A/N: Well that took longer than I would have liked but that's not any different than normal, anyway as those of you who follow me as an author may know I've recently written a bunch of RWBY stuff and I blame that for getting me back to writing, if you know what RWBY is maybe those stories will interest you, if you don't know what it is I personally recommend it as something to watch.

Oh yes and "Cosmos" By T.A.T.U. is a good song if you want to feel the theme of this series.

Anyway a new chapter for Evolution is up next and probably some more RWBY stuff. School will be starting up again soon I don't know how much that'll change my slow ass update schedule but we'll see, anyway enough about me, on with the show!

Chapter 3: White Fang

The world disappeared around them as if everything had just fallen away and then everything came right back in the blink of an eye, it seemed the industrial and war torn city was gone and in its place was a snowy wilderness.

"Sam?!" Jinx shouted, Raven was quietly observing.

Sam smiled crookedly. "I couldn't resist."

"But- you?"

"Are not likely to ever see or hear of your home ever again." Raven said calmly.

"I know that, I don't want you two to think I did this on a whim, I know exactly the weight of the decisions I've made." Sam replied crossing her arms.

"It doesn't much matter now there's no going back, now… where are we?" Raven said calmly.

Standing in about five inches of crisp white snow Raven scanned in every direction seeing only huge pine trees in every direction. The snow went on unbroken as far as she could see and a gentle breeze floated by them, the air was cold but not stinging, the sky was clear and blue.

"I'll check up high." Raven said floating up above the tall pines for a better view.

The forest stretched on in every direction tall pine trees covered with snow stretching out into a green and white sea. The only landmarks Raven could see were a small rocky outcropping barely visible through the trees, further beyond that appeared to be a lake, and off in the distance was a lone mountain stretching up from the endless sea of green and white.

"Well looks like were heading off that way." Raven pointed in the direction of the rocky outcropping. "There's a pile of rocks that we should be able to make before sundown, well assuming this planet's time cycle is similar to our own anyway."

"See anything else?" Jinx asked.

"A lake and a mountain, but that was it."

"Hmmm seems like there isn't much here, hope we can find a power source…" Jinx trailed off.

"Yeah, get some warm gear out and let's go."

Truly this place seemed devoid of life, the only things they had seen were the endless pines, and the crunchy un-marked snow, no tracks, no other plants, no sound. The place was disturbingly quiet the gentle wind made an occasional sound but other than that just their own footfalls and breathing broke the resounding silence.

"This place is givin' me the creeps Rae." Jinx said after a while walking.

"There doesn't seem to be anything else here, it's strange but I don't think we're in danger."

"Still gives me the creeps."

"You just don't like the silence." Raven teased.

"You know I'm not a quiet person!"

"I know that very well." Raven replied rolling her eyes.

Sam just smiled to herself as they walked on.

Whatever the planets day/night cycle was the sun was going down by the time they reached the rocky outcropping. A quick search of the area revealed a small overhang set into the rocky face that would make a good enough shelter for the night, the outcropping itself was only special in that it was the only real landmark they had come across, it was the only thing they had seen that wasn't a large pine or endless snow covered ground.

A thought occurred to Jinx as they arrived at the outcropping and she began digging through the snow that covered the ground.

"Jinx?" Raven asked curiously.

"I want to see if there's grass or something under the snow, if there is we'll know this place isn't always like this, the snow would have to melt for the grass to grow." Jinx dug for a few more moments. "Oh… well that's… slightly disconcerting actually."

Jinx lifted her hand filled with a thick gray ash-like material, allowing it to slip through her fingers back to the ground.

"No grass, not even soil." Sam said frowning.

"This place is a mystery…" Raven looked around surveying the empty forest. "Come on let's get camp set up, there aren't any answers here."

Jinx zipped around breaking dead branches from nearby pines for firewood as Raven and Sam set up their bedrolls. They had decided not to bring a tent figuring they would find or make their own shelter when necessary preferring to save space for other essentials like food.

Jinx came back with an armful of dead branches and started making a fire, before long they were all huddled around the campfire as a small pot of soup bubbled away.

"Do you think we should have someone on watch tonight?" Sam asked as they ate.

"I don't think it's necessary, there doesn't seem to be anything here but us." Raven replied. "And I will wake up if something magical approaches us."

