Violet woke up feeling refreshed, if still a little sobered by the events that had transpired so recently, 'Qrow and Ozpin officially hate me…' Even if it wasn't 'Violet' that had drawn their ire, she couldn't help but feel depressed that she had to lie to them as she had. Playing herself off as a nonchalant deity that strung their lives along on a whim alone had been essential. There was very little chance of a connection being made between both versions of her, now.
The secret goddess and team leader stewed over her possible next steps whilst standing in the shower, letting the hot water pound against her back in an attempt at relieving the tension in her muscles, 'Should I just put an end to it all? I could stop all the worst conflicts in an instant… then try to enjoy my time in Beacon…'
It would be simple enough to adopt her true persona once more, stop by Salem's castle and lay waste to both her, and her lieutenants. Tyrian, Hazel, Watts, Cinder… She could end the entire war with a snap of her fingers…
That felt like too far of an overcorrection, though. If she had been dreading the trip to Forever Fall because the possibility of a little bullying was absent, then how would she feel in a year's worth of peace? 'I still need excitement.' Every conversation she could possibly have would be a repeat, no matter what context it was in. Love, hate, spite, scorn, friendships and enemies. The only thing that tended to keep her entertained was conflict.
'What does that say about me?' Violet laughed to herself, the sound masked by the shower, 'It's only natural. There are so many more variations possible in a fight. Meanwhile, conversations always boil down to people trying to get across the same basic few emotions.'
Still, something needed to change. Putting herself in danger was fine, but the others? 'I won't have a repeat of my other lives. I'll learn from my mistakes, like Blake suggested,' Violet smirked at the idea of having to accept advice from someone she had created, 'Even God isn't perfect, eh?'
Oh, the amount of despair that admission would cause on more than one world. Violet sighed and turned the shower off, stepping out to grab her towel off the rack. Violet could remember a time, long ago, when she was 'perfect'. Unfortunately, that ran hand in hand with boredom, a fact that took her too long to figure out. 'I still had my omniscience back then.' That had been the worst of it. Nothing had been surprising, since she had known everything. These days she only tapped into it while creating new worlds in order to properly set them up. Anything beyond that ruined the experience.
There were a few light knocks on the door, followed by Blake's voice whispering through it, "Are you almost done? Sorry for the rush, but I didn't get the chance to shower last night after everything…"
Violet quickly wrapped herself up in the towel and unlocked the door, giving an equally quiet "Come on in," before heading back over to the counter and getting started on her hair.
Blake stepped into the room uncertainly, her gaze darting to Violet's barely covered form and away in short bursts, her eyes fighting to not stare, "Are you going to, um… stay in here?"
"Plenty of space, right?" Violet quirked an eyebrow, then smirked, suddenly understanding. 'Honestly, they're always so modest.'
"Uhhhmm…" Blake gulped and seemed caught between her desire to leave, and the necessity for cleanliness.
Violet held up a hand and chuckled, "Just messing with you, kitty." She gathered up her things, bundling them in her arms, and brushed past Blake on the way out. The girl went rigid at her touch. Violet was about to tease her again when the door slammed shut with more force than was necessary.
The goddess let out a short giggle and moved over to her dresser, picking out a few matching items before dropping the towel to slip them on. She dressed with comfort in mind, ready to continue contrasting herself with her real persona. Undoubtedly, either she or her entire team would be called to Ozpin's office soon enough. It was the primary reason she had sought to freshen up so much earlier than usual.
Now standing in a pair of semi-tight fitting black shorts that cut off a few inches above her knee, and a purple tank top, Violet's eyes settled on the other two members of her team. They both seemed so peaceful, despite everything that happened. Violet almost envied the simplicities of their struggles. Yang, with her search for her mother, and Ruby, with her desire to help others.
