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Summertime in Vale wasn't something I had ever had the pleasure of experiencing. It had been autumn when I had been enrolled in Beacon. It had been so fake - my transcripts, my memories, my life. Seasons changed with time and spring had to give way. Vale was nestled down in the crook of this valley between high purple mountains and soft red forests.

I had almost forgotten how big cities could get. Not like Winhill which had been large in its own right, but a place of truly million and half people. That's as big as cities got on this planet. That's about how big Vale was and it spread out across the bosom of the valley.

"Well we made it. Are you planning on seeing your family?" I was selling the horses at a considerable mark down with the papers indicating their stock. They changed hands for a tiny fraction of the Lien they had been bought for.

"I'm not sure. It's been such a long time. I've changed so much. What do you plan on doing?"

"I want to see Beacon. Aside from that we'll continue your training and get a membership at a gym where we can spar. No other real plans. We need to get you Beacon-ready. There's only a few short months left until school starts up. And that's assuming they're taking on students. Let's see how far along the rebuilding is going. Neo, you better get in disguise."

Neo's form shifted in a blur of pink triangles that washed over her like a wave.

"If anyone asks, her name is Mint," I informed Rosé. "Let's go."

From one of the guarded gates we made our way past multistory buildings. There was a street and a sidewalk on either side. There were holographic street lights and signs and it was all so heart wrenchingly familiar. I used to run these streets. Back then when I had a team and time off from school. It haunted me with every step along with my shadow. We made our way to where the airship shuttled people to and fro from Beacon tower. At a distance the dragon was still perched on the side of the tower turned to stone. Aside from that and the ruined tower the school looked whole.

I held my stomach and felt a wave of nauseating nostalgia as the air ship transported us from the city to the school. I managed to hold down my breakfast despite the motion sickness which washed over me. I felt the familiarity in my bones. Nothing had forestalled my return.

I stepped off the ship with relief. There were construction workers moving all about and cones set up with orange tape. There was scaffolding by the food court's giant windows. People were lifting new giant glass windows into place where the old ones had been shattered. The architecture seemed the same. Arches and glass of olive grey and green.

My stomach lurched in a way that had nothing to do with the airship but still left me feeling motion sick.

Before I realized what I was doing I passed under some orange tape and I heard Rosé call out for me but I ignored it. I walked past the statue of the hero out front without a second glance.

I walked inside the atrium where Ozpin gave his opening speech.

"You there! Stop this minute. You're-"

I turned to the new familiar voice. I towered over the blonde woman with the purple and black cape and the riding crop.

"-Jaune Arc? Is that you?"

"Not anymore," I whispered looking down at the green eyed disciplinarian. "You rebuilt it. It looks good. It looks the same." My voice was pitched low. "It's good to see you, Professor Goodwitch."

"Why, I haven't seen you since black out day." The professor looked up at me with some measure of shock on her face. "Where's your team? Ms. Nikos? Mr. Lie and Ms. Valkyrie? What do you mean 'not anymore?'"

"Pyrrha died on black out day. The same woman that killed Ozpin killed her for the maiden's powers. Salem killed Ren and Nora. I'm the only one left. I changed my identity. It's Cloud Strife now."

She blinked at me with her mouth slightly agape. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. Team RWBY is safe. They're all still alive. You should be happy to know that."

"And indeed I am. I feel we have much to discuss. You look so different. Can I make an appointment with you? I'm busy now but I feel we should talk. You know about the maidens, do you know about Ozpin's status?"

"Alive and in Atlas mastering his new body. The relics are safe but the relic of knowledge had to be moved. Leonardo Lionheart turned on Ozpin. Spring, fall, and winter are safe. I don't know the status of summer. Gods damn. It's been a long time. And you're in the dark about so much that has happened. I'll be sure to fill you in. My schedule is open. I assume you're swamped so where ever you can fit me in is good."

"I am grateful to you for that. And for the good news. I had been worried. But what has your role been in all this?" She was scanning her scroll as she spoke. I could see she had her calendar open through the glass but it was reversed for me.

