RWBY: MRRN

VOLUME 5, CHAPTER 1: Mistral

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.

Author's Notes: This is a continuation of MRRN Volume 4. If you haven't read it already, then I strongly suggest you do so. Enjoy Volume 5!

Valkoin arrived at Salem's fortress as summoned. When he walked into the main room, he saw the Grimm Queen sitting at the head of the table, along with Cinder and Tyrian. Mercury and Emerald were standing next to her, waiting at her beck and call in case she needed them.

"Where's Nachtfel?" the wire user asked, noticing the absence of the Iron Knight leader.

"He's out making sure any spare supporters he has are making their way to Solitas," Salem answered. "Atlas's borders are closed, but they know several locations where they'll be safe until we're ready for our assault."

"He won't be joining in the assault on Haven?" he asked.

"No. He's entrusted one of his Lieutenants, the Crusher, to command his forces there. But that's not why I summoned you."

"Of course." Valkoin sat down in his seat between Tyrian and Cinder.

"Was the ambush successful?" she questioned.

"Unfortunately, we lost far more than we gained," Valkoin informed. "The Slasher ignored my plan and the Huntsmen were freed. The Iron Knights that were at Beacon have been routed by the Grimm."

"What of Glynda?" Salem asked. "Why did you fail to kill her?" The wire user's glasses hid the shocked expression in his eyes.

He was certain that he had killed Glynda Goodwitch. He had stabbed her in the side with a blade which would've undoubtedly cause her to bleed to death. Even if Glaucus got her out of Beacon, there was no way he could've gotten her medical attention in time.

"Ma'am, I swear, I thought I had killed her," he answered. "I stabbed her."

"Well, it wasn't enough," Salem replied with a rather annoyed tone. "She's alive. Nachtfel informed me that one of his Knights saw her alive."

"I'm sorry, Your Grace," Valkoin apologized. "I'll head back if-"

"No," the Grimm Queen interrupted. "Until I decide your next objective, you will remain here." The wire user bowed his head in acknowledgement to the Queen.

"Glynda didn't have the cane, did she?"

"No. Neither did Glaucus…and Ozpin wouldn't have trusted it to Ironwood."

"Does that mean Qrow has it?" Tyrian asked.

"He's the only one left," Salem informed. "Professor Lionheart informed me that Qrow will be arriving at Haven tomorrow. He'll confirm whether he has Ozma's cane or not. If he does, then we must get it."

"It'll be risky," the wire user brought up. "The Kingdom is on high alert ever since the Grimm attacks. Even with the Huntsmen being killed off by the Knights, getting into Mistral won't be easy."

"Nachtfel has a solution," Salem informed. "Several of his Knights are in Mistral right now, acting as info gatherers…and assassins, led by the twins, Cloak and Dagger. If Qrow does indeed have Ozma's cane, then they'll bring it to us."

"And we can send Cinder to retrieve the Relic of Choice," Tyrian added.

"Speaking of Cinder," Salem addressed, gaining the Fall Maiden's attention. "The Iron Knights confirmed that Pyrrha Nikos has recovered and is capable of fighting again. If you encounter her on your way to get the Relic…do with her as you please."

Cinder smiled much more sadistically that Salem would let her go after Pyrrha should she stand in her way of the Relic. She had beaten Pyrrha once, but made the mistake of underestimating her, which nearly cost her victory.

From time to time, she had Emerald summon hallucinations of Ruby and Pyrrha to give her motivation. She would then kill them in a sadistic rage as he tried various ways to kill them, making them as slow and painful as possible.

"Well, someone's happy," Tyrian chuckled.

"Your Grace, has there been any word from Hazel?" Valkoin asked.

"He'll be reaching the White Fang headquarters in a few days," Salem answered. "From there, he'll convince Sienna Khan to aid in our assault on Haven. If she doesn't…well, then she's merely an obstacle."

"So what do we do?" Cinder asked. "Ruby is in Mistral-"

"Until I say what your next objectives are, you remain here, especially you, Tyrian," Salem interrupted. "You need a new tail. I'll have Dr. Watts make you a new one."

"You are very generous, Your Grace," he replied. "I won't fail you again."

"No, you won't," the Grimm Queen stated.

-0-

"Everyone…welcome to Haven Academy," Qrow told everyone. He had fully recovered from his injury and had taken the teens to the entrance of Haven Academy, Mistral's Huntsman school.

