Chapter 64: Friend Request

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryugii. This has been pulled from his Spacebattle publishment. Anyway on with the show...errr read.

Friend Request

As the world shifted around us, Raven tensed suddenly. I couldn't blame her, even if I wasn't entirely certain what made her react that way—Naraka was an eerie place. The thousands upon thousands of sounds that people took for granted—distant voices, sounds of motion, all the signs that we weren't alone in an empty world, however fait—just vanished the instant we crossed between worlds, fading in the blink of an eye.

Because we were alone and the world was empty. Or at least, we would be for a few seconds, until those sounds returned—though what that return signified wouldn't be much better, honestly. Then we'd just be surrounded on all sides in an endlessly hostile world, instead.

"Where are we?" She asked, a sudden edge to her tone. It wasn't fear, though; it was almost…

"Didn't I just tell you, Raven?" I replied. "We are in Naraka—a dimensional space crafted by a barrier technique that we believe to have originated in Babel. It's a very interesting technique, layering an empty copy of the world over reality in such a way that they are at once separated and intertwined. But perhaps what is most interesting about it is what occurs within the space created."

Raven's mask turned and I felt her attention leave me like I was shrugging off a great weight. I could imagine what she was doing, using her power to sift through the world around us, to see the empty world as she searched for what I spoke of. It wouldn't take her long to find them, I was sure.

I saw her stiffen again and assume she'd seen it.

"The Grimm," She confirmed. "This place…it's creating Grimm."

"Yes," I replied. "Within this space, they will spawn without end—it's a breeding ground for monsters. At present, it creates only Beowolves, but given time I feel that will change. Already, you can see it somewhat, can you not? They've gotten larger since my first barrier, growing spines of bones and showing other signs of growth. I think they may be getting smarter, as well, since I've seen them work together better than before…I can interfere with the process, keep them weaker, but left alone this skill will make stronger and stronger Grimm as it improves."

"Why would anyone create such a thing?" Raven whispered. "A world that's desolate but for monsters, with enough of civilization left behind to show how empty it truly is. What were they trying to do?"

"Probably not this," I said, drawing her attention back to me. "It's strange and I admit I don't understand most of it—but as someone who learned to use this technique, I'm all but certain this is something they didn't plan for. The manuscript I learned this from painted a very different picture for what this technique would create, something…it's hard to even put into words, truly. I was lucky I understood enough to mimic the procedure, but much of the science behind it is still lost on me. And there was a science to this, I can assure you of that, just as I can tell you that this barrier feels wrong, as though something is making it behave erratically."

"What?"

"I haven't the slightest idea, I'm afraid," I answered. "There's too much I don't understand for me to even begin to say I know what's actually going on. And yet, I'm sure the possibilities are not lost on you."

"They created the Grimm," She replied. "That's what you're saying, isn't it?"

I hummed considering.

"Created," I said. "Summoned. Discovered. Perhaps were even discovered by. There's no way of really knowing and too many possibilities to count. Whatever the case, it's obvious they were tied to them somehow and it's likely they knew a great deal more about the Grimm then we do—possibly even where they came from. But if we can learn what they knew…"

There was the sound of claws scraping away at steel, a ground at the door to the server room that drew both of our attentions. It was soon followed by more noises as the Grimm outside began to mass at our doorstep and try to force their way inside.

I called upon Suryasta's power silently and watched them burn before turning to face Raven once more.

"There's a possibility," I continued. "A chance, even, that this might be what we're looking for—what all of us have been looking for, for as long as we can remember. Even if the odds might seem slim, if we can learn more about what led to the Grimm or figure out what is causing the problem…it's possible we might also be able to find a solution. We might be able to end this conflict, once and for all."

"End it," She said in a tone I recognize and understood completely. She said the words slowly, sounding them out like she could believe they were really, much less that they represented something possible—and yet, as if they were fascinating beyond measure. "Do you honestly believe that's possible?"

"I don't think it's impossible," I said. "In my eyes, that makes it worth trying. For all the people who have died…this world has lost too much for us not to try now. Will you help me?"

She was silent for a long minute, watching silently as more Grimm amassed. Or perhaps she wasn't. Perhaps it was the world she was looking at—a world barren of life, of Humans and Faunus alike, left empty of anything but the hunger of the Grimm. Perhaps she was looking at what awaited if we couldn't stop the Grimm. Not today, perhaps, maybe not even for a hundred or a thousand years, but some day in the future when our last hopes ran out and there was nowhere left to run and the last of us left this World with nothing but desolate ruins as sign of our passing.

