May 17th
Atlas Academy
City Of Atlas
Atlas
Downtown
8:23 PM
Ruby stared at the Relic Of Knowledge before poking at it though she knew that it wouldn't do anything. Sighing as she heard the door open, she shifted away from the Relic. "General Ironwood, I know -"
"Your curiosity is more than understandable," He said, and she nodded. "To be honest, I have more than a few questions for Ozpin about it. Although if Raven Branwen had just sealed it back up, then this wouldn't have been necessary."
Ruby bit her lip. "Well, if she's just on Patch with Tai…"
"Even if she is," James said, sending the Relic a cursory glance. "We can't, and shouldn't, force her to seal it. Besides the point, Mistral is incredibly dangerous and especially now."
"Oh…" Ruby said, her gaze not rising from her hands.
"Ruby," James said after a long moment passed in silence. "Other than you and your teammates, how many people do you think are involved in this?"
She hesitated but then sighed. "Well, of course you, Professor Goodwitch, Ozpin, and dad are. Caitlin Morell at least knows -"
"Caitlin Morell?" James raised an eyebrow. "Elizabeth and Michael Morell's eldest?"
Ruby nodded. "We...kinda told her about it the other day. I think it might have freaked her out more than anything, though."
James hesitated but then started pacing. "Alright. Go on."
"I mean, considering that he brought them back I would guess Emmett and Cristal Schnee have something to do with this," Ruby said, chewing at the inside of her cheek. "General Ciel, too, I guess. And I bet Madame Morell is too."
James sighed. "That is fairly accurate, yes."
"James?" Glynda hesitated as she stepped into the room. "Miss Rose, I'm going to have to ask you to -"
"Already on it," The silver eyed girl said, quickly slipping out of the room and shutting the door behind her.
Glynda was silent for a long moment before tightly embracing her husband. "Oz said he's going to be here in about a half hour for a meeting involving Qrow, the Morells, Adels, and the Schnees. Emmett, Cristal, and Emmeline, of course."
James nodded. "Alright."
"You okay?" She asked him, and he sighed. "What is it?"
"It's nothing," He said, gently rubbing her back. "I promise."
"You say that, but it doesn't make me any less worried," She said, looking at him concern. "What's wrong?"
"Apart from everything to do with Ozpin?" He asked her, and she gave him a sharp look. "Honestly, I'm just worried about the baby, that's all."
"I am too," She admitted, taking his hand and gently resting it over her small curve. "But so far everything's been perfectly fine."
"I know that," He said, hesitating for a moment but then pulling her in close. "I just can't help but feel worried for it and for you."
"Right now we don't have any indication that we should be especially worried," She gently reminded him. "Believe me, I'm just as if not not more worried than you are. I'm just trying to be rational and calm. That's the best we can do right now."
He was silent for a moment but then nodded. "You're right. I guess...we never thought -"
"I know," She said, biting her lip for a brief moment. "But I'm three months pregnant, and I haven't lost the baby. I know it's not entirely rational, but I hope that means everything's going to be alright."
"So do I…" He murmured, holding her tightly. "I -"
"Is Ozpin -" Blake started as he all but tore open the door to the room, startling both Glynda and James as they split apart. "Oh."
"No, Ozpin's not here yet," Glynda said, gesturing to the rest of the room. "Clearly."
Blake laughed as Allison stepped in behind him and lightly smacked his good arm. "See? This is why I love my teammates."
"I'm sorry," Allison said, glaring at him for just a moment. "Who do you love more than your teammates?"
Blake smiled and softly kissed her. "My sweet little Allie, since I did in fact marry her."
Allison smirked. "Yes, you did."
"You two are impossible," Glynda said, rolling her eyes as she adjusted her glasses. "And I've known both of you for over a decade. You two are inherently affectionate, aren't you?"
"I'm just glad that some things never change," Cristal commented, stepping into the room with her heels clicking. "Oz is going to be up in a minute, he's just -"
"In a shouting match with my wife," Emmett said, sighing even as Cristal scowled. "What? You can't even deny that the two of them -"
"It's over…" Cristal bit her lip. "Nevermind. I don't want to think about it."
"Why?" Allison asked her. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," She said almost tonelessly. "Processing, but fine."
"Processing what?"Elizabeth stared at her curiously as she and MIchael slipped in. "And why are Emmeline and Ozpin arguing so loudly I'm shocked the entire city hasn't heard them?"
"That's actually a good question," Emmett said, giving his sister a pointed look. "Don't you dare try and shut this up. It's probably only going to bother you more if you do that."
Cristal sighed, shook out her long white curls, and pushed up her glasses. "I...it was just something he thought I should know relating to Salem."
Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Which was…"
Cristal's gaze fell to her feet. "That...millennia ago…"
"Woah…" Qrow said, putting up his hands in mock surrender as he stepped into the room. "Looks like she can be at a loss for words."
Cristal looked up suddenly and sent him a dark look but Allison, being closer, smacked him on the back of the head.
