Pearls on a String

Volume 3

Chapter 34: Storm

Lillyhaven Orphanage

Edge of Vale City

Pip's leg bounced nervously as she sat in the chair of an office she hadn't seen in over six years. The last time she was there was to officially accept the government program's offer to attend the local combat schools, and from then on she was a ward of Vale itself rather than the orphanage.

Granted, she'd seen the interior of that office plenty of times before that. She was always a troublesome child, according to her custodians. The blonde smirked slightly to herself. At least with that I haven't changed a whole lot.

"Relax," the person in the other chair murmured.

She blew out a breath and glanced over at the occupied chair next to her. Her entire team had come along, as had her sister and Tim, but she was only permitted one person to accompany her inside the orphanage. It was a harder choice than she'd imagined it would be, but still only took her the span of a heartbeat to make it.

"You do know how much I appreciate you being here, right, babe?" she responded warmly.

Her partner gave her a wide smile, the Faunus ears atop her head twitching at every noise that emanated from the old building. "And I appreciate you asking, sweetie, even before your own sister."

Pip laughed lightly, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "Glory understands. I just found her, but I'm closer to you than anyone on Remnant."

The Cat Faunus' smile wavered a little bit as her sapphire blue eyes teared up slightly. "Yeah, I love you too."

"Don't go all mushy on me, kitty cat," the rangy blonde giggled. "Else your Mate will come barging in, wondering why you're all upset. Likely blame me for it."

"That's 'cause it's usually your fault," Evie laughed.

"Dork."

"Brat."

The two friends shared another happy grin before the door opened, causing them both to whirl around in anticipation. An elderly woman in a navy blue dress walked in, closing the door behind her.

"Well, well, Oum bless me, if it isn't Pippin Cerise," the older woman wheezed as she levered herself into the chair behind the study desk. "I didn't believe them up front, that you would actually return here."

"Um, hello, Miss Umber." Pip's smile grew a bit wan as she felt like an awkward and gangly preteen once more just by being in her presence. "Been awhile."

"Indeed. And my blood pressure has been admirably stable ever since."

Evie snorted softly, covering up the grin on her face with her hand. "Sorry," she mumbled, though her twinkling eyes relayed that she was anything but.

The blonde shot her an amused glare before facing forward again. "So, I don't want to take up too much of your time, Miss Umber, but I was wondering… um… that is, can I look at my file?"

The woman across the desk tilted her silver-maned head slightly to the side, the tightly-coiffed curls not budging one iota. "And why would you need to do that?"

"Well…" Pip cleared her throat before taking a fortifying breath as Evie clasped her hand reassuringly. "You see, as it turns out, I have family after all. I found some over in Mistral after I found out about my mom still being alive, and… and I found my sister, Glory, right here in Vale." She knew her smile was wavering slightly with an uncharacteristic nervousness, desperately wishing that her past escapades in the orphanage wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass. She needed this woman's cooperation, even with as much angst as she'd caused her. "So, please, can I see in my file how I got here when I was a baby?"

Umber blinked her eyes owlishly at her for a few moments before leaning back in her chair. "I do believe you were the most spirited child ever to cross our doorstep," she began quietly, hazel eyes not giving anything away. "Stories are still told to new staff members of your exploits. Miss Olive actually worked you into our training manuals."

"Um… thanks?" the blonde laughed hesitantly, her free hand rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

"The thing is," the woman continued as if Pip hadn't spoken, "we've all been following your exploits ever since. Your achievements at Beacon, and at the Vytal Festival… Well. We are all… I am very proud of you, Pippin."

"Oh," she breathed, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. "Thank you, Miss Umber."

The woman gave her a kindly smile, one she'd never seen before on the wizened face. "You are quite welcome. And who is this with you today, I do believe I recognize her from your team, yes?"

"Oh! Yes, ma'am, this is Evie Black, my partner and very best friend."

Evie gave a small wave with the hand not currently clasping Pip's. "Hello!"

"A pleasure. Now, if you would wait one moment, I'll be right back with your file."

After Umber left, the raven-haired girl turned with a grin. "See? And you were worried."

"I swear that woman has shrunk," Pip murmured wonderingly. "And I think she used to breathe fire or something."

"Sounds like you gave her reason to."

"Yeah…" Pip gave a small, guilty laugh. "There was this one staff member, Miss Robin… I think I made her quit."

"Whatever did you do to cause the poor woman to leave?" Evie grinned.

"Well… there might have been a cherrybomb I smuggled in, somehow got flushed down the toilet…" Pip looked down at the floor, abashed. "How was I to know she was gonna use the restroom right afterwards?"

"Oh my Oum, Pip," the Faunus girl laughed merrily, leaning against her shoulder. "You really were a terror, weren't you?"

"Maybe a little bit," the blonde wryly conceded. They both looked up as Umber entered the room again, perusing a faded manila folder in her hands.

"Well, the writing is a bit worn…" The older woman looked up as she sat. "Would it be alright if I relay to you the gist of it?"

"That would be fine, thank you, ma'am," Pip nodded quickly.

"Very well then… So it would seem that the original group of travellers who brought you to the orphanage were the second ones to convey you… The first, as it would appear, was an old man who they came across, dying from his wounds. The report here says that they looked to be from a Grimm, and that he had a tiny, squalling baby in his arms." Umber looked up at Pip. "With his last breath, he told them your name, and the name of the village he'd escaped from."

"Really?" Pip asked excitedly. "Where? Um, please, ma'am."

Umber smiled slightly. "It was a village called Miranda."

Ruins of Miranda

Western Outskirts of Vale

Pip stood in the middle of what would once have been the main street of the village. There wasn't much left, really, as nature had been doing an admirable job of reclaiming the ruins over the past eighteen years. Tall grass and dense shrubbery choked the avenues, making it rather slow going as her team, along with Glory and Tim, navigated the remains of what had been a rather moderately-sized settlement.

"I don't even know where to begin." the blonde murmured somewhat hopelessly.

"Well, it's not like we have anywhere to be," Beryl replied with muted cheer, poking her sword into a pile of rubble nearby. "We could maybe split up in pairs, go through what might have been houses once…"

"Hey, G, you okay?" Tim suddenly called out quietly.

