All around, the different pieces of the story gather for a meal together...

Shirou peeled the torn remains of his tracksuit off his sweat-soaked skin. He discarded the bits of cloth into a bin. He might still be able to salvage something useful out of them. Living under a tight budget was crucial if Unlimited Blade Works were to stay afloat.

He breathed out an exhausted sigh. He wiped himself with a hand-towel, drying off his warm skin. But after a few motions with his wrist, his tendons ached. Feedback for activating his circuits for too long. Given time, his body would learn to adjust to the pain and he should be able to prolong their use.

But Shirou knew time wasn't a luxury they could afford for much longer. Someone would eventually find them, one way or another. It was only a matter of luck that they had survived so long under the radar.

There was a little knock at the door to his room. Without even waiting for his reply, Illya swung the door open, clad in the pink bathrobe Shirou bought for her a few days ago. Having just recently finished her bath, his sister radiated a sweet wintergreen fragrance. Their eyes met and Illya immediately recognized the pain he tried to hide.

"Shirou, let me help you," she said, snatching the towel before he could refuse.

"You just got clean, Illya. There's no point in having you dirty yourself," he tried to reason with her. He had worked up quite a sweat.

But Illya wouldn't have any of it and proceeded to wipe the sweat off his chest. "If it's Shirou, I don't really mind."

Shirou could feel her tiny hands through the thin layer of cloth, stroking his upper body dry. He did his best to compose himself, pretending to be ignorant of the sweet pheromones Illya was releasing. Luckily, the pain waving through his body provided more than apt of a distraction.

But then, his wayward thoughts were banished all together as Illya's hands lingered on one particular spot on his chest. A rough patch of his skin completely different from the rest of his body. A scar in the shape of a bursting star stretched over his left breast, mirroring the one behind his left shoulder blade. Eerie reminders of where a blade had once pierced him, straight through his heart.

"I'm… sorry…" Illya whispered for the umpteenth time. He had lost track of how many times she had apologized for this scar. He tried his best, like he always did.

"I know." Shirou smiled at her gently. "It's okay. I got better, didn't I?" He reminder her once more.

His words always seemed to do less and less in easing his sister's guilt. No matter how kind or how soft he would treat her, he could never truly calm her down. He had his suspicions, that in response to his kindness, Illya only felt guiltier.

Shirou's lips twisted into a frown when he saw the familiar look of sadness take root in Illya's eyes. It pained him immensely, to be incapable of mending the scars of guilt in her heart.

Illya's eyes never left the scar as she wiped it with her towel. The roughness and feel of the scar tissue, she knew them all too well. She could never bring herself to forgive her actions. Even if she hadn't been in the best state of mind, it was inexcusable.

Shirou tried to brush off their past as a simple quarrel between estranged siblings. But Illya saw it differently. She could not treat the past as nonchalantly as Shirou.

Before the pleasant tranquility they shared now, the two of them had once participated in a bloody ritual. A Holy Grail War. A grand magical conflict between seven Masters. Illya, as the Master of Berserker, killed Shirou, the Master of Saber, with her own two hands.

Illya's eyes tensed. For a moment, her vision blurred and instead of a towel, she was holding the icy cold hilt of a silver sword made of her own hair, driving it into Shirou's chest. His blood gurgled out of his limp body, spilling onto her coat's velvety sleeves, forever staining them.

"N-no, I didn't mean to. I didn't-"

Shirou took her hands into his, stopping her frightened yelp midway. He held her tightly, refusing to let go even as she struggled. The ringing pain in his wrists was suddenly inconsequential, not when Illya needed him.

Illya stopped, her ragged breath freezing. Warmth, Shirou's warmth, flowed into her pale hands.

He squeezed her hands even tighter. "I'm here right now, aren't I?" He whispered into her ears softly.

His words steadied her, bringing her back to the present. Relief spreading over her as she reaffirmed their present reality. They were here indeed, together. The two of them both alive, living in peace under the same roof.

