Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Yang grabs the pocket knife from her waist and carefully slices open the letter. It looks like a regular business letter, but it’s not from a familiar address, and when she opens it it’s a…letter letting her know she’s been hired.

She knows she’s between jobs and desperate, but that doesn’t mean she remembers applying for a position at a library. Sure, the Vale library is big, and has a lot of rare books that might require a security guard, but that doesn’t mean she knew they were hiring. She might even have applied if she had known they were hiring. But…she hadn’t.

Still…an unexpected letter summoning her to the basement of a library? What sorts of threats could hide inside a library?

“Do you know where the…uh…basement is?”

“We don’t have a basement, ma’am,” the librarian at the desk says. “Sorry, but…it looks like you were the victim of a hoax.”

Yang grimaces. “Well, thanks anyways.” She looks back at the letter.

And then the letters start rearranging themselves.

“Take the elevator,” she murmurs to herself, “and hit the blank button.”

When she enters the elevator, she sees exactly what the words mean. There’s a blank button right there. Probably to fill out the grid. There are five floors in this building.

She jabs the button a few times, unsure if it’ll work, but it lights up for her, and she rides downwards.

“Welcome to the library, Yang Xiao Long.” She very nearly jumps out of her skin at the voice near her. There’s a certain gravity to how the voice had said the word “library” — almost as though it should be capitalized.

“Who are you?” she asks. She remembers she had left her pocket knife at home — no need to be carrying weapons into a place that probably has metal detectors that would pick up on it.

“I am Ozpin, and this is the true Vale Library.”

“What…are you talking about?”

She finally gets to look around the space. It reminds her of a museum more than a library, though there are still plenty of books. There are also a lot of objects, though. An archive?

“I’m not sure this counts as a library,” Yang jokes.

“There are many grimoires here,” Ozpin admits. “However…this is not a mere library. It’s the Library.”

“I don’t get it,” Yang admits.

“You are correct in that this is not your average library,” Ozpin says. “This is a magical library.”

“A…magical library.” Yang puts her hands on her hips. “Magic isn’t real.”

“What is your favorite fairytale?” he asks.

“I’ve always liked ‘The Warrior in the Woods’,” Yang answers. “It reminds me of my mom, sort of. My dad used to read it to my sister and I when we were kids.”

“The power of silver eyes is real,” Ozpin says. “There is an element of truth in every fairytale you’ve ever heard, Miss Xiao Long.”

“And what does that have to do with this library?”

“This Library is the home of many things people believe to be false, or fictional, or merely made up.” Ozpin gestures towards the artifacts and the books. “Magic was once real, and to many people, it still exists.”

“And why do you need someone like me?”

“The Library has chosen you, Miss Xiao Long, as the new Guardian. We haven’t had a Guardian for some time now. It seems the Library has decided the current Librarian needs one.”

Yang can’t help but notice. A librarian and a guardian. She guesses she is qualified to protect someone — she’s done bodyguarding before — but it seems a little odd. She doesn’t have any power against magical threats. All she can do is punch someone.

“So…who’s the Librarian?” Yang asks.

“She should be back any moment now,” Ozpin answers. Someone stumbles in through a door.

“Hi, Ozpin— who’s this?” the stranger — probably the Librarian — asks.

“The Library has selected a Guardian,” he answers. “Miss Belladonna, this is Yang Xiao Long. Miss Xiao Long, this is Blake Belladonna.”

“So…you’re the Librarian?” Yang asks, crossing her arms. It’s not a terrible first impression, all things considered. Blake looks pretty nerdy and bookish, but that’s the type of thing she’d expect from someone who works in a magical library. She’s also a Faunus. Her ears swivel towards Yang before the rest of her.

“That I am,” she answers. “And I don’t need a Guardian.” She directs her glare at Ozpin more than Yang.

“I do not control the whims of the Library,” Ozpin answers.

“You can actually communicate with it, which is more than I can say.” Blake seems awfully hostile right now. Yang feels a little affronted — it isn’t her fault things are the way they are.

“You simply don’t have the experience,” Ozpin breezes. Yang’s not exactly familiar with either of them, but it strikes her as the wrong thing to say. “I have had centuries with the Library. You only have a few years.”

“Well, maybe it should be a little easier to get to know,” Blake answers, in a way that sort of suggests this isn’t the first time this argument has happened.

“Okay, can someone explain to me just what is going on here?” Yang shifts her weight, rests a hand on her hip, and straightens her back. “So there’s this magical Library that we are currently in right now, and it resides beneath the old one…”

“It’s a pocket dimension,” Blake explains.

“Sure,” Yang says. “We’re in a pocket dimension right below the regular library. And it stores magical artifacts and books. And might be sentient. And I’ve been…recruited by it?”

“Don’t worry,” Blake says. “You’re not the only one who was recruited. But you’re the one who chose to follow the letter, so…you’re hired now, I think.”

“Am I getting paid?” Yang asks, turning her attention to Ozpin, who seems to be sort of Blake’s boss. Maybe. More experienced, that’s for sure. And possibly immortal, unless there’s some funky time dilation going on.

“The job pays well enough,” Blake answers. “But it is a little risky. Nothing I can’t handle on my own, though!” She shouts that last part to the sky.

“Something dangerous must be on the horizon, then,” Ozpin says, grimacing. “Something that will require more than what you can handle.”

“I hope not,” Blake says. “That’d be…a lot.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here for, I guess,” Yang says.

“I’m not sure what lies ahead, but…I am certain that whatever it is, the Library is planning ahead. Would you mind showing Miss Xiao Long around, Miss Belladonna?”

“...sure,” Blake answers. “Your name’s Yang, right?”

“That’s right.” Yang extends her hand towards Blake. Blake’s eyes flick down towards Yang’s prosthetic. “It’s nice to meet you, Blake. Though it’s probably not the best circumstances ever, if there’s a higher level threat than what you’re capable of taking care of.” They shake hands.

“Well, yeah,” Blake says. “Come on. Let me give you the tour I was supposed to.”

The Library is huge. Pocket dimensions aside, Yang has no idea everything fits. There are rooms full of creatures Yang once thought were extinct.

“We have a pretty generous conservation effort going on here,” Blake admits as she strokes a bird Yang vaguely recognizes from a history book as definitely not around in the world anymore. “This is one of the good things that this place is about. It’s more of an archive than a library, though any conversations about changing its name have been fruitless thus far.”

Yang frowns. “Okay, tell me more about this…sentient library business.”

“Well, the Library can’t exactly…talk. It doesn’t talk to me, at least. It will make an exception for Ozpin sometimes. The man is immortal, as far as I know. He references a lot of past events as though he’s seen them personally. As far as both you and I know, he has. I try not to question things I don’t want to know too often.”

“Isn’t that part of the job?”

Blake shrugs. “Not when it doesn’t need to be. Ozpin tells me what I need to know about whatever I’m retrieving, and I get out there and retrieve it. There’s a lot of different things. Sometimes it entails breaking into a museum. Sometimes it entails breaking into someone’s house. Sometimes it entails infiltrating an auction. And sometimes it’s just a plain old treasure hunt.”

They leave the room and walk down the hall.

“Oh, down here’s the gym,” Blake says. “I train here on off days.”

“What exactly is the job contract for this place?” Yang asks. The gym looks…okay. Punching bag, weights, mats, stretching bars. No machines. Everything’s manual.

“I’m sure you’ll have to sign one,” Blake answers. “Read it carefully. The Library will negotiate if necessary, but once you accept the letter, you have to stay. It doesn’t let go easily. It’s not exactly sentient, as I’m sure you’ve gathered, but it does have a personality.”

“So, I’m going to have a job here no matter what, but I can do it on my terms?” Yang asks.

“Basically.” Blake looks around the room. “This was one of mine.”

She supposes it makes sense that rooms can be added to the pocket dimension. It’s not like it’s really bound by reality. Then again, the fact that magic is real alone is enough for Yang to have a little bit of a crisis. She’s never believed that anything like this was truly possible.

“It’s a lot to take in,” Blake says. She sounds immediately more embarrassed. “When I was first getting shown around, I mean…I have a background in history and political science. Getting to see all of these relics…it’s sort of a dream come true.”

“What happened to the last Librarian?” Yang asks.

Blake shrugs. “As far as I know, he’s enjoying retirement with his husband. He’s not super old, but…not old enough to be doing too many more high-speed heists, if you catch my drift. There’s never been more than one Librarian at a time, and it’s rare for a Librarian to need a Guardian.” She frowns.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think I’m here because you’re incompetent,” Yang says.

“Thanks,” Blake mutters. “Come on, let’s get back to the main lobby.”

Yang follows Blake, something she’s certain she’ll be doing more of.

When they get back to the lobby, Yang is presented with a strangely mundane clipboard and pen.

“Read over this contract and sign it whenever you’re ready.”

The contract seems…mostly alright. Yang has to be on-call at all times, which she’s not super enthused about, but the salary is decent, the benefits are good, and the time off agreement is fine. Contact only for absolute emergencies. She doesn’t have any special accommodations — Blake seems to live here, but Yang doesn’t want to. She fiddles with the pen for a bit before signing it, and her signature glows when she lifts the pen off the paper.

