I sat there at Ozpin's desk and took a few deep breaths and tried to clear my mind. I had done some meditation before but I wouldn't say it was much, but now it needs to be enough. I slowly cleared my mind of everything, forgetting that i was in a whole alternate reality was something I would never do but I managed to get the thoughts to slowly fade away. I remember reading too look at my core to find what amounted to a lock, that I would have to pull my aura out of this box and then apparently i just suddenly I had aura. I found that rather peculiar to be honest. I mean it was sorta, woah bam there you go enjoy your new present, but I wasn't really going to complain. So I sat there for a while and just felt around in a blank cavity for something in nothing? Yeah that sounds about right…
It would be apparently three hours later when I felt someone tapping my shoulder, I looked up to see who if i remember correctly was Qrow Branwen. To be honest he was my favorite character I mean the guy was a badass, just saying and yes I am straight. He was slightly swaying side to side, and he leaned in close to stare at me.
"You er um seen uh Ozpin he said to meet him?" yeah, he was definitely wasted.
I sighed, "no, I haven't seen the headmaster, but I suspect he won't be too long." Qrow shrugged and sat himself on the desk and pulled out his flask. He took a swig from it and offered it to me and I declined with a shake of my head, he shrugged and took another drink.
"So kid, who are you I can't say I have seen you around town." he said in a slightly serious tone. This confused me because a second ago he seemed very drunk, but now, I didn't know.
"Sorry, but I don't know if I can trust you with that information. If Ozpin approves then I will tell you, may I ask who you are?" I feigned curiosity, I didn't want to give away the fact I knew a lot more than I should before I had someone there to protect me. Namely a certain silver haired man. He stared at me for another moment and then relaxed a bit.
"Qrow, Qrow Branwen, Hunter extraordinaire." I nodded at him, and he tilted his head to the side slightly, "you kinda remind me of Ozpin kid heh, but you don't have the hair for it to be honest."
I deadpanned at him, "uh thanks?"
He took another drink from his flask, "no problem." he began to lightly swirl the liquid around inside in his hand and looked up at the ceiling.
A rather awkward silence came between us, so of course I did the natural thing.
"So if that flask like bottomless or like what is going on there?" I asked and indicated his drink.
The man looked at me oddly and erupted into laughter, he took another drink and smirked at me, "trade secret kid, you become a hunter and I might just tell you."
I smiled right back at him, "and if i figure it out before then?"
The man ran a hand through his rather wild hair, "then I'll make you a fully marked huntsman right then and there, they tell you at graduation."
I quirked an eyebrow at him, "seriously?"
"Yep" he popped the p slightly. I thought about it and it actually explained a lot. I mean if you looked at Ozpin's coffee, doctor Oobleck's thermos mug, and then Qrow himself…
"I'll be damned, the more you know."
Eventually Ozpin showed up with Glynda in tow, by the time they had shown up I got to know Qrow pretty well. He like talking about Yang and Ruby a lot, he told me a few tips and tricks, but he was a rather interesting fellow. I kept myself planted in the seat when the man approached the desk, the man had kept me waiting for flipping ever, he was going have to suck it up. I smiled lightly, " Welcome back Mr. Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch. We have been expecting you, please pull up a chair," I indicated the two chairs to the side of the room and brought my hands together on the desk, "please me and my associate here," I nodded to Qrow who was grinning, "have much to discuss with you." Ozpin quirked his eyebrow at me, Qrow at that point had begun to laugh without bothering to hide it, and Glynda was slowly turning red. "Come on, chop chop, I don't want to be here all night after all." I pointed to the chair and it began to move towards me, "hmm that's new…" I mumbled.
Surprisingly Ozpin sat down and Glynda was left standing in complete and total exasperation from the situation. Qrow had fell onto the floor, I think he was breathing I wasn't sure. "Mr. Branwen, please compose yourself before Glynda murders you, she seems put off?" Qrow scrambled up to attention like a Mistral soldier, "at ease." I told him. "And Ms. Goodwitch would you please close your mouth, it is unbecoming of a woman of your stature. Now Mr. Ozpin, how was the excursion with Ms. Rose? Did my recommendation of cookies help?"
