Chapter 81 – The Emerais Catacombs
Ruby
The Reaper had become nothing more than a massive plume of smoke, so huge that it darkened the sky. But for once, it was a shadow that they were gladdened to see, because it meant that the Leviathan-Class Grimm was finally dead and defeated once and for all. Ruby and Weiss were both helped back to the Embered Grove where their forces were now able to set up a secure defensive perimeter. There were still some Grimm left in the remnants of the battlefield, but they were merely stragglers, ones that were hardly much of a challenge to get rid of. Every now and then the pop of a gun could be heard that was killing the last standing Grimm.
Some Acolytes of Lien Mercenaries were on their knees with their hands bound, ones who refused to join their side but knew that fighting was suicide. These soldiers – the ones that could not switch sides – their fate would be to experience the rest of their days behind bars. Whilst those willing to change sides for the betterment of all life on Remnant could work off their time in jail by helping them fight against the real threat.
Ruby and Weiss were both helped to sit back down to recover from their fatigue after using their powers excessively. Neptune ran over to Weiss, and he checked her over. "Are you okay?" He nervously asked her, caressing her cheek, and Weiss gave him a very weak thumbs up.
"My heart's still beating, right?" Weiss asked with a sarcastic chuckle in her voice, making Neptune laugh as well. Oscar approached Ruby and he instantly wrapped his arms around her, she looked at him with her silver eye barely open from how sleepy she felt. Her bruises and scratches from her beating at the hands of Neo had healed up, only a couple scratches remained on her face as she smiled.
"How do I look?" She asked him, making Oscar chuckle.
"Like a Brussel-Sprout." Oscar joked, making her laugh as well. They both gently pressed their heads together as they sat there. "I've gotta admit… I had no idea if that crazy plan of yours was gonna work."
"Neither did I, not gonna lie." Ruby admitted, and Yang glanced at her sister.
"I see some things never change." Yang chuckled, alongside Weiss and Blake. Jaune stood with Pyrrha as they looked at Team R.W.B.Y reunited after everything that they have been through. But Yang desperately needed a rest, it was clear that the energy boost that the Aphax Violet Cure was wearing off, and now she and Weiss needed some good rest before they can truly be back to their normal selves. Yang sat down and she rubbed her weak lilac eyes. Kassius walked through the crowd of warriors, gently patting Coco's shoulder as she stood with her Team. He sat down next to his girlfriend and their cybernetic hands held each other tightly. He looked at her and he smiled at her.
"I've missed you, Firefly." Kassius said to her with a loving smile on his face. Yang smiled back and she gently rested her head on his shoulder, never letting go of his hand. Nora and Ren both are sat atop some of the frozen stone statues of the Grimm that Kragen managed to take down. Nora was sat on the shoulders of a frozen Ursa Major with Magnhild rested over her shoulders, with Ren beside her sharpening Stormflower.
It was a quiet relaxing moment for them all, a moment they all needed after the massive battle that just took place. Nora looked across the ruins of Arcturus Base where she saw some of the Acolytes of the Rose and White Fang working together to scavenge the resources and gear still in one piece after the battle. There was so much still in storage that they could use to their advantage. Stuff they could use for all their new soldiers thanks to taking the Acolytes of Lien back under Ortega's control.
"Man… it's been a damn long day." Cardin sighed as he dragged Executioner by its long handle. He walked over to Jaune and the Blonde Knight turned to see the man who once made his life a living hell. "Hey…"
"Hey." Jaune greeted softly as he turned to the Winchester. Cardin awkwardly stood there, resting both his hands atop his mace. Pyrrha glared at him, she still did not overly like him for the thing he did to her boyfriend seven years ago… but he was working hard to atone for those mistakes.
"Now that all this… well… that full-blown war is over with… I just wanted to say… I'm sorry." Cardin sorrowfully said as he bowed his head with guilt. "All of the shit I did to you… to Velvet and so many other people… I hate myself for the things I did and said. And I am sorry."
Jaune looked at Cardin and he walked over to him… and what he did was not what Cardin was expecting. He held his hand out to him, and Cardin looked at his hand and then at his face. "Shake my hand." Jaune shrugged, and Cardin did so. He held his hand and they shook on it. "I forgive you… it was a long time ago, and you were a different person then. Hell I can tell just by looking at you." Jaune said, and Cardin scratched his beard.
"That does remind me, I do need to have a shave at some point." Cardin chuckled, making Jaune chuckle as well.
"Nah, it looks good on you. Maybe a bit of a trim to clean it up in places." Jaune said sarcastically as he walked past him with Pyrrha. The Invincible Girl stopped next to him as she looked at Cardin. She always hated him for how he treated the man she loved… but she saw that he was definitely different and had changed. Pyrrha just gave him a quiet nod, but that was not what Nora did.