They were in a different world now, a different time. There was no Holy Grail War to wage, nor was there any more familial angst to drive them apart. They were here, together, in a shop of their own design, making the best of their lives.

"Let's go get some breakfast," Shirou suggested.

"Hmm." Illya nodded, managing a tiny smile. She squeezed Shirou's hands tight.

Yang popped the lid off her bowl of ramen, releasing a wave of heavenly aroma into the air. Around her, her fellow teammates followed suit, opening their own servings. They sat together about a round table, in one of the vacant lounge rooms adjacent to the training simulator.

Weiss and Blake still smelled a little bit like sweat, even after washing off. But Yang didn't mind. She understood that need to blow off some steam so early in the morning. She herself had gone out on her motor bike for the same reason. Besides, exercise was good for the body in the morning anyway.

"So, Ruby, you were freaking out about something?" Yang prompted, slurping a bundle of noodles up into her mouth.

Ruby blew off some of the steam hovering above her bowl, before answering, "Right, I had this crazy dream and… and…?" She drifted off and tilted her head.

Everyone gazed at her, concerned and confused.

"I, huh, can't remember what I dreamed about," Ruby apologized, knocking her noggin a few times. "But I at least know it was scary and it was cold!" She asserted.

Her teammates all raised their brows at that. It was perfectly understandable to forget about one's dreams in the morning. There was just so much stuff going on in the actual day that information about a dream was easily lost.

But Ruby frowned hard. Discontent bubbling inside her. "I… I think it was important. I know it was but… Ngh, but I can't remember!" Ruby yelled, waving her free arm wildly, threatening to spill some of the contents of her bowl.

Weiss inched away from the girl, careful not to get any stains on her dress. "If it was that important, you wouldn't have forgotten about it in the first place, right?"

"Yeah," Blake backed her up. "It was probably just a bad dream."

Yang pondered about it. That terrified look she had seen on her sister's face, she just couldn't brush it off like it was nothing. It was so alarming at the time. And then there was the matter of how cold Ruby's body felt during their hug. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"Ruby, if it's that important of a dream. I'm sure you'll remember it at some point," Yang decided to at least assuage her sister's troubles for the time being, but ultimately not discrediting them altogether.

The girl settled down, her lips still pouting in discomfort. "I guess you have a point…"

She slurped her noodles quietly. Her silver eyes digging into the bowl's colorful contents. Thick strands of noodles bathed in a brown broth. A thin slice of fish cake floating around them. Its red swirling design stood out from the rest of its pale white body. Red on a pale white body…

Ruby abruptly perked up. Thoughts of yesterday's unfortunate accident coming to mind. "So, what are we going to do about yesterday?"

The mood around their breakfast instantly took a nose dive. Weiss and Yang hung their heads down, staring into their bowls. Blake actively chewed on her slice of tuna, gingerly nibbling off the soft flesh. None of them had forgotten the events of the day before. How they took a person's faith in them and returned it with a dust explosion in the middle of their shop. Blake was technically free of any guilt, but she still felt the weight of their team's responsibility all the same.

Weiss coughed into her hand. "I'm arranging the dust reimbursement with my father's company later today. Just one call with one of my father's secretary and I should get a shipment of top SDC quality dust in a few nights."

The girls all nodded at that. It sounded like a good start as any.

"What about the monetary reimbursement though?" Blake asked.

"Yes, about that," Weiss placed her bowl onto the table. She clasped her hands together and wore a serious face. "I'm prepared to cover all of it, if splitting it proves to be too difficult." She directed her words straight towards Ruby and Yang.

The sisters shared a look before both of shook their heads in refusal. "Weiss, we got into this mess as a team and we're fixing it as a team too. We can split the cost three ways even," Yang said placing her bowl and chopsticks down as Ruby nodded her head.

"Make that four ways," Blake suddenly chimed in. Her teammates all gave her the same look. She hadn't even done anything. There was no reason for her to suffer the same consequences as them.

