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Chapter 90: Old Soul
-o-
It took a few days for Qrow to be cleared to discharge from the hospital and to arrange a meeting with Professor Lionheart at Haven Academy. Saying we were excited was little to the mood in the group, myself included. I'd finally do what I had hoped to do once reached Mistral, even I hoped to find out something relevant about the infiltration that led to the attack on Beacon.
The view inside the kingdom made the one on the outside look like a cheap postcard. The buildings naturally found their place between the two mountains that made up the city with its winding streets full of people and shops that offered thousands of products; from ordinary things, like food or clothing, to specialized ones for huntsmen, from dust to weapons. From the viewpoint where we were, you could see waterfalls from the interior of the mountains that fell like waterfalls and were distributed by channel systems that went to who knows where. It was all amazing, but we were just barely above base. Going up the elevator towards the academy, the view got better and better until one was speechless.
Arriving at the Haven entrance, it felt like my first Beacon day. The great buildings imposing themselves above me and making me feel a familiar feeling of inferiority. But now it was different, since this time I was not alone. We walked among the buildings following the signs to the main building where the meeting would take place, fascinated by the architecture of the buildings. Everything was so different from Beacon, but at the same time so similar: cafeteria, training room, gym. Different place, same environment.
I hated to ruin the atmosphere of peace that was felt at the time, but that was the problem: everything was very calm. Too quiet. There was no one on campus. No student. No teacher. Even if it was class time, you should hear the murmur of the classrooms with their counterpart of Oobleck-
"DOCTORRrrrrrrrrrr..."
Ugh, the counterpart of Doctor Oobleck teaching. Still, everything was in deep silence.
The boys still weren't out of their amazement that they had finally made it to the academy, but I could see that Qrow was also noticing something strange about the absolute tranquility of the place. Our eyes met and he understood what was bothering me, but with a wave of his hand he indicated to me to stay calm for the moment.
Even in the main building there were no signs of life. Not even an administrative clerk walking down its hallways in a hurry to deliver an urgent document. Our footsteps echoed in the empty corridors, only being briefly overshadowed by Ruby's voice.
"Hello? HELLOOOO ?!"
"Maybe try... louder?" Nora scoffed.
"There doesn't seem to be anyone here," Ren observed.
"Well, school isn't really in session right now," Jaune thought of some explanation for the silence that reigned in the academy. "Maybe that's it."
"Maybe, but it's all too quiet," I replied. "We should have already run into someone."
"This is not right," Qrow mumbled before running down the hall and we followed behind him.
My mind was at a thousand an hour, alert in case Tyrian appeared in a corner and suddenly attacked us. That didn't happen, but I still couldn't let my guard down until someone showed up. My biggest fear at the time was that Salem had gotten ahead of us and had already taken the academy. That one thought made me shudder, but I couldn't stop until I got answers.
We arrived at what must have been a type of waiting room with a double wooden door that had to lead to the office of the dean of the academy. To one side was a desk, full of stacked papers, and in front was what must have been a waiting room with long dark blue sofas and a small tea table between them.
We stopped in front of the door, Qrow leading the way. Without warning, he drew his sword.
"Prepare yourselves," he ordered us. "There may be a problem."
We all prepare our weapons, preparing for a possible ambush.
Qrow lifted his leg and kicked open the door. Behind him was an old man, with silver hair and beard from age with a tail behind. Upon seeing us, he gave a cry of fear that we replicated in the same way. Two things happened at that time: 1) Qrow lost his balance and fell on his ass, 2) the man passed out.
"Uhmmm... Professor Lionheart?" Ruby guessed the name of the stranger.
The man recovered himself and glared at Qrow.
"QROW! For crying out loud, you nearly scared me half to death!"
"Me?" Qrow growled as he stood up. "Why weren't you waiting for us at the entrance?"
The man seemed confused by the accusation and finished with a pocket watch inside his greatcoat.
"OH, right. Apologies. I guess time slipped away from me."
"You're kidding," Qrow expressed what I thought, but it was the same with the others.
