The Talk

"I have lived a long time. For eons I watched many civilizations fall and rise. Witnessed both the good and evil of man. Battling an eternal battle against the greatest threat of Remnant.

...Now however, the rules have changed. For through a miracle or a blunder new heroes have arrived, showing power and strength that is above anything normal Huntsmen have.

And yet she herself has her own group of these beings, and now a new threat has come. I fear that the later battles will be more difficult than anticipated, and things won't be as easy as though previously.

For the true battle has just begun."

For so long Ozpin, Ozma, has seen it all.

The Grimm rampaging across the world. Faunus being mistreated and discriminated against simply because of a few features. Fellow man aiding her in her desires, and bringing down an entire kingdom. Now, things just got worse as new monsters are being reported to be seen all over the world. Not to mention the 'Brother Gods'-which he knew were actually false-supposedly arriving in Vacuo. All in all, his head hurt with all these mysteries.

'And it's time to solve them all and get the answers.' Sitting down in his office, around him were his most trusted that were here at the moment.

James Ironwood, the General of Atlas and Headmaster of Atlas Academy. A bit of a stubborn man and rather by-the-books person, but a good man deep down.

Glynda Goodwitch, his deputy and a strict but humble woman. Wishing to teach the next generation to ensure they didn't fall to the evils this world had to offer.

Qrow Branwen. A former bandit now his best spy. Unlike his sister who ran when she realized the dark truth, he did his best to get the newest information on Salem and other forces. A drunk also and rather irritating, but a well-meaning person.

In front of him, a young girl wearing a purple hood and a scythe in her hands. Having great skill as commended by Qrow, and is quick and swift. Despite her young age and appearance, she was to be feared in battle as she dealt with the Grimm and new monsters with ease. She is also the key to figuring out what is going on in Remnant, thus why everybody is here. So, here they all were.

Taking a sip of his hot chocolate, Ozpin spoke up. "You are Ana, correct? Qrow told me quite a bit about you."

"I am." Ana sat down on the chair that opposed Ozpin's. Not even looking intimidated by all the people in the office. "And I suppose I'm here because you finally want some answers for what's happening." Her eyes narrowed down as she stared at him. "That includes you as well."

"Is there something about the Headmaster that bothers you?" Glynda asked the small child, keeping an eye on her.

"Nothing much. Other than the blatant use of magic he utilized." Ana says bluntly before staring at Glynda. "And yes, I know the difference between this Semblance and magic. I must admit, you have a lot more than my former Masters."

"Masters huh." Ironwood muttered. "They mentioned that too."

"You know what, let's not play this game." Qrow then says, interrupting everybody. "Instead of asking twenty questions, let's just get straight to the point." He then looks at Ana and asks, "So tell me kid, you seemed to know those monsters quite a bit. Personal experience?"

"Unfortunately yes." Ana answers back. As she decides to answer them all. "Where I come from, I and many other of my comrades that I noticed were here, faced them in different places. To be honest, with the exception of a few, they aren't too different from your Grimm."

"My troops were able to deal with a good amount of them." Ironwood then tells the others. "If anything, it was the fact that they weren't Grimm that confounded them."

"Can't blame em this time." Qrow takes a sip from his flask. Recalling all those freaks he faced during the battle. The ones he cut down before he aided Ozpin against that monster of a man. "A lot more colorful and bigger."

"And more dangerous than your Grimm in some ways." Ana then adds on. "While your people are strong, they won't be able to handle the stronger variants. Especially my...former comrades."

"I suppose that includes the man Qrow, you, and I battled." Ozpin didn't ask, just stated.

"He was a former ally." Ana says. Though put the empathize on the 'was' part. "But now, he and the others who weren't aligned with the side of 'Good' are likely doing whatever it is they want. In this case, causing chaos."

"I see." Ozpin sighed as he then looked closely at Ana. "Tell me, and I just want to be certain. Are you even human?"

"Ozpin!" Glyna admonished, with even Ironwood surprised his old friend would even ask such an inappropriate question. Qrow none to better as he gave a slight glare to him.

"Okay Oz. Yeah she's a faunus, but that doesn't me-" Though before he could continue, Ana interrupted him.

"No. I'm not human." She then took off her hood revealing none of the animal ears Qrow himself thought she had. "Nor am I a faunus. I am...something else." Her eyes then seemed to glow for a moment, and then said, "Though while human, you're also different as well. Aren't you?"

Those aligned with Ozpin froze. As they knew what it was she was talking about, and shocked how she even knew. Ozpin for the matter, didn't seem to let it bug him. "How did you know?"

"You give off a...scent, that doesn't match normal humans." Ana says to him. "I won't go into further details, all I can say is that you remind me of another idiotic user in the arts of magic." A white haired man of flowers entered Ana's mind laughing. She quickly let her imagination self cut him in half. "The point is, neither you, I, or those like me are 'normal'."

