10

Chapter 9-Interlude part I

Isabella

"Hey, Izzy! How ya doing?!" Jenna shouted to her friend. "I haven't seen your or Pyrrha ALLLLLLL day!"

Isabella smiled shakily. "Sorry, Jen," she told her, "we were asked to stay in the infirmary for the night, and then Harry and Pyrrha had their rematch earlier today."

"Ugggghh!" Jenna threw her hands up. "That girl's impossible! Seriously! She needs to get over herself!" She shook her head and continued, "But anyways! You said Harry and Pyrrha had their rematch, huh?! Who won?!"

Isabella smiled. "Pyrrha, but Harry would have won if he hadn't done these neat tricks with his Aura."

"Oooohhhh!" Jenna grinned. "Now I definitely gotta meet 'em! When can ya' bring him over?!"

Isabella shook her head. "I don't know where he is right now," she said. "He just recently told us his past, and the cat Faunus girl said some…things." She shivered. "Harry's pretty terrifying when he's pissed."

She had thought only her father could inspire such fear in her. But after seeing Harry angry, she had to admit he was terrifying. And she was sure that what she saw was only a glimpse of his temper.

She didn't want to see him furious.

"Is that so?" Jenna asked. "Well, what did cat Faunus chick say?"

Isabella hesitated. She honestly didn't know what to say. She knew Jenna would pressure her into talking if she told her what exactly the cat Faunus said, which would lead her to talking about Harry.

And Harry trusted her with his past. She didn't want to break that trust.

"I can't tell you," Isabella said shaking her head. Jenna looked at her in shock. "It revolves around Harry's past, and I don't want to break his trust in me by blabbing it."

Something told her that would be very bad.

Jenna lit up in understanding. "Oooohhh! I see. Super big secret and all that! Got ya!" she babbled, nodding exuberantly. She slumped sadly, and said, "Man…I wish I could've been part of the group."

"No you don't," Isabella told her. Truthfully, Isabella hadn't much cared about his past when she first met Harry. But after his speech in the tunnels, she would admit she was curious. But even then, it wasn't her business.

When he said he wouldn't hide his past from his team, Isabella admitted she admired him for such a bold move. She didn't think she could tell her past to a bunch of strangers. However, she also thought it foolish.

He was her leader. For better or worse, he was the one who would lead her for four years of Beacon and hopefully many years after. It didn't matter to her what his past was.

But when he spoke of his past…Isabella couldn't but be pulled in. He spoke of his hardships, of what had to go through…it made her feel like shit.

There were times in her past that she had bemoaned on how hard her life was. From her overprotective father was, making her move from place to place, to how she had no friends. She used to complain a lot, and it was usually about petty things.

Especially when she compared them to Harry's life. Isabella couldn't imagine having to live through what he lived through. At least she had her father for a while before they were separated during a vicious Grimm attack on the nomad caravan they had been staying with. At least when she was rescued, she met up with Jenna and Pyrrha, her two best friends in the whole world.

Harry didn't have that for a long time, it seemed. It made her feel terrible. To have complained about such pity things when he had a tougher life than she did.

"I don't?" Jenna asked in confusion.

Isabella nodded. "Jenna, you get scared at every horror movie you watch. If you saw Harry angry, you wouldn't go to sleep for a month," Isabella told the redhead bluntly. "And I for one, will not allow such terror on your new team."

Jenna growled playfully. "I do not!" she snapped.

Isabella smiled. "Child's Play?"

"My mom had a doll that looked like Chucky! You'd be freaked out too if you have that thing staring at you!"

"Alien?"

"You honestly can't stand there and tell me you don't believe aliens exist, can you?"

"Friday the 13th?"

"That can actually happen! Minus the supernatural shit!"

"Nightmare on Elm Street?"

"I have an overactive imagination, Izzy! You know that!"

Isabella laughed. It was so easy to be at ease around Jenna. Kind of like Harry, she mused. While the two were on two on different sides of the spectrum, the two shared that spark that drew people in. The spark that few people ever possessed.

Jenna was just a bright, cheerful personality that people couldn't help but smile at. She was amazing at making people forget their problems, if only for a moment.

