Epilogue

"So how did it go?" The man's voice said over the Scroll.

"Well enough," Raven replied. "We made quite a few new friends, and had some interesting experiences. It was certainly more enjoyable than I expected."

"I'm glad to hear that." The man smiled. He was a skinny fellow of about fifty years, with coarse black hair, large round spectacles, and rather short stature. "I was somewhat worried when the two of you decided to leave and go off on your own, but it seems you've looked after yourself quite well. I'm sure Thoron would be pleased to see his kids all grown up."

"Yes," Raven agreed. "Though I'm not sure what Father would really want if he were here, honestly."

The man chuckled amiably. "Now, now, don't sell your father so short. He always wanted the best for you, you know. Anyway, was the research I provided helpful?"

Raven paused for a second before answering. "It certainly was. I'm surprised you knew so much about unconfirmed Grimm types and the Faunus War. Our school research project was a huge success thanks to your information."

"It's always my pleasure to help you two out," the man replied. "That being said, where is Qrow right now? Is he not at home?"

"Ah, he's currently out getting the groceries. Knowing him, he won't be back for at least a few hours," Raven said with a smile. "Do you think you'll be in Vale anytime soon?"

"Ahaha, that's up in the air right now, I'm afraid," he said sheepishly. "I've found a new archeological dig here in the Vacuo desert, but it seems the trail to my next lead has gone a bit cold. If you really miss me, though, I'd be happy to put my work aside for a few days."

"No, no, it's alright," Raven smiled. "Thank you again for your help. I'll talk to you later, Uncle Luka." She closed the Scroll.

"Well?" Qrow asked from the corner of their room, where he'd been standing the whole time. "Do you think he knows?"

"Highly unlikely. And if he did, there's little he can do about it at this point," Raven replied. "Whatever power Luka Branwen had over us disappeared seven years ago. He didn't stop us from attending Beacon, whether he knew our real purpose or not. That tells me all I need to know."

"…If you say so." Qrow sounded skeptical. "So have we found what we were looking for?"

"Not yet," Raven admitted. "I think we're coming close…but there still could be a while before we obtain it. We knew what we were getting into when we started this course, brother."

"Tch. Great," her brother spat, kicking at the floor. "So we're still on our own, eh?"

"Our own?" Raven smiled. "Now what are you talking about, I wonder?"

"Huh?"

Raven glanced around their room. It was a modest house in the outskirts of Vale. It was cheap enough to afford and maintain, which was enough for Raven, regardless of any complaints Qrow could make. "Summer. Taiyang," she recited. "And Heather, Regal, Torrence, and all the others we've met since we arrived in Beacon. There's no way you haven't noticed, brother. They are all our friends now. And when the time is right, they'll fight by our side."

"You're the last person I ever want to hear give me a lecture about 'friends'. You know that, right?" Qrow grumbled, but he nodded in agreement with her words.

"The stage has been set," Raven murmured. "And with their aid, I have no doubt that we'll put on a fine performance."

Headmaster Ozpin shuffled through the paperwork. Transcripts from aspiring first-years were coming in, and he already had plenty of work on his hands. He'd have to shove some of his labour on poor Glynda if he wanted to meet his deadline at this rate.

"Busy, aren't you, Ozzy?" The jovial voice of Headmaster Onyx rang out from the projector screen. On the screen, the elderly Atlas headmaster sat at his desk. Argent Fox stood at attention by his side. The two headmasters were in the middle of a meeting.

"It is nothing that will slow me down, I hope," Ozpin smiled. "Now then, Argent, your report on the interrogation, if you will."

"The prisoner was surprisingly willing to answer our questions," General Fox began, his voice clear and sharp. "Timber 'Buck' London admitted to being the mastermind behind the attempted bombing of the Amity Coliseum, and he enlisted the help of thief Simon Carabas and the mercenary 'R'."

"But we knew all that already," Glynda pointed out agitatedly. "Did he say anything about this 'Grandmaster' figure?"

"No, unfortunately it seems he knows nothing about that matter, other than the fact that 'R' reported to them constantly and they provided the advanced weaponry that we recovered after the riots in the city," Argent replied. "Considering his honesty about everything else he said, I don't believe he's lying."

"That's unfortunate, but we can discuss it at a later time," said Ozpin calmly, sipping his coffee. "Now then, Desmond, what do you think of Miss Rose?"

"Ah, I'm afraid you've yet to win me over on that regard, Oz," the old headmaster said with a smile. "While that girl may possess the Eyes of Lycanthra, her strength still has a long way to go if she plans to become the Warrior. That being said, Latte seemed rather pleased to meet his fellow candidate. Time will tell if she lives up to your expectations."

"Indeed," Ozpin said. "And both Haven and Shade have yet to choose their candidates…I fear her time may come sooner than I originally thought. " On that ominous note, they ended the conversation and the projection disappeared.

"Are you sure about this, Headmaster?" Glynda asked.

