Transcript 1: Going too far?
"It's the weekennnnnnnnddd!"
Gale pranced around the room with arms held high, making little circles around Nero. Her loose grey ponytail bobbed up and down and hairs spilled in her face until she stopped, coughing and blowing the loose strands out of her mouth.
"A long weekend" noted an unusually upbeat Lina. "The Peace Treaty Holiday falls on the beginning of our eighth week, so we have an extra day to relax! I need some more books, so why don't we go into Vale and make a day of it? It's not like we have any classes tomorrow to prepare for."
Nero scratched the gold stubble spread sparsely over his chin as Lina looked towards the dishevelled stack of novels and textbooks beside her bed. The superior sense of organisation she prided herself in at the beginning of the semester had long since disappeared, and if anything, it was worse than the boys' side.
"I'm game," said Nero after a short pause. "Jasper?"
"Sounds good! We might be able to grab some more dust crystals for our weapons as well. The school provides most of it, but not if SOME people are bent on infinite target practise." Lina scowled up at Jasper, and aimed a half-hearted kick at his knee, only managing to graze his shins.
"Or if you use Pound Zero to make a giant ice slide from your window. We nearly lost points for that stunt, you know."
"And it still would have been worth it!" huffed a smug Gale. She had volunteered to test out the slide, and although it had broken and dumped her two stories down in front of a less than amused Professor Goodwitch, she still considered the endeavour a success.
Jasper stood up. "Alright guys, we'll head out in a few hours. We should be able to grab some lunch while we are there. I'll see if Team MAJE or Team CFVY want to come with."
The group had become good friends with the members of Team MAJE following the Jewel incident, and had spent a lot of time with her and the rest of her team following her recovery. Team CFVY were as popular as anyone could hope to be and were highly sought after, but they had arguably spent more time with JNGL than most due to Lina's link with Coco. It still amazed Jasper how well the two got along off the battlefield, compared to how they seemed to want to rip each other's throat out when weapons were drawn.
But while the students were working out how to make the most of their time off, high up in Beacon Tower, planning of a much more serious kind was underway.
"We have to do it soon, Glynda."
"Students will ask questions if we are seen next to a hospital bed being wheeled through the dorms."
"Nearly all the students are out enjoying themselves or catching up somewhere else around the school. Most of the ones still here are third and fourth year students studying for their siege scenario presentation. They aren't likely to come out of their rooms for anything."
"But there's still a chance we might be seen, Ozpin! We can't explain away something like that."
"Guys."
A hoarse whisper reached them from across the room, albeit barely. In the corner of the medical centre, half hidden by a thin purple curtain, lay the broken body of the Fall Maiden. Her eyes opened to barely more than a slit as she turned her face them, and her fingers clutched weakly at the blue hospital quilt covering the bed.
Glynda's furrowed brow melted away into a puddle of sympathy and concern, and she walked over and put a hand in Amber's own.
"Don't force yourself, Amber. You need to save your strength for what is to come later."
"Why?"
Every word out of Ambers mouth was a battle, and she sucked in a whistling breath before opening her eyes completely, looking straight into the face of the tall huntress.
"You know I'm not getting stronger. I'm not… recovering from this. Salem is just waiting to finish me off, and won't expect us to risk something like this."
She turned over and coughed a racking, dry cough, a yellow flash overing her body as her aura threatened to break.
"That girl took away more than just my… my power. It burns. Deep inside. Like my life itself has been sucked out. We can't… wait. Because I might not be able to."
The room fell deadly quiet, only broken by the sound of the gears in the tower above their heads. Professor Goodwitch looked over to the headmaster, with hands interlaced and resting on his chin, looking as if he was carved out of stone. Finally, he spoke.
"I'm sorry, Amber. I truly am."
He looked up at the figure resting on the bed, but she was turned away from him. Perhaps it was for the best. It meant she couldn't see the pain in his eyes. An unimaginable depth of pain, pain that no one could understand, and he hoped no one ever would.
