"Could I have a Daiquiri please?" the female customer beckoned. Her tipsy demeanor was indicative of being close to her limit.

"For you, my dear, on the house!" The bartender declared with a grin as he turned to grab the rum off his shelf, his long black hair flowing in response. He wore a typical bartender's suit, notably his jacket was a coat of many colors. He moved to the beat of the tune that played from the club's jukebox.

Slowly, he poured rum into a glass of ice, followed by a helping of triple sec and mixer, before adorning the glass with a lime. "Here you go, bambina!"

"Yosef, you're wonderful." She whispered dreamily as she sipped her drink.

"As are you, bellissima." He replied with a smirk.

Club Co'lour. One of the finest establishments in Vale for anyone looking to relax and have a drink amidst an atmosphere of cool Jazz, fine furniture, and a particularly good looking bartender.

He chuckled at his own vain thought. His tan complexion and golden eyes was apparently a soft spot for many frequenters of the club.

Yosef was truly grateful for the freedom these times of peace afforded him. He could truly indulge in his passion, however limited his time was to do so.

He stared out at the empty red comforters that adorned the lounge section of the club. It was an unusually slow night.

It wasn't long, however, before the welcome bell jingled in response to a customer entering the establishment.

"Welcome! What can I do for you, Mon'Amie?" Yosef greeted.

"I have a message for…Yosef Mythril." The person responded. They were dressed as a member of the White Fang. Conspicuous yet anonymous.

"That would be me"

"Here." The mysterious person handed him an envelope. Yosef turned it in his hands, clearly it was addressed to him.

The person vacated as quickly as they entered before any questions could be asked.

"I wonder if this…"

He quickly tore open the envelope. Inside was a letter. Flipping it open, he read its contents.

"I knew it…" He bemoaned with a sigh. "He always did like bugging me when I'm enjoying my free time. That Maestro of mine. I guess it's time…to return to work." He uttered under his breath.

Quickly, he crumpled the letter in his hands before setting it aflame.

"We made it!" Ruby sighed in relief as they landed within Beacon's courtyard.

"It feels like so much has changed, but Beacon still looks the same on the outside." Yang noted, peering at the school's courtyard nostalgically. She and Ruby both hopped off Qrow, landing with a tap on the ground.

The place was bustling with old and new students alike. One particular student, who just exited the airship, threw his guts up into a conveniently placed trash can.

"Aww. Just like old times." Ruby noted, smiling.

"And there goes any nostalgia I was feeling." Yang sighed, looking around the crowd.

"Well, I'll let you girls do your thing. I've got someone I need to talk to." Qrow said as he changed back to his human form.

"Ooh? Gonna drop off your resume so you can get a better position?" Yang trolled with a wide grin.

"You cheeky little brat! I've got important matters to discuss with Professor Ozpin! Besides, I'll have you know I'm paid very handsomely at Signal!" Qrow yelled as he stomped the ground, his face flustered in comical anger.

"Yeah yeah. Seeya Unk!" She waved before walking through the crowd.

"Seeya, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby said cheerily as she gave him a hug, following Yang right after.

"Stay safe, girls." He watched them as they disappeared into the large herd, his light expression turning grim while he walked toward the entrance to the school.

"Weissssss! Where are yoooou!?" Ruby yelled through the crowd.

"C'mon lil' sis, that didn't work when we were looking for Blake, why would it work now?"

"Would you keep it down, you dunce! There are other people here besides you, you know" Weiss chided her as she approached, together with Jaune and a massive amount of luggage in tow.

"Well…ok then" Yang conceded with a shrug.

"Weiss!" Ruby glomped her with considerable force, knocking them both over.

"I've missed you so much! How was your summer? What did you guys do? How's your sister!?"

"I uh…I missed you too, but get off me!" Weiss admitted meekly before pushing Ruby away.

"As for my sister, she's…fine" She patted herself off as she got back onto her feet.

"And how have you been holding up, Jaune? Our Weiss here can be quite the handful, huh?" Yang greeted, patting the poor man's back hard.

He coughed from the pain before replying. "I'm great, actually! Everything went surprisingly better than expected."

"Oooh? Don't tell me you took our sleeping beauty's forbidden fruit?!" Yang trolled once again with a wide grin.