“So what, is this ink…extra-permanent, or something?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Ozpin says. “More than your Sharpies.”

Yang takes out her scroll. “So what, exactly, does being on-call entail? Is the Library going to call me or something?”

Blake steps up and grabs her scroll. “I will. I don’t really use mine anymore because the Library doesn’t like electronics, but…I’ll call.” She puts in a contact number. “If I need you.”

“No, when,” Ozpin answers, “and you will be responsible when it comes to your own safety, Miss Belladonna.”

She rolls her eyes. “I was fine before. I don’t think what’s going on is going to kill me.”

“It very well might.”

“What do you know?” Yang asks.

“I know the Library,” Ozpin answers. “You’re free to go if you’d like, Miss Xiao Long. It seems to be a slow day today.”

“Thanks,” Yang says.

“I’ll show you the way out,” Blake says. “It won’t always be the same way you came in. The Library’s a trickster.”

“I…see. So what were you doing before all this? History, political science…”

“I didn’t really know,” Blake says. “The Library saved me, pretty much. I had no idea what I was going to do next. I was pretty much just…going to school indefinitely. I would’ve kept going if it hadn’t been for the Library, and I don’t know if I would ever have figured out what I wanted to do for myself.”

“Well, that blows.” Yang looks at her arm. “I’ve been working freelance ever since this happened. I was an engineer in the army until…this happened.”

“What was it?”

“An…accident,” Yang says. “They kicked me out after that. Not that I don’t blame them. I had trouble going to work, and the only reason it was still honorable was because they didn’t want to get sued over the workplace injury. But I’m still physically fit now. I mostly did freelance bodyguard work, helping out with events, things like that. I don’t know if I’ll really like this place like you do. Seems like the type of thing a nerd like you would enjoy.” She smiles, hoping Blake will take the joke.

She closes off. So that didn’t work.

“Sorry,” Yang says. “Sore spot?”

“I’m being oversensitive,” Blake responds. “It’s fine.”

“If you say so.”

It takes five days before Blake calls her. Yang counts all of them. She hasn’t even gotten her first paycheck yet.

“We’ve got a problem,” Blake says. “I’ll meet you outside.”

Yang takes her motorcycle to the Library instead of waiting for the bus. She had taken public transportation last time, but this seems more urgent.

“We’ve been investigating a cult, and the problem is more serious than we thought,” Blake admits. “This is an…ongoing thing. Cults aren’t usually in our wheelhouse, because a lot of them are based on something that’s not real, but…this one is, according to Ozpin. He’s met the person the cult’s about.”

“And not the cult leader?” Yang asks.

“We don’t know who that is,” Blake admits. “But it’s concerning enough that the two of us are being pulled into a big quest, and Ozpin doesn’t want me to go alone on it. I’ll tell you more inside. We have a whole dossier.”

“Cool,” Yang answers. “By all means. Whisk me away.”

Blake glares at her. “Not the time.”

Fair enough.

They walk side by side into the library, and then into the Library.

“Alright, so…” Blake gestures at the table, which is filled with various newspaper clippings, photos, and drawings. And a couple pages of books. “This cult worships a figure called Salem, who has been imprisoned for a long time now. According to some sources, she’s a goddess of destruction. In some myths, she’s responsible for the existence of the Grimm.”

“The Grimm are extinct,” Yang points out. “You know that. I know that. It’s been true for as long as I’ve been alive, at least.”

“Yes,” Blake says, “which is why this is especially concerning. Especially if the leader of the cult knows that Salem is real and wants to break her out. According to Ozpin, there’s only one way to break Salem out, and that’s with these four relics.” She taps one of the pictures. “The Sword of Destruction. The Staff of Creation. The Lamp of Knowledge. And the Crown of Choice.”

“So we just…get these relics, seal them here, problem solved?” Yang asks.

“It’s not that simple, unfortunately.” Blake’s ears flatten. “The relics are tied to four maidens. And we’ve narrowed down some candidates, but…it’s going to be a long search. Easier to cover with two people than just one. And we still have the cult to deal with.”

“Yeah,” Yang says. “So we’ll have to be careful about that. Where are we going to start?”

“There’s one in each kingdom,” Blake says. “I think…it might be easiest to start in Vacuo.”

“That sounds like it’d be harder,” Yang comments.

“Well, I know who the maiden is.”

“Sounds like there’s a caveat to that.” Yang crosses her arms.

“She’s related to my ex,” Blake answers. “Not that I’m on bad terms with him, exactly, but it is still going to be a little awkward, especially since I’m not supposed to tell anyone who doesn’t already know about my job.”

“I’m sure it’ll be okay. Now, how exactly are we going to get to all these places?” Yang asks.

“That’s the easy part,” Blake answers with a smile. “Let me show you the Back Door.”

The Back Door, as it turns out, is a literal magic door. That can go wherever they want to go, with the right coordinates.

“A lot of people in Vacuo are nomadic, but I’m pretty sure she lives in the city,” Blake mutters as she inputs the coordinates on the map of Remnant. “Okay, here goes. We just have to step through the door.” She sheds her coat. “It’s going to be hot. I’d suggest taking off the jacket.”

“I’ll be fine,” Yang answers. She’s been outside Vale before, but she’s never been to Vacuo, despite the shared continent. She’s been to every kingdom but.  

The sky is a very clear blue. The sand whips up around them from time to time in the wind, but all in all, it’s a nice day here. Yang doesn’t sunburn easily, exactly, but she still thinks it was a better decision than leaving it behind. She can deal with the heat.

Blake takes out her Scroll and calls someone. “Hey, Sun?”

“Blake! I had no idea you were in town.” The person on the other end of the line is a guy — is that the ex Blake mentioned earlier?

“I’m here on work business,” she says. “Are you and Starr still in contact? I need to talk to her.”

“‘Course we are,” he answers. 

“Do you…know where she is right now? Or at least can pass me her number?”

“I can do that,” he answers, and proceeds to rattle off numbers that Yang stores in her mind. Just in case.

“Thanks,” Blake tells him.

“Why do you need her?”

“Work business,” Blake answers.

“Ohhhhhhhh,” he says. “So you can’t talk about it.”

“Not really,” she says, flicking one of her ears. “Sorry.”

“Eh, it’s fine,” he says. “We’ve gotta meet up while you’re here, though.”

“Maybe another day,” Blake says. “I can always come back.”

“Right,” he says. “Just don’t be a stranger!”

“Of course not,” she answers warmly.

It hits Yang that she doesn’t have a lot of friends anymore. Pretty much the only contact she’s had with other people since the accident has been with her family, and that’s been enough for her so far, but…she misses her friends. She misses Weiss, and Pyrrha, and even Neon. And she had despised Neon for most of her service.

And here Blake is, a bookworm who lives in a Library, conversing warmly with one of her exes.

“Okay, we have her number. Now we just have to call her.” Blake hits the number on her Scroll. It rings for a couple moments.

“Sanzang Dojo, how can we help?”

“Hi, is this Starr?” Blake asks.

“Yes, that’s me,” she answers. “How can I help?”

“I was just wondering where the dojo is,” Blake answers. “I was hoping to drop by in-person?”

“Oh, sure. Here’s the address.” Starr Sanzang raffles off a name Yang’s not familiar with. “Is that it?”

“Thank you,” Blake says. “Have a nice day.”

“You didn’t answer her question,” Yang points out after the call is over.

“I did not,” Blake answers. “I mean, I’d be lying if I said I was done with her…we need to ask her an awfully big favor.”

“If you say so,” Yang just says.

The dojo isn’t really what Yang expected, if she's being honest. It’s small, with two mirrored walls and a set of stretching bars in the back, as well as a little side-door that leads probably to a small office or something where Starr Sanzang does all the business parts of operating her dojo. There are a few students present warming up for classes, probably, and Starr herself is standing at the front of the dojo behind the desk. Yang can see the phone she picked up on top of it.

“Are you the person who called earlier?” Starr asks.

“Yes,” Blake answers. “I have some questions that aren’t related to the dojo, but Sun gave me the dojo’s number, so...”

“And you are...?” she asks.

“I’m Blake, and this is my co-worker, Yang,” Blake says. She extends a hand out to Starr. “Apologies for not disclosing my full business over the phone. There are some things that can only be discussed in-person.”

“What is it?” Starr asks.

“It has to do with...the powers you possess,” Blake says.

Starr’s expression grows clouded. “Come with me to the office.”

So Yang was right. It is an office back there. Then again, it wasn’t that difficult of a deduction to make.

“I'm from the Library in Vale,” Blake says. She digs around in her pockets for something — oh, a business card. They have business cards? Yang supposes it might make sense to have some for those who are aware of magic and what the Library does with it. “We don’t need much from you. We just need you to pull the Relic from its space and allow us to take it back to the Library.”

“And why exactly is it safer with your Library than it is in my hands?” Starr asks. “You might know my baby cousin, but that doesn't mean I automatically trust you. It’s better than you showing up as a complete stranger, but it is still difficult to trust someone with something I was once told that I should keep sealed away for as long as possible.”

