ve got their old team name now.”

Weiss blinked. “Wait, did we steal it from them?!”

“We didn’t steal shit!” Yang snapped at Weiss, her eyes suddenly fiery red. She stopped herself, and took a deep breath, her eyes turning back to normal. “Look, I’ll explain the entire situation later, just let me do all the talking with them while you and Pyrrha stand by my sides and look tough, or just make it seem like they don’t bother you at all, alright?”

Weiss turned to Pyrrha. “We have the evidence overwhelmingly in our favour, don’t worry,” she said as she patted her duplicate, still in its tube and tied to her waist.

Weiss sighed, before she moved up to Yang’s free side, and scowled at the original Furies’ direction.

Yang took Penny from Weiss’ hands, and whispered to her, <Dedicated recording mode, multi-angle shots. Turn up the footage quality and sound sensitivity high, too, I don’t want any ambiguity if this gets messy.>

<Affirmative,> Penny said, before her tail and her ears started transforming as she hovered up between the two groups, looking like a fuzzy camera drone with auxiliary lenses, and an external sound receiver.

Satisfied, Yang stepped forward and threw her arms out. <Alright: we’re all here and ready! Lay it on us, sister.>

<Do you think this is funny…?> Keren snapped. <Get your laughs fucking us locals over?>

<On the contrary, we’re dead serious!> Yang said, holding up her duplicate. <So serious we put down money and our names on it.>

Keren stomped her hoof in the ground, hunching her shoulders as she clenched her fists. <Give it back—now,> she growled.

<You can’t demand someone to give back what you didn’t own,> Yang said calmly. <I checked several times, both on the Codex and at the Pits in-person, and have the saved and dated proof on my comm-crystal saying your copyright to our name expired at 6AM today!>

<And you think you could just steal it from right under our noses?!> Keren bellowed.

Yang’s eyes flared red again. <We didn’t steal shit!> she roared. She clenched her fists and took several long, deep breaths, before she continued, <All we did was wake up early, and stand in that line, with all our documentation in order and our Shinies ready, the same, legal process we would have done if we were going to lay claim to any other name.

<We did nothing to stop you, lie to you, or try to sabotage you in any way, nor did any of us even know who any of you were until you cornered me from out of nowhere, looking like you were about to gang up on me!

<As a matter of fact, it’s your fault you didn’t renew your copyright when you still had the exclusive right—two months before expiry, if I’m not mistaken?>

Sayuri faltered for a moment, Vigne and Keren maintained their composure. <Things happened,> Keren said quietly.

<And I’m sorry to hear that, but that still doesn’t change the fact that we were well within our right to take the name for ourselves, according to the written rules and regulations of the Pits,> Yang said. <If you three find you can’t follow those, then maybe you should all think about careers elsewhere...?>

Keren fumed, thick plumes of hot breath jetting out of her nostrils. <And maybe you three should start learning the unwritten rules of the Pits, especially since two of you fucking soft-skins can’t even understand the language they’re in!>

Yang looked like she’d just been socked in the face, her eyes flaring red and her hole body tensing up. <Look, what the fuck is it that you three want?!> she yelled. <We own the copyright from now till next year, and we have a shit ton of hard evidence to back us up! Even if you do take your beef to the honours, I am willing to bet a mountain of Shinies that they every single one of them will reject you, then charge you up front for wasting their time, trying to enlist their help to win a case that was already lost before it started!>

<Well, it’s a good thing we’re not doing that!> Keren barked, before she looked to her companions in turn. <Vigne! Sayuri!>

<On it!> they both cried.

Keren dramatically stomped both her hooves as she hunched forward and bared her horns, Vigne flapped her wings and scratched the mud beneath her with her talons, and Sayuri lunged and hissed, showing off her sharp teeth and her claws.

<We, the original Furies hereby challenge you to a duel, where the winner gets the copyright to the name!> Keren shouted. As one, the three of them dramatically pointed, and cried: <Do you all accept?!>

<Hang on, I gotta translate and consult with them first,> Yang said, before she turned her back to the original Furies.

Keren roared in frustration and started stomping about, Sayuri spluttered and fumed in confusion and anger, Vigne flapped her wings again, this time trying to calm them down and keep them from charging forward.

Yang, Pyrrha, and Weiss ignored them all as they huddled up.

“I take it the three of them are challenging us to a duel, to try to win the right to use their name again?” Pyrrha asked.

“Our name, but otherwise, that exactly, yeah,” Yang said.

“Do we really have to entertain this?” Weiss asked.

“Yes.” Yang replied.

Weiss groaned. “Ugh, please tell me you’re kidding...”

“I sincerely wish I was, Weiss, but the potential damage to our rep is just too great,” Yang said. “Even if we took our name fair and square, there’s no way folks are going to interpret our rejecting their challenge as anything other than our being too scared to fight them, or wanting to personally insult all three of them by implying they’re so beneath us we don’t even think it’s worth our time to fight them—not a good look for a brand new team, especially one that hasn’t even had a single official match in the Pits yet.

“First team impressions and reputations stick with a fighter, even long after they’ve left the group and gone on to new teams or fly solo, we have to get this right.”

“Please tell me we can at least set the conditions and the date.” Weiss said.

“We can, it’s our right as the challenged party, don’t worry,” Yang said. “The only things I have to insist on is that it be a completely vanilla, best 2 of 3 rounds toss-up, with a third-party judge and spotters, while being recorded and live-broadcasted on the Codex—ideally, the fight’s in the Pits, too.”

“Can’t we just have it at the training grounds again, with Ren and Nora officiating, and the others spotting?” Weiss asked. “All of that sounds ridiculously expensive.”

“I second that.” Pyrrha said. “We’re all down a great deal of shinies from all the fees, and it’ll be a long time yet before any of us ever see a paycheck from this, let alone that much money.”

“We’ll see if we can’t convince them to pony up the costs themselves, then,” Yang replied. “They definitely already have the dough to spend since they were supposed to register today, and it’s not like we need to spring for the fancier arenas, or high-ranking staff.”

“And if they say ‘No’?” Weiss asked.

“Then we can try to convince the Pits to make it a real, official bout, sell tickets, and HQ live-feed access and recordings to make up the costs, maybe even get a share of it if we can convince enough folks to get on board with sponsoring it.

“So with all that in mind: are we in agreement that we’re going to accept the challenge?’”

Weiss sighed, and said, “Yes… I always figured at some point I’d have to sell off pieces of my dignity to pay off my debt, anyway...”

“I’m so sorry, Yang, Weiss, but I have to say no.” Pyrrha said sheepishly.

“What?!” Yang spluttered. “Why?!”

“Will you look at her?” Pyrrha asked, pointing at Sayuri. “Even if it is legal for me to do so, I can’t willingly harm a child!”

Yang nodded. “Yeah, now that you say it loud, it would be a pretty shitty thing if we beat the crap out of someone half our age, even if she was willingly participating in a team match-up...”

“And that’s only occurring to you now...?” Weiss asked.

“Sue me!” Yang cried, throwing her arms up. “I’m used to the Valentino Underground, and trust me, shit got fucked up down there! Anyway, you want me to ask if they’ll agree to a 2v2? We’ll probably have to make it their choice who goes up against who, though.”

