Last Huntress - Chapter 22

-Two Parts Made Whole-

It was hard to describe why Blake was smiling. Perhaps the warmth of the smaller Faunus that was leaning against her, or the relative peace she felt while the storm raged outside the train. Either way, it was easy for her to rest her chin on top of two soft furred ears, and close her eyes. One of her hands was resting over her girlfriend's, gripping the grab bar tight, while the other was wrapped around a slender thigh, holding the young woman close.

"..There it is."

There was such a resigned tone to Ruby's voice that it shattered the peace Blake and settled into almost immediately, and she pulled back to glance down before following the wolf Faunus' gaze. It was easy enough to pinpoint what it was that had caused such disturbance. Out in the distance, revealed between the skyline of Vale as if it were being framed for just this moment, was where the natural cliffs had once stood between Southern Vale and the wilderness beyond it.

The Breach.

There was a massive wall that stretched across the entirety of what horizon Blake could see, illuminated with the searchlights that stood atop it and at its base. She had seen it before, knew of the veritable army of mechs that patrolled it at every hour of the day. She had been to it in the year or so after the Breach, to visit the gathered candles and flowers of a vigil for the dead and shed quiet tears for the lives that had been lost, for those she had failed by not being there.

Even from this distance, the few quiet conversations that had been taking place on the train came to a noticeable halt. Four years had passed, and the Breach was still such a significant memory upon Vale that it caused, if nothing else, a moment of quiet contemplation. Members of the White Fang sometimes spoke of it, each of them remarking on where they had been when they had first heard about it.

It was an event that scarred recent memory, and she was sure that it would remain so for a long while.

But more importantly, it had an impact on the girl she held close that was hard for her to notice. She had seen Ruby clam up, refusing to answer questions or entertain certain trains of thought, but this reaction was so much more than that. Even though her expression was stoic and unmoving, Ruby's eyes were filled with what could only be the darkness of sorrow and regret, and it left a grip on Blake's heart that sent pangs of hurt through her chest.

It was over in a moment, the train zipped behind another building and the Breach was lost from view, but its effect on the girl in her arms remained. Pupils slid from one side of the window to the other, as if Ruby was just pulled from being deep in thought, and it took a long second for those silver eyes to find Blake's. She was patient, and waited until she was sure she had her girlfriend's attention. "Ruby.. I won't tell you that you shouldn't do this. But I want to let you know that you don't.. Have to do this."

She swallowed hard at the nearly empty look she was given from Ruby, at how uncharacteristically passive the eyes before her seemed. She has seen such passion in them before, been inspired by the fire of a young and hopeful soul, even in the first few days after they met. "No matter what, you don't have to do this. We could just go back to Yang's. We could leave, go to another kingdom.. But I will do this with you, I'll follow Ozpin's cryptic clues all the way to the end, and I will fight by your side.. If it is what you want to do."

Argent pools refocused on her, and she saw that fire reform and blossom within Ruby's eyes. They glanced away from her gaze, just for a moment, and the expression that Blake saw was caught between shame and resignation, but it was wiped away just as quickly as it had come. When Ruby looked back at her, there was a determination in the way she set her jaw. "I don't know where this will lead, Blake. I don't know if there is something better at the end of it. But I can't run from this, I want it. And I will see it through to the end."

Blake took in a long breath, closing her eyes a moment before nodding. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead to Ruby's, and made sure to hold the girl a bit closer. "Then so will I. We'll do it together."

With a hand on the hilt of the sword sheathed at his side, Adam Taurus strode down the dark hallway flanked with a dozen banners of a howling beowolf marked with three claw slashes. His quick footfalls drew brief glances from the guards at the double doors he was walking to, just enough to identify him before they reached over and opened the entrance, holding it until he moved through into the similarly unlit room within. All who had gathered were Faunus, and the darkness barely impeded them.

A large throne sat at the end of the room, it's surface covered by a large white cloth marked with the same insignia as the one that decorated the banner outside. He didn't hesitate to move towards it, turning on a heel and lowering himself down into it, lips set into a frown. There was much to do in planning the upcoming attack on the Gentlemen, and being pulled away to a meeting with his lieutenants was hardly what needed to be done. "Corsac, report."