But Blake just smiled at them, undeterred. "We're a team, right? Together for better or worse. Besides, it's not like I don't owe you all for keeping my secret."

They all instantly understood the meaning behind those words. The three of them had just recently been made privy to Blake's true nature as a faunus. But still, that felt like more of a matter of courtesy between friends and teammates.

Ruby raised her hand. "But Blake you-"

"Want to help out Illya and Shirou just as much as the rest of you, right?" She shot the spunky girl's argument down before it could take flight.

Ruby held her tongue. She couldn't refuse her friend's earnest desire to help.

"Fine then," Weiss nodded. "We'll split the cost four ways." She looked about the table, inspecting everyone's expressions. One way or another, they all seemed content with the matter, leisurely returning their attention to their breakfast.

"By the way, do any of you know how much it would cost for us to cover half the expenses?" Weiss harmlessly asked her question as she slurped a few strands of her noodles.

"Hm?" Her teammates all stared at her in wonder.

Weiss took out her scroll and typed a number. She showed the screen to all her teammates. Their jaws promptly dropped. That sum of money was no laughing matter. If they used up their savings, they could probably somehow manage to pay it all off easily, but then that would mean…

"Is this gonna be our last time ordering takeout for breakfast?" Yang asked in a panic.

"For a while maybe, yes." Weiss answered calmly.

"Agh! No! How am I going to get this month's issue of Weapons Magazine?"

"You won't be, I imagine." Weiss shook her head.

"How am I going to buy my tuna rolls now?"

"Fish for the meat yourself, perhaps?" Weiss offered a suggession.

"You're awfully calm about this, huh, Weiss? Must be nice to have Daddy's wallet at your beck and call," Yang threw some shade at the only level-headed girl at present.

Weiss' calm demeanor twitched at the blonde's needlessly sharp words. "Calm yourselves. There's a simple way for us to earn some extra cash without sacrificing any of our personal pleasures," Weiss reasoned with her distraught friends.

"I am not getting a part time job. Sorry, Weiss, I think we've already ruined enough shops this semester break," Ruby protested.

Blake nodded at those words. She wouldn't be trusting any of her teammates to hold a job for a long time.

"Relax your forgetful little head, Ruby. Feast your eyes on this!" Weiss pulled out a folded piece of paper from her pocket. It was a poster with the Vytal Festival Emblem drawn on the header.

The girls all studied the contents of the paper. A grin spread across each of their faces. Perhaps they wouldn't have to be living under such a tight budget after all.

"What's for breakfast?"

Ozpin inquired with his trusted advisor and friend, Glynda Goodwitch. He sat before his desk, studying the images Qrow had sent displayed on the screen. A mug of his favorite brew of coffee was perched on his desk next to a stack of papers, reports of increased Grimm aggression in the outskirts of Vale. Digital transcripts were available of these reports, but Ozpin found that there was often something more to be found in the eccentricities of handwritten reports.

He yawned and took another gulp of his coffee. The miracle drink was the only reason he hadn't collapsed of exhaustion yet, even managing to pull an all-nighter. In fact, he had been so entranced with his work that it was only when his stomach growled like a feral rooster that he realized it was already morning.

A plate of piping hot toast and sunny-side-up eggs was placed on his desk. Ozpin breathed in the sizzling sweet smell of breakfast. A chair was placed on the other side of his desk and Glynda took her seat, her own plate of breakfast before her.

"Just the basic meal. I told the cooking staff we wouldn't be having too heavy a meal this morning," Glynda answered Ozpin's question, slicing her eggs. The yellow lake of yolk flooding into the egg whites.

Ozpin stuffed his mouth with a spoonful of food. He truly had to be grateful for his friend's thoughtfulness. When they functioned as Beacon Academy staff members, they maintained the proper decorum of Headmaster and Teacher, but behind closed doors, the two of them were, first and foremost, friends. Trusted individuals who shared the same goal.