Pip turned to see her sister, swaying in place with a hand to her forehead. Her eyes were screwed shut, and didn't reopen when her Wolf Faunus partner briefly placed a steadying hand on her back.

"Glory?" the blonde team leader murmured. "Do you… remember something?"

"I think so…" the other blonde breathed. "Just… flashes, really, running through streets…" Her sapphire blue eyes opened suddenly as her hand shot out to point at a towering oak that bordered what was left of the village walls. "I remember climbing that tree, someone had to help me 'cause I was too small… A man, big hands and…" She shot a look over at her sister. "Light red eyes, just like yours."

"Dad," Pip smiled, stepping over to place a hand on Glory's shoulder. "Anything else?"

"Um… Something like a market I think? Lots of stalls, colors, noises… I think folk like farmers would come in and sell their stuff…" Glory began to move, her steps slow and somewhat faltering. "This way."

The other five followed her lead, around a tree valiantly trying to grow out of the rubble of what might have once been a storefront. The place was eerily quiet, no animal sounds at all, but absent the chill Pip would expect to register from her aura if Grimm were nearby.

"It's like a tomb," Evie finally whispered, hand tightly clasped with her girlfriend's.

"It is exactly like a tomb," Lustre murmured in reply. None of them wanted to break the silence, feeling it disrespectful to do so. So many lives had been lost, so many graves they were now walking across. To the members of Team PERL, they were starkly reminded of their visit to the underground caverns of Mountain Glen with Ruby Rose.

"Here." Glory paused at a clearing that had several fruit trees growing out of it. The ground was littered with decaying fruit, the sickly-sweet smell cloyingly sticking to the back of everyone's throat. "Yeah, here, this was… And I remember coming here, holding hands with tall people… And then…"

The short-haired blonde turned in a circle, her blue eyes wide with recalled memories. "Oh," she breathed. "I think… yeah, this way…."

She took off once more, her steps more sure and stride longer. The others had to hurry to keep up, but eventually, at the edge of the former settlement, they stopped at a small lump of rubble, fairly indistinguishable from the others.

Tim stepped forward, his brow furrowed. "You think this is it, G?"

"I think so… yeah, we were next to a gate, I remember sitting on a porch here, waiting for… for dad to come home from wherever he was… adventuring…" Glory smiled softly, her eyes now half-lidded. "He'd come back with a treat, and rub my head… Called me his 'little flower'..."

Pip was the first to see the tear trickle down her sister's cheek and was quick to fold her into a hug. "I know," she murmured.

"Just being here," Glory mumbled roughly. "I can remember stuff I never did before… Pip, I think… I think I remember you, a tiny little thing, I wanted to play with you but you were too small, dad said I had to be patient and let you get big so you could run after me… Oh… I- I- I remember a woman now, dad said I got my eyes from her, she was…" The other blonde sniffled as she buried her face in Pip's armored shoulder. "She was beautiful."

"Like mother like daughters," her sister returned, earning a short laugh. Glory stood back up and wiped her cheeks.

"Okay, pretty damn sure this is the place. Let's get digging."

It took them the better part of the day to dig through the rubble, carefully so as not to disturb what might be underneath. Fortunately, it had just been a single-story structure, perhaps only one or two bedrooms, and with that in mind, they started at the front, hoping to come across the living area first.

Lustre was the first to uncover something of significance, letting out a soft cry as she unburied something shiny with the hand trowel they had brought along. Tim, Pip, and Beryl had been using the three larger shovels while the others worked down a little more delicately.

"Whatcha got there, babe?" Pip called out. She dropped her shovel to the side and wiped the sweat from her brow. She and Beryl had shed their armor long ago in a nearby pile.

"I think… Yes." The silver-haired girl stood triumphantly as she brushed dirt off with her hand from the rectangular object. "It is a picture frame."

"Really?" Glory asked, her voice bubbling with excitement as she hurried over. The normally cynical woman had been becoming more and more comfortable with the group, especially her sister, and so her smiles were less sardonic and more genuine as the day progressed. Pip joined her side as Lustre handed the object over with a happy nod.

The frame was weathered and cracked, but the glass remained intact. Inside was a faded photo of an unfamiliar family of four standing in front of what appeared to be a rustic-looking wood cabin.

"Who is this?" the elder blonde murmured.

Her sister shook her head slowly. "Doesn't look familiar, except… Well, they all have blond hair and my eyes, except for the mother, so maybe related somehow? On dad's side?"

"Hmm." Glory flipped the picture over and carefully pried the back off. "Aha!" she chirped victoriously. "Yeah, there's no last names, but look at this one…"

Pip grinned widely as she ran her eyes down the names written in smudged ink. "Allen, that was dad's name! And what's this, an address of some sort? Is this in Atlas?"

"Huh. Maybe his family came from there?"

"Could be." Pip grunted as she stood upright and stretched. "Well, I guess we should keep-"

"I found another!" Lustre called out excitedly.

"Okay," Evie sighed as she sagged against the pile of detritus they'd been excavating. Her Faunus ears were wearily flattened against her head. "I vote we let Lustre finish up here."

Beryl snorted out a laugh as she plopped down next to her lover, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Maybe just a break, huh?"

"Oh, fine, fine…"

Meanwhile, the siblings were gathered around the dark-skinned girl as she carefully wrested another picture frame out. "I imagine where we are now could have been the wall of the living area," she opined softly, handing it up before resuming her excavation efforts. "Where the family photos were hung."

"Makes sense, babe," Pip grinned. "Thanks for this, by the way, all of you. In case I didn't mention it before."

"You didn't," Tim snarked. "And you can thank me with beers."

The younger blonde absentmindedly flipped him off as she shook the dirt from the frame, causing the others to laugh. Glory held one edge as they dusted it off, until they both paused in shock.

"Oh…" Pip breathed.

It was a family photo, taken fairly recently after Pip's birth. She was just a tiny bundle in the arms of the woman she recognized as her mother, Jewel Cerise, though here she seemed far happier, even having been through labor a short while ago. Allen Cerise sat at her side, with a small blonde girl, blue eyes sparkling with barely-restrained glee, on his lap.

"You were a cute kid," Pip smirked.

Glory laughed quietly. "Yeah… This is… Wow."

