"I eventually found Blake with Ruby. It didn't look good, but Ruby's aura was still fighting. I told Blake to get Yang and proceeded to do what I could to keep Ruby with us. Blake kept Yang together while I worked, and soon Professor Goodwitch found us. She told us huntsmen and huntresses would arrive shortly and took Ruby to Summer Memorial for emergency operation. We explained everything, and in the debriefing, we decided not to tell Ruby or you what happened that night. With the officials, we came up with a series of lies to tell everyone and the public so we wouldn't seem as involved as we were. This was why Ozpin gave us his personal scroll information – he decided we should have a way to contact him should we continue to act off the grid as we are now. We told you Ruby got hurt, that we found her alone as the place was evacuating. We told you that Professor Qrow and the others captured Cinder, Mercury and Emerald. Now you know those were all just lies because we were afraid of what you'd think of us," Weiss said. She knew she struggled to rationalize killing, despite knowing many of her father's employees and machines do just that in the name of justice. She hated that she'd stood by and let Yang kill Emerald and Mercury. She couldn't really imagine what Blake or Yang could be going through.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Ruby exclaimed suddenly. She looked up, expecting her to be angry, but saw nothing but concern. Her focus was on Yang. "You've been carrying that all this time?" The three of them looked among each other. They had indeed, with few exceptions. She knew that the huntsmen and huntresses on the scene that night all knew, among which were Professor Goodwitch, Signal's Professor Qrow, and Mr. Xiao Long. Aside from that, however, they'd remained silent. They occasionally spoke with one another, supported one another, but… well, Weiss had never really been one to expose her own weakness. The only reason Blake even knew about her anxiety was because Weiss had forgotten to lock the door once. Blake similarly seemed used to carrying her burdens and not forming attachments. Despite Yang's seeming openness, what she now knew of the girl told her that the strong and unabashed façade covered a myriad of emotions she deemed inappropriate for a big sister.

"We didn't want you to hate us," Yang said pitifully. "I killed people, Ruby. Like you said, a hero should bring villains to justice, not slaughter them. I'm just a murderer. I'm sorry I lied to you, you deserve a better sister."

"You're an idiot," Sun said. "I told you – accepting you is what friends are for. Jeez, though – that's heavy. Are you guys okay? I'm shook up after what happened at the stadium and that was just running into one guy!"

Weiss looked at Blake and Yang in surprise, both of which who returned the look – Blake with a smirk and Yang with complete shock. "You..." Weiss began. "You really don't care?" Their friends shared a look. JNPR, Sun, Penny – even Vili. They collectively shrugged.

"We are BFFs foreva!" Nora exclaimed.

"Nora, the second 'F' in BFF is 'forever,'" Ren sighed.

"Double forever, then! Because it'll be just that long!" she amended, unfazed by the correction.

"But… but I killed them! Mercury begged and I…" Yang began, looking at her hands. Weiss caught Vili rolling his eyes.

"You don't even remember it – isn't that right?" he said. She nodded slowly. "Then I hardly think it's your fault. You're fine, Miss Xiao Long – you were seized by your despair and frustration and a desire to save your teammate. I realize I'm biased since I wasn't raised as a virtuous Shizine as most of you probably were, but even so, it's just a hazard of your aura type."

"She won't listen – I've been telling her that the entire time," Blake put in.

"Then what about me?" Ruby said, appearing before Yang in a burst of petals. "Because I'm just happy my team made it out alright after their silly leader got herself caught."

"You'll still accept a murderer as your big sister?"

"Of course – you're still-" she didn't get to finish, her red body swallowed by a yellow one.

"You're the best little sister a girl could ask for," Yang said. Ruby gave a muffled reply that Weiss didn't make out.

"So, you said you wished you had Yang's excuse," Jaune said to Blake. "What did you mean?"

The brunette looked to Yang. "She snapped under her emotions. She doesn't remember what she did, and genuinely feels remorseful. I knew what I was doing to Cinder, and even though I'm disgusted at the thought of torturing someone to death… I don't really feel sorry for what I did to Cinder."