"I believe you've already browsed Qrow's reports more than enough times," Glynda commented, worried of the bags hidden by Ozpin's glasses. "Surely if there were anything more to look for, it would be another message from Qrow?"

"No, no new messages from Qrow," Ozpin murmured, staring at the way the damage of the cottage had been laid out. "But if you study the way the walls collapsed, you'll gain a certain perspective of how things might have transpired."

"What do you mean?" Glynda asked. She had seen her fair share of rubble. She even had the Semblance capable of undoing it, rewinding the time of objects to their previous state. She'd done it enough times to fix her students' messes.

"From the documents of the cottage's defenses James sent us, we learned that the wooden walls were actually fortified with Atlesian Steel plating. If the cottage had been under siege, the walls would serve be reinforced to act as their best means of defense. But that works as a double-edge sword," Ozpin mused, taking a bite out of his toast with a crunch.

Glynda chewed on her own slice of toast as she gave it some thought. "Anyone inside the cottage would be trapped. The walls built for their protection would become a cage."

"Exactly. Look here, see that hole in the wall? Notice how the furniture around remained unscathed. I would hazard to guess that whoever broke the wall did it from the inside."

"But that would mean, the Maiden voluntarily decided to meet the enemy on their own terms."

Ozpin raised a brow. "Or that they had tried to escape."

"What do you mean?"

"This wall, from the blueprints we have, is said to lead out to a cliff. A fall from atop a mountain of that height would kill the average human."

"But not a maiden or hunstman."

"Yes," Ozpin nodded, a small amount of hope building within him. "There's a chance the maiden escaped or at least attempted to."

Glynda drank from her cup of tea. Its aroma quarreling with Ozpin's coffee. "I suppose it's a possibility. But this is all still just baseless conjecture on our part."

"Indeed, we still have to consider the worst-case scenario…"

The two of them took a break from their work, choosing instead to focus on their meal. They silently ate their breakfast, basking in the quiet of the morning. Their work never seemed to calm, but for the moment, they could at least enjoy each other's company.

"By the way, there was a report about Team RWBY yesterday," Glynda brought up. She knew the headmaster had taken a special interest in that group of first year students.

"Oh? I suppose it was more trouble on their part?"

"Yes…" She sighed, wrinkling her forehead. "They caused a dust explosion in the middle of a shop downtown."

Ozpin shook his head at his students' antics. "How was the damage?"

"Not too bad. The explosion was concentrated at a single spot, burning through the wooden floor. The store's sprinkler system prevented any spread of fire and the alarms worked to alert the firemen. The store's wares were said to be in discord though." Glynda read off the report from her scroll.

"What kind of shop was it?" Ozpin asked harmlessly out of curiosity.

"A weapons shop by the name of Unlimited Blade Works."

Ozpin blanked at those words. He set his mug of coffee down and looked at Glynda in the eye.

"I beg your pardon?"

In the far north of Anima, right at the base of snow-covered lands, there was a village called Asagao. Its population was sparse, but it was still by far the largest settlement in the Northern section of the continent. It was only a day of travel away from Lake Matsu, making it the ideal the trade and commerce hub of the north.

There was a certain bar hidden within the shady sections of Asagao village. It was a drinking establishment famed for hosting many not so legal activities. The kind of rats nest where scumbags of every kind liked to frequent, peddling illegal goods of all sorts.

In the corner of this bar, a man slept on one of the tables. His face planted hard against the wooden table surface so that none of his face could be seen. His black hair was slicked back messily, and he loosely clutched a half-empty glass of rum in his right hand. His other hand was left dangling to the floor, much like the red cape he wore with his gray-white outfit.

None of the other patrons or bar staff paid him any heed. It was common courtesy around these parts to mind one's own business, else one might find themselves on the receiving end of dust-loaded gun.

The door to the bar was swung open and a woman in black and red outfit wearing a pale white mask entered. Her wild raven black locks were tied in a pony tail, bouncing up and down as she approached the sleeping drunk in the corner.