Harry, however, was a calmer, more easy-going personality. He didn't need to try to make people like him; he was just himself, and that seemed to be enough. He was cheerful, yes, but he wasn't on Jenna's level of cheerfulness.

It was Jenna was a warm summer breeze, then Harry was a cool autumn wind blowing.

Sure. She hadn't known Harry as long as she knew Jenna, but he left an impression on her. It also helped she had already heard good things about him concerning his part in changing the Schnee Dust Company's views on Faunus. That was a big plus in his favor.

Not to mention, he gave her the chance to meet the woman who rescued her again…

She knew now that she had heard what he had to go through that she would never abandon him. She couldn't do that to someone who not only just humbled her, but did save her from being eaten by giant spiders. She'd follow him back through the Death Eater tunnels and back to his old home if he asked her too. Heck, if he told her they were going to travel through hell, she'd go and grab a damn AC just for the trip.

"Don't laugh at me, Izzy!" Jenna whined, which caused Isabella to laugh louder.

With Harry

Harry sneezed. Hedwig looked at him and cooed in concern. "I'm fine, Hedwig," he said. "Someone must be thinking about me…"

Blake

Adam found Blake on the roof, staring out at the skyline of Vale. He sighed. "It was your fault, you know," he told her.

"I know," she said sulking.

"How did you not see his face darkening like that, Blake? You're one of the most observant people I know."

She hugged her knees to her chest. "I…I thought it was just him getting upset that I was right…I-I didn't think he'd explode like that."

Adam sighed. "Look, Blake, I understand why you pushed him, but what you did back in Ozpin's office was pathetic." She turned to glare at him. "You got too wound up and weren't thinking coherently enough to recognize your words were pissing him off. And not in the way you wanted."

Blake didn't say anything. "I know you're torn up, Blake. I mean, Potter's been through some shit, and I get why you're upset. But sitting up here moping won't help anything. You're going to need to talk to him sooner or later."

Blake continued to stay silent. Adam sighed again. "Just a thought," he said as he turned and walked off. She was grateful for that.

She just wanted to be alone. Her severe miscalculation when dealing with Potter wounded her pride. She was so sure that no human had it worse than a Faunus. She had been so sure that Potter was exaggerating.

But then he jumped her. She was terrified when she stared at him, and it wasn't because of his fierce glare, or his…magic whipping around and almost shattering all the glass in Professor Ozpin's office.

It was his words. His words and how truthful they were. How she couldn't find a single lie or mistruth in them. Were the people back where Harry was from so willing to turn on a kid, a human who had no creature blood in him, just for the hell of it? It was so…sickening that Blake didn't want to even process it.

Blake also felt an uncontrolled amount of anger for the woman he talked about. Umbitch or something. Blake knew there were cruel people in the world, but she didn't think she'd ever heard of a crueler and more malevolent woman as the one Potter described. How could anyone be that cruel?

A hoot of an owl caught her attention, and she turned to see Potter and his snowy owl run through the roof door and slam it shut. He was breathing heavily and Hedwig's feathers looked ruffled.

"Whew! That was a close one, huh Hedwig?" Potter asked breathlessly. He got a hoot in response. "Hey! That wasn't my fault! What the hell did you say to that owl Faunus anyway?!"

Blake watched the scene in wonder. Harry turned slightly and saw her, but he simply turned back to the door. Suddenly, though, he whirled around and looked at her fully. "Oh! Blake! Ummm…" He seemed to contemplate on what he should say. "Hi!" he finally said waving. "Uh…Sorry to bug ya, I'll just be…Well, I'll just be on my way then!" He turned to open the door again when Blake stopped him.

"Wait!" she called out, making Harry stop and look at her. She hesitated. Images of saying the wrong thing flashed into her heard, almost making her lose her nerve.

He blinked at her. "Yes?"

She swallowed loudly. "L…Listen I…" She faltered. "I…I want to…" She sighed wearily. "I wanted to say I was sorry…for earlier. I…I shouldn't have pushed you like that."