"OOF!" Cardin grunted as Nora kicked him in the leg, knocking him down to his knee. "Ow… what was that for?"
"Hey, I wanted to break your legs once. That's just for hurting my buddy. But we're good now." Nora said as she pulled him back up to his feet. Cardin shrugged his shoulders in agreement.
"Fair enough."
Ozpin stood amongst the flames as Jaune walked towards him, but he slowed down. He clenched his hand into a fist as he stared at the Professor, and he turned to everyone. Ruby stood up with him and she walked over to him.
It's time…
"Everyone…" Jaune began, and everyone turned to look in their direction. Ozpin stood behind them and he closed his eyes… he knew that they were going to tell them all the truth. He saw the look on Ruby's face when she told Qrow about Raven and Winter's Death… but there was a scowl on her face. One of pure anger, and betrayal in her eyes.
It was the secret he had kept for so long from them all.
The Truth.
"We need to tell you all something… something that has… changed everything." Jaune said as he looked at Ozpin over his shoulder. He then looked at Kragen, Yenna and the Architect who listened.
"When we were captured, we were ambushed by Grimm. Winter and Raven were trying to help us escape with Cinder's help." Ruby explained, looking at Cinder who stood beside Emerald with her arms crossed. Kassius already knew what was coming thanks to Cinder telling them this as well. "But Raven betrayed us all… she… murdered Winter, right in front of us. And she lead Salem and the Knights of Grimm directly to us. We were nearly killed when she did this, and she took us hostage."
Those who did not know about this truth… people like Ren and Nora, even the Architect, Yenna and Kragen looked horrified from this truth. But that was not the one that they were about to reveal – and this was the one that Ozpin feared. "But Ozpin… he lied to us all. And so did Kragen… and Yenna… and even the Architect." Jaune said as he turned to the survivors of Arkhonex. Their eyes widened when he said that, and Jaune turned to stare at Ozpin who turned to face him.
"Must we do this now?" Ozpin asked him.
"You already know what I am about to say… don't you?" Jaune growled.
"What are you talking about?" Blake asked with worry as she stood up, and Qrow looked at Ozpin with that same look everyone else had.
"Salem told us the truth. About who she really is." Jaune said, and Oscar closed his eyes with grief. "You all told us she was some random Silver Eyed Warrior who betrayed Cynthia when the Order was built. A woman who had a hunger for power and turned herself into a monster for that power. But you lied… over and over again." He said to Kragen, and then to Ozpin.
"Salem? Salem is Cynthia Nikos. And you are the one who turned her into that monster!" Jaune yelled with fury, grabbing Ozpin by the collar and pinning him to the wall. Ozpin grunted and Yenna stood up, her eyes ignited as she stared at him.
"That's enough, Jaune!" Yenna yelled, until she felt the cold steel of Harbinger touch her neck, she turned to see Qrow glaring at her with his huge sword pointed at her.
"Sit. Down." Qrow growled.
Shock filled everyone's hearts, and Weiss stared at Ozpin with disbelief… Starla never mentioned that part. She never mentioned that Salem was in fact related to Pyrrha Nikos. She looked at the Invincible Girl who sat there, she could not even bring herself to look at the liar. "How could you?" Weiss growled with anger, staring directly at him.
"You lied to us! Again! And again! How the hell are we even supposed to trust you?" Kassius yelled as he stood up as well, cybernetic hand clenched into a fist with Yang next to him. Jaune stared at Ozpin… the other Arkhoni Survivors had the same expressions – even the faceless Architect did – there was nothing more than guilt on their faces. Guilt for lying to them for so long, for keeping this secret.
But Ozpin?
There was… nothing at all. There was guilt, yes, but he did not even try to get free from Jaune's pin. "Do what you think is best, Mr Arc." Ozpin softly said as he looked at him. Jaune stared at Ozpin and he raised a brow.
"What?" He questioned.
"I had my reasons for keeping the secrets that I kept… call it personal experience if you will. But I never kept them to hurt you." Ozpin stated. "But as you said – you can't trust me anymore. And nothing I say will change that… so do what you will."
Jaune stared at him as he held the sharp edge of Crocea Mors against Ozpin's throat. There was a part of him… a dark part of his mind… that wanted to end this. To end the lies once and for all… but Jaune was not a monster. He was a good man, through and through, so he took Crocea Mors and moved it away from Ozpin's throat, turning away from him as he sheathed it. "Explain yourself. Right now." Jaune growled at him, and Ruby kept her eye on him.
"Why did you do it? Why did you turn her into a monster the way you did?" Ruby questioned, but Ozpin sighed, shaking his head as he tried to walk out of the conversation, but Hazel blocked his path. The massive beast of a man stared down at Ozpin with his fists clenched. He had a lid on his anger now, but he still had a lot of hatred for Professor Ozpin and what he did to his little girl. He turned once more and saw Glynda stood on the other side, her Crop in her grasp, ready to use it if he gave them no choice.