A man in a tunic, red hood, and with a long fox tail stepped forward, clearing his throat as he spoke up. "High Leader, forgive me for calling this meeting, but I have some new information I think you will find very valuable." Corsac moved forward with a deep bow, grinning as he rose and presented the scroll in his hands to Adam.

Taking it from the fox Faunus with a careful look and a raised eyebrow behind his mask, Adam tilted the screen towards himself to see what was so important. It was immediately apparent to him, as the picture was taken from an angle that showed features that were so very familiar. The girl it depicted was wearing a torn and faded leather jacket with a frayed hood pulled up, but there was no mistaking those amber colored eyes.

His grin widened, and then faded away in a snarl as he saw the way Blake was so carefully holding the smaller girl next to her. The words tasted like bile in his mouth as he glared back at Corsac. "When was this taken?"

"A few minutes ago, High Leader." It was Fennec, the fox-eared brother of the man he had asked, who spoke up. Stepping up beside his brother, the Faunus gave a low bow. "One of our informants have spotted them on the Eastline Train.. We believe they may be trying to get into Beacon Academy. Though for what purpose, or who she is with, we do not know."

Holding up the scroll for all the assembled lieutenants to see, Adam screamed out over the gathering. "That is Ruby Rose, who Blake was seen with earlier today!" There were murmurs spreading through the few dozen gangsters that stood in the room, and both Corsac and Fennec both made motions to speak up, but he cut them off with a gesture of his hand. "I want them both brought before me.. Alive! Blake betrayed us all when she broke the treaty with Torchwick, and I will make her watch as I destroy the girl she threw our loyalty away for!"

There were a few chest-thumping outcries from the lieutenants, and he grit his teeth as he continued. "But the kills are mine, do you understand?" He scanned the room, watching each nod with a growing grin. "Good. Our attack on Gentlemen demands most of our attention, so I need two volunteers to take a Bullhead to Beacon, and bring me back the traitor and her friend."

Two people stepped forward immediately, and he smiled as he looked over them. "Sister Ilia, Brother Yuma.. Are you sure you can carry out my orders?"

Dressed in a white jacket marked with the red emblem of the White Fang on her back, Ilia Amitola looked up at Adam through her mask, and gave a deep bow. "We won't fail you, High Leader."

It was strange that it was such a short walk from the train station to the lift that would take them up the cliff to Beacon. The school had been a symbol of strength, unity, and peace in Vale for so long, now it lay abandoned only a hundred paces away from station packed with people either heading home for the night or to work for the morning.

It seemed wrong to Ruby, to see it so.. Withered. The beautifully engraved railings that lined the edges of the lift had fallen into disrepair, most of them broken or rusted enough that they could barely fulfill their original purpose. The glass that enclosed the small structure was dirty and cracked in at least a dozen places. The lift itself shuddered in response to her hitting the button to ascend, activating with the sound of grinding gears and groaning metal as it rose into the sky.

The rise allowed her to look out over the train station and nearby office buildings, seeing the lights of nighttime Vale through the dyed strands of her bangs that the rain had stuck to her forehead as she pushed her hands into the pockets of the long jacket she had borrowed from Yang. "Four years."

Her voice barely carried on the wind, but it brought the look from her girlfriend she had expected. Half interest, half surprise, and wide golden eyes that stepped into her view as she looked over. "The last time I saw Beacon, I left on the day of the Breach. Headed to a Bullhead with new information about how to track down Torchwick.." Blake was quiet, and it took a long moment before Ruby spoke up over the thunderstorm once again. "Sorry.. It's been longer for you, hasn't it?"

A nod, but a smile as well. "I missed it every day for a long time. I missed you, and Yang, and even Weiss."

The lift shuddered again as it locked into place at the top of the cliff, and the doors slid open in jerky movements, their mechanisms having likely fallen into disrepair years ago. Ruby looked over her shoulder, before glancing back at Blake and removing a hand from the warm pocket to grab the taller Faunus' hand and pull her from the lift.

With what little cover the interior of the lift had afforded them, the storm was much worse outside, as the rain continued to pour, and a few flashes of lightning streaked across the sky and illuminated the backdrop of the Barricade behind the abandoned Academy. Ruby led the way, hand in hand with Blake as they moved down the long walkway that led into Beacon.

