A/N: Back again. So not a long chapter this time, but an important one, one many of you have been waiting for, for quite some time. Enjoy!
Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock…
There was something relaxing about the sound of a ticking clock in an otherwise silent room. At least, that was Ozpin's opinion. If it wasn't, then his own office would be quite aggravating to the man. Fortunately, he took quiet comfort in the sounds of the deep chimes that echoed throughout his office that sat at the very top of the central tower of Beacon academy.
The night-time brought with it a blanket of silence, meaning the only sound that could be heard in the circular room was the slowly, rhythmically turning gears and cogs that powered the giant clock that's face adorned the outside of the tower, and caused the very room itself to steadily turn.
For Ozpin, it was symbolic, a way of showing that he was always keeping an eye on the entire academy. Though, if he wanted actual results, he'd settle for a more electronic solution. Which is what he was doing right now, as he sat in his chair, looking at the various holographic screens in front of him.
His students were of course, entitled to their privacy, Ozpin wasn't trying to deprive them of that. But, it didn't hurt to make sure that no one was in the halls who shouldn't be, no students skipping curfew. After all, he ran one of the most prestigious academies in the four Kingdoms, with that title came certain expectations.
Taking a sip from his favourite mug, Ozpin tapped a finger against the left-most screen, causing it to change its display.
The screen flashed, and the Headmaster was greeted with the sight of his assistant-head chewing out a group of second-years who had appeared to be trying to sneak outside after-hours. The man couldn't help but let out a tiny chuckle as he watched Glynda tear into the boys with her usual cold mercilessness.
"I wonder if she's this harsh on the students because she doesn't want them repeating the same misdemeanours she made in her youth?" Ozpin wondered to himself.
Sighing at the remembrance of memories from years past, Ozpin shook his head and tapped the screen again.
This time it revealed Doctor Oobleck and Professor Peach strolling down a staircase and talking casually to each other. Well, as casually as the hyperactive, green-haired man could get.
A third tap showed Professor Port sitting in his classroom, a candle being the only source of light in the room as he marked his students homework, his empty hand stroking his moustache idly.
"Everything appears to be as normal." Ozpin surmised with a nod of his head.
Figuring he'd earned the right to turn in for the night, Ozpin began to shut the screens down and downing the last of his now Luke-warm beverage. Just as the spectacled man reached to shut off the last monitor, his scroll that currently lay at the edge of his desk, started to trill loudly, disrupting the monotonous ticking sound that had engulfed the room.
Quirking an eyebrow at the sudden curiosity, Ozpin reached a hand over and opened his Scroll to see what the alert was for.
CAUTION: UNSTABLE AURA LEVELS DETECTED
"That's unusual." The headmaster, his brow furrowing, "The only person here with an unstable Aura is… oh, oh dear."
Suddenly feeling very tired, Ozpin quickly input a series of numbers into the single remaining monitor, and sat back as the feed quickly changed to that of the inside of the Grimmborns room.
Or at least, it would have done, had the feed not instead, presented him with an incredibly blurry image. Leaning forward in his seat, Ozpin quickly gathered that the lens of the camera had been completely covered with a sheen of frost. Though, if he squinted, he could just make out a dark sillohuete thrashing in the middle, before collapsing to the floor.
"So, he's still in his room at least. But, what is he doing?"
Deciding to get a bit technical, Ozpin brought up his scroll and with a few button presses, his scroll was now showing a complete map of the whole of Beacon. He'd adjusted the map to an Aura readout mode, it allowed him to see any high Aura outputs around the school. Similar to thermal imaging.
Immediately, his eyes were drawn to the lower levels on the map, as an angry, red dot could be seen in one of the left-most storage rooms. Though, not even a second later, the dot flickered out of existence.
Ozpin stared intently at his Scroll's screen, adjusting his glasses slightly, before the dot fizzled back into life again. For the next several minutes, Ozpin watched as a pattern revealed itself to him. The dot would flicker, sputter, then promptly disappear, only to reappear a few seconds later.
Switching his view to that of the surveillance camera inside Fenrir's room, Ozpin saw the blob that could only be the Grimm flail and thrash in time with the flickering of the dot, and then collapse to the floor just as the dot disappeared. The blob would stay prone on the floor for a short while, before it would slowly rise back to its feet and the process would start all over again.
"He keeps trying to summon his Aura. But why?"
The elder man pondered the new point of intrigue for the evening, before his mind recalled the incident in the cafeteria from two weeks ago. Fenrir had unintentionally used his Aura to send Dove Bronzewing up and out through the ceiling of the cafeteria. The very instant he'd done that, blue energy seemed to flare off his form and he started to convulse in visible pain.