"Let's get to work."
Transcript 2: Three's a crowd
"Maizy and the others are already in town, she said they'll meet us at Tukson's Book Trade."
"That's great, Jasper! I convinced team CFVY to come along as well. Coco was reluctant, but I told her we could go shopping together and all of a sudden she changed her mind. I know her weaknesses too well." Lina twitched the white tip of her fox tail as if to emphasise the superior look on her face.
The group watched as a slow whooshing sound came from above and a Vale airbus descended towards the stop at the edge of the school. Team CFVY hurried onto the platform as it landed, and both teams greeted each other as they stepped on and lifted off. Except for Nero, couldn't help looking back as they descended and watched Beacon Tower disappear behind the clifftop.
"It looks so different to the way it did before. It seems smaller somehow when you are used to it being there. Not as big and unknown as when you first arrive."
Velvet came up and looked through the rear window beside him. "Everything is when you don't know anything about it. I was afraid of Yatsu not liking me when I first met him in the Emerald Forest, and I hate myself for it, because I can't imagine him any other way than how I know him now. Sometimes your first judgement is wrong."
Those words pricked something deep inside Nero. He had certainly judged prematurely how he would be viewed at Beacon, how he would be accepted as a Vacuan. Just as how he had judged wrongly about how the Vacuans themselves would treat him. They had their preconceived ideas about outsiders, but to his surprise he had found most of that had vanished once they realised he wanted to be more like them and less like what he had come from. Perhaps he should be less worried about how others felt about him.
But then again, how could he be sure his family would receive him the same way, having up and left for Vacuo the way he did?
The airbus ignored Nero's ponderings and continued to move towards Vale, arriving at the first stop within minutes. After waiting a few more, they got off at Green St Station, where Team MAJE was waiting for them.
"I thought you were going to meet us at the bookstore?" said Gale.
Ember Swanfeather rolled her eyes. "It's literally two blocks from here. Did you expect us to sit outside the doors and watch you all the way from the station?"
The group of twelve first-years made for quite an interesting procession as they wandered into the bookstore, with twelve sets of weapons on their person.
"Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun" greeted a tall, broad-chested man with magnificent sideburns. "How can I help you?"
"Looking for some more reading material between study" replied a confident Lina. "Have you got the new Scarlett Frost novel in yet?"
"Of course! It just arrived in the new shipment a few days ago."
Jasper tried to ignore the irony of the two statements, rationalising that new books didn't necessarily contradict "every book under the sun" if they had just been printed. He walked up the third aisle with the tall Hunter and Yatsuhashi by his side, into the "fantasy" area of the fiction section.
"This one says it's about a man with two souls" commented Hunter, holding one with a rich brown cover. "Sounds like a lot of pointless arguing to me."
"That would be hard to live with" said Yatsuhashi. "It takes long enough to learn to control one as it is. I'm glad it's in the fiction section."
Eventually, Lina, or rather a stack of books carrying Lina along with it – made its way over to the counter.
"I thought that stack would fall and bury you alive, Lina" said an amused Jewel. "It's taller than Yatsu, and twice as high as you!"
Tukson heard that remark and leaned in, extending his claws discreetly in front of Lina. "They aren't bothering you, are they?" he said in a low voice.
Lina flicked her tail. "No, no, they are fine. They tease me, but never about my tail and never because I'm a faunus." She looked over to the group, where Gale was using her semblance, Moonwalk, to hold a confused Yatsuhashi and Hunter above her head as the others laughed. "They are a bit crazy, especially her, but they are good friends to me." Satisfied, Tukson scanned her books and began piling them into a large red bag.
Yatsuhashi, the gentle giant that he was, offered to carry the bag as they left the shop, and hoisted it over his right shoulder like a massive sack.
"Never took you for a Santa Claus" Fox sent to his teammates after his earpiece informed him of Yatsuhashi's appearance. Coco snorted and Velvet supressed a giggle, which faintly surprised Nero and Jasper, who saw nothing noteworthy of amusement, and were unaware of the secret conversations held between Team CFVY. The others didn't notice, as Gale was busy catching up with Team MAJE's activities over the past week.