“I’d like to take that risk if you neither of you mind,” Pyrrha said. “I really don’t want that weight on my conscience.”

“I’m good with it,” Weiss said.

“And so am I,” Yang said, before she turned back to the original Furies. <Hey! You guys mind if we do it as a 2v2, your pick on who goes up?> she shouted.

<And why the fuck would we do that?!> Keren shouted back.

<Pyrrha here doesn’t want to fight Sayuri, says she doesn’t want to beat up a little kid!>

Sayuri’s eyes widened. <Little ki--?! I’M FIFTEEN, DAMN IT, I’M ONLY A FEW YEARS YOUNGER THAN ALL OF YOU...!> she screeched, so sharp and shrill everyone had to cover their ears.

<OW! FUCK! SORRY, FORGET THAT WE ASKED!> Yang shouted.

Sayuri stopped screeching, before she sharply spun around, and sulked.

Yang turned back to Pyrrha. “She’s actually 15!” she said loudly. “Since you’re fine with fighting Ruby, is it back to a 3v3?” she said, holding up three fingers on each hand.

“Yes!” Pyrrha replied, alongside a thumbs up.

Yang turned back around, and said, <Alright! We accept your challenge! Let’s shake on it, and start hashing out the details!>

The two teams met in the middle and started negotiating, Penny acting as witness. After finding a suitable date for all three of them, setting the terms, and convincing the original Furies to cover most of the costs of the fight (if extremely reluctantly), they sent the necessary requests and downpayments to the Pits.

<Don’t you dare bring anything less than your best, alright?> Keren snapped. <I want the whole realm to know why you don’t fuck with the Furies.>

<Ditto that, especially the rep!> Yang said, smirking. <Should really help us get off the ground, what with the stigma we carry.>

Keren started to rumble ominously, before Vigne put a hand on her shoulder and led her and Sayuri off.

“Is this going to be the first of many folks challenging us to a fight for one reason or the other?” Weiss asked flatly.

“Definitely,” Yang said, nodding. “Don’t worry though: we can definitely afford to be a lot more selective with our future fights once we win this.”

“Don’t you mean ‘if’ we win this?” Pyrrha asked.

Yang chuckled and smiled. “Aw, c’mon, Pyrrha, have a little more faith in us Furies, will ya? Fights are won before they start, after all!”

[faunusrights]

Nora/Pyrrha, loudly so that everyone can hear

I don’t know why my mind immediately leapt to ‘Pyrrha and Nora in an arcade’, but it did and here we are. So have 2064 words of shenanigans! I’m also gonna make this today’s RWBYAC fill??? MULTITASKING.

You’d seen the claw machine before - it’s hard not to have, really, since it’s huge and sticks right out of the arcade on the boardwalk. Plenty of kids like to try their luck and plenty more have come away empty-handed, but you’ve never seen reason to have a go yourself. Some of the toys are cute, sure, but even if you could get one out of confinement (which is unlikely anyway since all these machines are, in Jaune’s own frustrated words, completely fricking rigged up to the armpits) you’d have no real need for it anyway. Your dorm room only has so much space to offer when it’s shared between four people and, besides, you don’t even want to imagine trying to get all your stuff back home to Mistral as it stands right now.

So there’s a claw machine on the boardwalk that you’ve never had any interest in, but then Nora decides she’s having a really lucky streak after beating Ruby to the last of the morning pancakes and she declares she’s gonna win something this time. Even if this is, like, the fiftieth try! She’s feeling good about it! And Ren doesn’t want to go because he wants to study (he says, but you think he probably has other plans that include throwing an impromptu congratulatory/consolation party depending on Nora’s success) and Jaune’s been dragged off to spar one-on-one with Ruby (an idea that, quite frankly, brought tears to his eyes) so it’s down to you to chaperone and make sure any frustration doesn’t end up with a fist-shaped hole in the glass.

Besides, it’s a nice day for a walk anyway.

So the pair of you board the afternoon airship down into Vale because Nora is kind of in love with the very concept of Beacon having its own airship service just to ferry kids around in, and you both end up looking down to all the people on the ground and start to make up stories about what they might be doing, or going, or whatever.

“That guy down there-” Nora prods at the glass, leaving a fingerprint on the otherwise pristine surface. “He and his dog are vigilantes at night. He chases the criminals and his dog cuts ‘em off and bites at their ankles.”

You laugh airily, mostly because you’re thinking of Zwei and also thinking that it’d still be the least weird thing this city has to offer, if it were true. “Okay. I think… I think that person there?” You motion towards a fisherman at the end of a narrow, wonky dock. “Years ago, a fish stole his left boot and he’s still fishing for revenge.”

Nora gasps so loudly it’s almost like she just got shot. “And! And and and, whilst fishing today a second fish will steal his right boot.”

A Yangism pops into your head, and you grin. “Leaving him without a leg to stand on, hm?”

“Pyrrha.” Nora’s delighted, and her freckled cheeks are pink with it. “You’ve been hanging out with Yang too much!”

You’re guilty as charged, so you just laugh again instead, the airship humming as it turns around to dock below.

Once both of you are back on solid ground Nora takes point, leading you through crowds of people with only minimal amounts of shoulder-bashing, but you still follow with strings of apologies anyway. At some point Nora’s hand finds yours and she pulls you along easily, feet thudding along as sandy tarmac turns to wooden slats, and the crowds taper off a little until you can easily swerve around those slower than Nora.

Just over the salty tang of the air and the rhythm of the waves beneath your feet comes the sweetness of sugar and ice cream and the chipper notes of music, and when Nora lets go of your hand to enter a even faster sprint you know the arcade must be just a few meters away. So, you slow down a touch, able to see Nora’s bright head of orange hair as she bobs in front of the machine. Even though you’re walking at a pretty decent pace she still waves you over, pretending to tug you over with some invisible rope when that fails to speed you up.

“C’mon Pyrrha! You’ve gotta be my witness to my victory!”

Your eyeroll would make Weiss proud, but you finally jog over until you stand side-by-side, looking into the glass box as Nora presses her face against it.

“Oh man, what should I go for? That bear is super duper cute, but that kitty is so- oh! Pyrrha, they have sloths!”

“I see it.” True to her word there’s a few fuzzy, sleepy sloths scattered amongst the other prizes, and you already know she’s committed to them. Without another word she’s pulling out her wallet, emblazoned with the Beacon logo, and it jingles with change.

A Lien goes in, and chirpy music starts to play over low-quality speakers. Nora takes control of the crane like a seasoned pro - which she kind of is by this point - and you’re content to lean against the machine as the crane practically crawls into position above a sloth coloured an eye-searingly bright shade of pink.

“Here it comes, here it comes-” Nora’s chanting under her breath as she drops the crane, and there’s a moment where you hold your breath as the claws tuck beneath the prize, starting to slowly lift it from the other toys.

Judging by how a dog walking by with its owner just turned its head to you, Nora’s squeal of excitement was beyond your hearing range.

The claw takes its sweet time dragging back over to the bucket, though. Even you’re feeling an infectious itch of impatience as the sloth gets closer and closer to the bucket… and then, hardly an inch away, it slips just a little out of its metallic grip.

