Weiss could hear an incessant beeping noise. She was not pleased. Her hand groped around the nightstand next to her amazingly soft and warm bed. It took longer than normal for Weiss to finally get her hands on her scroll and shut off the alarm; she did just have her first good and full night of sleep since the stressful events began days earlier. Weiss looked at the time glowing softly on her scroll. 0530 hours. "Ugh." Weiss' face thumped back down onto her pillow. She would part with all her ownership shares in the Schnee Dust Company if it meant getting a full, uninterrupted night of sleep in this comfortable bed.

Giving up on sleep and finally shutting of her alarm, Weiss rolled over and sat up while stretching her arms up above her head. Yawning, Weiss swung her legs over the edge of her bed and stood up to arch her back for a pleasant stretch. There was a distinct lack of sunlight coming in the window, so Weiss moved to investigate. A glance up at the sky revealed dark rainclouds blanketing the morning sky. Weiss sighed at the dreary dawn then walked to the closet and found it stocked with a variety of generic articles of clothing, in a variety of sizes. She made a mental note to speak to the quartermaster and request her own clothing, or at least clothing in her size. Grabbing a long, cotton bathrobe, a pair of slippers, some washcloths, a towel, and a white toiletries bag, Weiss unlocked her door and stepped out into the hallway. The stone floor was cold, so Weiss briskly power walked down the hall before the chill could seep into her slippers.

Jumping into the bathroom, Weiss was greeted by a wave of warmth. The large bath in the center of the room had been filled, and steam was slowing drifting off of the surface. Either someone had been in here before Weiss, or the caretakers in the fortress had prepped the baths before everyone else had woken. Whatever the explanation was, Weiss was glad for the warmth. She tested the water in the bath, and found it to be pleasantly hot. Removing her bathrobe and hanging it on a wall hook, Weiss left the toiletries bag on a sink and carried her towels and washcloths with her to the bath and placed them on the edge for when she was finished. Weiss stepped into the bath, savoring the heated water swirling around her feet. Sinking into the bath, Weiss could only let out a contented sigh; bathing in the creek was pleasant enough because it got them clean, but it was no heated bath.

The pale skinned huntress spent a few minutes just soaking before deciding to actually wash her body with the provided supplies. The large selection of shampoos, conditioners, and soaps was surprising to Weiss, but she indulged and spent a few minutes investigating each one in an attempt to find one she liked. Coming across a shampoo and body wash brand that smelled of roses, Weiss found she couldn't resist. It reminded her of her partner, who she missed dearly. I wonder if I could get in touch with Professor Ozpin. He may have an update. Weiss mused.

Weiss used one of her washcloths to soap up and clean herself, lazily watching with fascination as the soap then sloughed off her body was taken by the light current to a filter and removed from the bath. Once she felt she was sufficiently clean, was stood up and stepped out of the bath, standing with just her feet in the water, allowing some of the excess water to stream off her body and back into the bath. After Weiss felt she was sufficiently clear of water, she stepped out and began drying herself. Footsteps at the entrance to the bathroom indicated to Weiss she was no longer alone, and she turned to see who had joined her. Weiss' eyes found Nora, who was also dressed in a bathrobe, shorter than the one Weiss had used.

"Morning, Weiss!" Nora chirped with a wave. "Are you just finishing up?"

"Yes, I have to meet with my instructors soon." Weiss answered. "You?"

"Yup. I'm meeting with Kani at 7:30!" Nora said as she disrobed and hopped into the bath in a single action. Weiss wasn't surprised at all that the hammer wielding ball of energy would be training under the veteran axe wielder.

Weiss donned her bathrobe again and made her way over to the sink where she had left her toiletries bag and opening it to pulling out the toothbrush and toothpaste so she could finish her morning hygiene. "I'm off to finish getting ready, good luck with your first day of training." Weiss said over her shoulder.

"You too!" Nora splashed.