It appeared much different than Beacon. Instead of large brick dorms and modern technology, its buildings seemed much more traditional to Mistral's culture and had much more nature present, such as the Quad being surrounded by a forest. Compared to Beacon, its CCT Tower was much smaller, appearing like a sentry tower instead of the gigantic spire that was now in ruins.

"Where is everyone?" Jaune wondered. To everyone's surprise, it was completely empty. There were no students, no teachers, no faculty: the Academy looked completely deserted.

"On top of that, where's Leo?" Qrow asked. "He knew we were coming."

Earlier, Qrow had called Professor Lionheart that they would be arriving to discuss important information. The Haven Headmaster promised to meet them at the entrance and offer them a tour, which Qrow declined as they didn't have time. It was unlike Leo to not appear when he said he would.

Then again, Leonardo hadn't checked in with Ozpin for ages. Even when they tried to reach out to him, he wouldn't answer. Something was up, but Qrow had to see Leo first before he jumped to any conclusions.

"Hello!?" Ruby called out as she cupped her hands over her mouth like a megaphone. No one answered.

"Let's look around," Qrow suggested. The group looked all over the campus for people, specifically teachers and faculty. No matter where they looked, no one could be found.

"This doesn't make any sense," Qrow growled as they walked up to the Headmaster's Hall, where Lionheart's office was. He pulled the door open…to a man reaching for it before backing away.

"Ah!" he shouted.

"Ah!" Team RNJR screamed before the man backed away, clutching his chest as he leaned on the door.

The man had light brown, unkempt hair with a thick beard, tanned skin and brown eyes. His attire consisted of a brown best, white long-sleeve shirt, and robe that went down to his slacks and dress shoes.

"Professor Lionheart?" Ruby asked.

"Qrow!?" Leo gasped. "For the love of…you nearly scared me half to death!"

"All I did was open a door," Qrow pointed out. "Why weren't you waiting for us at the entrance like you said you would?" Leo looked surprised for a moment before he pulled out a pocket watch, his eyes widening at the time.

"Oh," he sighed. "Apologies. Time must've slipped away from me."

"Seriously?" Qrow asked. "You've never been one to be late for anything."

"Mistakes happen," Leo replied as he put the pocket watch away and looked over the students. "You must be the students that Qrow informed me of."

"We are," Ruby confirmed. "Ruby Rose."

"Jaune Arc."

"Nora Valkyrie."

"Lie Ren."

"Greetings," Leo chuckled. "Leonardo Lionheart at your service. I'm pleased to meet you all in person."

"Introductions out of the way," Qrow interrupted. "Why is there no one here?"

"Well, my faculty are on leave until classes-"

"What!?" Qrow barked. "Who's guarding the Relic!?"

"Qrow, the children-"

"I've filled them in. Why is there no one here?"

"Let us head to my office. We can discuss everything there." Leo led the group to his office. Upon opening at the doors with the Haven emblem, it revealed a half-circle room with a mahogany desk, seats and a tea set on the right side, bookshelves, and a lamp to the right of Leo's desk.

"Tea anyone?" he offered, holding the tea kettle. Only Ren and Ruby accepted while Jaune, Nora and Qrow declined.

-0-

Math woke up, his dark brown hair messy and in all different directions. He sighed as he wiped his face, feeling his goatee mustache and beard, along with the stubble along his jawline. He then looked at his scroll to read 8:40 A.M., meaning that breakfast was still being served on the ship.

"Pyrrha?" he whispered as he turned around, noticing the redhead beauty sleeping next to him, her long hair all over the place.

"Ten more minutes," she moaned, wanting some more sleep as the boat ride had unexpectedly made it harder for her to rest.

"Okay," the swordsman replied before pulling the covers off his legs and looking to his arm brace on his suitcase. "I'm going to get up-" Pyrrha pulled him back into bed, wrapping her arms around the autistic swordsman.

"Pyrrha?" he asked, feeling her move her head to sniff his neck. "Pyrrha, the breakfast- Hey!" She started nibbling on his neck for several moments before burying her face into his shoulder.

"Ten more minutes?" she asked with an innocent tone that she knew her boyfriend could never resist. Math moved around so he was facing Pyrrha and kissed her forehead.

"Fifteen because I love you."

"Yay." She snuggled her head into Math's neck as he wrapped his arms around her. She just loved cuddling so much; she could never get enough of it with him.