Ozpin sighed. "I am. But I have my concerns, and not just regarding young Miss Rose. This most recent incident has brought up several old fears of mine. For one, these mysterious new Grimm, and the method in which Mr. London was forcibly transformed into a Grimm-like creature…it is all too reminiscent of what conspired in Atlas several years ago-that military experiment which went horribly wrong."

"The Ouroboros Project?" Glynda asked sharply. "But that was shut down for ethical violations almost immediately after it began. General Fox and Headmaster Onyx saw to that personally."

"And yet, Argent was the one who initially proposed the idea. And not all of the assets from the project were lost forever-I have no doubt of that." Ozpin's voice was grim. "They enlisted the aid of Merlot Industries to perform the experiments-and Dr. Merlot always had a habit of ensuring that his creations…stuck around."

"…What are you suggesting?" Glynda asked, sounding worried.

Ozpin shook his head slowly. "Consider it the musings of a tired old man, Glynda. Perhaps nothing will come of it-or perhaps something will. All we can do for now is be sure we are ready for whatever happens next." He smiled up at his secretary. "Now then, fetch those transcripts, will you?"

Harriet Maroon walked through the barren lands. All around her was a sea of crimson, illuminating the world with the light of despair. The Grimm, the shadowed creatures of the night, starving and feral, growled savagely as she approached.

But she wasn't afraid. She simply held out her hand, whispered a few words, and they backed away from her with a whimper. Steadfastly, she continued onward.

After what felt like an hour of walking, she stopped once she felt it. The terror. Even with her training, she wasn't privileged to enter more than the most outward levels of her master's realm. If she entered any further, the greater fiends, far more ferocious than anything man was ever meant to witness, would devour her.

"Grandmaster Salem!" she called out. "I have returned."

A pause, and the voice came. Excellent work, R. So then. I take it that Operation Yin was a success?

Harriet smiled. "It was indeed. Buck certainly had trouble cooperating, but I still managed to obtain the artifact." She held out her hand. Clasped in her palm was Buck's armlet. The jewel levitated out of her grasp and vanished into the void.

An artifact capable of producing limitless power from the abyss…the 'Yin'… the Grandmaster murmured. At last, we have retrieved it.

"More accurately, Simon did," Harriet noted. "He put on a convincing act, I'll admit. Buck had complete trust in him from the start. Lying and acting really are his specialty."

As are yours. Salem chuckled. He vanished after delivering the Yin to you, correct? And you are unaware of his current whereabouts?

"Unless he plans to compromise us-which I highly doubt-I couldn't care less where he goes," Harriet said coolly. "We wouldn't have had to go through this trouble if I had simply taken the Yin from Buck."

It was useful to keep Buck around-if his little terrorist act had succeeded, it would only have furthered our goals. Even if it did not, we still got what we desired, did we not?

"We did," Harriet admitted. "I see your point, Grandmaster."

Good. Now that we have the Yin, the plan moves on to its next stage.

"I've already summoned the parties involved," Harriet reported. "The Reaper of Fates, the Dreadnought, and the Thousand Minds. All terrors in their own right, but together…heh, quite a fearsome combination."

I look forward to seeing them bring success to our goal, the Grandmaster agreed. I believe Onyx will be overseeing this particular phase.

"Desmond Onyx…" Harriet seemed skeptical. "If I may say so, Grandmaster, I dislike him. From what I've seen, Ozpin seems to trust him, but surely he of all people would know the headmaster of Atlas was secretly on our side all along, wouldn't he?"

All I can say is that dear Ozpin is both wiser and more foolish than he appears-which is precisely what makes him dangerous, Salem said cryptically. Now then R, do with your time as you wish. You'll be observing the plan once it unfolds, but for now, you have earned your rest.

Bowing courteously, Harriet left.

Somewhere in the darkness, the one Harriet called the Grandmaster smiled to itself, holding the Yin in its cold hands. A sinister energy flowed out from within that black abyss.

Now, after all this time, I can begin, Salem whispered. Prepare your pawns, Ozpin. I shall respond in kind.

Across the land, a sudden ripple of the energy engulfed everything-an energy that was Aura, yet at the same time something entirely different. As the dark energy flowed into the Grimm, they howled in agony.

Some collapsed on the spot, as their bodies imploded in a hideous burst of pitch-black sludge and ivory bones. Others, stronger and more resilient, bore the pain, and felt themselves grow. Great blades and spikes protruded from their backs, their fangs became sharp as steel, and even as their bones were crushed to powder, their bodies and armour expanded, mutating them to grotesque sizes.

But it was more than a physical change that the Grimm experienced. While they were borne from the negative emotions of man, they felt very little emotion themselves. The older, wiser ones could feel hatred, rage, and bloodlust, but they could barely comprehend what they those feelings were. Yet now they felt something that they'd never had before.

Desire. The centerpiece of the human mind, and the lynchpin of all of man's actions.

And now the beasts of the night had but one desire.

War, they screamed. War.

End of Volume 1-The Silver Will