The man was smiling from behind his coffee cup, "yes, quite a bit in fact. Ms. Rose and Glynda here partok in combat against the criminal Roman Torchwick, a rogue hunter might I add, and fought against an unknown who had strong control over some sort of fire power. We are unsure as to whether it was dust, a semblance, or some sort of power. Glynda pulled her over to a local police station where I spoke with her briefly and extended an invitation to our establishment. She is a exceptional prodigy, I believe she is capable." Qrow looked on curiously and worriedly at this, while I nodded sagely.
"Does the young lady know of the power of her eyes?" I asked calmly. Qrow's hand had begun to twitch toward his weapon that lay on his back and Glynda had yet to respond, or move, at all…
"No she does not, but perhaps here she can learn to use them properly." Ozpin relied easily, Qrow seemed to be still very unsure.
"That would not be a bad idea at all, but we cannot let this information of such training be released to the greater public. I have a feeling a few people would respond rather… negatively to such a thing." Ozpin nodded slowly at this, " no-"
"What the hell is this about my niece? And how does he know about her eyes and Salem and just what is going on?" Qrow interrupted rudely and looked unsettled.
"That was rude… I was in the middle of talking to..." I said quietly, Ozpin answered his question.
"Mr. Nightfall here is in a way, from the future and is rather knowledgeable about many things that are going on. I have asked for his assistance in some matters, he makes for good council, he asks all the right questions too?" Ozpin stated in a matter of factly tone.
Qrow sighed as he sat on the desk and rubbed his temples, "dammit…" he took a long drink from his flask, "Alright start from the beginning."
I rolled my eyes, "well yesterday i woke up and almost killed my alarm clock, oh you want information on how i got here, yeah about that we have no idea." Qrow quickly looked to Ozpin for help who shrugged helplessly at him.
"So your like from another world?" he asked me.
I nodded.
"You know the future of our world?"
I nodded again, "well no, but I can tell you likely events that should occur. You know the chaos theory and the butterfly effect and such."
"Do you know how to fight?" he asked me scanning my body.
"Not the foggiest clue, but I have a pretty solid imagination."
"Ozpin are you sure thing lil brat here is actually of any use?" he asked, indirectly insulting me.
Ozpin opened his mouth to speak but I beat him to the punch, "Listen you dusty old drunken crow, I quite frankly don't have time for you to be doubtful. We can figure out how the hell i got here and how to get me home at another time. But if we don't put our heads together, and when shit inevitably hits the fan, all hell is going to break lose. Vale could very well be destroyed, Yang will lose her arm, Salem is going to send her person peerage to try and assassinate you and Ruby. Oh and did I add that Salem could get the relics and turn the world into her own personal plaything. We still haven't heard from Summer yet, who might I add is more than likely in the grimlands alone. If she learned to use her eyes then there is a chance she is still alive and if she is, well, I think that speaks for herself. A second great war is on the brink of starting again. God dammit Brawen, wake the fuck up your supposed to be a spy master not a drunken idiot. I may be young but I am no idiot, and quite frankly I want to find a way home before I get ripped to pieces by Grimm, capeesh?" At this point I had slammed my hands down on the table and had stepped out of my chair. "We are outmanned, outgunned, out planned, and you better be thanking whatever god you believe in, that I showed up to wake you sorry asses up. We have about two years to prepare, we have surprise on our side, and if we take advantage of that then maybe just maybe everyone won't die okay?" I huffed, who woulda thought I had that in me, I am going to cry myself tonight in terror from this I think.
Qrow could only nod. Ozpin took another sip from his mug as per usual. I wasn't sure if Glynda was dead or what, but she had yet to move.
"Look the Cinder has put the Fall maiden out of commision for the time being, we can do a few things to change that, but it is going to have to be very carefully planned. Summer the Summer maiden is missing and alone, since nobody has inherited the powers, we can infer that she is still alive somewhere. In time Raven," Qrow looked shocked when I mentioned her name, " is going to become the spring maiden if the timeline remains the same. We still don't know who is the Winter Maiden, Though I think Ozpin can answer that for us, can't you old man?" I stared at Ozpin, I knew he was the old man that originally gave away the maidens' powers, and I had a mighty good clue on just who the Winter maiden was.