"So after my scroll dried out I brought it into town to be repaired just before you guys got here" said Maizy Storm, gesturing to the now empty pouch on her belt. "Going to cost me a fortune." She looked up and flashed her pearly white teeth in Coco's direction. "Though not as much as you're about to spend when we get to Briggs & Celeste. Bet your bag will be even bigger than Lina's."
Coco sniffed, pushed back her very expensive sunglasses and pretended she hadn't heard.
The hospital bed containing Amber now looked more like a cot than a bed, with pillows piled high on either side to stop her moving as it was wheeled out of the medical centre.
"Let us know if you are uncomfortable at any point during the trip, or if you don't want to go through with this."
Amber gave a faint nod in Professor Goodwitch's direction, but remained silent.
"Let's see," said Ozpin. "We cross the courtyard by the lecture halls, through the dorms and into the tower elevator."
"Shouldn't we avoid the dorms? That's where most of the remaining students will currently be."
"We have already discussed this, Glynda. The trip will be shorter, cutting down travel time for Amber and it is much easier to be seen out in the open. If we run into a problem in the dorms we will more likely be able to deal with it than through the courtyard."
Tension burned in the air, and not just from the disagreement on how to go about the transfer. This process had to go exactly right, or the consequences would be disastrous. Word would get out about a mystery girl, who was seemingly kidnapped from the hospital in dire medical condition, by the headmaster and a senior professor, no less. People would want to know what was so important about this girl laying in a hospital bed, a question which must not be answered. Consequences which could affect the fate of humanity. But the consequences from doing nothing at all were even more dangerous, and so they wheeled the important patient out of the doors into the potential scrutiny of any passer-by.
Thankfully, as Ozpin had predicted, no one was there. The two professors hurried as fast as they dared, the wheels of the bed making a deafening racket as they crossed the cobblestones to the side of the lecture building. Carefully keeping to the shadows, they crept around the edge of the building and then cut across to the entrance of the dorms.
Progress slowed significantly as the three entered the danger zone. Despite the carpeted floor, any small course adjustments resulted in metallic rattling and bumping from the bedframe, and although much quieter, the wheels still squeaked persistently as they tiptoed past the first few doors of the lower level. Four more doors, and they were around the first corner, heading past the restrooms. Glynda and Ozpin held their breath as they heard shuffling movements inside, and then a loud whine of a hairdryer, which gave them enough cover to sneak around the second corner unheard.
The third and last straight was shorter than the others and only had four doors in total, but just as the professors dared to let out a sigh of relief it was cut short by the sound of a deadlock being opened behind the very last door.
"What do we do?" whispered Glynda Goodwitch. "We can't go back, that person in the restroom will be out any second."
"I don't know, I don't know."
"Can't you use your magic to make us invisible or…"
She got no further, for with a creak and a groan, the doorknob in front of them began to turn. Desperately, Glynda whipped out her crop, and enveloped the knob in a purple glyph, holding it closed using her telekinesis. The door bulged slightly with a loud bang, followed by muttered cursing from the student inside who had run into the door, having expected it to open.
"What's happening?" came a female voice from inside the room.
"Door's jammed. I'm trying to get it open, but it won't budge."
More muffled shoving and twisting could be heard from inside, and the frame continued to buckle under the force of the angry student.
"Go, go!" hissed Professor Ozpin. The bed lurched forwards, wheels creaking faster and faster as they sped out the exit. All caution was gone now and all that remained was to get out of sight as quickly as possible before the door was broken down or anyone else arrived to see what the commotion was about. They raced through the short distance between the dorms and Beacon Tower, smashing through the entrance and sending the twin doors flying back on their hinges. Glynda lost sight of the dorms, and thirty metres away a tall young man with black hair burst into the hallway and looked around in confusion.
