[Update! Same Chapter just letting you know the print version Presence: The Marked is now available as well! Hope you all enjoyed Rebukegeddon!]

Disclaimer: Still don't own RWBY but if you read any other part of Rebukegeddon today then you know that I do own Presence: The Marked by L.J. Branch which you can find on Amazon. That's right it's finally out, so please considered supporting your boy if you like my content!

RebuffX7: Which I hope you do if you made it far enough in this story to even see this announcement.

Will: Which I hope I've been doing a good job at Beta Reading at. Truly, this is a Rebukegeddon, even had me using my typing gloves.

We gotta work hard Will! By the way we also broke the 2mil word milestone with Rebukegeddon, whhhhhhooooooo!

BETAED BY: Will S. LaVi (You can do it every one! Read on!)

Featured BGMs:

Spin and Burst- Boruto the Movie Soundtrack

V2: Chapter 5: Winter (Part 2)

-Empire of Rose: 3 years before the fall of Empress Rose-

"It was her birthday today." The Empress whispered as she and Jaune lay naked beneath the sheets of her bed. The room was silent with the exception of the crackling fire from the fireplace.

"Yeah and our anniversary last week." Jaune said as he looked at the flames. Soon, faint screams echoed throughout his mind as he saw buildings collapsing in the flames of the fireplace.

"Stay with me Jaune." The Empress whispered as she grasped the side of his face. His eyes shone silver briefly before the screams and images stopped.

"Sorry." Jaune said as he placed a hand over hers. "And thank you. That was a pretty nasty one."

"No problem."

"Do…do you ever wonder about how different things would be if she made it?" The Empress questioned quietly.

"Do you?" Jaune asked knowingly as he turned to face her, around the same time every year since the 'incident' they had some form of this conversation. Many times, it was silent, not even words would be exchanged as they simply looked at each other in sorrow.

Other times?

The conversation would grow heated. A fierce disaster, reminiscent of a tornado colliding with a volcano that left nothing in its wake except the increasingly fragile bond that was their relationship that sometimes they wondered how they manage to weather the storm each and every year.

"Do you wish things had gone differently?"

"Do you?"

"Do you feel guilty, about us?" The Empress questioned, a tear sliding down her cheek as Jaune rested his forehead against hers.

"Do you?" Jaune whispered and they both closed their eyes, holding on to each other tightly as they waited for the pain to stop. Jaune wasn't being evasive, The Empress knew that…

…it was just that they both had the same answers to her questions.

"I think I have apologized to everyone I could think of at this point…but you…it just hurt too much." Jaune whispered after a few moments when it appeared that the Empress was sleep. "I'm sorry I wasn't a stronger man."

"I'm sorry I wasn't a stronger woman." The Empress whispered and she felt him tense at her words before he simply relaxed in her embrace.

That would be the last year they ever had that conversation.

-JNPR: Dorm: Present-

"Has anything like this happened before?" Pyrrha questioned as her team and Ruby sat in the dorm room.

"Yes, but it didn't get this far." Jaune said with a frown. "Weiss doesn't run from her problems, but rather, she pushes everyone away so that she can deal with them alone. The last time I saw this, no matter what I did, I couldn't reach her."

"So, what did you do?" Pyrrha asked curiously.

"Nothing." Jaune said as he ran a hand through his hair clearly frustrated. "She and I had returned to Mistral for a mission when she asked me to amp her aura out of nowhere. I trusted her and after a few days of her being MIA she returned, thanking me for my love and looking better than ever. I still don't know what happened but whatever it was, it clearly shook her even if she did get over it. I honestly regret not being closer to her this time around. Maybe I could have done something different to stop her from leaping off of the deep end."

"It's not your fault, Jaune." Ruby said as she shook her head while Pyrrha frowned.

"What was up with that by the way? You had no problems approaching Ruby or I this time around." Pyrrha pointed out. "However, with Weiss you just avoided her completely."

"What can I say? Weiss and I picked up a lot of bad habits from each other." Jaune said quietly as an image of Weiss collapsing in the middle of his burning hometown flashed through his mind. "There are some losses you face that you will never recover from. Of all my failures, Weiss reminds me of my greatest one."

At this, Pyrrha softened her expression as she had an idea of what he was referring to.

Even the fall of the Empress didn't involve a loss as intimate as the one her leader faced when his Weiss died.

"Jaune, you know that the only one at fault is Tyrian." Ruby said firmly which just made Jaune roll his eyes.

"At this point Your Majesty? You should know me well enough to know that I will never believe that." Jaune said seriously and Ruby averted her eyes, knowing that there was nothing she could do to change his mind. Unlike other times, she knew that this was one experience that they didn't share and one she hoped she never would.

She simply didn't understand and she honestly didn't want to.

So, like the good leader she was, she knew when to stop pressing.

"I may not understand exactly…" Ruby thought as she met his gaze that though impassive, held a pain she was beginning to know all too well. "…but we both know he isn't the only one that lost two loves."

As if he could hear her thoughts, his expression softened as he averted his eyes.

"Normally, Team RWBY's bonds would have solved this before it got this far." Ren said as he skillfully got them back on topic. "However, because of our interference they are strained at best."