"Yes… I lied to you. To all of you." Ozpin admitted as he stood there. "And I asked Yenna, Kragen and the Architect to keep this secret as well."
"Why? What the hell does it change?" Glynda questioned as she stared at him, her eyes sternfully narrow as she watched him. He stood there and glanced at her. He was so quiet; he desperately did not want to speak on the subject.
"Oh for the love of…" Yang sighed as she stood up. "Enough with this bullshit! Why the hell are you still keeping these things from us? I thought we were over this."
"There are secrets that I have kept because the truth is just too much for the world to bear." He answered.
"That's a steaming pile of horseshit right there." Kassius scoffed with his arms crossed. "I know about what happened between you and Merlot. I know that you tried to keep the truth about the Knights of Grimm from him, and then he betrayed you. When has telling the truth ever proved to be dangerous for you? When has the truth ever betrayed you?" Kassius questioned.
Ozpin turned… and it was like it all became too much… and he snapped. "Raven. Lionheart. Theodore. And more lives have been lost than I can count. The truth is what destroyed my civilisation!" Ozpin erupted with fury as he held his hands out to Arkhonex around them. "Do all of you truly think you are the first? That so many other souls have promised that they would stand by my side? No matter what? I trusted them with the truth, and every single time they joined Salem! They joined Umbra!" Ozpin argued. "Do you know what secrets are in my head? The ones that have been eating away at me for years? I have protected the world from some terrifying stuff! Weapons designed by the Atlesians to stop another Great War from sparking! Diseases that could wipe out the entire planet!" He yelled at them all, and they all looked at him with disbelief.
Ozpin calmed himself down as silence filled the air. "I know you are frustrated by the fact I have kept this information from you… but these secrets? These secrets have kept our society standing. Believe me, I wish I could just relieve myself of this burden… but sometimes you have to lie to protect people. You all may be able to handle that truth… but what of the rest of the world? Do you truly think they could handle the truth of who Salem is? They would hunt Pyrrha down and butcher her simply for sharing her bloodline." Ozpin explained as he looked at her.
Ozpin then turned to Jaune. "Is that what you want? For the woman you love to be hunted by people due to relation alone?"
Jaune stared at him and Ruby touched the stock of Crescent Rose… and she asked her question again. "Why did you turn Salem into what she is?" Ruby repeated, her silver eye glared into his soul… a soul filled with the guilt of his past.
Ozpin turned, and he opened his mouth to speak – but all of their attention was stolen by the sound of gunfire and combat echoing from one of the building entrances. The building that was inside of the Embered Grove… they could hear the gunfire… someone was fighting in there. They looked around, and they started to realise. "I will tell you… but not yet." Ozpin said, because Kaa started to realise that somebody was not here.
"Where's Mazen?" She asked, and Blake jumped up onto one of the rocks, looking around. But they could not find the large Bear Faunus anywhere.
"Shit… he's going after Kelham. In the Emerais Catacombs." Kassius realised with wide amber eyes.
"The Power Cell… he must have gotten it somehow. Ortega… we need to talk to him. He and Penny were the last people with that thing." Junior realised the same threat that was on their hands. Kelham was still alive and was about to become something they could not defeat… not by conventional means of combat.
"Wait, what Power Cell?" Ruby asked with confusion.
And speaking of which… the Airship came descending down from the Drift of Wandering Star. And Ortega jumped out from the side door as it landed, still holding the chip that Penny was inside of. Ruby looked at Ortega and she stood up, her silver eye wide with worry as she only saw the Admiral… and not Penny. "No… where… where is she?" She stammered with worry, and Ortega held up the Microchip.
"This is all that is left of her. Kelham destroyed her body, nearly killed her before he took the Power Cell and ran. He's in the Emerais Catacombs somewhere." Ortega stated, Ruby's eye was wide with shock as she walked over to the tiny microchip that Penny's Consciousness was stored inside of.
"Penny?" She gently whispered as she touched it.
"Hello, Ruby… I'm afraid I'm a bit shorter than before." She joked, making Ruby laugh.
"What's this Power Cell for?" Jaune asked with confusion.
"An Aura Destabilisation Device, one that Sylens Emerais built for their soldiers. I think they planned to use it to turn their soldiers into invincible beings. They would basically become ghosts, the Grimm and physical contact could not harm them, but they could harm others." Ortega explained, and Jaune nodded his head.
"The Congregation of Dawn used something similar… their soldiers were flickering between life and death over and over again." Jaune remembered, all the way back when he was viewing that Visionary Book in the Mistraalian Mountains, the very ones that the Father of the Congregation of Dawn created with the Relic of Creation, to bury their secrets.
"I'm going after him. He nearly killed my daughter; I am not letting him walk away in one piece for that reason." Ortega explained, walking through the crowd.