"Sh-Shut UP! Nothing like that happened at all!" Weiss retorted, her face flushed a slight red from the implication. "Let's go, Jaune! We've got a lot of unpacking to do! Hmph!"

Suddenly, a classic Pink Thunderbird, having rushed its way through the crowd, braked hard into a drift that just barely avoided the group, smashing into Weiss' mountain of luggage. The poor car had apparently been through a lot, with scratches and dents all along its body. Without warning, the driver's door was kicked out from the inside.

"Weeeeeeeee're HERE!" Nora announced, hopping out of the car.

Their faces of shock varied. Ruby's was in awe. Yang's was covered by her palm. Weiss' was a mix between despair, anger, and exasperation. Jaune just looked on, not in the least bit surprised.

"You! You! You! You! Youyouyouyouyou!" Weiss' words were exactly proportional to her rising level of rage. It would seem she was on the cusp of erupting.

"Me me me me!" Nora responded with a golden smile. Ren and Pyrrha vacated the vehicle, assessing the damage.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THAT LUGGAG~mfmfffmmm!" Her mouth was suddenly covered by Ruby.

"There are other people here besides you, you know?" Ruby grinned. She lifted her hand as Weiss calmed down as much as a Weiss could calm down when her luggage was run over.

"I hope you know you're paying for this!" She pointed dramatically at Nora.

"Pfft, chump change! Right, Ren?"

"Well…yeah." He acknowledged as he helped recover what was still salvageable.

"Nora is surprisingly….affluent." Pyrrha chimed in. "Her family seems to be involved in some sort of dealings."

"Huh…who would've guessed" Yang noted. "Hmm…only person missing now is Blake…"

"I've been here for a while actually" Blake confessed as she walked out from behind her.

"Whoa. I think you've seriously been reading way too much Ninjas of Love."

Blake looked down, slightly flustered. "It has its uses."

Yang hugged her, lightly scratching her ears. "How's things with the White Fang going?"

She smacked her hand as she pulled out of the embrace, even more flustered. "Smoothly, at least for the faction in Vale. We've ousted the radicals and now we're just trying to recover relations with the community."

"That road might be a long one." Ren said as finished up his salvaging.

"I know. It'll be a lot smoother now that Adam is imprisoned."

"We'll be with you every step of the way!" Ruby declared as she too gave Blake a hug.

"Thanks, leader." Blake gave her a small but true smile.

"Professor Ozpin should be giving his speech soon, let's all head inside." Jaune announced as he helped wheel Weiss' recovered luggage.

…

The large room was bustling with chatter before a wave of silence overcame the collective. Professor Ozpin made his way across the stage to the microphone, his expression was solemn, more so than usual. Any returning student would come to expect this behavior, but for those who only met him during their application process, it was alien compared to his prompt warmness.

He began to speak.

"In the wake of the events that transpired over the past year, many of you return here more experienced and skilled than ever before. However, do not let the hubris of growth blind you from the dangers that surround you."

He paused for a moment to look over the faces of the men and women in the room who had come here, against all odds, to become a force for the continuance of humanity.

"The lull of complacency, on the battlefield, can easily become the terror of death. Please reflect upon these words as you hone your abilities here, as your life is not yours alone. You stand for the people, you stand for the huntsman and huntresses beside you, and you stand for the future of mankind. To all new students, you will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow your initiation begins. Be ready. You are all dismissed."

He adjusted his glasses, satisfied with his words, before leaving the stage. He had an appointment with a certain dusty old crow.

"Man, Ozpin's speech sure was depressing…as usual" Yang sighed as she sipped her protein shake.

"Maybe it's a tradition! Like 'Oooh make sure to study or a Grimm will eaaat yooouu.'" Ruby playfully jeered. She held her hands to her eyes as mock spectacles.

"What do Grimm eat anyway? Children maybe?!" Nora pondered as she balanced a bowl of soup on a chopstick.

"Don't be ridiculous! They eat…uh…" Weiss furrowed her brow in thought before realizing that she too did not know the answer.

"Sounds like the philosophical question of the day" Blake remarked as she read the latest edition of Ninja's of Love.

"They don't eat. At least, in theory." Ren quickly caught Nora's soup before it could spill.

"Almost makes you feel bad for them. They're missing out on all this tasty food" Ruby gobbled her cookies as she spoke.

"Not much of a selection there, sis." Yang noted as she peered at Ruby.

