Pov: Blake
Dad was wearing glasses and pacing back and forth looking at a piece of paper in his hands, while mo, myself, and Sun all waited for him to be ready. Dad then stopped pacing and took one last look at the speech he wrote down, before sighing as mom placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Are you ready?" Mom asked.
"Yes. It won't be easy for the people to hear, but the truth often isn't. I know they'll do the right thing." Dad said.
I then came up and placed a hand on dad's arm, giving an affectionate snuggle. Suddenly, the three of us were taken by surprise when another hand patted dad's back. He looked behind to see Sun.
"You got this." Sun said.
The three of us gave a brief look at Sun as he stood back and smiled. Dad then opened the doors as all of us and Sun stepped out of the home to greet the crowd gathering outside. Some people in the crowd were wearing press badges and holding scrolls up to record the event. Others in attendance include Corsac and Fennec, who were bowing their heads, and other Menagerie Guards. Dad stepped up to the podium and raised his hand to quiet the crowd down.
"Thank you all for assembling here. I wanted to take time to address some of the rumors that have been circulating around our island. I believe that it is important for the people of this territory to understand the truth. No matter how you feel about the human race, I think we can all agree that the event now known as the Fall of Beacon was a tragedy. A tragedy that will set both man and Faunus-kind back. While the main aggressor is still unknown, we do have official confirmation that Adam Taurus... the leader of a powerful splinter group working inside the White Fang, was partially responsible for these attacks. His actions not only tarnished the reputation of an organization originally created to bring peace and equality to all, but to our entire race. With each day that this man remains unpunished, it becomes increasingly difficult to condemn those that look down upon us. Recently, a spy from the same splinter group set their sights on this very home. My own daughter, Blake, and her friend did their very best to apprehend this individual. While they were unsuccessful after being physically assaulted and seriously injured, they were successful in obtaining the assailant's Scroll. With this, we have been able to ascertain that Adam Taurus has plans to overthrow the current leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan, and take over the reins himself. His radical plans do not stop there, the documents on this scroll proclaim his next target to be Haven Academy and its attached CCT Tower. Their plan is to strike on the last full moon before the beginning of the Fall semester, roughly two months from today. I have sent my swiftest messenger to the government of Mistral, but I believe we have a greater responsibility. My relationship with the White Fang has been... an interesting one. Years ago, I led the organization to help try and create a world where I, and every Faunus who wished, could walk alongside the human race. And while I believe we made great strides toward this goal, it was made clear to me that the people both in and out of the White Fang wanted faster results. So I stepped down, and Sienna Khan was appointed as my successor. It's true that I do not fully condone many of her methods. What I do condone is what Sienna fights for: the idea that the Faunus and humans are, and should be, equal. Adam Taurus does not seem to have that goal in mind. What he has done benefits no one but himself. I think it's time that the Faunus showed the world that we are equals! Time that we snuff out this splinter group, and restore the White Fang to what it once was! To do this, I think the answer is clear, we must go to Haven and protect it at all costs! Before we proceed any further, I'd like to invite my daughter to come and share her story. Not only as a former member of the White Fang, but also as a survivor of the Fall of Beacon."
I stepped up to the podium and faced dad.
"You can do this." Dad said.
Suddenly, a familiar voice yelled out from the crowd.
"TRAITORS!" We heard.
Ilia uncloaked herself, wearing her Grimm mask and clenching her teeth angrily.
"Ilia..." Sun glared.
"Cowards... After everything the humans have done to us, everything they've put us through, you're asking us to help them?!"
"I know we haven't been treated fairly..." Dad said.
"Where was their help when the Dust companies treated our people like slaves?! Where was their help when Kingdoms hunted Faunus just for being who they are?! Where was my help when my parents were killed in a Dust mine?! WHERE?!"
"Young lady, progress takes patience and cooperation!" Dad said.
"The Belladonnas are the worse kind of Faunus! They want us to work with the same people that are trying to hold us down! Their daughter was even friends with the boy who became a Grimm and killed people. If you truly, truly want to help your people... now is the time to support Adam, not the Belladonnas! He will bring about the future that you deserve. And if you are unwilling to fight, know that the White Fang will do it for you!" Ilia said.
"SHUT UP!" Sun yelled as he leapt out of the crowd toward Ilia. However she used her weapon to get out of the way and flee. When Sun landed, he looked around to see where she went, but no sign of her was found.
"After her!" The guard said.
The guards moved to chase down Ilia. Dad and I angrily glared from the stage, while mom has a worried look on her face.
Pov: Ryuki
Oscar was sitting on a red armchair, nervously looking at the all of us as we were curious about him.
"Did he age backwards?" Nora asked.
"He's possessed!" Jaune said.
"Or reincarnated!" Ren said.
"Oh! Isn't it weird?" Ruby asked.
I nodded my head.
"It is very weird, yes." Oscar said.
"Okay, okay. Let's all just take a second and remember that this is very overwhelming for everyone." Qrow said.
We all took a step back.
"Thanks." Oscar said.