"While I don't condone the torture or execution of anyone, regardless of their actions, you didn't kill her," Pyrrha replied slowly. The Hellenic warrior was one of the most pious of their group - it had been her and Ruby specifically they feared the reaction of. Ruby seemed to have given them a pass, but Weiss was quite curious as to how Pyrrha would take their confessions. "She sounds like she died through… aura exhaustion, perhaps? She was a horrible woman who had done many terrible things, included hurting Ruby, and had intended to do far more. If ever someone deserved such a harsh punishment, it would have been her." Weiss looked to Ruby at mention of what was done to her. She didn't look convinced. She'd shown an even greater interest in the woman after her death, as though she couldn't understand how someone so evil could exist. However, information was practically nonexistent. That was the normal state of affairs for a rogue, according to Vili. As for Blake, she knew what argument was coming – they'd had this conversation before.

"But if she hadn't done that, she would have died anyway," Blake said matter-of-factly.

"We don't know that," Ren said, surprising them. The boy rarely directly participated in conversation, so they took note when he did. "The proof is standing before us," he added, looking to Ruby. Indeed, Ruby should not be alive. Everyone who knew of her injuries said that – even professional doctors couldn't explain it. And Cinder sounded like she'd been in better condition, according to Blake. "Considering Ruby, she could have been made to survive."

"Maybe…" Blake relented, but Weiss knew she was just giving lip service to end the argument.

"Besides, Blake," Ruby cut in. "I hit her pretty badly. That would have killed her if you hadn't come along. That means I killed her, not you. You have nothing to feel bad about." Then she furrowed her brow in thought, her knuckle coming to her mouth. "Well, maybe the torture thing…" she added under her breath. Even so, if Weiss heard it, she knew Blake did.

"Sounds like you're all intent on blaming yourselves for things that weren't under your control," Vili offered.

Penny nodded. "It wasn't your fault," she said to them before turning to the others. "Right guys?" Another round of nodded heads. "Bad people wanted to do bad things and you risked your lives to stop them. That's all that matters."

"Vili…" Yang said, looking to him. "How can you say that?" The dark-haired man looked to her, staring before responding. Weiss wondered why she addressed him that way.

"Let's ignore blame for a moment. You're just demonizing yourselves," he replied. He turned to Blake. "What is it I told you about me that first night? 'I've been called a lot of things. With so many possibilities, I generally leave it to others to decide what I am.' I've been called a monster before. I've killed in cold blood. I've tortured people – to death and not. I've had people damn me with their dying breath. Some of those people were pretty good people caught in bad situations. The people you killed… Emerald, Mercury, and Cinder were rogues with quite the rap sheet. People like that… like me – we aren't worth troubling the conscience of anyone. Each of you is the only one accusing yourself right now. Leave it to others to decide, and you'd find you're nothing but friends, sisters, and allies." Weiss was impressed with the reasoning.

"That was… a very nice way of putting things," she said. "For a monster," she added, sharply aware of the confession within his words. He'd hinted at his past before, but this was a bit of concrete evidence – he was a killer, pure and simple.

He shrugged. "One of those things I've been called was Prince, so…"

"What, like a Prince of Asylum?" Sun joked. Weiss caught a glance between Blake and Vili. Prince of Asylum… why'd that sound familiar? "Wait, that's a joke, right?" Sun added to Vili, catching their glance as well. "You know something about this?" he asked Blake. Everyone's attention turned to them. Blake stared at him. He sighed.

"I suppose I should honor the trust you've shown by including me. This night is a night of shedding cocoons…" he said, murmuring the last part. She didn't get the reference, but was curious nonetheless. The more she knew of this man, the better she'd feel about working with him. "You want to give your perspective? I'm curious what exactly of my reputation precedes me." This was directed to Blake. All eyes flicked to her, putting her on the spot.

"That's fine," she said slowly. "Uh, well… as you all know, I was a part of the White Fang for most of my life."

"Whaaa?!" Nora exclaimed, comically putting her hands to her mouth in shock. She got a chuckle from the group. Weiss didn't particularly like the more… boisterous behaviors of some of her friends, but she had to admit that it helped to ease the tensions.