“Times have changed,” Blake says. “There are people who are looking for the Relics besides us, who wish to use them for their own gain. Not everyone is so willing, and they would kill you to get to the Maiden power if it meant getting the Relic. It would either mean you join them or they kill you. Either way, they gain the power and the Relic. The Library is guarded by an immortal man. It will be safe in perpetuity.”

“But you're not immortal, are you?” Starr asks. “What prevents the next person like you from taking advantage of it?”

“The Library has a selection system for every person who works for it. It’s a magical omnipotent force with a mind of its own.” Blake smiles. “So it’s not just the immortal guy running it, me, and Yang. It is capable of being corrupted, I suppose, but it has existed long before me and long after me, and will remove its caretaker or anyone it deems to be harming the Library — including intruders. The Relics will not be stolen from the Library as long as the Library is guarding them.”

“And what exactly is such a threat?”

Blake digs some papers out of her bag. “There are reports of someone going after the remaining Relics in the hope of freeing the deity they worship from imprisonment. According to my sources, both this cult and the deity they seek to release are a legitimate threat, and can be freed if they have the powers of the Relics. And even if they cannot legitimately use the Relics to free a deity that doesn’t exist…they will still be in the hands of a cult.”

Starr looks over the papers Blake presented. She sighs.

“For what it’s worth, you can refuse. I don’t think that helps anyone, but we’re not going to force you to if you say no,” Yang says. “This is just a request.”

Blake looks over at Yang, a what are you doing?! kind of look on her face.

“That…helps,” Starr says. “I still don’t think it’s an ideal solution, but…” She reaches into the air, and the next moment there’s a sword in her hands. “Here you go. Use it wisely.”

“I hope we won’t be using it at all,” Blake says. “It’s an archive.”

“Blake, come on,” Yang says. “Thank you, Starr. Have a nice day.”

Starr smiles, though it doesn’t feel exactly real. “Thank you.”

“Where to next?” Yang asks, having secured the sword in the Library’s armory. It’s a bit strange to be processing the fact that a library has an armory, as though weapons can be checked out, but this Library is less of a library and more of an archive. It’s not like many people are allowed in here. She’s never seen anyone else besides her, Blake, and Ozpin here.

“Atlas,” Blake answers. “I know who the Winter Maiden is — General Ironwood knows about the Library, since him and Ozpin are friends.”

“They are?” Yang answers. She cannot imagine that combination. Then again, it’s not like she knows Ozpin all that well. He could be the kind of guy that gets along well with General Ironwood.

“Yes. And the Winter Maiden has been under the military’s protection for a long time,” Blake explains. “So the Staff of Creation will be next.”

Chapter Text

Atlas is cold. Of course it’s going to be — Yang wouldn’t have expected it to be anything else, considering it’s pretty far north, but her breath still condenses in front of her as she walks.

“So…uh…where exactly is this maiden?” Yang asks.

Blake sighs. “We need to speak with General Ironwood first.”

“He’s not that bad,” Yang says. “He’s the reason I have this.” She flexes the wrist on her prosthetic. “I probably wouldn’t have gotten anything otherwise after the accident.”

“Oh,” Blake says. “That’s, uh, awfully nice of him.”

“And my uncle Qrow moved here,” Yang says.

“Why in the world would anyone do that?” Blake asks.

“His boyfriend couldn’t move. But apparently, as soon as he retires from the military, Uncle Qrow wants to get them both to move out of here.”

Blake snorts. “I can’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to live here either.”

Yang notices that Blake’s tied her ears up in a bow.

Blake looks up. “I…mean, I try not to do it too often, but in places that aren’t really safe for me, I have to.”

Yang frowns. There are only so many Faunus who are able to conceal their traits. Blake just barely manages it. “That blows.”

Blake smiles at her. “It sure does. So…your uncle’s boyfriend is in the military?”

“He’s one of Ironwood’s top officers or something,” Yang says, waving her hand. “I don’t really know.”

“Could he get us in with him?” Blake asks, suddenly more interested.

“...okay, let’s go,” Yang says. “I think I remember where his place is.”

“That was quick,” Blake remarks.

“Hey, Uncle Qrow, open up,” Yang says, knocking hard on the door.

“What are you doing here?” he asks when he opens the door. “And who’s that?”

“Wait. Yang, your uncle is Qrow Branwen?” Blake asks. “As in, previous Librarian, Qrow Branwen.”

Qrow frowns. “I thought I might’ve recognized you.” He sighs. “Come on in, then. Don’t want to explain this in the hallway.”

“Uncle Qrow, this is Blake,” Yang says once they’re both on the couch. Uncle Qrow sits cross-legged in the armchair nearby.

“Great,” he says. “Yang, how much do you know about the Library?”

“I’m the Guardian,” she answers. “You don’t need to treat me like I know nothing.”

“A Guardian, huh?” he asks. “What is going on that it would want that?”

“I don’t know,” Blake answers. “This seems like pretty typical fare for me, really. It’s just a regular fetch quest.”

“Take that damn ribbon off,” Qrow says. “You seem twitchy.”

“If you insist,” Blake says.

“A fetch quest, huh? Is that why you two are in Atlas?”

“Yep,” Yang answers, leaning back against the couch. “Actually, I was hoping to talk to Clover. We’ve got business with the general.”

“If you went in the direction of his office and presented yourself, the security would let you in,” he responds. He takes a sip from a mug — tea, maybe? “You don’t need Clover for that.”

“I…have doubts about that,” Yang says. “He might be fine with me, but it’s still not exactly peachy with the rest of them.”

“Whatever. What sorta quest has Oz put you on now?”

“We’re supposed to be reaching the Maidens to get to four relics that we’re sealing in the Library,” Blake answers. “There’s this…cult. That worships a figure called Salem.”

“What did you say?” Uncle Qrow asks, leaning forward, suddenly alert.

“Salem,” Blake says. “We haven’t pinned down who the leader is or anything. But apparently…she’s imprisoned right now, and the power of the relics can break her free. So we’re going to bring them back to the Library, where they’ll be safe.”

“You have no idea who or what Salem is, do you?” he asks. “Oz wouldn’t have spilled about that. I had to force him into it. Ask him the next time you see him. He’s met Salem before.”

“I know that,” Blake says. “How else would he know for sure that she’s real? Cults aren’t usually something that falls under my purview unless they’re a real threat.”

“Alright. But don’t say I didn’t warn you once you hear the full story,” he says.

“Why not just tell us now?” Yang asks. “If you know it so well.”

“Maybe in my age I’ve decided to give Oz a little mercy for what he did,” he says. “That’s part of why I left.”

“I thought you left because…of…uh, Yang said his name was Clover. I thought you two got married and you decided to go off and retire.”

“It hasn’t happened yet,” he answers. “And, you know, it wouldn’t have been the first time I did the whole long-distance relationship. And it also wouldn’t be the first time Oz lied.”

“That’s true,” Blake admits. She seems on-edge too — she’s sitting near the edge of the case, and she looks like she’s about to run off any moment. “Ozpin is just my boss. I care about the archiving of magical artifacts more than I care about the trust between us.”

“Bad workplace environment much?” he asks. “How long have you been on the job, Yang?”

“A couple weeks,” she answers. “Unlike Blake, I don’t live in the Library. So I haven’t spoken with Ozpin that much.”

“Well, if you’re staying on the gig, you’ll probably be with him a lot longer.” He scowls. “And as for you, Blake…I don’t particularly like living on Atlas. Frankly, it sucks living on a big floating rock. I never saw the appeal of being above everyone else. I wouldn’t have moved here if I didn’t want to get away from all this magic business.”

“It’ll follow you,” she says. “I don’t really intend on quitting anytime soon.”

“I don’t know if that makes you a control freak or something else,” he admits. “I guess helping out is better than whatever you’re after getting it. Oz might be a liar, but he’s not the worst person I know. I’ll call him.”

“Thanks, Uncle Qrow,” Yang says.

Blake leans to whisper in her ear as he walks off. “By uncle, do you mean that he’s literally the sibling of one of your parents, or is it…a family friend thing?”

Yang wrinkles her nose. “It’s complicated.”

“I see,” Blake answers.

The search for Raven…well, part of the reason she had joined the military was because it made good money, and that would let her search as much as she wanted.

She hasn’t thought much about the search since the incident, though. Yang rolls her wrist around again.

“If you don’t mind me asking…what happened?” Blake asks. “I get it if we’re not close enough yet for that.”

“I got into a stupid accident,” Yang answers. “That’s all there is to it. They honorably discharged me when they figured out I wasn’t getting back on my feet anytime soon, and then I came back to Vale. And that’s where I’ve been since. Took me a few months to want to leave my apartment again. Took me even longer to actually put this on after it got sent to me.”

“Oh,” Blake says.

Yang shrugs. “It’s just part of me now.”

“Of course it is,” Blake says. “I like it.” She ducks her head. “Is that, uh, weird?”

“It’s fine,” Yang answers.

The door opens after a few minutes.

“Hi, Clover.” She waves from the couch. “This is Blake. She and I are working on something together. You know anything about any maidens?”

“...that is heavily classified.”