Tying closed her bathrobe, Weiss made the short journey back to her room. Weiss searched through her closet, looking for some clothes that fit her. Settling on a pair of skinny jeans and a black t-shirt, Weiss also opted to throw on a white, hooded sweater that was only a little too large and her normal boots, since she couldn't find another set of shoes. Weiss grabbed her scroll and checked the time, 0628 hours, and decided she had time to grab a small breakfast. Descending the stairs back into the great hall put Weiss right next to the kitchen double doors, allowing her quick access.

Weiss pushed open a door and entered, only to nearly run directly into Denarii Latium, who was rustling through the refrigerator. He looked up at the disturbance. "Miss Schnee. Good morning."

"Good Morning, Mr. Latium." Weiss responded with a small bow at the waist.

"Just call me 'Instructor' or 'Latium.' Even I am not that formal here." Denarii said, pulling out ingredients for a sandwich from the refrigerator.

"Yes, Instructor." Weiss corrected. "Will I be meeting both you and Tamamo at the same time today?"

"No, just me. Both Tamamo and I have decided you have a powerful grasp of tactics and strategy." He began spreading mayonnaise on his bread." I will be responsible for training you in that regard. Commander Tamamo will be working with you later on leadership, mostly. She will also work with you on combat skills." Denarii finished as he put the deli meat and veggies onto his sandwich.

"Leadership?" Weiss asked while grabbing a blueberry muffin.

"Decision making, emotional filtering and control, rhetoric, behavioral psychology. Despite appearances, the Commander is the best leader I've ever worked with, huntress or soldier." Denarii answered, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Do you have anywhere you need to be before we meet?" Weiss shook her head. "Follow me."

Weiss followed Denarii while snacking on her muffin. He led the way up through the fortress to the map room, Weiss following silently behind him as they each ate their respective breakfasts. Arriving on the third floor, they entered the map room. Weiss was surprised at the grand size of the room- the round metallic table with a glass top in the center had a nearly ten foot diameter, and the walls of the room were covered in bookshelves filled with books. There was only one window, but thick black curtains blocked the view. The dimly lit room had a smaller, desk sized table off to the side, and only a small number of soft, amber colored lights hanging from the ceiling.

"As I was saying," Denarii suddenly began while setting his now empty plate on the desk, "Commander Tamamo feels you have a gift for tactics and strategy, and would make a powerful leader." Weiss had a sudden flashback to her first days at Beacon, when she was furious at Ruby for being the leader of team RWBY, and the lecture Professor Port had given Weiss when she went to him with her complaints. Those complaints seem so childish now as she looked back at them. "And so that is what we will be training you for: a leadership position. When we are done training you, you will be commanding the men and women in battle against Vacuo."

Weiss' eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"How long will my training be?" Weiss asked.

"For you? Approximately three months. Depends on how quickly you learn and prove yourself." Denarii answered.

"That quickly? That seems awfully quick."

"You are already skilled, and we will be pushing you hard. You will only have two to three lessons per week, at most, from each of us, but you will have many assignments and exercises between each of our meetings." Denarii explained. "Make sense?"

"Yes, sir." Weiss responded.

"Excellent. One moment please." Denarii lifted a small hatch on the edge of the metallic table, revealing a command console. His fingers dashed across the console, dimming the lights further. The table's surface also began to glow, and a simulated three dimensional map popped into existence on the table. "We will learn by doing. I will lecture as we work." He walked around the table to the opposite side of the console he was using, and opened another hatch to reveal a second console. "You will use this one. The commands and controls are simple, and expansive. Work on them for five minutes on your own. I will answer any questions you may have. After that, we will run scenarios and review after each one. Let us begin."

"Are you sure?" Ozpin asked his guest.

The man in front of Ozpin was tired, dirty, and disheveled. "…Yes." The man's light grey suit was worn and wrinkled, his silvery hair in disarray, his eyes downcast.

"What brought about this decision, Kälte?" Ozpin asked Kälte Schnee, owner and CEO of the Schnee Dust Company. "You've never been the most..." Ozpin searched for a polite word to express his thoughts, "supportive… of my academy, or that your daughter was a student there."

Kälte looked like he was about to throw his hands up in frustration, but only for a moment. Instead he folded further into his chair, holding his head in his hands. "And what has my behavior earned me? A wife who left me. A daughter who hates me. A company of backstabbing bureaucrats who wouldn't blink an eye if I were to die today. But even I believe that I brought this upon myself."