"His Aura is immensely powerful, but also highly unstable." Ozpin thought, leaning back in his chair, "Every time he tries to use it, it turns on him and causes him what looks like an extreme amount of pain. Perhaps, because it is a borrowed Aura, or maybe it recognises the Grimm blood that still flows through his veins and perceives his own body as a threat."
Ozpin continued to deliberate, the dot continuing to appear and disappear at random intervals.
"Perhaps, he thinks that constantly trying to summon his Aura will make his body adapt to it. It doesn't appear to be working though."
After thinking about it for a few moments longer, Ozpin gave an affirmative nod of his head and shut off both the screen and his scroll.
"Well, why not. He hasn't harmed anyone since the incident with team CRDL, and his behaviour has seen a marked improvement recently. I suppose I could give him some advice. Plus it will give me an opportunity to see just how powerful Fenrir could become."
With his plan for the evening set, Ozpin grabbed his cane and slowly got to his feet.
"Unnff," The grey-haired man grunted, "Bones are starting to get a bit weary. Ah, youth, wasted on the young. And yet, wisdom is wasted on the old."
Done with his griping, Ozpin made his way leisurely towards the elevator. It had been a while, but he was confident he could still teach a thing or two to a stubborn soul.
….
"AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH… GGRRRRRRRRRRRRGGHHH- AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Fenrir gasped as he fell face-first onto the floor, his body trembling as spasms of pain lanced through his form. All around him, patches of frost covered the floor, walls, even the sheets on his bed. The temperature of the room was now similar to that of the inside of a walk-in freezer.
Gasping for breath, Fenrir's face became a twisted grimace of fury and agony as this marked the fourteenth attempt that night that had ended in complete failure.
The Alpha had grown tired of not having any idea how to use his Aura. For weeks now, he'd seen everyone else use it as easily as breathing, this power of the soul. He wanted to use it too, to make himself stronger than what he was now.
But every time he summoned his Aura that evening, it would hold for maybe a second or two, before the pain would return. A crushing on his ribs, his limbs shaking out of his control, and his head feeling like a lightning bolt was being shoved into his brain.
"Why!" He seethed as the last few ebbs of pain passed through his system, "Why is this so hard for me? Why won't you let me use your power?!"
"You haven't yet proven yourself worthy of it."
The sweet voice at least had the decency to sound apologetic, but Fenrir still became more irate all the same. Taking a shuddering breath, Fenrir got back to his feet, shaking off the small ice crystals that had built up on his tail.
Before the Wolf could go for a fifteenth attempt, a rapt series of knocks from his door.
"Mr Lupus," A muffled voice called out from behind the door, "If you can, would you mind opening the door for me please."
"Ozpin… what does he want?"
The Beowolf needed only to look around his room to get an idea as to the headmasters sudden appearance outside his room. He'd guessed for a while now that his room was being closely watched by the higher-ups, he just had yet to find the cameras.
"Well, he's not gonna leave until I answer him. Might as well see what he wants."
Making his way to the door was a chore in and of itself. His vision blurred slightly as his brain demanded more oxygen than what his blood was providing, and his legs felt heavy and tired.
The moment Fenrir yanked open the door, Ozpin walked in with only a nod of his head in greeting. The older mans eyes roved across the room, paying special attention to the icy crystals that had formed across the room.
"Rather chilly in here Mr Lupus." Ozpin remarked, "Which is even more surprising when one considers that you live next to a boiler room."
The headmaster expected the usual, low growl of annoyance from the unamused Beowolf. What he heard instead was a pained moan and the sound of a large body slumping against a wall. Looking behind his shoulder, Ozpin saw a shattered-looking Fenrir gripping the wall like he expected the floor to disappear beneath him.
Constantly trying to force his Aura to work for him had taken a lot out of him.
Quickly shifting to a more professional mood, Ozpin darted forward and held Fenrir up by his armpit. The Alpha was too tired to even argue as Ozpin slowly guided him to an empty chair.
"Perhaps you should take a moment to catch your breath." Ozpin suggested, though the firm hand on Fenrir's shoulder told the beast that the man wasn't going to let him get up.
When the older man was sure Fenrir wouldn't stubbornly try to get back on his feet, he quickly walked off to find a second chair so he could sit in front of the Grimm.
On the way back, Ozpin caught a brief glimpse of a beaten-up Roomba sitting snugly underneath Fenrir's bed.
"Hmm, didn't know we still HAD some of those."
Placing a simple plastic chair directly across from Fenrir, Ozpin sat himself down in front of the exhausted Grimmborn.
"So, Mr Lupus," Ozpin started politely, "May I ask why your room is covered in frost and you look like you've just run three marathons… consecutively?"