“Blake is the current holder of my old position,” Qrow calls from the other room. “They’re here about the relics.”

“I…see.”

“We’d like to resolve this as quietly as we can,” Blake says. “I don’t mind having to speak with Ironwood about it, but…I don’t want to give this too much publicity. Yang just said that she knows people who know people, which…”

“Am I wrong?” she asks. “I mean, Uncle Qrow and Clover both know General Ironwood. So do I, technically, but not well enough for what we want.”

“I wasn’t going to say you were,” Blake responds.

Clover laughs. “Sure, I can get you in contact with James. Might be able to expedite it, even.”

“Great,” Blake says. “Thanks a lot, sir.”

“Hey,” Uncle Qrow says, “if you two want to stay the night, we’ve got a pull-out couch—”

“Nope,” Yang says. “We’re not doing that. We’ll take the Back Door and be back…whenever Clover has news for us, ‘kay? You can reach me.”

“‘Course,” Uncle Qrow answers.

A couple days later, they get a text back.

The Back Door can get them directly into General Ironwood’s office, so that’s where they go. Yang sighs. It’s been…a while, to put it in short terms.

“Hello,” General Ironwood says. “I was informed that you two had…high-priority business?”

“I’m Blake Belladonna,” Blake says, digging out a card. “I’m a Librarian. Here’s my card.”

“You…work for Ozpin,” he says.

“That’s right,” Yang says, feeling the urge to get between them. “And we’re on an important mission.”

“That’s right.” Blake’s ears dart around a bit. “We’re looking for the Winter Maiden. As far as our information goes, she’s one of your top soldiers.”

“...yes,” he says. “That is true. I suppose Ozpin would have that information…he always preferred to be informed.”

“That much is true,” Blake admits. “But that’s not a bad thing. Better to have some suspicions than to be led on a wild goose chase.”

“Let me introduce her. Come with me.”

They walk around the facility a bit, finally coming to a room. General Ironwood pauses before knocking.

“Winter?” Yang asks.

Of course it’s Winter Schnee. That makes perfect sense. She even sounds practically made for it.

“Yang. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Yang has never felt more conscious of her prosthetic and the history behind it than in this moment. The accident would never have happened to a better soldier, after all.

“It has,” Yang says. “How’s Weiss?”

“If you’re sticking around in Atlas for any length of time, you can find that out for yourself.”

Ever the Ice Queen. Some things don’t change.

“So…she’s mad at me, then,” Yang says, shifting her weight to the left.

“Take that as you wish. General Ironwood, is something wrong?”

“These two are here because of Ozpin,” he answers.

Winter seems to be assessing the situation.

“Let me explain, General,” Blake says. “Hello, Officer Schnee. I’m Blake Belladonna, and I’m the Librarian.” She pulls out a business card. “We’re here for reasons related to your status as the Winter Maiden.”

“I’d like to continue this conversation in my office, where I can guarantee privacy,” General Ironwood says. “Winter, if you would…?”

“Yes, sir,” Winter says.

The four of them walk back to his office in relative silence.

“We’re on a mission to collect the relics and store them in the Library,” Blake explains once they return to the office. “The dimension the Relics have been historically stored in has worked well, but…right now, someone else is trying to collect them. They plan to use the combined powers to bring back an imprisoned deity.”

“...and you believe it is possible to utilize the Relics in this manner?”

“They’re capable of a great many things,” Blake answers. “And the deity they worship certainly does exist.”

“It is a plausible threat,” General Ironwood adds. “I know how she was imprisoned, and only the combined power of the Relics is capable of it.”

“If you insist, then,” Winter says. She closes her eyes and reaches into whatever pocket dimension she’s capable of accessing, and when she closes her fingers around empty air, a staff occupies her hand instead.

“Thank you,” Blake says. “If we manage to neutralize the threat, then we’ll give it back.”

“It bears an important purpose,” Winter says.

“...it’s not gravity Dust, is it,” Yang says, as she looks out the window of General Ironwood’s office again.

“No, it is not,” he answers. “Give Ozpin my regards, will you?”

“Of course,” Blake answers.

Chapter Text

With the Staff secured, Yang is still thinking about one thing — why Uncle Qrow left this job. What exactly did he see? What did Ozpin tell him about Salem?

What is the enemy that they’re supposed to be against the resurrection of?

“I…wanted to ask you,” Yang says carefully as she and Blake are looking over a map. Ozpin is standing over to the side, pretending to be dusting some shelves. At this point she knows it’s just a polite facade — the Library largely maintains itself, at least in those regards.

“What is it?” he answers.

“Who exactly is Salem?” Yang asks. “Uncle Qrow said that you knew. And that you’ve met her before. In person, that is.”

“It’s…quite a long story,” he says. “What, exactly, is your favorite fairytale?”

“This should practically be a mandatory orientation question,” Blake says, leaning to whisper in Yang’s ear. “It was only a matter of time before he asked you.”

“I guess…the Warrior in the Woods,” Yang answers. It always reminds her of Mom.

“An admirable choice,” he says. “And an understandable one, at that. How well do you know the tale of the Girl in the Tower?”

“There was a girl,” Yang says. “Her parents locked her up in a tower, so she grabbed a pen and decided to write a story where she got rescued.”

“I read that story when it was first penned,” Ozpin says. “She was…her loneliness called to me. I hadn’t experienced that level of isolation before, but I knew what it was like to be lonely — and I wouldn’t have wished that fate upon anyone.”

Yang is pretty sure she knows where this is going.

“A lot of people went to the tower. Both men and women. Some warriors, some not. And many of them died — they were seeking her for the sake of romantic affairs. I just…hoped that if I could get her out of the tower, she would find her own community. That was a selfless enough cause to allow me to pass. But afterwards, she found she wanted to stay with me. And even after my first death…she still wanted me to stay with her. It is her defiance that has led us to this point.”

“You dated Salem?!” Blake says.

“We had…certainly been in love,” Ozpin says. He coughs a bit afterwards, lowering his head. “But I cannot claim that we are any longer. She has been…corrupted by her immortality. We created the Library together for peace’s sake. To preserve a bit of magic, as magic in the world died off. But…I have been left to be its keeper alone.”

“And the imprisonment,” Yang says, cautiously.

“Salem possesses more magical power than any other living being on Remnant,” Ozpin says. “Humanity once all possessed these abilities. That is no more. We are the only ones that remain of that former race. It took a lot of power to imprison her in the first place, which is why it takes so much to free her.”

“So…you’re literally a fairytale character?” Yang asks. “And so is she?”

“That is the truth,” Ozpin answers, “and nothing more. I understand that it may appear disheartening. Know that I have never meant to actively deceive you in any regard. It is, in fact, important that Salem is stopped. She is incredibly dangerous, and left to her own devices she would bring about the destruction of the world. It is true that she no longer has the Grimm, but...I believe if anyone could bring them back from extinction, she could. She is capable of nothing more than pure destruction.”

“That’s so...” Blake trails off.

“Sad,” Yang fills in. But…they still have a job to do. They still have to prevent Salem from escaping, regardless of how tragic she is. “How did you manage to imprison her?”

“It took quite a bit of work,” Ozpin admits. “That is…part of the reason why your uncle chose to retire, Yang. The work it took to imprison her had broken him, and he stayed in the job for long enough for the Library to choose a successor. That was as long as he was willing to stay.”

“Thank you,” Blake says, “for letting us know about this. I really appreciate knowing about all this. At least more than I appreciate not knowing.”

“That’s right,” Yang says. She would rather be aware of the history and why Ozpin knows than to just abandon things altogether.

But...what does that mean for their relic hunt? There are still two relics left. And without all four, they can’t get to the prison no matter what. So…do they really need all four?

“Do we really need to collect all four relics?” she asks. “We have two of them. That prohibits whoever’s after them from accessing all of them. If we collect all of them, then if someone breaks in we’re screwed. If we only have one or two, then…”

“Well, I suppose you’re correct. But…I would be very assured if all four of them were here within the Library's archives. This is the only place all four will remain safe.”

“Then why were the Maidens originally the key?” Blake asks. ”Why not keep them here in the first place?“

“I thought it best to avoid consolidating them for a long time,” Ozpin admits. “But I disagree with my prior choices. Power corrupts a great many people just as it uplifts. I will admit when I have made an incorrect choice. And allowing the Maidens autonomy over the keeping of the Relics was certainly a mistake.”

Yang’s…not so sure about that, actually. But then again — she’s not the one with the ultimate magic powers around here. All she has are her fighting skills and her smarts. She's just a regular person.

”I guess we have to go onto the next one,“ Blake says. “Rumors say there have been freak storms in Mistral coinciding with bandit attacks.”

Yang circles around the table to peek at the newspaper article Blake's looking at. It's about a freak storm that allowed the bandits to take advantage of the evacuation to rob the town.

The Branwen tribe.

“The maiden’s probably working with them,” Yang says.

Which means…it's back to Raven.

Yang’s not sure if she wants it or if she doesn’t. She wanted it for so long it practically blinded her — her job in the military let her travel around a lot. She was hoping she would find Raven in her travels.

And then, after the accident…it hasn't been a top priority, exactly.