"Look at the variety, Yang! I got peanut butter cup, oatmeal raisin, butterscotch, and chocolate chip!" She retorted as if she was stating the obvious.

Pyrrha sighed as she watched her friends banter, the light atmosphere coddling her. She looked down at her plate, her food barely touched. Her eyes narrowed slightly as her self-loathing boiled from within her like a thick, hot tar. Why was she still depressed? Why was she not happy for Jaune, despite what she told herself? Why did she ever fall in love? The straightforward exchange of blows in battle was far more familiar a territory to her.

"Pyrrha, are uh…are you ok?" Jaune asked, staring at her. He had just returned from retrieving an apple for Weiss.

"Oh…yeah! I'm fine. Thank you, Jaune." She gave him a stepford smile.

"I think I know what'll cheer you up! A food fight!" Nora announced as she grabbed a glob of spaghetti from a random student's plate. Without warning, she beamed it at Yang's face, who was still in the middle of sipping her protein shake. "I challenge thee!"

Yang's eyes matched the tomato sauce smeared on her face in an instant.

"We accep-woah!" Ruby was cut off before she could accept the challenge as Yang suddenly flipped the table they were seated at.

"Washing this out of my hair will take HOURS!" Her aura flared around her, ablaze inferno. Any student outside of their posse who was still in the cafeteria at this point fled the premises while their life was still theirs. No yolo's were had.

"Eep!" Nora quickly hid behind Ren.

"Can't you guys keep it down? We're trying to eat over here." Mercury Black glared over at them from a few tables away. Emerald was seated next to him, eating a chili dog.

Only a moment passed before the flipped table landed squarely on top of their own. Their food crushed, save for the chili dog still in Emerald's hand.

"Errr…Sorry?" Ruby offered with a sheepish grin.

"Well…this just got personal" He fretted with a sigh. "I'll have you know, I've killed people for less."

"Aren't we supposed to be reformed?" Emerald quipped.

"What harm is there in a simple food fight?"

"It's not as simple as you'd like to think!" Yang roared as she lunged over the tables, her chicken-encased fists aimed at Mercury.

"Whoa there, Barbie. Don't be in such a rush. We can take this nice and easy." He smirked as he blocked her punches with his knees before jump-spinning into a kick to her hip. The milk cartons he wore on his feet made the impact an explosion of dairy.

"Spaghetti sauce AND milk? I think I'll have you call me 'sir.'" Yang was not amused as she slid back to a halt toward her friends.

"That first one's not my fault, 'sir'." He said snidely as he dashed towards the group, jumping for an overhead axe kick.

"How about we buy you a new lunch, call it even?" Jaune offered as he stepped between them, blocking the blow with a serving pan.

"Too little too late." Mercury kicked the pan away before diving in for a sweeping kick. Reading the attempt, Jaune back flipped, grabbing a baguette from the table as he landed on his feet.

Milk clashed with bread as Jaune parried Mercury's flurry of kicks. Reading an axe kick, Jaune quickly rolled to the side, just barely dodging Mercury's foot.

"Hoho, looks like someone improved." Mercury noted as he rested into his stance.

"Something you wouldn't know much about." Pyrrha chimed in as she took up a swordfish.

"I was taking it easy when I dueled you, Invincible Girl. But, how about I show you how serious I can really be." Mercury smirked as he dashed into a knee strike.

Without warning, an object of some kind, moving too fast to see, struck him square in the gut. The impact's boom split the air as Mercury was sent through tables, chairs, and eventually into the wall of the cafeteria. When he finally settled, it was apparent that the object was a potato, now mashed.

"What…the fu-"Mercury keeled over, unconscious.

"Yes! My potato cannon was a complete success!" Nora cheered as she danced around Ren in celebration.

Looking around, most of Team RWBY laid in various degree of broken cafeteria equipment, unconscious, mashed potatoes coating their stomachs. The only exception was Yang, whose front was almost completely covered in the thanksgiving staple.

"You're a tough one, aren't ya?" Nora acknowledged with a grin as she aimed the massive cannon at Yang with Ren's help.

"Woah…did you prepare that just for another food fight?" Jaune asked in awe.

"There was no way I was gonna let us lose again! I'm queen of the castle after all."

"Yep." Ren said with a nod as he pulled the trigger.