"Here," her sister said softly. "You keep this one."

"What? No, I…" Glory chewed on her bottom lip briefly. "Tell you what, I know a guy who does photography for a living, I can get him to touch it up and make copies. Sound good?"

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Pip grinned happily.

"So, this photographer," Tim chuckled from where he leaned on his shovel. "He wouldn't be Linnie, would he?"

"Yes, Tim," the older blonde replied with a roll of her eyes.

"As in, Linnie the forger."

"Yes. Tim."

"Well, he's definitely good at his job. Could even replace the faces in there if you want."

Glory scowled in his direction. "Remind me why I haven't shivved you yet?"

"My winning personality?"

"No, pretty damn sure you can't use something that doesn't exist as a valid reason…"

Pip snorted softly as she crouched down next to Lustre. She and Tim had held to their pact to not discuss the prior night, but while she still considered him to be an obnoxious ass… He was starting to grow on her a bit.

Kinda like a fungus, she grinned to herself.

"I have some here that are very damaged," Lustre murmured as she laboriously pulled a few tattered scraps of paper and glass shards out. "But I do believe I can see another intact one below."

"Here, lemme help," the blonde grunted. She helped hold back some of the debris while picking out the glass shards, careful to fortify the skin on her hands with aura. Eventually, they'd cleared out enough to pull another photo out, this one a bit larger, perhaps the size of a serving platter.

"Glory, take a look at this," she exclaimed after brushing off the dirt.

"Oh! Is that their wedding picture?"

"Yeah, looks like it, but see the building behind them?"

Glory leaned over, her eyes squinted. "Um. It looks like… Oh, okay, that's from the first picture, where he grew up."

"Right." Pip sat back upon her haunches, coral eyes gleaming with excitement. "Okay, so here's what I think. Allen Cerise grew up in Atlas. For whatever reason they moved down to Vale. Then he goes to Haven in Mistral where he meets Jewel Arc, mom."

"Well, they were just all over the place, weren't they," her sister murmured. "I mean, from what you told me, mom was originally from Mistral, but then her family moved to Vale."

"Right," Pip nodded with an unabating grin. "So that might've been how they bonded, both being from Vale and going to Haven. Anyways, so something up at that old place in Atlas was significant enough to dad, or mom, or maybe both, that they went up there for their wedding."

"Perhaps more family?" Lustre opined from where she sat, cross-legged, as she took a break as well.

"Could be, I dunno. Anyways, what's important is that this was important." Pip stood upright, hands on hips. "And if mom won't stick around in Vale or Mistral…"

"Then maybe she's staying up there in Atlas," Glory finished for her, wearing a matching grin.

Pip reached out and grabbed hold of her sister's hand, giving it a squeeze. "It's a long shot, but as good a notion as anything else we've come up with."

En Route to Atlas

The small group had remained at the house digging until it was close to nightfall. They didn't find much else of use, no more pictures, and anything written on paper had been destroyed by time and the elements. Eventually, they gave up on the endeavor as most of the ruin had been cleared and, not wanting to tempt fate or Grimm at night, they returned to Vale once more.

Some research over the CCT collaborated a few of their findings and assumptions. The Cerise family did move to Vale when Allen was still a little boy, though none of his family was still alive. And the location itself was on the outskirts of Atlas, near enough to the wilds to be rather hazardous for travel. That, coupled with the fact that the funds of Team PERL were running a bit low, led Pip to make a call on her scroll.

Hence their very comfortable traveling arrangement aboard an SDC corporate airship on the way to Atlas.

"I could get used to this," Glory chuckled as she plopped into the seat across from Pip. There was a small table in between them where tumblers of whiskey sat. The younger blonde had been eyeing hers warily, unsure if she should partake of alcohol so soon after the debacle two nights ago, but Glory was more than willing to take up the slack.

"Yep," Pip grinned. "Felt kinda bad taking advantage of our friendship with Frost, but I think I can handle the guilt. At least my ass will be happier with me."

"Too right," her sister chuckled once more. The pair of them glanced around the cabin. Tim was towards the back, stretched out with his feet crossed at the ankles and seemingly asleep, while Evie and Beryl were snuggled up together towards the front. Lustre sat with them, conversing quietly.

"So, hey, I got another call to make," Pip suddenly spoke up. "Wanna listen in?"

"Um, sure, I suppose so…" Glory leaned forward as Pip did, eyeing the scroll she'd held up as it accessed a number. Soon enough, a cheery face with bright blue eyes and framed by long red hair came on.

"Pip!" the other girl chirped excitedly. "I've been waiting to hear from you, how have- OH MY OUM IS THAT GLORY? YOU FOUND GLORY?"

"Yes, Merri," Pip snickered, wincing at the volume from her exuberant cousin. "This is Glory. Glory, Merri Arc."

"This is so cool!" the redhead squealed. By the motions of the background, she was evidently jumping up and down. "I'm so excited to meet another cousin! Oh my Oum, this is so cool!"

"You mentioned that," Glory returned dryly. "Um, yeah, good to meet you, too."

"So, Merri," the younger sister broke in before their cousin could make a further attempt to shatter their eardrums. "You wanna meet her in person?"

"Do I?!"

"I'll take that as a yes," Pip laughed. "So, we're heading up to Atlas, hopefully where mom is, but it's a bit out in the wilderness. Could use a huntress along as an escort."

"Yes!" The view on the scroll went haywire for a moment before the redhead reappeared. "Oops, sorry, almost dropped my scroll! But yeah, I'd love to come! Where do I meet you?"

Pip took a moment to give Merri the address of where they would be staying at the Schnee private dwelling where Frost had taken up residence. It was reportedly far less ostentatious than the compound they had invaded before the summer, but with plenty of rooms to house everyone.

She neglected to tell her cousin who actually owned the address she'd be meeting them at, figuring on having a little fun with her first.

After another round of ecstatic squealing, and promises to see them soon, Pip put her scroll face-down on the table surface with a fond smile.

"She's a little… excitable," the younger blonde conceded. "But a really great person, and a fantastic fighter as well."

"Excitable is one word for it," Glory grinned sardonically. "She sounds a tad hyper, actually. I don't know if I can handle quite that much chipperness."