"What you probably don't know is that I wasn't just any old operative. I believe I was being groomed to lead the Vale Chapter of the organization under the, at the time, current leader of the Vale Chapter: Adam Taurus." Weiss was surprised – she'd never known what Blake's time in the White Fang had entailed before. To think she'd not just been a member, but a leader… she felt betrayed, the old wound of discovering her past resurfacing. Blake must have known, because she stared specifically at Weiss for the next part.

"I'm sorry I haven't said anything about it before, but I wanted to put all that behind me. I didn't think it important since I've given it up for a better path. Now, the reason I'm saying this is because a normal operative wouldn't know as much about him-" she nodded to Vili "-as I do." She paused with a sigh, seeming unsure how to continue.

"The crime networks of the world are all connected now, due in part to the general interconnectivity produced by the CCT, but also because of the literal crime capital of the world that is Asylum. Asylum provides an intelligence and travel network entirely separate from those of the four kingdoms or Menagerie. Through it, a number of practices that would wither without the support of communication and transportation between continents thrive. The White Fang worked on this network once the agenda changed and we became labeled as a terrorist organization. Very few are aware of this system, and even less know the details – that's how it remains a mystery of how Asylum functions or even where it is.

"Asylum's organization is thanks to an individual known as the King of Shadows, a powerful man who oversees every bit of illicit activity throughout Remnant, and is sometimes referred to as the illicit king. Around ten years ago, word spread of something that directly served the King in Asylum. That individual became known as the Prince of Darkness out of the belief that only a Grimm could be so vicious and cold-blooded.

"A long time ago, people used to tell stories about a certain Grimm coming to kill those who don't do what they're told. It became a thing that mobsters grew up with the idea that the King of Shadows would take you if you didn't respect family tradition. Their children now hear the same tale, but with its protégé, the Prince of Darkness, as the monster. It was supposed to be something void of empathy, a monster that would torture, kill, and eat you. The man Vili has described as his mentor is named Yasha. The name Yasha also belongs to the most powerful man in the underground, the top of the IRS Most Wanted – codenamed the King of Shadows. Vili, then, is the Prince of Darkness, the other monster."

"Yes, Prince of Darkness at your service," he said, the vest of feathers growing into a tailcoat as he bowed. Weiss blanched at the revelation – she did know of him. Well, sort of. Her father had mentioned a pair of powerful faunus from Asylum who were the definition of savages. He spoke of how they slaughtered any who opposed them without mercy, how the four kingdoms were too frightened to take his advice and rid the world of them. Could this man really be the same one? A living monster… he'd said it himself, right? That is…

"Fucking awesome! I knew you were a badass!" Sun said, rising to smack the guy against his back. Vili gave him a raised brow, registering the myriad of expressions from their group.

"Are you an idiot?!" Weiss exclaimed. "He's a criminal wanted the world over – how can we trust him?!"

"Technically speaking, I'm not a criminal. There is no solid evidence tying me to any crimes during my time as the so-called 'Prince of Darkness.' On that note," Vili cut in, turning to Sun then, "I don't want to hear anything about this prince business – no 'Lord,' no 'Majesty,' nothing."

"And on that note, Weiss – it's simple: I already have. I've been living with the royalty for weeks now. We already knew he'd done some shady shit – now we know bad it was, but he's still trying to better himself. It's like Blake!" Sun explained. That didn't help.

"I'm upset about that too! You didn't think it was important that you were a leader of the White Fang?" she asked Blake. "I can't be the only one upset about this."

"She wasn't a leader – she was just in a trusted position underneath Adam, who was an advisor to the Alpha," Ruby defended her.

"Yes, I - wait, how'd you know Adam was an advisor?" Blake asked curiously. Come to think of it, Blake hadn't mentioned that about him. Ruby looked like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Again.

"Well…" she began. Then, "Yeah, okay, I got nothing. Professor Ozpin told me." What?

"Ozpin?!" Jaune exclaimed. "Like, the Professor Ozpin? The headmaster? When? Do you just have chats with him?"