"Where is everybody?" Nora asked, in what we holstered our weapons.
"Ah, you must be the students Qrow mentioned."
"Yes, sir! Heh. Ruby Rose."
"Jaune Arc."
"Nora Valkyrie."
"Lie Ren."
"Kaiden Noir, nice to meet you."
"A pleasure to meet you all," the man answered our introductions with a chuckle, "Leonardo Lionheart, at your service. I'm afraid most of my staff is currently away until classes resume, but-"
"What!?" Qrow cut him off abruptly, alarmed. "Leo, you can't be serious. Who's guarding the relic!?"
Lionheart blanched as he mentioned the latest with his eyes quickly fixing on us, "Qrow! The children-"
"Already know. I filled them in," Qrow snapped. "Ozpin himself told Kaiden. What do you mean your staff is away?"
"You... filled them in?" the professor repeated Qrow's phrase, fearful for some reason. "Quick. Come in."
As expected, Lionheart's office was different from Ozpin's. Behind the desk where the headmaster of the academy sits were several large windows that let in the afternoon sun. On the columns between them was a huge shelf on which were a large number of books that were reached by grabbing the stair in the other side of the room. On either side of the door through which we entered were two huge bookcases full of papers, folders, and more books on so many subjects. Seeing them made me wonder if I could find any Cinder records on them.
Lionheart walked to his desk and sat behind, staring at us, "I have to say Qrow, this all seems very reckless, even for you."
"No, reckless is leaving one of the relics completely unguarded. It's not checking in with Oz for ages."
"There was nothing to check in about before the Fall of Beacon. But since that day, Mistral has been in chaos! Vale wasn't the only kingdom to suffer that night. Everyone was watching. Every house in every kingdom saw that poor girl ripped to pieces, saw monsters crawling over the city, Atlesian knights attacking citizens… and then nothing. You could feel the dread in the air. With all that negativity, you can imagine what it was like when the Grimm came for us. Mistral's controlled territory is the widest reaching in the world, y'know, and that makes it infinitely harder to protect. We lost so many great huntsmen, teachers from this very institution, and it's only gotten worse.
"We may have dealt with the Grimm, but the Mistral council's still at odds with representatives from Atlas. First, it was the dust embargo. Now, it's the closing of borders. I'm not sure what happened to James in Vale, but it seems to have only worsened some of his more...unfortunate tendencies."
"He is doing his best to help," I objected, disgusted by the way he was referring to my father. "You weren't there that night, but we were putting our asses in stake as we fought with our backs against the wall. Perhaps the General may seem rash with his actions, but he does it to protect-"
"Kaiden..." Qrow interrupted me, holding me by the shoulder. I hadn't realized I was standing right in front of the teacher's desk, who was looking at me even more fearfully.
"Sorry," I apologized realizing that I acted hastily.
"Forgive him, Leo," Qrow interceded. "Truth be told, Kaiden is James' son and he came from Atlas to see you, like us. Ozpin asked him to join before the Vytal Festival."
Lionheart looked at me closely, "Are you the son of James Ironwood? I really didn't expect that. I apologize for talking about him in such a way, but it hasn't been easy since that night. And, on top of everything, we still don't 't know where the Spring Maiden is."
That last one left me in shock. She hoped that, after what had happened with Amber, there would be more protection with Spring as Atlas had done with theirs. Apparently I was wrong.
"Okay! Okay. Things are bad. They're bad. But we can figure this out," Ruby got into the chat. "Why is the Spring Maiden so important?"
"Didn't you tell them that?" I asked Qrow. When he told me everything in Patch, he had also added that.
"Mostly filled in. Look, there's a lot to cover, okay? I quit teaching for a reason," Qrow fought back, taking out his flask and taking a long sip of happy water.
Both Lionheart and I were getting impatient with the huntsman attitude, which should have been a habit for him and me.
"The Four Maidens each have the power to perform feats of magic, and they are the only ones capable of reaching the relics," I explained. "Like a padlock that only opens with just a single key."