Fenrir combed a hand through his matted, Black-and-blue hair. Once some clarity seemed to return to his previously cloudy eyes, Fenrir just scowled at the headmaster before looking at the far wall.
Ozpin expected such a response and patiently took his time to steeple his fingers in front of his face.
"Oh, you're definitely frustrated," The Huntsman hummed, "But not with me."
Seeing that the Grimm wasn't going to answer, Ozpin shrugged his shoulders minutely and pressed on.
"It looks like you were trying to use your Aura." Ozpin watched critically as Fenrir instantly bristled at the word 'Aura'.
"Though, judging by those screams I heard on the way down, would I be correct in assuming that progress has been… slow."
Fenrir glared at the grey-haired man in a way that suggested he was about to argue with him, but then he slumped back in his chair and let out a tired groan.
"What's the point." The wolf despaired, "I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I'm pathetic."
"I've watched the others for weeks," Fenrir started slowly, "They make it look so easy, using their Aura's, turning their very bodies into a force of pure power. But… every time I try, I just… can't! It hurts every… SINGLE… TIME!"
Fenrir was very quickly working himself up into a state of frustration. Ozpin once again acted quickly, placing a firm hand on the Alpha and gently forcing him back onto his chair.
"Take a breath Fenrir," Ozpin instructed calmly, "It might be hard for you to hear, but your anger will not provide you much help here."
Fenrir's eyes smouldered like a log fire, but he forced himself to be still. Taking a moment to collect himself, Ozpin regarded the Grimm for a moment before beginning what was sure to be an unusual lesson.
"Tell me something Mr Lupus, when you're trying to summon your Aura, what exactly do you do?"
Fenrir blew a few strands of hair off of his face, before answering Ozpin's question.
"I just… I don't really know." The Grimm said unsurely, "I just feel… this… POWER coursing up inside me. But, the moment it comes out of my body, it just keeps attacking me."
The older man nodded his head as Fenrir tried his best to explain the problem. When it seemed like the angry teen had nothing more to add, Ozpin tried to approach the problem from a different angle.
He had a feeling that Fenrir's inability to safely use his Aura might have something to do with his character, so to speak.
"Would you say that; it feels like you have to force your Aura to work for you?"
The Beowolf's eyes widened a little, and Ozpin knew he'd hit the nail on the head.
"Well, yes actually." Fenrir said.
The Grimm leaned forward with rapt attention as Ozpin nodded his head sagely.
"Ah, I think I see the problem here." Ozpin said, "The issue is, you don't know that Aura doesn't work that way."
Fenrir blinked in confusion. When he found himself unable to decipher Ozpin's meaning, he decided to ask for clarification.
"How does it work then?" He asked with an air of uncertainty.
Ozpin twirled his cane in his hand as he thought over what he was about to do. At the end of the day, Fenrir was a Grimm, had been all his life. If Ozpin helped him get a grip on his Aura, there was very little telling just how much more lethal the young wolf could become.
And yet, Ozpin only had to look into the Grimm's dark blue eyes, eyes that were now alight with eagerness, a desire to learn, and he knew that he couldn't decline the Grimm.
He may be a Beowolf, but now, now he was also a student. And Ozpin was a teacher, it was his job to teach.
"Your Aura is not just a weapon that you use in battle," Ozpin explained, "It's an energy field, a projection of your very life-force. And it exists in everything, everything except the Grimm that is. It exists in you, me, the trees outside that window, Miss Rose's pet dog. It's a force of pure will, comprised of both light and darkness. You might even say, it connects our mortal, matter-made bodies, to the spiritual world, a world that's impossible to define, impossible to perceive. Because of this, it's a power that requires a certain degree of respect from its users."
Fenrir's face was one of deep thought. He'd never considered that Aura had such deep roots with the very world. In the past, he'd always seen it as just this power that Dustling's used to fight his people. A cheap tactic used to make their weak, little bodies stronger.
But the way Ozpin spoke of it, it sounded like it was an entity, a presence that was far more than just that simple description could clearly portray.
Suddenly, Ozpin got back to his feet, and with a gesture of his hand, instructed Fenrir to do the same.
"Mr Lupus, you've been trying to force this great power to do your bidding," The headmaster spoke plainly, "But that simply will not work. In order to truly master your Aura, you have to be a bit more willing to compromise with it."
Ozpin then brought both his hands up, fists clenched, in a way that made him look like he was curling invisible weights. Fenrir stared at him for a moment, before he realised that the grey-haired Huntsman was expecting him to do the same, and placed his arms in the exact same position.
"You're asking me to just… surrender control to this Aura?" Fenrir asked with a frown, "That's not an easy thing for me to do Professor. It's not an easy thing for ANY Grimm to do."