The glass of the lamps in the posts lining the walkway were shattered. The banners had long been destroyed by the elements. The grass was wild and overgrown with weeds, and one of the bright red trees that ringed the courtyard was toppled over, split in the center of its trunk. But the statue was still standing upright as they approached, and the sight of it set a grip on Ruby's heart as she felt herself tugged back to memories of better days. When she was filled with much less regret.

When she could remember what it felt like to truly believe she could make the difference in the world.

She froze, staring up at the hooded woman and her axe, the Hunter with his sword extended upwards, and the beowolf slashing outwards. The fountain had long since dried, but it still embodied the heroism of Hunters to her. Standing defiant against the Grimm, as they always should have been. Now it was just a gray memorial to what had been, and in time public perception would turn in such a way that eventually the school itself would be torn down, to make room for a growing Vale.

Ruby scoffed, wondering what would take the place of the Academy she had dreamed of attending since she was a girl, of the dream that she had shattered apart and lost. As if sensing her darkened thoughts, the hand clutching her own squeezed softly, and drew her back into a slight hug, before gently urging her to move on from the statue.

She allowed herself to be led away, gritting her teeth against the memories, the self-condemnations, and the pain. Blake was in step with her now, half-leading her towards their destination. The doors to the main tower slid open, and together they stepped in from the rain.

Before them now was the circle room that branched off to either the dorms or the training arena, but in the center was their goal. The doors to the elevator slid open as they approached, and closed again once they were inside. She reached out and pressed the key that would take them up to Ozpin's old office, letting out a soft sigh when the platform did indeed work and began rising up.

The nervousness rose up in her stomach like a whole swarm of butterflies, so much so that it felt to her like to speak or move from where she should would surely rip the rug out from under her, that the world would beat her down once again and reaffirm that she was not a Huntress, that she was not even a student of Beacon, that she was only an animal and good for nothing.

But another gentle squeeze on her hand and the soft presence of Blake at her side drove away such thoughts, soothed her frayed nerves, and let her take in a steadying breath as she shifted from foot to foot, until..

Ding.

Things had wound down in Ember Heights as the night had gone on. Velvet had gone to bed after a few glasses in, mumbling a goodnight to everyone and placing a sloppy kiss on Yang's lips before stumbling her way around the bar and up the stairs. Jaune was passed out, or very near to it, crumpled down in a chair, his feet up on the table and his chin pressed against his chest with his eyes closed.

Yang remained as awake as she had been hours ago, having drank only half of a glass, and keeping her mind occupied by conversing with her friends. Pyrrha remained similarly upright, the woman staying coherent despite being several drinks in. It seemed as though the Mistrali hadn't lost her near-legendary constitution in the time since Beacon. And Yang was all too willing to keep pouring the whiskey if it kept the woman on lighter topics like the one that dominated their current conversation.

"And after he stepped out for a second to take a scroll call, Nora brought out the fake mustache and placed it onto her lip." There was some slight slurring, but the true indication of Pyrrha's intoxication was how she kept pushing lightly against Yang's shoulder. Each time brought a new smile to her face as she listened to her friend recount the tale, not having the heart to let the redhead know that she remembered it, having been a few seats away. "Professor Port comes back in, marches back up to the front of the class ready to launch back into his story, when he notices Nora and her glorious mustache!"

"Now everyone is just sitting there giggling, waiting for her to get in trouble, but instead Port just walks real slow up to the front desk, staring up at her as she is just fixed on him with a completely serious expression." Yang chuckled as she remembered the tension in that room, and just how everyone had slowly frozen up as the old Professor had walked forward. "And he just gives her this nod, like he was imparting respect upon a worthy foe!"

Pyrrha devolved into a fit of laughter at that, slapping a palm down on the surface of the table as she howled, and Yang couldn't help but fall into with her. It took a few minutes to for the usually reserved Mistrali to get herself back under control, and even then there were slips of giggles every couple of seconds. That was, until Yang asked the question. "How are she and Ren doing?"

It was sobering in a moment, and Pyrrha was left to pick up her nearly empty glass again, peering into its diminishing depths and avoiding looking over at Yang. "She's.. Good. The last I heard. Ren calls us every once in a while, keeping us updated on her. Apparently she's made very good progress since Weiss brought her in on more Barricade projects, but Ren said the doctors say it's unlikely she'll ever be quite what she was."