That made sense and yet not at the same time. However, Ozpin did think of all the strange oddities that unnatural person he battled showed. Not to mention the new threats that arrived that certainly weren't Grimm, and how in some ways these new monsters gave off an air like this girl, if only more chaotic.

Putting down his mug, Ozpin decided to ask the big question he had in him. "Just what are you?"

Ana answered his question, not even looking bothered by it. "I am a being called a Servant, is what I am." Qrow and the others blinked, as Ana spoke to them of her origin. "To further explain, I am not a human, faunus, or a monster. Instead, I am a spirit of sorts."

'That would explain the energy I felt coming off her.' Ozpin never once said it, not even to his allies. But those like Sanzang, Ana, even Jason and his group, all gave off an unusual mana signature. Magic. Magic that should have been long gone from this world. Yet somehow, their very bodies felt as if it was composed of it. So if what she said was true, then it was no wonder he felt there was something off about them, as they're very body is composed of mana. "And ye," Ozpin continued on. "There's more to this than what you say."

"There is." Ana says. "As I mentioned, I am a spirit, a being that is summoned to serve as a Servant when the world is in danger. I, and many others that you know such as Jason, Angra, and Sigurd are these Spirits."

"Sigurd." Then did that mean his daughters and the others like Astolfo, Sieg, and so on were also Spirits? Ironwood wouldn't be surprised if they were.

"Hold on a second." Qrow then held up his hands. "Spirits. Servants. Okay, still confused here, but one thing was clear to me." He then chucked a thumb out the window where smoke could be seen from the ruined city of Vale. "You mentioned you came when the world is in trouble. Safe to say this counts as one?"

"It is." Ana nods. "Granted, our summoning to this world was...off." Very off. More like impossible as they shouldn't even be here at all. Until Jason screwed up as always. "But I suppose our arrival was a good thing perhaps, as clearly the new sightings of monsters are beings that shouldn't even be here."

"I do recall seeing flying robot dragon girls." Ironwood muttered and held his head. Not to mention Winter told him how she fought on board a moving pirate ship on land facing a giant kraken and another ship full of zombie pirates.

Glynda felt the same as well. During the attack on campus, many human sized skeletal ghosts attacked and could only be harmed by Dust rounds. She also faced a giant multi headed skeletal ghost which she was certain made many of her students have nightmares. Including her as well.

"Though," Ana then gave a small glare at Ozpin. Her eyes staring at him as if she were gazing at his very soul. "That doesn't explain something that has confused me for a while. See, the man we faced, Angra, mentioned a woman. One that was giving him mana, something that I noticed this world severely lacks.

Mana. Magic. In an instant the room felt as if it got a bit colder. Because magic only belonged to six people in this world. With the 'her' certainly not being a Maiden as Ana refers to, but obviously the only person who wielded her full power.

"So then," Ana spoke up. "Who is this she?" Because there was no way the humans of this realm could support Angra with their measly mana. She could tell that only a few humans might be able to support a Servant, and yet Angra used more power than what even the Masters could provide him whenever they used him against those crabs.

"...She," Ozpin at last spoke. His tone grave as he mentioned her. "Is the greatest threat this world has to offer. And seeks nothing but to divide and destroy humanity one by one."

"A manipulator huh. Those are the annoying types." The Masters and Servants were better at facing their enemies head-on. Only a few like Holmes were capable of finding those who puppeteer the minions from the shadows.

"More than that kid." Qrow takes a sip from his flask, yet not drunk like he usually is. "The woman we face is a master at making people fight. Not to mention she can control the Grimm as well." Now that isn't good. The monsters and the Grimm she faced were alike in some ways. Both are demonic creatures, both can cause immense damage, and both are capable of wiping out a civilization.

'And yet as Babylonia showed,' Ana thought back to the Seventh Singularity. 'Demonic Beasts with a master are even more dangerous as they can utilize strategy and cooperate.' A monster that can think is far more dangerous than one that acts more like an animal. So if these Grimm have a Master, then that made things even worse.

"So, I take it you all and maybe a few others are the ones who battle against her?" Ana guessed.

"Pah." Qrow just snorts. "We wish."

"Unfortunately, facing her is far too dangerous." Glynda adds on. "While all of us are great at battling, with the exception of Ozpin, she would kill us all with her magic and her Grimm."

Tch. She supposed that made sense. These people weren't weak, Ana can tell. Heck, they'd kick the Masters butt easily since unlike them, these four were capable of fighting. The problem was that from what they describe, this woman is just on another level than them. Similar to how Servants are on another level than humans. That sort of thing.

"So I suppose you're all in some sort of stalemate?"