Qrow then took a seat on the couch next to Oscar. Ruby, Nora, and myself took a seat on the couch perpendicular to Qrow's, while Jaune, Satoshi, and Ren remain standing. Tatsumi sat down and Sydney sat next to him. Oscar shared a brief look with Ruby, who giggled, causing Oscar to blush.
'I don't like him.' I said.
"Oh be nice." Ruby chuckled and hit my shoulder.
"What's wrong?" Oscar asked.
"Ruby and Ryuki are together." Jaune said.
It seemed to all hit Oscar.
"Ah, sorry! It's just I've never really met Huntsmen and Huntresses before." Oscar said.
"Well, uh... we've never met a person with two souls! So, first times all around." Ruby said.
"What about me? I've died before." Satoshi said.
'And you should not be so nonchalant about it.' I said.
We all chuckled.
Oscar smiled and chuckled at Ruby, before he heard Qrow clear his throat.
"Not to break up the whole 'getting-to-know-you' game, but we need to have a talk. Mind showing us your little parlor trick, kid?" Qrow asked.
"Yeah, okay. Just so you know, I'll still be here." Oscar said.
We all looked at him in confusion. Oscar then lowered his head and closed his eyes. Suddenly, a green and white aura shined from his body for a moment, Oscar opens up his eyes, which are now glowing, and he smiled. When he speaks, we heard a familiar voice overlapping with a bunch of other voices, including Oscar's.
"It is so very good to see you again, students." …Oscar said?
All of us shared brief looks of confusion.
"Wait, what just happened?" Jaune asked.
"Did they switch souls?" Sydney asked.
"Professor... Ozpin?" Ren asked.
"Correct. And though I may be the one speaking, Oscar is still present mentally. He's merely handed over the control, so to speak. I'm afraid this all must be very perplexing." Ozpin said.
"And alarming, and bizarre, and just really kind of hard to believe overall!" Nora said.
"It's kind of bizarre to see a kid and hear him speaking like the man who was our headmaster." Tatsumi said.
"Hehehe It's good to see you children still have your sense of humor. I know you've all been through tremendous hardship already. I'm sorry." Ozpin frowned.
"I mean, it's not your fault." Ruby said.
"It's all my fault. I told you once that I made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet, and I wasn't exaggerating. I'm... cursed. For thousands of years, I've walked the surface of Remnant, living, dying, and reincarnating in the body of a like-minded soul. The Professor Ozpin you all met was not my first form, and clearly wasn't my last. It's... an extraordinarily strenuous process on everyone involved."
"So who… what… are you?" Jaune asked.
"I am the combination of countless men who've spent their lives trying to protect the people of Remnant. With every rebirth, my soul is eventually merged with another and I am changed, but my memories stay with me. This curse was bestowed upon me by the gods because I failed to stop Salem in the past. But we must stop her now."
"And how do we do that?" Ruby asked.
"We start… by ensuring the safety of the Relic of Knowledge." Ozpin said.
Pov change: Weiss
I awoke to find myself trapped in a cage and my wrists bound by rope. I looked around, and noticed the bandits from earlier that took me. One of them was drinking, while the other noticed me waking up.
"Well, well, well, look who's awake."
"Wha… what's going on? Where am I?" I asked.
"You know... I never thought I'd see a Schnee in this camp." I heard.
A young woman walked out of the tent and towards me.
"Vernal!?"
The two bandits suddenly stood at attention. Vernal walked over to my cage, holding Myrtenaster in her hand. I stood up, while my captor admired my weapon.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Straight to the point. I like it. We don't normally deal in trafficking people - not really worth our time. But, once we realized we had a Schnee, that changed." She pointed Myrtenaster at me.
"You're going to ransom me back to my father, is that it?" I asked.
"It's a shame you're a Schnee. You'd probably do quite well around here."
"I would never sink to your level." I said.
Vernal's expression then changed to a frown.
"Just keep quiet and cooperate and you'll be back in your mansion before you know it. Don't make this complicated." Vernal said.
"What's going to make this complicated is when my sister finds out I didn't make it to Mistral. You know my sister, don't you? Winter Schnee? Special Operative of the Atlas Military? She's in Mistral now, and when she hears I'm missing, it won't take her long to find me - and you." I said.
But suddenly they started… laughing?
"What's so funny?" I asked.
Vernal turned back around.
"Hehehe Oh, I don't know if it's more funny or sad, but you're clearly out of the loop. Your sister isn't in Mistral anymore. No Atlas personnel are in Mistral anymore. General Ironwood closed the borders and recalled all his little troops and tin cans. No one is coming to rescue you." Vernal said.
I heard them laugh again and I just closed my eyes.
Pov change: Satoshi
"This is perfect! We were stuck at a dead end, but now, we can just take little cute boy Ozpin to Lionheart and have him set things straight!" Nora said.
"Please don't call me that." Ozpin said.
"Maybe he can see what's going on with that scaredy-cat." Tatsumi said.
"We're not sure that's the best idea." Qrow said.
Nora pouted and groaned and went back to sitting down next to Ruby, Ryuki, and Ren.