"What?" Jaune gasped in amazement.
"The relics are each locked inside a chamber that can only be opened by a specific maiden," Qrow continued. "Winter for the gift of creation, Summer for destruction, Fall for choice, and Spring for knowledge."
"Spring is the problem," Lionheart added.
"What happened to her?" Ren asked.
"She was determined at first when she inherited her powers, but the weight of responsibility proved to be too much for the child. She… ran. Abandoned her training, everyone. That was over a decade ago. There's no telling where she could be now."
"I know," Qrow spoke. "At least, I have a pretty good idea."
"Are you serious?" Lionheart rose from his chair excitedly, as did I. If we could find the Spring Maiden, we could put things in our favor in case Salem came to attack the academy.
"It's not exactly good news."
"What are you talking about? This is incredible news! After all these years? Where?!" the old man inquired as he walked towards him, but Qrow pushed him away.
"I did some digging around. Looks like after Spring ran away, she was picked up by bandits. Specifically, the Branwen tribe."
"Raven," Lionheart said the named like it were a curse.
Several in the room gave a gasp of surprise, but I shuddered at the information as I realized something I had missed weeks ago. During my fight against Remnant's worst mom, I remembered that someone else was there. I saw a girl running towards us when I felt that sudden wind that sent me flying. She knew about Raven's ability to make portals, and that gale felt too supernatural for a semblance. Now, knowing that the girl who wielded that power was with that tribe, that could only mean that ...
The thought was so shocking to me that I felt lightheaded. How had I been so blind? I had her so close but I hadn't realized until then.
Someone was shaking me by the shoulders. By the time I came back to my senses, Ruby was looking at me concerned.
"Kai, are you alright?"
"No. I'm a real fool. I saw her. That night in Shion."
"What do you mean?" Qrow questioned me.
"When I was fighting Raven during the raid on Shion, a girl appeared and a wind caught me off guard and got me off balance. I should have realized that. That was the powers of a maiden."
"There was no way you would know for sure. You have only seen a maiden's abilities only once and it was with Cinder. But at least we are certain that she is still alive and Cinder still hasn't found her... as far as we know." Qrow walked over to Lionheart's desk and placed his scroll that started projecting a region's holographic map, "That's about where they've set up their main camp. It's where they fall back to after raids and scouting missions. Raven's managed to gain a lot of followers since she returned to the tribe. And I'm sure when the Spring Maiden showed up it only made things easier."
"Well, Qrow, I've got to hand it to you," Lionheart congratulated the huntsman with a pat on the back. He walked to his desk, typed something on the keyboard, and the projection faded. "With these coordinates, we can mount a retrieval force and head out in a few weeks."
"A few weeks?" I asked puzzled. Having this information, organizing an urgent extraction operation should be carried out in days. No more.
"Leo, maybe you didn't hear me. My sister has the Spring Maiden and I know where she is. We need to go as soon as possible!" Qrow was upset by the elder's long time schedule, and I agreed. With the situation prevailing throughout Remnant, it was an urgent mission to assure the maidens that they had not yet been taken by Salem.
"And perhaps you didn't hear me," Lionheart spoke angrily. "This kingdom is in shambles. As soon as possible does not mean tomorrow, it means as soon as I can convince the rest of the council that I need huntsmen more than they do. Unfortunately, bandit tribes aren't very high on their list of 'priorities' when the threat of war is just on the horizon. "
"Then damn the council, we'll do it ourselves. You and I are trained huntsmen, and these kids aren't exactly pushovers," Qrow snapped, drawing exclamations of support from the guys.
"Perhaps there's a more peaceful way to approach this?" Ren proposed.
"You don't know Raven. Dialoguing with that woman is impossible," I replied, remembering the derogatory manner in which he had referred to Yang, along with Ruby and her mother. If I had the chance I would make her pay for those words.
"We need to get Spring as far away from here as possible," Qrow insisted, "but Raven isn't going to give up her most prized possession without a fight."