"Eh, she grows on you," Pip shrugged, taking a cautious sip of her whiskey.

"Speaking of which…" Glory cleared her throat and leaned forward, dropping her voice accordingly. "Let's talk about you and Tim."

Pip began coughing as she swallowed her drink wrong. "What do you mean?" she eventually wheezed, eyes wide and panicked.

The older blonde sighed humorously. "I was the only one relatively sober last night, it's why we went back to my place."

"Oh. So you know about..." Pip grimaced, looking down at the floor abashedly. "Um, sorry, I just… I don't really remember…"

"Hey, I'm not gonna judge you or anything." Glory gave her a wan smile. "Look, like I said before, he's like a brother, and as much as we argue, he means the world to me. Kinda how you feel about your girls there."

"Okay…"

"Tim's not that bad a guy, really. He's got this… prickly exterior to cover up his own feelings." Glory sat back and regarded her little sister warmly. "Just… give him a chance, okay?"

Pip frowned as she sat back as well with her arms crossed. "We'll see," she mumbled unconvincingly.

"Not trying to push you into anything." Glory held her hands up defensively. "Just keep an open mind, yeah?"

"Yeah… I'll try."

Schnee Private Residence

Downtown Atlas

"It is good to see you ladies," the regally-dressed Frost greeted the group at the door.

"Hi, Frost!" Evie cheered, giving her a warm hug. "Been awhile!"

"Well, it won't be quite as long the next time," their host stated, her pale blue eyes twinkling as she stepped back to allow them to enter. "Headmaster Ozpin gave me the job."

"Really?" Beryl laughed happily. "So you're gonna be our new combat instructor?"

"Mmhmm," the platinum-haired woman nodded. "And do not think I will go easy on you all just because of our friendship."

"Never crossed our mind, babe," Pip giggled, wrapping the shorter woman up in a warm hug. "So, lemme introduce you to my sister, Glory, and her partner Tim.

The Wolf Faunus strode over, taking Frost's hand and bowing over it in a courtly manner. "Tim Grey, at your service, ma'am."

"Frost Schnee," she replied levelly. "Welcome to my abode."

"It's certainly nice enough digs you got," Glory grinned once Tim had stepped smoothly back. Indeed, the townhouse seemed to be twice the width of any other townhouse they had ever seen and was five stories high. Right now, though, the blonde woman only had eyes for her host, blue eyes running along her frame with an ever-so-slightly naughty grin. "I like the ambiance."

"Oh… Er, thank you." Frost turned with a slight blush and headed towards the stairs. "Allow me to show you to your rooms."

Glory shot her partner a wink, who groaned and rolled his eyes. Pip made sure to pull up beside her sister as they went up the wide staircase.

"What was that all about?" she hissed.

Glory shrugged, her grin firmly affixed. "Tim and I have a running bet as to which way a girl swings," she murmured. "I won this one."

"But… how did you…?" Pip clamped her lips shut to stop her sputtering.

"Trust me, I can pick 'em out with just a quick flirt," Glory stated smugly. "Though I'm not just gonna leave off at that…"

"Glory, she's the owner of a multi-billion lien corporation and a full-fledged Huntress," Pip warned. "Not to mention she'll be teaching at Beacon."

"I do love a challenge," her sister agreed. "What can I say, I got a thing for gorgeous rich girls."

The group halted up on the fourth floor next to Frost, who swept her hand towards the hallway behind her. "This entire floor is made up of guest rooms," she stated calmly. "Feel free to pick the ones you wish."

"And where's your room at, Frost?" Glory asked innocently.

"Er… Upstairs…"

"Hmm." The blonde walked by the other woman, lightly brushing hands. "Good to know."

"Um." Frost stood there uncertainly, her face reddening by the minute.

Sighing, Pip paused by her side and rested a comforting hand on the white-clad woman's shoulder. "I'd apologize for her, but I doubt she'll stop unless you tell her to."

"I… see." Frost blinked her eyes as the others walked past with their baggage, both Beryl and Evie doing a poor job of suppressing their giggles.

Merri arrived just before dinner and enthusiastically greeted everyone, friend and family and stranger alike. She'd not been as impressed by Frost's identity as Pip had wished, but still made suitably impressed noises when given the tour of the townhouse.

Glory managed to secure herself a spot right next to Frost for the meal. The younger blonde had to roll her eyes several times at her sister's antics. The tattooed woman managed to subtly insert herself into most of the conversations Frost was involved in, taking unrepentant advantage of her proximity to give Frost any number of innocent-seeming touches, brief and feathery, along her arm or on her hand, once even reaching over to quickly tuck a strand of hair behind the other woman's ear. And all the while Frost became more and more flustered, which, of course, only fueled Glory's flirting.

Tim, on the other hand, quickly became irritated with Merri's unending optimism and enthusiasm. While Pip felt a very small twinge of guilt at his situation, sitting right next to her bubbly cousin, she didn't really feel the need to intervene.

He was a grown-ass man, after all, and could look out for himself.

Frost cleared her throat and leaned over to get Pip's attention, all the while desperately trying to ignore the rather suggestive way Glory was polishing off her ice cream dessert. "Er, Pip, if I may… I have a request?"

"Of course, Frost, anything!" Especially if it makes up for my sister's behavior, she groaned to herself. As if she could pick up on her internal monologue, the older blonde turned to her and waggled her eyebrows outrageously.

"Would I be able to accompany you on your search?" she continued. "That is… I would dearly love a break from meeting with the Board of Directors, accountants, and lawyers…"

"Oh, we'd love to have you along," Glory purred before giving her spoon a long lick.

Pip snorted into her drink, fortunately not having taken a sip just yet. "Yeah, we'd really love it if you came along, Frost," she finally said warmly. "All the better if it helps you out, too!"

"Thank you, I truly do appreciate- eep!"

Frost shot out of her chair, blushing brightly enough to match Merri's hair. "Er, I think I shall… retire. Yes, it is late and as we are heading out… I shall retire. To sleep. Good night, all." With that, she turned and strode determinedly out of the dining room, most certainly not fleeing from her amorous guest.

Glory just tucked her hands behind her head and grinned widely. "What?" she protested to the several glares sent her way. "I didn't do anything!"