Nothing was until the letter from the Library showed up in her mailbox.

“Blake, can we…talk? Just in private.”

“We can go to your apartment, if you'd like,” Blake says. “Do you want me to take these with me?”

“No need,” Yang answers. “Just…want to bring some stuff up that I don't necessarily want to discuss here. We can come back to it later if there's still time.”

“Alright,” Blake says.

Yang passes her helmet to Blake instead, though she's not exactly sure it's particularly comfortable with Blake's extra pair of ears. When Blake shakes her hair loose, she also swivels around her ears.

“Ugh. I know it’s for safety, but…” 

“I’ll be okay without a helmet. You…less so,” Yang says. Still — she makes a mental note to get a helmet for Blake, so that if they ever ride together again Blake will be comfortable. They make helmets for that sort of thing.

“I just wish it were more comfortable,” Blake admits. “I wouldn’t have as much of a problem with it if it didn't squish my ears so much.”

“That does sound uncomfortable,” Yang acknowledges. And then they go inside.

“So. I know you know Uncle Qrow’s last name. Remember how I said the question of whether he was actually one of my parents’ siblings or not was complicated?“

“…I do,” Blake answers. “His last name is Branwen. As in the bandit tribe that probably has the spring maiden.”

“That’s true,” Yang says. “And it’s also the case that…the tribe is led by Raven Branwen. His sister. My biological mother. Not that she really had a hand in raising me. She abandoned me at birth.”

“What?”

“Well, probably not exactly at birth, but…while I was too young to remember her. I was raised by my mom and dad, but…my mom’s not my biological parent. She was my little sister’s mom, though.”

“Was?”

“She died when we were still kids. I’ve…I still don’t really have a mom. When I first joined the military, the only thing I really wanted to do with the ability to travel was to track her down and ask why she did that to me. Why she thought I wasn’t worthy of being hers. It’s not like I would be the only child at any given time in the tribe. Her and Uncle Qrow were both raised in it. But…she didn't want me. And I know she sure as hell didn’t give me up for any altruistic reasons, but it’d be nice to hear it from her mouth. At least that way I could say something to her about it. That way I could actually know why she left me in the first place when I never wanted her to. It's not Mom's fault that she died. But it is Raven’s fault that she abandoned me.”

“Yang…”

“So…if you still want me on this mission, I’ll go,” Yang says. “It just might not go exactly to plan. Depending on how mad I still am at her in a few days.”

“We don’t know who the Spring Maiden is,” Blake says. “It could be anyone in the tribe.”

“But Raven is the most likely to know who it is,” Yang says. “And she’s…she’s not the type of person to give up without a fight.”

“I won’t make you do that, then,” Blake says. “I can handle a fight.”

“With her?” Yang asks. “As far as I know, all of the bandits in the tribe are capable fighters. And she's the most capable of them all.”

“And if all goes well…there won't be any need for fighting at all,” Blake says. “We just have to trust that everything goes according to plan. I’ve been told I’m pretty good at the whole diplomacy thing.” She smiles at Yang, and it does feel reassuring, despite everything else.

“Still…” Yang sighs. “I'll go with you. I'm not going to give up just because of personal issues I have with everything. I'm going to face it.”

“…if you want to,” Blake says. “Be at the Library in three days. I'll have coordinates for the mission by then.”

“Then I’ll see you,” Yang says.

And she wants to. She…really does. Even if she’s not exactly anticipating the confrontation to come.

The next time Yang comes to the Library, she has a helmet for Blake. She has a feeling that they're not just going to be able to teleport straight into the bandit base. They might need another way in.

“The nearest possible door that the Back Door can reach is here,” Blake indicates on the map. “My intelligence indicates that the camp is still a few miles east. So it's good that you managed to get the bike down here. We're probably going to need it.”

“Oh,” Yang says, “I got you this.” She plops the helmet onto Blake's head. The ear caps fit perfectly over Blake's ears.

She smiles and fastens the helmet on. “It's perfect, Yang. How'd you get it so fast?”

“I do have a degree in engineering, you know. I’m pretty good at making estimates when it comes to measuring things. But I didn’t just…make it. I just bought another helmet and did the modifications myself based on my estimates. It’s not a perfect fit, is it?”

“I mean, there’s a bit of wiggle room for my ears,” Blake admits. “But that’s okay. Just the fact that you decided to do this in the time we had...”

“You’re welcome,” Yang teases. “Come on. Let's go.“

They emerge out the back door at a gas station. It seems closed.

“Which way was it?” Yang asks.

“I’ll direct you,” Blake answers. ”I said it was east of here, didn’t I?“

“Yep,” Yang answers. “You sure did say that. Come on.” She drives away from the afternoon sun deeper into the woods. Blake directs her a little further to the north, until eventually she tells Yang to stop.

“We should walk the rest on foot,” she explains. “I don’t want to show up right there with the bike.”

“You’re right,” Yang says. She turns off the bike and hopes no one will steal it while they're gone. It's not likely — but it’s not impossible, either. Both their helmets lay on top of it.

“Are you ready?” Blake asks.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Yang answers.

It’s been over twenty years since she last saw Raven, probably. Does Raven even remember the daughter that she abandoned? Yang doesn't know.

Then again, she’s about to find out.

The bandit camp is fairly populated. Considering that they've had a fairly successful raid, it's not surprising that they're still celebrating.

Equally as unsurprising is the fact that as soon as people catch wind of the fact that outsiders have found their camp, the crowd falls silent.

Eventually, Raven emerges from the tent.

“What do you want?” she asks.

“Hello, Mom,” Yang says. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

For a moment, Yang almost thinks she spots panic on Raven's face, but before she can confirm whatever it was, it disappears.

“Take them down,” she says.

A couple of the bandits attack first. Yang steps up, taking out one with a punch to the face while the other is a little warier, does a better job of keeping his guard up. She manages to get one over on him by sweeping his legs back out from under him, but it's a near thing.

Blake seems to be holding her own, at least. Maybe she was right about the whole “not needing someone to protect her physically” thing. Then again, they are sorely outnumbered in this situation — Yang can’t even fathom Blake dealing with all these people by herself, no matter how capable of a fighter she might be.

But the two of them manage to impress the rest of the bandits well enough that the rest back off, wary of continuing the fight.

“Come on,” Yang says. “We’re going to have a chat with my dear old mom.”

“She tried to get us killed,” Blake says.

“I don’t think she wanted that. They were going to drive us off the campsite,” Yang answers. “She just wants us gone. Well, tough luck, because I’m not staying away this time.”

“Yang…”

“I’m fine,” she says. “You don’t have to worry about me, Blake. That’s my job.”

“If you say so…” Blake grasps one of her arms. Then she takes a deep breath and faces the tent Raven is in. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

”You underestimated us,“ Yang says. ”How does it feel to have gambled wrong?“

”Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Raven says. “My own daughter has finally come around to see me. I guess you must really need my help. And…who’s this friend of yours?”

“The name’s Blake,” Blake answers, her ears now pinned back.

“Blake.”

“Yang is actually helping me,” Blake says. “She’s here to support me through negotiations. We want to talk to the Spring Maiden. We know she’s here.”

“You do, do you?” Raven asks.

“Unexpected storms have been at the sites of your last five reported attacks,” Blake answers. “That's a pattern.”

“Perhaps I'm just taking advantage of the weather patterns,” Raven says. “I could have a knack for predicting these things. You wouldn't know.”

“Thunderstorms are capable of being created by Maidens. So are snowstorms, for that matter, and snowstorms aren’t particularly common in Mistral. Even during the winter.”

“Unless you're in Argus,” Raven answers dismissively.

“True,” Blake agrees. ”But you’re not attacking Argus. That’s too big of a target. You only care about small villages. The easiest prey to get to.”

“I don’t like the implication of that, but…sure. We'll go with that.”

“All this indicates either you have exceptional meteorological equipment — which I doubt — or you have something that can cause the storms. Like a Maiden. The spring maiden, specifically, since we know where all the others are.”

“And what if I did? What do you want with her?”

“Not much,” Blake says. “I don't want to kill her for her power. That’s not my goal. I don’t want to expose her or put a target on her back. All I need is the lamp.”

“And what does a girl like you need that for?”

“I work for the Library—”

“So you’re just like my naive little brother,” Raven interrupts. “Still believing that whatever Ozpin tells you to do is right.”

“I was picked to be the next one,” Blake says. “I'm not saying that he's right or wrong. I'm saying that I have a duty to retrieve it, and I trust what I know.”

“And what do you know? What do either of you know?”

“Well…”

“There's a cult in Vale,” Yang says. “They're trying to bring back Salem. And in order to do that, they need the Relics. All four of them. The Library has better protections than your maiden. I'm sure you can defend her. But that's not what it's about. Any person can die. Any person can be corrupted into giving up the relics. But the Library is its own entity. It won't give up its possessions easily. The relics will be safer there, and without the relic in your Maiden's possession, you'll have less of a target on your back. If the two of us could figure out that you have the maiden, then...I'm sure other people could, too. This won't be the end. And the next person who comes probably isn't going to be as friendly as I am, or even bother negotiating in the first place.”