"Yes," She finally answered. "I will help you. Even if it's just a tiny hope…"

"The difference between zero and one is as large as between one and infinity," I answered. "So this is far, far better than nothing, yes."

"Then what do we do next, Jian?" She asked, still looking away from me.

"Well, first…" I snapped my fingers and the dimension around us shattered, leaving us back in normal reality. "Let's finish up here, shall we?"

She looked at the computer screen and the information upon it, nodding once.

"I'll get a flash drive—"

I held one up, drawn from my Inventory. She looked at me for a moment, either surprised or annoyed, but nodded as I plugged it in and began copying files.

"Now then," I said, righting myself as the load bar began making progress. "We'll need to contact Mrs. Roma soon. Once we have her on our side, we'll have everything we need to truly begin. I don't foresee any problems on that front except one—her daughter. She seems to have been absent for quite some time. Do you happen to know what she's been up to?"

"Yes," She said. "She has not been harmed, merely…preoccupied. I wouldn't risk relations with the Families at this juncture, but I couldn't risk Ozpin interfering, either."

I chuckled.

"A wise decision. Still, there should be little need to worry about that now, I think," I answered. "Once the Roma family is on our side, the others will follow, so release her once we've finished negotiations. Her business trip will come to an end soon enough; until then we'll simply have her mother keep her out of our hair. We can afford to play nice and lay low until she's gone—though it had its uses, we don't need to rely on the festival any longer."

"Very well," Raven said. "Once our business has been completed, I'll send her back home."

"Wonderful," I replied, removing the flash drive after it finished its work. "We'll look over this, as well, and see what else we can find. With her connections, Mrs. Roma should be able to get us access to more recent files, as well. We'll have access to the copies of Babel within Alexandria's library soon and then it's simply a matter of examining the many ruins until we find something. I have no doubt that there's a record of known sites that Mrs. Roma can get us access to, but if that's not enough, we'll need to do some leg work."

"That's our next stop, then?" She murmured. "The Roma estate?"

"Yes," I said. "Although given your…history with her, it might be best if you allow me to speak to her first, however."

Raven grunted, probably remembering the incidents my grandmother had mentioned.

"Fine," She said, turning as shades of red and black gathered before her. "Let's go, then. It won't be too long before someone notices the guard upstairs. If we have what we need, there's no point in staying her any longer. Unless there's anything else…?"

I cleared the computer and put everything back in order before nodding at her and moving to her side. I raised my hand to stop her when she moved to go, however.

"One last thing," I said. "We should discuss who to tell."

She was silent for a moment, head tilting down.

"You know we can't tell everyone," I added after a moment of silence. "Even with your opinion of the Council, you know they did the right thing on that front; this situation will not be improved by thousands of panicked or outraged people. More than that, I think we of all people know the importance of keeping secrets, don't we?"

"I had no intention of telling anyone," She said after a moment. "The more people who know, the greater the chance that word will get out. Once that happens…I know. It's just that the Council…"

She fell silent for a moment. I couldn't see her expression or where she was looking, but her Aura curled around her as she stood.

"I got so tired of being sent to fight or die just so someone else could say they'd won," She continued after a moment of silence. "Of being lied to and used and watching others fall around me for things it turned out didn't even matter. Of being used so—"

She cut herself off and went quiet. I looked at her for a moment, considering her words. I had no idea what events she was referring to, of course, but…

"And look at me now," She sounded bitter. "At the wonders I left it all behind to create. I saw what they did and I had to correct it—and once I learnt the truth, I could never stop, no matter how much was lost and how many died. And it was all for nothing, in the end. How pitiful; I really am exactly the same as them."

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, lifting a hand to remove my mask after a moment of hesitation. It felt a bit odd to do so, but it wasn't my face beneath it, anymore; I didn't need to hide who I was with masks or makeup or even Lenore's power any longer, thanks to my new title. I wore the mask because of its power, not any actual need. So…this was fine.

"I don't believe that's true," I said, facing her. "All those years of belief, all the lives that flocked to it, all the things we've done…I don't think it meant nothing. I won't allow it to mean nothing. We're going to save the world, Raven."

She took a breath, looking into my eyes. After a moment, she raised her hands to her own mask and slowly lifted it from her face, revealing a surprisingly young looking face and bright red eyes.

"When you say it like that, it sounds even more ridiculous," She said. "Let's just leave."

I chuckled again, brushing my hair from my eyes before nodding to her, replacing my mask and walking through the portal.