Pyrrha's mind went back to when her beloved confirmed that he still wished to consummate their love. She still wanted to do it with him and he was willing to do it with her. But for now, she had to put it on hold since they were now involved in a war that would decide the fate of Remnant.

"How are you holding up?" Math asked.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha replied, unsure of what he meant.

"I mean…this whole war with Salem," the swordsman asked. "Why didn't Ozpin just tell us? He was asking us…you to put your life on the line for his conflict."

Yes. Why didn't Ozpin tell them the truth of what they were up against? Why didn't he say how truly important the Maiden's powers were? If she had known how truly important the Maiden's powers were, then she may've accepted it.

Then again, she may not have. She couldn't find it in herself to give up everything she had found when at Beacon. Her friends, her teammates, her lover…she cared about them too much to give them up, especially for a conflict she didn't know everything about.

"If we see Ozpin again…I want an explanation from him," she stated. "He had no right to do that to me, especially when he said I had a choice."

"Guys," Robin called from the other side of the door of their room. "The breakfast bar will be closing soon. You coming?"

"In a few minutes," Math answered. After that, Pyrrha's stomach grumbled as loud as an Ursa.

"Coming," the swordsman changed his mind as he got Pyrrha out of bed and the two got dressed. When they arrived, Math and Pyrrha filled their plates with food and sat at a table with their companions.

"I heard from the captain," Glaucus brought up. "We'll be arriving by tomorrow evening."

"From there, it's three days to the train station?" Ruo asked.

"To the Anima Express, yes," Glaucus confirmed. "It's the fastest way to Mistral from where we are."

"Why couldn't we just take an airship?" Nasser asked as he ate some bacon.

"Vale strictly said that all air transportation is only for evacuation only," Glaucus answered. "I tried telling some Vale officers that, but they were adamant. Therefore, this was our only way to Anima."

"Didn't you say Ozpin hadn't heard from Professor Lionheart in ages?" Saf asked.

"Yes," he confirmed. "It's unlike Leonardo to stay out of contact for so long. Once we arrive, we can hopefully discover what's going on."

"Didn't Cinder claim to be from Haven?" Pyrrha asked. "Shouldn't have Professor Lionheart informed Ozpin once he realized she wasn't in the system?"

"The only thing I can think possible is that they used forged transcripts," Saf replied.

"That seems like the logical answer," Ruo agreed. "So, once we…arrive in Mistral…" He hesitated as his sentence was broken into pieces.

Saf and Glaucus didn't know what was going on, but everyone else did. Ruo was nervous about returning home, where he had lost his father's life and mother's sanity to injustice. Perhaps if Haven wasn't in danger, he wouldn't have decided to go back.

"When we arrive, we go to Haven Academy," Glaucus explained. "We warn Professor Lionheart about the incoming attack and then organize a defense. However, considering how bad I heard things were in Mistral, I don't know what help we can get. But once the Mistral council is informed, they'll need to help because they know they'll suffer the same fate as Beacon if they don't."

"We can't let that happen," Math stated. "Beacon fell because we were unprepared and we played right into Cinder's hands. This time, we have time to prepare and organize a defense. Plus, Forest is heading there; he'll know some Huntsmen who can help us."

"Though there is something else," Pyrrha asked. "You said the Spring Maiden went missing years ago, right?"

"Nearly a decade," Glaucus shamefully answered. "Qrow and Forest spent three years looking for her, but had no luck; she was simply too elusive."

"Then how can Salem get the Relic of Knowledge without the Maiden?" Pyrrha asked once more. "Then again, how can we be certain that she hasn't found her?"

"We cannot be entirely sure," Glaucus answered. "Maybe she'll worry about that later, especially since the Kingdoms are lacking communication with one another. But for now, our main objective is defending Haven. It must not fall."

"We won't let it," Nasser stated. "One way or another, we're stopping those sons of bitches."

"Language," Saf told him, much to his annoyance.

-0-

"You just filled them like that?" Leo asked as he sat in his chair as Qrow stood across from him. "That's reckless, even for you."

"And leaving the Relic completely unguarded isn't?" the scythe veteran questioned. "Not checking in with Oz for ages isn't reckless?"

"I had nothing to check in about before the Fall of Beacon, but ever since that day, Mistral has been in absolute chaos!" Leo replied as he rose from his seat.

