All day, Ren had been feeling odd. He couldn't put his feelings on exactly what was causing the odd feeling. Sometimes it would be a whisper of air, other times a movement of black clothes out of the corner of his eye. Whenever he would look to find the disturbance though there was nothing.

The rest of the team had noticed that something odd was going on but no one brought it up. Especially since they were having their own odd moments as well. Nora would cut off in the middle of whatever she was speaking about and once looked like she was absentmindedly about to "boop" the air. Jaune kept checking behind himself as if he was expecting someone to be there while Pyrrah would make motions as if to adjust her armor even though she was not wearing it.

Team RWBY was affected as well. Blake's bow, normally very still, was twitching constantly as if she kept hearing something but could not locate it. Weiss would look like she was about to make a comeback comment when no one had spoken only to catch herself. Ruby like Ren would be turning her head as if to see someone but not find them. Yang kept swatting at the air around her hair, eyes visibly shifting colors as if someone had messed with her precious locks but never touching anything and shifting back with a puzzled look.

As he turned a corner while pondering he noticed Professor Ozpin standing at a window. What was odd was that he was positioned as if someone was standing next to him, but no one was there. Ren just continued on his path.

"Your voice will be that the most missed here." Ren stopped as Ozpin almost whispered the comment before turning to face the Headmaster of Beacon.

"Did you say something sir?"

Ozpin glanced over his shoulder at Ren. "Sorry, just commenting to myself on some memories."

Ren nodded before turning and continuing on his way. Ozpin watched him go before turning the opposite direction and leaving.

Hours later Ozpin was sitting in his office looking out the window, his cup perched in his hands. He stared out the window at the tower seemingly contemplating the lightspheres. "So, are you going to let them see you fully?"

"No, not my place." Ozpin turned his chair. Where before he had been alone a young man sat in another chair on the other side of his desk. He wore a black shirt, unbuttoned, with a white undershirt, black slacks & shoes, red and yellow wristbands and a necklace with a flaming skull with pointed sunglasses. He seemed to be fiddling with a construct of wires, metal and bits of Yellow Dust in various forms.

"Why not? You were the one to begin their story for everyone." Ozpin took a sip of his drink, "I daresay you would be welcomed by them. Ren alone would have much to talk about with you."

The man glanced up from his work. "I know, but it's not my story to tell anymore." He kept adjusting the construct while he looked at Ozpin. "I've laid the groundwork and have set the tone for time to come. Ren is also doing well on his own and his tale will be told in time."

The man finished with his construct held it up, revealing it to be a small pair of wings that flexed realistically, powered by the electrical properties of the Yellow Dust. Ozpin smiled at the sight of the construct before the man put it in his pocket. "So what will you do now? To all the worlds you are just a Human Spirit now. Much will stand in your way, even if you wish to return in a new life with nothing remembered of the old."

The man stood with a bemused look on his face. "That may be, but I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."

Ozpin nodded before turning to grab his cane with one hand and stand. "Well what shall you do now," he stopped speaking as he turned back to see the man was gone. All that was left of his being there was a single black feather floating lazily to the ground.

Ozpin smiled before walking to look put the window at the grounds where the man was already walking away, his hair changed now to silver and the white jacket and pants now wrapped around his body with red shoes. He held up his cup in a salute. "Safe journey to you Monty Oum."

The man paused as if hearing Ozpin and looked as if e was glancing at the tower before he turned and continued walking, throwing a nonchalant wave back to the headmaster as he turned a corner and vanished onto his new path.

Author's Notes:

Monty voiced Lie Ren, but Professor Ozpin was who he originally was going to be the voice of, hence why he appears only to him fully as Ozpin's features were based on Monty Oum himself.

I was fortunate enough to meet Monty Oum twice, both times at two separate Project A-kons after his panels. To me, Monty came off as Humble, even as he was talking about his work. Watching the Podcast tribute live as well makes me realize that while I only saw one facet of the man, the humbleness was a part of him, along with the wackiness, the work ethic and the mind that thought on levels some of us aspire to reach.

You will be missed Monty, but you will be near impossible to forget.

~Cyberbeta: logout