Yang nodded slowly, frowning as she reached over and laid a gently hand on the other woman's shoulder. Nora Valkyrie had been the boisterous one of JNPR's bunch, always ready to lend an encouraging pep talk or a grenade, depending on the situation. Most solutions of hers involved the breaking of bones with her massive hammer. But mental stress, especially on the battlefield, could lay even the strongest warrior low. It was a sadly forgotten toll of the Breach. Amidst all the people who had lost limb and life, there were those who had been torn apart inside their own heads, and many did not come back from it.

"What about.. Ruby?" The redhead turned in her chair, setting down the glass without taking another drink, and holding a much more sharp look in her eye as she looked over. "She seems a lot better than the last time I saw her. Well, mentally, at least.. She has a few more scars."

"She is.. Better, I think." Yang let out a frustrated sigh, the turn in the conversation reminding her that she had not had a chance to really sit down and suss out where her little sister was standing emotionally after these weeks apart. Ruby seemed much better, and a lot of it had to be owed to Blake, but Yang wanted to be sure. She wanted to watch her grow back into a person who could respect themselves. Who wanted to live again. "Blake has been a good influence on her, I can tell, but I don't know if it will stick. I just don't know enough about what happened, about what she has gone through.. And I'm afraid that if I ask, all I will get back is silence. I don't know if I can go back to that again."

"I-I.. Might be able to help with that." The voice from behind them caused them both to turn, and Yang watched as the young Faunus that her sister had rescued walked over to their table. Each step came with a small limp, and the girl was wrapped in a blanket that she held together in front of her with a hand partially covered in a yellowish-purple bruise. Auburn's fox ears looked much better than they had when she had arrived at the bar, no doubt Velvet had taken time to wash them earlier, but her face was still a wreck of cuts and bruises in various stages of healing. "I have.. S-something."

Pyrrha had quickly cleared some room for the younger woman, moving back over to sit by her husband, who had begun to lightly snore as he had finally tipped over the line into sleep. The now vacant chair was pushed out to allow Auburn to sit, and Yang helped the injured girl down until she was carefully situated on it. "What do you mean?"

The girl's pale orange eyes locked on hers as another hand appeared from beneath the blanket, holding aloft a scroll that was battered and dented in a dozen places. "This is Ruby's.. I s-stole it from her things after she was taken to the Pit." There was a hesitation to the Faunus' words, like she was worried that her actions would be taken the wrong way. But Yang just donned a smile, holding the hand in both of her own before taking the offered device. "I caught some video.. J-just the end of things, but if you want to see."

An index finger pressed down on the display and swiped a couple of times, and there was a video queued up to be played on the screen. "I-It's bad, she was injured pretty badly.. But when Blake jumped in.." Auburn gulped, shrugging sheepishly and managing a fairly charming smile, even with her currently rough look and voice. "Well, I thought someone should have some record of how much she risked that night."

Yang hesitated for a moment, glancing over at Pyrrha, who at this point was looking at the scroll with an expression that told her exactly what advice she would receive from the other woman. She placed the device on the table so that Pyrrha could view it as well, and pressed the play button.

It was dark, but there was just enough light to illuminate the central arena as a dark shape charged the glass and jumped at it. The barrier shattered into a thousand pieces, and that form crashed down into the muddy pit below. The camera followed what was revealed to be Blake, shaking for a moment as Auburn had moved forward to get a better look.

There was a chill that ran through Yang's blood as she saw the beowolves in the arena. She had heard the rumors, of course, that Torchwick had been insane enough to capture live Grimm and use them in the fight, but to see them again after four years set her in such a frame of mind that she barely noticed the way Blake handily dispatched the two creatures that came at her.

At least, until she finally noticed the form of her sister, and saw the mud caked skin and rapidly pooling blood that spilled over onto Blake's hands and arms as she lifted Ruby from the floor of the arena. Yang had not heard herself gasp, did not remember placing the palm against her lips, and did not notice the way Pyrrha was looking over at her. All she could do was stare at the horribly injured image of her little sister.