“No! Ren Junior!” And, just like that, the claw gives up entirely and the sloth falls, falls, falls, all the way back with the other prizes just in time for the music to stop and the crane to slide back to its starting position.

You’ve never heard Nora make such a horrified cry before and maybe you should comfort her, but the fact she’d already given the sloth a name just makes you snort, and then snigger, and when Nora’s wide eyes slide from Ren Junior over to you it’s inevitable that you’ll just start losing it. So you do, hands on your knees as you bend over with a cackle that’s practically bursting from your chest in a rush to get out into the world.

“Pyrrha, my child just died a death and you’re laughing at me?” She must know she’s just making you laugh harder, because when she grasps your shoulders to pull you upright she’s smiling too, even if she’s trying her hardest to keep it down. “The great and wondrous claw deemed my only child not worthy.”

You’re going to get hiccups at this rate, so you try and take a breath, swallowing it down. “I- hehe- I’m s-sorry… I just-” Your words fall into a long snort, body shaking, so Nora lets go and gets out another Lien, shoving it through the slot to start the music up again.

“No sympathy in my time of plight on this team… never any darn sympathy…”

Still, it soon proves that the first attempt had also been Nora’s most successful. The second attempt misses Ren Junior completely, and the third sees the claw not even manage to get a decent grasp. The fourth and fifth see Ren Junior get lifted a little before falling back down, and the sixth sees the claw stoke the fuzzy fur like some weirdly affectionate four fingered monster before rising back into place.

Nora’s too distressed to try a seventh attempt, your claims that seven is a lucky number aside.

“He’s lost to me!” Her broken sobbing is very realistic, you have to admit. “His father will never know what he looked like!”

The people in the arcade are also looking pretty distressed, so you pat her back and tug her away from the machine with gentle hands. “You can try again another day, you know.”

A sniffle, resigned. “But what if someone else gets him first?”

Patting her again, you glance towards the end of the boardwalk, noting the ice cream stand you’d seen - well, smelled - before. “Listen, hey. Ren Junior might be a lost cause, but you know what isn’t?”

“What?”

“Ice cream. Which is always accessible even in the dead of winter.”

Just like that, Nora’s eyes light up and her persona falls away as easily as a coat, so you continue. “If you go to that parlour over there and get something, I’ll join you in a second? I promised Ruby to get one of those silly hats with the drink holders for Weiss.”

“Sure thing!” And then Nora’s off like a bullet down the boardwalk, disappearing amongst the throng of people, but with a hum you turn on your heel and head back towards the arcade.

Maybe it’s not Nora’s lucky day, but with a bit of help from a certain semblance it might just be yours.

When you enter the parlour not a few minutes later, Nora’s got a chocolate wafer cone with more scoops towered on it than physically, gravitationally possible. Your hands are tucked behind your back, but Nora doesn’t notice when there’s a scoop of marshmallow chocolate bigger than your fist calling for her, so she doesn’t even really glance your way when you slide into the seat next to her.

“Having fun?”

“Mm-hm!” A dotted napkin comes up to wipe off a bit of ice cream just out of reach of her tongue, and she grins. “They’ve got butterscotch there if you wanna get one too!”

You mentally calculate how much sparring you’ll have to do to burn it off, and find it’s probably worth it. “I will in a moment. I was going to tell you this weird thing that happened when I went back-”

“Weird? Weird how? Like a Grimm rose out of the ocean wearing a hat kind of weird? Or just you saw a woman with three legs kind of weird?”

Privately, you wonder which outclasses the other. “More like as I was walking I heard this little voice crying your name, and when I looked down I happened to find this.” From behind your back you pull out Ren Junior, in all his fluffy pink glory, and Nora just stares open-mouthed, heedless of the dripping ice cream that’s falling onto the table. And then, she turns around sharply, tapping the shoulder of the person sat at the table over.

“Excuse me- hi, yeah, sorry, can you hold this real quickly? Thanks.” Nora turns back to you with both hands free, and she cleans them on the napkin seconds before launching herself at you like a cannonball, paired with a face-splitting grin and a roar of your name.

“Pyrrha! Pyrrha!”

She’s heavy enough that your chair falls back and ends up propped on two legs against the wall in a way that makes you very nervous, but she’s squirming and hugging you until your ribs are creaking and she’s laughing too, Ren Junior squashed up where you threw your arms around her in a panic. The guy holding the ice cream is waiting patiently with half a grin, but you shoot him an apologetic smile anyway and wonder for a moment if this is a place you can ever return to.

When Nora pulls away just long enough for your chair to thud back onto four legs she takes your hands in hers, squeezing until your knuckles pop, and her face settles into an expression so serious it feels like you’re being proposed to.

“Pyrrha, I’ve not said this enough, but I want everyone here- everyone!” The shout attracts pretty much all the attention of the parlour, and you blush so hard you can tell it’s matching your hair. “I want everyone to know that this woman right here, that this perfect teammate? This brilliant friend? I love her more than anyone in the world!” Then, she pauses, blue eyes falling to the prize trapped between your palms. “‘Cept maybe for Ren Junior.”

You don’t even bother trying to hide your laughter this time. Some things are just too impossible to stop.

[nezzfiction]

ENMY Chapter 77 - The Last Fairy Tale

Chapter Synopsis: As Yang and Emerald arrive at the Tower of Alexandria to find Professor Oobleck, they stumble upon more than what they expected. The true intentions of the Witch and Wizard are revealed, as well as the origins of myth and Remnant.

Series Synopsis: Team RWBY is disbanded, and Yang must find herself new allies. For her, that might very well be yesterday’s enemies. Joining up with the likes of Emerald, Mercury, and Neo, the four will comprise Team Enemy(ENMY).

Links to read the series: Ao3 or FF.net

Or hit the jump below

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The Last Fairy Tale

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Legends.

Stories scattered through time.

Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains

Forgetting so easily that we are Remnants,

Byproducts of a forgotten past.

.

.

Before the Tower of Alexandria, Yang and Emerald stood. To their right, a passive Giza laid with its paws crossed in front of it. Though it still showed a keen awareness of the two, the Grimm appeared to permit them safe passage into the structure.

As soon as Yang touched the doors and pushed them open to the interior, an energy signature left its impression on her hand. A familiar sensation that brought with it a small tinge of surprise, but also awe.

The cool, dark-green lobby greeted the two. Their footsteps fell with an echoing clack against the marble stone floor. The Tower’s keeper waited patiently with hands clasped to greet them.

“Greetings. My name is Papyrus, the Keeper of Knowledge.

And I welcome you to the Tower of Alexandria.”

She stared at the two with her silver, glistening eyes.

“Your arrival was expected.”

Without another moment, she turned, causing her leopard spotted dress to trail behind her. She led the guests to the elevator and waved her palm leafed staff to activate it.

As they entered and ascended to the higher levels, Yang couldn’t help but watch their guide suspiciously.

“So, you… work here?”

“Yes,” Papyrus responded.

“What kind of books are here, exactly?”

“Everything.”

“And everything includes…”

“Everything.”

“Kay. Do you know about Salem and the Wizard?”

“Yes.”

“Can they get to us here?”

“Possibility exists.”

“Any other defenses besides Giza out front?”