Harry stared at her for a long time before replying. Blake was concerned that she might have done something wrong when he sighed. "To tell you the truth, I should apologize as well," Harry said as he ran a hand through his hair. "I…I shouldn't have lost my temper like that. I usually have a good handle on it, but when someone calls me a liar, it…just gets to me."

He walked up to her and held out his hand; "So, I'd like to say I'm sorry for losing my temper, and I hope we can start over?"

Blake stared at his hand in shock. "Just like that? You're willing to forgive me?"

"It'll take more than a misunderstanding to make me hold a grudge," Harry said. "Plus, I can tell you're not a bad person, Blake. You might be a little rough around the edges, but you've got a heart of gold. Not a quality I see often."

Blake blushed at the complement, but otherwise nodded and took his hand. "S-sure," she told him. "I-I'm willing to start over…" He smiled at her, and she blushed a bit. She still wasn't sure why he was so calm around her. Her instincts were practically ordering her to run, yet Potter…Harry, a Faunus with canine DNA, didn't seem to want to chase her, a cat Faunus.

"How can you be so calm around me?" she asked after a moment of hesitation. "I mean, you're a wolf Faunus and I'm a…" She stopped herself by slapping her hand over her mouth.

"A cat Faunus?" Harry asked in amusement. She looked at him in shock. He laughed. "Don't worry, you're secret's safe with me. Well it's…Um…" He contemplated on how to explain. "It's because of my godfather's Animagus form kind of keeping the instincts in check…Long story, "he explained when he saw her confused look, "but other than that…Occlumency mostly."

Blake perked up. "Occlumency?"

Harry smiled. "A magical ability to shield one's mind from illusions, mental intrusions, and mind domination," he explained. "Though, I learned that it's also more powerful when you use Aura, due to Aura's defensive capabilities." He gave her a sly grin and said, "It also helps with memory, recall, and clearing your mind, even helps keep your instincts in check."

She looked at him wide eyed. "Could you teach me that?!" she asked in a hopeful tone. Instincts were always a major problem for Faunus. If they could learn this skill…

Her thoughts were interrupted when a loud banging from behind the door to the roof reached her ears. Harry paled and looked around frantically. "Oh crap! They've found me!" He exclaimed. Turning to Blake with an apologetic look, he said, "Sorry to cut this short, but I gotta juice!"

And then, right before Blake's eyes, he vanished! It was like he collapsed in on himself, leaving a muted CRACK behind. Blake's eyes widened at the spot as a horde of fangirls poured out of onto the roof.

"Where is he?!"

"I thought he'd be here!"

"Hey! It's that Belladonna girl!"

"Where's the wolf Faunus, girlie?! Talk! Or else!"

Blake began inching away from the crowd. She had a feeling whatever 'Or else' meant would be painful for her. The horde moved closer, still yelling at her for answers. She tried to find a way out, but all the roof's edge was blocked. She gulped.

"DAMN YOU, POTTER!" she shouted and jumped off the roof.

"WE GOT A RUNNER!"

"NAB HER!"

Lily

Lily was seething as she walked aimlessly across the campus of Beacon. Now that she was alone and able to think over what she just heard, all she could see was red. She was absolutely livid as she gnashed her teeth together painfully.

How…How DARE those…THOSE MONSTERS harm Harry! HOW…HOW FUCKING DARE THEY?!

She wasn't sure why she was having such a violent reaction to Harry's past, but at the moment, she honestly couldn't have cared any less. Listening to Harry recount his experiences just started to slowly piss her off. It was like the time some jackass racist had bad-mouthed her older adopted sister, Rouge. The jackass continued calling her a whore, a dirty animal, and a lot of other unsavory names; and it set Lily off. The guy got lucky when she broke her arm breaking his face, or else she would have had him eating through a straw for the rest of his life.

She had a very short temper. And it didn't take a lot to set her off. She was better than when she was a student at Valestone Academy, but that wasn't saying a lot. She still had the tendency to punch first, ask questions never.

But Harry's past awoke something in her. Something that made her anger burn hot, hotter than anything she felt before. Especially Umbridge. Lily growled sinisterly. If ever she saw that woman...Well, it was best if the woman never showed up on Remnant.