"Do you think Vale was the only Kingdom to suffer that night? Everyone in every house in every kingdom saw everything: that poor girl ripped to pieces by Ms. Nikos-"

"It wasn't her fault!" Jaune interrupted. "She was tricked!"

"Mr. Arc, please." Leo insisted. "I have no doubt that it was an accident, but not everyone else sees it that way. They only saw murder, monsters crawling into the city, Atlesian Knights attack citizens…" He then sighed.

"You could feel the dread in the air. With all that negativity, we realized that we had accidentally attracted hordes of Grimm to our borders. With Mistral having the widest reaching territory out of the Kingdoms, we pulled everyone we could to defend ourselves. Our losses were so terrible, we even had to recruit students from Haven. Needless to say…many of them did not return. We hoped things would get better…but they've only gotten worse."

"Worse?" Ruby asked. "Was it because of how many Huntsmen you lost?"

"That's not it," Leo replied before walking to the window and leaning on the windowsill. "We've dealt with the Grimm, but the Mistral council is still at odds with representatives from Atlas."

"What happened?" Jaune asked. "We haven't heard much news lately."

"When we asked Atlas for supplies and help, they passed a Dust Embargo, forbidding them from transporting Dust to other kingdoms," Leo explained. "I even called Ironwood myself. I pleaded with him to send help because of how bad our losses were; instead, he convinced the council to close Atlas's borders. How could he be so narrow-minded and selfish?"

"Hold on," Qrow halted. "You spoke to Ironwood? And he refused to help?"

"Yes," Leo confirmed. "I don't know what happened to him, but he's become much more paranoid. Everything he's doing will only harm Atlas in the long run." He then turned back to everyone.

"On top of everything, we've still no idea where the Spring Maiden is."

"That's why we need the Huntsmen and Huntresses here," Qrow stated.

"I tried, but the Council took them all," Leo explained as he sat down. "We're in a state of emergency. Plus, I cannot exactly tell them we're harboring an object of great power. I told them what I could, but they still wouldn't hear me out."

"Okay, okay!" Ruby interrupted. "Things are bad…but we can still come up with a solution."

"I appreciate your optimism, Ms. Rose," Lionheart complimented. "You'd be the first to have some considering all that's happened. But that won't be enough to help us."

"You said the Spring Maiden was missing," Jaune asked. "What do you mean?" Leo raised an eyebrow and looked over to Qrow.

"I thought you filled them in," the Haven Headmaster reminded.

"Mostly," Qrow replied as he pulled out his flask. "There's a lot to cover, okay? I quit teaching for a reason."

"You quit teaching because they wouldn't let you take your flask on campus," Leo pointed out, much to Qrow's annoyance.

"Anyway, the Spring Maiden was a student at this Academy. She felt like a natural choice; strong, responsible, determined and a strong sense of morals. Over the time, the weight of responsibility became too much for her. I stopped her training for a while in the hopes of easing her mind, but regardless, she cracked under the pressure. She…ran, abandoned her training, everyone. That was nearly a decade ago."

"A decade?" Ruby gasped. "How can she be missing for a decade? Didn't anyone go looking for her?"

"I spent three years trying to find her," Qrow answered. "But I think I know where she is now." Leo's eyes widened in surprise to what the drunkard just said.

"Are you serious?" he gasped.

"Well…it's not exactly good news," Qrow admitted.

"Not good news?" the Haven Headmaster replied as he approached Qrow and put his hands on his shoulders. "This is wonderful news! We've finally found her after all these years!? WHERE!?" Qrow pushed him away before he pulled out his scroll.

"I did some digging. After Spring ran away, it looked like she was picked up bandits; specifically, the Branwen Tribe."

"Raven," Leo spoke softly.

"Just to be clear, we're talking about Yang's mom, right?" Ruby asked, being shocked by hearing that name again.

"Yeah," Qrow confirmed. "For someone wanting to stay out of Ozpin's war, she made a stupid move." He placed his scroll on the desk, causing a projection of the map of Remnant to be displayed. An area in Anima, roughly fifty miles southwest of Mistral, popped up in a square.

"That's the area where they've set up their main camp," Qrow explained. "It's where they fall back after raids and scouting missions. With the Spring Maiden at her side, gaining followers wasn't a problem."

"Thank you, Qrow," Leo said. "With these coordinates, we can mount a retrieval force and hopefully head out by the end of the month." Qrow glared at the Haven Headmaster with disbelief in his eyes.