The creatures of Grimm were all about having control. More than killing Humans, they were determined to always be in control of their own lives.
Because they had been slaves before… they would never let it happen again.
"It's not about surrendering control." Ozpin again cut off Fenrir with a calming air, "Your Aura doesn't control you, nor do you control it. Your Aura hurts you because all it sees when it looks at you is a Grimm. A rage-filled, heartless monster. You can't control it because you have no respect for it. That's what you need to truly grasp your new power. Not control… compromise."
"Compromise?" Fenrir turned that word over and over in his head. This whole, sudden lesson was filling Fenrir with a great deal of uncertainty. He was being lead to a new point of view by Ozpin, a point of view that suddenly made his Aura seem like this massive, unknowable power that he couldn't hope to get to work with him.
"No! Enough of that talk!" He reprimanded himself, "You are a Grimm. So relish the challenge."
"Okay!" Fenrir said after a second of silence, nodding his head affirmatively, "So what do I do?"
Ozpin smiled slightly, relieved that the Beowolf was still willing to go along with what he was planning.
"You need to find a balance with your Aura." Ozpin instructed, "Find something you can both agree on. And this time, when the power comes to you, don't fight it. Instead, embrace it, let it flow through your entire being. If you do that… it might just work out in your favour."
It was a long shot, even Ozpin's tone portrayed as such. But Fenrir couldn't think of anything else that might produce better results. So with a quick shake of his shoulders, Fenrir shut his eyes and directed his focus inward.
"Okay, just find something we can agree on." Fenrir went through the process in his head, "Lets see… the first time I was able to use my Aura without it hurting me was… The rooftop with Ren!"
The Alpha's thoughts were immediately taken back to that day. The day when the silent ninja had told him about meditation. That day, Fenrir had opened his eyes to see his entire body covered in a blue haze, and frost beneath his feet.
"I wasn't using it consciously then," Fenrir wondered, "But perhaps… I can use that memory to get the ball rolling."
So, with a deep breath in, Fenrir pictured the same image that he'd envisioned up on that rooftop.
In no time at all, the Grimm saw it again. The lush, lively wilds of Remnant. He saw the trees, stretching for miles in all directions. He saw the rivers, crystal blue and flowing gracefully. He could see the mountains, standing tall and proud in the distance.
Remnant… In all its glory.
Ozpin watched as Fenrir's body slowly relaxed, and his breaths became long and deep. After several minutes of waiting, something finally happened.
The Beowolf's whole body started to pulsate with blue, burning energy. Beneath his boots, the ground steadily became covered in a thin sheet of ice. His breaths now became visible, white clouds on every exhale, and the temperature of the room steadily went down as his Aura came pouring out of his body.
"Alright Mr Lupus," Ozpin called out, "Try opening your eyes."
Fenrir just about caught Ozpin's words, and when he did, he felt a brief spike of fear run through him.
Still, he pushed on, and opened his eyes. In an instant, Fenrir's navy orbs widned fully at the sight of his own body, cloaked in an icy maelstrom.
Though just like before, barely a second passed, before the Aura spiked aggressively, and the Grimm felt it again.
Pain, an all-encompassing pain that wracked his body all the way down to his bones. Fenrir lurched forward, knuckles turning white and his teeth grit as he tried with all his might to fight off the pain.
"GAHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRGHH… HNNNNGGHH… OZPIN!" He screamed, his body starting to twist and shake as his Aura grew more and more erratic, "I… I CAN'T GAH! I CAN'T CONTROL IT!"
"Stay calm Fenrir!" Ozpin spoke out, his voice just barely breaking through the noise created by the Grimm's thrashing Aura, "Don't fear it, don't fight it. It's okay, let it flow through you. Feel it Fenrir, feel its power, the ice surging in your blood. Feel all of it… and don't back away from it."
The Headmaster kept both his hands firmly planted on Fenrir's shoulders, holding him steady as Fenrir fought against his very impulses.
Every instinct in his body screamed at him to recoil away from this foreign power in his body. With monumental effort, Fenrir made the muscles in his arms go lax, his legs straighten out, and his jaw unclench.
"Okay, alright," Fenrir focused intently on whatever presence was lurking inside his body, "I shouldn't have tried to control you. I… I get it now, you're too strong to be commanded by anyone, and I didn't respect that. I'm sorry, I didn't see that sooner. So go ahead, look at me, all I ask in return, is you let me use this power. I'm… I'm not afraid of you. I'm willing to work with you, just give me a chance."
Seconds passed at an agonisingly slow rate, so slow in fact, that Fenrir was starting to question if Ozpin wasn't just yanking his tail.