"Unfortunately, you and your sister are evenly matched," Lionheart retorted, "and I'm not the fighter I used to be. No offense, but these students and I can't take on an entire bandit tribe and a Maiden that's no doubt had years to hone her skills. We need to be positive we can apprehend Spring, because if we fail, Raven and her tribe will scatter and we'll be lost. We get ONE shot at this. And it needs to be perfect. "
"Sigh..." Qrow sighed wearily. "You know, Oz wouldn't be happy with any of this if he were here."
"Perhaps you're right. But he's not and I'm doing the very best I can."
"There has to be something we can do?" Ruby offered.
"That's true," I agreed. "Cinder came to Beacon with Emerald and Mercury from Haven. If you give me permission to review the records I can find out how they did it or if someone helped them."
"I appreciate that, but we pulled their files after the fall of Beacon. Nothing but lies and forgeries. "
"But maybe if you let me take a look, maybe I could see who uploaded-"
"Sorry, but like I said, we've already gone through everything in detail," Lionheart objected, anxious. "Also, we can't allow someone from outside to be in our network after everything that's happened."
Hearing that response made me feel tremendous frustration. I had not traveled from Patch to Atlas and then traversed half of Anima only to be rejected. I was about to protest when Qrow stopped me, staring at me before shaking his head, giving me a clear message to give up. I did, but reluctantly.
"Well, I can't say this has been a warm meeting, Leo."
"I'm sorry. I know you've all traveled a long way. But I will do everything I can to help."
"Sure. We'll stay in the city for the time being. Local comms are still up. Keep in touch. C'mon, kids."
"It was nice meeting you, Professor," Ruby said goodbye to the headmaster as we all headed for the door.
"Likewise."
I wanted to do the same. Give him some kind words, but the frustration and anger inside me prevented me. I couldn't believe I had made such a journey only to end up like this. I didn't know what exasperated me the most: the little support we had received or the fearful attitude of Lionheart. Even if it were uncertain times, a huntsman wouldn't be intimidated and would look for a way to overcome obstacles and more someone with a position that would guide him for future generations of defenders.
In the end I just nodded, unable to stop glaring at him before leaving and closing the door, totally disappointed in such a useless meeting with a cowardly lion.
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A few days before leaving for what would be a terrible meeting, Qrow had an idea: if we were going to be in Mistral for an undetermined time, it would be better to find a place to settle down temporarily instead of staying at the inn. It was then that we went to a real estate service that took us to several places that were for rent.
The first was an apartment. Good view but there was little space.
Then a house on the lower levels. Cozy, but there was a suspicion that the neighbors were playing Breaking Bad chemistry.
Various things and departments came and went until we found a perfect place.
We fell in love with a house in a residential area. Spacious living room in case we had to hold meetings. Multiple bedrooms. Two half baths with a full one. Mistral style dining room. Equipped kitchen. There was even a training room with access to an open area with a view on the outskirts of the kingdom that left you speechless. The catch? The monthly rental price. Qrow offered to make the payments, but, either by fate or by his semblance, his credit card didn't pass. Somehow I knew what would happen, so I had to pay. Seeing the notification of the charge with that amount of line deducted from my account in my scroll was like a kick in the balls. Once the rent was approved, we made the move and bought the pantry of the week. Nora and Ruby would be staying in one room. Ren and Jaune would stay in another. I would have to endure Qrow's snoring. The remaining room would remain available in case of visits.
The days were filled with joy and fun in what we hoped Lionheart agreed to receive us. After that, our mood plummeted. Qrow deserted in search of a bar to drown his sorrows as we returned home. After a quiet dinner, Ruby retired to her room to read comics and the rest threw themselves on the sofas in the living room, without saying a word.
I didn't think it was going to be easy, honestly, but I didn't expect it to be that bad either. I could only wonder what would have happened if I had gone to Lionheart on my own. Maybe he hadn't even agreed to receive me. The more I thought about it, the worse I felt. How could I be so silly?
"So what will happen next?" Nora spoke, breaking the silence.
"To be honest, I don't know," Jaune replied ruefully. "Maybe waiting to see what Qrow comes up with."
