The Story So far:
Ruby Rose, Knight Commander of the Guardians of Vytal, has been sent with her friends to find Fenrir, a being which caused the destruction of Valhalla and caused the gods to flee to their new homeland of Vytal. However, upon reaching Remnant, she and her friends are divided, and each must now struggle as best they can to survive. Lie and Valkyrie run into a mysterious woman by the name of Salem, who they find to be the Dark lady of the Grimm on Remnant. Rose and Xiao-Long (who is now going by the nickname Yin) stumble upon Remnants version of Taiyang Xiao-Long and eventually choose to Aid Yang Xiao-Long in her pursuit of her mother. A journey which causes them to reunite With Arc and Belladonna, bit also force them into conflict with Lie and Valkyrie, now aiding Salem in her quest.
Meanwhile Pyrrha and Fenrir meet, and their confrontation ends in an unexpected manner.
In Vytal, movements are also afoot, Winter schnee, director of Vytal's Intelligence agency discovers disturbing news about Ozpin, she reveals this information to Summer Rose, Commander of the Guardians. Summer in turn confronts Ozpin, only to discover that Ozpin's secrets go much deeper than she expected.
Ragnarok 51: Confessions of a Great God
The wind echoed outside the building, the steal gears behind Ozpin doing little to drown out the sound. He looked at her with a faint smile on his face. The glow of his eyes quickly fading back to their normal greenish hue.
"Satisfied?" He asked. It was hardly phrased a question, more like a playful jest. The lilt in his voice sending a sense that he was terribly amused at the turn of events.
Summer stared at the man sitting across from her, her arms were crossed, her eyes narrow as a scowl grew on her face.
What Ozpin had just told her was absurd. She had seen Fenrir, talked to him, but the scope of his power, and his will to destroy was, according to Ozpin, still beyond her grasp. The beast had burned down all of Valhalla, left a city full of corpses and ash in his wake, and still was not satisfied.
"So, we are facing the Same Fenrir as the one that destroyed Valhalla?" Summer asked.
Ozpin nodded. "I think that is a safe assumption. Why he appeared now, rather than simply continuing to wreak havoc is beyond me."
"And you are claiming to be Thor?"
"You did claim to see me wielding Mjlinor. The only person who can do that is Thor."
"Or any other Great God."
Ozpin nodded. Crossing his fingers as he leaned forward.
"The crux of the issue is Do you believe me?"
Summer leveled her eyes at him. She remained silent for some time, chewing on the knowledge that she had been told.
"Why would Yggdrasil create Grimm?" She queried, refusing to answer his question.
"Grimm are a byproduct of the creation of the Aesir and the Vanir. Most creatures are formed with light and darkness. We however are pure light; the darkness has to go somewhere."
He stood turning and staring at the gears rotating behind him. "You have to understand, we still know very little about the Grimm. We know who creates them, and why, but beyond that is a void filled with questions, many of which we cannot even begin to fathom the answers."
"I have spent centuries trying pick up where Loki left off. Pouring over his notes on the Grimm and on Fenrir. He seems to be convinced of two things, Fenrir wanted the Gods dead, and his existence is deeply entwined with the existence of Yggdrasil."
"how so?"
Ozpin turned to look at summer the faintest shape of a grin on his face. Summer felt a chill run down her spine at the look.
"Loki, before his disappearance, seemed to think the Fenrir drew dark energy from Yggdrasil, much like we Gods draw light energy. Like us, the closer he is to Yggdrasil the more powerful he becomes."
"So why did he appear on Remnant? A place completely disconnected from the rest of the Multiverse?"
Ozpin shrugged. "Earlier I mentioned that Fenrir appears when there is a critical mass of Grimm, that is an assumption we made based on your encounter with him. It is likely that there is a Grimm Queen on Remnant."
Summer's eyes widened. She pushed down the desire to leap out of her chair and demand Ozpin bring her daughters back. Such an action would not help.