"Whoa, wait! Just think about this, nobody knows what could be down there. I mean, Kelham could still have more soldiers down there that are loyal to him. And… well… I doubt Sylens lasted as long as he did without some serious booby traps." Jaune warned as he held his hand against Ortega's chest. But the Admiral pushed past him, and he walked straight through the doors, punching them open, driven by a Father's Fury.
"ORTEGA!" Jaune yelled again. But Cardin stopped him from chasing after the Admiral.
"No, we can't all go in there. Like you said, it'll be close quarters and there will be traps everywhere." Jaune said, and Ortega disappeared into the gloom of the Catacombs.
"We can't just let him die! We need him! We need Mazen!" Jaune argued as he tried to get past Cardin.
"Then we send a small team in." Pyrrha suggested.
"No." Kassius said, reloading Vulcan Nox and holstering Lash Equinox on his buckles. He walked past Weiss and he moved towards the entrance of the Emerais Catacombs. "I'll go. And I will go alone." But Yang stood in front of him.
"No… please don't do this." Yang begged him. "I've finally got you back."
"I don't intend to die in there, Yang. I will come back… but I can't just walk away. My father is down there, and we all owe Mazen and Ortega for saving our asses during that battle. And… Kelham and I have a score to settle." Kassius stated, clenching his metal hand into a tight fist.
"You're not the only one who owes Mazen. He freed me and gave me purpose in this world." Kaa said as she sharpened her blades.
"No, I can handle Kelham on my own." Kassius said, and as the crowd surrounded him, none of them even noticed Kaa sneaking into the tunnels as well.
"The Catacombs are like a maze… you can't go in there alone." Yang begged, but he held her gently as he lovingly looked into her eyes.
"When Kelham captured me… after what happened at Beacon? I thought… I didn't know if anyone was left. I knew Umbra was there… and I didn't know if I was ever gonna see you again. I was… in a dark place… and I watched Kelham torture good people that he trafficked through the deserts of Vacuo. And now the bastard has everything he wants, to be unstoppable. I am not gonna just stand by and let that happen. I can't… and… I need to find him. I need to find my father… to know the truth." Kassius said to her, and Yang squeezed her eyes shut with pain in her heart. She did not want to let go of him, but she could not stop him.
"Kassius… come on… you don't have to do this alone." Jaune said to him.
"I have to… the only person I think should go with me in there is… someone who needs to find him as well." Kassius said, looking at Cinder. The Fall Maiden looked at him and she looked at them all, but she just sighed. She looked at own face in the reflection of the puddle… and she finally could open her eye fully now. She saw herself… and she was not the person she once was.
Not consumed by her obsession for power anymore.
She just wanted people to move on, and it kept echoing in her mind. How… Kassius always felt like he had to be there for her… but now she was seeing the truth.
He needed to be there for both of us… because he needed me just as much as I needed him.
He looked at Cinder, but she was not going in there with him. He could tell by the look in her eyes. "Don't… don't you wanna find him?" Kassius asked her.
"It doesn't matter anymore, Kassius. You keep standing there, wanting to be the hero who will risk everything to keep everyone safe… but the truth is simple. You're afraid, aren't you?" She asked him.
"What? N-No… I'm not." Kassius stammered as he looked at them all… the family that he found on this journey. All these people who care for him, as he cared for them.
"You know… I was obsessed over something once. For you? Your obsession is trying to prove yourself… to prove that you're a good person. To prove that you are not a failed leader. But you've never had to prove these things." Cinder explained, and Kassius stammered. "Trust me… I've seen what obsession does to someone. I was obsessed in the same way as you – but I wanted to prove that I could be strong. That I wouldn't fail ever again, and I would have been just like Kelham in there… if it weren't for you. For Ruby. For everyone here." Cinder explained, holding her hands out to them all.
Cinder held his shoulder. "Kas… it's time for you to stop being the Lone Wolf. Stop trying to prove that you can handle these things… because we can't do anything without friends and family anymore, Kassius. We're not those kids who were broken apart by the Terror Bird anymore." Cinder said, and Kassius looked at her sister with wide eyes… she had come so far. "And we have nothing to prove."
Kassius stood there, and he backed up slowly, looking at his own reflection in the puddle at his feet. He looked at Yang and she smiled with a nod. She was too weak to go in there – but Jaune and Pyrrha? They could help him in there. He looked at Jaune and Pyrrha and they both nodded to him. "I will go in with you." Ozpin said, the three of them turned with surprised expressions, and the Professor walked over to them.
"I dunno if that's a good plan right now, Oz." Kassius warned.
"I knew Sylens – the Catacombs were designed with ancient magic, they can be very hard to navigate, and it gets in your head very, very fast." Ozpin warned. "And… I promised I will tell you the truth. I feel it would be right to tell that truth to an Arc and a Nikos." He said, looking at the two of them.