But then, miraculously, the pain started to ebb away.
And Fenrir could feel it! He could feel his soul.
Cold, flowing through his body like icy water. His Aura traced across his body with an almost experimental touch, methodical and delicate in nature, nothing like what it had been before. The Grimm could see the colour blue behind his eyelids, as he found himself oddly comforted by the cold that seeped down to his very core.
It felt like his very being was being enveloped in a crisp, cold, winter morning.
Ozpin, meanwhile, watched in quiet fascination as the blue glow dimmed in intensity and seemed to melt into Fenrir's skin. The Alpha's veins now shone bright blue and pulsated in time with his heartbeat. Soon, Fenrir was standing up properly, all traces of pain gone from his face, and he very cautiously opened his eyes.
The Beowolf gasped as his now electric-blue eyes looked across his room. It was as if the whole world had sharpened in focus, colours popped out at him and the dark, night-time sky, now didn't look so black.
"I… I… woah."
Fenrir couldn't find any words that could describe how he felt right now. Only that what he had felt previously was multiplied now.
Looking down at his hands, Fenrir finally managed to get a good look at his Aura, without having to worry about it assaulting him.
His hands were practically luminous as the dark blue mist rose off of his form. Flexing his fingers, Fenrir swore he caught the faint sounds of ice crunching. He also caught small, blue bolts of Aura energy passing in-between his fingertips.
The power flooding through his blood, through his bones. It was all so overwhelming, that Fenrir couldn't stop a mirthful chuckle escaping his lips.
"Well, hello there." Fenrir greeted to no one in particular, "Nice to finally meet you."
"Are you okay Mr Lupus?"
The Older mans voice shook Fenrir out of his euphoria, causing the Wolf to look at the professor. Taking another cursory glance at his body, Fenrir answered the man, excitement causing his gravelly voice to waver slightly.
"Yeah, I'm… I feel great! This Aura, it's incredible!"
Ozpin smiled warmly at Fenrir's elation. There was still a worry in the back of his head that the Grimm now had access to a great power source. But, that worry was negligible when it came to the fact that he was seeing the elated face of a student that had taken a massive step towards becoming a future protector of the world.
"Yes, I can clearly see it." Ozpin thought to himself as he used his Aura sense to get a more detailed picture, "His Aura has become much more stable than it used to be. It's not perfect yet, but it's a start."
"Can you hold that form Mr Lupus?" The Headmaster asked the teen.
"I, I think so." Fenrir said after a moment.
Nodding his head, Ozpin brought up his scroll and brought up a stopwatch app.
"In that case," Ozpin said with a jovial tone, "How would you like to test this awakened power of yours?"
The Grimm gave Ozpin a curious look as the grey-haired man set his scroll off to the side, and then brought his cane up in front of his face, like it was a sword instead of a walking apparatus.
"Test it how?" Fenrir asked.
"I will give you two minutes," The elder Huntsman said plainly, "Two minutes to land a single hit on me. If you can manage that, I'll let you go down into Vale by yourself from now on. If not, well, then I guess we'll have to keep going until you can."
Fenrir's eyes widened at the challenge that was being thrown at his feet, the incentive didn't mean much to the Grimm, he felt very little desire to go back into that Human-filled city. But still, he was being given permission to fight Ozpin. He knew the man was leagues stronger than him, but with this new Aura power filling his muscles, he felt like he could at least land one punch.
"Think of it as: Revenge," The soft voice said cheekily, "For all the times he's sneaked up on you and made you jump out of your skin."
Just at the word 'Revenge', Fenrir felt his lips widen to reveal his sharpened teeth in a massive grin.
"Now that's an idea I can get behind."
"Two minutes?" Fenrir asked, Ozpin simply nodding in response, "Alright then. Just remember, you asked for this."
The Beowolf lowered himself to the ground, whilst Ozpin just quirked an eyebrow in amusement. True, he was getting up there in years.
But it seemed the Grimm's sudden surge of power had made his ambitions a little too big.
"I'll keep it in mind." He remarked before leaning back on his heel, ready for Fenrir to inevitably charge at him the second he said go.
The mans finger hovered over the button to start the timer, Fenrir's eyes focused intensely on Ozpin's face, his Aura flaring up like a blue firestorm.
Tap.
"Go!"
The second the word left Ozpin's lips, Fenrir charged forward, his Aura instantly shooting down to his legs.
Only, rather than connecting a fist with Ozpin's face, Fenrir's arm struck thin air, that he could have sworn held Ozpin's image not a second ago.
And then Fenrir lost all control of his legs and found himself rapidly careening towards the far wall of his room.
"WO-WO-WO-WOAH! OOOOFFF!"