That split second of seeing it all brought what walls she had prepared for this video crashing down, and drew a long sob from the center of Yang's chest. It was everything. The stress of the last four years, the feeling of failure in protecting her little sister. When Summer had passed away, and her father had tried his best but still pulled away, she had swore to herself that she would raise and protect Ruby. That she would prepare her sister for the world, to pursue her dreams and live a life unburdened.

In these long, bitter years since the Breach.. She had failed Ruby.

The doors of the elevator opened with a light swishing noise, not even a bit different from what Ruby remembered from the times she had been called up to this office during her time at Beacon. She had been one of the few that the Headmaster had taken an interest in back then, always wanting to debrief her after missions or congratulate her on something or the other going on in the school.

In fact, the whole office looked as though it had been locked in time for the last four years. It's gears still slowly turned in the ceiling, the echoing of their movement strangely comforting as she stepped out and walked across the green floor towards the desk that was similarly decorated.

Clockwork gears spun and turned within the desk itself, drawing a small grin from her as she ran her fingers along it. Not a speck of dust to be seen in the entire room. She imagined Ozpin simply ignored the Council's demands, and remained up here for much of the time since they had parted. Stepping past it to look out the massive window that looked over much of the city, her imagination placed the old man here, cane in hand, watching over Vale despite all that had happened.

That thought stole the smile from her lips, as she realized he had now placed that duty on her shoulders.

Ruby turned around, finding Blake stopped only halfway through the room. Her girlfriend was watching her carefully, doing her best to give her a supportive presence but keep out of her space. She nodded at the older woman, reaching into the inner pocket of her jacket to pull out the scroll that had been delivered to her.

"Do you want to.. Be alone for this?" Blake's voice cut through the silence, and drew her gaze away from the device in her hand. She tilted her head slightly, a hint of a smile touching on her lips at the consideration, and Ruby nodded slowly, opening her mouth to apologize. "No, it's okay. Take your time, I'll just be right at the bottom if you need me."

There were no true words to express her appreciation for her girlfriend as she watched the feline Faunus return to the elevator, turn around, and shoot her brilliant smile that caused her to return the expression. When the doors closed, she was left with a warmth in her chest that bloomed and spread out through her limbs, shaking away the chill of the storm that raged outside. Alone in the office now, she looked back at the device in her hand, and hesitated before that desk.

The scroll was held a few inches above the transparent surface as nervously pressed her tongue against the side of her mouth. For some reason, she knew. This was the step forward that could not be taken back. Professor Ozpin had named her a Huntress, the last his school would ever train, but to do this would be her acceptance of that title and the responsibility it bore. A personal commitment to the safety and security of all peoples of Remnant.

Everything she had dreamed of being and wanting since she was old enough to want things.

She pressed the scroll down onto the desk, and immediately the thin green lines of holographic technology snaked out from the device, activating what was hidden within. Just as with the black box she had found in her apartment, these lines coalesced into a replica of her old Professor in the center of the room. Everything from his spectacles to the folds in his clothing that always seemed to impeccably consistent, and the tiny rotating gears in the handle of his cane.

"Hello, Ms. Rose."

Blake let out a long sigh as she stepped out into the bottom room of Beacon's central tower again. It wasn't exactly ideal to separate from Ruby right now, but with each passing moment in that office, she could feel herself an outsider on what was about to transpire. Ozpin had chosen Ruby, and no matter how much she wished to be by her girlfriend's side, it was easy to accept that this was simply something that had to be done alone. It was certainly made easier to accept by knowing that she would be by Ruby's side when the more perilous parts of this strange journey they had set out on came back up. After all, nothing was about to happen to the younger Faunus upstairs in a closed off office that she would need Blake for.

But perhaps she had spoke too soon for herself.

A man with spiky brown hair and a tuft of facial hair on the bottom of his chin stood before her across the small walkway that led away from the elevator, two leathery bat wings framing his silhouette in the low light as he grinned from ear to ear at her. "Sister Blake.. The High Leader has requested your presence. Come with us peacefully, or we will simply drag you to him if need be."

The 'we' caught her attention as her hand shot up to draw her katana, instead finding only empty air as she remembered leaving it behind at Ember Heights due to their need to get to Beacon without being recognized. It seemed it had been for naught, as another Faunus emerged from the right side of the room. Similar armored leggings that she had worn, and a nearly identical jacket marked this other woman as a similar rank within the White Fang as she had been, but what truly identified her was the spotted skin visible in several places, and the long ponytail that curled upwards at the end like a chameleon's tail.