Ozpin looked back at them all. "You may not trust my honesty – but know this. I taught nearly every single one of you standing here today. Most of you are my students…" Ozpin said, and he sighed. "And I will not fail you." He promised.
Kassius looked at Jaune. "Your call, boss." Kassius said to him following his lead just as he did when he helped him search for Pyrrha. Jaune unsheathed Crocea Mors and Pyrrha did the same with Milo and Akoúo.
"Let's go… and kill Kelham once and for all." Jaune agreed.
Jaune
The Emerais Catacombs…
They hadn't even been inside of them long, and yet it felt like they were walking down the same corridor for hours. The four skilled warriors were constantly on edge, the silence and darkness of these hallways throughout this subterranean facility was constantly putting them on edge. None of them were particularly claustrophobic but… they all had that very same feeling down here. Kassius and Jaune were taking point whilst Ozpin and Pyrrha stayed close behind, weapons at the ready in case of any surprises left behind by the mysterious Sylens Emerais.
And mysterious was not putting it lightly.
Kassius stopped Jaune, wide eyed when he noticed something on the ground. "What is it?" Jaune asked with worry in his voice, and Kassius crouched down. There were spent bullet casings on the ground, ejected from rifles. He picked one of them up, and they were still warm.
"Revolver Bullet Casings… Ortega was here not that long ago. Maybe a couple minutes ahead of us." Kassius said, looking ahead, when he saw some dead Mercenaries on the ground. They had bullet holes scattered across their bodies and they approached. Pyrrha sighed.
"More Acolytes of Lien still loyal to him. Do you think Gele had any of his scientists down here?" Pyrrha asked.
"Maybe, but I know he said he had a lot of soldiers down here trying to get into Merlot's Lab… wherever that may be." Kassius said as he looked around the hallway. They found themselves at an odd intersection, there were three new directions… but none of them felt like splitting up would be a wise move. Especially in a place as creepy as the Emerais Catacombs.
Jaune walked towards one of the hallways, only for him to suddenly bounce off an invisible force. It looked like a normal hallway that stretched out before him, but it felt like he just walked into a wall. Ozpin caught him as he staggered backwards. "You alright?" Kassius asked him.
"Argh… yeah… the hell was that?" Jaune questioned as he stood back up, Ozpin released him, and he approached the spot that Jaune walked up to. He waved his hand slowly across the area, and he saw the faint shimmer of powerful Illusionist Magic reacting to the magic that flowed in his veins thanks to the Relic of Creation that constructed him in the first place. So Ozpin took his staff and he slammed it down against the ground, using the power of the Relic of Knowledge, and it created a magical pulse, and the hallway crumbled before their eyes, and was replaced with a concrete wall.
"Seems like Sylens was busy in the time he was waiting for Vyrryk and Ares to get here. He learned how to keep any of Vir Nominis Umbra's subjects out of here with his illusions." Ozpin explained as the rounded head of his cane closed back over the Relic of Knowledge stored inside of it.
"But none of his creations can get through the Embered Grove's Threshold, right?" Pyrrha asked.
"Correct, but Humans and Faunus can. Even ones created through magical means… like me and you, Pyrrha." He said, looking at her. She lowered her head softly as he said that, sometimes they forgot that Salem brought her back with the Relic of Creation, to be a pawn, which failed. "Umbra has always used more than just Creatures of Grimm and Corrupted Souls to his advantage. Never underestimate the usefulness of others he would always say." Ozpin remembered as he walked with them. He checked the different paths… and there were now only two that they could take.
The one to the right… and the one up front. Left was the Illusion.
Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other as Ozpin spoke. "There may be quite a few bodies inside of these catacombs, bodies of people that tried to stop Sylens… and maybe fresh ones who tried to stop Merlot. On Umbra's orders… be on guard. Sylens could have anything in here to try and test us." Ozpin advised, so they all nodded their heads and walked with him. They took the path that went right, and they moved through it carefully.
Pyrrha aimed down the hallway with Milo in its Rifle Form, slowly walking ahead. Kassius was checking every cobblestone looking brick inside of these tunnels… they all looked the same, but any could be hiding some kind of disturbing trap of some kind. Ozpin sighed as they walked. "I told you that I will tell you the truth of what happened between me and Cynthia… so that is what I will do." Ozpin assured as he walked with them, Jaune and Pyrrha looked at him whilst Kassius stayed at the front.
"Alright… fine… why did you do it? You've made it pretty clear why you lied – and sure I get it, you were afraid of us turning on Pyrrha and on you, you were afraid of the world falling apart from the panic of what you did. I don't agree with your logic, we're on your side, and we're not like Lionheart or Raven. We just want to know if you are worth following." Jaune explained as he walked alongside the old man.
"I know you're not… and I am sorry for lying about it. And I am sorry for asking Kragen, Yenna and the Architect to keep my secret as well. They didn't want to lie, but they did because they trusted me." Ozpin explained.