All eyes turned to Ozpin who had his eyes closed in thought, " Everyone come to my Office tomorrow afternoon we have much to discuss, Glynda I need you to contact the the other professors and tell them to be there, Qrow get Tai and maybe Raven if you can. If you have time start looking into potential whereabouts of Summer's location. Mr. Nightfall I want you to be well rested tomorrow I believe between the two of us we are going to be doing a lot of talking. I am going to get ahold of James and tell his to bring specialist Winter, we need information on current dust supplies and we are going to need his technology. Anyone else we are going to want here Mr. Nightfall?" he looked at me seriously.
I put a hand to my chin, " Kali and Ghira Belladonna, we are going to need their help with gaining support and creating a resistance against the White Fang, if all else fails they can assist in preventing faunus from joining them in mass. To get them over here tell them that their daughter's safety is at stake, they know nothing of her state or where she is so that will certainly get their attention… That's all I can think of at the moment."
Ozpin looked to think about for a moment then nodded, "that could prove very wise. Alright everyone please get on to your tasks, Glynda can you please escort Mr. Nightfall to a dorm room where he might be able to rest, and procure food to my knowledge you haven't eaten anything for some time?" I embarrassingly had to shake my head no, I was starving, "the school kitchen as well then would be good. Good night everyone see you tomorrow. Oh and Michael, "I quirked an eyebrow at that, "All of beacons are at your disposal including classified documents, do as you will with them. Welcome to the.. Ah yes brotherhood I do believe that is what James referred to it as."
"Thank you Ozpin." I assumed normal formalities were not expected of me then. And with that having been said I walked out of the room with Glynda, Crow had already pulled at his phone and was calling someone and Ozpin seemed to be doing something similar. I watched as the elevator doors slowly closed and trapped me within a metal box with the wicked witch. I looked over to her, "I am sorry for going against common courtesy Ms. goodwitch I know that does not go over well with you."
She sighed while typing at a scroll she had open in her hands, "it's quite alright, to be honest in this situation forgoing formalities would make things simpler. Is that alright with you Michael?" she looked up at me.
I was rather surprised by this she didn't seem to be on the verge of trying to whip me with her wan- er riding crop, "only if it is alright with you Glynda."
She smiled ever so lightly, i think it may have just been the light. "I must commend you though i have never seen anyone that is able to make professor Ozpin take action, I do hope his trust in you is not misplaced?" she looked at me menacingly, there was the witch I was expecting.
"I intend to do everything in my power to save as many lives as I can mam. I will consider it to be my good deed for my life I think." I said smiling. She quirked her eyebrow at me and nodded, then she returned to her work. I was left to my own thoughts.
A lot was going to happen tomorrow, and i was going to be the center of attention, and the inner introvert inside of me wants to commit suicide. I suppose the first thing I had ought to do is write everything i remembered down so- i felt my stomach growl- never mind i will write everything down after i eat. I felt the elevator stop and the doors opened, Glynda began to walk without even notifying me to follow her. We passed the dorm areas where she gave me the password to the first room so i could get in later and she lead me to the cafeteria. The school truly was beautiful, i looked down as we walked through a corridor with windows at the moonlit courtyard, having an ethereal beauty to it. I looked up at the moon, it really was quite surprising to me that it was cracked the way it was. I had figured with gravity and some other things it wouldn't look that way but it did. It was in it's own right beautiful. Eventually we came to the cafeteria and Glynda led me inside to the kitchen. She stopped once we were inside and looked at me and i heard my phone scroll go off, that was going to take some getting used to. "I have just sent my number to you, that and a map of the school so if you forgot how to get back to your room or Ozpin's office you know the way. Contact me if you run into any trouble." without waiting for a response she turned and left, her heels echoing through the emptiness as she left. I looked at the massive kitchen, there was everytool there I could imagine and then some I had never actually seen before. Without the people though it was a cold and lonely place to honest, you never felt alone and every noise would set you off.