"I was hoping things would have been better," Ren spoke up. "I don't know why, but Professor Lionheart looked more scared than just the Grimms."
"But the question is: about what? Does he wait for an attack."
"Beacon was attacked inside. Maybe that's what bothers him."
The more I listened to them, the more questions formed in my head. What should we do? How can we convince Lionheart to help us get the Spring Maiden back? Was it too late and Cinder would have found her already?
My thoughts were already whirlwind when someone knocked on the front door. We all saw each other, wondering who it would be. If it were Qrow, he wouldn't have to knock on the door, since he has a key. There was not even anyone in Mistral who knew us, except for the SSSN team. However, they seemed to be out of the city since I couldn't contact them via scroll. Before I asked who was going to answer the door, I saw that the guys had a finger on their noses in a clear gesture that said "Not me". I had to resign myself and got up from my seat.
I approached cautiously, in case the door was suddenly knocked down and we were attacked. Requiem rested in a corner, so I could give the others a little time to get ready in case of any eventuality.
The door opened and I wasn't expecting what was behind it. There was a boy, short in stature. His skin was tanned with a faint, perpetual blush and freckles on his cheeks. His hair was black and his eyes were hazel, the main iris being forest green. He wore a dirty and scuffed white shirt that laces across the chest. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and a pocket on the left tricep. Orange suspenders held up his olive pants, which are tucked into worn, brown boots. The pants are patched over the knee, and a quilted cloth hangs loosely out of his left pocket. He was wearing orange gloves, with green straps overlapping across the back of the hand in an X shape, and around the wrist. He did not appear older than 15 years. Maybe 14.
The boy looked at me shyly, and I turned to see the others, wondering if they knew him, but they seemed as puzzled as I was.
"Can I... help you?" I asked, studying any sign of threat.
"Um...," the boy hesitated. "Is there a... Ruby Rose here?"
I stiffened at the question and listened as the boys stood up, alarmed just like me.
"Why?" Nora responded threateningly.
The boy didn't speak, which made the silence in the room tense. My hand was ready to call Requiem and attack.
"Well...," he started to say something when the situation suddenly got so much worse.
"I found him!" Qrow burst into the house, laughing happily. Too happy.
"I think her uncle could use some help?" the boy informed us uncomfortably.
Qrow staggered, still smiling, to the chair where Jaune and I had never sat before. He fell awkwardly onto the cushions, gasping for breath, "I found him."
Now it was worse.
Qrow + Alcohol + his semblance = possible catastrophe.
'Req, if Qrow tries to grab you to pawn you over liquor ...'
'I will fry his hand as with Ragna. Understood.'
It was then that angry footsteps approached on the wooden floor.
"What is going on out there ?! Can't a girl read her comics in peace ?" Ruby grumbled angrily. She saw Qrow in that state and rolled her eyes while exhaling in exasperation. "Qrow, did you get drunk again?"
"Mayyyyybe ~"
"You... have silver eyes," the boy exclaimed fascinated.
It may no longer seem like he wasn't going to attack, but the way he looked at Ruby, I still saw him as a threat.
Ruby looked at us, wondering if we knew him, but understood that we were in the dark like her.
"Who are you?"
"Well… My name is Oscar Pine," he introduced himself. "But you probably know me as… Professor Ozpin?"
Hearing that statement stumped me. Qrow had already told me about the ability of the late Beacon headmaster, which allowed him to occupy a new body when the old one passed away. But I still didn't believe it. Just as those in the inner circle knew, so Salem must have been aware of it, and could send anyone posing as him and have us fall into her hands.
Qrow's laughter grew louder until he sat up on the sofa, arms raised in victory, "I did it!"
After that, he fell to the ground, where he fell completely asleep.
There was an awkward atmosphere in the room, with the Oscar boy who didn't seem to know what to do now and Qrow snoring loudly.
"Sigh... Can someone take Qrow to the shower and put the cold water on him?"
Jaune and I looked at each other and we had a quick encounter of rock, paper or scissors. I lose.