"We all make mistakes, Kälte. We both know this." Ozpin commented.

"Yes. But some more than others." Kälte sighed. "I love my daughter. And my wife… ex-wife. Even if they don't feel the same. And I know I've done nothing to deserve their love." Kälte's eyes glazed over and unfocused, looking into his memories and his past. "This is why I will do this. I have all the lien in the world, and no one to spend it for. You can use as much of my money as you need to restore Beacon Academy as quickly and as extravagantly as you want." He grimaced at himself. "A lifetime of choosing my company over my family has left me with more than enough money for this."

"I'm sure Weiss will eventually be pleased with your assistance." Ozpin said in an attempt to bring some small measure of reassurance to Kälte.

Kälte just snorted derisively at himself. "Surprised, yes. Pleased? Not with my contribution. A single, caring deed is not enough to tip the scales against a lifetime of neglect."

"But it's a start."

Kälte just grunted ambiguously before standing up and turning to leave the tent. "I suppose I should go make the arrangements at the offices." He shook Ozpin's hand before walking out of the tent, pausing at the flap. "I tried to be the father Weiss deserved, I really did. And I failed in a most spectacular fashion." He said before disappearing.

Blake twirled her katana frantically, deflecting the onslaught of metal blades that Cheshire Fry was directing her way. Even without his teleportation, Cheshire was a whirlwind of blades, constantly keeping Blake on the defensive. Parry left, duck down, leap back, block high, a dozen other actions per second. Blake could hardly believe someone could move so fast and still retain their balance and momentum. She hadn't been able to counterattack once the entire lesson.

"You're fighting like a human!" Cheshire yelled and he leapt at Blake, claws leading the way. "Fight like yourself!" As his right claw connected with Blake's katana, he twirled in the air, using her blade as an anchor to quickly pivot and twist around her katana, lashing out with a vicious thrust kick that connected solidly with Blake's stomach, throwing her across the room. As Cheshire fell to the ground upside down and facing the ceiling, he twisted again in the air and landed on all fours like… well, like a cat.

Blake fell to her knees, one arm over her stomach, the other propping herself up with her katana. "What's the difference?" Blake groaned, sweat dripping off her face. She definitely did not imagine in her wildest dreams that someone could turn in the air and then kick as hard as Cheshire just did. "Human or faunus, how does that affect our fighting style?"

"Because we aren't human." Cheshire smirked. "Obviously."

"I don't really understand." Blake staggered to her feet.

"How come you don't fight like that delightful pink lass?" Cheshire asked, replacing his blades into his pockets. Blake tried her best not to let her confusion and curiosity over how such long blades ever fit into small pockets show on her face. "The one with the magnificent hammer."

"Nora? Because I could never lift her hammer and swing it effectively, and it's not…my style." Blake thought she was beginning to see what Cheshire was talking about.

"Not your style." He said with a grin. "You're fighting against your body. Move the way your body wants to, and you'll find the way you fight now is just a little crazy."

Blake grinned. "Thank you. I'll give it some thought and practice."

"Marvelous." Cheshire smiled a toothy smile in return. "I've sent your schedule to your scroll."

"Okay." Blake continued massaging her stomach. "This was a painful lesson. But you made your point clear, so… success?" Blake chuckled.

Cheshire's smile faltered slightly. "Only the insane equate pain with success, love." His smile returned, seeming more a mad grin than smile. "Now run along. You know what to work on."

"Alright. Thanks." Blake said with a wave, leaving the room. Cheshire gave a lazy wave and a yawn before disappearing, leaving only his trademark purple haze behind.

Tamamo was sitting at her desk, checking her planner to see who her next student of the day would be. She hummed a lullaby to herself as she lazily flicked through her scroll. "Weiss Schnee." Tamamo read. "The smart one."