"Uh-huh," Pip murmured, unconvinced. "Can you please not… invade her room tonight?"

"Pfft, nah," Glory smirked as she rose from the table. "I don't play that easy right off the bat. 'Night, all!"

Tim sighed as he got up as well. "And I'm the one with a reputation as an ass," he muttered.

"That's 'cause you are," Pip interjected, though she softened the blow with a wry grin.

The Faunus man flipped her off casually as he followed his partner up the steps.

"So, your sister... and that man," Merri began hesitantly. "They are quite… er… interesting."

"That is one way to put it, yes, dear," Lustre responded demurely.

"Whelp, they weren't wrong, though," Pip groaned as she stretched before pushing her chair back. "We should all get some sleep. Big day tomorrow, maybe we'll get to kill us some Grimm."

"Wonder if they have anything different up here?" Beryl mused as she stood with her arm around Evie. The Cat Faunus had her tail and arm wrapped securely around her lover as they headed towards the steps. "It's still covered in snow up where we're going, yeah?"

"Oh, yes," Merri grinned anticipatorily. "They have all kinds of fun Grimm around these parts. I can't wait!"

Pip snorted to herself quietly as they trekked up the steps. So long as none of them glow, I've really had it with enhanced Grimm...

Wonder what it would be like to fight nice, normal Grimm for a change...

Northern Outskirts of Atlas

The Wilderness

Pip glanced aside at the pair bringing up the rear with her. Not for the first time, she lamented the fact that she hadn't given in to her initial inclination to prevent the duo from bringing along their dark cloaks.

"You know you stick out like a Beowolf against all this snow, right?" she finally murmured.

"Yeah, yeah," Glory grumbled, pulling the edges of her cloak tight against her chest. "Didn't think to bring matching winter clothes."

"Frost could have lent you something."

Her sister shot her an irritated glare. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Eh." Pip shrugged unconcernedly, loosening her sword in its sheath. "Didn't think about it."

"Didn't think about it, she says," Tim grumbled on the other side of his partner. "Would have been nice to wear something warmer."

"You're in Atlas," Pip stated flatly. "What were you expecting?"

"I was expecting summer weather!"

"This is summer weather!"

"Um, excuse me," a light voice broke in. Merri had drifted back, buckler and spear held loosely in her hands but at the ready. "Can we not argue so loudly? While I don't mind fighting Grimm, I'd rather not bring every single one in the Northern Reaches on our heads."

"Yeah, sorry, babe," Pip replied abashedly.

"No worries, cousin!" Merri replied, well, merrily. She skipped on ahead to rejoin Evie and Frost at the head of their formation.

"That girl is entirely too cheerful this early in the morning," Glory muttered.

Her sister snorted in amusement. "Think of it this way. She's like an anti-Grimm positive energy cloak."

"That… has got to be the dorkiest thing I've ever heard."

"Hey! I thought it was good!"

"Sorry, dear," Lustre called out over her shoulder. "It was not, truly."

"Everyone's gotta get on my case today!" Pip returned with mock outrage.

"I've been behaving," Beryl interjected from directly in front of her.

"That's true, thanks, babe," the blonde grinned. "Guess Evie helped calm your inner beast last night, huh? Mellowed you out?"

The blue-haired girl turned her head slightly and scowled. "Pip, I swear to Oum, I will find new and imaginative ways to make you bleed."

At that, Pip snapped her fingers and grinned widely. "See, that's what was missing this morning! No threats of violence!"

"It is true," Lustre laughed lightly. "We cannot as a team function without them."

"You are all very, very strange," Tim joined in with a snort.

Evie turned briefly from where she walked point, both Frost and Merri a step behind and flanking her. "You have no idea," she called back with a giggle, before turning once more. Her Faunus ears swiveled attentively as she walked.

"I could be scouting ahead," the Wolf Faunus stated after a few moments of silence. "Y'know, 'cause of my hearing and all, just as good as kitty-cat's up there."

"Nope," Pip replied shortly, not even looking in his direction.

"You don't even know about my semblance," he protested. "When I activate it, it gives me hyper-awareness of my surroundings, sound and sight. Lemme at least join 'em up there, let me feel useful, huh?"

The blonde team leader sighed but didn't pause in her walk nor from her alert observation of their surroundings. "Look, Tim… Okay, I'm gonna be brutally honest here, so don't… take it personally, alright? We've trained to become Huntresses, and while I know you don't get that and what it entails, it means we can react faster and better to any threat. Do you know what a Beowolf sounds like when it's stalking?"

"Um… well, no."

"Ever fought an Ursa, enough to know their weak spots?"

"...No."

"I'm not tryin' to be mean," Pip continued softly. "But you guys, you're kinda our weak link. That's why Evie's up front to scout, and our strongest, Frost and Merri, are backing her up. Lustre and Beryl are in the middle to support either flank."

"Then what about you?" Glory asked curiously.

Her sister grinned, giving her a quick look and accompanying wink. "I'm back here to make sure you don't wander off."

"You mean, protect us," Tim huffed out.

Pip sighed irritably. "Yeah, okay, I'm back here to make sure you guys are safe. I know you can handle yourselves in a fight, but that's against sentients. Fighting Grimm is a whole 'nother thing - they don't back down, they don't feel pain right away unless they're massively wounded, and they're not afraid of anything. They just keep coming at you until they're all dropped to the ground."

The silence stretched between them, a bit uncomfortable at first, until Glory broke it.

"And this is what you wanna do for a living?"

The younger blonde nodded firmly. "More than anything."

"We can't possibly be related," Glory stated neutrally.

Pip stopped in her tracks, a lump forming in her throat. "What? Why would you-"

"Because that kinda insanity might be hereditary," her sister continued, not breaking stride.

The other blonde gaped after her for a moment before trotting to keep up. "You're such a brat," she stated humorously once she'd slowed to a walk once more.

"I'm the oldest," Glory reminded her smugly. "That makes you the brat."

"Damn," Tim chuckled. "Yeah, no doubt, you two are sisters. Equally idiotic."

In tandem, both of the Cerise sisters flipped him off without looking at him.

Their procession came to a halt, however, as Evie held a cautionary hand up. Pip slipped her sword out, and peripherally noticed Glory fill her hands with long-bladed daggers, while Tim held a common heavy revolver, the kind that chambered Dust rounds, while in his left hand was an odd serrated blade that curled back around his fist from the handle.