Bargaining

We made a quick stop by the White Fang's base to let make copies of the information we'd gathered and to let things blow over in the city. Given how quickly everything had happened, my grandmother was probably still busy dealing with everything that was happening and there was probably a lot of fuss over what I'd done with Weiss, so we stayed put for a few hours and discussed a few things about our new mission—ways to contact one another, who to trust, what to tell the others, etc. After enough time had gone by to let things calm down a touch, Raven made a door and we went to have a talk.

The portal opened near the Roma estate, just out of sight of the property itself. I strode out of it confidently and let my awareness expand, flooding through the trees and across the carefully trimmed lawn. All around me, I felt life, nearly everywhere in the forest but much rarer in my grandmother's house—which made it easy to find what I was looking for using the largest signs as a reference point. I didn't sense Cynosarges anywhere in the house, but Hugo and Enzo stood watch by the front door of the house. In the southwest corner of the house, I ruffled Gou's ears with a carefully controlled breeze as he perked up in response to my presence, but the majority of my focus went to my grandmother in her office, where she was drumming her fingers quietly on the wood of her desk as she watched something on her scroll.

Without moving my lips, I spoke to her.

"I'm home, Grandmother," I whispered into her ear. She jerked in place once before tilting her head slightly as if to better listen to me, fingers stopping their motions instantly. She opened her mouth to speak, but I interrupted her before she could begin. "And Raven's with me."

And just like that, she closed her mouth with a click. I saw her lips twitch once as if to say something anyway, but she understood what I was saying—that Raven could be watching as we spoke and that so long as she was here, we both need to be careful about what came out of our mouths.

Thankfully, I didn't need a mouth to speak. I could use Levant to form words and make sure I wasn't overheard, whispering into ears without so much as twitching. Even when I was walking right next to her, I could speak without giving anything away.

"There's a lot I need to tell you, but we'll have to talk fast; a lot of this probably isn't going to make much sense because of that, but I need you to bear with me. First of all, this is what's happened since we last saw each other—the White Fang found out that Weiss Schnee was being housed in Atlas, probably because some guard didn't understand the gravity of the situation. My power alerted me to what was going on just in time and I managed to reach her before anyone else did, but Raven was already spying on her. You can probably imagine how problematic that made things, but I managed to wing it with some help from Pathfinder and divert her attention. You see, Weiss's mother had given her a necklace before passing on and inside was a recorded message and a password that I managed to access because it turned out to be part of my quest and I convinced Raven it was more valuable than Weiss' life."

Because I was essentially speaking with my thoughts, I didn't have to stop for breath, but I paused for a moment to let that sink in before continuing.

"And, well…maybe it kind of was. You see, Weiss mother had recorded a lot of confidential information for her daughters. I haven't had time to go over it all and see everything inside of it, but…we know about Dust, Grandmother. We saw the Schnee company reports, the Council transcripts, the forecasts, everything. I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about already, but just in case you don't…Dust is running out. I read enough to be sure of that, though the reports I saw were pretty old; you might have seen something more recently that said otherwise. As is, though, it was a pretty alarming discovery for both of us, but I like to think I handled it pretty well; I told Raven about what we discovered with Naraka and about our plans to learn as much as we can from Babel. I showed her Naraka to confirm it and she and I agreed to work together to find a solution. Now here's where things get tricky."

My Grandmother looked like she was getting a migraine listening to me talk, but there wasn't time to slow things down.

"She agreed to work with me and she believes I'm working with you, so you and I need to start working together right now. I'm at the edge of your property, disguised as Jian Bing, and as far as Raven is concerned, we're close allies. I'm supposed to go up and make sure there are no problems between you and Raven, but odds are good that she'll be watching us the whole time and we only have a short time to make up…everything. If there's anything you need to tell me or need to know, say so while you have the chance because I need to come up now."

My grandmother took a deep breath.

"We need to stop letting you wander off alone," She said before going silent for a moment before growling something to herself. "Okay. Okay. We don't have a lot of time, but we can handle this. I'm…as ready as I'll ever be; I suppose I'll follow your lead since you know what's happening. Just…"

She exhaled slowly, shaking her head. I understood anyway.

I lifted a hand, back in my body beside Raven.

"Wait here," I said. "It'll only take a minute."

Raven looked up at my grandmother's house, face masked once more. She was silent as I kept walking, not saying a word until I was almost out of sight.