"Don't be a dick," She said, crossing her arms as Blake wrapped an arm around her waist. "I know it's in your nature -"
"Geez," He said, rolling his eyes. "Looks like none of you can take a joke."
"Cristal?" James said, looking at her in concern. "You don't have to -"
"Millennia ago," She said quickly, taking in a sharp breath. "Oz and Salem...were involved. They had four kids, actually, and...but she killed him and their children -"
"Minus the murder in cold blood, which doesn't surprise me considering Salem," Elizabeth said slowly, sharing a look with her husband. "We know."
Cristal stared at all of them, her grey eyes wide in shock. "You what?"
"Actually," Qrow said, giving Elizabeth a sharp look. "I didn't know that, and I imagine Emmett didn't either."
"You act like that's something I would have learned in the month or so I've been back," He said, crossing his arms.
"Eh," Qrow said, shrugging. "Who knows what Emmeline tells you other than the two of you?"
"Chrissy," Glynda said gently. "I -"
Cristal suddenly collapsed into one of the chairs and started sobbing. "I...I can't believe it. I can't believe any of this! Why is the world like this, why is everything -"
"Chrissy," Ozpin ran over to his fiance even with Emmeline scowling at him and pulled her in tightly. "What is it?"
"I…" She bit her lip and curled into him despite hating how weak she felt. "Nothing, just stress."
"Chrissy," He said, rubbing her back. "I promise, everything's going to be fine. And we're getting married in a few weeks -"
"You have no…" Elizabeth took in a sharp breath as she crossed her arms and Michael placed a hand on her shoulder. "You really are the lesser of two evils in all of this. Do you have a real plan to defeat her, or are you misleading all of us? If you think we're angry - us, perfectly capable and highly educated adults - then how angry do you think the teens are going to be when they find out -"
"Elizabeth," Qrow snapped. "However you feel about this and how it's -"
"Oh, yes!" She exclaimed irritably. "Go ahead, defend Oz like you always have!"
Qrow glared. "You bitch -"
"Too far," Elizabeth snapped, narrowing her eyes. "Do you -"
"You don't really care about this!" He exclaimed, and she flinched. "You, like pretty much everyone in this room, have a price - the only difference is that it's higher than theirs!"
An eerie silence passed, even as Cristal shakily stood up and Ozpin gently held the small woman that he desperately and unconditionally loved close to him.
Elizabeth took a step towards the red eyed man, her heels clicking almost menacingly. "You, Qrow, have no decency."
"This ain't a Council meeting," Qrow reminded her. "This ain't about being proper, this is about doing what's right -"
"You know what?" She said, crossing her arms. "You can act as if you didn't have a price but I'm willing to bet that you did -"
"Lizzie -" Michael started, worried that she was about to say something she would regret.
"No," She said firmly. "I'm not ashamed of this. Qrow, your whole life you've dealt with being encapsulated by negativity, by bad luck -"
"Oh god…" Allison said, shaking her head.
"And Oz gave you a chance to get away from that," Elizabeth said unapologetically. "And you hold him in such high esteem because, unlike everyone else which includes your own sister, he didn't view you as a curse like you view yourself. Even though this might just be an endless...goose chase, he -"
Without even thinking, Qrow slapped her. "What the hell is wrong with you, Elizabeth?"
She stared at him shock, her fingers barely grazing over her cheek. "You...you -"
"Lizzie," Michael said gently, pulling her in. "Are -"
"I'm not dealing with this right now," Qrow said, shaking his head sadly. "We'll talk later, Oz."
Everyone stared as he left the room, slamming the door behind him.
"What?" Elizabeth said as they all turned to her. "I'm not apologising. Everything I said was valid."
Ozpin sighed. "Elizabeth -"
"Let me ask you this," She said, trying to force herself to remain calm. "And this should be an easy question, a soft ball, if you will. Do you, or do you not, have an actual plan to defeat Salem or is this in fact a wild goose chase to keep your psychotic ex wife at bay?"
"It's not a wild goose chase," Ozpin said firmly, giving Cristal a gentle squeeze. "And while part of what we're doing is keeping her from reuniting the Relics, it is to prevent her from bringing back the gods and causing the world to die."
"So it's already dangerous, then," Glynda started, sending him a sharp look. "To have the Relic Of Knowledge here in Atlas alongside the Relic Of Creation?"
Ozpin nodded. "Yes."
"Still…" Emmeline said, an air of caution in her voice. "That doesn't answer the question of whether or not you have an actual plan."
"Emme -" Ozpin paused before going on. "General Ciel, with all due respect, you're a general. You and James, I imagine, know better than anyone else in this room that sometimes you have to make your plans as you go along."
"So Elizabeth's right?" Blake exclaimed, staring at the man in shock. "You've got to -"
"That is not what I said," Ozpin said firmly.
"That's what you implied," James countered.