Sam seemed satisfied by that answer and went back to her food.

Jinx yawned stretching her arms over her head before promptly laying her head down in Raven's lap, Raven just smiled slightly and ran her hand through the thief's hair affectionately.

Sam stood up and walked outside looking up at the dark star-crossed sky.

"The night sky still looks the same; I guess some things will never change." She mumbled to herself looking up at the stars. "I wonder which one of these is home?"

"You think she'll be alright Rae?" Jinx asked looking at the four armed red head.

"Yeah, like she said, she knows exactly what she got herself into."

"Hey, you two might want to come see this…" Sam called to them from outside.

Curious Raven and Jinx got up and walked outside following Sam's gaze to the mountain off in the distance.

A beautiful light show was dancing across the sky culminating at what appeared to be the mountain's peak.

"It looks like the Aurora Borealis, back on Earth." Jinx said.

"It does, but something's different, the way it's focused on the mountain there is strange." Raven said cocking her head at the display.

"Think we could get the energy we need there?" Sam asked.

"I think it's probably our best bet." Raven replied with a shrug. "We keep moving towards the mountain tomorrow."

The forested planet continued in its soft silence as they hunkered down for sleep. Sam quickly falling asleep in her sleeping bag as Raven sat writing in her own sleeping bag.

"Room for one more?" Jinx asked with her trademark cheshire smile.

"Jinx we only brought one sleeping bag on purpose." The sorcerer replied opening the bag for Jinx.

Jinx got in and snuggled against the empath. "I know, feels rude to just barge in when you're… what are you doing?" Jinx asked poking her nose into the book Raven had been writing in.

"I'm recording our Journey in a journal." Raven replied showing the simple black leather-bound journal to the hex caster.

"Huh, I think you're probably gunna need a bigger book." Jinx said skimming over the entries.

"That's very likely, but when we get home it should prove an interesting read." Raven replied wrapping her arms around the thief and resting her head in the crook of her neck, slowly sliding her hand down Jinx's new mechanical arm to weave her fingers between the metal digits.

Jinx set the journal aside, and squeezed Raven's hand as it twined with her own leaning against the empath. "Best seller material, I'd bet."

"Mmmm." Raven half replied pulling the thief down with her and falling asleep quickly.

It was mid-day before they reached the lake Raven had seen. The lake was surrounded by about fifty meters of bare ground all the way around, the clean un-marked snow leading up to a pebble beach that lined the perfectly still waters. The lake itself was U shaped, they had come out at the bottom of the U and Raven guessed the opposite shore was at least three-hundred meters away. The lake, as everything else they had seen, was completely devoid of life no fish or plants of any kind inhabited the perfectly still waters of the clear blue lake.

"How is it not frozen?" Jinx wondered out loud.

The lake indeed didn't have any ice anywhere along its surface that they could see.

"I don't know, maybe there's something in the water." Raven suggested.

"So we probably shouldn't drink it then?" Jinx asked.

"No, probably not." Raven said, she did however pull out a small glass vial and approached the edge of the lake dipping the vial into the frigid water and filling the small vial before firmly sealing the cap on. "Water from the surface of another planet, not bad for a souvenir eh?"

Jinx chuckled. "No not bad at all."

Raven walked back over carefully stowing the vial away in her bag, she stopped mid-step.

"Rae?"

"I feel something." Raven turned looking out across the lake to the peninsula formed by the lake's shape, on the distant shore stood a massive white dire wolf standing proud and tall as it looked straight at them.

"Whoa." Jinx muttered.

Raven stared across at the creature feeling something from it reach out to her, an understanding passed between them, the nature of which Raven could not begin to fathom.

"That… is a creature of incredible power." Raven mumbled as it turned and disappeared into the forest.

"Do you think it's dangerous?" Jinx asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"No… he… communicated with me." Raven said struggling to find words to describe what she had just felt.

"It did? How?"

"I'm… not sure, I felt his… presence and then I had a sudden… understanding." Raven shook herself slightly. "At the top of the mountain we'll be able to get the energy we need, but there's an… enemy there that I'll have to defeat."

"He told you all that?" Jinx asked.

"Not… technically no, I understand it but no words were exchanged, it's deeper than that, raw understanding."

"What kind of being is powerful enough to just grant you understanding?" Jinx asked staring out at where the wolf had been. "And if there's an enemy there what is that going to be like and why can't he take care of it?"