“No.”

“Huh. Doesn’t sound very safe.”

“The two previously mentioned parties are not allowed to enter these premises.”

“Oh, yeah? By who?”

“Not accessible. Agreement is held by an accord,” Papyrus answered without further explanation.

Emerald nudged Yang’s side.

“She kinda gives a Masa vibe, don’t ya think?”

“Not surprised. Masa built this place. Has her fingerprints all over it. Only natural she’d hire someone like her to run it.”

Papyrus whipped around with an uncanny glimmer of emotion.

“You know the Architect?”

“Uh… ‘Architect’?” Yang puzzled.

As if automatically rebalancing her emotions, Papyrus’s excitement petered out into a flat disposition.

“Apologies for the outburst. A long time has passed since I last heard word of my Master.”

“Oh. Well, maybe we can bring her around next time.”

The elevator stopped its ascent.

“Such event is unlikely to occur.”

The doors opened and Papyrus guided them through.

Where they arrived, was a messy office with countless books stacked in mounds, almost like a canyon’s trench run. What little of the glass floor they could make out, they could see whole levels filled with more tomes below. It was like exploring a dimension of knowledge that verged on being too much for the plane to contain.

In the lower levels, they caught glimpses of a figure. A light moving through the clutter.

Papyrus led Yang and Emerald down to the additional reading rooms. They tripped over old scriptures and torn parchment. Charts and notes were pinned to the walls and ceilings.

When the group arrived at their final destination, they came upon a man disheveled and tattered. His clothes and moss-colored hair were unkempt. A thermos rocked back and forth in his hand. Its liquid came close to tipping, before the man brought it thirstily to his lips.

“Whoa…” Yang couldn’t help but utter. “Professor Oobleck—that you?”

The man sitting on the ground with his back against the study desk looked up for a fraction.

“Yang Xiao Long… I didn’t quite expect Temujin to send you…”

“Oh, man…”

“And Miss Emerald Sustrai… a surprise…”

“Oh! Yeah, she’s not an enemy or anything—”

“It doesn’t matter… Nothing matters…”

Oobleck bottomed out his thermos and laid it on the floor. Papyrus automatically came forward to refill it.

“Ooookay,” Yang said apprehensively. “I’ve never seen him talk this slow before.”

“Yup. Dude’s out of it!” Emerald snatched the thermos out of the Professor’s grasp and easily evaded any sluggish attempts to take it back. She didn’t have to smell it to know what was inside.

“It’s not coffee,” she shook her head at Yang.

“Professor,” Yang kneeled down. “What happened? Dad said you discovered something big, and that it was a shock, but what in the world could have done this to you?”

“Oh, Yang… I should never have looked. I should never have learned.”

“What? What is it Professor?”

“Everything. It’s all going to end. It doesn’t matter what we do. There is no future.”

“Professor! Snap out of it!”

Yang slapped him across the face.

“It’s…It’s no use…” he continued to mumble slovenly.

Oobleck took off his glasses and started to drift into a sad sleep.

“No use… no use at all…”

…

“This… is the last Fairy Tale…”

.

X  X X  X  X

.

Back in Atlas, in one of the training rooms of Cerberus Tower, a most unusual sparring session was taking place.

“Ruby! Even if it’s a shallow cut, if you see an opening, take it!” Qrow shouted.

“Mind your form, Weiss! A stable charge relies on a stable foothold!” Winter advised her sister.

Ruby and Weiss reset their positions before reengaging their opponents. At the same time, their counterparts adjusted accordingly.

Pyrrha took up defensive position with her shield, while firing off a couple rounds with her rifle. Meanwhile, Cinder sent several obsidian javelins whistling past her shoulder.

The pairs squared off a few choice encounters before a winning team was decided.

“You need to be more aggressive in your attacks, kiddo,” Qrow lectured. “You can’t always play the nice girl. Hit ‘em where it hurts and don’t let up.”

“Okay. Got it…!” Ruby replied, panting out of breath.

“You’ve got the advantage in reach. Dominate the midrange and abuse them.”

While Qrow gave out more pointers, Winter did the same with Weiss.

“You can’t always rely on your partner to deal the finishing blow or to create an opening. I know you currently lean on a more support-type style, but you must push the offense when it is required. An opening to strike will not always present itself. Sometimes, you must force the issue.”

“I know. I’m trying. It’s just difficult grasping the new attack timing.”

“Ruby Rose may be your team leader, but by no means must she always be the initiator. You have a tactical mind, seize the reigns of battle as you deem fit. Trust your partner to lead, but also to follow.”

While their sparring partners were being coached, Cinder and Pyrrha took their own break near a spectating Masa Moon.

The Black Queen tossed her teammate a water bottle and began sipping her own.

“How do the measurements read, Masa?”

“Impressive, this one evaluates. Reaction scale, attack sequencing, lag reduction, all nominal. As to be expected of top-level fighters, despite having so little interaction time.”

“I must admit, this has been a very interesting learning experience,” Pyrrha commented. “I wasn’t sure at first, but I’ve never had anyone read my rhythm so quickly or I, theirs.”

“I have my gifts,” Cinder grinned. “Hopefully your partner isn’t too jealous?”

The two glanced at Jaune, who wore an expression of obvious envy.

“I’m sure Jaune’s learning a lot too…” Pyrrha said a little uneasily.

…

“Hey, I was wondering…” Ruby thought. “I think we could learn a lot if we saw an example.”

“An example? What are you getting at?” Qrow asked.

“Well… You and Winter have been coaching me and Weiss on our techniques and how we should work together. Why don’t you just show us how it’s done?”

“You don’t really expect me to—”

“Actually, I think that would be a fine idea.” Cinder set down her bottle and made her way back to the center of the room. “I believe Pyrrha and I require a more difficult challenge. Facing the famed Qrow Branwen and the specialist Winter Schnee should prove very educational. If you would oblige, of course.”

“No freakin’—”

“We accept.” Winter stepped forward to meet Cinder.

“Hey! Don’t go making decisions on your own!”

“Are you afraid we will lose? Do not worry. I will make sure to cover for your mistakes.”

“And don’t get ahead of yourself either. You’re still just a brat if you think you can keep up with me.”

“Then, what is there to hesitate over?”

Qrow and Winter locked stares with a burning intensity.

“Fine!” the wizened Huntsman gave in. “Only to show Ruby how it’s done.”

“Do you think I personally would choose to pair up with you? Don’t be ridiculous.”

As the four combatants readied for the next round of mock battles, Ruby and Weiss took spectator seats next to Masa. While Weiss seemed worried about the match up, her partner was positively excited.

Pyrrha and Winter matched forms with increasing speed and complexity. Qrow and Cinder executed lethal blows on each other like they were trading light jabs. The pairs separated and conjoined with a fluidity. Their seamless attack combos gave the impression they fought together for years, instead of just minutes. Less than a fight, the sparring session mimicked something of a vicious dance.

Masa made sure to record the battle to upload to Penny’s drives later. The Aura readings on the screen fluctuated for each fighter. She found herself paying particular attention to the somewhat erratic levels of Qrow.