"But I thought the headmasters all took their orders from you." Ren said.
'Qrow said you trust Lionheart.' Ryuki said.
"That was the intention. Four lieutenants I can trust, especially during times of reincarnation. But Qrow told me about your meeting with Leonardo and the threat Sydney and Tatsumi received. He isn't just behaving irrationally, he's disobeying specific instructions I had left him. Something's wrong. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I don't want to rule out any possibilities, either. No one outside of this room knows that I've paired with Oscar, and I think it may be best to keep it that way. As for the threat, we can only assume that Tatsumi's home is being monitored so the two of you should not leave."
"Play things close to the chest until we get a better hand." Qrow said.
"Precisely. Now, we have two steps ahead of us. The first is enlisting the aid of more Huntsmen."
"But the Mistral council-" ren began.
"Doesn't own every Huntsman in the Kingdom, and I've been here enough times to know where we can find some more." Qrow said.
"So long as they're trustworthy." Ozpin said.
"You can trust them to put up a good fight. I'll throw together a list tonight." Qrow said.
"I can think of a few who might be around as well." Tatsumi said.
Qrow put his foot on the table, but his Semblance caused one of the legs to break and spill his cup of tea.
"Good luck with that." Nora said.
Qrow groaned as he cleaned up his mess.
"After that, we can move on to step two." Ozpin said.
"What's step two?" Nora asked.
Suddenly, Ozpin had his cane in hand.
"Getting you all into fighting shape." Ozpin said.
We all once again exchanged looks of confusion.
"But, uh, we already know how to fight." Ruby said.
"You can only fight so long as you have Crescent Rose, but you're still lacking in hand-to-hand combat." He pointed at Ruby.
"Well, uh, yeah." Ruby began.
He pointed at Ryuki.
"As far as you have gotten Ms. Suni, you still have to rely on your aura armor, so we shall teach you how to improvise."
Ryuki nodded.
"Mr. Arc, I'm glad to hear you've improved, but sorry to say, you've yet to unlock your Semblance. All of you still have a-ways to go before you're ready to pose any real threat against Salem and her forces." Ozpin said.
He pointed at me.
"Satoshi… you died so your muscle memory may not be as well as it used to and you lack any armor, aura, or weapons besides your Grimm ability that I would like to keep secret." Ozpin said.
I nodded.
"Tatsumi, you are still recovering from the fight but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't train. Sydney as well." Ozpin said.
"I've had enough sleep, I'm ready." Sydney said.
"And though Oscar can give me temporary control, he'll need to strengthen his body and his Aura. He'll inherit my muscle memory in time, but practice will expedite the process."
"But if Qrow's out looking for Huntsmen, then who's going to teach us?" Ruby asked.
Ozpin then propelled himself into the air with his cane, spinning counterclockwise into a barrel roll before landing onto the seat of the armchair, twirling his cane.
"Well, I believe I was the headmaster of Beacon Academy." Ozpin said.
All of us had various looks on our faces.
"We have approximately one month before classes resume at Haven. If Salem were to plan an attack, it would make sense that it would occur prior to students' return. It's not much time, but it's better than nothing. Just don't expect me to go easy on you."
Suddenly, he glowed green and white again, switching control back to Oscar. He had a hard time keeping his balance on the armchair before falling backwards.
"You've gotta be kidding me." Oscar said.
I looked at Ryuki and she looked at me.
"We'd… like to ask ozpin one last thing." I said.
"What?" Oscar asked.
"Kid." Qrow said.
Oscar nodded and became ozpin again.
"What is it?" He asked.
"You knew didn't you? That I would die?" I asked.
Ozpin looked down.
"It was never my true desire to harm you, but I had to in order for destiny to be changed." Ozpin said.
"What destiny?" I asked.
"Many years ago, there was a pair of twins who also had Grimm eyes. Their destiny was changed by Salem and it ended with them killing each other. When I met you two, I checked the prophecy and the prophecy was the same fate. I could not allow that so by showing you your powers before you were supposed to, I managed to change your fate."
'What was our fate?' Ryuki asked.
"*sigh* 'When the birds of darkness fall from the skies, when the creatures of night flood the kingdoms, the beast shall emerge, unable to control himself, will strike those close to him. The girl, with bow and a single arrow of fire, shall be forced to fight. Upon the ruins of their safe haven, the beast shall leap at its prey. The prey will fight back and in result must come to two decisions… kill the one closest to her, or risk the loss of her own life.'" Ozpin finished.
I looked at Ryuki and looked down.
"What was the original fate for us? All those years ago."
Ozpin shook his head.
"That's a story for another time." Ozpin said.
"It's getting late, why don't you all head to bed?"
Pov change: Sydney
We all walked away but I stopped and turned invisible to listen.
"You don't wanna tell them yet. It'll hurt them even more." Qrow said.
"The truth always hurts." Ozpin said.
"Do you think there's any other way?" Qrow asked.
"It's up to their decisions to decide their destiny. But if the path they lead now continues… it could end with their sacrifice." Ozpin said.
My eyes widened as I snuck away.