At this point, the potato incinerated instantly upon meeting Yang's aura.

"….." She was silent, but in her absence of words, her fury was loud and clear to all who remained awake. She stood with her arms limp, as if her anger possessed her.

"Sooo…how about we team up for now?" Emerald asked meekly as she peered at the horror, a nervous twitch plaguing her right eye.

"I second that!" Jaune announced, raising his hand in haste.

"This might be the most dangerous opponent we've ever encountered" Pyrrha noted as she steadily aimed her swordfish, taking a battle-ready stance. Her instincts were screaming at her to flee. However, she needed a good fight right now and she was most certainly not going to pass up the opportunity to fight Yang at her best and most dangerous.

"…..GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Her roar, amplified by her aura, shook the foundations of the building. Soda cans, forks and spoons, and trays were sent flying from the pressure alone.

"Brace yourselves, she's coming!" Ren declared as he guarded his front.

In an instant, Yang appeared behind him, ready to ground him into dust with her fowl fists. He turned swiftly, diverting her punch with well-placed palm strikes. The exchanged blows were swift, Ren just barely being able to keep up with her speed.

With a growl, she head-butted Ren, pushing him back several tens of feet.

"Ugh…She's…stronger than usual" He noted as he rubbed the bruise on his forehead.

"I got this!" Emerald rushed towards Yang, firing her revolvers. The bullets might as well had been fuel for the flames, as they were disintegrated instantly. Changing her weapon to sickle-sword mode, she slashed at Yang. She blocked with the chickens, dicing them into pieces fit for a nice salad.

"Electric Feel!" Jaune yelled.

"Got it!" Nora and Pyrrha replied.

Pyrrha held out her hand in concentration, using her semblance to lift anything and everything magnetic in the lunch room. She launched the mass of metal at Yang.

The huge wave of utensils and trays rained upon her. She lashed out, deflecting the flurry in an outbreak of punches the likes of which would make any Jojo proud.

"Heya!" Nora greeted as she batted Yang up from behind with her potato cannon. She was caught off guard, having focused on the metal wave. The cannon was completely destroyed in the impact.

"Batter's up, Jaune!" Nora announced ecstatically.

"Got it!" He leaped into the air at Yang, armed with his aura-enhanced baguette. He hacked and slashed at her continuously in a combo, each hit accented by streaks of light. All she could do was block with her arms crossed.

"This is….the end!" He proclaimed as he held the makeshift-sword up high, slashing down one last time. The impact coincided with their touchdown into the ground. In a blaze of light, the resulting explosion uprooted chunks of concrete. The other combatants could only watch in awe.

The smoke cleared slowly. In her hand, Yang held a large skewer of meaty ribs, which she used to keep Jaune's baguette at bay. She had blocked the final hit with them just in time, sustaining minimum damage.

"That's…ridiculous" Ren uttered as he stared in astonishment, his eyes slightly wider than usual.

Pyrrha's heart raced in her chest. To think she would have the opportunity to fight an opponent this strong. When was the last time she had a real challenge? Her fight with Jaune at the tournament?

She lunged at Yang in a stab attack with her swordfish.

Yang quickly batted Jaune aside as she locked blades with Pyrrha. They struggled, each gauging the other's strength. Pyrrha's semblance, however, gave her an advantage. She magnetized the skewer, giving her the extra inch she needed to break Yang's guard.

"Jaune. We have no choice but to use it. I'll keep her busy." She yelled as she traded swings with Yang. Their blades almost seemed to be engaged in an intricate dance as they weaved through each other's attacks.

"Got it" He replied as he slowly imbued nearly all of his aura into the baguette. It would take some time, as it was a delicate process.

Their swordsmanship was almost equal as the two continued to evade the attacks of the other. Pyrrha rolled as Yang's overhead slash crushed the ground it struck.

"I'm still here!" Nora announced as she leapt through the air, her watermelon hammer crashing into Yang.

"As am I" Ren affirmed as he quickly darted into Yang's range. He landed swift multiple palm strikes to the gut and ribs, landing a big one that sent her towards Nora.

"Hot Potato!" Nora bashed Yang repeatedly with the hammer, twirling in a dance as she struck her back towards Ren.

"Hyup!" He took a low stance, opening with a sweeping kick before juggling her with swift punches and palm strikes. With a stomp of his foot, he struck her one last time with a massive palm to the solar plexus. The air behind Yang exploded, sending her flying towards Jaune.