"And you seem to think that Remnant is a safe place to send my daughters and their friends." Her voice was barely a hiss, her jaw clenched and unclenched as she ground her teeth.
"Fenrir should be at his weakest on Remnant, and eight gods should be enough to deal with him if it comes to that. Furthermore, unless they actively go looking for trouble, the odds of them running into a hostile Grimm queen are low. They don't even know of their existence. Grimm Queens are highly classified, and we were still studying them.
"Until Blake broke out of prison."
Ozpin nodded, "Blake Belladonna was invaluable to our study of the Grimm. How one could resemble their host so easily is still beyond us."
Summer paused gnawing her lip. Doubts rushed into her mind. She tried to shove them away but they kept coming back. What if she hadn't freed Blake, but something resembling Blake. Could she reveal to the Grimm Queen what was on Vytal? Would they invade? Had she inadvertently started a disaster which would cause a repeat of the Fall of Valhalla? It she became so wrapped dup in her thoughts she hardly felt Ozpin's hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright?" He asked gently.
"I'm fine." She said. "Simply quite a bit to think about."
He nodded. "Get some rest, and we can discuss things more tomorrow. As of now, Stopping Fenrir while important, is not so urgent that it can't wait a day."
Summer nodded and turned to leave.
"And Summer," he called, "Remember their mission is only reconnaissance I never intended for them to try to kill Fenrir. The survival of the Gods is my highest priority."
Summer didn't reply, instead she closed the door behind her, the click of the door shutting the only sound she heard.
Summer gave a sigh.
"Bothered Rose?" A gruff voice asked.
Summer looked up to see a man leaning casually against the wall across from the door.
"Zeus." She said, "I really don't have time for this now."
"I thought you always had time for your subordinates. And yet you don't have time for me? No wonder Ozpin doesn't trust you."
Summer's eyes narrowed, "no I don't." She said walking away.
"So, he didn't tell you he doesn't expect Ruby to survive." He called out.
Summer stopped mid step and turned on her heel.
"You have gotten good at taunting." She said quietly.
Zeus peeled himself of the wall and walked up to her. "Do you really think your daughter has any chance at all? So frail that she will crack under the slightest pressure. You were wise not to let her go on solo missions, it was probably your one wise decision."
"Aren't you worried about Pyrrha?"
"My daughter can handle herself. With any luck, facing Fenrir will get her head out of the clouds and realize that Blonde oaf is still the same weakling he always was."
Summer nearly smiled. "Still sore over the fact that Jaune is better than you? Or maybe you don't; want her to marry for love because you're afraid. Hera leaving you high and dry still a sore spot?"
Summer felt the vice grip around her neck, even as the stony gaze tried to bore into her she couldn't help but feel amused.
"You're good at taunting, being threatening? You lack skill." She said, spying another goddess approaching from behind Zeus.
Zeus's grip relaxed as a hand caressed his cheek from behind.
"I agree, you lack the ability to seem threatening." A sing song voice said, the hand on his cheek started to glow.
"Ozpin wants to talk with you. Leave us."
With a snarl, Zeus released summer and turned. Marching into Ozpin's office.
"Not even a parting shot?" Summer asked.
"Zeus isn't quite that stupid." The woman said.
"Lady fall, it is rare to see you here."
Cinder laughed, it was gentle and controlled, but still sounded something like the jingling of bells.
"Winter asked me to come, she was worried about how your chat with Ozpin was going."
"It went well actually, if a little unexpectedly."
Cinder nodded, "we should discuss it with winter." She said, beginning to walk back down the hall and towards Winter's offices.
Summer followed.
"He claims to be Thor." She said quickly.
Cinder quirked an eyebrow. "that's impossible. Thor was confirmed dead."
"He claimed it was a misidentification, and that Loki had taken the blow."
"He does know how absurd that sounds. They don't look a thing alike."
Summer nodded.
