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I landed in Atlas ahead of the airship Team RYPP was taking. I sent Yang a message. Letting her know some of the details about her adoptive mom. I told her where I was and offered to meet up.
She took me up and I went to the academy and we met in one of the lit gardens which surrounded the place.
"Cloud?" Yang began when she saw me. She stepped forward and embraced me and I hugged her back.
"Yang. It's good to see you. I wish I had good news."
"But about my mom. Summer?"
"Right. Well I found her in my father's lab. Near Vacuo. She was kept alive on life support and drugged out of her mind."
"You're serious?"
I nodded. "She was so thin. I'm not sure when Ruby and your father want to bury her but probably soon."
"Oh was it…?"
"It was real bad. Yang. It was real bad."
"Why? Why keep her alive like that?"
"She was a maiden. My father was studying the power."
"Oh… then the new maiden is someone else? Someone random?"
"The power actually transferred to a girl who was with me in the lab. She's the one who actually found Summer and freed her from the life support. She's on her way here by airship."
"I see. Well… I see. Thank you. Cloud. I'm sure you did as much as you could."
"How are you holding up? I take it Ruby hadn't called you yet to let you know this stuff. She will. And of course if you want to go for the funeral you're welcome to do so. We'd be happy to put you up for the night."
"I don't know. In my head she always died so to find her alive is something incredible. But then we found her just to die again. So… I'm not sure how to feel. I already attended her funeral once. I still remember it. It was almost two decades ago now," Yang explained.
"Well I have to ready Oscar and the general for the new maiden. I convinced her to come here to train. If you're sure that you're alright. I should probably see to that next."
"I am. I'll want to see her. You know? Her body. I should book a flight. Blake will want to come too just to be there for me. We have some days off we can burn. I didn't want to spend them like this. But I need to be there. For my dad and Ruby."
"Ruby is a champ. Your dad seemed to be the more frail of the two," I explained to my sister in law.
"Yeah, that sounds about right. I just… I don't know. I'll know how I feel when I see her again."
"It was real bad, Yang. She was so thin. The atrophy really got to her for the years she spent floating in a tank. It's really a godsend the power passed like she wanted to Rosé."
"Rosé being the new summer maiden," Yang confirmed.
"Yeah that's right. She's a good kid but she's in way over her head right now. How did Blake take to the powers? I've never seen her in action with them."
"Blake does okay. The powers are finicky things. Penny is much stronger but I'm not sure that that totally has to do with being a maiden. Penny is strong."
"She's also an antinatalist," I pointed out. "Makes me a tad uncomfortable given my own position as a father."
"Yeah well nobody is perfect. You ought to know that. It will be good to come down and meet your kids. Though I wish it were under better circumstances," my sister in law went on. "You finally done having them or what?"
I chuckled. "The plan is to be done now. Yeah. Six in total. Just like they both wanted. Nebel, Pearle, Garnet, Cherry, Citrone, and Carnal. It will be good to meet auntie Yang and auntie Blake. Maybe you could stay a few extra days," I suggested lightly.
"I'd like that," Yang agreed. "Any of them miniature versions of Ruby?"
"Garnet is. She looks just like her mom. Carnal and Cherry take mostly after her too but there's a bit more of me in there. Garnet is like the spitting image of Ruby. And Pearle looks just like Weiss. I'm very… I'm very happy with the way those things worked out. You can really see so much of their mothers in them."
"Aw. You're such a big old sweetheart. Ruby always called you a puppy."
"I'm a dog. Of that there is no doubt."
"Oh shush. You're a sweet guy, Cloud. I'm happy for you. And Ruby of course. She wouldn't have wanted somebody who wasn't a sweetheart."
"Come down and see the kids. It will be good for them and for you. Children are like that. Unless you're Penny. Then I think she only sees tombstones."
"I will. You're off then?"
"I am. I need to talk to the general and get Team RYPP a place to stay. The girls whole team was there and they are inseparable at the moment. Not unlike Team RWBY was here in Atlas and back in those halcyon Beacon days."
"Well best of luck to you."
"And to you as well. And again, I'm sorry about your mom."
"It is what it is," she sighed wistfully.
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"And so the powers transferred to the princess of Vale. What are the odds? Your thoughts James?" Oscar asked.
"Too many kids…"
"Quite so. Well put."