"It's an opposite." Raven replied looking off to the mountain.

"What?"

"The enemy there is the opposite of the being we just saw, they can't directly affect each other, the white wolf needs me to fight for him."

"How do we know who's good an' whose bad here Rae?"

"Because I understand, just… you'll have to trust me, but I understand it, it's… difficult to explain."

Jinx sighed. "I trust you Rae, you know I do, just paranoid is all."

Raven smiled. "Well come on, he also showed me a place to rest tonight that's not too far away, let's go."

The place was simple yet effective enough, a small clearing surrounded on three sides by large boulders, would keep out the worst of the night's weather, before long they we're sitting around a campfire eating.

"So I've heard how you two came to be stranded across the galaxy but what did you two do before that?" Sam asked.

"I was a… vigilante of sorts, I was on a team of others with special abilities and such, and we did what we could to help keep our city safe." Raven replied.

"I was a criminal in another time, a thief mainly, happened to fall in with the wrong group of people and had the right talents for it." Jinx shrugged. "They turned on me and I was on the run for a long time, til' Raven saved me." Jinx replied smiling fondly at the empath.

Raven smiled back taking a sip of tea. "My further past is significantly less… cheerful, I'm a Halfling, my father was a powerful demon."

"I suppose that explains a few things, although I suppose it brings up a few more questions." Sam said.

"My father intended to use me as a portal for him to invade this plane, imagine his surprise when I defeated him, not without help of course, but my heritage does not define who I am." Raven replied firmly keeping eye contact with Sam.

Sam put up her hands defensively. "No judgments here, I may not have known you for very long but you've done good by me." She paused smirking. "Besides you're not the only Halfling here."

"So what about you Sam?" Jinx asked.

"Not been much in my life besides the war, when I was young I can remember a few of the festivals with Vera, those were good times, happy and peaceful." Sam said with a nostalgic look in her eyes.

"Those are the kind of time you left behind to come with us you know." Jinx stated, looking sideways at the red head.

"Yeah, but for one reason or another I'm not a peaceful person not anymore at least, I prefer to be doing something, before it was fighting; now I'm with you two." Sam replied leaning back and looking up to the sky.

"I can understand that." Jinx said leaning up against Raven. "But I've learned that peace and quiet can be nice too."

Raven smiled down at the thief. "Come on let's get some rest."

It took them until late in the day to reach the mountain and now standing at its base they looked up to the climb before them.

"Think it'll take long?" Jinx asked as they began hiking up the slope.

"I don't think it'll be too bad, besides you and I can fly and Sam has four arms we've got advantages."

Jinx chuckled and shrugged. "Fair enough."

The mountain side was a mix of snow, the ashen soil, and shale-like gravel, but not terribly steep in most places. After about an hour of climbing Jinx looked up the slope.

"Hey Rae, it's our friend." Jinx called over motioning up towards the peak where the White Dire wolf was sitting on a small flat area.

Raven looked up seeing him. "He must have something for us."

They climbed up to the ledge where the Dire wolf waited for them; the peak was a short ways up the mountain beyond. The great wolf sat in front of a large flat stone, upon which lay a single large ivory fang. Raven approached the rock and gently took the fang, the wolf nodded and slowly walked further up the mountain.

"What was that all about?" Jinx asked.

"A weapon, I'll need this to defeat the opposite." Raven replied examining the large fang.

"It's a big tooth Rae but killing something with that?" Jinx asked looking worried.

"It's more than it appears to be, lets rest here a moment before we finish this."

Raven walked to the edge of the small shelf and sat down to meditate. The view beyond was something to behold, possessing an ethereal alien beauty, the endless snow covered forest was bathed in the waning light of the setting sun lighting the forest afire with light reflecting off the pristine snow.

Jinx sighed taking in the sight. "I suppose we'll get a lot of views like this along the way eh?"

Raven smiled. "Sunsets over alien worlds?"

"Yeah, something like that, gunna get home and see a regular old sunset on Earth and get bored." Jinx chuckled.

"Somehow I think our first sunset back on Earth will be the most breathtaking of all."

Jinx smiled. "Looking out over the bay from the top of Titans Tower, the light shining off the water."

"It's a date then." Raven replied with a small smile.