But her semblance was no longer needed. If Glynda couldn't see the door, the fourth-year student couldn't see them, and the elevator was just coming into sight in front of them. As Ozpin called the elevator from the top of the tower, there was a sickening silence where they realised anybody and everybody who entered the tower would see them while they waited.
Ten seconds. Twenty.
At last, with a soft, friendly chime, indifferent to their recent anguish, the elevator opened. The most beautiful sight in the world. Guaranteed secrecy. Glynda checked on a panting and sore but stable Amber as they crossed the threshold into the elevator.
"That was too close" admitted Ozpin. "We were lucky to get away with this."
He turned his gaze to escape her glare and tapped his card on the ID scanner. Instantly, the elevator began to move downwards below ground floor, slowly at first but with increasing rapidity, before finally decelerating and opening its doors to a huge dimly lit expanse. Ozpin looked out at the maze of passageways, covered in a ghostly green hue.
The vault.
Transcript 3: Running it close
Jewel Blackmore shared a quick smile with her team leader, whose suspicion about Coco's buying habits had been proven correct.
"Don't. Say. A word." Coco repeated for the fourth time as they walked out of Briggs & Celeste. Behind her, Yatsuhashi now held matching bags, a red one over his right shoulder containing Lina's books, and a new brown bag over the other, containing an assortment of boots, belts and fur-lined jackets.
The temptation was too great for Lina, who couldn't help getting one over her long-time rival.
"Wow Coco, with the amount of time you spend trying on new outfits, I'm surprised you found enough time to go to combat school!"
"Shut up, flower girl, at least I designed my own weapon! I'm shocked you managed to pass off AutoBeat as your own work seeing how much you copied mine!" She knew Lina hated her attachment to her last name but had long since learned to walk the fine line between jesting with her and direct insults.
"Hey! Our guns are nothing alike. Gianduja barely works anyway, it shoots so slow it shouldn't even be called a Gatling gun!"
The banter continued all the way to the centre of the city and didn't stop as they approached the food court. Just like old times back at Pharos, thought Velvet. However, what they encountered next, or rather who, brought an immediate end to the conversation.
'Why hello students!"
Dr Oobleck stood before them, having just left the food court, clutching a steaming Styrofoam cup. He brought it to his lips periodically, taking quick and somewhat jerky sips.
"Dr Oobleck!" exclaimed Nero. "What brings you out here today?"
"Shopping, my good man!" replied the Doctor, gesturing to the backpack behind him. "Teachers do have a life outside school, you know. My groceries aren't going to buy themselves!"
The group smiled awkwardly, before Nero spoke again.
"We're out enjoying ourselves, making the most of our long weekend."
"Good, good, as you should! Just make sure you don't forget about the assignment due this Thursday on Mistralian dust mining in northern Vacuo!" Dr Oobleck took yet another sip before continuing. "Well, good to bump into you! I'd best be off now. See you all Tuesday morning!"
He sped off, a green and white blur more than anything else, the resulting gust of wind rustling their hair and blowing Lina's dress.
"I swear that man runs on coffee" said Jasper. "Does he even eat?"
"It's a mystery, for sure" said Fox. "He's so fast."
"Is that his semblance?"
"I'm not sure, but I'm willing to bet it's coffee powered somehow."
"Dr Oobleck always volunteers for the supervised missions in semester two" put in Hunter Anstone. "Whichever team ends up shadowing him might be able to tell us if none of us get him."
The twelve filed into the café at the front of the food precinct like a giant centipede, and waited in line to order their meal. Something was ticking away at the edge of Jasper's mind, a thought which was nagging at his detail-oriented mind, but couldn't quite be placed. Then suddenly, he had it.
"Did anyone realise that he had his thermos on his hip, AND a coffee cup?"
"One final time, are you sure you are willing to go through with this?"
Amber had managed to work herself into a sitting position, with Glynda Goodwitch's help and the support of the pillows around her.
"Y… Yes" she rasped.
"Thank you Amber."