"Jaune! Now!"

The bread Jaune held in his hand now had a holy-white aura of its own. He held it high, waiting for Yang's arrival. Right when she reached him, he struck her down with the baguette, sending one last burst of Aura in it. For a moment, a chasm of light almost seemed to cut Yang and everything behind her in half before erupting in a burst of energy.

"Whoa." Emerald looked on in awe, or at least tried, as the light was very blinding.

When the brightness let up, it quickly became apparent that Yang was still standing in the aftermath, the walls behind her and the ceiling above her having split from the attack. However, the oppressiveness of her anger seemed to have dissipated, like a low tide.

"She's still standing?!" Emerald yelled in exasperation.

"No…she's unconscious…" Pyrrha revealed as she walked up to her. Without warning, Yang punched out at her but she caught it easily. As her body gave out in exhaustion, Pyrrha supported her.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll help you wash your hair." She offered an unconscious Yang.

"That was…insane. Remind me never to make her angry." Emerald sighed as she sheathed her guns.

"What's with you and using your weapons in a food fight? That's cheating!" Nora proclaimed as she pointed her finger at Emerald.

"Are you kidding me!? That was a do or die situation!"

"Yang was possessed by her anger but she still used food" Ren acknowledged as he helped Pyrrha carry Yang.

"Ugh! You guys are ridiculous. I'm requesting a new lunch period!" Emerald shouted as she made her way to the Cafeteria exit.

"What in the dust is this!?" Glynda Goodwitch walked in as Emerald vacated, exasperated at the sight of a war zone from what should normally be a dining hall.

"Well…a lot happened" Jaune admitted with a sheepish grin as he picked up Weiss bridal-style.

"Just do your repairy magic thingy, witch lady! We've got friends to heal!" Nora shouted as she lifted Ruby and Blake on her shoulders.

Pyrrha smiled to herself as she made her way out of the lunchroom, Yang in tow. Nora was right, this really was what she needed. A victory together with her greatest friends. It was simply grand.

"Ozpin, I know about your visitation with Cinder." Qrow stated coldly. He sat in a chair directly in front of the Headmaster's desk. His expression was serious.

"You always did have a way with information, old friend." He leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee.

"Why did you go see her? We foiled all her schemes, did we not?"

"Qrow. I know I can trust you, so I'm going to ask that you not let any information you've gathered or any I give to you leave this room. Do you understand?"

He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Alright, alright. I get it. So then, what's going on?"

"Aldkalte has made his move."

"Schnee? Aldkalte Schnee?"

"Yes. He's given Ironwood something far too dangerous. Although 'give' isn't exactly the right word for it. It's more like he drove him to this."

"What exactly are we talking about here?" Qrow inquired, his eyes narrowing.

"I'm talking about" He sighed before he continued. "The Dyson Sphere."

"Wasn't that just a myth? I thought we eliminated that possibility."

"I eliminated that possibility." Ozpin declared, his tone reaching its all-time low.

"You? Why would you hide a device that could eliminate Grimm from the world?"

"It's simple. Because doing so would bring about a new threat." He sipped his coffee once again, seemingly to soothe his own stress at the thought

"How goes the preparation for the Dyson Sphere?" The esteemed gentleman asked, his voice as cold as permafrost. He sat, almost in a slump, in his throne-like chair, his white-beard flowing from his chin to his waist. He wore a white suit, embroidered with snow-flakes, with a pale-blue dress shirt and a red tie.

"Everything is going accordingly thanks to your company's contributions. I could never thank you enough, Sir Aldkalte." Ironwood replied. He stood on the red carpet of a large hall, located at the heart of the SDC headquarters.

"Your gratitude is superfluous. For a world rid of those wretched Grimm, I would not hesitate in the slightest." He gave the most subtle of smirks as he looked on at Ironwood.

"As wouldn't I." Ironwood concurred. "I've made all the preparations for the event that you outlined, including an elite force of Atlas soldiers in case anyone decides to have some…unsavory ideas."

"Excellent." He rose from his seat, holding out his hand as he approached Ironwood.

"Here is to a more peaceful Remnant."

Ironwood took the man's hand into his own, giving it a hearty shake.

"Yes. A peace everlasting."