"It was when we'd talked about seeing Adam Cain on the roster. I told the Professor we were concerned about the White Fang being involved. He pulled up a file on Blake that had everything – that your name was Blake Taurus, how you knew the Alpha personally, even how the money for your tuition came from the White Fang. He pulled up a similar file on Adam, though he didn't have that one up long. Oh, and my mom knows about you too – apparently she gave him the files." It was Yang's turn then.

"When did you talk her?" the blonde asked with red tint to her lilac eyes.

"She may have visited me while the attack was going on since our team was being targeted," Ruby responded weakly. Weiss knew where this would go.

"Yang, you two can argue about that later," she said to her. "Blake, what does Ruby mean you're tuition comes from the White Fang?"

"It's under the name Blaine Belladonna – supposedly my father. In reality, it's operated by Blaine Myska, the White Fang's Network Administrator. He oversaw the checkbooks of the entire organization, among other things. I believe his semblance allowed him to alter digital data somehow, so he was very useful in money laundering or even just outright stealing by adjusting the amounts in accounts. After I left, I expected them to find me or cut me off, but neither has happened. It took them this long to do it, so I assume he covered for me. I didn't interact with him too much, but he seemed nice. He's actually who told me about Asylum."

"Yeah, by the way – don't go talking about Asylum freely. I don't think you said anything too sensitive tonight, but even so, I wouldn't suggest it – for your sake," Vili cut in.

"See?! He's threatening us!" Weiss said. Her heart was racing at the situation they were in. Stay calm, Weiss, at least until I'm alone.

"No, it's because if you mention 'Yasha' or the 'King of Shadows,' you'll get his attention – and he does not take kindly to rats," Vili commented slowly. "Isn't that right, big guy?" he called. Weiss didn't know what he was playing at until a deep hum came from all around them. Her blood chilled at the sound of it.

"It is as you say, but she doesn't know anything sensitive. Nothing the IRS doesn't already know, anyway. Carry on was you were without worry, I cannot spare the time to eavesdrop upon children tonight. Though, if you've now set your sights on the White Fang, I believe I should wish you luck," a deep voice echoed out.

"Thanks, Yasha," Vili said nonchalantly. What in the bloody Remnant had that been? "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why everyone who is anyone does not reference him by name or title – he's got ears everywhere."

"And speakers too, apparently," Penny responded, staring around in admiration. "How does he do it?"

"Semblance – he has one of the most powerful in existence, and he's got an aura to match," Vili replied. "Don't worry though – he only gives conversations where he's mentioned his attention. Or big conversations – I remember he used to know the World Council's schedule, for example. If you're really paranoid, however, avoid deep, dark shadows like the ones all around us. Not only can he hear, see, and speak through shadows, he can also manifest as shadow. Snatching people out of darkness and dropped them off in random places is a common thing for him." What?!

"S-someone like that exists?" Jaune said, reasonably terrified for once.

"He sounds like a bogeygrimm…" Ruby mused.

"Guess that's why mobsters started talking about him instead," Yang said in awe. "What's he like?"

"Yang, I could write you an encyclopedic compendium on what I know about that man and you'd still have more questions than answers," Vili deflected. "This is the world you live in – some of us are well and truly monsters – not just ethically speaking, but in terms of abilities. I mentioned to some of you that Yasha was part of the Golden Generation, also jokingly referred to by criminals as the Generation of Monsters. Now you know why."

"Golden Generation?" Jaune said. Weiss felt a twinge of anger that she couldn't keep in check.

"Seriously, Jaune?! Do you know anything?" she said sharply. She immediately shrunk back at the looks of everyone else in the group. Right, Weiss – calm. Don't let your anxiety bother you. She felt the reassuring touch of Blake on her shoulder, but right now that just made her angrier. She shrugged her off with a murmured, "I'm fine." Then, to Jaune, "The Golden Generation, Jaune, is the one that your great-great-grandfather, my grandfather, and Ruby and Yang's grandmother was a part of. They were the ones who fought in the Great War against the Grimm."