Fenrir's face was imbedded in the concrete as he failed to stop himself in time. His ears perked up as he heard Ozpin chuckle at the Wolf's misfortune. Peeling his face off the stone, Fenrir shook his hair free of debris and looked at the floor beneath him.
Frosty footprints lead up to where he was standing, glittering blue and white in the evening light.
"That was fast! Faster than how I normally move." Fenrir thought, "I couldn't even keep track of my own movements. How do Humans handle this much energy blasting through them?"
"Done already Mr Lupus?" Ozpin questioned from the other side of the room.
Scowling, the Grimm hunkered down to prepare for another charge.
And then, his face twitched, and then he let out a grunt as he felt the pain, slowly returning.
"What? No!" Fenrir seethed in frustration, "Come on, I thought we were over this!"
Just before the pain could reach its previous levels of excruciating however, it suddenly ceased. And with it, Fenrir's previously shining Aura, fizzled away to nothingness.
Ozpin observed quietly as Fenrir looked down at his normal-looking body.
"Wh… Wha-huh?" Fenrir stammered, "What happened? Is it broken?"
"I do not think so," The headmaster murmured, before shaking his head and re-capturing Fenrir's attention, "It's alright Fenrir, just bring it back. Hurry now, you're on a timer remember."
Fenrir's face betrayed his panic, before he quickly shut his eyes and refocused on that pleasant image he now kept saved in his brain. In no time at all, certainly much faster than before, the blue haze returned as Fenrir's Aura reactivated with a blast of frigid air.
He hadn't even needed to negotiate with the soul power, it just came back to him.
"Weird, maybe it was just a slip-up. The knock to the wall must have messed up my concentration." The Beowolf guessed.
Putting it aside for later, Fenrir again sent his body rocketing forward, towards where Ozpin was standing. This time, he paid attention to the fact that he was much, much faster now, and put the brakes on his sprint much earlier.
Just in time, Fenrir found himself right in front of Ozpin and quickly shot a fist at his face.
But again, Fenrir just hit empty air, empty air that still held the grey-haired man's visage.
"It… It's an afterimage? He's so fast he can make an afterimage. That's crazy fast!"
"ACK!"
Fenrir found himselfshunted forward as Ozpin took the moment to counterattack, hitting Fenrir in the back with his cane.
"You leave yourself wide-open after an attack." Ozpin lectured, "You should always keep your guard up. If your opponent sees an opening, he will take it."
Fenrir growled in irritation, but he turned quickly on his heel to face Ozpin again.
And then the pain again, followed by Fenrir's Aura just disappearing into thin, misty air.
"Oh, what the hell!"
"Hmm, that time it was seven seconds." Ozpin held a finger up to his chin in intrigue, "Again."
Just like before, Fenrir shut his eyes, refocused, and the Aura returned.
Countless times, Fenrir tried to land a single hit on the veteran Huntsman. But while his Aura had greatly elevated his speed, Ozpin was just on a whole other level. The mans smiling afterimages would forever be seared into the Grimm's brain as they seemed to taunt him with just how feeble his power was by comparison.
Occasionally, Ozpin would attack with his cane, prods and swipes that either forced Fenrir to quickly back off, or he didn't react in time and he ended up just taking the hit. But for the most part, Ozpin simply relegated himself to just dodging Fenrir's assault, keeping an eye to the floor as it gradually became covered in more and more frost.
"He's faster than before," Ozpin graded in his mind, "But he's like a new-born with a toy. He doesn't fully know how to use it, so he's just flinging it around like a cudgel."
All throughout the brief spar, Fenrir would have to stop as his Aura disappeared and he had to bring it back up again. And all the while, Ozpin kept count of just how long Fenrir could hold his powered up form.
"Eight seconds… then nine seconds… then six seconds… then seven seconds again…"
It appeared that with one problem solved regarding the Beasts Aura, another had arisen to take its place.
Glancing into his peripheral vision, Ozpin saw that it was about time to finish this miniature fight.
Fenrir let out a roar of rage as he exploded with magnificent, cobalt energy. Launching forward, Fenrir let out a furious flurry of punches in rapid succession, intent on just getting one, measly, stinking hit.
It was all for naught however, as Fenrir's Aura blinked out of existence right in the middle of the attack, leaving him wide-open to Ozpin's return attack.
Sweeping low, Ozpin brought his cane up in an uppercut that caught the Beowolf right on the chin and launching him into the air.
"Time to show you an old favourite of mine Fenrir."
Fenrir's eyes widned as Ozpin was covered in a glowing, green swell of pure Soul energy. And then, Fenrir didn't see, but rather felt a thousand attacks to his chest in the span of just one second.