"So… why?" Pyrrha asked, again.
"The truth is – it was not truly me who gave her that stone. I was still under Vir Nominis Umbra's control when that happened." Ozpin explained.
"What? Salem said it was Ozpin… not Wymerus." Jaune commented.
"Most likely to trigger what happened earlier. The truth is that I was still the Knight of Vengeance, and Vir Nominis Umbra needed a new Thrall of Salem under his command. Before her it was the Father of the Congregation of Dawn, but he killed himself when he destroyed his people with the Relic of Creation to construct the Mistraalian Mountains… to hide their secrets. But the stone was still there – so Umbra found it, and he commanded me to find Cynthia Nikos and give her the opportunity." Ozpin explained, walking further through the catacombs.
"She did not accept the power at first, she was still loyal to Vyrryk and wanted to protect the settlement that he created. So I made a lie… I knew of a boy who she fell for… she knew it was a silly crush, nothing more. But I was not myself – and I used that lie to my advantage. I had no idea at the time that you would end up being in Ancient Argus for her to snap… hell I had no idea who you were. After that happened, she fell into a dark pit and she butchered people who tried to kill her. And eventually… she used the stone – and became Salem." Ozpin explained.
"Wait a minute – if that's the case then why did you have Oscar go back in time in the first place?" Jaune questioned.
Ozpin sighed. "When I was reborn as the man you know me as now, thanks to Kragen and the Architect freeing me from my curse – I used my new found ability to travel through time to my advantage. I tried to search for Oscar for years, trying to locate where the boy came from, but I never could. She always described that boy as being this brave young man, the same age as she was, and he saved her life when some men attacked her. She was at a very low point and wanted someone in her life like that. She admitted it was stupid of her, and childish. But her feelings were still there – my hope was to find the boy and try and convince him that she was in love with him, and he could help her. Of course… that was before I realised that time cannot be changed. Only the future… and all this had already happened… but the mystery was still in my mind – who was the boy? Why could I never find him, no matter how hard I tried? Hell I even remember going back to that very day that Cynthia mentioned… but I never landed anywhere. It always sent me… there."
"Where?" Pyrrha asked.
"The frozen point in time – the end of our journey. The Shivering Dominion, the one that I used to convince Oscar that his life was pivotal to our future." Ozpin explained. "For some reason, whenever I tried to reach a point in time that was not yet fixed… it would instantly send me to the final moment in time. Beacon Academy, covered in ice and snow, with you and your friends battling together at the Fountain against the Oncoming Shadow." Ozpin warned. He was not afraid to tell them this, because it was only four days away.
It made them shudder to think of it.
"One day – I came to a realisation. The reason why I could never find him, was because I had to bring him there. I had to start the cycle… and at that point I knew that I had to be the ferryman to begin the series of events that would lead to where we are. No matter how hard I wished I could change the past – I knew it could not be done. All I could ensure is that I make the tough choices… and guide those to where they will be now… as I did with Vyrryk." Ozpin explained, Jaune looked at Ozpin with disbelief… yet even that started to make more sense.
He must have done something… he said he made these books for Vyrryk… to ensure that I would find them on our journey.
Who's to say he did not help him at other points as well?
"But as I searched Remnant… in our modern day… I still could not find Oscar Pine anywhere. Yet I saw him throughout so many important points in the future. He had to have been born… so I went ahead in time and I searched for his aunt. But she was an only child and could not have children. That was when I knew, he had to have the same abilities as myself – and I would need to be able to guide him when he was younger. So I used the Relic of Creation to create the child, and I gave him to his aunt, and used the Relic of Knowledge to manipulate her memories – to give her false memories of a sister and brother in law… so then it felt like she was not alone. I did not want either to feel like they did not belong, and Oscar deserved to feel like he was as normal as you or I." Ozpin explained as he looked at them all.
Kassius looked back at them with wide eyes… this was the first he had heard of Oscar being created by Ozpin, not born. Kassius did not say a word, but the knowledge still had to digest in him.
"When he was ready, I found him captured at Salem's Sanctum, and I used my armour and created the identity of Time… and I showed him how to use his Semblance, and I made sure that he would find Cynthia Nikos… and trigger the series of events that would lead to… now." Ozpin explained, concluding why he did what he did.
Jaune and Pyrrha were shocked from this revelation, and Pyrrha looked at him. They did not know what to think… but they could see it in his eyes. There was so much guilt and regret for some of his choices, but the ones he made as Ozpin were ones that would help them in the long run. But when he was the Knight of Vengeance? That was a memory… a regret… that he could never forget.
Not until Vir Nominis Umbra was destroyed once and for all.
"There it is. The Truth. Uncoloured and Full." Ozpin assured as he walked with them. "The smallest but strongest reason behind my secrecy? It's because I did not want to have to relive them… because of my own guilt." Ozpin admitted as he walked ahead.