"Right, and some of them were ridiculously powerful. Your grandfather, Giesser Schnee, single handedly cleared out the Grimm from the kingdom of Atlas, causing the World Government to gift it to your family when it was re-inhabited. My mentor is even more powerful than Giesser, shown in the Faunus Rights Revolution when the two dueled and Yasha won. It was close, though, according to him – he's got many scars and more than a few physical disfigurements on account of that fight. Summer Rose, as you all know, was heralded as the most skilled and powerful huntress, and indeed, just warrior in general – even he couldn't best her. Someone like them doesn't really exist right now. Every generation has its monsters, though – Cinder and Jack were about the same age, and same with the Alpha, Tytus Alba, and your Uncle Qrow. Considering you're a group with a world renowned fighter and a team who stopped Cinder Fall, you'll probably be this generation's," Vili said.

"Wait, wait, roll back a bit – you told us earlier that he fought in the Great War, but he's the head of the criminal underground? How come we've never heard of him? Besides Blake, apparently," Sun asked. Weiss had to admit she hadn't considered that before. Someone like that is certainly someone what should have come up – especially if he fought her grandfather. That, she knew, checked out – her father only mentioned that pair of faunus because he said grandfather had fought one, though the faunus had cheated to win. Hearing about his semblance, she could only imagine what that entailed.

"Well, he's a rogue. They removed all mention of him from the public eye. Everything - the scandal of his discovery in Menagerie, his time as a war hero, his titles of the strongest huntsman, of champion of the Faunus Rights Revolution, of the world's leading aurologist – all of it was rewritten as though he didn't exist. Saying his name or otherwise directly mentioning him is technically a crime. It's standard procedure for huntsmen and huntresses that are sentenced with exile and labeled as rogues. That's why we can't find anything on Cinder – same thing," he answered.

Weiss didn't know what to make of what she'd just learned about this 'Yasha.' Her grandfather said he respected another as more deserving of the title of strongest over him, but she couldn't believe it was the same man her father mentioned as a savage animal. The idea of her grandfather fighting with him in the Great War and against him in the Faunus War was a whole other part to consider. But the information checked out. Monstrously powerful faunus from Asylum – check. Someone stronger than her grandfather – check. A duel over the Faunus War – check. Even the lead aurologist helping found the company that her grandfather refused to mention by name and couldn't be found mentioned anywhere in records – check. But to think they were all the same man? She didn't want to think about that right now. That meant her grandfather had handled a monster like this without issue while she was struggling not to tremble in fear.

"Alright…" Yang said, shaking her head. "That's enough. We started this so we could say we're officially trusting each other and working together to figure this out. Weiss, we accepted Blake and Vili – the details of what they did don't matter. Blake's your teammate – she's proven that she cares about your wellbeing and that she's a loyal friend. Vili is our ally in this – he's fought with us against the White Fang, helped in the rescue efforts, and saved my life that day when they gave Blake her haircut. I think we can move on to figuring things out." Weiss glowered at the blonde, but Ruby shook her head. She rolled her eyes and sighed. Ruby was going to get them all killed just like she'd nearly done for herself.

"This isn't over," she said to Vili with a conviction that she didn't feel. "For either of you," she added to Blake.

"So, back to Cinder?" Pyrrha asked. They nodded. "Well, what do we know?"

"She was a rogue huntress – I think she even graduated from here," Ruby opened.

"She did – she was a few years behind Glynda. If I recall correctly, Glynda's first year working here was Cinder's final year. She'd be about… thirty-five now? I think. I know Glynda and Jack graduated the same year, and he's 38…" Vili said.

"Professor Goodwitch is only 38?" Yang said incredulously. "I mean, she looks great regardless, but I totally got an older feel from her."

"She does present herself in a very stern manner," Penny mused.

"She's also been Deputy Headmistress for something like a decade, all the while maintaining her status as an active duty huntress. That level of stress ages a person," Blake explained. Weiss had to agree; the amount of organization and planning that went into maintaining Beacon Academy was ridiculous. Professor Goodwitch deserved the respect of overseeing that on top of teaching and running missions.