"A stalemate that is now about to crumble, with this recent event." Ozpin darkly says as his mind flashes to the dead and the destruction of Vale. "I have no doubt she aided in Vale's demise, and now it seems she has gathered even more recruits. Meaning we must act soon or she'll get the initiative. The problem is I have no idea what it is she'll do now at the moment."

"And I suppose it'll be tough to make a movement with all of this going around." Ana sees the smoke coming from Vale. "Plus, I heard a lot of Atlas troops have left."

"On word of the council in Atlas." Ironwood states. "With the destruction of Vale, fear is now worldwide. Not to mention there have been reports of monstrous creatures that aren't Grimm alongside unknown machines attacking Mantle."

"Then that's about everywhere." Qrow scoffs. "The only place that seems to be doing fine is Vacuo because of these Sister Goddesses. Friends of yours?"

"No." Ana replies. "Though I know of them, and perhaps they can be good allies."

"In that case, Qrow, I have a mission for you." Ozpin then looks toward his best agent in terms of gathering information. "I believe a trip to the desert to get these 'Sister' Goddesses help will be of great use." Ozpin then turns towards Ana to confirm something. "Is it safe to say they will help us."

"Indeed." Ana confirms his thoughts. "While the two will likely have their own agenda, I have no doubt they'll aid against this enemy. Even the useless one will help out."

In the deserts of Vacuo, said useless one sneezed.

"Still, that doesn't explain you." Ana says to Ozpin. "Just what are you?"

"Just a man who has made many mistakes, and trying to make up for them all." Ozpin tells her, and then grabs something from his pocket. "Here, have this." He then hands Ana a small card, looking at it, she sees it was a Huntress ID with some information on it. "This should make it so that during investigations, nobody will try to hold you back."

"It will get these kids to stop trying to find my 'parents'." Ana deadpanned with Qrow smirking. Recalling that when they arrived in Vale, many students and even the cops one time tried asking where her parents were. She had to resist cutting them.

"In any case, I must be going now." Ironwood says as he is the first to start leaving. "The council wants me back, and I'm inclined to agree. We must start preparing for the new dangers that have come after this event."

"I do believe we also have a few of these 'Spirits' in the school with us, as Miss Ana told us about." Glynda recalls Sanzang and Nezha. Perhaps they can get them to stay and help out.

"I guess you guys go and enjoy that." Qrow grunts as he then also starts leaving. "I gotta visit Ruby and see how she's doing. Then I'll check out Vacuo and see what's going on there." Won't that be fun.

"I'll catch up with you later." Ana tells Qrow as she stands. "I believe I saw a few fellow Servants here. I'll try telling them if they can stay or not and help out." They'll be needed now that Vale was practically destroyed and law and order is on its knees. What's left here in Vale will need all the help needed to defend with the remaining Grimm and monsters. "Although Ozpin, I should say this." She then turns around and starts walking toward the elevator. "The fact that the monsters were working with the Grimm shouldn't be possible, in other words something or someone was controlling them." She turns and pushes the button for the elevator to close. "So keep an eye out for that." Then she vanished.

"Just great." Glynda frowns. "So we now have to deal with another threat besides Salem."

"It seems we have our work cut out for us." Ozpin admits as he sighs and leans back on his chair. "Still, at least now we know there are defenders all over to aid us. Reports in the outbacks of Mistral indicate two strange people helping the towns from bandits."

"And while I can't say I'm entirely pleased he has them," Glynda looks down the window and sees Ironwood getting on a Bullhead. "It seems Ironwood has many of these 'Spirits' with him now." She then sees a pink haired girl(?) wave to Ironwood. "Seems he has good allies."

"Yes. He does seem to be less stern around them." Ozpin smiles as he watches the pink haired girl(?) then slap Ironwood in the arm...that had a cast on it and made him fall to his knees. 'Now he'll understand the problems of problem students.'

"Still, sir, what do you think of the situation here?" Glynda looks towards Ozpin. "Because it seems that things have gotten worse especially now."

"I won't deny things are indeed bad now." Ozpin admits to the destruction of what has occurred, with the world now fearing if they're next. "And I won't disagree that with this failure, things will become worse." The new monsters, Salem's new allies, and the other dark forces that will take advantage of this. "However, we can't give up. Not yet."

Ozpin then thinks of Salem, and her endgame goal.

"If we stop fighting now, then Salem will use that to her advantage. With her new allies and the state of the world we're in, she has many cards to play." So many people she could manipulate and use to destroy their world. More so now that the final three Kingdoms are shutting themselves in, and not wishing to get involved with the rest of the world. Only such an act will serve to fuel her plans in summoning the true Gods of Remnant.

As such, they had to continue the fight.

'Although,' Ozpin closed his eyes. 'I wonder if we'll be the only ones that get involved?'

Chaldea will get involved, that's what. Next Chapter, we're going back to earth to see the damage done to it and the progress made in creating their dimensional hopper.