His words echoed in their minds.
I am not the Knight of Vengeance anymore… I am the Knight of Guilt.
Kassius
They continued through the Emerais Catacombs… and it was just getting spookier the further they went.
Kassius kicked one of the doors open… and what surprised them the most… was that the power was somehow still on. They knew that there was still power in certain areas of the Catacombs, like where Merlot's Lab was located and of course the Power Cells for the Aura Destabiliser. But the areas that they were inside of have not been touched in thousands of years. But what they uncovered was…
… disturbing.
"What the fuck?" Kassius softly gasped, his amber eyes grew wide as he walked inside of the room. There were small beds everywhere, and faint drawings on the walls. Ones that belonged to children, but luckily there were no little skeletons left inside. Kassius crouched down and he picked up one of the old drawings left on the floor.
Bad Man!
Hurts Us!
Help Us!
The same phrases repeated over and over, showing little stickmen and stickwomen – resembling the kids – being watched over by a much scarier, black and red, stickman. Kassius stared at the picture and he set it down on the ground as he stood back up. "What kind of experiments did the Emerais Scientists do down here?" Kassius asked Ozpin.
His answer was the truth… and it scared them more than they thought. "I don't know – nobody knew, not even the Lords of Arkhonex knew the full extent of what Sylens did down here with his family. They were all geniuses… they had no choice, forcefully raised into being scientists. All I knew what that they did experiments that were allegedly for the betterment of Arkhonex." Ozpin said, and the Professor scoffed. "And look what that caused."
It was chilling… to be standing inside of the very place that started the chain of events that lead to the downfall of the most advanced civilisation that ever lived. Pyrrha walked over to one of the beds, finding some soft toys left behind. "They tested on children in here?" Pyrrha asked with worry in her voice.
"Looks like it." Kassius said, and Pyrrha squeezed her eyes shut.
"Who could possibly hurt children like this? What kind of monster?" Pyrrha whimpered as she set the toy back down on the bed. It hurt… she never liked hearing these kinds of stories, none of them did.
"The same kind that made Merlot become what he did. Most scientists have boundaries, places and things that they vow never to do. But then you have the others, the ones who will do whatever they must for answers. It's either for a dynasty or truly for the betterment of their people. But it doesn't matter in the end – nothing can possibly atone for these sins." Ozpin said as he looked at the beds. They left the room and Kassius looked back before he walked away, and they continued down the halls.
Each room started to change; they were definitely headed down the correct path. Because Jaune pushed the next set of double doors open, and his eyes widened once more from what he saw inside. "Holy…" He gasped, and he could not even finish his sentence. There were massive stasis tanks inside of here, with things inside. They were… humanoid in shape… definitely not Grimm.
"Please don't tell me that those… are people…" Pyrrha softly stammered and Ozpin walked towards the tanks with a shocked expression.
"I knew Emerais was extreme… but this? I didn't know about this, not at all." Ozpin said with disbelief. They could barely even see what the people looked like inside of those tanks, but it was clear that they had been dead for a very long time, trapped in those containers of fluid with no life support for a few thousand years.
Kassius approached one of the tables when he found a piece of paper, with writing on it.
Test #439
Still no luck with the transmutations.
I am not certain of what it is that makes these experiments any different. We have tested it on apes and dogs before people, and even the Creatures of Grimm seemed to comply better than the animals. The Council of Arkhonex demanded that we needed better soldiers to make sure that if another Bloody Epoch begins, Arkhonex can defend itself. And with the Congregation of Dawn attacks growing worse and worse, they are gonna want some results pretty fast.
The subjects that they have sent… well… I wish they were not who they were, truly. But they may be more malleable than adults. Children's minds and bodies are more easily susceptible to indoctrination, able to mutate into whatever we need them to become. Perhaps we can create super-soldiers, weapons that do not think or feel like the Vanguards and the Knights.
Our soldiers fight hard, but who will miss some super-soldiers who only know combat and war? They would be bred for this…
… of course…
… we are not at that stage yet. One of them, he looks a lot like my son. It will be hard to put them through the trials, but perhaps… perhaps it will be worth it.
Even if I hate myself at the end.
Gods… forgive me.
- Sylens Emerais
"Gods – I didn't realise it was that bad. Looks like Emerais was ordered to make new soldiers, something that thought like a machine but had the strength and abilities of people. Looks like they were using children to make these soldiers." Kassius said as he set the piece of paper down on the table.
"That's horrible. No victory is worth that." Pyrrha said.
"No, nothing is worth torturing children for." Kassius agreed as he looked back at the test subjects that failed and he sighed, walking with the rest of them. They walked back into one of the hallways, and they moved towards the next intersection.
"This place just keeps on going, huh?" Jaune chuckled.