"Hey, cutie!" a wheezy, nasally voice called out. "Wait up!" She barely spared the person a glance, and it only served to infuriate her more. The speaker wore a sleeveless green vest, green pants, and had a light green Mohawk. Just behind him was his team (CRDL, if Lily remembered correctly), who were currently picking on a girl with rabbit ears wearing a short, long sleeved jacket and shorts over a black body suit, Lily guessed. Appearance aside, she was being bullied.

And a bullying a Faunus was the number one best choice for ending up on Lily's shit list.

"What's happening, babe?!" Mohawk flirted. "I'm Russel Thrush. What's yours? I didn't get your name yesterday, babe."

"Buzz off," Lily growled as she walked past him.

"Oh, don't be like that, babe!" Russel said laughing. "I know you like me!"

"I'm serious, you bug faced weirdo," Lily snarled, "buzz off. I'm not in the mood."

"Oh, why didn't you say so?!" Russel exclaimed. "Let's just…"

Lily slammed her fist into a column holding up an awning, sinking wrist deep into the concrete pillar. Russel paled as the other members of his team looked over to see what was going on.

"That," Lily explained, "was with Aura."

She twisted her fist and pushed further into the pillar. Several large pieces broke off, leaving a large hole in the side of the pillar, looking like a shark had taken a huge bite out of it. Russel's eyes widened as his skin turned pasty white. His team and the rabbit Faunus all stared wide eyed.

"That," Lily continued, "was without. Unlike everyone else, I don't use my Aura to strengthen my attacks…I use it to control my strength." She turned to glare at Russel. "I'm not in the mood to be hit on by some dumbass, closed-minded, racist asshole with an ugly Mohawk, so kindly back the fuck off!"

Russel finally got the message, or figured out that he totally misread her; but he finally walked away from her. She turned her gaze to the other men in the vicinity. "And you three!" she barked, causing the three to stiffen up. "If I catch you bugging this girl again, I'll be making sure that you'll never have working balls again!"

The taller one, Cardio or whatever, scowled at her. "And who are you to tell us how to treat these animals…"

Quick as a Grimm jumping on its prey, Lily shot forward and slammed her foot into Cardin's crouch, lifting him from the ground a good three feet. Cardin screamed out with a loud soprano tone. His team members cringed as if they had been hit.

"I'm a proud member of the Nightingale family, you dipshit!" Lily growled. "A family of Faunus that have done more to help humans than you have in your entire miserable existence! They took me when they found me abandoned in the Forever Fall forest when I was a baby! Because of this, I despise any deplorable human being who hates Faunus for no good Grimm damn reason!"

Cardin was on the ground, whimpering pitifully. Lily huffed and turned away from the prone figure. She continued walking, the rest of team CRDL moving away from her as she moved close to them.

She needed to calm down, or else someone's was going to be hospitalized. She took a few deep breaths as she tried clearing her mind. It was hard, though. Especially with her own memories being stirred up from hearing Harry's past.

…Rid of her…

…Lily…

…Greater Good…

NO!

Kill her…

That was all she remembered. Fragments. Ever since she was a baby left in the Forever Fall forest, she had those memory fragments. She never knew what they meant, but she knew whatever they were about, it must not have been good for her.

She wasn't even sure if her name was "Lily," to be honest. Her adopted parents named her that because of an image of a lily flower on the blanket they found her in. When they adopted her, the name stuck.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a sharp pain shot through her skull. She hissed loudly and braced herself against a pillar. Her other hand on her head, trying to block out the pain. She began to hear voices. They were all jumbled up and too difficult to hear, but Lily did make out one word.

"Potter…"

"…Potter…!"

"POTTER!"

Potter…That was Harry's last name. But why was she remembering it? Lily scowled as she pushed herself off the pillar. Her past before she was found by the Nightingales was a mystery. And she only had little information to go on when she was searching for answers. Now she had a name.

Harry was the key. The key to her mysterious past. Lily couldn't help but smile. For the first time since she started her quest for answers, she had a clue.

Ren and Nora

Ren sat beside Nora on a bench, looking quite worried for the orange haired girl. She wasn't jumping up and down like normal. In fact, they had been sitting there for a while. Nora had a somber look about her as she stared out at the quiet garden they found themselves in.