Whether it was by chance, or strange stroke of luck, she thought how fortunate it was Qrow had not synchronized completely with the Old One. He did not know it, but a terrible fate was avoided thanks to his niece’s interference. But for how long that would last, Masa could not know. Even without using the Tower’s facilities, she saw their Auras bond more closely with each passing day.

It is only a matter of time…

And then the person known as Qrow Branwen might disappear too.

Just like Ozpin all those years ago.

“Masa?”

The engineer’s attention drew to her left, where Ruby looked like she was peering deep into her immortal soul.

“What is it, Miss Rose?”

“I’m worried about Qrow. I think… I need to know more about the Wizard.”

Ruby turned briefly to watch her biological father and Winter match techniques with the pair of prodigies. There was no trace of the Old One at the moment. It was Qrow as she always knew him. And there was also a sense of chemistry with the one he partnered with. In fact, from what Ruby saw, she could say Qrow was fairly enjoying the practice.

“I have to know, Masa,” she repeated herself. “I have to know the truth, so I can save him. I don’t know what the immortal inside him is trying to do, but I think I have to stop him. Am I wrong?”

“…” Masa took a moment to think. “No. You are not incorrect. This one does not believe Qrow Branwen would have agreed to his contract if he knew the extent of the Old One’s true objectives. But whether he will retain his individuality and resist carrying out the immortal’s will is another subject.”

Ruby pursed her lips.

“What… does he want to do? And while we’re on the subject, what does Salem want? Do you have your own plans too?”

“I did not,” Masa sighed. “I was at most, an observer of the events to transpire—at least, until this recent lifetime. Summer, Raven, and your sister refuse to let this one settle into the simple role of bystander.”

“Hehe! Can I throw my name in there too?”

A slight wrinkle in the engineer’s cheek twitched for a second.

“It would very much adhere to the pattern your predecessors set, this one laments with conflicted feeling.”

“Tell me what I need to do. Tell me what I have to do to stop what’s coming, Masa.” Ruby’s silver irises shined with some faraway connection.

“Tell me how to stop the Last Fairy Tale.”

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X  X X  X  X

.

“You can’t stop the end of a story, Blake. All stories, for better or worse, must come to a close.”

Though, they were on separate continents, Blake heard Salem’s voice as clear as she would right beside.

“The curtains must be drawn. One last bow from the actors who played their part with such diligence.”

Deep in the hollow crag of Vacuo’s Grimm territories, Blake sat cross-legged on a slightly raised platform. A dark Grimoire opened its covers, turning its pages by its own volition. Its letters and pictures projected clear for the eyes of its reader.

“The time of twilight is upon us, my dear child. Will this world see a new day, or will it be forfeited entirely to the darkness? It is to us to make sure life breathes anew.”

Blake read the story for what might have been the hundredth time.

“It is the only way for your wishes to be granted.”

The Tale of Two Brothers.

A version she’d never known until Salem introduced it.

The true historia of Remnant.

.

X  X X  X  X

While asleep, Professor Oobleck found himself strangely conscious amidst a lucid dream.

His surroundings were similar to the Tower of Alexandria, in that there were tomes covering almost every square millimeter of the study. The ceiling reached higher than the light from the fireplace could reach. A warm mug of his favorite roast coffee had its handle wrapped by his fingers.

Oobleck felt at peace. Far away from the outside world and the burdensome truth weighing down on him. Sitting in his impossibly comfortable armchair, he noticed two visitors watching from the couch opposite.

Before he could ask, Emerald answered his question for him.

“It’s a hallucinated dream, Professor. You passed out drunker than Yang’s Uncle on a bender. Seeing as you wouldn’t really be coherent if we woke you up, this seemed like the better choice.”

“What happened, Professor?” Yang asked worriedly. “I didn’t believe it when dad told me, that something you discovered actually broke you. I mean, you were the one who taught our team being a Huntsman and Huntress was more than just fighting. It was about learning and seeking the truth. Using brains as good as brawn.”

Oobleck let out a sorrowed sigh.

“Some truths I wish I never sought, Yang. You don’t know what Ozpin is trying to do. More accurately, what the individual known as Titan is trying to accomplish.”

“’Titan’?” Yang asked quizzically.

“Yes. The original name of the immortal inhabiting Ozpin’s soul, Titan—and he fooled us all.” Oobleck gazed bitterly into the fire place. “He fooled us all! A lie about saving the world of Remnant, and we believed it without question.”

“You’re saying… he doesn’t want to save Remnant?”

“…”

“I know that look,” Emerald commented. “It’s the look of someone who’s found out they’ve been fighting for the wrong side.”

“So, wait, what?” Yang cocked her brow. “Does that mean Salem’s actually doing the right thing by fighting Ozpin, or Titan, or whatever?”

“It is not so simple…” Oobleck muttered. “Though, in a certain light, you could say the Witch is the lesser of two evils.”

“What?!”

“Ultimately, it does not matter. Remnant is drawing to its inevitable conclusion.”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Yang growled. “We first came here to bring you back to Vacuo and learn about where my mom is, but it looks like we need to hear this first. So, start from the beginning, Professor.”

Yang looked to Emerald for support.

“Yeah,” the other girl agreed. “Something tells me this isn’t just some boring history lecture—”

“This is the endgame.”

.

X  X X  X  X

.

“Hi.”

In the Never Realm version of Beacon Academy before its ruin, Raven watched the fluttering white cape of someone she held so dear.

“Hi,” she answered back. “This is a dream, right?”

Summer turned up her hood with a big smile.

“Yup! Which means you won’t remember a thing when you wake up! I just really wanted to see you. Sorry,” she stuck out her tongue playfully.

Raven rested a hand against her hip and shrugged.

“Pretty selfish of you. I wonder how many times you’ve done this and I just don’t remember.”

“Sorry… Not that many times, though.”

“You know, it’s funny. Everyone hero-worships you as the finest Huntress to ever live. Qrow and Tai still idolize you as our clumsy but faithful leader. Even Yang and Ruby still hope their supermom image of you stays intact. Though, they are getting a bit wise to that, I guess.”

“I know. It’s pretty bad.”

“Why is it only me that sees this side of you?”

“Hehe~♪” Summer hopped up to Raven and booped her on the nose. “Why do you think~♪?”

The taller woman lifted the smaller in her arms, like she weighed nothing. Summer smoothed out Raven’s ruffled, feathery hair intimately, as they closed for a tight embrace.

“You’re alive…!” Raven cried. “I missed you so much…!”

Summer’s scent, the subtle sounds of her breathing, the shape of her curves; they were everything she knew. Exactly the way she remembered.

“Of course, I’m alive, silly. I wouldn’t go off and die without saying goodbye.”

“How much time do we have?” she asked as she set Summer down.

“Not much,” Summer shook her head regrettably. “I just wanted to see you like this before you came and found me.”

“Why?”

“…Everything I’ve put in place is about to move. When it starts, there won’t be any stopping it—no second chances. You don’t remember, but I told you what I discovered at the Tower of Alexandria once. About the true history of Remnant—and what I learned of the Wizard and the Witch.”

“Summer, why?”

The white-hooded girl put a finger to the other’s lips.

“I don’t have much time. And you might forget completely, but maybe because of our connection, you might remember some parts. So, just hear me out, okay?”

“…Alright, Summ. I’m listening.”