"Tim," the blonde began quietly, her head on a swivel for whatever it was that Evie had picked up on. "What in Oum's name is that blade in your hand?"

"This? Just my Ulak."

"Ulak?"

"Yup."

"I… see."

"And before you ask," Glory added softly, "no, we don't name our weapons like you lot do. They're just tools."

Pip gave her sister a look of outrage before leaning over Odachi Dahlia. "Shhh, it's okay sweetie, she didn't mean anything by that, you know I love you…"

The older blonde was staring at her, face a mixture of disbelief and horror, until she noticed both Beryl and Lustre's shoulder shaking with laughter.

Before Glory could harangue her little sister, Merri strode back, blue eyes alight with anticipation.

"We've got something up ahead," she stated eagerly. "Bunch of big ones, from what Evie says, and some fighting. It's pretty close to that cabin of yours, so we might've hit the jackpot."

"Really?" Pip gave her sword a twirl. "What are we waiting for? Let's move up!"

Her cousin grinned as she placed a restraining hand on her armored shoulder. "Hang up, now, let your teammate scout, she'll be back in a jiff."

It was then that Pip finally noticed the absence of her partner. Chagrined, she opened her mouth, but her unspoken question was immediately answered as Evie blinked back to their side.

"We gotta move!" the raven-haired girl exclaimed. "If that's your mom down there, she needs help!"

The group of eight set out in a quick trot, soon enough cresting a hill that overlooked a small valley, clear of the snowy woods they'd been trekking through. All of them paused to take in the scene below them, everyone save for Evie stunned by the sight.

"What," Tim growled, "the actual fuck are those things?"

"I have no idea," Pip murmured wondrously.

They were enormous, the smallest of the white-furred creatures easily towering twice the height of an upright Alpha Ursa. The stark bone masks and hatefully glowing red eyes were unmistakable, though. Long arms ended in wicked-looking black claws, and some of them used those arms as means of travel while they surged forward to the cause of all the commotion. In the middle of the valley, surrounded by at least a dozen of the howling, snarling beasts, was a figure flashing back and forth. All they could see from there was a long red cloak streaming behind and below a long mane of golden hair, and the bright gleam of silver armor that matched what seemed to be a long-hilted weapon like a spear, though with an extended blade on the end. She darted in and out of the Grimm, seemingly disappearing from where a strike had landed only to reappear once again a short distance away to slash at her attackers.

"Those are Yeti," Frost stated, her voice wavering slightly in awe. "I've… I've never seen nor heard of a pack in such numbers."

"Yeah, well, this is Aunt Jewel," Merri sighed affectionately. "She's always seeking out the biggest and baddest Grimm around, no wonder she pulled a pack this size down on her."

Beryl took a step forward and turned toward Pip, steely determination in her bronze eyes. "Orders, fearless leader?"

The blonde chewed on her lip briefly. "What do you think, babe, bring 'em to us or hit 'em down there?"

"They won't be deterred from their target," Frost opined. "We should engage them."

"Alright, then, your show, Beryl," she grinned.

The blue-haired girl nodded and faced the valley once more. "Frost take the left flank, Merri the right. Pip, Evie, and Lustre, hit the middle hard and make some noise. I'll move up after you, keep their attention on me best I can while you guys pick them apart." She frowned slightly, turning to glance at Glory and Tim's weapons. "Can you two back me up, keep them off my rear?"

"Yeah, sure, we'll try," Glory agreed. Tim just gave a curt nod, though he looked a bit pale.

"Right, then," Pip grinned. "Let's act like we were trained for this!"

"Um, Pip?" her sister asked with a hesitantly-raised hand. "What if we weren't?"

"Right, right… Okay, then. Try not to die!"

"How motivating," Tim snarked as they charged forward.

Frost quickly propelled herself off to the side, using her glyphs, while Merri managed to use her own semblance of earth-moving to give her boosts of speed. Chunks of snowy rocks raised up, giving each step a push forward until she could slam into the back of an unsuspecting Yeti.

Pip huffed as she sprinted ahead, Evie and Lustre easily pacing her. "Evie, give 'em a warm welcome!" she panted out.

With an exultant shout, Evie blinked ahead, activating the Dust chamber in her scimitar once she landed. A wave of brilliant flames arced out ahead of her, cutting through several ranks of the towering monsters.

The blonde turned her head momentarily to check on the others and saw Beryl planting her feet as she glowed the familiar blue of her semblance, rooting her in place. "Come get some, bitches!" the small, blue-armored girl roared. Glory and Tim set themselves behind her, weapons clenched determinedly.

Once she turned back, Lustre was already gone in a blur of monochromatic color. The blonde grinned tightly, giving her aura a little push along her arms. "Time to play," she whispered, activating the dust in her veins. She briefly glowed a dull red before her sword ignited, a long brand of fire. Three Yeti who had been closing in reared back momentarily from the sight of the flames.

She darted forward, slicing upward in a wide arc. The Yeti screeched in pain before the backswing silenced it. Before the towering Grimm had hit the ground to disintegrate, Pip was on the next one, dodging the surprisingly nimble clawed hands. Two quick swipes took off its limbs before she disemboweled the beast, twirling in a circle as she went to face yet another of the seemingly endless monsters.

She looked up at the closing ring of Grimm, determination settling across her features.

"Alright, then, now that I've got your attention," she snarled eagerly. "Let's dance, assholes."

o o o

Beryl sent a flurry of shots into the belly of a charging Yeti, sending it stumbling forward to plow into the snow. Glory pounced on its back, plunging her daggers into the base of its neck and killing it. She nimbly skipped off, dark cloak trailing behind as she avoided the next Yeti in line.

Over the blue-haired girl's shoulder, Tim's revolver barked angrily, the discharge of the powerful rounds sending tendrils of gunsmoke drifting about her head. The next Yeti took two rounds to its face, blinding it momentarily before Beryl could finish the job with another couple of rounds from Shashka.

"How are you doing for ammo?" she called out as Glory scampered back behind her.

"I've got two more reloads," Tim grunted. "Sixteen rounds, and then I suppose I'll have to get up close and bloody."