“How are you so sure that this cult is serious about bringing back Salem? How are you so sure that Salem exists?”

“Ozpin said—”

“Ozpin is not a valid source. Try again.”

“Three people have all said that they’ve seen Salem before. And it isn’t like Uncle Qrow is very fond of Ozpin anymore either,” Yang says. “The two of you would probably get along better now, actually.”

“You know, Summer died imprisoning her. But if you don’t believe me…”

A lamp manifests in her hand.

“You can always ask. You know what the Relics do, don’t you, Librarian?”

“I do,” Blake says. “The Sword is a weapon of mass destruction. The Staff allows one to create an object of their choosing. The Lamp allows you to ask it questions. And the Crown shows you the paths that you can choose to go down.”

“That’s right,” Raven says. “I don’t care about the cult. I don’t care about whether Salem is actually at risk of being brought back. But I want you both to know what you’re getting into.”

“When the threat’s over, you’ll get it back,” Blake says. “I’ll make sure of it. Even if Ozpin doesn’t want me to.”

Raven raises an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Ozpin didn’t choose me. The Library did. The Library is who I’m loyal to,” Blake says.

Yang nods.

“Ask about Summer Rose,” Raven says. “I’m sure you’ll find the right question. The name’s Jinn, by the way. You’ll need that for the Relic.”

The lamp glows from where it’s hanging on Blake’s belt. The light illuminates her face softly, and Yang thinks, for just a moment, that under different circumstances this might be it.

“Where’s the door?” she asks. “Shouldn’t we be heading back?”

“Do you want to talk to Ozpin about how we recovered the relic after all that?” Blake asks. She’s right, but at the same time, Yang kind of wants to get it over with. Just dump it and then they won’t have to worry about it anymore. “I…mean, I don’t know everything, but I can tell it was tough.”

“She wasn’t around, and yet she’s still a lot of the reason I am who I am,” Yang says, looking down and kicking at a pebble near her foot. “It’s more like…I’m trying so hard not to be like her. And then I end up worrying that I am again. I mean, maybe she’s right, and I did leave them all over again. But I’m still over at Dad’s place a lot, even if I have moved out, and I do talk to my sister. I’m not a loner or anything.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t feel lonely,” Blake says.

“I guess.” Yang keeps playing with the pebble at her feet.

Blake grabs one of Yang’s hands. She freezes.

“Yang. Would you look at me?” she asks, achingly tender.

Yang slowly looks up.

“I know we’ve only known each other for a few weeks,” Blake says. “But already I can say that I understand why the Library picked you to be my Guardian. You’re good in a fight, sure, but you’re also…smart. Kind. Protective. You might burn, but for me…you’re like a campfire. It’s a comfort to have you by my side.”

“I’ve worked with people that disliked me before,” Yang admits. “Par for the course in the military. But it wasn’t a big deal to work with someone who disliked me until it was you who disliked me.”

“I’ve always been pretty independant.” Blake flattens her ears. “My parents used to lead the White Fang, so I grew up knowing how to survive. And I’ve done a lot before already — I thought I didn’t need someone like you. The Library hasn’t had a Guardian working for it for…years. We both know that Qrow didn’t have one. I…thought there might have been something wrong with me. Some sort of failure that I had while I was doing my work that made it necessary. But…now I understand. You’re not exactly the person I would say is cut out to be a Librarian.”

Yang shakes her head in agreement. She’s not a historian or an academic, really. She got through school fine enough, but she likes her life better without it.

“But…throughout our journey until now…” Blake tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve realized that I did need someone with me. Someone who wasn’t Ozpin. A companion. Someone that I can trust.”

“...and that person was me?” Yang asks.

“I like you,” Blake says. She ducks her head. “You’re…the sort of partner I didn’t ask for, but I love having anyway. You haven’t let any of this stop you, even with the knowledge that you’d have to face your mom who abandoned you. I know you probably didn’t really anticipate…any of this starting out. And I’m sorry I didn’t really trust you. But…I trust you now. With my life.”

“Thanks,” Yang answers.

Thanks? What is she thinking? Blake just poured her heart out to Yang, and all she can say is thanks? 

Today’s been pretty exhausting already, admittedly, but…

Blake smiles. “It’s been a long day, huh?”

“It has,” Yang admits. “I gotta say, I wasn’t really expecting any of this when I responded to that letter. I’ve been sorta aimless since I got discharged. But meeting you has changed my life. For— for the better, of course. I wouldn’t change my place right now for anything.” She smiles at Blake, who’s…blushing?

“Can I kiss you?” Blake asks.

Yang blinks. That…that was on the table?

“Yes,” she answers. Blake leans in and kisses her, soft and sweet and short.

They book a room at a nearby inn — just a little bit of indulgence before they have to go back to the Library with the lamp. And also, they’re probably going to need time to do what Raven wanted.

If they’re going to do what Raven asked of them.

But…well…

Mom died. That much is true.

She never told Blake that Summer Rose was her sister’s mom. Blake’s…never even met Ruby. She probably should, if they’re going to remain coworkers.

It’s just that…

A lot of things were complicated by the accident.

She went home and lived with Dad until she couldn’t stand it anymore. And then she left, and realized she would actually need to wear her prosthetic arm if she wanted to be able to live on her own. She’s been getting by on odd jobs, helping out her neighbors where she can. Fixing up cars, watering plants, taking care of kids and pets…

And Ruby’s one of the few people she’s had consistent contact with since she got discharged — not for lack of trying from some of them.

But Summer Rose is Yang’s mom, too. It matters to her how Mom died — if Raven is telling the truth, then…

They can ask. They can ask.

They don’t have to ask. But they can ask.

She can ask.

“Blake…if I wanted to do what Raven asked me, would you let me?”

“It’s about your mother, right?” Blake asks. “If you don’t want me to be here, then I won’t.”

“No,” Yang says. “I need someone to be here by my side when I do this. I can’t do it on my own. I need someone else…just to know that it’s real. I trust you to be here. And I don’t want to go back to the Library and do it. Especially since Ozpin would wonder…”

She just wishes Ruby could know, too. She knows that Ruby shouldn’t be here because the Library stuff is a secret, but…Summer was a mom to both of them.

“I don’t mind if you want to ask,” Blake says. “We know what the relics can do. The lamp can answer any question you ask, within certain terms.”

“And the person’s name is Jinn. Whatever that means.”

“It’s…a tradition of sorts, in some tales, for it only to respond if they are called by name,” Blake says. “So. Jinn.”

A cloud of smoke coalesces out of the lamp into the form of a woman. She isn’t wearing much in the way of clothes.

This…this person was living inside the lamp?

She stretches. “It’s been a long time since I was last called. So, what questions do you have for me today?”

“...what was the cause of Summer Rose’s death?” Yang asks. She’s not sure if that’s the best way to phrase it. How much this spirit will choose information over ignorance. But she does know that at the very least, if she takes the shortest path to the answer, then she’ll at least have some of the closure she needs.

“Hmm,” Jinn says. “It started before you were born.”

The landscape changes around them. She holds onto Blake’s hand.

“Summer Rose’s involvement with magic was inherent,” Jinn intones. In the same puffs of blue smoke, she appeared, a child still. She…Ruby really does look a lot like her. Even now that Ruby’s grown up — Yang still sees that child in her. 

When Summer Rose was but a girl, she already had ties to magic. It was all in her eyes — silver eyes, those of a warrior. Their true purpose, after all, was one of protection — a kind of protection that tended to especially harm Grimm.

“I thought the Grimm were dying at this point,” Yang says. The Grimm haven't been extinct for very long, but they've been on their way out for Yang's entire life.

“The resources that make them are finite,” Jinn continues. “They were already on their way out, as you so delicately put it, because the resources used to create them were starting to run dry. Grimm are not capable of reproducing, after all. It is only natural that a species such as theirs, given time, would die out as well. But Salem cannot. She will walk this earth as long as she cannot accept her fate.”

The story continues onwards, Jinn narrating all the while

When Summer Rose first came to Vale, she met one Qrow Branwen, the Librarian. Ozpin had been seeking a silver-eyed warrior he could ally with, after all, and she believed in similar principles. If the Grimm could be permanently defeated, the people saved for good, Summer Rose would do whatever it took.

Much like Blake and Yang, Summer took her own time to gather the four Relics. She kept them separate from each other, but when the time came, she had to use them to face down Salem. With the Staff of Creation, she created a prison that would permanently seal Salem from this world for good. And with the Sword of Destruction, she destroyed the bond between the prison and the Staff, enabling the Staff to be used again. However...

”What is it?“

Destruction calls for destruction. Entropy produces more entropy. Rather than allow those forces of destruction to be unleashed upon the world, Summer Rose took them upon herself. She died not because she had to imprison Salem, but because she wished to make sure that these Relics could be used for benevolent purposes again without freeing her in the process.

“So, what are we going to do?” Blake asks.

Jinn has gone back to her lamp. She probably can't give any helpful advice anyways. Those answers are probably beyond her sort of knowledge.