"Yeah, I think the more impressive thing here is that Jack is 38. Guy looks good," Sun said.

"Got a bit of a man crush?" Yang joked.

Sun smiled. "Nothing that serious. I'm just saying for a guy going on forty, dude's looking great! Besides, I don't think I could handle whatever that plant of his does in the bedroom," he said with a shaken head. It was received by a chorus of groans. Weiss closed her eyes in disgust, putting herself in denial of having envisioned anything.

"Didn't need that image in my head, thanks," Yang said with a shudder. This was received by a chorus of agreements. "Seriously, though, Cinder Fall. Come on, it's late, I'd like for us to stay on topic."

"You're right, you're right," Sun said with a couple nods. "So, she liked fire, right? And she liked candles - plus she must have used the leather restraints-"

"God damn it, Sun!" Yang exploded, reaching for the blonde. He released a yelp as he jumped back and put Penny between them. Weiss was confused at first, but then put the pieces together. Fire… candles… leather restraints – God damn it, Sun!

"Okay, okay, I get it! I'll stop!" he said in a panicked laugh. Half of their group was rolling their eyes, the other half still piecing it together. Sun noticed the looks of confusion. "Don't worry about it, it was nothing," he waved it off.

"Okay, so, I mean this seriously," he said warily before pausing in thought. "Ruby, you… aren't really into dudes – hey! I'm going somewhere serious! Hold off for a bit, Mama Bear!" he exclaimed as Yang took another step toward him. She glanced to Ruby who slowly nodded. "Right, so," Sun continued. "I think most of us would agree Cinder was a reasonably attractive woman – wait!" he stopped, ducking behind Penny. Yang's hand stopped in reaching for him. She looked back to the group, Weiss rolling her eyes and motioning to let him continue. Others did similar things. "Okay. Now, would that explain the… I don't know… the weird feelings you had when you fought her that night? You said it was weird how you reacted to her saying your name and stuff like that, so I'm just saying, was that maybe it?"

Weiss blinked. He'd actually made a good point. Ruby's described behavior of reacting strangely to Cinder Fall that night did almost sound like she'd had a crush on the woman. She looked to Ruby, catching everyone else doing the same out of the corner of her eyes. Ruby blushed - presumably from the combined attention and the subject matter.

"I, uh, I don't think so?" she said slowly, avoiding looking anyone in the eye. "Yeah, she was pretty, but I'd fought her before without feeling like that. But… it does sound like that, now that you mention it. Though, like I said, part way through it, I was back to normal. I don't know," she ended, looking up with uncertainty.

"Could you describe how you felt? Or compare it to anything else?" Vili asked. Ruby furrowed her brow in thought.

"Uh… kinda, yeah. It did seem like when Mom visited me…" she thought out loud. "I was really worried about you guys and I wanted to go out and help, even though I could barely move from how sore I was. Then she did… something, and suddenly all that fear and worry disappeared. I felt like I knew I should be thinking about something, but I couldn't. All I felt was… calm. With Cinder, it was like I knew I should feel something negative, but instead it was just… not there."

"Like having a word on the tip of your tongue," Vili said slowly with a nodded head.

"Yeah! That's a perfect example! It was like the emotion I knew I should be feeling was on the tip of my tongue!" Ruby agreed.

"It was the same thing I did to you – or in the same vein, at least," he explained. Weiss immediately glared at him, Yang doing the same. Blake, however, cut in.

"It was fine, I was right there!" she said, reaching out to pacify her and Yang. They gave her a look. Explain. "Ruby was feeling sore and Vili said he knew a way to help her. From what I understand, he used his aura to block awareness of her pain reaching her soul. He had said it was part of a more complex technique, so I assume this is another application?" Blake asked Vili.

"Yes. What I did was use my aura to block the awareness of her pain from reaching her soul. I discussed the difference between physical and mental pain and how you could block mental pain as well. In that branch, you can also block pleasure, fear, or any other reaction or emotion. More skilled individuals can even affect memory and thought patterns," he explained.