"I know, right? How do we know we're not going in circles?" Kassius wondered as he looked around. He picked up a stone on the floor and threw it down one of the hallways, and it bounced off another illusion. Pyrrha did the same and the next was an illusion, but the final hallway which pointed to the left – that was real.
"Alright, it's this way." Pyrrha said. Kassius walked ahead of them, when suddenly there was a loud rumble above them. They all looked up with shocked eyes as the roof suddenly caved in, and a massive gate came crashing down. Cutting Kassius off from Jaune, Pyrrha and Ozpin.
"KASSIUS!" Jaune yelled as he pounded on the gate, and Pyrrha used her Polarity to try and lift the gate… but it was so heavy that even she could not move it. Ozpin spun his cane through his fingers, and he blasted a powerful beam of energy from the Relic… and even that… deflected off it and carved through the other walls.
"Damn it!" Ozpin yelled with anger.
"Kassius! Are you okay?" Jaune called.
"Yeah, still breathing. What about you guys?" Kassius asked as he stood near the gate.
"We're fine. But we can't get past this gate!" Jaune called back, and Kassius sighed.
"There's gotta be a switch somewhere that opens it. Stay there and keep your scrolls open so we can stay in contact. If I can find a button or something that opens it then I will come back to you." Kassius assured.
"Alright, stay in contact." Jaune replied. Kassius ran down the hallway to try and find a control switch to open up that gate.
Jaune
Whilst they waited, Jaune leant against the wall with his arms crossed whilst Ozpin was pacing back and forth. "Find anything?" Pyrrha asked Kassius over her scroll.
"Still just halls, but I'll find something soon." Kassius assured.
As they waited… something happened.
Lights suddenly switched on as a hum appeared around them all. "Uh… the power's back on, Kassius." Jaune informed, and Kassius slowed down.
"Huh? I didn't hit anything." Kassius replied.
Suddenly a voice came through some ancient speakers in the corners of the walls. "Well… it appears we have new visitors. How exciting – welcome to Northern Star Labs, where we rebuild our future from digging into our past." The voice spoke, and Jaune's eyes widened. And so did Ozpin's… because both of them recognised that voice.
"Is that…" Jaune gasped, remembering the voice from the message he sent to Vyrryk Arc thousands of years ago… the message that sent them back to Arkhonex years after it fell.
"Sylens Emerais…" Ozpin answered, staring at the speakers.
"In a way. Please, do come in. I can teach you all about the brave experiments that we performed here at Northern Star Labs." The Voice of Sylens Emerais spoke.
"Is this a recording?" Pyrrha asked with confusion.
"Oh… do I sound that bad today? I assure you; I am not just a recording." Sylens spoke, and all three of them looked at each other with confusion.
"What?" Pyrrha gasped.
Then suddenly, the first of the hallways that was an illusion suddenly opened – it was a door, not a wall. "Please – do come in. I have much to show you."
"Guys? What's going on?" Kassius asked through their scrolls.
"There's some sort of system talking to us – it sounds like Sylens." Jaune revealed. "He just opened a door and asked us to go in."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kassius asked. "I mean this dude was a bit whacko when he was alive."
"But it's a way forward." Jaune added, and Kassius sighed.
"If you can find a way to meet with me, then I will keep going forward. Hopefully we both find Kelham at the same time." Kassius said.
"If you find him first, don't hesitate. Ortega and Mazen might need your help." Pyrrha advised.
"You sure?" Kassius asked.
"We haven't got much else of a choice now, have we?" Jaune scoffed.
The voice that spoke from the auditory system around them spoke once more, chuckling sinisterly. "I assure you – choices are what allow us to advance in life." He said to them, and Ozpin looked at Jaune and Pyrrha.
"Is this dude for real?" Jaune scoffed.
The three of them decided… they had to follow Sylens' request. Even if it was a trap – they had to find answers.
One way or another…
Author Note - God I have been wanting to finally show the Emerais Catacombs, love the idea of this place.
Such a creepy vibe, exploring the long abandoned (or not so abandoned) facility where all this chaos began, because Sylens uncovered a secret that he really shouldn't have uncovered. Be ready for some big revelations and answers to be found down here. I also really like this team too - you got Kassius, Jaune, Pyrrha and Ozpin, and they are looking for Ortega and Mazen, and Kaa inside here too - all of them looking for Kelham. It's an idea I really enjoy because of how many people are down here.
And of course, Merlot is down here somewhere.
Ozpin also finally opened up about what he did to Salem, and why he created Oscar... that was great to finally piece together. Since it has been a lie for so long, finally being able to show the full truth is quite satisfying. I honestly feel for Ozpin - not for lying - but for knowing that he could not erase the mistake that he made thanks to the damn curse. It was not his choice, not really, but now he cannot change it.
All he can do now is make sure it can in the end help the heroes beat Vir Nominis Umbra.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter - Dark Secrets
- Matt