Ozpin had hit Fenrir with a series of jabs from his cane at speeds too fast to even see with the naked eye.
Reeling his arm back, Ozpin finished the Grimm off with one last lunge that sent Fenrir flying and colliding hard with a shelving unit.
The unit just about stopped itself from toppling over as the Alpha crumpled down to the floor.
The blue glow evaporated again, and this time Fenrir struggled to bring it back as he lay on all fours on the floor, his arms trembling and sweat pouring off his forehead. Constantly having to bring his Aura back was inevitably taking its toll on the young Wolf.
But still, he refused to give up. Shaking, Fenrir got back to his feet, fangs grit as he stared Ozpin down defiantly.
"Not yet… have to get… one… hit… in!"
BZZZTT!
"Times up." Ozpin said as he instantly brought his cane back down to his side, all fight gone from his body.
Fenrir blinked.
And then his hands fell, limp and useless as he slid back against the metal shelves behind him, coming to a stop on the floor.
"Dammit." He muttered bitterly, shutting his eyes in shame.
"Don't despair Mr Lupus." Ozpin attempted to comfort the Grimm with a hearty chuckle, "Frankly, I would have been ASTOUNDED if you had managed to hit me on the first attempt. But now at least, you have a far better grasp of your Aura. In time, you may even unlock your Semblance."
Fenrir wished he could take comfort in the mans words, but it was made difficult when he was the one sitting on the floor, battered and bruised, whilst Ozpin didn't even have a hair out of place.
"Why did it keep cutting out though?" Fenrir asked aloud, "Why did my Aura keep disappearing like that?"
Ozpin strode forward and offered a hand to the Grimm, who took it begrudgingly and made his way over to his iced mattress.
"I think," Ozpin said slowly, "Your Aura still needs time to adjust to you Mr Lupus. You are after all, very unusual."
Fenrir couldn't help but snort at that understatement.
"You can use your Aura now, but it's on a time-limit." The older man explained, "Around six to ten seconds, before it has to retreat back into your body, or risk hurting you like it did before. I imagine, and hope, that with time and training, this time-limit will grow in size."
Fenrir nodded along as the logic seemed to make sense to him. The few books he'd read that went into detail about Aura, seemed to suggest that Aura was a lot like a muscle in the body. The more you used it, the stronger it became.
"Well, you weren't able to land a hit on me tonight Mr Lupus," Ozpin spoke with an air of finality as he slowly turned towards the doorway, "So I guess we will just have to keep doing this until you can hit me."
Fenrir shot off his bed, disbelief written all over his face.
"Wait, again?" He asked hesitantly.
"Of course," Ozpin responded like his answer was obvious, "I can't promise I can make it every week; I am a Headmaster of a Huntsman academy after all. But, whenever I have some free time, I'll help you get better control over your Aura. And like I said, if you can hit me, you'll be allowed to go down to Vale by yourself. Though next time, you might want to bring your weapons. They would give you an increase to your range that would prove quite useful."
Fenrir knew he shouldn't be ungrateful. Ozpin was undoubtedly, a powerful individual. His help would no doubt be invaluable to the Beowolf. But something about this whole thing made him, not suspicious, but curiosity bordering on caution.
"Why?" Fenrir's question cut through the silence that had formed between the two, "Why are you going so far to help me?"
Ozpin turned to fully face the boy, and Fenrir wasn't sure if it was the low lighting playing tricks on him, but right now.
Ozpin looked incredibly old to him.
"I've lived a long time Mr Lupus, seen many things that most people would hardly believe even if they saw it with their own eyes. And yet, in all that time, I have never seen anything quite like you. You, a Grimm gifted with a Human body and a Human soul. I don't fully know what the future holds for you, but I know that whatever it is, it will no doubt bring a great change to Remnant."
Fenrir could barely process the older mans words. That was two people now, two beings who desired for Fenrir to be something far greater than what he was born to be. First the voice in his head, and now Ozpin.
And both times, it left him with this uneasy feeling.
"If that will be all Mr Lupus, I believe I've taken up enough of your evening. Good night Mr lupus."
And without another word, Ozpin exited Fenrir's room as quickly as he had entered. Fenrir stood there, staring at his now closed door as a myriad of thoughts tried to grab his attention. Eventually, Fenrir shook himself out of his stupor, and made his way back to his mattress.
Shaking the frost off his duvet, Fenrir sat down and contemplated the events that had just transpired in this one room. In one night, he'd gone from having no clue how to use his Aura, to now being able to use it painlessly for a limited period of time.
Looking down at his pale hand, Fenrir shut his eyes one last time, and brought up that familiar image of his ideal Remnant, the image he fought every day to protect. Opening his eyes, Fenrir chuckled as his hand now glowed blue and chilly mist rose up from his palm. That cooling, comforting chill spread through his body and filled the Alpha's lungs with crisp, cold air.