"Aim for the eyes, best you can," Beryl advised. "Bone plates will deflect your shots if they're not aura-assisted."

"Yeah." She heard the click of his revolver's chamber being snapped shut from reloading. "Noticed that. Thanks."

Two more Yeti charged in, this time from opposite directions. "Grimmshit," she snarled. "Take the right!"

With that she turned and charged at the left-hand one, easily rolling under the claws that eagerly sought her out. She slashed at its leg before stabbing up and into the flank of the Grimm. It whirled, whipping an arm around that she managed to catch on her shield in time. Another series of slashes severed the tendons of its leg, and it collapsed to the side enough for her to end it with a thrust through the hairy, muscular neck.

As it began to disintegrate, she headed back to join the others, who were being hard-pressed. Glory managed to nimbly skip aside from the overhand strikes, but Tim was being slowly backed up, trying to get a good shot. With a frustrated snarl, the Wolf Faunus holstered his gun and charged forward. His Ulak slashed out, cutting the Yeti's flesh into ribbons where he hit. The Grimm howled in pain and outrage, but as he turned to face the new menace, Glory struck.

The blonde woman leapt from a fallen tree, digging her daggers into its back. It reared up in agony as she dug her blades in, using them as climbing tools until she could reach high enough to pierce the back of its skull, dropping it to the ground.

Glory rolled off and trotted over towards where Beryl and Tim waited for her.

"Y'know," she began musingly. "This whole killing-Grimm-deal ain't half bad."

"We get a kick out of it," Beryl agreed nonchalantly.

Tim looked between the two of them in consternation as he slipped his revolver back out. "Am I the only sane one in this valley?" he asked rhetorically.

Three more Yeti charged in, and they set themselves into their familiar formation once more.

o o o

Evie had picked up on a pretty decent routine. Teleport onto a Yeti's shoulder, stab repeatedly into its neck and head region with her trusty Dao, and then blink back off again onto another Grimm.

Rinse and repeat.

She was unprepared, however, for the hand that caught her as she alighted on her latest target. The Cat Faunus let out a whoosh of air as the clawed hand clamped around her middle, and the world swirled about her as she was flung towards the ground.

Before she could hit, however, an enormous glowing white glyph formed at the Yeti's feet, upending it and causing its hold on Evie to loosen enough for her to escape. She hit the ground in a crouch, tail out behind her for balance, as she faced her rescuer.

"Thanks for the assist," she grinned to Frost.

The platinum-haired woman shrugged easily as she walked up, clean and pristine as if she'd not been fighting hordes of monstrous Grimm that day. "You could have taken him."

"Well, true, but it woulda left a mark," Evie snarked. The pair of them stood back-to-back as the original Yeti regained its feet with a furious roar, more of its friends closing in around them. "Whelp, back to the job at hand, huh?"

"Indeed," her friend laughed lightly. "Watch your back."

With that, the Huntress took off, propelled upwards by a white glyph. She'd sent another one up behind her target, and as she sliced through the neck of the Grimm, beheading it, she landed nimbly upon its vertical surface. In a flash, the color changed to white, and she was hurtling off once more in another direction.

"Handy, that," Evie snickered. She blinked back upwards again, careful this time to not land too close to the front of the Yeti's shoulder.

As she slashed out, conserving her Dust for when things got really hairy, she felt a brief twinge of concern from her Mate. Beryl was worried for her as she didn't have eyes on her location, presumably.

Evie smiled warmly, sending back a reassuring and calming sensation over their link. She rode her target down to the ground and teleported to the next before it hit.

o o o

Lustre paused in her flurry of attacks, standing tall in the midst of a cluster of the large Grimm while she twirled Winter Contus into a rifle. She sent short bursts of fire at their heads before deciding the bone plates there were entirely too thick.

I should really work on my marksmanship, she thought to herself ruefully, switching over to pound away at their torsos, an eminently wider target area. Pip had always been on them to hone their ranged skills, but she'd been rather neglectful of that aspect lately. Which, to be sure, was understandable with how their semester had ended, but still.

Not that she'd ever admit such to Pip. The silver-haired girl would never hear the end of it.

The last remaining Yeti in her immediate vicinity was coming closer, though it was hobbling now, causing Lustre to slowly back up. She'd had enough of a rest that she could resume her melee attacks, just a little bit longer…

And then the Grimm's head was caved in from the boulder that crashed down seemingly from the heavens.

Lustre twirled her weapon to turn it back into a staff as she eyed the woman alighting next to her humorously. "I do believe that is the first Grimm kill I have witnessed in such a fashion." She gave Merri a wide grin. "A rock to the head, how delightfully primitive."

"Hey, I like the classics," the redheaded Huntress giggled. She twirled her spear around her wrist as another group of Yeti headed for them. "Looks like we're thinning them out, though."

"Seems to be that way," she agreed. "How many are you up to?"

"Six now, you?"

"Hmm. Five."

"Better pick up the pace, then," Merri grinned. "Ten lien says you can't beat my numbers."

Lustre knew her eyes were glittering eagerly. It was a failing of hers, she knew, that she found it so difficult to resist a wager.

Especially one that would be rather difficult to surmount.

"You are on," she grinned before flashing away, her semblance pushing her into a barely-visible blur. The force of her aura-protected impact against the legs of the middle Grimm was enough to send it flying to flop inelegantly on its face, where she could swoop in to smash her staff down, piercing the back of its skull. She wrenched her weapon loose in time to avoid the second Yeti's attack, batting the clawed hand aside. The other arm, anchored on the ground to steady the beast, served as a platform for her as she ran up the white-furred surface, planting the end of her staff against its eye and triggering it. The powerful dust round blew out the back of its head, and she adroitly hopped off once more before it could begin to disintegrate.

Lustre looked for the third Grimm, instead finding a triumphant-looking Merri.

"Seven to seven," she reported smugly. "Better, but still not beating me."

The silver-haired girl gave a wide, competitive smile before she raced off once more.

Ten lien was ten lien, after all.

o o o

As the dust settled, the numbers of Grimm thinned to a mere handful, Pip headed towards the center of the valley. Evie, Lustre, and Merri were already there, facing a rather irate blonde woman who was giving her cousin quite the dressing-down. She glanced around, reassured that Frost had the remaining three Yeti well in hand and that Beryl was leading Glory and Tim over in the same direction before she warily approached the others.