"That's it? That's all you have for me?" I asked. "About everything I just told you?"
"Well naturally it comes as more than a bit of a surprise to find Summer was still alive all these years," Oscar agreed. "And know we have another young girl who is in way over her head in these messy affairs. You ought to know how that is by now Cloud."
I did know. My wife was one. Hell, I was a kid in way over my head.
"So any advice? That I should pass along to her? Just while you get their rooms set up?" I asked.
"Well it would be wise of her to accept an armed escort," Oscar pointed out. "I'd quite like to meet the girl. When is she landing?"
"Any time now. I should get a message from her and then we can all pow-wow."
"Why can't they ever be adults receiving the power?" Ironwood grimaced. "It's always some poor kid."
"Well, Winter Schnee died," I pointed out unhelpfully. "Penny was made to be a maiden. So there's that?"
"But this girl? Gainsborough? She's just stuck with the job now," Ironwood rubbed his eyes hard.
"Don't be so far down. We know where summer is. This is a good thing as far as we should be concerned. Yes it isn't ideal but reality never is. The only question which remains to us now is when, Cloud."
"When what?" I asked.
"When will you go to put your plan into effect?" Oscar pressed.
"Soon. Once my last child knows my face. Maybe when she's four. She's one now."
"Three years is soon?" Ironwood demanded.
"It is when you are leaving your children behind," I countered. "Forever."
Ironwood begrudgingly nodded and Oscar tapped his cane into the ground in the office. We were up in the headmaster's office of Atlas academy.
"Do you really think you can't win?" Oscar wondered. I got the sense he was truly wondering. I was all he had now. To combat the darkness maybe once and for all.
"I think… I think my Mother has weapons. Weapons I don't fully understand and won't until I confront her. She… she's promised to surrender to me and not put up a fight during one of our conversations but that could mean anything."
"You're taking her at her word?" Ironwood wondered.
"Not exactly…" I trailed. "It's not in her character to just give up. But it also made a certain kind of sense the way she was talking about it. She seemed tired. Tired of the back and forth between you and her." I explained to Oscar.
Oscar gripped his cane tightly and I knew he was tired of it too. He wanted rest. That's what he really was fighting for. He was drop dead exhausted. He wanted to keel over but where would that get him. Right back here and a little ways back. Salem didn't have that. She was static.
"You think it's possible that she wasn't bluffing?" Oscar asked.
"I think it's possible. I think she really is drop dead tired of it all and just wants to sleep. I think she wants to sleep for a hundred years or longer."
"And that's the plan? To put her to sleep?" Ironwood asked.
"Well she's immortal. I can't kill her as such. But I can destroy her so thoroughly that she isn't awake. Maybe little dreams. Boltzman dreams. A dead goddess still dreams."
Ironwood shuddered. Imagining what it would be like to be awake yet torn to pieces wasn't pleasant.
"But you aren't taking her at her word. You're planning on fighting her." Oscar interpreted.
"I am. I think it's better if I go in with that sort of attitude," I explained. And I really did think that way. My scroll chimed in my pocket.
We're in Atlas. Where are you?
I read the message.
"You ready to meet the little lady in summer's clothes?" I asked the room. There was general agreement.
Headmaster's office. You're invited. I'll come down and guide you. Meet me in the plaza in front of the school.
I walked out of the headmaster's office to the elevator. I took it down to the first floor. I waited out in the cold of the Atlas air. It was chilly even for me who was used to coasting at high speeds through the atmosphere. I was dressed in my one long sleeve and armor and under shirt so I had layers on. It didn't take long for Team RYPP to find me.
"So this is Atlas?" Pine wondered looking around.
"This is Atlas and Mantle," I agreed.
"These people have to be compensating for something," Yuma chimed in. "The floating city is a bit much."
"It helps keep people safe from the Grimm. People and industry. It's a good thing. It helps keep Atlas as a powerhouse."
"I'm sure having three maidens and one of the relics working for you helps," Pine commented.
"Yeah. Probably. Same way Vale benefits from my presence. And I try to get around to the other kingdoms too. Come on. The wizard and the general will want to meet with you."
I led the way back inside to the elevator. I ushered the kids in and we took it up together. The general was still waiting with his hands steepled behind his desk. The wizard waited in the wings with his cane off to one side.