I grabbed Qrow by the arms and dragged him down the hall to the bathroom, leaving him in the tub and opening the key. It was a delight to see him fussing as soon as the liquid hit him in the face.
"What the hell?"
"Stay there until you clear your head," I glared at him. "Then meet us."
Even knowing what he would do after that disastrous meeting, I was disappointed to see him like this. For as long as I can remember, Qrow has always had a hand in drinking and I've had to learn the hard way what to do when alcohol went to his head. Sadly, his niece seemed to have been in the same situation repeatedly.
When I returned to the living room, Oscar was sitting in an armchair with the guys staring at him.
Even knowing what he would do after that disastrous meeting, I was disappointed to see him like this. For as long as I can remember, Qrow has always had a hand in drinking and I've had to learn the hard way what to do when alcohol went to his head. Sadly, his niece seemed to have been in the same situation repeatedly.
When I returned to the living room, Oscar was sitting in an armchair with the boys staring at him.
"Did he age backwards?" I heard Nora wonder.
"He's possesed!" Jaune exclaimed in alarm.
"Or I have reencarnated!" Ren guessed.
"Oh! Isn't it weird?" Ruby spoke in amazement.
"It is very weird, yeah," Oscar replied sadly.
"Okay, guys. I know it's surprising and exciting, but first I want to make sure it's really Ozpin who we have here and not someone posing as him."
"How?" Oscar asked fearfully.
I sat at the tea table in front of his seat and stared at him, "Alright, kid. Question number 1: What is the name of your deputy headmaster and what's their weapon?"
Oscar closed his eyes for a moment and spoke, "Glynda Goodwitch and her weapon is a riding crop called The Disciplinarian that she uses to channel her semblance."
I looked at the boys, who seemed amazed at the accuracy of the description. It was a good start, but anyone who had thoroughly investigated the Beacon staff might know that.
"Very well. Number two: By what name did I introduce myself to Pyrrha in the vault?"
Oscar closed his eyes again and replied, "Virgil."
I felt a little more convinced. Now that was something only Pyrrha, Qrow, Glynda, Dad and Ozpin knew. I just needed one more proof that Ozpin was the one in front of me.
"Third question: what were your first words the day you first called me to enter Beacon?
Now that was a more complicated question, since it had been a call that only Ozpin and I had. Qrow had come out of the cabin to give us privacy.
Oscar closed his eyes again, this time taking a little more time before answering.
"You are a peculiar boy, Kaiden Azabache. At your age you are already killing Grimm at parties while others are not ready for such feats. I have an offer that may interest you and which I hope you will accept."
I was stunned. They were the same words from a year ago. Each one of them coinciding perfectly. There was no longer any doubt.
"It really is you."
That boy was Ozpin, though not quite. I had hoped that he would come with that brilliant optimism for which he was always recognized among Beacon students and staff. Instead, Oscar seemed to be just an ordinary boy.
"Have you finished the interrogation?" Qrow was back, sober (as far as I guessed), in dry clothes and drinking a cup of coffee that I hope he hasn't added a little of his happy water to. "Let's all just take a second and remember that this is very overwhelming for everyone."
We all stepped back and gave Oscar a little room to breathe, a little embarrassed to be harassing him when we barely met him.
"Thanks," he thanked Qrow as he took a seat next to him.
Oscar watched us curiously. His eyes sparkled with excitement, with some nervousness, just like Jaune and I when we went to our first comic book convention in Vale, the Vale-Con. I don't know if it sounds a bit exaggerated, but it bothered me that he kept looking at Ruby for a long time, although she didn't mind and smiled at him.
"Ah sorry!" He apologized. "It's just I've never really met Huntsmen and Huntresses before."
"Well, uh... we've never met a person with two souls, so, first times all around, "Ruby replied friendly.
The atmosphere seemed to lighten with Ruby's usual attitude, until Qrow cleared his throat.
"Not to break up the whole 'getting-to-know-you' game, but we need to have a talk," he said. "Mind showing us your little parlor trick, kid?"