"The end of the month?" he asked as Leo pressed several holographic buttons on the desk, seeming to copy the file. Before he could finish, Qrow snatched the scroll away appearing angry, but was instead out of caution.

"Didn't you hear a word of what I said?" the scythe veteran questioned. "My sister has the Spring Maiden and I know where she is! We can't wait until the end of the month, we need to go NOW!" He swiped several books from the desk in anger and disbelief at how the Headmaster was acting.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me," Leo responded sternly, having none of Qrow's outburst. "We are in a state of emergency. Like it or not, 'as soon as possible' doesn't mean now, it means as soon as I convince the rest of the Council that I need Huntsmen more than they do. I cannot exactly tell them about the Maiden now, can I? They'll simply see it as an effort to get rid of some bandits. Do you really think that with the possibility of war with Atlas that they'll be concerned about bandit tribes?"

"Damn the Council, then!" Qrow barked. "We'll do it ourselves. You and I are professional Huntsmen and these kids are much more than capable."

"Is there any peaceful way to approach this?" Ren suggested.

"With Raven?" Leo responded. "Highly unlikely. Raven is a charismatic leader and a skilled warrior, but she is too hot-tempered and short-sighted for diplomacy. Plus, without reinforcements, there is a stronger chance of losing Ozpin's cane."

"I've kept it safe so far," Qrow stated. "Wait…how did you know? I didn't bring it up."

Leo was shouting at himself mentally. Qrow didn't mention having Ozpin's cane, yet Leo had been instructed by Salem to ensure if he had it. He thought of a response as quickly as possible.

"I assumed you had it," he spat out. "Am I wrong?"

"I don't have it," Qrow answered. "But that's not the issue right now. We need to get the Spring Maiden."

"Then what?" Leo asked. "Raven and Salem will both seek her out."

"We get her as far away from here as possible. We cannot let Salem get the Maiden."

"I understand how important this is, but there are several factors to consider," Leo brought up. "You and Raven are evenly matched and I'm afraid age had caught up with me; I'm not the fighter I used to be. I don't mean to offend you, but the six of us won't be enough to take on Raven, her tribe and a Maiden that's had years to hone her skills. We need an even playing field to apprehend Spring; if we fail, Raven and her tribe will scatter…and we'll lose the Maiden. There is no room for mistakes."

The two Huntsmen looked at each other, Leo's being stern faith in his reasoning and Qrow's being annoyance and disappointment. Both of them had valid points; they needed to get the Spring Maiden as soon as possible, but the six of them alone may not be enough, especially against both Raven and the Maiden. The scythe user sighed before dropping his arms.

"Oz wouldn't be happy about this if he were here," he said.

"No, he wouldn't," Leo agreed. "But he's not here. I want to help you, but there's only so much I can do."

"Well, what about Cinder?" Ruby asked. "She claims to have come from Haven with Emerald and Mercury. Do you have any information on them?"

"We pulled their files after the Fall of Beacon," Leo answered. "They were nothing but lies and forgeries."

"So you have nothing on them?" Jaune asked. "You should've known they weren't students here. Why didn't you inform anyone?"

"Jaune," Ruby calmed. "They lied to everyone, including him."

"I'm afraid so," Leo added. "I know you all came a long way and I'm sorry there's not much I can do right now. As soon as I can convince the Council to give me some Huntsmen, I'll let you know."

"Sure," Qrow responded. "We'll stay in the city for now. Local comms are still up, so keep in touch." He then walked to the door, Team RNJR following behind him. When they were closed, a projection of the letter W appeared on Leo's desk.

"Oh, Leo…we have got to work on your improvisational skills."

Outside the office, everyone was confused about what happened. As the meeting went on, tensions seemed to rise between Qrow and Leo due to their opposing plans of action and the current state of Haven Academy being unguarded.

"Why didn't you tell him you had Ozpin's cane?" Nora asked.

"Because something's up," Qrow answered. "Leo's being irrational. He knows better than to leave the Relic unguarded."

"So what now?" Jaune asked.

"There's bound to be some people who can help us," Ruby suggested. "But the Council-"

"Doesn't own every Huntsman in the Kingdom," Qrow interrupted. "We cannot wait until the end of the month for help. I'll throw together a list tomorrow and start looking. But first…I need a drink."

"Don't get drunk," Ruby sternly told him.

"Sure, Mom," Qrow joked before walking away.