She continued reading the notes the other instructors had given her about the young heiress. Vimentis was unimpressed with her aura capabilities, but grudgingly admitted that she used it reasonably well for her own purposes. Kani liked with Weiss' ability to plan during a fight, but felt she didn't quite have an instinctual grasp of combat yet. Cheshire's thoughts were along the same lines as Vimentis'; He thought she could plan well, but didn't have the fast reaction times and instincts that could save herself if she was alone in a pinch out in the field. Denarii's glowing assessment was only further proof of what the others thought- Weiss was a born strategist and tactician. She could plan, think ahead, and strategize with the best of them. And with Tamamo's help, Weiss would be even better.

A knock at the door brought Tamamo out of her thoughts. "Enter!" Tamamo sang. The door handle turned and Weiss Schnee poked her head in. Tamamo gestured toward the chair opposite her, "Have a seat."

Weiss walked over and gently sat down at the offered chairs. "Thanks. And good afternoon."

"Good afternoon to you as well. How was your lesson with Dani?" Tamamo inquired.

"It was a lot of work. He's very good at forcing me to think critically and quickly. We did battlefield simulations on this big holographic map. I quite enjoyed it." Weiss responded.

Tamamo laughed. "He's been looking for an excuse to use that simulator for a long time. I'm glad he found someone who also will enjoy it." Tamamo straightened her outfit. "Has Dani told you what you will be working on?" Tamamo asked.

Weiss nodded. "He mentioned some combat training and leadership skills." Weiss answered. Tamamo nodded. "Though I still don't quite know what exactly 'leadership skills' entails."

"Well the quickest way to explain would be to just jump right in, don't you think?" Tamamo said cheerfully. "Let's start with understanding the people around you." Tamamo tapped her finger on her chin. "The kitten. Belladonna."

Weiss cocked her head to the side slightly. "What about her?"

"How about her strengths and weaknesses?" Tamamo suggested.

"Um," Weiss though for a few seconds. "She's very agile, flexible, and athletic. She is good at pinpointing weaknesses in her opponents in fights. She can be extremely quiet and move stealthily." Weiss went quiet as she thought about Blake's weaknesses. "She isn't very strong, so against tough, heavily armored opponents she doesn't do well. When she gets overwhelmed, she'll charge in without thinking. Large groups of enemies at once also aren't her strong point, she'd be better at single opponents or small groups."

"Okay. But how about as a person?" Tamamo asked.

"As a person?" Weiss had to think hard about the question. She wasn't very good at understanding other people. "She's calm, most of the time. But when she finally loses control of her emotions she can go a bit wild. She doesn't talk about her problems, even with close friends. She's gotten better about that over the years though." Weiss tried to come up with more, but other than some little behaviors, Weiss had to grudgingly admit to Tamamo that she didn't really know very much about Blake, or any of her friends, when it came to the things Tamamo was asking for.

Tamamo giggled. "No worries, Weiss. It's not something a person normally thinks about. But I'll teach you what to look for, how to remember it, how to analyze it. And soon, you'll have the knowledge to use those under your command to their full potential, or to manipulate your enemies. Or to manipulate your allies if the need arises."

"That sounds like a terrible thing to do to your allies." Weiss said in surprise.

"You'd be surprised what needs to be done at times." Tamamo explained. "Some people just don't understand how to work for the greater good and need to be…shown the way." Tamamo laughed. "Let's start a lecture, shall we?"

Weiss closed her scroll as the lesson ended. "Do I have an assignment of some sort?"

"Hmm…?" Tamamo looked at the ceiling as she pondered. "At our next lesson, I want you to be able to tell me one new thing about each of the students who came along with you." Weiss was about to complain that the assignment was too simple, but was cut off by Tamamo holding up her finger. "Without talking to any of them." Tamamo added.

Weiss blinked confusedly. "Without talking to them? So talking to their friends?"

"No, I want you only to watch. Learn something about them from by watching their behavior, eavesdropping, hearing others talk about them. Don't ask about the people you're interested in." Tamamo explained.

"…Okay?" Weiss agreed, still concerned about trying to learn about so many students at once. "Will I have enough time?"

"You'll have a week. This isn't going to be like school. You will have almost no time for socializing, or relaxing." Tamamo answered.

"Yeah." Weiss agreed. "That makes sense." Weiss stood up to leave. "Oh, do you happen to know Professor Ozpin's contact information?"