When he said "trick", I thought we would see his semblance, but the truth was different. Oscar looked uncomfortable again at the request.
"Yeah, okay. Just so you know, I'll still be here."
I didn't understand what the boy was trying to say. It was as if he had to go even if he didn't want to.
It was then that Oscar closed his eyes like the other times and took a deep breath. What happened was strange. It was as if he was suddenly seeing someone else, even if it was the same on the outside. As if his aura were changed by someone else's, although that might be the case at the time.
"It is so very good to see you again, students," I heard him speak in the same voice, but Oscar's gaze and posture changed. Full of confidence and wisdom. I had only seen one person with that radiating such a feeling.
"Professor Ozpin?" Ren guessed.
"Correct. And though I may be the one speaking, Oscar is still present, mentally," Ozpin replied. "He's merely handed over the control, so to speak. I'm afraid this all must be very perplexing."
"And alarming, and bizarre, and just really kind of of hard to believe overall!" Nora exclaimed in alarm, which Ozpin found amusing with a chuckle.
"It's good to see you children still have your sense of humor." Then he looked at me, "It is good to see that you are alright, Mr. Noir. I imagine this is very strange to you."
"Qrow, you've already told me about this, but seeing it in person is a crazy thing."
"I know. And I know you've all been through tremendous hardship already. I'm sorry."
"I mean, it's not your fault," Ruby comforted him.
"It's all my fault." It was then that Ozpin's aura of peace changed to one of regret, "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 renuous process on everyone involved. "
"So, who... what... are you?" Jaune asked, searching for the correct words.
"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 will we do that?" I asked. "Let's just say things didn't go well at Beacon."
"We start...," he started to say before sipping the cup of coffee that Qrow gave him, as if with that the transformation was complete, "by ensuring the safety of the Relic of Knowledge."
"For this we need the Spring Maiden, right?" Ruby guessed.
Ozpin nodded, "If we have the key with us, no one else will be able to open the chest."
"But she's with Raven and Lionheart doesn't seem like he'll lift a finger to help us bring her back for the rest of the year," I informed him.
"Not that anymore!" Nora exclaimed excitedly. "We were stuck at a dead end, but now, we can just take cute little boy Ozpin to Lionheart and have him set things straight!"
"Please, don't call me that."
"We're not sure that's the best idea," Qrow objected, causing the redhead to grumble and reluctantly sit next to Ruby with her arms crossed in anger.
"But I thought the headmasters all took their orders from you," Ren spoke.
"That was the intention. Four lieutenants I can trust, especially during times of reincarnation. But Qrow told me about your meeting with Leonardo. He isn't just behaving irrationally, and he's disobeying specific instructions I had left him."
"Are you saying that maybe Lionheart is compromised?" I wondered, taking note of faunus' behaviour that afternoon.
"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," Ozpin explained, getting up from his seat and walking to look at the painting on the wall, which was a portrait of Mistral.
"Play things close to the chest until we get a better hand," Qrow proposed. "Now, we have two steps ahead of us. The first is enlisting the aid of more Huntsmen."
"So long as they're trustworthy."
"You can trust them to put up a good fight. I'll throw together a list tonight," Qrow declared with total confidence until he placed his feet on the tea table, which "curiously" broke a leg while doing so and dropped the cup of coffee that was on top.
"Good luck with that," Nora added the cherry to the cake.
The huntsman grumbled and began to collect the remains of the cup as Ozpin was still talking.
"After that, we can move on to step two."
"What's step two?" Nora asked.
"Getting you four into fighting shape."
This statement seemed somewhat absurd to me. As far as he knew, everyone in that room was in optimal condition to fight any adversary. We were able to survive Tyrian and eliminate the Nuckelavee.
"But, uh, we already know how to fight," Ruby objected.
"Yes," I agreed, "I even made most of the trip from Atlas to here on my own."
"Maybe, but Miss Rose can only fight so long as you have Crescent Rose and still lacks in hand-to-hand combat," Ozpin said pointing his cane at Ruby.