Ren was starting to get worried. She hadn't said anything for a while now. When Nora wasn't giddy or hyperactive and talking faster than a machine gun fires, it meant something was very wrong. He had seen her this way only twice. And he didn't like it. Nora was just a happy person. Seeing her upset was disconcerting.

But then again, he couldn't blame her. Potter's past wasn't something many could hear and not be unaffected. Hell, he almost lost control of his Semblance, himself. That woman he talked about should have never been let near children.

And then the other crap he had to deal with. Just what kept Potter going? Ren knew it was mostly his determination to never give up, but that couldn't have been the only reason, could it? Just what else could have helped him get through his hard life?

"Ren," Nora said suddenly. Ren blinked and turned to her.

"Yes, Nora?" he asked.

"Harry's like us," she said quietly.

Ren hated hearing her this quiet. It didn't suit her. "I know," he said.

It also didn't escape his notice that she called him Harry, and not her wolf Faunus.

"He didn't even tell us everything," she continued.

"Can you blame him?"

"No." Nora sighed. "Ren," she said again after a moment of silence.

"Yes?"

"If ever those people that hurt Harry show up here," she said, "they're going to die."

This is what truly terrified him when dealing with a calm Nora. This Nora wasn't one to complicate things with intricate plots. She took the blunt approach. What she told you, was what she thought or what she planned to do.

And it wasn't idle threats or empty words. They were law. Absolute. One might as well write them in stone, because she would make them happen. No matter how horrifying or gory they were.

Still, he couldn't blame her. If what Potter said about the governing body in his world was true, he certainly wasn't going to stop Nora. He just nodded.

Adam

Adam was walking towards the viewing platform near the landing pads for the Bullheads. He actually never planned on heading there, but he wasn't really conscious of where he was going. He was currently going over what he heard about Harry's past in his head.

He could see a lot of similarities between Harry and himself. They had both lived difficult lives at the beginning of their lives. They had to push forward even though everyone wanted them to stay down.

The only difference was that while Potter and himself was Potter apparently had to wait eleven years for his life to get better, if only slightly. Adam only waited six. That was when he had found Blake…

Flashback, 12 years ago, Dust mine

A six year old Adam grumbled as he walked towards a designated rest area within the mine he was forced to work in, trying to work out the pain in his shoulder. He had been working since four that morning, and wasn't allowed to rest until noon.

He growled as his shoulder popped loudly, when a whimper reached his ears. He looked around for the source of the sound. He turned towards a small hole in the wall, just to his left. He moved closer, and the whimpering grew a little louder.

He looked into the hole and saw a girl who was a year younger than himself, crying silently as she pulled on her cat ears harshly. "Hey," he called to her.

She turned and stared at him in shock, her wide cat-like amber eyes shining with tears. She tried to scoot away from Adam. "Wait," he said, holding his hand out. "I won't hurt you."

"M-Mommy," she sniffled. "D-Daddy…"

"It's okay," he reassured. "You're ok. Where's your mom and dad? Where can I find them for you?"

"D-D-D-D…" she stuttered, but she couldn't seem to say the word.

Adam understood though. He wormed his way into the hole and moved to the girl's side and put his arm around her, pulling her close to him. She flinched, but soon realized he wasn't trying to hurt her. She relaxed slightly and looked up at the older kid.

Adam smiled at her. "I-It's ok," he told her, hoping he sounded reassuring. "I'll be here for you. I…" He paused as he tried to think of something to calm her down. "I…I promise…you won't be alone. Ever again."

Blake looked at him in awe. "Really?" she asked.

He grinned at her. "Really. My name is Adam. What's yours?"

She hesitated for a moment. "B-Blake…"

Flashback End

Adam couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of when he first met Blake. She had been a cute kid. A bit of a crybaby, but hey, Adam wouldn't have changed her for all the Lien in the world.

He looked around and saw Potter leaning on the guardrail of the viewing platform. He raised an eyebrow at his exhausted form as he walked over to his team leader. Potter hung on the rail like it was the only thing keeping him upright. Parts of his shirt were destroyed.