"I don't think he was actually trying to deceive me." She added, eliciting a sound of surprise from Cinder.
"You think he was telling the truth?" She asked.
Summer shook her head. "No, he was almost certainly lying." The question of course, was how much of what Ozpin had told her was a lie? Had Fenrir reappeared or was that just part of a plan? Some claim to send ruby away, or send her somewhere where she could be used as a hostage to force Summer's compliance.
"Well, Winter will want to hear of this." Cinder mused, taking a sharp left and pushing through another doorway, letting the bright light of Vytal's sun into the building as they exited.
The duo walked quickly through the cobblestone paths before them. They weaved through throngs of people, ignoring the cries of the few merchants selling wares. It reminded summer somewhat of Asgard, but the spirit was different. The city was throbbing with life, but she never felt it was quite the same. As if something was off.
Shaking her head, she noticed Cinder had gained speed. Summer quickened her pace to catch up, heading towards a building made of steel and glass. It was squat and curved like a fin. The building was unlabeled, but every person in Vytal knew what it was.
As they grew closer the crowds that had once surrounded them thinned considerably. Summer almost smirked.
"It is quiet. Ironwood trained her well." Cinder said approvingly.
Summer chuckled. "I thought it was the countless dangerous criminals they kept locked up under the building."
"That probably has something to do with it, plus the fact that one has just escaped not two weeks ago." Cinder said, a small smile on her lips.
Summer glanced away. "Shame nobody caught her before she escaped."
"Yes, it certainly was embarrassing for the guardians and the intelligence division." Cinder agreed.
As they approached, to glass doors at the front of the building hissed and slid open.
"I always liked how the entrance is actually an elevator." Cinder said stepping in and pressing several buttons on the keypad.
"It does give a no-nonsense impression." Summer admitted, "Still, it feels cold."
Cinder shrugged. "Steel usually does."
The glass doors closed with a hiss frosting over quickly before the elevator started to rise. Summer and Cinder rode in silence, patiently waiting for the elevator to stop. When it did, the glass doors slid open revealing a large open space. Tiled floors gave way to a beige rug upon which sat a few chairs and a desk.
"utilitarian." Cinder said loudly as she stepped forward. Winter, leaning over the desk, hastily scribbling like a madwoman head snapped up as if on a spring. Her eyes wildly paced back and forth between the two goddesses before her.
"Winter, we have news." Summer said, following behind cinder.
Winter relaxed slowly, dropping her pen on the desk and leaning back in her chair.
"I see. Well so do I."
She swept her arm, gesturing to the open chairs.
"Please sit."
Summer and Cinder did so. Cinder leaned back into her chair, closing her eyes.
"Well?" Winter prompted.
"You must learn to relax Winter. Some things require patience."
"I have a rogue god running Vytal. And three agents have stopped reporting in. I don't have time for patience."
"Who?" Summer asked.
"Classified." Winter said with a dismissive wave, "But they were following Zeus. Their corpses haven't shown up yet, so officially they're missing."
"I see." Cinder said quietly.
"So, if you could tell me if Ozpin let anything slip- "
"Ozpin would not let anything slip, he's too careful." Cinder said with a raised finger.
"He claims to be Thor." Summer added.
Impossible, Winter said, leafing through some papers on her desk. "Thor was killed during the fall of Valhalla."
"He claims it was Loki who was killed." Summer replied.
"Does he have any evidence?"
Summer gave Winter a look, Winter nodded.
"of course, he doesn't." Winter said, running her hand through her frazzled hair.
"He also said that the Grimm are a byproduct of the creation of the gods, light and darkness and all that."
At this winter paused. "that is one theory." She said her hand tapping her chin.
"But it is one of many." Cinder added. "There's one where they think that the gods and Grimm create a kind of symbiotic relationship, like the Midgard concept of Yin and Yang."