“First of all, you need to go to Vacuo immediately. It’s very important you do.”

“…”

“There’s a way to counter the curse that forces you to attack Yang. And it can make all the difference when the right moment comes.”

“Tell me.”

…

…

“Also, with just a little luck, you might be able to save one more life,” Summer added to the end of her explanation. “On the night of the full moon, everyone will remember where I am. Not all of your memories will come back at once, but it’ll be enough to go on.”

“I understand,” Raven nodded.

“Also.”

“Yes?”

Summer threw her arms around Raven’s neck and pulled her down to head-level. She pressed her lips against hers. A half-contented, half-longing sigh escaped her when they parted.

“I love you.”

Raven’s expression broke into a smile she hadn’t made in years.

“And, I love you.”

.

X  X X  X  X

.

“Your mother is trying to stop the Last Fairy Tale at this very moment,” Oobleck distressed. “A hope against all hope with no true path to salvation.”

“…!” Yang leapt angrily from her seat and grabbed the Professor by the collar. “I… really respected you, you know that?!” The young girl’s rage slowed into a pitying sadness. “Maybe, even more than Professor Goodwitch and definitely more than Ozpin, I respected you the most! Maybe, it was because of that mission with Breach, but I thought the hell out of you. I thought you were the kind of Hunter I wanted to be.”

Oobleck stared back in shock.

“Probably not as bookish, but not just someone who could only hold their own in a fight. I wanted to have the same curiosity you had. To travel the world and delve into its mysteries. I wanted to explore and learn and use that knowledge to help others.” Yang let go of him. “But I guess I was wrong.”

She stepped back and took her seat once more.

“If you’re going to stop being a Huntsman and a Professor, then teach me one last thing before you quit. Follow through to the end, Professor Oobleck. Then, you can do whatever you want…”

The man met Yang’s painful stare and straightened his coat with a small sense of composure. His drowning in self-pity could wait until later. He was still a teacher in a sense and it was his duty to pass on knowledge, regardless of his condition.

The Professor held out his hand and his dream sculpted his words into form…

…

In the beginning, there was nothing but emptiness.

Then, a Flame lit a way through the darkness.

From the Flame, came Life.

It borne Two Worlds to Two Brothers.

Oberon and Titan.

The two sought to create the best of the worlds they were given, as they envisioned.

Oberon, the older sibling, was open-minded, idealistic, and creative. He embraced the highs and lows of random happenstance, and delighted in the ever-elusive nature of fate. This creator, molded his world into a body of chaos, but also—infinite possibility.

Titan, was the divergent opposite of his brother. His foundations were strong, solid, and secure. He based his ideals on experience and through the observations of his older sibling’s mistakes. This creator molded his world into a body of order, and also—perfect balance.

For eons, these two worlds lived in harmony. Each existing on opposite spectrums of causality.

As time passed, life on their worlds prospered.

Titan’s inhabitants grew strong and obeyed the laws of nature. His magnificent creatures held to a food chain hierarchy; where predator consumed prey, and predator became nourishment for the land, where the prey grazed upon. An enclosed cycle of life and death, enforced by the world’s core system.

This system, constructed on the principles of Titan’s ultimate values was dubbed, the [Tree of Balance].

Even without the creator’s observance or personal hand, the Tree of Balance would correct anything that upset its Order. The tales weaved on Titan’s world exemplified justice, honor, morality, and peace.

…

In Titan’s opposite orbit, Oberon raised a people known as “Fairies”. These creatures possessed an extraordinary ability called Magic. It allowed them to create an infinite number of different matter from another object using what we know today as Dust.

With this power in hand, the fairies brought all manner of existence into the world; some good, some bad, and everything that lay in-between. The tales they weaved were grand, both tragic and uplifting.

But true to Oberon’s nature, the creator wanted to test the limits of the imagination. To surpass them and bring newer possibility and growth to his people.

To increase the Fairies’ Magic, which relied on its original source and Dust, he gave them access to his mind. Oberon’s very life force became a conduit of Magic to ignore the laws of time and space. This artifact would later be named, the [Never Never Realm].

With the creation of these two forces: the Tree of Balance and the Never Never Realm, the first true conflict was born.

And with it would come…

The Tale of the First Sin.

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X  X X  X  X

.

“It is every craftsman’s fear to find a dark purpose awaiting what they create,” Masa told Ruby in a distant tone.

“A sword can be forged for the purpose of protecting life, as well as taking it. Likewise, a device made to maintain order can be too cruel in its decision to correct. An invention to expand imagination can result in reckless destruction.”

The engineer’s voice was not her usual. It was weary and pain-stricken. Each syllable carried with it a timeless expanse of guilt and remorse.

“And in too many cases, the things we create end up becoming our masters.”

…

In the journey to create more prosperity for Oberon’s people, Magic ran rampant. Not only objects, but events not to exist, were fabricated and erased on a whim. The usage of the Never Realm grew to such influence, it triggered the defense mechanisms of the Tree of Balance.

Titan went to confront his older brother of an accord that may not have been entirely his own. He asked Oberon to close the Never Realm, to cease his careless ambitions.

During his visit, Oberon’s closest advisor and consort was also in attendance. Because of her standing, she was referred to as the Godmother to the Fairies, and she defended her beloved, saying it was Titan’s Tree posing the threat in the first place.

The three quarreled at length. Tides of emotion shifted and brewed. The Fairy Godmother’s wrath reached its peak. She started to call on the Magics of the Never Realm as Titan drew strength from the Tree.

Oberon intervened in response. He stood between the two, knowing neither would harm him. But that was where tragedy struck.

Titan aimed his might at the Godmother, but the Tree willed his strike elsewhere.

As a result, Titan slew his own brother.

And the First Sin was committed.

.

X  X X  X  X

.

“We mourned his loss. Everyone did,” Salem spoke with a tortured soul. “His death made both worlds grieve. Rains fell for who remembers how long, while the rains never ceased over his grave…”

Blake could feel the Witch’s broken heart like it was her own. And then, from the sensation of coldest watery depths, came a fury unimaginable.

“The death of someone so pure demanded blood as recompense.”

“And that’s how it began,” Blake said. “That is how the battle between you and the Wizard began.”

“That is how the War began.”

…

I led the Fairies against those foolish monsters the Old One created for his world. Beasts who knew little more than to obey the holder of their leash.

Little did they know their master was held by a leash of his own.

Titan did not have control over the Tree of Balance, as it continued to act of its own will. Knowing that, an idea came to mind.

I would not simply destroy the Old One and everything he held dear. I would pollute it. I’d twist the little garden he took such effort into cultivating for my own. That would be my revenge.

Hahaha!

They called me mad. They labeled me Betrayer! A Witch!

How quickly they forgot Oberon after shedding such little blood…

The shallowness of their conviction still galls me to this day.

Fortunately, they had no say in the matter.

Blake felt her head tilt up, like Salem was lifting her chin. The girl gazed through the crack in the wall. The fractured moon in the night sky appeared bigger than she had ever seen it.

I destroyed the Old One’s precious balance, and at the same time, dispelled my world of its weakness.

A new garden was created from the collision of our worlds.

A Remnant.

.

X  X X  X  X

.

Oobleck twisted his hand.