"My role? I suppose I fight the agents of Salem now. As best as I am able."

"You? You'll forgive me if I find that hard to believe. Can you manage to meet me tomorrow at four o'clock? I have an opening then."

"Sure. No problem." I pulled out my own scroll and added it to my calendar. "I'll see you then. Sorry to wander in here. I lost myself for a moment. Will you be opening your doors come autumn?"

"That is the plan but we're struggling to be on schedule. Why? Do you plan on attending?"

"Me? No. Not me. A girl I've been training has her heart set on this place. Well you seem very busy. I won't keep you any longer."

"It was a pleasure for me to meet you again, Mr. Strife. And again I am sorry about your team."

"Yeah, me too. And it's alright. I've learned to live with it. I'll just be on my way."

I took a long look around the atrium and made my way to the exit.

"Master Cloud!"

"Damn it Rosé. What's my name?"

Stubborn little thing.

"Enough about that." The sass! "Why did you go in? What happened?"

"I met my old combat professor. She's probably going to be headmistress. She's over seeing the reconstruction but I'm meeting with her again tomorrow. They plan on having their doors open in the fall so that's good news for you."

"Did you get what you needed?"

"Yeah. I suppose that I did. More than I hoped for. Come on. I've seen enough. Let's head back to Vale. We have to find a place to set up shop."

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Back in Vale we found a gym that had aura measuring equipment and the like. Then we set up in a hotel. I worked Rosé over at the gym. I made her lift weights as well as spar with me. I had the cash available to me that was online now. Banking infrastructure was working internationally it seemed.

I sat down and wrote a letter to Ruby and Weiss. I explained how I made it to Vale and lost my father. At the same time I mentioned my new dog and how I killed Raven Branwen at long last. I also wrote about meeting Goodwitch and informing her of their survival. Team RWBY were tough cookies, one and all.

I wished them well and sent them my love and affection.

All the next day my upcoming meeting with Goodwitch loomed over me. I could hardly start anything like looking for work because it would just be interrupted. I had told her my schedule was open so maybe that was on me but this was important.

I took the elevator up to the headmaster's old office. It reminded me of a fish tank with the glass on all sides. This was it. This was where Pyrrha had died. It was rebuilt. The only new feature was the enormous stone dragon on the side of the tower.

When the elevator doors dinged open I stepped out and looked around. Professor Goodwitch was seated behind a desk in the center of the room as was busy with paperwork of some sort. So much so that she hardly looked up at my entrance.

"Mr. Arc or rather…" she trailed off uncertainly. My new title was throwing her for a loop.

"It was Strife. Cloud Strife," I answered simply. She gestured and I took a seat.

"I meant no offense."

"There was none taken."

"It has been a long time. I must ask how you came to know about the maidens and relics."

"Oscar told us a little himself but it was mostly Qrow. They needed more hands on deck in the fight against Salem and my team and team RWBY fit the bill. Weiss is the winter maiden now. Winter Schnee was the winter maiden but she was killed by Cinder Fall."

"I'm afraid I don't know Cinder Fall."

"She was the fall and spring maiden for a time. Fought with glass and used dust sewn into her clothes. She was the one that killed Ozpin and Pyrrha."

"But you said fall and spring were secure."

"And they are now. Those powers are Penny's. Penny Polendina that is. Cinder Fall is dead now."

"How did that happen."

"Penny and I killed her. It was mostly Penny."

"I see. You said Leonardo Lionheart betrayed Ozpin. How? Why?"

"I imagine that he did it because Salem is scary. And he let the spring maiden into Haven to steal the relic of knowledge. He also set up a bunch of local hunters to die. To weaken Mistral. It was pretty bad. Things are still probably pretty bad over there. But communication should be back up soon. General Ironwood has a plan. He's turning the festival stadium into a communication satellite. It should be able to get communication running even with Beacon tower in disrepair."

"We haven't been able to fix it. We need Atlas engineers…"

"Well it should be solved regardless."