He'd never felt comfort from the cold before, not even when he'd had fur, but he did now. And try as hard as he might, he couldn't imagine a better feeling as his Aura enveloped his body.
"So… Am I worthy of it now?" Fenrir asked in his mind.
"Not yet," The soft voice responded, "But it will at least be willing to help you out now if you're ever in a crisis. It still needs time to fully embrace you."
The Beowolf figured that would be the case, and he contently let the blue Aura disappear from his hand before laying down on his bed.
"Alright then," Fenrir thought resolutely, "Then I'll just keep working, keep pushing myself until I am worthy of it. I… I want to be worthy of its power. I trust you'll let me know when I've achieved this?"
A chuckle that would have made most men swoon, fall to their knees, echoed throughout Fenrir's mind as the voices final words lulled Fenrir into a very peaceful sleep.
"Of course, my little wolf."
….
"BLEH! No! warm soda's the worst!"
Fenrir looked up from a textbook he was reading, startled by the high-pitched voice that had broken the silence of the student break-room. In the kitchen portion of the room, Ruby Rose stood holding a glass of fizzy black liquid that Fenrir had been informed was called 'soda'. He'd tried it once, and if he had to describe it in two words it would be: crunchy water.
He didn't like it.
"There is nothing natural about water that fizzes." Fenrir grumbled as he shut his book, figuring he might as well see what the commotion was about.
"Well what did you expect Dolt!" Weiss reprimanded her leader harshly, "You left it right next to the window, in the blazing sun, for an hour."
"Yeah, not gonna lie, this ones on you Ruby." Yang agreed with Weiss, shaking her head solemnly at the loss of such a refreshing beverage.
"I didn't leave it out that long!" Ruby defended weakly, before sighing and looking at her glass with an air of mourning.
Fenrir, meanwhile, just frowned at the sight.
"So it tastes worse when its warm?" He questioned, "Well I definitely don't want to try anymore of it now."
"Well, I guess I'll just make myself another one." Ruby said like it was not some menial task, but rather a great and tortuous trial.
Fenrir just shook his head at Ruby's antics, wondering just how someone could get so torn up over the loss of a cold drink.
And then, at the word 'cold', Fenrir's eyes widened as an idea called out in his head.
Before Ruby could turn and tip the glass of soda down the sink, Fenrir shot forward.
"Ruby, wait!"
"Huh?"
The silver-eyed girl shot a perplexed look at the Grimm as he now stood in front of her.
"Let me try something first." He asked as he held a hand up.
Curious, Ruby stood in place as Fenrir shut his eyes and took a deep breath of air.
And then her curiosity became amazement as Fenrir's whole body glowed bright blue, and the air of the whole room became several degrees colder. Even the others stopped what they were doing to watch the light show their Grimm friend was putting on.
Slowly, Fenrir brought his hands towards the glass, as if wanting to take it. Blinking, Ruby shook herself out of her daze and gave the glass to the Grimm. The second it touched his fingers, the glass misted over as it was rapidly cooled, the bubbles in the soda reigniting as the drink was instantly chilled to perfection.
Having done what he wanted to do, Fenrir cancelled his Aura and handed the drink back to Ruby with a satisfied smirk.
"What?" Ruby questioned loudly, "How did you do that?"
Looking across to the others, Fenrir gestured with the hand he'd just used to chill Ruby's soda.
"I figured out how to use my Aura," He explained proudly, "And where Ruby's after-effect is Rose petals, mine is cold."
Fenrir's proud grin melted away as he saw the looks he was being given by the others. Weiss's eyes held a furious thirst for knowledge, Blake's were similar though to a far less severe degree, and Yang's Lilac orbs were alight with mischief.
Before the Alpha could try to make a break for it, the four girls were on him in an instant. For a solid hour, the girls of team RWBY volleyed question after question at the poor wolf. At some points, Yang even tried to put various items [Including Weiss's scroll] in Fenrir's hands and try to make him freeze them.
And all the while, Fenrir could do nothing more than stare at the far wall with a withering glare as he asked himself the same question on repeat.
"Why do I do things?"
….
A/N: Well, told you guys this one would be shorter. Still, I hope you enjoyed it all the same.
So Fenrir FINALLY has started to use his Aura properly, though he still hasn't unlocked his Semblance yet, and he still has a long way to go before he has fully mastered his power of the soul.
I enjoyed this chapter, and I think I did an admirable job of portraying what Aura is in this universe, though if you disagree please feel free to say so in your reviews.
Let me know what your thoughts are on this chapter and I will see you later.