The man groaned in his sleep. His eyes groggily opened. He craned up to meet the menacing face of a four-eyed Grimm. He cracked open a sly grin. "So, you came."

He hunched up, stretching his arms and beckoning the woman to take a seat. "It's been a while since we last met face-to-face, Raven."

Raven Branwen slowly took a seat at the man's table. "Qrow. You smell like crap."

Qrow Branwen raised his shoulders. "I've been busy." He wore an amicable enough of a smile, but then he clicked his tongue and switched gears, making a stern glare. "You can do away with the pesky Grimm mask, Raven. No one here you need to impress."

She tilted her head, glancing at the many shady patrons keeping an eye on her. Still, she also felt the impression that none of them would dare approach them. So, she pressed the buttons on her mask and slipped it off.

Red eyes and pale white skin. The characteristic features of the Branwen Tribe's blood. Raven and Qrow's faces were once said to be two sides of the same coin. But now, that could hardly be the case.

"You wanted to see me. Why?" Raven demanded.

Qrow's message was ambiguous but urgent. It held little to no details, only a time and place. But the words he did leave in sounded dead serious and almost pleading.

"I need the tribe's resources. I'm looking for someone and whoever they are, they're covering their tracks pretty well," Qrow explained, gripping his glass tightly.

"You've got a lot of nerve," Raven narrowed her eyes at her brother. "For someone who abandoned the tribe to ask for help like this, you must truly be desperate."

Qrow frowned. He took a sip of his rum and swallowed it hard. "I am. I know you left Oz's circle a long time ago, but you need to know something big has happened again. Promise me you won't blab to the enemy's side."

Raven just raised her brow. Her humorless demeanor alone said that consorting with the enemy was the last thing on her mind.

Qrow understood this, just like how he understood how his sister operated. She would always do whatever was best for the Tribe, even at the cost of outsiders. A little spilt blood was of no consequence, so long as the Tribe thrived.

"Another one of the Maidens has been hit. Winter's base was attacked atop the northern slopes," Qrow said.

"I see." Raven only nodded her head. This kind of news was indeed grave, but it wasn't unprecedented. She knew for a fact that Fall and Spring had already been compromised. Ozpin losing another Maiden was only a matter of time.

This was why she had originally left their game anyway. Ozpin's side didn't stand a chance of winning. And now, the stakes were stacked against them even further.

"So, you want my Tribe's resources, our information network, to track down the perpetrators who assaulted Winter?" Raven surmised Qrow's request before he could even ask. She also knew him well, after all.

"What'll it be?" Qrow nodded.

"I think, that you should leave Oz's little circle before it's too late. If you're already three maidens down, then you have no hope of winning now." Raven shook her head, in cold refusal.

Qrow narrowed his eyes. "How do you know we've lost three maidens?"

A single bead of sweat began to form behind Raven's back.

"I personally told you about the attacks on Fall and Winter. But I never mentioned anything about a third Maiden," Qrow elaborated. His voice rank with suspicion.

Raven only shook her head. "Didn't you want to see me for the tribe's information network? Of course, we already know of Spring's loss."

There was a tense stare down between the twin siblings. Neither of the two willing to break away from the other's gaze. But with just a look, the two of them understood. Qrow knew Raven was hiding something and Raven knew Qrow suspected her. They just knew each other too well that trying to hide one thing from the other was near impossible.

"Right, right." Qrow chuckled into his glass of rum. "Of course, you'd know about that already."

Raven nodded, wondering why Qrow chose to back down.

"So, about my request," Qrow prompted once more.

"Fine. I'll see if we've found any mysterious activities on our end." Raven finally relented, if only to get Qrow's suspicions off her back.

"Thanks, sis. You're the best," Qrow wryly smiled. "Make sure to check any and all transport ships leaving Anima air space."

"I know." Raven picked up her mask and put it back on. There transaction had finished. There was no longer any need to stay in Qrow's company any further. She was about halfway to the door when she heard a whistle behind her back.