"Well, uh, yeah."
Then he pointed to Jaune, "Mr. Arc, I'm glad to hear you've improved,but sorry to say, you've yet to unlock your semblance."
And then he pointed to me, "And, Mister Noir, Qrow has told me that you have been able to use the Overdrive at will, so you will work to have more control on it."
It was true, I still had to find a way to keep the aura flowing and not pass out from lack of air.
"All of you still have a ways to go before you're ready to pose any real threat against Salem and her forces. 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.
As if he had expected that question, Ozpin pirouetted backwards and landed on the chair where he had sat before.
"Well, I believe I was the headmaster of Beacon Academy," he proclaimed, spinning his staff with one hand. "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. "
The feeling was mixed. On the one hand, he was excited to be trained by Ozpin himself, who was said to have been a prodigy in his hunting days. But on the other hand, I did not expect him to advise us being in the body of a boy younger than me and who would also be training with us.
As if some sort of time limit had been reached, Oscar's body shuddered, beginning to teeter dangerously on the couch before falling onto his back.
"You've gotta be kidding me," he groaned in pain.
"Oscar?" Ruby asked, concerned about the boy.
"Oz can't be on the wheel long," Qrow warned us. "It will be a while before Oscar and Ozpin act and think as one. But, until then, everyone goes to bed. Kaiden, you will share a room with Oscar."
"Too bad, I miss your snoring already," I scoffed as I helped Oscar to his feet. "Come on, I'll show you around the place."
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We took a quick tour of the house, explaining a few rules along the way, like the waiting list for the bathroom; taking the opportunity to write down my name and Oscar's after Ren to use it.
The room to use did not have much difference to the others. Two beds, desks, and a nice view out the window. I gave Oscar a little space to settle into what was my turn to bathe.
"Oscar, I know I hardly know you, but I would like to ask you for a favor," I said as they were both in the room.
"Yes?"
"I would like to speak to Ozpin... just for a few minutes."
Oscar seemed about to refuse, but instead he just closed his eyes and that personality change occurred.
"Did you want to talk to me?" Ozpin spoke.
"You already knew that Ironwood is my father, right? That's why you invited me to join Beacon and your circle."
"I invited you to join the academy because Qrow had told me about your training. I knew it was time for you to go to Beacon to be better when I saw the video of your exploits at that party. It was never because of your blood. When you I called that day to take you to the Vault, it was because I knew I could trust you. That you were someone who could keep a secret and fight to keep it. You have even been able to gain control over an extremely dangerous technique. "
"Perhaps the Overdrive is-"
"It is technically magic, one that was developed by a group of people who followed the God of Darkness and which was lost for centuries until your grandfather discovered and deciphered it. The symbols you painted yourself that time with the Soul Reaper were channelers of energy to release limiters. The fact that you died and came back to life could be the reason why you can use it at will. "
Hearing that coming from Ozpin made me feel satisfied with myself. Even with the question of what will happen in the following weeks, I was relieved to be able to count on the guidance of someone like him.
"I know you have more questions, but I think Oscar is already reaching his limit today. He is still not used to this body sharing, that's why we will be working on it."
"Oh sure. Don't worry."
Giving me one last smile, Ozpin closed his eyes and Oscar returned to his controls. The effort to keep Ozpin must have been a lot for Oscar who staggered before he held him.
"Sorry, I should have known you were tired already."
"It's ok. I'll get used to it sooner or later."
Seeing him reminded me of myself when I was his age. Back then I was training on my own in Aztlan. I had no one to guide me with Alice having passed away years ago and the few visits of Qrow. It should not be the same story for Oscar. Despite the fact that Oscar's soul was now intertwined with one that was centuries (if not thousands) of years old and packed with knowledge, he was still a boy with zero combat experience.
"We'll help you do it," I assured him, holding him by the shoulder.
I had already failed to help Pyrrha and Ozpin, but now I would do what is necessary to prevent history from repeating itself. This time a kingdom would not fall. This time no friend of mine would die. This time we would win and live another day.