I made my way over to one of the many refrigerator that were around the kitchen, there were a number of things i recognized but a few I had never even seen before. I pulled out the essentials for a basic sandwich and made my way out of the kitchen as fast as i could, of course with my sandwich in tow.
I came back to the corridor that overlooked the courtyard and stared outside. Clouds had begun to fill the sky, it seemed it may rain tomorrow. I watched as a crow took dived past the window and began to glide towards the city. The crow squaked a few times as it went, eventually fading into mere whispers in my ears. I could see the city lights from here, blinking and glowing with a warm warmth, despite the oncoming darkness. I sighed and resumed my trip back to my room, somewhere in the trip i heard the click of heels and the sounds of a deeper voice flowing through the hallways. The silence returned and a song occured to me, and music was a comfort of home.
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
They strung up a man
They say who murdered three.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree.
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where dead man called out
For his love to flee.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree."
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where I told you to run,
So we'd both be free.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree."
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Wear a necklace of hope,
Side by side with me.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree."
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where I told you to run,
So we'd both be free.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree."
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
They strung up a man
They say who murdered three.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree."
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where dead man called out
For his love to flee.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree"
I finished the final note at a low whisper, and i listened to my voice as it echoed through the halls. I felt a small tear run down my cheek, i smiled slightly and whipped it away and straightened myself. It was a few more minutes and then I reached my room door, I slipped inside and laid down on the bed. I hummed the tune one more time while looking at the ceiling and then fell asleep.
With Glynda and professor Port~
"Tomorrow you say at noon Glynda? Yes, that is of little issue for me, I will be there."
"Thank you Peter, things are changing in ways i can't even begin to comprehend." Peter's bushy eyebrows furrowed together at that piece of information.
"Change is necessary, but I assume this isn't a pleasant greeting for the beginnings of next year?" Glynda shook her head grimmly, "I see, let us see what tomorrow brings then."
It was then a sullen voice rang through the empty halls, "who is that Glynda?" Peter asked as he let the song envelop him.
"The cause of the meeting tomorrow…" she said it at a low whisper, a light shiver ran through her voice when the meaning of the song that was being song occurred to her.
The light whispers of the end of the song were almost impossible to hear, they stood there for a moment and Peter nodded at Glynda and returned to his room. Glynda remained for a short time then made way for the other professors.
With Ozpin-
"Thank you James, especially on such short notice."
"It's fine Ozpin, but the need for such a meeting worries me."
"It should James, the fate of the world is at stake…"
"I will see you tomorrow James, do not forget Ms. Schnee."
"I will not, Until then old friend.
Ozpin leaned back in his seat at the call ended, and he looked out the window. He pulled up the security feed to check up on the newcomer to his school, The boy was staring out at the window at the time, but it was not long before he broke his gaze and continued his way to him dorm room. The boy began to sing a sullen melody, and it sent shivers down Ozpin's spine. It was a powerful song. He listened until the boy finished and cut the feed. He was left in darkness, all but for the gentle moonlight that filtered through the window lighting the room in a silver light. "It was going to happen eventually, but I hoped it never would…"he said to himself. He sighed and pushed himself away from his desk and made his way to the courtyard, he needed to go on a walk…
Author comments-
Alright so the story plot line is starting to take shape, and yes the plot is probably going to be confusing at times, but I ask you give the story time to reveal itself.
For this I am making Summer the well Summer maiden, I think it was fitting more than anyone else. Plus it will make for some interesting plot points later on. As to whether she is alive or not, at the moment I am considering her alive.
I am going to occasionally throw songs in there, songs can hold a lot of power and emotion and I hope I can use them effectively add to the story.
Yes, there was a touch of a clue as to what Michael's semblance, but it won't be revealed for a bit.
Michael's age that while he is young, he is mentally pretty old. The reality of the sudden change will be taking hold later on in the story, but at the moment he is more preoccupied with other things.
I hope you enjoyed, if you have anything you want me to add I am more than willing to consider integrating it. Also I am debating some sort of romance between Michael and someone, but i'm not sure who so if any of you readers really care let me know.