"An unfortunate but necessary price to pay." Ruby said with a sigh. "From what I remember and from what my other half tells me, we needed the increase in power. We can work on our bonds in the meantime."

"So what decision did you make?" Pyrrha asked Ruby curiously. "Winter has come to take Weiss away. Are you going to fight alongside her tomorrow?"

"No." Ruby revealed, surprising them all. "Yang will. It's why she isn't here, she's training now. If we are going to fix my team, their bond is the first that needs to be worked on. Though I don't want to believe it, Weiss and Blake's relationship might be a lost cause. Hopefully this shared experience will help Weiss get over whatever her hang up with my sister is."

"That's risky." Jaune murmured.

"But it might work." Nora mused. "If anyone can melt the Ice Queen, it's Yang."

"My thoughts exactly." Ruby said before she released a shuddering breath. "Worst case scenario, I will personally adjust Weiss' attitude." Ruby said as her eyes glimmered a bit. "The thought makes me sick and it would stunt her growth in the long run, she isn't ready, but if she stays on this path, I might have to forcibly Knight her."

"What?" Jaune whispered as everyone looked at her in shock, Nora's face shifted into one of horror and then anger.

"Like hell." Nora said as she rose to her feet and glared at Ruby. "You don't get to make that choice. That belongs to the potential knight and them alone."

"Watch yourself." Ruby said as her eyes flickered briefly. "You think I want to? You think that I like playing God? Weiss is destroying herself." Ruby said and Pyrrha flinched. "And we did this, I did this! The fate of the world depends on us, we cannot afford to break. We have to win by any means necessary."

"We don't remove one's free will." Nora said firmly as she crossed her arms as she got in Ruby's face, her eyes crackling with power. "Be careful Princess, you are at a crossroads and the shoes you are trying to fill are still a bit loose." Nora said pointedly. "This is how it starts, it's a slippery slope, it starts with one…then two…then the next thing you know you'll be a tyrant."

"You do not know the meaning of that word, knight." Ruby said quietly as she glared into Nora's eyes, her eyes shining bright.

"Knight? We both know I'm more than that, I am a god."

"And I don't care." Ruby said and the next thing they knew a javelin flew between them and stabbed into the wall, forcing them to separate.

"Retract the claws, this is not the time." Pyrrha said dryly. "You can measure your non-existent dicks later. Focus on the problem at hand."

"Ruby's decision came from a place of love not a thirst for power, and you know that, Valkyrie." Jaune said firmly and Nora averted her eyes looking a bit ashamed. "Take your issues up with her when an ally of ours is not in jeopardy." Jaune said before he turned to Ruby. "And…"

"…Nora isn't wrong either." Pyrrha continued for her leader. "It's a slippery slope and you are our leader. You care for her, I understand, but if she falls, she falls. Don't ever break your own rules because the second you do, they become worthless. The best way to avoid a slippery slope is to never step on it."

"Lead by example." Jaune advised.

"I…I'm sorry." Ruby said as she rubbed her temples. "Its just so much being thrown at me at once and I don't want to lose Weiss."

"And you won't, picking Yang was a great decision even if you don't know just how much." Pyrrha explained. "I will probably miss a lot of the fight tomorrow. I'm going to lock myself in the library and go over some tomes I brought with me regarding aura and the soul as well as look over the ones Beacon has on the subjects."

"Huh? Why?" Jaune asked curiously as Pyrrha grabbed a bag and dumped said books into it.

"Because Weiss said something offhandedly before we ran into Winter that I just realized might be the issue. I won't say it because if I am wrong it will just create more problems." Pyrrha told them as she made her way to the door before she stopped. "But if I'm right, then I will say this. Yang and Winter may be the only ones that can save Weiss."

And with that Pyrrha left leaving her companions behind her, more worried than before.

"Ren." Ruby began but that man was already up and heading to the door.

"I will assist her." Ren said as he left.

"This is turning out to be one hell of a mess." Jaune muttered and Nora couldn't help but nod.

"Yeah…" Nora trailed off before she glanced at Ruby. "…look…"

"I understand." Ruby said as she stopped Nora. "If I was you, I would have done the same thing. Just please understand that she is not me."

"You're right, I'll try to separate you two." Nora said with a small smile that Ruby hesitantly mirrored. "Clean slate?"

"Clean slate."

-Beacon: Ruins: The Next Morning-

"I've only been here once before, but I do remember there actually being ruins here." Winter pointed out as Glynda sighed.

"Yes well, you can thank Mr. Arc and Ms. Nikos for that." Glynda said dryly as Jaune looked away and whistled innocently. There was only a small group attending, mainly because they were the only ones that knew about the upcoming match. The group consisted of Winter, Glynda, Penny and Team Ruby and JNPR minus Pyrrha and Ren.

"Two students did this?" Winter asked skeptically.

"They are very good students." Glynda said with a shrug.

"Sensational!" Penny said happily as the scanners in her eyes recreated the fight. "Are you truly a student?"

"Uh…yes?" Jaune said awkwardly which made Penny gasp.

"But your aura is so old!"