"Be careful with her," She whispered, apparently just taking it for granted that I could here. Which I could, in fairness. "There's a reason so many people are afraid of the big, bad wolf. Watch your back."

"There seems little point in that when I have you to watch it for me," I replied, speaking into her ear. She didn't react, at least not that I could see, but felt the weight of her attention settle about me and left her with a chuckle.

I checked the area quickly to make sure the coast was clear before walking up to the front door like I owned the place. I gave Hugo and Enzo a glance and they open the door without a word, letting me in. Inside…I knew it was just my imagination, but the mansion seemed different now. Maybe it was just that I was usually with others while here, but I don't think that was it. Whatever it was though, walking through it now…there sure were a lot of rooms for a house that was so empty. As I walked, muffling my footsteps with Levant, it was almost like I was inside Naraka again.

And then I reached my grandmother's office.

"Come in," She said as I knocked and I slid the door open silently as I slipped through. My grandmother glanced up from what she was writing, flickering up to my face as she put her pen down. "Jian. I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Neither did I, Jeanne," I replied, leaning against the chair in front of her desk. "But something came up. I take it you're already aware of some of it?"

"Of course," She answered. "There was quite a stir over what you did to the Schnee Heiress and I got drawn into it; it's all over the news now. I assume there was a point to that?"

"Naturally," I said, lifting the flash drive and making a show of looking at it. "Did you know that the late Mrs. Schnee left a message behind for her children?"

She watched me silently for a moment, thumb brushing against the pen that now laid flat on her desk, as if ready to snatch it up and stab somebody at a moment's notice.

"No," She said at last. "What type of message was it, to interest you so much?"

"Oh, it was quite interesting. It was a key, of sorts—to something the Schnee Dust Company has hidden for a long, long time." I tossed the flash drive into the air absently before catching it once more, masked face turning towards my grandmother. "Of course, you probably already know, don't you Jeanne? About Dust."

She watched me warily for a moment, silent and still—until I chuckled quietly.

"It's okay," I smiled. "I'm not mad. I'm surprised you'd keep such a thing hidden from me, but no matter—I have good news!"

"Is that so?" My grandmother murmured, drumming her fingers again.

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"It is," I insisted. "A friend has decided to join us in our efforts."

"'A friend,'" She repeated, brow furrowing slightly as if surprised I had any. "Anyone I know?"

"Actually, yes," I answered. "I believe you're familiar with Raven Branwen?"

My grandmother went still, eyes intent on my face.

"We've met," She said.

"Good, good," I clapped softly. "Then I take it her involvement won't be an issue? You brought Cynosarges in on this matter, so it seemed only fair."

She continued to watch me for a long moment before giving a slight—microscopic, really—nod.

"Very well," She said. "If you vouch for her."

"I do," I answered with a smile. "Raven?"

A portal swirled to life behind me but I steadfastly refused to turn and look at it. As such, I saw the very real tension go into my grandmother when Raven entered. Everything up until now may have been an act, but the way she reacted to this…there was no doubt about it. She was honestly worried. Maybe even afraid. But was it for herself? Or for me?

"Now, I know you two have had your differences," I continued. "But I'm glad you're both able to put them aside in the face of necessity. Raven here even went out of her way to find your daughter, Jeanne, and volunteered to see her safely home."

"As soon as we're done here," Raven murmured, just a step behind me, eyes focused intently on my grandmother—just as my grandmother's were focused on her.

I spread a hand, smiling beneath my mask as I finally took a seat, relaxed amidst the tension.

"Then let's finish quickly," I said, gesturing graciously. "Since she must be worried. Raven has offered her aid in our search for Babel—and with her help, I foresee us accomplishing a great deal. After we're done searching through the library's records, it may become necessary to search the ruins themselves; if you would be so kind as to compile a list of known locations, that will give us a good starting point. That won't be a problem, will it?"

My grandmother's eyes went from me to Raven and back again before she shook her head slowly.

"No," She said. "It won't be an issue. I take it that what we discussed concerning the White Fang remains true?"

"Of course." I smiled. "I simply wanted to make you aware of recent developments—I believe in the value of communication, you see. I'll be going then—unless you need anything?"

"No," She said quietly. "We can always talk later, after all."

"Until then," I rose, bowing ever so slightly. "Goodbye, Jeanne."

Levant, standing invisibly behind her, leaned forward ever so slightly and whispered into her ear.

"I'll be home soon, Grandmother, and I'll make sure mom gets back safely, too. I'm sorry for all of this." She said in my voice, the words not carrying past my grandmother's ears. She didn't react to them, though, simply watching me as I followed Raven back through her portal.