“I don't know,” Yang answers. ”I mean, it's not like it was anything bad. Beyond maybe the fact that he pushed her into this situation. She was...she was a super-mom. It sounds just like her that she would be ambitious enough to try to protect everyone all at once. And now that I've heard that...I'm worried that they might go after Ruby.”

“What do you mean?”

“She looks a lot like Mom.”

“Oh,” Blake answers. “Well...we're almost done. We just have to retrieve the crown.”

“Do we know who the Fall Maiden is?”

Blake shakes her head. “The Fall Maiden has been even more difficult to find than Spring. She's just...she's very evasive. She hasn't been caught using her powers -- there haven't been any unusual weather patterns around the kingdom or anything, and I'm not even sure where to start looking.”

“Well, we can figure that out tomorrow,” Yang says. “Right now, all I want to do is go to sleep.”

“Yeah,” Blake says.

Chapter Text

When they arrive back at the Library, Yang feels no less disconcerted, but at least she doesn’t feel physically exhausted anymore. Are they being used by Ozpin too? Is Ozpin truly the one in control here, or is it the Library? Are they one and the same?

Is it possible to separate themselves from the Library now that they’ve been entangled in it?

Well, Yang knows it is. Uncle Qrow left — it took him longer to leave, but he left. So it’s not a job Yang has to keep working until she dies.

(But she might die before she can leave if this goes too much further. Would it be worth her time?)

(…maybe it would, if Blake was there.)

“I see you’ve made it back safely with the lamp,” Ozpin says. “Where was it?”

Blake looks over at Yang. She sighs. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

Ozpin almost certainly knows who Raven is — Uncle Qrow doesn’t enjoy talking about her, but Yang knows she still sometimes comes up, and they knew each other for a while. So Ozpin probably knows who Raven is. If he knows that she’s the Spring Maiden, though, he doesn’t let on.

“Well, what’s done is done,” he says. “I will go put the Lamp away for you both so that you may begin your research on the Fall Maiden.”

“...right,” Blake says. “Ugh, this is going to be difficult. I’m not even sure where to start. There are so many people that it could be.”

“...if the cult is searching for the relics too, then why can’t we try to look for any information they have?” Yang sits up on the table, looking down at Blake. “We could find where they are, break in, grab the intel they have, and get out. Or we could infiltrate them more long-term to find out what they’re up to. Either way — they’ve been looking for longer than we have. They definitely have more information.”

“Right,” Blake says, still uncertain.

“It’s a whole group. They’re bound to be easier to find than just one person,” Yang says.

Famous last words, it seems, because even with rumors of the cult continuing to float around, they still can’t pin down any specific location or headquarters.

Yang brings in a flier one day from on her way to work. “This looks promising.”

“Learn the truth of this world…” Blake squints. “That looks like Salem iconography, yeah. So they’re holding a public event?”

“Maybe we can tail whoever’s running the show back to their base,” Yang says. “Sound okay?”

“Are you sure you should be doing this?” Blake asks.

“...what, you think I can’t?” Yang responds. “I’ve got you with me. Worst comes to worst, I know you do a pretty good job at acting, and I can just stand by your side and nod along with you.”

Blake laughs. “Okay. I’m still not…sure about this, but…this is the closest we’ve had to a lead in a while. So…let’s go.”

The place is dark and dingy. Yang’s dressed down a little tonight, wearing a beaten-up hoodie from her college days under her jacket. Blake’s dressed casually tonight too — at least, casually for her, the sleeves of her cardigan rolled up.

The crowd is fairly thin. Most of them look like regular goths — Ruby would probably fit right in, aesthetics-wise. Yang wonders if that’s just how it is with Salem, until a woman takes the stage.

She has a commanding presence, Yang can’t help but think. She hasn’t even said anything, and the room fell silent at just the click of her heels. Which…sounded different, come to think of it. Metal, maybe? That doesn’t sound particularly comfortable.

“Good evening,” she says. “And welcome, one and all, to a very…critical presentation. When you leave tonight, you will have knowledge beyond your wildest dreams. However, it will come at a cost. Once you possess this knowledge, you cannot go back to believing the world is right as it is. If you feel as though you must leave now, you may. No one here will attempt to prevent you from doing so. But if you choose to stay…this is a choice that will bind you to knowledge and truth forevermore.”

Yang can see why someone might be suckered into this. Someone particularly curious, someone already prone to conspiracy.

The crowd bursts into a few murmurs, but no one leaves. Yang looks around. It looks like no one wants to be the first to break — the first one to shy away.

The woman at the podium clears her throat. All attention in the room falls back on her.

“You may recall the Grimm,“ she says. “You know them as creatures of darkness that have long been dying, since before you were born. You only know the Huntsmen as relics of a bygone time. Humanity no longer needs as much protection, since its people are no longer under the constant threat of death by monsters that are unknown to most scientists. However, this is not true of everyone. The Grimm once had a master that commanded them. And she wielded no less than pure magic.”

A ripple of surprise across the crowd — Yang would probably be just as surprised if she weren't already aware of the fact that magic is real.

“I suppose I should let you all get your surprise out of the way now.” She kindles a flame in her hands. “But the extinction of the Grimm has not benefited all. Grimm are just as much a part of the environment as anything else, after all. The goal should never have been total eradication, but control. And I know of the one being who is capable of controlling the Grimm. They were a critical part of our world and its environment. However, since they no longer walk this world, they cannot contribute any longer where they did. They served as critical predators. They must be brought back.” She extinguishes the flame in her hand.

“Blake…is she the Maiden?” Yang whispers.

“It could be her Semblance,” Blake answers.

“Who unlocks their Semblance anymore?” Yang responds. It is still a fair point, though — and she knows people who have their Semblance unlocked. Weiss went through the effort of all that training.  So it's not as though it's impossible for it to be her Semblance, but still…Yang is awfully suspicious.

“Her name is Salem. And just as her name suggests...she will be the one to bring peace to humanity. If that means we must first unleash chaos for balance's sake...we will do what we must to bring her back. But for that, we will need your help. The help of as much power as we can muster. Many years ago, Salem was sealed inside a prison that has not been broken to this day. We will need as much power as we are capable of mustering to free her.”

The crowd cheers. Yang joins in the cheering. It sounds like most people are already on board — she supposes maybe they were already predisposed to falling into that sort of thing, especially since they responded to a poster that was hung around the city, but…Yang would like to think most people wouldn't want to bring back the Grimm. Maybe some of these people are just here to watch the world burn or whatever, but she doesn’t think most of the people here are like that.

Benefit of the doubt.

The woman walks off the stage, heels clicking on the wooden planks just as before. The crowd starts to disperse, but Yang and Blake follow her backstage.

Now the real task of their mission begins: obtaining as much information as they're capable of getting.

“Now we shall see how many of them will take action,” she says. The backstage is much more brightly lit compared to the outdoor area — probably for the maximum effect when she lit the fire. Yang knows Blake probably didn’t have any trouble seeing, so she probably knows what the woman looks like better than Yang does. “And how many of them will choose to return, when the time comes for it.”

“What do you need an army for anyways?”

A man’s voice.

“Atlas will be protecting their maiden closely,” she answers. “They have always been especially…defensive of what belongs to them.”

Yang turns her prosthetic, articulating the joints again. She’d checked over and over for anything indicating that it might be a trap — it had been paranoia driving her, for a bit, that things were worse than they seemed.

“So what, you want to launch a civilian invasion?” he asks. “That’s suicide. I’m not subjecting anyone I recruit to that.”

“I do not expect to win,” she says.

“So you’re trying to get them killed.”

“We must do what we must, Roman,” she says. “No cost is too great for what we must do. Our task is clear. Whatever it takes — Salem must be freed. Remember your place. You are just as expendable as any of the ones recruited tonight.”

“Whatever,” he says. “If you want to get a bunch of people killed…”

“I will have the power in the end,” she says. “That is what matters. And all I truly need is the Staff. She said the Staff is what imprisoned her — and the Staff will set her free.”

…if all they needed was the Staff, then why are they on a quest for all four?

“I obtained the wrong power for it,” she says. “And I deeply regret that. But the crown is mine, at least, and it has shown me that I am on the right path. The path towards victory and greatness.”

“Could I get some of that?” he asks.

“I suppose there wouldn’t be any harm in allowing you to wear the crown, if only once,” she says. “Everyone has a decision to make in their lives. I suppose yours comes down to…are you with me, or against me?”

“There’s a third person in the room,” Blake whispers. “I can hear them breathing.”

“Really?” Yang whispers back. “Oh, right, two sets of ears.”

Blake doesn’t say anything in response, continuing to press two of hers against the wall.

“Go ahead. Why don’t you try it on? See how it feels to be king of something besides your pitiful little empire.”

“This is our chance,” Yang whispers. “We can get the crown. Before she stashes it back in the dimension. Come on.”

“I’m not sure it’s a good idea—”

Yang bolts into the room and kicks Roman Torchwick in the face. She snatches the crown and tucks it into the large pocket on the front of her jacket, and then turns to take in the rest of the room. It’s small, as she had already figured out — close quarters. There are two other people — the woman who had given the speech (the bigger threat, probably, when taking into account her powers) and another, smaller woman. Blake comes rushing in afterwards.