"Be careful out there, Raven," Qrow said seriously as she glanced back.

Behind her white mask, Raven smiled wryly. She continued her way out, but not before saying, "Get some breakfast, drunk."

Qrow raised a brow as he watched Raven exit the bar. He held up his glass and stared at the last drops of rum in the bottom. "What do you think this is?"

Breakfast with the Branwen Twins, a strange phenomenon that usually occurred in the middle of shady bars. It hadn't always been this way, but it was the way things currently were, for better or worse.

"It smells delicious, Shirou!"

Illya cheered loudly as she studied the much-talked-about pancakes before her. Three large pieces, golden brown and stacked high, drenched in amber-colored syrup. A square of butter sat atop the stack, melting over the pancakes.

"Let's just hope it tastes as good as it looks," Shirou said, taking a seat opposite to Illya. He had his own plate of pancakes, but he prepared one more plate of pancakes and placed it between the two of them on the table.

"Itadakimasu." They both said together before digging right in. It was a force of habit on Shirou's part, one he couldn't let go of even when they arrived at Remnant. Illya, on the other hand, had been more than happy to follow his example and just developed the habit as they ate more and more meals together.

"It's delicious!" Illya cooed, touching her cheeks. She chewed her food slowly, savoring the texture and softness to the cake, while also relishing in the sweet rustic taste. The pancake alone was good enough on its own, but the butter and syrup added an extra depth of flavor and sweetness.

Illya dug into her food ravenously. Having built-up a considerable appetite from their morning spar, this kind of behavior was to be expected. But the sheer deliciousness of Shirou's pancakes helped a great deal to stir up her appetite.

Shirou enjoyed himself as he watched the reactions play out on his sister's face. He always loved to watch people react to his cooking. It validated all the effort and discipline he put into preparing the food.

But these pancakes, they weren't even in their final form yet.

"Illya, try one of these pancakes," Shirou nudged the extra plate towards Illya.

"Fue, are these ones different, Shirou?" Illya picked one up and placed it on her plate. From the weight and texture of the cake alone, it was different. This one also gave off quite a nostalgic smell.

"Yeah, I placed some extra ingredients into the batter for these ones," Shirou explained, taking one of the special pancakes for himself. "If you slice through it, you'll notice some of the differences."

Illya didn't hesitate. She sliced a piece off and took a bite. The difference in flavor instantly kicked her senses into high gear. That tantalizing inconsistency in the cake, the waves of robust flavor assaulting her taste buds. The nostalgic scene of a snowy forest played in her mind. She heard the distant echoes of a little girl screaming in delight as she ran through the forest, playing a game with a man in black,

"Walnuts…" Illya murmured softly.

"Yeah…" Shirou nodded. When he was cooking the pancakes, he searched through their pantry for any viable ingredients. Then a story he heard from Illya came to mind, a story from her childhood, about a game she and Kiritsugu used to play. A search for walnuts through the forest.

"Hm, well, to be exact, those aren't walnuts. They're Remnatnt's closest equivalent to walnuts. I had to make do," Shirou apologized light-heartedly,

All the same, Illya just shook her head. "Thank you, Onii-chan…" Illya smiled serenely.

Seeing that smile, Shirou thought it was worth the extra effort to make another batch of pancakes. "You're welcome, Illya."

Author's Note:

A pretentious first line at the beginning of every chapter. I can see how that started out, but honestly, I'd rather stop that... even this chapter's first line was forcing it.

I am keenly aware of how slice-of-life this stuff is. Good god, everyone just had breakfast. I'm a bad writer, okay? The infrequent updates is proof enough.

That said, how are you all? It's been a really long time since the last update, huh. Well, it'd be nice if at least one person still found this chapter enjoyable. That's the most I can ask for.

The idea for walnut pancakes is credited to Yoshiki-909. I finally used it!

Also, updates will still be infrequent because of college.

Thank you for reading.