"You mean you can change a person's identity?" Weiss clarified in fear.

"Yes and no. It's an extremely complex and difficult art to master – for someone to change a person's identity would rely upon a number of different variables to consider. Things like the aura of the manipulator, the aura of the victim, their nature before hand and how it relates to the nature you want to change them to. It couldn't be done quickly, I can tell you that much. A block, as this kind of aura construct is called, reflects the complexity of the result with its own structure. It takes time and concentration to make, probably being necessary to create it over many weeks, months… maybe even years. I've never heard of a concrete case of a full change being done before, but theoretically, if the person is skilled enough and the right circumstances exist, yes, you could do it," Vili explained in a slew of words. It was definitely something he'd been interested in before.

"So what, like… convincing someone the sky is green wouldn't be too hard but making them forget who they are would take forever?" Sun asked.

"You're on the right track. The sky part would depend on some things – namely, how you do it. If they know what 'blue' looks like, it won't work – they'll fight the change since they will see blue and know something is wrong. You'd have better luck convincing them 'blue' the color is 'green' by name and vice versa. It would work until they saw something that said otherwise, and then it'd start to fall apart as well. That's why more complex ones are so difficult – and that's a good thing, because it means very few people can acquire the skill and even less actually do. Most of the time it is temporary – for example, even one as simple as blocking pain only lasted around a day for Ruby."

"So what did our mother do to Ruby?" Yang asked.

"Sounds like she blocked the anxiety and distress Ruby was experiencing. Something like that wouldn't last long if it was applied quickly. The main thing is that it requires physical contact, so it's not like you won't notice it happening to you. When it comes to Cinder, I'd wager that her healing you was just an added part of inserting her aura into you," Vili replied, changing his focus to Ruby. "It'd put you out of the mindset to fight."

"So she could just… make me like her?" Ruby asked.

"No," Vili said with a shaken head. "Not in the time she had with you. Like you said, you knew something was wrong, something was off. The reason they're temporary is because aura's are changing and flowing. When you insert a block, you're using your aura to create an obstruction. Like a boulder in a river, a basic block will get worn down. It's easier to bend someone to your will, to help use their own strength against them. You said you had a good relationship with your grandmother. She made some tweaks in her favor and then behaved in a manner that would rely upon your relationship to your grandmother to increase your attraction to her. Make sense?"

"I think so. So, she used the fact that I was close to Grandma Rose to make me like her in the same way? I was right, then. She gave you what you wanted so you'd follow her?" Ruby said.

"Would make sense. I never dealt with her directly in that manner – more like I was present in the same room with her a few times. I didn't concern myself with how she acquired her following, I just made sure she didn't infringe on Yasha's sovereignty in doing so."

"Well, that tells us she got people to die for her. Doesn't help us figure out what she was up to, though," Sun said.

"Or why," Pyrrha added. "She had to have some form of motivation. She nearly tortured Ruby to death. That isn't something someone does lightly."

"That's just her MO, honestly," Vili said. "She probably wanted to make Ruby realize that even at her best she couldn't beat Cinder. One on one, and as you said, it was a lucky hit that let you win."

"I didn't win – I survived. There's a difference," Ruby said glumly.

"Ruby," Weiss said, "I've told you a thousand times that we won. We caught them all before they escaped and stopped her plans."

"Except now the White Fang seem to be picking up where she left off," Jaune said. Weiss had to give him that. That was another issue.

"And it apparently starts with killing Blake," she said, eying the faunus.

"Yeah, what's with that?" Nora asked. "Is it because you were a leader and ran off with super secret plans?"

Blake shook her head. "I know some things, but not much. I know some names, some escape routes and contacts, a base or two – nothing that would warrant this," she emphasized with a motion to the kingdom far out below them. "Especially after all this time."

"So we still don't know anything?" Yang yawned.

"Guess not," Sun said.

"That's not true," Jaune countered. "I know way more now than I did before."

"Knowing you, that's an everyday occurrence," Weiss replied dryly.