"Rosé, Yuma, Pine, Peach meet General Ironwood and Oscar Pine," I introduced. "General, Oscar meet the ladies."
"Well met," Oscar agreed.
"Please, why don't you all have a seat?" Ironwood suggested and nodded to the chairs opposite from where he sat.
The girls arranged themselves and sat down. I stepped off to the side to join Oscar.
"I'm sure you all must have many questions," Oscar began.
"You're the wizard?" Peach asked.
"I expected someone older," Rosé agreed.
Oscar just laughed a little. "Yes well, I died rather recently. This was the body I reincarnated into."
"From Ozpin?" Pine confirmed.
"That's correct," Oscar agreed. "When Ozpin died I was reborn into a young farm hand with no combat training and no aura. This young man named Oscar. You see me now before you. We are slowly merging and becoming singular."
"And you created the maidens?" Yuma asked. "Why?"
"To provide more weapons in the fight against Salem. Many eons ago I did. I divided my own power such that the maidens could help keep the relics safe and could wage war against Salem and her forces. It hasn't always worked out that way. There were times when she instead acquired the maiden's powers. My powers. You women are surprisingly well informed. Cloud must have told you nearly everything already."
"He told us a lot, yes." Pine agreed. "But we can't help but wonder if we are being told everything."
"Such as?" Oscar raised an eyebrow.
"Well what are the maiden powers really?" Pine pressed. "Cloud said he didn't know really what they were."
"Did he? Well, I suppose I can't be too surprised. Cloud hasn't seen any of the current maidens in action. Flight seems to be a common power across all the maidens of this generation and edging into the last generation as well. Energy manipulation, the ability to control the wind. Imagine if you had a large supply of dust at your disposal. Ever at your finger tips this energy is ready to burst forth. That seems to be the way the current seasons rhyme with one another. Sometimes the power manifests as super strength or speed. Much like Cloud's powers. That doesn't seem to be the case with this generation of maidens."
"That's all there is to it?" Rosé asked.
"Certainly not. There's a great deal of training and temperance which must follow a maiden's footsteps," Oscar explained. "The temptation to give into the forces of evil is great at all times. And the maidens are most vulnerable. Did Cloud suggest on your way here that you take an armed escort with you wherever you may go?"
"I hadn't yet," I said. The ladies shook their heads and shot me a glance.
"Well regardless of whether you join the military or not we suggest that you take an escort. Maidens have been attacked within the city before. We would be foolish to not consider the possibility of such a thing happening again."
"I'll take the escort. If you're so sure that it's a good idea," Rosé decided.
"It is. We are. When Weiss first took the maiden's powers she had an escort everywhere she went. It's just a precaution but one that could save your life."
"I've arranged for rooms for you all in the academy," Ironwood proclaimed. "You should be safe within these walls. I would still suggest a healthy level of paranoia."
"Because when Salem finds out she'll come for me?" Rosé nodded. "I understand I think."
"Its difficult to really understand the tools our enemy possesses at least until you encounter them yourself," Oscar tapped his cane against the ground twice with his words.
"He's right. My sisters aren't jokes. And she has other people working for her now. There are always those willing to sell out their fellow Cetra in exchange for power or information. Salem has power and information in spades," I clarified.
"How were you born? Cloud?" Yuma asked.
"I was… I was grown in a vat near Wutai. In my father's lab out there. I wasn't really born. I didn't have a birth."
"That's so sad. When do you celebrate your birthday?" Yuma pressed.
"Beacon initiation day. The day I first remember waking up for the first time," I answered.
"We'll have to think about joining the military. I'd like to meet the other maidens up here and get to know them a little more first," Pine brought the subject back around.
"Understandable," Ironwood agreed. "And of course I can't promise that if you join your stay will be pleasant. But there are more tools and support I can offer you should you join up. A place to be in command. Support of the official military. Secrets I can't otherwise share which concern Atlas and Mantle's well being. That sort of thing."
"We'll consider it carefully," Peach agreed. "But I don't know about the rest of you but I am exhausted."
"Hear hear," Yuma agreed.
"We'd like to adjourn to our rooms. My guards can meet us there if that's convenient," Rosé elegantly decided.
"We'll see to it. Come, follow me." Ironwood stood. He led the way down to the elevators and presumably to Team RYPP's new rooms.
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-WG