"Oh, into older men are we?" Tamamo joked. "Ozzy's a little old for you. You'll send Glynda into a fit if she hears about this." Tamamo was giggling at the mental image of a furious and frazzled Glynda Goodwitch.

"No!" Weiss exclaimed, mortified. "I just wanted to see if he had any information on a friend who went missing after the Beacon attack."

"I see. Well your scroll won't work here, the fortress blocks the signal. We have a communications room, though." Tamamo offered. She looked up at the clock. "I have time to take you, off we go!"

Weiss had to jump up and jog behind Tamamo. The huntress was far taller than Weiss, and had much longer legs, so Tamamo's long strides were forcing Weiss to jog behind her like a child. Weiss kept her complaints to herself though.

They were only on the move for a few minutes, climbing two separate sets of stairs before they arrived at their destination. "Here we are." Tamamo sang. She opened the door to a room filled with various types of communication equipment. "Ozzy, right?" Tamamo began typing in her pass code and the contact information for Ozpin. "There. It's calling." Tamamo stepped back. "I'll still have to be in the room for the call. If I leave the equipment will lock itself again. So no lovey-dovey stuff, okay?"

Weiss ignored the joke and sat in front of the monitor. It beeped before a few moments before the screen came to life, showing an image of Ozpin adjusting his scroll so that the caller could see him as well. "Yes, Tamamo? Is something…" He stopped at seeing Weiss, "ah, Miss Schnee."

"Good afternoon, Professor Ozpin" Weiss greeted.

"Hiya Ozzy!" Tamamo added from behind Weiss.

"Good evening, ladies. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Ozpin asked.

"I was hoping you might have some new information about Ruby. Did anyone find her?" Weiss asked hopefully.

"Well…" Ozpin looked off screen.

"Just tell her straight, Ozzy. No beating around the bush." Tamamo chided. "What's the news?"

Ozpin sighed. "Miss Rose's uncle, Qrow, went searching for her yesterday morning. He found and followed her trail through the woods, and came upon the sight of a battle." Ozpin told Weiss about Qrow's report- Ruby's injury and the number of Beowolves. "Qrow spent all of yesterday and all of today trying to find some of her tracks leading away from the fight, but he's had no luck. There is no sign of Ruby outside of the area for miles."

Weiss could feel her heart skip a beat, and her eyes start to water up. "But there's still hope, right? She's not gone?" Weiss begging quietly.

Ozpin stayed quiet. "There's… no body. If that is any comfort." Ozpin said. "If you want my opinion Miss Schnee, Ruby is gone." Weiss stifled a cry. "There's no body, no tracks, and blood everywhere. Qrow is doing his best to continue his search, and I will of course keep you updated. But I hold no illusions about how bad this looks for Miss Rose. I am sorry."

Weiss nodded through her tears. "Thank you for the information, Professor." Weiss cut off the call. She felt Tamamo put a hand on her shoulder and give it a gentle squeeze of comfort. "I should've gone to find her." Weiss said.

"And what good would that have done?" Tamamo asked. "You aren't a trained tracker, and don't have the experience Qrow does."

"But, I should've done something. Not just… left. I left her alone in the woods, and now she's dead, and, and…" Weiss cried.

"There wasn't anything you could have done. You made the right decision, coming here. Here, you can do good." Tamamo said, kneeling in front of Weiss and putting her free hand on Weiss' other shoulder.

"If I made the right decision, why do I feel like a failure of a friend? I left the person I love alone in a forest, and now she's dead. A the end of the day, what can I say that would make this feel like it wasn't my fault?" Weiss was stared at her feet as tears dropped from her eyes.

"Weiss. Look at me." Tamamo used a finger to lift Weiss' chin so the she was looking into Tamamo's eyes. "Sometimes, there are no words. Sometimes you can do everything right. You made all the right choices and did everything you possibly could. And you will still feel like you failed. You can ask yourself 'did it really have to end like this?' and try to find the words to make it feel right. But like I said- sometimes, at the end of the day, there are no words to make the pain go away. Sometimes… whether you want it to or not… the day just ends."