"Fangirls?" Adam asked, startling Harry for a moment. He calmed down though and sighed.

"Fangirls," Harry answered with a shiver. Adam chuckled as he rested his arms on the rail as well and stared out at Vale's skyline. They were silent for a while as Adam debated something in his head.

'Potter trusted me with his past, could I trust him with mine?' he wondered. 'He's the leader of the Animagus Corp., a group dedicated to fight the White Fang in protection of not just Schnee Dust Company, but any and all company employees, human or not, and their families. What would he do if I told him I'm a former member of the White Fang, not only that, but one of the co-leaders of the organization? Gah! Dammit Old Man, what would you do in this situation?!'

'Trust is a two way street, Adam,' an old, wise voice from a very old memory resounded through his mind. 'One can only trust their life to another who is willing to do the same.'

'Oh yeah. Thanks a bunch Old Man,' he mentally grumbled. He really hadn't been hoping for an answer. He sighed. "Yo, Potter," he said after a moment of reluctant silence.

"Yeah?" he asked, not even bothering to lift himself up.

Adam hesitated for a moment before sighing exasperatedly. "Listen, Potter. You took a pretty bold step back in Ozpin's office, trusting us with your past and all," he said. "I feel it's only necessary to trust you with mine."

Harry looked up at that. "Why?" he asked, confused. "You're under no obligation to share your past with me. I only did it because my magic would cause you all to get curious and eventually try and figure it out anyway."

"Perhaps you're right," Adam conceited. "But…a wise old fart once told me trust is a two way street. That one couldn't trust their life to someone if they weren't willing to do the same. You trusted me with your past, so I'm going to trust you with mine."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" He turned back to the skyline of Vale and said, "Well, if you insist…let's hear it," he said after a moment's pause.

Adam took a deep breath as he turned back to the Vale skyline as well. "Well…I guess the biggest thing I need to get out of the way is…I used to work with the White Fang."

A pause. Adam didn't look Harry's way, but he could just see that any weariness he had vanish. "Oh?" Harry asked evenly, but something about it scared Adam greatly. It wasn't an emotion he was accustomed to feeling, but there was something about Potter's statement that made the bull inside of him start to scream 'Flee!' at him rather loudly.

"And why are you telling me this?" Harry asked, still unnervingly calm.

Adam forced his fear down. "Because I'm not with them anymore. And…if I'm being honest with myself, the White Fang has fallen so far into its hatreds that I hardly recognize it anymore or many of my old friends still working for it. I joined when it was still a peaceful group, but then the Old Man died."

He shook his head. "At one point, I honestly thought that violence was the only path left to us. I wasn't overly racist compared to some I worked with, but it was enough that I had no qualms in doing things that I'm now regretting," he continued. "In fact, if it wasn't for your work with the SDC, I'd probably still think that way. I thought that now that with one of our major adversaries not against us anymore, things could change for the better. But…there are several in the White Fang that don't care about that. They're too far gone."

"Why'd you leave?"

"Blake," was Adam's immediate answer. "She's…" Wow. This was hard, he thought. "She's the only family I've got. I met her in the mines when I was six. Her parents were just killed, and I sympathized with her. We've been friends for twelve years now, and…on our last mission for the White Fang, she defected.

"I couldn't stand to lose her. She was the only reason I stayed with the White Fang after your intervention with the SDC. So when she said she was leaving the White Fang, I joined her." Adam took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "She wanted to become a Huntress to help people, and I thought it was a good way to atone for the sins I've committed in the White Fang's name. And…And that's where I've got to thank you, Potte-No. Harry. I thank you, Harry Potter. If it wasn't for you falling into Remnant and changing the Schnee's point of view on Faunus, I…I wouldn't be here…chasing my redemption."

Harry stayed silent for a long while. Adam wondered what was going through his mind when Harry said, "That last part was a bit corny, don't ya think?"

Adam blinked for a moment. He thought about what he said and chuckled slightly. "Yeah, I guess it was," he admitted, still chuckling.