"Until then," She said as the door closed behind us.

The rest of the day passed quickly. The simple fact of the matter was that there just wasn't a lot we could do until we had more information. Once my grandmother had finished arranging things, we'd be able to start checking things out, but for now all that was left was to finish sketching out the basics—we'd talked a bit about who else to involve, agreed to keep things quiet for now, and then pretty much decided to go our separate ways after giving each other a few ways to contact one another. Raven left through her portal and I through Naraka and that had pretty much been that. My quest, 'The Dogs of Mistral,' had declared itself complete and I'd received my received my reward, for what little it amounted to after all the levels I'd gained in the course of the mission itself.

That was fine, though. I was pretty used to the fact that doing quests wasn't the best way to grind—and that hadn't been the point to begin with. No, compared to everything else that had happened, to everything I learned, it was almost unimportant. I was…honestly, I still wasn't sure how I felt about everything that had happened, but I supposed I was content enough with the results. Rather than 'grinding,' I felt like I'd made 'progress.'

There was only one thing left to do, which was why I was here. I waited in front of my grandmother's house, sitting on the steps beneath the night sky with Gou and Autumn at my side. Hugo and Enzo stayed nearby, though they went into the house as night began to fall—I wasn't sure if they stayed here full time or if they switched off with someone else eventually, but whenever I checked in on them, they were awake and on guard. My grandmother was still in her office, though I noticed her looking out the window frequently—we'd spoken briefly upon my return, but when I'd asked to delay things for a while, she'd conceded, understanding what I was requesting from her. I wasn't really worried about what she'd say when we finally did talk, given that we'd both had to do our best with what we'd been given, but I'd put her in an awkward position and I understood that. Really, though, I didn't think she was too upset with the results; she might give me a mild scolding over a few things, but all told, it probably wasn't anything to get too worried about.

And even if that wasn't the case, this was more important. I believed Raven, but that didn't change the fact that I needed to be here to see it.

The sun had nearly set when my mother came home. Her clothes were dirty, stained, and torn, as if she'd spent the last few days in the wilderness—and maybe she had. I could see Raven just opening a portal under her while she slept and dumping her off in the woods somewhere; getting rid of her problems by tossing them through a portal or something along those lines. I wasn't sure exactly what happened between them, wasn't sure I even wanted to ask, but…

It didn't really matter as long as she came back.

"Welcome home, Mom," I greeted, elbows on my knees. Gou reacted with enough excitement for the both of us, bouncing in place as internally puppy forces tried to pull him in every direction. I looked her over with quiet concern, checking her HP and MP as I made sure she was okay, but beyond looking roughed up and generally filthy, she seemed pretty much the same as when I'd last seen her—that is, except for one thing.

The Earth, My Anvil

LV89

Isabella Arc

She looked at me silently as she climbed the stairs, the expression on her face tired, but she didn't say a word until she was just a few steps below me.

"I guess I missed your match," She said at last, sighing as she leaned her forehead against the pommel of her sword. "I'm sorry, Jaune."

"It's okay," I shook my head. "In the end, I decided not to compete."

"Oh?" She asked, eyebrows furrowing as she looked me over.

I shrugged a shoulder absently as I rose and went to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. A few quick heals took the bite out of whatever exhaustion she must have felt—enough so that she began brushing herself off and frown at me like her thoughts were coming together.

"Something came up," I said, facing that consideration fully. "I think I've had enough excitement for one trip, anyway."

She raised a hand to my face as she looked me over, her eyes worried.

"What happened?"

I sighed.

"All sorts of things, Mom," I said, scratching my head with a finger. "Enough that…I don't even know, really. Thing were kind of a mess there for a bit and…I don't want to bother you when you just got back and haven't even eaten yet. You'll probably get a headache, like Grandmother did."

"I'm fine," She said, before frowning suddenly. "Where is she, anyway?"

I jerked my head back at one of the windows above us. I could feel her there, through my powers, watching her daughter's return without making a sound. After a moment, she let the curtains fall back into place and returned to her desk silently.

"She wanted to speak to you when you got back," I said. "Said she'd fill you in."

"Did she now?" Mom glanced up at the window and frowned slightly before shaking her head in annoyance. "She can wait. What happened to you, Jaune? Are you okay?"