Images of legendary beasts formed into gruesome creatures, as a result of a world colliding full of the Witch’s malicious will.

The Tree of Balance went into complete flux. The violent reaction caused by crashing Oberon’s world into this one, set off a chain of events.

First, the Cataclysm transformed the inhabitants into what we now know as the Grimm.

Second, the destruction of the Fairies’ homeland imparted many of its attributes. Most importantly, it introduced Oberon’s source magical element.

Dust.

To counterbalance the foreign material, the Tree produced Bane. A substance that possessed the same inherent nature as the Grimm.

Even so, as history will prove, in its attempts to correct its world, it would ironically find the means to its end.

…

For a time, what few Fairies survived the Cataclysm fought the creatures of Grimm. They declared both Titan and the Witch their sworn enemies, and ultimately, were hunted down by the Godmother who once watched over them.

With the Witch’s victory complete, and Titan still guilt-ridden from the murder of his own brother, the Old One retreated into isolation.

Oobleck showed an old man building a small hovel for himself in a part of what would later be called Vale.

And there, the Wizard stayed.

His world in complete darkness and turmoil.

…

Until there was a spark—

A spark that changed everything.

.

X  X X  X  X

.

“This one thought it was a miracle. A word not used lightly,” Masa reflected.

At this point, everyone in the training room, save for Qrow and Winter, gathered to listen intently to the engineer’s tale.

…

Human and Faunus kind rose from the ashes of the Cataclysm.

Beings born from of both words. Though, with obvious differences.

Humans inherited most of their features from the Fairies, while the Faunus were more closely related to Titan’s Beasts. Each species were able to utilize Dust and Bane to a certain extent.

While the Fairies used Dust to perform Magic, the Faunus and Humans primarily used it to enhance their soul’s Aura. Still, there were exceptions.

Those who underwent special training could display some of the proficiencies Fairies could. Alternatively, a number of Bloodline Semblances mimic Magic closely, such as the Schnee and Fall families’ Glyphs and Runes.

One more special group of people, and the most accomplished users of the ancient ability were a small population, who bred with the last surviving Fairies.

A people whose descendants are marked with Silver Eyes.

…

At that moment, all attentions fell on Ruby.

“Ahaha…” she chuckled nervously. “C’mon, guys. Don’t look at me like that. I’m just a normal girl.”

A silence filled the air for a moment.

“—With normal knees,” Weiss smiled. “We know.”

“…Yeah.” Ruby returned the expression. Hearing her say that meant more than her partner knew. “Yeah. Thanks, Weiss.”

Everyone else took a step back from themselves. Knowing a new truth about the girl made them curious, but one sentence from the White Queen banished any strange thoughts they might have had. Ruby was still Ruby. Whether she was descended from Fairies or not, did nothing to change their minds.

Masa watched the scene play out with a warm heart.

Ruby could not have known the engineer bore witness to the same exact scene with Summer. Although, the difference in treatment was night and day.

All those around Summer Rose chose to place the woman on a pedestal when they learned her true heritage. A savior and a weapon against the Grimm of unlimited potential. Or maybe even something of a deity walking among them.

Well, maybe all except one.

If there was ever a person who saw Summer with complete clarity, it was Raven. The swordswoman had her flaws and her share of failures, but she never failed to see the Human in Summer Rose. And because of that, she was the anchor and solace for her lover. A constant.

Masa watched the way Ruby and Weiss held each other in their gazes.

Your daughter is in good hands, Summer.

She won’t face the same isolation you experienced. Not only a lover, but Ruby has many of those around to accept who she is.

I only wish I could have done more for you.

More than just Raven and I.

…

Although,

I suppose, there is one other who looks upon your memory with less than starry eyes…

.

X  X X  X  X

.

“Yang?”

“Hm?”

Emerald called out to her, but was met with a reaction contrary to her expectations.

“You good?” she checked.

“Yeah,” Yang shrugged with a laidback attitude. “So my sister and stepmom are part Fairy, can use Magic, and have weird glowy eyes. I always knew they were oddballs.”

“True.”

“So, Professor,” Yang turned to Oobleck. “Papyrus and the Rakis siblings.”

“As you have indubitably deducted,” he pushed up his glasses. “They are also likely of Fairy descent.”

Yang and Emerald took a minute to digest the new knowledge introduced to them.

Titan, the Witch, Oberon, Fairies, the Tree of Balance, and the Never Realm. It was a lot of material to take in, but they made sure to commit it to memory. Such knowledge would probably prove key to defeating Salem in the eventual future.

Oobleck observed the two submerged in their thoughts with an energy he thought he lost.

You must remember, a voice resonated from his memories.

“To travel a new path to the future, we must know how to avoid the one of the past,” he finished aloud. “My apologies. It seems I’d forgotten something so simple.”

Yang looked up and saw a new Life flow through Oobleck. Perhaps, it was the simple act of teaching someone, but there was now an electricity in his expression. He looked freshly spirited, like he had been pulled out of a slump.

It gave clear sign to what came next, and it cheered Yang beyond compare.

“Right, then! Where was I? Ah, yes! The introduction of Faunus and Humankind!” the Professor recited rapidly.

…

From this point forward, history very much adheres to what is recorded in most textbooks.

The two races met daunting adversity from the Grimm at the outset of their conception! By the implementation of Dust, they were able to survive against overwhelming odds!

Our ancestors strived, they fought, they persevered, and in the end, they established civilizations! Civilizations that would one day evolve into the Four Kingdoms!

But this era of hard-earned prosper was cut to a halt as new challenges presented themselves. We are not perfect beings. We are petty—and stupid. SO STUPID! We began to quarrel amongst ourselves! It reached a point where our kind stood on the brink of self-imposed extinction!

It was then, seeing the clear plight their people faced…

Four remarkable individuals sought a solution to cease the downward spiral towards inevitable destruction. During the course of their pilgrimage, they found the Old One, who had thrust himself into seclusion.

…

In my heart, I’d like to believe he saw in those Four Maidens a chance at redemption. For there can be no other reason he would split his power and offer it to them willingly. I believe he desired to do something good, something noble.

Unfortunately, those who came after the original Four Maidens were less than ideal at upholding the responsibilities that came with their Inheritance. Their corruption forced the Old One into the world once more, which in turn, incurred the Witch’s wrath.

An old feud was born new again, fiercer and more devious than it once was! Each side vied for the upper hand in the secret war…

And our people were used as pawns by both.

“You couldn’t have known!” Yang interrupted Oobleck.

The Professor paused with uncertainty.

“You couldn’t have known!” she exclaimed again. “It wasn’t your fault, Professor Oobleck. They’re thousands of years old. They know more about tricking people than anyone who’s ever lived. But you know what?”

“…”

“They’re cowards. They aren’t even half as brave as you are.”

“I fail to see that in light of the state you found me in.”

“But you’re better now. I can see it. There’s no recovery, no changing for them. But you and I still can, and so can Remnant.”

“…Yes, I suppose you’re right. Maybe, there is still hope. It would be shameful to stop my search for an answer with all of you working so hard. No! I cannot fall behind my students! I refuse! Especially, Summer! Her valiant efforts cannot go in vain!”