"Ilia."

The word was dripping with venom on Blake's voice as her hand corrected its course and reached into her jacket to pull her pistol free of the holster hiding it within. The two other Faunus seemed unperturbed by it, smiling even as they took another step forward. "Hello again, Blake. Please, put your weapon down." As if to confuse her even more, a hand raised up slowly to remove the horned Grimm mask that had been hiding the two greyish blue eyes. "I don't mean you any harm.."

"Why would I believe you?!" She shouted the words at the girl that had been her old friend, before everything in the White Fang had been twisted away from its original purpose. Before she had been tortured by those she once called family. "Why would I even trust you?!" Aiming her pistol at the other woman, there was a sickening sound of flesh being pierced that filled the air, and nearly caused her to fire until the form of the bat-winged Faunus slumped to the ground.

In his back were three small blades that were buried several inches into his flesh, connected by a chain that led her gaze back to a woman who stepped in from the doorway leading to the dormitories of Beacon. "Because he was here to take you back to Adam.. And she called me to help instead of assisting him in doing so." With a flourish of a wrist, the blades were swept back to be caught deftly in a hand while the chain was bound around a forearm, and Sienna Khan stepped fully out into the light.

Blake's aim on Ilia slowly dropped, but it was already forgotten as she stared blankly at what had to be a ghost. From the black-and-orange furred ears and the dark stripes that lined brown skin, to the piercing orange eyes that were trained upon her, she couldn't believe that this woman was standing in front of her. "But.. Y-you're.."

"Dead?" Sienna chuckled, stowing the chain whip on her belt as she stepped over the body of the Faunus she had slain. "Not quite as much as Adam would prefer, I'm afraid."

Glancing between Ilia and the tigress with a cautious expression, Blake lowered her pistol, but kept a firm grip on it. "What is this?"

"A chance to help the Faunus, Blake." Ilia was the one who spoke up, the other Faunus remaining where she was, mask in hand, but making no moves to get closer to her. "To undo the damage that Adam has caused since he took over."

She snarled at the girl, glaring at her old friend for a long moment before Sienna stepped up beside her, resting a surprisingly gentle hand on her shoulder. She nearly jumped away at the touch, still reeling in the aftershocks of disbelief. When she was younger, when her parents had been forced to step away from the fight for equality, it had been Sienna who she followed then. A level-headed woman with a passion for the fight, if a believer in more violent methods that she had been raised to accept. "A chance to be free of him forever."

Blake finally holstered her weapon, reaching up to push the hand free of her shoulder. "Don't manipulate me, Sienna. You want to be in charge again, and you want me to help you get there."

There was a smile that revealed the older woman's fangs for a moment, and the tigress took a respectful step back from her. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to manipulate you, I just want you by my side when we return the White Fang to its original purpose." Sienna's expression slipped, and a small frown formed. "I know you aren't a believer anymore, but even so, you cannot be okay with what it has become. With what.. Faunus have become."

That was enough to set her back on her heels, and she took a long look over at Ilia, who looked awkward and out of place since Blake had pushed back against the proposal, and was making an effort to focus her eyes everywhere that Blake was not. "..And you're willing to follow her?"

Those eyes snapped to her, and the spots on Ilia's cheeks turned into a light red color, bordering on the pink of a blush. "I-I.. I am. Many of us are." The other Faunus looked down after a second. "After what happened to you, and the way he has ordered us to treat our own kind.." With balled up fists, Ilia finally looked back up at her, a steely resolve evident in her gaze. "We stand a real chance to change how society treats us, with Sienna back."

"It isn't about power for me, Blake." Looking to Sienna, she searched the older woman's expression for any sign of deceit. Instead she found only earnest expression in the tigress' features. "I want the Humans to respect us, but I want to do it the right way. If Adam continues on the way he has, we'll all end up dead or outside the Barricade by the time they finish it."

Blake found her gaze drawn to the floor, and then sliding back along to where the elevator sat. Her thoughts turned to Ruby, to what her girlfriend would do in this situation. The younger woman had always had such a strong pull to what was the right course of action, a certainty in her actions that Blake had always envied. "I.. Can't make this choice." She turned back to face Sienna and Ilia, a determined line set in her lips. "Not alone, at least. I believe we deserve equality, and I'm willing to fight the right way to get it.. But I'm going to wait for Ruby to come back down."