This made everyone's eyes widen and Winter looked at Penny sharply.

"Excuse me?"

"What can I say, I am an old soul." Jaune said nervously, unable to believe that Penny almost blew his cover so easily. Winter continued to stare at him suspiciously for a moment before she dropped it. She had gotten intel on Weiss' "friends" before coming and though their records were impressive, they were all still children. "Wait, can you like see my aura or something?" Jaune asked with fake innocence as he switched the attention to Penny who now looked a bit nervously.

"Ms. Polendina, it might be in your best interests to keep quiet." Winter said dryly as Penny looked on sheepishly.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Let's just get this over with." Weiss said as she crossed her arms and stood next to Yang. Weiss shot her sister a dirty look as Yang stretched her arms. "Honestly, the first time I see you and you're trying to rip me from the life I made for myself? So much for finding my own path, huh?" Weiss asked sarcastically as Winter narrowed her eyes.

"I wanted you to find your own path, yes, but if it's as dark as the one you're on? Then it's my duty as you sister to get you off it." Winter said as Weiss scoffed.

"Sisters, is that what we are?" Weiss asked skeptically, and now, even Yang began to feel uncomfortable as Winter seemed to recoil visibly at Weiss' words.

"Hey…Weiss…"

"No." Weiss said as she raised a hand to silence Yang. "Thanks to you and Ruby I've seen sisterhood and this?" Weiss trailed off as she gestured between herself and Winter. "Is not it. We're two people with the same blood, nothing more."

"Weiss, what happened to you?" Winter questioned helplessly as Weiss' glare grew colder.

"A lot, not that you would know. Exactly how many of my letters did you reply to since I got here?" Weiss asked curiously and Winter blinked owlishly as she thought about it. To be honest she had recalled getting messaged by Weiss, her scroll was to only be called in emergencies, but she had always been too busy to get to them. "That's what I thought. Ms. Goodwitch, please start this farce so I can go continue my training."

Glynda glanced at Winter who just nodded her head. With a wave of her whip, the earth beneath the three huntresses rose up and formed a large makeshift arena that filled a decent portion of the ground level of the ruins. Beneath the spectators, the earth rose up and formed stands from which they could watch the upcoming battle.

"Weiss…" Yang thought as she glanced at Weiss. As always Weiss' face was nearly emotionless with the faintest signs of arrogance and mild irritation shining through, she stood confidently, and Yang had no doubts that Weiss was positive that they would come out victorious despite how skilled and experienced Winter was. Winter was stronger than Weiss yet Weiss stood tall showing no hesitance.

No fear.

No hint of running.

She appeared strong…

…just like always.

*Flash*

"Ruby, why me?" Yang asked curiously when she finished practicing for the night. Ruby had gone to some meeting or another and had only just returned. For a second, Yang thought Ruby didn't hear her until she tilted her head and looked at the blonde curiously.

"Do you hate Weiss, Yang?"

"What!? Of course not!" Yang said scandalized and unable to believe that such a question could even be considered by her sister. "Yeah, she can be difficult but she's part of the team and I know she has my back even if she complains. She's part of the team and I love all of you."

"So then, why not you?" Ruby questioned and Yang paused.

"Well, because you're her–"

"Partner. Yes. I am also the team leader which means that I have to make the right decisions." Ruby said as she leaned against the gym door. "She's my partner, and I want her to stay here. You are the strongest on the team right now. So why wouldn't I ask you to keep my partner safe?"

"Uh…" Yang trailed off realizing that Ruby had a point. Ruby gave her a sad smile before she made her way toward Yang.

"I am your sister and Blake is your partner so you constantly watch our backs. You are my sister and Blake is the weakest so as leader I have to look after her and on principle I watch out for you." Ruby explained. "But Weiss? She's stronger than me." Ruby admitted.

And it was true.

Her power was immense, but it was hardly a factor if using it nearly rendered her unconscious in minutes. As it stood, Weiss had more power than her on a consistent level and a skill to match hers.

"So who watches her back?" Ruby asked curiously. "I'd like to say me, I really would Yang, but I am not there yet. And I have a lot of things I need to look after as well as Leader. Weiss and I have an unspoken agreement. We be there for each other, but she will look after herself and I trust her to."

Yang was silent and then began to think over their training exercise and battle formations. In all of them, Weiss was never really directed by Ruby but rather Ruby would explain what she wanted done and Weiss would be trusted to use her own judgment in carrying out the task.

Yang was the strongest, but she knew that if Ruby was absent, then Weiss would be the one calling the shots. Again, this was not spoken but understood.

And that's what terrified Yang.

Team RWBY understood each other but they didn't know each other. They could feel each other out on an almost instinctual level but if they knew nothing of each other before Beacon. The only person Yang truly knew was Ruby and that had been put to the test recently.

"We made a mistake, Yang, a big one." Ruby whispered as she shut her eyes. "When something terrifying, overwhelming, or stressful happens, tell me how we each deal with it?"

"Well, I get pissed." Yang said bluntly. "You bite off more than you can chew and try to shoulder the whole world." Yang said pointedly and Ruby nodded her head, knowing that Yang had hit the nail on the head. "Blake runs and Weiss…Weiss…" Yang trailed off with a troubled expression. "Well, she's always just…dealt with it on her own. I actually admire that about her."

"Well don't." Ruby said bluntly. "Weiss doesn't run from her problems, but she refuses to let them affect anyone else. She never lets us see her be weak. She doesn't run but she pushes us away and we let her." Ruby said and Yang tensed. "We assume she can deal with it but what if she can't? What if she needs help?"

"Then she should ask! She knows we have her back!"

"Does she?" Ruby asked confusing Yang who thought the answer was obvious. "What about our experiences with Weiss make you think she even knows the basics of human interaction? I don't mean formal crap but real heart to heart communication?"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that though we love Weiss, Weiss doesn't even know what love is. That's the conclusion I've reached after all of these months." Ruby explained to her now horrified sister. "Do you know why I put up with her attitude, Yang? Let her say the things she says to me?"

"Why?" Yang asked quietly as Ruby released a long breath.

"Because her words don't matter. Her actions do." Ruby explained. "You ever notice she does the opposite of what she says? She could scream at the top of her lungs that she hates us while destroying herself with training that is even starting to worry Pyrrha to keep us safe. That's why I ignore her words and respond with my actions. That's why I am currently the only one on the team she doesn't outright claim to hate because if she does, I'll show her why she doesn't and that scares her."

"How…how do you know all of this?"

"I know this because I'm her partner. I watch her so that even if I don't have to protect her on the battlefield, I can at least try to help her off it. I need to know what she needs." Ruby said as her eyes began to glisten. "And what she needs? Is not me. And though that hurts me, deeply, I know that you are it."

Suddenly, the conversation seemed to gain a level of depth that Yang was not only unprepared for but was unable to truly understand herself.

"Ruby…everybody needs you." Yang said, unable to understand why her eyes were with unshed tears. Nor did she understand why her throat locked up and why a feeling of guilt filled the pit of her stomach. Mentally, she didn't understand the shift that the conversation took, but in her heart, in her very soul, something incredibly important was being spoken, an intimate conversation hidden beneath their words that could only be conveyed through emotion.

An actual heart to heart.

"Yang, I've actually had experience with that." Ruby said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes that made Yang chill, never expecting such an emotion to cross Ruby's face. "When everybody needs you, you know when there is someone who doesn't. So, please, do this for me. Don't let her suffer in silence any longer. You need to succeed where I failed, okay?" Ruby asked before she turned away from Yang "You've always been better than me."

"Ruby, you know that's not true!" Yang snapped as he grabbed Ruby by her wrist. Slowly, Ruby glanced back at Yang and the blonde gasped as she saw two silver trails of tears sliding down Ruby's cheeks. For the first time, Yang could see a glimpse of the woman others claimed Ruby would become.

"Yang, when it comes to love and showing it?" Ruby began as she gave Yang a gentle smile and place her hand over her sisters. "You will always be better than me. She needs you and you'll save her because that's what you do best." Ruby said as she gently pried Yang's hand from her wrist. "Get some rest."

And with that Ruby left Yang alone with a lot to think about.

*Flashback: End*

-Ruins-

"In agreement with the rules discussed with General Ironwood. This battle will take place using a mix of Tournament rules and Beacon rules." Glynda began as she stood off to the side while Weiss gently rested her hands on Myrtenaster's hilt which was stabbed into the ground before her. "This means that your ability to participate will end upon ring out or until you can no longer fight. The low aura regulations will not be in effect. Are there any questions?"

Neither side responded.

"Then begin."

"Weiss is unbelievable, facing expulsion and she's not even a bit nervous." Yang thought as she raised her fists. However, soon she frowned as she recalled the discussion she had with Ruby and glanced to the side at the impassive Weiss.

"What? Make it quick you dolt, she's almost done sizing us up." Weiss muttered, clearly irritated which instead of annoying Yang like it used to, only made her frown more when she saw that Weiss' hands trembled ever so slightly.

"You're staying, you know, that right?" Yang said as she glared at Winter. "You're not leaving even if I have to hide you until they leave. You're stuck with us."

"Hmph," Weiss rolled her eyes, but her lip twitched a bit despite herself. "Then show me."

"I will." Yang said as she began bouncing on the tips of her toes. "Just don't overthink things alright? Not an order just a suggestion." Yang said patiently and Weiss shuddered as she felt the heat radiating off Yang's aura. "Don't run from me."

"I don't run." Weiss snapped quietly.

"Fine, don't push me out then. Whatever." Yang said with an eye roll. "We need to show your sis just why you belong her, that we are your home now." Yang said before smirking. "And she can't have you back."

-Stands-

"Are you sure this was a good decision?" Blake asked apprehensively, knowing firsthand just how 'well' Weiss and Yang got along.

"Yeah, that's why I made it." Ruby said cheekily before she softened her expression. "But yeah, trust me, at the end of the day we're all a team and those two definitely represent the best we have to offer at the moment."

"I hope you're right." Blake said honestly. Though she doubted she and Weiss would ever get along, she respected the other huntress to want to remain on the same team. Weiss helped her during a dark moment and now she waited for her chance to return the favor.

This, however, was not that time.

"Get her, Yang!" Ruby cheered and as if that were the signal for the fight, Weiss and Yang sprang into action.

-Arena-

BGM: Spin and Burst- Boruto the Movie Soundtrack

With a single glyph and a roar from Yang's gauntlets, Weiss and Yang shot forward at blinding speeds as their jackets floated down to the ground beneath them. Though admittedly surprised by their speed, Winter knew her sister well enough to know that Weiss would attack from the right with a stab to her chest as she always did.

Which was exactly why, she was more than a little caught off guard when Weiss appeared above her and landed a devastating dropkick to her face. When Weiss flipped backwards, Winter was left open for a vicious right from Yang that slammed directly into her stomach and sent her sliding back.

"Okay, never mind." Winter said as she slammed her foot down to stop herself from sliding out of bounds. Soon, a second blade popped out from her sword as a glyph formed beneath her feet. Immediately, Winter shot forward and attacked ruthlessly yet efficiently as she found herself locked in high-speed combat against Weiss and Yang.

Yang bobbed and weaved through Winter's slashes and once she stepped inside Winter's guard, she released a barrage of blows, all of which, Winter avoided with ease. Winter responded with a powerful kick to Yang's stomach which both powered the blonde up and separated her from Winter. Using the momentum, Yang spun around and cupped her hands together just as Weiss rand to her. Placing her foot in Yang's waiting hands, Weiss found herself launched high into the air. Airborne, Weiss narrowed her eyes at Winter who made her way to Yang who still had her back facing her.

"You're open!" Winter admonished, however, before she could finish closing the gap, Weiss slammed down in between them like a falling star, her weapon stabbed into the ground. Winter's eyes widened in alarm as a pulse of fire exploded from Weiss and forced Winter back.

"Open? Nah, my back is always covered." Yang said with a smirk as a waved of ice erupted next from Weiss' weapon.

"Freezerburn." Weiss ordered as Yang jumped over and slammed her fist into the ground which created a biting mist the covered the arena and obscured Weiss and Yang from view.

"Clever…" Winter thought as she was impressed by the display of team work. They had effectively rendered themselves invisible to her and she knew this tactic alone would have spelt the end for her weaker soldiers.

But she wasn't them.

Closing her eyes, Winter focused on her hearing and though it was faint, she was just barely able to make out the faint sounds of movement. Raising her blades suddenly, she blocked a punch from Yang while parrying a Weiss' blade. Soon, the two vanished and Winter found herself spinning around blocking the barrage of attacks that seemed to come from every direction.

Eventually, a glyph formed beneath her feet as white runes appeared on her blades before a gust of wind ripped from her weapons and blew the mist away.

"She's good, but…" Yang trailed off as her hair began to burn. "We're just getting started!"

"Indeed, but you're too slow." Weiss said before a large glyph reminiscent of clock appeared beneath them. The hands of the clock began to spin rapidly as they felt their speed increased.

"Time dilation? You've improved." Winter said begrudgingly as a similar glyph appeared beneath her.

"Go, I'll cover you." Weiss ordered and Yang immediately blasted forward leaving after images in her way. Though both Yang and Winter were enhanced using the same power, which meant Winter remained the faster of the two, this was countered by the cover fire Weiss provided. Any 'opening' Winter could find in Yang's form proved false when a blast of ice dust would shoot from behind the blonde and into Winter.

"Who is this girl?" Winter couldn't help but wonder. Weiss' form was flawless, but she had expected as much from her sister by now. Yang however was an unseen variable. She possessed power, perhaps even more raw power than herself and her fighting style, though brutish, was extremely effective.

For a swordswoman such as herself, Yang's hand-to-hand proved to be an unfortunate counter as she found it hard to even swing her sword at times. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Winter used a glyph to propel her backwards away from Yang before raising her blade and summoning a flock of tiny blue Nevermores which all flew toward her.

Yang slammed her fists together before releasing a barrage of shots from her weapons, effectively 'punching' each bird from the sky. Aiming her hands behind her, Yang released a blast from her gauntlets and shot forward but was surprised to see Winter meet her head on. Yang's eyes widened in alarm when flames danced over the edge of Winter's swords but soon Yang felt something cold wrap around her ankle.

"Whoa!" Yang yelped when she found herself yanked backwards just in time to avoid being engulfed in a blazing inferno. Glancing back, she saw that Weiss had created a glacial chain which she used to catch Yang. "Thanks." Yang said as she landed next to Weiss just has the chain shattered. "But I would have been fine."

"You would have gotten power at the cost of your positioning." Weiss corrected before she raised an eyebrow. "We can't lose our footing if we are to keep working in tandem. We are going to do this together, right?"

"Right." Yang said smiling a bit. "Okay what's the plan?"

"We raise the bar." Weiss answered and Yang smirked as she crossed her arms in front of her. The heat from her aura intensified to the point her gauntlets began to glow brightly from the heat and release smoke. Meanwhile, Weiss stabbed her blade into the ground and bright blue ice formed around her armored boots as a pair of blades appeared beneath them. With her boots now transformed into a pair of frozen skates, Weiss' eyes shone a bright blue while Yang's eyes burned a bright red. "You go left, I go right."

"Sounds good." Yang said as she raised her arm at Weiss. Rolling her eyes, Weiss humored Yang and bumped it with her forearm before they shot forward and split up so that they could flank Winter. As one, the two fought with an efficiency that took everyone but Ruby by surprise. Even Glynda found herself caught off guard by the display she was seeing. In their assault, Weiss' natural grace seemed to tone down Yang's explosive style yet there was still a quiet ferocity present that was missing in Weiss' usual swordplay.

Winter crossed her blades in front of herself to block a powerful blow from Yang that still sent her rocketing back. When Winter recovered, Weiss skated behind her, easily moving twice as fast as usual. Instead of using her blade, Weiss instead attacked with a flurry of kicks that clashed against Winter's blades. Using the increased strength of her legs, Weiss was able to match Winter's superior strength and parry her blow for blow.

When Winter did manage to knock Weiss back, she was immediately put on the defensive by Yang as she was forced to move her head to avoid a right hook from Yang. Though the blow missed, Winter grimaced as she could still feel the force and heat from the blow impact her aura.

"These…these are not the skill levels of students." Winter thought as she found herself genuinely fighting her best against Weiss and Yang. "What is Beacon teaching them!?"

BGM: END

-Stands-

"I can't believe it." Blake said, visibly caught off guard by what she was seeing. Though Winter proved herself to be formidable, Yang and Weiss manage to fight her to a stalemate. Their teamwork wasn't just good, it was great. Despite getting along like fire and ice the two managed to work together in a way that flawlessly covered each other's weaknesses.

"I knew it." Ruby whispered. "Those two really are the best we have to offer."

-Meanwhile: Beacon Library-

"Pyrrha, wait, look at this…" Ren muttered as he pointed a section in his book. Frowning Pyrrha looked up from her tomes to see what he was pointing at. In his book under a section detailing summon-based semblances, she read a passage that made her blood chill.

"Wait…what?" Pyrrha whispered, a look of horror slowly appearing on her face.

"Pyrrha?" Ren asked in concerned as she quickly made her way back to her own books, taking his with her. Opening a more worn-down book, she flipped through it quickly until she found what she was looking for. Glancing between both books she read them both until the blood drained from her face.

"Oh no. Oh no, no, no…" Pyrrha muttered. "No one could be that monstrous…but…if it's true…" Pyrrha trailed off before she quickly pulled out her scroll and called Glynda.

"Pyrrha what's wrong?" Ren asked apprehensively.

"We need to stop that fight and get Weiss back to me, now." Pyrrha said seriously. "If we don't, she will suffer a fate worse than death."

-With Glynda-

Blinking when she felt her scroll vibrate, Glynda pulled it out and answered it immediately.

"Yes, Ms. Nikos?" Glynda asked as she saw Weiss get knocked back by a fist of earth that Winter had conjured. Rubbing her jaw, Weiss glared at Winter before stabbing her blade into the ground and standing proudly as a blue glyph appeared behind her that had blades imbedded in the emblem.

["Stop the fight! Weiss can't be allowed to summon, I'll explain later!"]

Hearing the urgency in Pyrrha's voice, Glynda wisely chose not to question it as she returned her attention to the fight. Unfortunately, Pyrrha's warning would prove to have come too late as sparks began to dance across the glyph catching both Weiss and Winter off guard.

"Ms. Schnee! Cut off your semblance!" Glynda ordered as Weiss looked back at her glyph, clearly startled as an intricate ring began to form around it. Winter's heart froze at the sight as a look of confusion and fear appeared on her face. Even Yang stopped her next attack immediately when she saw the look on Winter's face.

"It…can't be…that glyph…" Winter trailed off, her hands trembling as the glyph shone brighter and brighter.

"Cut it off now Ms. Schnee!" Glynda boomed as Weiss stood frozen before the glyph, her eyes shining a bright blue as she was stuck, almost captivated by the sight.

"I…can't." Weiss whispered in both fear and awe. Soon, a black energy began to pour from the glyph which began to crack. Nearly as soon as this happened, Myrtenaster began to shift, its dust cylinder began to spin on its own. Confused by her weapon, Weiss glanced down just in time to see a spike shoot from the side of its handle and pierce through both her aura and hand. With a scream, Weiss fell to her knees as her aura began to flicker as her hand found itself pinned to her weapon.

"That's it…" Glynda muttered as she raised her riding crop and slashed it to the side viciously. Glynda was intent on removing Weiss from her weapon at any cost even if she had to tear her hand from her body. However, to Glynda's disbelief, her power found itself pushed back when Weiss threw her head back and released an earth-shattering scream. A concussive pulse of power exploded form her body and dispersed Glynda's attack as the dust within Myrtenaster began to drain itself into Weiss' very blood via the small spike that connected them.

"What's happening!?" Yang asked as similar exclamations could be heard form their friends before they immediately jumped into action. Though they all rushed toward Weiss, the power pouring from her forced them back except for Jaune who raised his shield and did his best to force his way toward Weiss. Turning to Winter who looked like she had seen a ghost, Yang grabbed her by her collar and demanded an answer. "Talk to me! What's going on!?"

If Winter heard her, she made no indication that she did. Instead, she simply began to tremble as a single word escaped her lips.

"Mother…"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Raid: Dragon Knight & Winter Knight

Will: Alright, everyone! If you've read any of the other stories that are updated due to Rebukegeddon, y'all should now that I'm counting Lord Rebuke's mistakes to appease Lady Rebuff. Here we go! *cracks knuckles and grins* Total Number of Mistakes this chapter: 35 and that includes nearly an entire sentence or two. Also, I'm pretty sure Winter summons tiny Nevermores, not doves, I triple-checked.

Whoa, triple check? Pretty sure you just did more research than M&K!

RebuffX7: Chiilllllllllll

Sorry, sorry, lol.

Last chapter I said I was going to go on an explain all the reasons I dropped RWBY but I decided not to. I'm not going to be that guy that ruins the magic if you still enjoy it so if you didn't notice them, I'm not going to force-feed you the red pill.

That said, I will explain the moment that made me quit because a few people think it was the Bumble Bee thing.

Listen I don't care about Bumble Bee/Yellow Jacket and if you read any of my works, hell even this story, you know I don't think negatively about femslash (Note I don't think negatively about Yaoi/Slash either but I don't write it in my stories solely because fanfiction is saturated with it. I made this decision when I tried to find a Kingdom Hearts fanfic and could legit only find yaoi/highschool au crap for 30 straight minutes. I love everybody, trust me, there is no hate.)

Anyway, back on topic, why did I drop RWBY, what was the big moment?

It was when Adam was finally mercy killed by the writers.

I don't care that he died, I am not even an Adam fan solely because his voice actor was straight gar-BAGE. His aesthetic was cool but that was about it. When we had the Bumblebee vs. Adam fight, I knew he was going to die the moment his blade couldn't cleave through Yang's arm.

FNDM: But Rebuke, he didn't have enough energy charged-

We've seen this man cleave through thicker metal with his regular slashes. In fact, normal weapons could cleave into the Atlas mech which was like the best Atlas had to offer, but somehow the arm is more durable?

Alright. Cool.

Still I was annoyed, but I wasn't going to drop. No, I dropped when these people charged for Blake's weapon and stabbed him.

FNDM: What was wrong with that-

He. Had. A. Loaded. Gun.

Why the actual hell didn't he just shoot them?

Better yet, Yang did too. Why didn't she just shoot him to incapacitate him and have him locked up? Now you all know me, I am always an advocate for just killing the bad guy but the problem is that Yang as a character, you know, Ruby's big sister, was never shown to be willing to do that.

Ever.

Huntsmen exist to kill Grimm and though they spend an unsettling amount of time fighting each other, we were told that was just for sport and to test their skill. All they needed was one scene, just one, of Glynda or some teacher explaining how they will likely cross that line and have to deal with it as full-fledged huntsmen and I'd be fine.

The closest we got was Oobleck asking RWBY why they fight, if they just sandwiched a line or two about this then it'd be okay. Well not okay but better.

What's worse is that they aren't even going to do an arc about Blake and Yang dealing with this, or at least I hope they don't after that sad excuse for a PTSD arc. (My Dad has PTSD and struggled with it for decades what RWBY showed was bullshit and damn near offensive. Simple as that.)

FNDM: But Rebuke how he died was similar to how he was defeated in your story.

I'm getting to that. You know what the key difference between my scene and the season 6 one was? Well besides the fact he didn't die? They were charging for Adam's weapon. It didn't take a genius to know that Adam needed his blade to do his omfg wtf moon slice ability. In fact, if it was his weapon that they raced for that scene would be better because then you could say he had a blind fear that the source of his power was about to be taken which would explain him not shooting her.

Pause for a second. The fact that his semblance is actually tied to a sword is stupid as fuck, like I just thought it was the metal/dust on the blade that made it bypass aura but the fact that he can't do ANYTHING like bro, how did you even discover your semblance then? I won't be watching but I hope they ret-con this to make sense next volume.

Back on topic.

My main issue and the reason I quit is because RWBY was this issue where the actual fight doesn't match the script. (Example Cinder having a revenge boner for Ruby to the point she disobeys Salem for a chance to kill her…only to ignore Ruby when she is knocked out next to her to attack some girl, she doesn't know to piss off a boy she can't remember. GG. Pretty sure killing Ruby would piss off Jaune too.)

FNDM: But Rebuke, Salem wants her alive.

Besides the fact that is stupid as hell and that Salem will likely be beaten by silver eyes because of this…the whole point was that Cinder hated Ruby enough to disobey Salem. Her even showing up to Haven was against Salem's wishes and Watts tried to stop her. You mean to tell me Cinder wouldn't be willing to kill Ruby then be like, whoops, sorry mistress she was killed in the crossfire. Salem would be annoyed but she wouldn't kill Cinder because she actually does need Cinder alive.

Anyway, that's it, rant over. Explained a bit more than I originally planned but so much of it is connected with something else that I needed to explain for clarity's sake.

TLDR: I don't hate RWBY, I'm just disappointed.

Heard the manga was okay so I'll check the first volume of that. Hopefully if its good they just give the author of that the story so he can fix it.

Anyway, reviews!

GrissleyMan: *Slow claps* You, my friend, are the absolutely closest anyone has been to figuring out Weiss' attitude. I salute you. That took effort. It's not 100% the reason as you probably guessed from this chapter but it is like 85-90% why.

Hopefully the next chapter will give some clarity of why I depicted Willow as I did because believe me, she had a reason. She favored Weiss for a reason and you will see that next chapter. She wasn't evil just to be evil and that's all I'm saying about that.

Robbie2413: Glad you liked the chapter! And yeah, I saw Volume 6, it was very polarizing. On one hand there were moments I thoroughly enjoyed but at there point there were other parts that took away from it. What power Ruby still has still needs to be seen but keep in mind that since Nora kept the Empress' magic there is no need for Ruby to split from it again and that's all I'll say about that.

: Thanks! Glad you liked it!

Xyz: Glad you liked it and as for how they deal with Ironwood…it'll be interesting to say the least... As for Weiss' back story yeah, I needed to show that there was a reason for her attitude. Also, I was just personally tired of Jacques being the only parent, like I hope Willow in cannon didn't seriously get seduced to give up her own company. That's just sad. This way there is at least a reason for it.

Ultimate Kuuga: Lmao don't blame the victim, that whole family is sucked up. Thanks for the review!

A Reader: Glad you are enjoying it!

Aidis: I was/am tilted AF lol tread carefully my friend. Hey gush your heart out, I'm not complaining, lets me know I did something right.

CrossVipeR316: Glad you thought so! My lazy ass actually needs to update that chapter…eventually. And yeah that family needs help. Hopefully they don't ruin the ruins…again. Thanks for the review!

GladiusInvidia: I finished the volume but yeah, I'm going to just stay in my lane and stop there. I'll have people tell me if anything relevant actually happens that may affect this story but that's it. Most of what I liked about V6 were retcons, Oscar is a complete waste whose best moments are all off screen. I don't mind the bumblebee ship but its clear they are doing it for marketing purposes and not actually to tell a good story. Anyway, in my above rant I explained the moment that just pushed me over the edge.

AJ Lexie: *Whistles* oooh boy. And yeah, she is lol. Are you implying that a cakeless diet is not notorious!? Let me stop, thanks for the find lol! Klein is an amazing, best cake butler ever. Nah, I'm tapping out because Fairy Tail taught me the hard way not to keep on expecting things to get better after they drop the ball three arcs in a row.

Cun: Yeah that I understand the basics of storytelling (Which I should seeing how I actually studied said subject) and know when to drop out when they aren't being followed. Hype, fanservice, and loyalty to a show that had/has potential is what keeps the following strong. Not the actual plot that has the audacity to off screen entire character arcs, have villains forget their own motives, and try to bank in on 'shock' moments. We all know its just going to end with Ruby silver-eyeing Salem with the power of friendship.

Thanks for the good wishes and thanks for the review!

Ckies: Absolutely not I've learned my lesson lol.

DawnandTwilight: Thank you! That's what I'm saying, I love Jaune but any good writer would have killed his ass for the reasons you mentioned. If not wtf is the point of making him a Joan of Arc reference? To be cute? There are hundreds of other knights to pick if they are going to keep him alive.

Fateburn: Thanks!

Maso250: ?Err Thanks?

Stratos263: Oh, it will be done.

WhiteRoseshipper: Glad you liked the update! And yeah, they suck as people, like them as characters but sucky people.

Csad21: Glad you appreciate the effort and yeah, I refuse to believe Willow fell for something like that. It really makes the Schnee's look bad. Blake will be a crazier undertaking than Pyrrha and Weiss combined, but I have a plan.

Convoluted though it may be.

I have a plan and it will get dark but the pay off is worth it. I've done that once, maybe, I forgot for what though but other than that, not really. If you think that might be happening my guessing game must be on point then (or the show is that predictable). MAYBE if the length was better but when you have characters like Oscar who has all the scenes that are supposed to make us care about him offscreened, then you can tell that's a fundamental flaw in the writing.

The Wolf Paladin: Yeah wanted to change that narrative up a bit, we don't know a thing about Willow except that she might have had a drinking problem, maybe. Both Weiss and Winter can summon but I see your point, Winter is better at it.

Littlest1: Nah, not this time, even Ruby knew when to delegate this problem to someone else lol. Yeah the show isn't for me anymore but I do appreciate what it was which is why I continue this story. I'm glad that when I stopped it, Ruby truly took her place back as the protagonist. IMO she felt like a mascot until V6 so that is something that the show did right.

Dandyrr0403: Is it better to have a mother who left or one who stayed but was a complete psychopath? So far, I'm thinking the former lol. This whole experience will prove be quite the change for Weiss and I'll leave it at that.

Lowrex: Thanks for the review!

Thanks for the reviews!

Remember to read and review!

And as always…

…Stay Classy!

~RebukeX7