"Of all the irresponsible acts I've seen, Merriweather, this has them beat!" the blonde woman raged as she stalked about the area, hands flinging about and her sapphire blue eyes flashing. The scar across her cheek was faded but evident, as were the dark smudges under her eyes. Pip had the feeling that it'd been many years since she had received a decent night's sleep.

"Aunt Jewel, if you would just give me three seconds-"

"And do your mother or father know you're out here, in the middle of the Wilds, hunting Yeti of all things?" Jewel continued as if she hadn't heard a thing. "Leading what appear to be students? What is this, a school outing?"

"Wow," Glory murmured as she walked up. "Guess that's where my temper comes from, huh?"

"You and me both," Pip chuckled nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I think it's time to rescue our cousin."

The two blondes stepped forward, gaining the attention of the irate woman. She only spared them a glance, but her ranting trailed off as her head swiveled back around, regarding the pair quizzically at first, and then with shock.

"Like I was trying to tell you, Aunt Jewel," Merri stated patiently and with a great deal of warmth in her voice. "This is Pip and Glory. Your daughters."

The older blonde sucked in a startled breath at the names. "How…? No, no, it's not… It's not possible…" Blue eyes shimmered with tears as she seemed to sag wearily, her halberd falling to the ground at her side. "You're… dead…"

"Nope," Pip replied with a wavering grin. She gave a little wave. "Um, hi, mom."

Glory sniffled slightly as she took a half-step forward. "It's… really us, mom."

Their mother let out a soft wail as she clutched her hands around her waist, sinking to her knees as if all the energy had simply flown from her body. "My girls… You're here, you're… You're alive?"

"Yeah, mom," Pip choked out through her tears as she lunged forward, her sister at her side. "We're here."

"Oh my Oum," Jewel wailed loudly, finally clutching the two girls to her tightly. "Oh my Oum, you're alive, you're alive!

The three blondes dissolved into a blubbering mess, understandably so in the eyes of the others. They all stepped back to give them some room, setting up a quick camp for them to rest and recuperate.

Merri remained on hand, watching the family reunion with a soft smile on her face and happy tears trickling down her cheeks.

o o o

The three women finally came to the reasonable agreement that the snow was no place for their reconciliation. They and the others in their group headed back towards the small cabin that Jewel had indeed been staying at, tucked away into the woods.

"So why here?" Pip asked, her mother's hand tightly clasped in her own as they sat on the solitary couch together. Glory was on the other side and in a similar position, while the others made do with what little furniture remained. Evie simply sat against the wall on the floor, Beryl cradled against her chest, while Tim stretched out in the cramped hallway, taking a nap. Frost and Lustre took up the remaining chairs in the rustic cabin, while Merri just stood against the wall with her arms folded, relaxed and calm for a change.

"What do you mean?" Jewel asked, her eyes still red and puffy. Much as her own were, she imagined.

"I mean, this cabin… We figured out you might be here, but didn't know the significance of it." The younger blonde looked around at the room, full of nature prints on the walls and with a cozy fireplace crackling away. "It's really nice, in any case."

Her mother smiled softly as she looked about the room as well. "This was a vacation spot for Allen… your father's family." Her smile grew somewhat wan. "He proposed to me here." She sighed softly, returning her attention to her daughters and laughing lightly. "I just can't seem to wrap my head around this, you're both alive and… How? How did you two survive?"

"That is indeed quite the story," Lustre spoke up with a smile. She and her teammates had been introduced on the walk over, along with Frost and Tim. "I think, though, that we should leave you alone for the evening while you catch up, yes?"

"Will you guys be okay getting back on your own?" the blonde team leader inquired.

"We'll be fine, blondie," Evie snarked, accepting Beryl's help to her feet. "How about you guys meet us at Frost's place tomorrow, and then we can head back to Vale?"

"Yeah, sounds good, babe," she smiled warmly. "Thanks, guys."

"I think I'll head back to Mistral tonight," Merri mentioned as she levered herself up. "Got a job lined up, if I don't have to miss out on it I'd rather not."

"Oh, Dust, you didn't tell me about that before-"

"Hey." Her cousin cut her off with a wide grin. "You say the word and I'd drop whatever I'm doing to come help. That's what family is for, right?"

"Right," Pip smiled back softly.

They said their goodbyes, Glory leaving her mother's side to kick Tim awake and get him on his way. And then it was just the three of them curled up together on the couch, tightly holding each other as if they were afraid it might all turn out to be a dream.

"So," Jewel finally breathed. "Who wants to start?"

"Youngest first," Glory opined with a grin.

"Yeah, alright," Pip grinned back. "So, it all began when I met Beryl's dad for the first time…"

A/N: See what I did there with the last two chapter titles? Calm before the storm? Eh? Oh, fine, I thought it was good… And hey, being the gigantic Browncoat geek that I am, anyone catch the Serenity reference? Haven't left an actual easter egg inside this story in a while, thought it'd be fitting to do so for the last chapter. And what a huge chapter it ended up being!

And so we end the decent run of Team PERL. I do have a bunch of cluttered ideas written down for volume 4 (more cameos from Nora and Ren, expanding on Pip & Tim, more on the Mate's Mark with Evie and Beryl, Glory trying her best to seduce Frost and all the while Pip is like "wtf sis stop trying to sleep with my teacher!", Lustre being her badass self, Sunny transferring to Beacon, that kinda stuff). Problem is I never had a theme for it, like with the first volume it was Relationships, the second was Malachite, and the third was Pip's Family. All I have for the fourth was, hey, they're in their third year now. So I'm just going to end things here on a decent enough note. As djjohns94 said, just consider volume 3 to be one long epilogue instead of the bridge I'd originally intended it to be. Someday, maybe if I actually run out of ideas (ha!) I might revisit these ladies, but I'm doubtful.

Thanks for being along on the ride, and much love for all my reviewers over the past eight months or so. Quick shout-out to my reviewers from the last chapter in particular: allie300093, Commando2341, Heil96, djjohns94, and kaiju62. Thanks for the support!

Stay shiny!