"You said that you hunt the agents of Salem? Which other agents?"

"There was Tyrian Callows and Mercury Black. They're both dead now. Then there's Hazel Rainart. A big dude with a pain nullifying semblance, you know him?"

The professor nodded at me so I went on to bite the bullet.

"Then there's my sisters. And me."

She just sort of stared at me.

"Your sisters and you? I don't understand."

"When I was here flailing it was because I was a sleeper agent of sorts for Salem. I was grown in a test tube by a mad man named Merlot. I didn't know this back then but I was grown from Salem's DNA. She's my mother. And I have sisters. My sisters are less sympathetic to our side than I am. I know Ozpin only let me in to the school to see if I worked for Salem. Did you know that?"

She gave a slow and wary nod at me. As though I was a snake ready to bite her.

"Well I was. My Mother and I share minds in a way. But Ozpin taught me how to defend myself from her influences. There was a bad time, however, one in which she took control over my body. She made me kill Ren and Nora."

I finished my tale. There was nothing more to say. Paper fell through the professor's fingers.

"How can I trust you, then?"

"You can't. Not fully. That's why I left Atlas. Too many maidens and relics in one place. It was my responsibility to leave and keep my friends safe."

"Was that when you killed for the first time?"

"No. No. That came earlier. I unlocked my semblance and it makes me stronger and faster. I sort of ripped this bandit in half. Just went right through him. I've killed a lot of people since then. I've lost count. I killed Adam Taurus and Raven Branwen as well. And dozens if not hundreds of gangsters and other criminals in both Atlas and Mistral."

"You killed Raven Branwen? You?" The wonder and incredulity in her voice was well deserved. After my pitiful showing here.

"Hard to believe considering how bad I was at school, isn't it? I have her revolver sword and handle as proof. Back at the hotel I'm staying at. Do you have any questions for me? Gosh so much has happened. Sorta so much to say all at once. Hard to believe it myself."

"You can resist Salem's influence over your mind? Is it some sort of mind magic?"

"My sisters, my Mother, and I are all different branches of the same tree. We flow together in a way that is hard to describe if you can't feel it yourself. I have weapons against her but she has her own against me as well. I'm constantly at war. She tries to press on my mind and I fight back. Does that make sense? I hope that makes sense," I explained.

"If what you say is true… you must admit this is all hard to believe. It also implies that you're a dangerous threat. If you have grown so powerful then shouldn't I take care of you?"

"I'm dying anyways. I might not fight back. Merlot didn't build me to last. I'm going to die from that unless something else gets me first. Why not you?" I tagged her with my question.

"Do you know how long you have?" She asked me.

"No idea. But not terribly long. I bleed internally. I'm dying quickly. My body aches. Go ahead and strike me down. I won't resist."

"I won't strike a defenseless former student of mine."

"Then we are at an impasse. How will you deal with me?"

"How were you dealt with in Atlas?" She wondered.

"I was recruited into the military and given antipsychotics to help with my battle against Salem. They didn't work. I was treated for PTSD with psychotic features but I was allowed to serve and fight monsters and people for the military. Then I had to do the right thing. I had to leave. That brings us to the present. How will you deal with me?" I gave her the real question once more.

"I honestly do not know. If I take you at your word then you need help or to be stopped but if I am indeed taking you at your word I shouldn't help you or stop you. I am at a loss. The safe option would be to imprison you but you have committed no crime. I have no means of holding you or dealing with you," she looked so drop dead tired in that moment I couldn't help but empathize with her.

"You could keep a friendly eye on me. That would do fine. Otherwise you should leave me to my business. Don't make this harder than it has to be. For me or for yourself."

"I'm to just let you go?" She wondered.

"Are you going to keep me?" I fired back. "I have a student to look after and work I can do for Vale. It would be a pity for you to put a stop to me. But I do confess that it is possible. I have already stated I won't fight back. You can put me wherever you want."

"You're rather forcing my hand…" she trailed off. Once more totally unsure.

"A little. So, professor, what's it gonna be?"

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-WG