"I'm the same as always," I smiled, absently checking to make sure there were no unwanted observers. "No need to worry about me. But…it feels mean to pile stuff onto you before you even walk through the door, but I guess its better for you to hear it from me then see it on the news or something. I won't ask you about your mission or what happened, but I take it you're aware that the White Fang's been active in Mistral

She looked at me with a complete and utter lack of surprise which I took as an 'of course.'

"Well…things got a little wild. I'm still not entirely sure about everything that happened and there were a lot of questions left unanswered when all was said and done, but I had to make an appearance when things got…well, when things started to get bad. I'm not sure how much you knew or how much is safe to tell you even now, but the White Fang found out that Weiss Schnee was in Mistral—"

I paused for a minute to look at her but she still didn't look surprised. That…answered a few questions and raised even more.

"—And I had to interfere," I continued. "In the process, though, I…well, we came across some really dangerous information."

My mother frowned at that, the concern in her eyes deepening.

"What kind of information?" She asked. "And what do you mean when you say it might not be safe?"

I looked at her silently for a moment, tilting my head before nodding as I came to a decision.

"I mean that I really don't know what some people might do if they somehow find out you know—but if you really want to, I'll tell you anyway," I said. "It's big, though. 'Internationally kept secret' big. The Councils—all of the Councils, unanimously—agreed to keep it hidden when they found out about it…and so did my partner in the White Fang, the Schnee Dust Company, and God knows who else. I don't know who all is aware of this, but…it's a list of really, really powerful people and with what's at stake, they might be willing to do some extreme things to keep it hidden."

"You're saying you shouldn't tell me," She stated.

I shrugged.

"I don't really know, honestly," I said. "But it's not really my place to decide what's best for you, is it Mom? That's why I'm letting you choose. It's not the type of secret that should be spread around easily, and it's not really a truth you'd be happy knowing, either. Whether you knowing would help matters, though…well, I'm not sure. But I trust you and I respect you, so I'll let you decide for yourself."

She looked me up and down slowly before closing her eyes.

"What did they get you wrapped up in, Jaune?" She murmured before leaning her forehead against mine. I noticed belatedly that I'd gotten taller than her at some point during the last few months. "I didn't mean for you to get involved in all this…"

I shrugged again.

"Its fine," I said, not wanting her to worry but fully aware that she would no matter what I did. "It was nothing I couldn't handle."

"It's not a matter of what you can and cannot handle," She said, opening her eyes to meet mine. "You've gotten even stronger while I was away, haven't you?"

"A little bit, I guess," I replied, smiling slightly. "Like I said, a lot happened."

She nodded slightly, the motion pushing my own head back.

"Did you manage to get your Wisdom over ninety?" She asked.

"Over a hundred," I answered. "I'm level forty-six now, Mom. I can even see your level now."

"Level forty—" She began incredulously before stopping herself. "I assume there's a story there, too, but we'll put there aside for the time being. But since you're so wise now, why don't I ask you for advice? What do you think, Jaune? Should you tell me?"

I considered that for a moment before smiling at her.

"I don't think it makes a lot of difference either way, honestly," I told her. "I think you'll be worried, but everything will be okay—because I'll make sure of it. I just wanted you to know what's at stake before you got involved in this. If you really want to, though, it might not be a bad idea to speak to Grandmother or Ozpin."

"Or Ozpin," She repeated. "What does he have to do with this?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest, but we figure he probably knows or at least suspects," I snorted. "I talked to Grandmother about it and she said it might be a good idea to bring him in on things even if he doesn't, a least to a degree. So I guess I'll talk to him later? If you're not sure, I guess you could ask him if he thinks you should know."

Mom exhaled slowly, shaking her head as she looking up at the darkening sky.

"What a mess," She said. "This whole damn trip has been…"

She sighed again before looking back at me and giving me a slight smile.

"How about you let me get some sleep first and then decide, okay?"

"Okay," I nodded, returning her smile. "I'm glad you're okay, Mom."

"Me, too," She patted my cheek and let her shoulder's sag. "I should go talk to her now, I suppose. Get this over with."

It wasn't hard to guess what she meant, so I nodded and followed her as she walked back to the house. But…

"What do we do now?" I asked. "What with everything getting…"

I gestured vaguely.

"I'll need to talk to some people," She said. "Just to make sure of some stuff. I assume you'll want to say something to your friends, too, right?"

I nodded and she smiled up at the sky again.

"After we do that, though…these…these last few days in Mistral really helped me remember something. Something I…something I guess I let myself forget. Something simple but so important." She said before turning her head to look my way. "Why I fucking left. Let's go home, Jaune."

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