"What I meant," Ozpin started as calmly as possible. "Is that, in the end, Salem will have to be weakened to a human or at least near human state because the gods tried to punish her for bringing me back with immortality."
Cristal raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"But that can be done with the powers of the four maidens," He said slowly. "And a silver eyed warrior."
"Damn good thing Qrow isn't here," Emmett remarked dryly. "Considering that he would never be happy about his daughter having to sacrifice herself because of her -"
"Ruby is Qrow's daughter?" Cristal stared at her brother in confusion. "What?"
"Yeah," Emmett sighed. "Emmy told me."
"Well, I figured if everyone else knows that you should too," Emmeline said, and Emmett smiled and took her hand. "And I agree that he won't be happy about it."
"I'm not asking Ruby to sacrifice herself," Ozpin said, sighing. "There have been too many people that have lost their lives in this war, and I don't want anyone else to die."
Glynda nodded. "So, in the end, your plan is to kill her by bringing her back to humanity or at least close to it?"
"Not kill her," Ozpin corrected. "Seal her. I don't think we can kill her but I know we can seal her."
"So that's what we'll do?" Michael questioned, and he nodded. "So we bring her down to a human or human-like state and then the maidens and Ruby's silver eyes will seal her?"
"Yes," He said, looking to Cristal in concern. "But I will have to place an even stronger seal on what we seal her in."
"A Pandora's Box…" Cristal said softly.
Ozpin nodded. "Yes."
Emmett sighed as he shared a look with his wife and adjusted his glasses. "Seems like the world just keeps getting darker."
Emmeline swallowed hard, but nodded. "I know."
"So you do have a plan?" Glynda asked for clarification, and Ozpin nodded.
"Yes," He said, kissing Cristal's forehead. "But where things go...I still don't even quite know where things are going. I...to be honest, I don't know for sure if I can directly defeat her. I can and will seal her...but I can't deny that I still feel some sympathy for her. But I love Chrissy more than anything. I love her so much."
Cristal stared at him for a moment before kissing softly. "I love you too…"
"Qrow?" Winter said, sitting down next to him on the couch and placing a hand on his shoulder. "What is it?"
He sighed heavily, setting down his flask a bit roughly. "Nothing. Just something Elizabeth Morell said, that's all."
Winter raised an eyebrow. "Madame Morell said something and it's bothering you?"
"You surprised?" He asked her, then laughing dryly. "She's got good intentions, really, but she goes about dealing with the world a bit too bluntly. No wonder she has trouble with some of the people on the Council. They probably don't like feeling as if the woman who's snapping at them has more balls than them."
Winter sighed. "You know I'm going to force you to talk about this."
"Yeah, I do," He agreed, then shaking his head. "I'll probably feel better after we do, but you never know. Some of the things she said cut a little deeper than I care to admit."
Winter nodded. "I know how that feels."
Qrow bit his lip. "I know you do. After everything you went through with your father, I know that some things hurt more than they seem like they should. I get that you know how it feels, I just wish that…"
"Qrow," Winter said gently. "Please just tell me what she said. You don't even have to elaborate, but what did Madame Morell say?"
Qrow was silent but then forced him to speak. "Liz said that the reason I defend Oz is because he gave me a sense of purpose in my life in spite of my...my semblance, that all of this is a wild goose chase, and that…"
"That what?" Winter asked him, squeezing his shoulder affectionately with her blue eyes wide. "What did she say, Qrow?"
"That I have no decency," He said, staring at his hands. "And that's why all of this matters for me."
Winter shook her head. "That's not true, and, to be frank, Madame Morell shouldn't have said something like that. Not only is it not true, but it's not fair or at least something that should, whatever her feelings and thoughts, stay inside her head."
Qrow shrugged. "I think with everything she's gone through, all that shit with Cinder...well, she has more than certainly earned the right to say whatever the hell she wants - even more than everyone else does just by existing. The poor woman's been through so much, and I can't blame her for snapping in such a tense moment. Still, what she said cuts so deep, and while I do have respect for her...I can't help but feel so...I suppose hurt by this."
"Qrow," Winter said, biting at her lip. "I'm so sorry…"
"The thing that bothers me the most…" He said, sighing heavily once more. "Is that Elizabeth, for all her faults, was right."
Winter stared at him. "I don't think that's -"
"Winter, no one before you and Oz wanted me. I was cursed, and I gave my life to him because he gave me a place in this world. I thought I was finally doing some good, but…" He looked away, the feeling of dejection rising in him. "But maybe Elizabeth's right that we're not. That it's just an infinite game. Maybe meeting Oz was the worst luck of my life…"
"I don't think that's true," Winter said, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him gently. "I don't trust Oz in the way you do, with the loyalty you do...but I don't think meeting him was the worst luck of your life."
"Then I haven't reached it yet?" He asked, his eyes wide as he looked to her. "What if something happens to you?"
"It won't," She said with finality. "I promise."
Qrow pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I hope you're right, Win, I really do."