Harry chuckled as well. "I get that you're trying to change, Adam," Harry said. "But that can't change the fact that you did work for a criminal organization, and Blake as well, given what you said. You've admitted to me you've done a lot of acts that you regret, making me assume that they are acts that I don't condone." Harry turned to look at Adam. "That being said, however, I can tell you're being sincere about wanting to change. So far, you haven't given me a reason to not trust you, and you've trusted me with your past, so I suppose I could give you the benefit of a doubt."

Harry held out his fist to Adam. "So how about this: you work with me on undermining whatever plans the White Fang is pulling right now, and if you can also convince Mr. Schnee of your change of heart and sincerity, which is still a task in and of itself, I'll see about getting you and Blake some pardons. That way, you can really start to 'chase your redemption.' Okay?"

Adam looked at Harry in shock. This…This was...Never in all of his plans did he think such an opportunity like this. "I…Of course but…Do you think I can really convince Damon Schnee of all people?" he asked.

Harry grinned. "You tell 'em you used to work in the mines, and he'll be a bit more inclined to listen," the wolf Faunus said.

Adam was about to ask what he meant when a loud screaming caught their attention. They both tensed as more squealing reached their ears. Then, they heard voices…

"EEEEEEPPP! LOOK! IT'S THE WOLF FAUNUS! AND HE'S WITH THE BULL FAUNUS!"

"OH MY GOSH! THEY'RE BOTH SO HOT!"

"QUICK! GRAB THEM!"

"COME AND HOLD ME, MY LOVES!"

"NO! THEY'RE MY LOVES!"

"HOLD ME, HARRY!"

"ADAMMMMM! MAKE LOVE TO ME!"

Both Faunus looked at each other in horror before they shot away from the fangirl horde. The horde took off after them, staying just behind them. "WHY ARE THEY CHASING ME NOW?!" Adam demanded.

"DON'T ASK QUESTIONS! JUST KEEP RUNNING!" Harry told him.

"WAIT! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!"

"COME BACK, MY LOVES!"

"DON'T LEAVE ME!"

"WE CAN'T LET THEM GET AWAY!"

"I WANT TO SEE ADAM AND HARRY TOGETHER NAKED!"

That last, horrifying declaration made the two Faunus pale in terror as many of the girls began cheering loudly. "YAOI FANGIRLS!" they screamed hysterically as they started running faster, hoping to escape the crazed fangirls.

Summer

Summer leaned against a pillar near the landing platforms, a frown marring her beautiful face. Ozpin told her that her husband Taiyang and her best friend Qrow would be showing up soon to see her. When she asked why he didn't do so sooner, he looked sheepish and replied, "Well, after all the excitement of you being alive, we all kind of…forgot. And by the time we remembered, you were finally resting. I didn't want to call them until you were awake."

It was a sound argument, she supposed, but the amused look in Ozpin's eyes made her wonder if he had some other motive for waiting so long. Ozpin and Tai never did get along very well. She hoped that Ozpin truly forgot, or he'd been in for a world of pain.

Her thoughts turned to Harry, and the life he had to live. She scowled as she mulled over what she heard. 'And I know that wasn't all of his past,' she thought. He had only given them a brief overview, and even that was horrifying. Just what else has happened to him in his life?

She couldn't think of his past anymore, however, because an airbus landed on the platform. She smiled and decided to tease her old friend and husband and hid behind the pillar. Taiyang Xiao Long and Qrow Branwen walked off the airbus. They were just as Summer remembered them.

Taiyang was still taller than her, something that irritated the hell out of her. He still wore a brown vest over his tan shirt and still wore his tan cargo pants. His hair was short, as usual, and his lilac colored eyes were still oh-so mesmerizing to the White cloaked Huntress. Qrow, on the other hand, still looked like a punk in his grey dress shirt and black pants with his sword sheathed behind him. However, she could smell alcohol on him, even from where she stood. She frowned.

"So, do you know why Oz has called us here?" Qrow asked Taiyang.

"Not a clue," the blonde Huntsman replied, making Summer's heart flutter at hearing his voice again. "All he said was that we needed to get here ASAP. Seemed important, though."

'You're dead Ozpin,' Summer thought. How dare he not tell Tai about her return!