"Damn – Ice Queen with a freezerburn over here," Sun chuckled. Jaune just sighed in defeat while Weiss glowered at the monkey.

"He's right though – we know a lot. It's just we aren't any closer to knowing what we wanted to know. But hey, they're going to be summoning everyone for a big final debriefing soon in Rakuen – maybe we can get something then," Ruby replied.

"That's true – maybe the Mythografos has more information we could use," Weiss replied in thought. The World Government would certainly have something they could use to further their investigation.

"You really think they'd help us willingly?" Yang asked.

"Certainly not," Weiss replied.

"Like that's ever stopped us," Blake muttered. The blonde nodded.

"You're right, it doesn't matter."

"You just said you intend to spy on the World Government from within their headquarters! This is why I like hanging out with just JNPR once and awhile – you girls are crazy," Sun said with a stretch. "That's why we love you, though."

"Thanks," Yang said nonchalantly. "I guess you guys are alright, too."

Sun looked to Vili with a stare. "See how they treat us? They save the nation a couple times and it goes straight to their heads." The man smiled while Yang gave Sun a playful push. Weiss got up, shaking her head. Yang was right – it was late and she was tired. They could give this some more thought once they weren't half asleep.

"Weiss," Blake whispered, appearing near her quickly. Weiss was too tired to give her a retort, fixing her with a hurtful stare. The faunus' ears flattened beneath the ribbon.

"Where do you think you're going, Blakey?" Yang said, grabbing the girl's wrist. It seemed a group hug had been commenced with a defeated Ruby at the center. Blake resisted Yang's pull, holding her hand out to Weiss. She stared at it. She shouldn't be angry – she knew that. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite in a state of mind for reason to come out on top. She ignored the hand, walking past her to half-heartedly participate in the group hug. She took note of the dark haired man sitting nearby. He watched for a second, a small smile on his face as he vanished in a burst of feathers.

Back on "that night…"

Ozpin glanced at the notification on his screen as it blinked. Glynda. "What's the situation?" he said, shifting his awareness a bit to find her.

"It's not good," she said. "Weiss, Blake, and Yang seemed fine once they had time to rest and use their aura. Ruby on the other hand is in critical condition. I'm transporting her to Summer Memorial." He was aware of some of the situation from having watched it, but he'd left to check something else. His fingers tapped along the holographic keys with haste, the screen before him flickering in a blur of moves.

"Where are you now? What's her exact condition?"

"I'm still in the agricultural district, about to cross north of the factory into the industrial district. I only just left the girls a moment ago. It's very bad Ozpin – I'm not sure how she's still alive, even with Weiss' work." There she was. His hands clenched briefly at Ruby's condition. She, indeed, shouldn't be alive. Assuming, of course, she'd been as she appeared. He knew otherwise. He knew why her aura was enduring while her body was not. Summer Memorial wouldn't be able to help her. He gritted his teeth. It would be a gross abuse of power, but…

"Bring her here immediately."

"What?"

"Bring her here immediately. Summer Memorial Hospital is not equipped to handle what she needs," he reiterated.

"Sir, there is nothing our medical wing has that they do not. On the contrary, they have-"

"Glynda, I need you trust me. If you want her to live, you'll bring her to me immediately!"

"But – I…" she paused. "Of course. I'm changing direction now."

"Bring her through the caves – the direct access it provides will be faster. I'll meet you down there," he said as he typed. He paused for a second. "You know I would never risk my student's life. This is the only hope for survival she has, and I won't allow her to die," he added more softly. There was no reply at first.

"I hope you know what you're doing," she said, ending the connection. Frantically typing, he hoped he did. Yes, he wouldn't allow her to die tonight. He absolutely could not afford to. As the message appeared a final time, he gave up. Getting up, he left his room to prepare for the operation. On the screen was a hexagonal chess board, the simulation having been run repeatedly with a white knight dying early on in the game. When this game had occurred before, it had been spared for a longer term tactic. Now, however, it was captured and he had to reassess his strategy. It ended the same no matter what he did. The simulation processed her thought patterns and concluded one result in bright red letters:

White Checkmate: Match Grimhilde