"It's a date…" Jinx took in a deep breath. "Alright come on then, let's get back on the road."

They began the final hike to the top of the mountain.

"So are you the only one that can hurt this thing?" Sam asked.

"Yes, the wolf chose me because of my abilities combined with the fang I'll be able to defeat it." Raven replied.

"So what, are we supposed to just stand by and watch?" Jinx asked.

"Unfortunately yes, the way I understand it you won't even be able to touch it, don't need either of you getting hurt pointlessly."

"And what if you get hurt?" Jinx asked concern in her voice.

"Then we're all screwed, but I hope it shouldn't come to that." Raven replied.

Jinx thought for a few moments as they climbed before letting out a long sigh. "I believe in you Rae, you'll get us out of here."

"I've seen you fight first hand, can't imagine what it would take to knock you down." Sam added.

Raven smiled to herself and continued climbing, before long they reached another shelf at the very peak of the mountain. A large flat circular area of dark grey stone, at the far end sat another large dire wolf black as coal with featureless black eyes. Next to them sat the white wolf, Jinx and Sam stood over by the White wolf while Raven walked forward.

The Dark wolf growled rising to its feet, Raven stood tall advancing to the center of the clearing. The wolf stared lowering itself ready to pounce as it eyed Raven before it lunged but Raven swatted its attack to the side with a shield, it eyed her angrily and attacked again only to be rebuffed by another obsidian shield, then Raven pushed it back with a wave of energy.

She pulled out the fang and held it before her; it glowed and flashed brightly forcing Jinx and Sam to look away. When they looked back Raven had changed, she had a pair of thick black winter gloves trimmed with short white fleece and a matching pair of boots, her cloak as well was thicker and lined with the same white fleece, and the fang was now a long slender machete-like sword made of a pale milky silver metal with an intricate ivory handle wrapped in black leather.

"Whoa" Jinx mumbled to herself.

Raven twirled the short blade readying herself for the wolf's next attack, when the wolf lunged Raven blocked the attack and slashed with her sword cutting a bright glowing streak across the dark wolfs face. The wolf reared back howling in pain and growling at Raven.

"Come on let's finish this." Raven growled out.

The wolf reared back and swung its head forward howling out a blizzard, Raven pulled her cloak in front of her and disappeared in the swirling white storm. The attack subsided and Raven stood her cloak covered in white hoarfrost, she threw her arm out swinging the cloak out of her way and shaking off the flaky white crust filling the air with white ice. This time Raven lunged while the wolf was recovering, she ducked under a swing and plunged the blade deep into the dire wolf's chest.

She pulled her blade free and stepped back as the dark wolf collapsed to the ground, a pitiful whine escaping it as it began to disintegrate into a whirlwind of snow and ice.

The white wolf padded around to the far end of the circle and let out a long howl to the darkening sky.

A voice suddenly boomed around them, deep and serene.

"Now that the stalemate has been broken I may begin to shape this planet, and bring it life, you three have intervened on my behalf and for that I am grateful your mark on this place will not be forgotten."

The wolf turned its attention to Raven as the fang glowed turning into a simple necklace the fang hanging from the end alongside a few dark brown wooden beads.

"You have proven yourself worthy of that, may it forever be at your side when the cold winds blow." He paused turning away towards the other side of the mountain.

"The aurora will arrive shortly; I wish you luck on your long journey." And with that the wolf slowly disappeared over the side of the mountain.

Jinx and Sam came over and stood next to Raven.

"Already glad I decided to come along." Sam said with a smile.

"Why do you always get the cool stuff?" Jinx said with a pout.

"Says the girl with a mechanical arm." Raven retorted smiling.

"Hey, I had to lose the first one to get this!" Jinx replied running her hand over the mechanical appendage.

"And I had to fight a giant dire wolf."

Jinx huffed, but softened after a looking fondly at her girlfriend. "I knew you could do it."

Raven smiled.

The sky alit with color as the wavy bands of the aurora lit in the sky.

"Here we go, well let's see what happens next." Raven said pulling out the black leather-bound tome.

"I'm expecting a desert after this ice ball." Sam remarked.

"I hope not, I just got all that nice winter gear." Raven replied grinning.

Jinx and Sam both smiled back chuckling.

The aurora descended around them.

A/N: As always thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed.