"Are we there yet?" Rhoswen whined.

"Stop complaining Rhoswen, this hike is so cool," Crimson said looking around. Ahead of the two girls walked Ruby. Her maroon coat and fur lined boots seeming a little excessive for the hot walk.

"No it's not," Rhoswen snapped.

"Rhoswen if you gave it a chance, oh look over there," Ruby started. She quickly ducked and pointed to the brush line. "It's one of the younger grimm," Ruby said with a smile as she spotted the white and blue beowolf.

"You get too excited over those Mama," Crimson said standing next to her adoptive mother.

"I do not," Ruby shot back to her daughter.

"Yeah you do Mama," Rhoswen agreed.

"Girls, stop ganging up of your mother," Weiss said with a sigh. The two daughters instantly straightened up. "She's the reason those types of grimm even exist." Weiss watched her wife observe the grimm. Looking back to her children Weiss saw the resemblance Rhoswen had to her, the long white locks being the same as Weiss', and both mother and daughter shared the same facial structure and eyes. The only way people knew Rhoswen was Ruby's was by the personality. Crimson on the other hand didn't look like either woman, but that's to be expected when she was adopted. Crimson had taken more to Weiss' personality however, being serious when needed, and being a little less serious in private.

"Ruby we should keep moving, everyone's already at the temple," Weiss added.

"Right, come on girls, this way," Ruby said jumping to her feet. Ruby began marching off towards the Maiden Temple, her family following behind her.

"Bout time you guys showed up," Yang said with a smile. In her arms was a small bundle. Sitting at a table not to far away was Linette, Summer, and Valmai.

"Mama stopped every time she saw those new grimm," Crimson said before Ruby or Weiss answer.

"Of course you did," Blake said as she rubbed Yang's back.

"It's just so interesting," Ruby defended.

"You girls can go play," Weiss said sending the girls off.

"Li's so excited to be at Beacon this year," Yang said looking to her daughter. "She really wants a grimm partner."

"Of course she does," Ruby said with a smile. "You know you can't go easy on her in combat class, same goes for you Blake."

"I know I know," Blake said waving a hand.

"I suppose I'm lucky Mai just wants to be an art student," Bernlak said joining the four women.

"What kind of art?" Weiss asked looking to her former second in command.

"Pottery, reminds her of her grandma," Bernlak answered.

"Speaking of grandparents where's Raven and dad?" Yang asked looking around the room.

"And Winter or Qrow for that matter," Weiss added.

"Cooking I think," Bernlak answered. "Summer already spoke to Natsuki and Kenyotah, Kenyotah still hates you by the way," Bernlak said looking over to Ruby.

"Don't blame her," Ruby answered. "But's she's been kind to Beacon, helps direct new grimm over to the school."

"I'm sure the council is excited to hear that we're going through with our plans," Bernlak said with a smile.

"They can't stop me," Ruby said with a shrug. "Kinda wished I knew what I was getting myself into before I said yes to Ozpin."

The group talked for a long time, catching up on the kids and such. Even though they all worked at Beacon, under Ruby, they rarely all got to get together and just talk like this. When Raven, Taiyang, Qrow and Winter finished cooking they brought out meals for the entire family.

It was a yearly tradition for them to do this, to go to the temple and just have family time. Raven permanently resided at the temple, and due to her and Linette growing closer over what happened during the final battle everyone would come to visit the lonely woman.

Once the meal was over Ruby would take the maidens, Crimson, Summer, and Valmai to the training room where their predecessors were waiting. Crimson never knew the truth as to why Cinder always cried at the sight of her, but she was happy to make the former Fall Maiden proud. Summer would simply talk plants with Natsuki, who had taken it upon herself to take care of the entire temple garden on her own since Raven refused to. Valmai spoke to her grandmother about her pottery and how she was getting better each year. The three youngest maidens knew very little of what their powers were, and Ruby never pushed for them to learn it. If they ever needed to use their maiden abilities it would come naturally.

At night, when everyone was asleep Ruby would escape to the training room. Summer Rose had stopped visiting Ruby since the fall ended. Ruby always assumed it was simply because her job was done, and that she could finally be at peace. However she always caught a drift of what felt like her mother's presence as she roamed the halls at night.

Setting herself down to meditate, Ruby entered her deep mind. There was no one there to guide Ruby anymore, no future self to describe a possibility. Ruby would often just stand alone in the field of snow, but every once in awhile she would catch a glimpse of the white grimm fox she met years ago. That fox, that led her to the light, she wanted to thank it, but she was never given the chance, so instead, once a year she would watch it from afar and smile.

The fox represented so much to Ruby, hope, fear, strength, weakness. Every emotion that impacted her choices, that fox expressed. "Thank you," Ruby said softly looking towards the fox. "Because of you we can all look to the future."

The fox looked to Ruby, and ran deep into the woods. Ruby smiled and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath she felt herself get swept away by the cool air.

"Shouldn't you be in bed headmaster," Weiss said when Ruby came to. Ruby looked to her wife and climbed to her feet.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming," Ruby said as Weiss took her hand and led her down the hall to the winter maiden's sector of the temple.

Well. There we have it. The end.

Thank you, so much for everything you all have done so far. Thank you.

These last few months have been rough, but seeing the support and feedback this story was getting really helped me through it.

You guys are the best.

I would also like to give a special thanks to someone. Although we are not friends anymore she was the first person that read and gave feedback on this story, and although we are not on the best of terms, without her this story might never have made it on this site. I wish her the best for the future, and hope that she reaches her goals. Thank you for putting time into this story when you didn't have to.

For now though, I bid a farewell. Thank you for these past few months.

- Nerdz

p.s. There might be a sequel in the works :3