'or where the Grimm are created when we sin. None of them have actual evidence. The only ones who could know would be the Grimm queens." Winter turned to Summer with a scowl, 'and someone let the only Grimm queen we've successfully captured go free."
"So, it was you." Cinder said with an approving nod. "Good initiative."
"Not if it means that we now have to fight a Grimm queen and Fenrir."
"Blake was still Blake."
"We're getting off topic." Winter said throwing her hands in the air.
"Even if Ozpin is Thor, even if Fenrir is attacking Remnant. None of this explains why he is keeping him being one of the Great Gods a secret. Let alone how he disguised himself for so long. Valhalla long ago. And Ozpin has led us almost since the beginning."
"He seems to think the great gods would not be welcome." Summer said.
"He wouldn't be wrong. Odin ordered the capture of Fenrir, and Thor's inability to defeat him is widely considered the primary reason for Valhalla's fall."
"I don't think Ozpin is Thor." Summer said.
"I agree, but in that is the case, then who is he?" Winter asked.
Cinder's eyes snapped open. "Can you bring up the list of gods that were unaccounted for before the Fall. Specifically, the Great gods who were unaccounted for before?"
Winter nodded, pulling out a scroll and quickly tapping her query into a search engine.
"Loki and Hel's locations were unknown when Fenrir began his attack. Thor, Odin, Freya and Tyr were confirmed as being in the Palace and were killed by Fenrir, Balder led the remaining Great gods in the final defense of Asgard and are presumed dead."
"SO realistically, Ozpin could be Loki, Hel, Balder or any of the gods with Balder." Summer said, slumping forward.
"Yes." Winter said. "But bluntly, the only gods that are on that list that have both the power and charisma to lead are Loki and Balder. Hel was renowned for being shy and avoiding the spotlight."
"So, either Loki or Balder."
Winter nodded.
"well, now that we have an idea of who he is, what are we going to do about him?" Cinder asked.
"He may have lied about who he is, but he hasn't done anything actively harmful to Vytal yet." Winter said.
Summer nodded, "I say we watch and wait. We don't know what tricks he has up his sleeve."
"I agree. acting now would not only be pointless, but could be actively harmful to other military operations." Winter said
"good things come to those who wait I suppose." Cinder muttered. "We can't be lazy though. If he starts to act suspicious…"
"We act." Summer finished, a glower on her face. "We also need to confirm that the guardians on Remnant are safe as well."
"I'll consider that, but for the time being, I'd assume they are."
"An intelligence agent making assumptions?" Cinder asked, stifling a laugh.
Winter ignored her. "Summer, if you would keep track of Ozpin, it would be appreciated. The intelligence agency can't move as freely in Vytal as we can elsewhere. And it seems I have a leak."
"If Zeus found your agents I'd say you do have a leak." Cinder pointed out.
Summer stood. I'll get some extra guards to follow Ozpin, he'll know why they are there, so hiding them is pointless."
"but if he refuses them it looks suspicious." Cinder said brushing hair behind her ear, "Clever."
"Give my best to Mrs. Fall." Summer said.
Cinder smiled. "And tell me when you get information on Jaune, she asks about her brother constantly."
Summer nearly laughed. The arcs were far too much a family of over protective siblings for their own good.
"Will do." She promised as she left.
Her stomach churned, and she wondered whether the feeling was dread or fear.
Not that it much mattered. If she could fight, if she could see, nobody, no god, no Grimm, would hurt those she loved.
And if Ozpin tried to harm Ruby Yang or their friends, Great God or no, he would find that Fenrir was a far more merciful foe than she.
A/n: Thanks for your patience! Grad school applications are taking their toll, blah blah blah. Enough of that. Real life doesn't belong in fanfiction.
Anyway, The new arc starts now, and it will center on Vytal, and it's been a LONG time since we last seriously visited Vytal, hopefully the blurb up top helped jog people's memory.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Reviews, favorites and follows are always appreciated.
All the Best!
DeamonHunter