"Because no matter what I do." There was a narrowing to Ilia's eyes as they darted between her and the elevator doors behind her, but the calculating expression emanating from Sienna was enough to draw out a further explanation. "I'm going to do it with her by my side."

"Hello, Ms. Rose."

The hologram of Professor Ozpin leaned on his cane and smiled at her, it's replication spot on, having obviously been recorded in this very place. "Your presence here is appreciated, which means you have decided that this world is still worth fighting for, and that I have chosen wisely to pass this on to you."

"You will find the storage drive I spoke about previously inside the desk, and while it contains all the information pertinent to this group I have been tracking, there is more on it that you must know about." Ruby glanced over at the desk, seeing the closer drawer on the back of it. Curiosity itched at the back of her mind, demanding she open it and check, but she ignored it for now. The recording was still playing. "Records vital to the Hunter program and the Academies, things that could not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. That is why, in the event that my scroll has fallen into the wrong hands, there is an additional security measure on the drive."

She could see that same confident half-smile that the Professor had worn in life reflected on this hologram, and it almost made her want to return the grin before she remembered that it did not matter to this recording. "It's files can only be accessed once this measure has been unlocked, and it can only be unlocked by your former partner, Weiss Schnee."

Ruby could feel her cheeks grow cold as the blood drained from her face, and there a chill that seeped into her body at the mention of Weiss. "I know that you and she parted on rough terms, and that contact has been utterly non-existent since that day. But I hope you also know how important it is that this information finds it way into your hands. Not just so that you may stop the current plot affecting Vale, but that you may look to the future as well."

"In pursuit of that, please locate the button on the inside of the desk drawer, near the back of it and on the top." The recording paused in place, waiting for her as she suddenly scrambled to pull open the drawer. Inside was a slim, black data drive, just smaller than a scroll. She pulled it out and placed it upon the transparent surface of the desk before reaching back in and fumbling around for the button. It took a few seconds to locate, but she pressed down on it immediately.

There was a whirring of gears, and a section of the desk opened on top. A small pedestal rose as the clockworks inside came to a halt and were shifted out of the way to allow this to move, and displayed upon it was a familiar shape. "As I said before, I hope you will forgive me the liberties I took in recovering and repairing it, but a Huntress should always be armed with the weapon she built."

Crescent Rose sat before her, and a shaking hand was all she could manage to lay upon its smooth red metal. Her fingers found the controls, and with but a touch, the weapon began to unfurl. Parts extended and unfolded, and eventually the massive blade itself fully developed out of the stock of the weapon. Tears were in her eyes as she touched it gingerly, as if it would fall apart in front of her if she dared to do more than look.

"I know it will serve you well in the trying times to come." The recording continued, unfazed by her own surge of emotions as she gently caused the weapon to contract back down to a more manageable form. The last she had seen of it was the blade shattering against the bone plates of an Alpha Beowolf, the very same creature that had torn her left eye from its socket. For him to have recovered every bit of it and repair it, it meant that he had planned for this moment for quite some time before his death.

"With it, you should also find my cane." She tore her eyes away from Crescent Rose, setting her gaze upon the white handle of the cane she had so often seen the Professor walking with. She reached down to pick it up, bouncing it in her palm a few times before glancing back to the hologram.

There was a hint of mirth in Ozpin's eyes as he watched her, the recording seeming to have guessed her confusion with this discovery as if it were the old Headmaster standing before her in the flesh.

"Now with this, I have a separate request.."

Author's Note: Two chapters in two days, what madness! Just the benefits of having a couple days off from work, actually! Thank you all for the comments and reviews you've sent my way, it really does help a ton to know that people are still enjoying the story, even given the rather long post times. I was considering just writing a ton of chapters ahead, and then posting them every week so if I fell off on regular writing, I'd still be posting.. But I don't have the self control for that so here is this! Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and especially reviewed, you guys are seriously awesome and your support means the world to me! Please let me know what you think about this chapter and the unfolding events that are about to descend upon Vale, and as always, thank you for reading! -Fox