The pale, ghostly green light around them began to grow brighter as the bed was wheeled closer and closer to the huge arch. The doors finally lit up and fully illuminated the dreary surroundings, casting brilliant lines and patterns around the entrance. The three caught their breath as they took in the true beauty and magnificence of the vault of the Fall Maiden, even Ozpin, who had seen this multiple times before. It was a literally magical sight.
"It's time."
Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch turned the bed sideways so Amber sat alongside the massive doors. For a long moment she looked up at them, taking them in with unwavering eyes despite her pain. Pure, innocent eyes, thought Ozpin. He wished he could say the same for himself. At last, she closed them and stretched out her hand towards the cold surface beside her, as if both resigned to her fate, and yet content she had looked upon such beauty, should it be the last thing she should ever see.
Which turned out to be a scarily accurate representation of what was to come.
The moment Amber's hand touched the doors, nothing seemed to happen. No jolt of her power being released, no movement from the door.
Then a low rumbling began as the intricate mechanical and magical workings of the vault began to turn, opening slowly, gradually… and then more slowly… and then a piercing wail fell from Amber's lips as her body began convulsing, orange flames burning from her eyes and a persistent golden-orange glow flooded over her body. The door stood in stasis, rumbling deafeningly, refusing to open any further but locked in a state of partial opening.
"Something's happening! The magic senses that something is wrong!" cried Professor Goodwitch to Ozpin.
"It's not recognising her as a full Maiden! The vault is searching for the remaining magic, and Amber doesn't have it! It's trying to take her life force as a substitute, but it still isn't working!"
"Help me! Help!" sobbed a terrified Amber, damaged and in agony.
"It's your magic originally!" roared Professor Goodwitch over the din. "Can't you do something to help her?"
"I don't know! I can't hold maiden powers since I'm not female! I can't break the rules of my own magic!"
"You can only try!"
The headmaster rushed over to beside the struggling Amber, and placed both hands on the quaking doors. It took all of his willpower to block out the agony of his friend, and concentrated on preparing what remained of his once significant magic. He thought of the old Amber, before the attack, of the other maidens before her. The original maiden, Fall, after whom all future descendants of the title had been named. Her pure soul and how she had taught him to be thankful for what he had, which along with her sisters had helped bring such momentous change to an old wizard's heart.
The quaking increased, raining bits of debris all around them, and the doors opened just a fraction more, but it was enough. A crack of light spilled through, and just a few metres beyond lay the prize.
The Crown of Choice.
"Glynda! The relic! This place won't hold much longer unless we act now!"
A look of pure concern and yet pure concentration masked the huntress's face as she whipped out her crop and pointed it towards the slim opening. The crown sparkled slightly, then gently floated towards her. Bits of stone gravel and chunks of concrete fell like hail, beating her knuckles and catching in her hair, but Glynda was resolute, and did not falter until the relic drifted through the opening and was grasped in her waiting hands.
"I have it! We need to leave NOW!"
An exhausted Ozpin let go and put his hands instead on the left side of Amber's hospital bed, pulling it away from the door.
"Watch out for Amber!" yelled Glynda.
Too late. A semi-conscious and utterly destroyed Amber fell back, landing heavily back on the mattress. The whites of her eyes showed and her lips moved noiselessly as the two senior professors raced the bed back towards the elevator, dodging the worst of the fallen rubble. The entrance of the vault ground shut behind them, and the thundering rumble slowly began to subside. They could still hear it dimly as the elevator doors closed behind them, and the journey to the surface began.
"All of Vale would have noticed that shaking" realised a dismayed Ozpin. "We can't take Amber back to the medical centre, she'll have to stay in the tower with us."
"But how long can we do that?" breathed a worried Glynda Goodwitch. "Will she survive?"
"We'll just have to hope she can hold on for a while. She's badly hurt, much worse than after her original attack. She needs the finest medical equipment Remnant can provide."
"But who can give her that? We are in Beacon Tower, not a specialist hospital."
"Atlas. I'm calling General Ironwood."