"I sure hope it is," Qrow griped as he took a swig from his flask. "I'm giving up precious time on my recon mission for this."

"Is the being taken from the mission you're complaining about or the fact that you can't hit on busty bartenders, Qrow?" Taiyang asked in amusement.

"Aren't those the same thing?" Qrow asked innocently. Summer giggled quietly at Qrow's childish attitude. She guessed some things would never change.

Both men tensed at the sound. They looked around while Taiyang said, "Who's there?"

Summer sighed as she moved out from behind the pillar she was hiding behind. Taiyang's and Qrow's eyes widened as they stared at her. "S-Summer?" Taiyang asked feebly.

Summer stood silently, but nodded uncertainly. "…Hello, Tai," she whispered.

Taiyang was in shock at seeing his dead wife in front of him. Summer frowned dejectedly as she stared back at him, not knowing what to say to him. Qrow, however, frowned and grabbed his sword.

"You've got a lot of nerve trying to impersonate Summer, lady," he snarled as his sword extended to its active state. "I think you need to be put in your place." He charged her, but Summer had anticipated his action, and vanished in a gust of wind.

She reappeared in front of him and suddenly slammed her palm into the clock mechanism on the hilt of his sword. She vanished in a gust of wind again and reappeared in front of Taiyang. Taiyang was in shock as he stared at her. Qrow had turned and stared at her as well.

"You really haven't changed have you, Qrow?" Summer asked in slight amusement. "And you still haven't fixed that problem your sword has. Seriously, it's like you want me to destroy it."

Taiyang began shivering. "Y…You're alive…?" he asked shakily. "H…How?"

Summer sighed miserably. "I…I…" She exhaled loudly. "I'm sorry, Taiyang. I'm sorry I wasn't there. Believe me when I said I tried to get back to you, but every attempt I tried was just a trap that the Death Eaters set." Taiyang's eyes widened.

"I had promised you on our honeymoon," she continued, "that I'd never willingly leave you. That I'd never do what Raven did. That I would fill the gap she left you with. And that if I ever did, I would deprive myself of my famous cookies for the rest of my life."

She chuckled softly. "After all that, though, I still did, albeit indirectly it seems. I didn't need to go on that last mission, but I went anyway. And that's how I ended up being cut off from civilization, stuck underground with only those demonic spiders as company," she mumbled the last bit, but Taiyang caught it. "I've done a good job depriving myself of cookies, though. Mostly because I lacked the sufficient Beowolf blood and Deathstalker venom, but still, no cookies, going on ten years now. I-"

She was cut off when Taiyang immediately crashed into her and hugged her tightly. Her eyes widened. "I believe you," he said to her, shocking her. "You have never given me a reason to not trust you before, and I know you would never lie to me. Heck, you can't lie to me, if you remember…" He chuckled at the memory while Summer scowled.

"And I know you would never abandon Ruby and Yang," he told her. He sniffled a bit and said, "I…*sniffle* You came back." Summer suddenly felt tears soaking her cloak as Taiyang buried his head into her shoulder. "I'm so glad you came back!" he said, his shoulders shaking with his sobs.

Summer was shocked as Taiyang continued to cry into her shoulder. Her face softened as she hugged him back. "You big lug," she murmured to him, tears forming in her own eyes. "How dare you…making me cry." She pulled his face up to stare at his lilac colored eyes and said, "And…I'm glad…to be back, Taiyang Xiao Long." She leaned up and kissed him softly. Taiyang was shocked at first, but quickly got over it and kissed her back.

Qrow watched the scene with a small smile. He at first still wasn't convinced of Summer's sincerity, but after Summer began speaking of their words on their honeymoon, he saw Taiyang's face light up. Qrow assumed that only Summer would know those words, so he just sighed and watched the husband and wife reunite.

He stared down at the object Summer had lodged into his sword's gears. A hair pin. 'Only Summer could have lodged this into my sword's gears and jam the mecha shift,' he thought. He chuckled softly and decided to walk off, leaving the newly reunited couple to get reacquainted.

A loud screaming and cheering caught his attention. He grinned. 'Something amusing, this way comes,' he thought as he jogged towards the noise.