“You’re the Librarian,” the Maiden says. “I don’t know who she is, but…”

“That’s correct,” Blake confirms.

“What use does the Librarian have for the crown of choice?” she asks.

“Confidential,” Blake answers.

“You have no intention of awakening Salem,” she says.

“Of course not!” Yang argues. “That’s ridiculous. You can’t— are the Grimm really necessary for the environment, or was that all just a bunch of bullshit? Because they’re more a danger to humanity than anyone else. Good fucking riddance.”

“Salem needs to be freed,” she says. “I owe her everything for who I am now.”

She sounds just as suckered in as she’s trying to do to everyone else.

“I don’t know about all that,” Blake says. “I’m just doing what has to be done. Just like you. Nothing personal.”

And then she kicks the woman in the face.

The other woman — the one who hasn’t said anything this whole time — then attacks Blake with a parasol. She’s surprisingly fast — this’ll be a hard one for Yang to take care of. “Roman” — the man — groans from the ground. Looks like all they’ll have to worry about is the two women.

The maiden, in a flash of light, is holding a pair of swords. Yang decides — she can always block with her arm. Blake’s a lot more vulnerable. She goes for the maiden first, still with the crown in her pocket. It makes bending harder, but at least she knows she still has it. She tries to keep the fight close — it makes it harder for her to use her swords, which are fairly long. Now, if only Yang had her knife, then she could end it here and now by giving her a wound that she’ll regret. As it is, Yang will just have to settle for whittling down her Aura. And maybe getting her hands on one of those swords — even if the Maiden can make another, Yang knows what she’s doing with one. Enough to stab.

Blake seems to be holding her own alright against the other woman — outclassed for sure, but enough to keep up for a bit. Yang can trust her. Everything will be fine. Everything will be just fine.

Yang keeps fighting. Blake slams into her back.

Well, there goes that.

Yang slings Blake over her shoulder as best she can — she’s fairly strong, but Blake is still pretty heavy. She hears the fireball more than feels it — it hits her directly in the back, and she tries her best to drive through the pain just enough to get out. To get somewhere else. To get anywhere else…

“Yang,” Blake says.

Blake is holding onto her hand. Really tightly, actually. Yang is lying face-down on some kind of bed. She doesn’t think it’s a hospital, but it looks sorta like one. Does the Library have a clinic or something? How many rooms does this place have?

“You can turn onto your side if you want, but not on your back,” Blake continues. “We’re at the Library. I called a cab to take us there after you collapsed. Your back got pretty messed up from the fireball — the burns were bad. Your clothes protected you a fair bit, but…”

“And the crown?” Yang asks.

“It’s…in storage,” Blake says. “Ozpin took it afterwards. I guess that means we did it, then. We got all the relics.”

“See?” Yang offers, squeezing Blake’s hand. “If you hadn’t listened to me, then we wouldn’t be here right now.”

“And you wouldn’t be injured,” Blake answers. “I helped patch you up as best as I could. I think everything is going to heal. It’s not going to be that fun, but…I’ll help as best I can.”

“Gonna apply lots of burn cream to my back?” Yang quips.

“As much as is medically necessary,” Blake answers dryly. “And no more than that.”

Yang can still sorta feel the pain, but… “Did you give me any painkillers?”

“Yeah,” Blake answers. “I didn’t want you to wake up before you were ready.”

“What do we do now?” Yang asks.

“I suppose we’ll have to figure that out,” Blake answers. “I managed to get identification on the people there that night. The maiden’s name is Cinder Fall. Not much is known about her, but she’s been spotted around before, and she does have a legal identity. She’s working with Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan.”

Those names, Yang knows. They’re notorious around Vale — Roman Torchwick runs the streets, controls the criminal enterprises. And Neopolitan is his most trusted partner. Silent but deadly.

“What’s in it for them?” Yang asks.

“I don’t know,” Blake answers, flicking an ear in frustration. “And I don’t know why Ozpin wanted all four Relics, either. If she only needs the Staff to free Salem…”

“The Staff was what sealed her in,” Yang says. “So it makes sense that they would only need that much to free her…”

“Yeah,” Blake says. “So…Ozpin might be lying to us. But I don’t want to talk about that in the Library. The Library has been…well, him and the Library are entwined. We both know that. He’s been around as long as it has, even if it does have a mind of its own. They’re friends, at the very least, and that means…”

“Any conversation we have here is risky,” Yang says. “I’m…”

“Don’t apologize for getting hurt,” Blake says. “You were right. It was the fastest way to get the relic, even if I still think that since we figured out who the Maiden was we could have found another way to get the crown. The only thing you need to apologize for is putting yourself in the position to take that.”

“It was you or me,” Yang says. “And you were already injured.”

“Mildly.”

“That’s not what I remember,” Yang says.

“I got you out of there afterwards.” Blake sighs.

“It’s my job to protect you,” Yang argues. “I’m literally the Guardian.”

“I already said it before,” Blake says. “I thought…I thought I didn’t need your help because I can hold my own in a fight. But…I did need you there last night. I wouldn’t have survived if I had done it on my own. It doesn’t mean you were right to do it, and I’m not sure I would have done the same, but…”

“That might  be what I’m here for,” Yang says. “To balance you out.” 

She musters the strength to lean upwards and kiss Blake again. Blake closes her eyes and leans into it, tangling her fingers in Yang’s hair.

“Do you want to go on a date?” Yang says. “I know it’s a bit out of order…”

“I’d be happy to,” Blake says. “But only when you feel better. Not now.”

“I’ll hold you to that, then,” Yang says, the last thing before she falls back asleep.

“Good afternoon, Miss Xiao Long.”

Now this is not the conversation she wanted to be having right this moment.

“Congratulations on retrieving the Crown,” he says. “Blake told me you prioritized her safety over your own. This is precisely the duty of a Guardian. I suspect you will fit in well here.”

Yang thinks that what Blake had left out of that report is that she hadn’t enjoyed it very much. Or maybe he’s just not talking about it to emphasize the point that it’s her duty.

“Are all four relics really needed to free Salem?” Yang answers.

“...the four relics, when merged, summon a being more powerful than any other. If they were to utilize their power to free Salem, then…yes. The Sword does not work on the prison, and the Staff cannot create a key. Only the force of a god could destroy it, and that is precisely what the relics summon.”

“Then why not just keep one of them here? The most important one.” Yang sighs. “I just don’t understand. Are you going to try to summon them at some point?”

“It is…in some ways, my duty to do so eventually,” he says. “This is why I built the Library. It is…meant to be a uniting force.”

“Uniting? Against what?” she asks.

“When all humanity is united, that is when I will be freed. When we will…both be freed, hopefully. I suppose in some ways, Salem and I both want the same thing — a peaceful retirement. Unfortunately, our definitions of that are…very different.”

“I can imagine,” Yang says. Just from Cinder’s description of Salem. She doesn’t seem like the most pleasant person to be around. “And the Library?”

“It will remain with this world,” he says. “A last bit of magic for the world to touch on as it becomes more and more mundane. An archive of the powers that once were. Even to this day, that is what it is.”

“And what about you and the Library?” she asks. “Are you like…”

“The Library will go on without me,” he says. “Someone else may be selected to maintain it in the future, but…if that happens, I will hopefully be enjoying my retirement rather than that being my next incarnation.”

“Right,” she says.

“The Relics are some of the few magical items that were not contained in this Library,” he says. “I thought, perhaps, they would be safe with the Maidens. Safer than putting them in any physical location.”

“Well, you were wrong,” Yang says.

“That much I can admit,” Ozpin says, nodding. “I believe it is important to admit one’s faults.”

“...I find that hard to believe,” Yang says. “By the way…did you know that my mother was Summer Rose?”

He raises an eyebrow. “I do not choose the people who work for the Library. Summer Rose was the only person I ever attempted to choose myself, and after that disaster I found it best to merely trust the Library’s judgment in these matters.”

“She was…sort of like a Guardian to Uncle Qrow, wasn’t she,” Yang says. It’s not really a question.

“It was a part of her design to protect,” he answers. “That much…if you have been raised to do the same, then I consider that a success for you. It…I see parts of her in you. Some for the better, some for the worse. The Library may have selected you for that connection, or it may have selected you for some other reason. I am not privy to its whims.”

“...thanks,” Yang says. “Good talk. I appreciate it.”

He raises an eyebrow. She can’t tell if she means it or not either.

They finally get their date a few weeks later — it’s just lunch. Nothing they haven’t done before, but it feels different. Now that everything is over — and now that they’ve had some time to really settle into their relationship, into what it means to love each other.

Because it’s true — Yang does love her. She wouldn’t take those injuries for just anyone. She doesn’t know if it’s permanent or anything — but she hopes she manages to make it last.

But maybe it was a set up all along.

“Did you know?” Yang murmurs, touching one of the walls of the Library. Blake still has a couple tasks to finish up before she leaves. “Did you do this for us?”

She knows the Library can’t speak, but she thinks if she could see its face, it would be winking right about now. She rolls her eyes. Typical.

“Okay, I’m all set now,” Blake says. “Ready to go?”

“I am,” Yang answers. She takes Blake’s hand. They leave together.