“My mom, huh?” Yang said with a trace of skepticism. “We’ll put that on hold for now. You said everything was going to end, something about the Last Fairy Tale?”

“Ah, yes. As Miss Sustrai accurately assessed it, the ‘endgame’. Quite an accurate term, indeed!”

“Great,” Emerald muttered unenthusiastically. “I loooove being right about stuff like that.”

“As do I! Matter of fact, the subject happens to coincide with the next sequence of events perfectly!”

“Yay…” she said with somehow decreasing enthusiasm.

“As it is, Remnant now stands at a crossroads. A crucial turning point, if you would, for our world’s existence hangs on the precipice! Human and Faunus will be discarded into eternal oblivion or forced reincarnation and submission, if we fail to derive a proper solution.”

“Is that so bad? Sometimes, I wake up and just wish the world would just en—”

Yang covered Emerald’s mouth to prevent any more snark from coming through.

“Go on, Professor.”

“Yes! Right so! The Last Fairy Tale is dependent on Titan’s old construct, the very artifact that could be held accountable for the Cataclysm and all the conflicts borne in the first place. It is also the core of Remnant.”

“The Tree of Balance?”

“Precisely,” Oobleck nodded. “As you know, the world is in complete conflict. Good and evil, light and dark, Grimm and those who possess Souls, are creating a constant imbalance. The Tree, by design, was made to counteract this issue.”

“…This doesn’t sound good. How does it plan to go correcting an entirely messed up planet?”

“According to the logs of a certain Architect, there is a mechanism built into the Tree known to Salem and Ozpin. If the balance is upset beyond repair, the Tree will activate a fail-safe. It is, I must say, incredulously simple, absurd, and efficient.”

Yang blinked a few times. She remembered Masa saying something similar when she reset Penny.

…

Hm….

Wait.

“Reset”?

Yang gasped so abruptly she almost choked.

“You can’t be serious!” she coughed.

“Always.”

“What?” Emerald asked without a clue. “What’s going to happen?”

Yang turned to her with a wild, baffled, expression.

“The Tree’s gonna reset Remnant!”

.

X  X X  X  X

.

“…Is this true?”

“Unfortunately, this one can personally vouch for its validity.”

Everyone around Masa cocked their brows in disbelief, while Cinder shook her head.

“I must make sure I heard this correctly,” she worded slowly. “For lack of a better metaphor, the Tree possesses a self-initiating mechanism to turn the world off and on again?”

“That is correct,” Masa answered.

“Like, say, one would do with a malfunctioning appliance, or computer, or scroll.”

“…That is correct.”

“But on a global scale.”

“………It was not one of my finest works.”

.

X  X X  X  X

.

Oobleck gave an intentional cough, like he would in class when the lecture swerved off-topic.

“As ridiculous as the mechanism is, it in no way diminishes the graveness of the situation, or what the Witch and the Wizard have in store.”

“But, why would they want to reset Remnant?” Yang pressed. “What would they gain? And if that’s what they both want, why fight each other?”

“You are correct to ask these questions. The answer is, both view this world as a flawed vision of its original design. Think about it, Miss Yang. If a fundamental error was made in a drawing or the writing of an essay, how tempted would you be to simply scrap the project and start over again?”

“…”

“The differences between Salem and Ozpin lie in what happens after. Salem wishes to make a new world as she sees fit. A reincarnation of sorts, but to her preferences. One void of any previous existences of Fairies and Grimm. I believe she also sees this as an opportunity to revive Oberon.”

“I don’t think I ever heard something so egotistical in my life.”

“Ozpin’s intentions may be worse. He does not plan to restart the world at all. He wishes for the dead to remain dead.”

Yang and Emerald had to think for a moment about what that meant.

“He wants to end all the pain and misery,” Emerald said, with a hint of empathy. “He thinks it’s too much and that it’ll fail no matter how many times he tries or how hard… So, he just wants it to end.”

“The suicide option, huh?” Yang echoed the thought in a dark tone. “Now, I get it. That’s why they both act the way they do. They’ve already given up on this world. That’s so….!”

“Irresponsible? Idiotic? Childish? You know, for assholes who’ve lived forever, they can be real…assholes!”

“So, the plan’s simple, then, right? I mean, to stop the Last Fairy Tale, we just need to defeat Titan and Salem.”

“If it were so simple, I would not have fallen into such a depression,” Oobleck said.

He waved his hand and conjured the fractured world of Remnant. The Tree’s trunk could be seen extending from the partial sphere with its branches interlaced through the crust.

The planet looked almost like a half-blown dandelion. One breath was all it would take, and Remnant would dissolve into naught but ash and dust. It drove the direness of their situation ever-deeper.

“The inherent problem lies with the Tree itself. Once the imbalance of light and dark pass a certain threshold, the reset occurs automatically. The Witch and Wizard only wish to control its function at the last moment.”

Yang and Emerald observed the projection, while walking around it.

“So, the answer is, we balance it, then?” Yang suggested. “Then, it won’t activate, right?”

“Obviously, the first answer to pop into anyone’s head, but how do you balance a whole world, Yang? It’s impossible. Not only the world, but you’d have to even out the emotions of practically everybody on this hunk of rock.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. And we can’t just remove the Tree?”

“Look at this thing,” Emerald gestured to the image. “Remnant practically is the Tree.”

Yang was now racking her brain to the point of anguishing frustration.

“Maybe, if we can buy more time? Can we stall the world from crossing the threshold somehow?”

The two turned to Oobleck, who only wore a look of sympathy.

“The truth is, Remnant has already crossed the threshold to trigger the Tree’s reset function.”

…

The answer alone stunned Emerald and Yang into complete silence. Despair sunk in with a hungering quality.

Yang continued to shake her head. She momentarily looked to the professor and the projection of Remnant for answers but was met with none.

“So, you’re saying… We already lost?”

.

X  X X  X  X

.

Their loss is already predetermined, Blake thought. By my hand or this world’s.

She stood atop a cliff, looking down on the ranks upon ranks of Grimm. An army of darkness the world had never bore witness to.

Black claws and fangs bore viciously in the direction of Vacuo. The cracks in their bone-encrusted bodies flared with malice. Countless burning red eyes focused on the structure waiting in the distance.

The world will start over.

Bean and Inna stood beside Blake. The young general kept in contact with the leaders of the Grimm Clans.

And in the world to come, everyone’s wishes will be granted.

Adam appeared from behind.

But for that to happen, the old world must die.

Vulcan and Jupiter Black took their places as well.

And the Last Fairy Tale must come to its rightful end.

.

X  X X  X  X

.

“Then, if the world’s going to reset, why hasn’t it already?” Yang asked.

“Summer Rose,” Oobleck answered. “By using her Semblance, your mother has stopped the process midway. But it will not last.”

“…Where is she? Where’s my mom?”

“On an island that is forgotten, purged from all traces of memory and recording until the event of a full moon. Knowledge of its existence and location are nonexistent, except in this place alone, where all information is recorded for eternity.”

Oobleck handed Yang a worn-out book and opened it to its last page.

It was Summer Rose’s final diary entry.

Yang read the name of her mother’s last known location and ultimately, where the Last Fairy Tale would take place.

“The Island Prison of Menagerie.”