'I wonder if I could divert some of the inevitable attention if I help her unlock her silver eyes sooner…' It was a thought, at least. With them unlocked, she would be a much more capable fighter during all the events yet to come. Violet crossed her arms and tilted her head in thought, 'That might draw undue attention from Cinder and her cronies, though. I'd never forgive myself if I did something like that to help myself and she ended up with a knife in the back…'
Yang was stirring awake, her golden hair shifting slightly as she brushed it out of her face. A pair of lavender eyes blearily opened, blinking in the sunlight streaming in through the curtains.
"Good morning, sunshine," Violet announced quietly, sitting down at her desk to pull on a pair of socks and shoes, "I'm going down for an early breakfast. Want me to bring you back anything?"
Yang frowned in confusion, "You seem awfully chipper this morning…"
"And why shouldn't I be?" Violet's mind went back to Blake's earlier embarrassment and she decided to start the day off right; with a bit of friendly teasing, "I get to sleep with three cute girls every night."
"Well, you didn't buy me dinner first, so I guess breakfast in bed will have to do," Yang smirked, crawling out of bed and glancing towards the bathroom as the sounds of the shower finally started up. The blond sighed, her hopes for a quick shower immediately dashed, "You know for a cat, Blake certainly takes long showers."
"That's racist," Violet shook her head, giving Yang a smirk that showed she wasn't really accusing her of anything, "Besides, that's how I like 'em."
Yang looked confused, "What? You like wet cats?"
"Something like that~"
The blond finally caught on to the implication and immediately went bright red, her eyes widening in shock. Her mouth opened and closed slowly, incapable of forming words. Violet was forced to hold a hand over her own mouth to stifle the laughter threatening to bubble forth. She didn't want to disturb Ruby if she didn't have to.
Violet crossed the short distance to put a hand on the dumbstruck blond's shoulder, "I'm kidding, Yang. You're all like…" the goddess paused, 'I can't really say they're like children…'
"You're... like family. I wouldn't do anything that might threaten that. You have my word," Violet searched the blond's eyes, and was relieved when she gave a firm nod, "Now. What do you want for breakfast? I'm going to stack a tray full and bring it up for all of us, so make your requests now."
"Bacon and waffles," Yang sighed, sitting back on her bed and slumping down to rest a bit more.
"The breakfast of champions, got it," Violet replied, walking to the door and silently leaving to head down to the cafeteria. It was a short enough walk, especially with no other students yet awake to get in her way or to stop and chat with.
Violet stepped out into the brisk early morning air, a light mist still hanging overtop the grass and pathway that led to her destination. A light wind swept across the courtyard, chilling her to the bone in the short span to the large double doors. Violet pressed them open, hands raising to rub the goosebumps that had formed on her shoulders.
The young leader paused, noticing another occupant. Qrow sat at one of the benches, slumped against the table with his head in his hands, a tray of food sitting untouched in front of him. The man's flask was on the table next to him, apparently empty since it was knocked over but showed no signs of leakage.
Violet's stomach churned with self-loathing. Even if what she had done had been necessary, that didn't help her guilt. With a firm nod to herself, Violet crossed the room. She stopped a few feet away from Qrow, allowing a moment's hesitation before clearing her throat, "Are you okay?"
The drunk older huntsman didn't bother looking in her direction. In fact he barely reacted at all, simply choosing to wave his hand in a shooing motion to get her to go away. Gesture complete, Qrow returned his hand to where it had been before, barely supporting his head off the table.
"I don't think your nieces would like seeing you this way," Violet threatened idly, sitting down next to him on the bench. She leaned forward, placing her own head against her hand as she angled to look at him.
Qrow grunted and cracked a bloodshot eye, getting a squinted look at Violet, "Oh… it's you…"
"Oh... it's me," Violet mimicked back, "Qrow, wasn't it? I remember you a bit from the end of the… adventure on Patch. Ruby talks about you too. I might not have recognized you otherwise, especially considering the state you're in." Violet gave him a pitying look, "I don't know what's got you in the dumps, but…" her eyes searched the distant tables, spotting her quarry, "Want some coffee?"
Qrow's response was a noncommittal sigh, followed by a groan as he rubbed a hand across his temple.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Violet replied, hopping up to head over to the breakfast tables. Thankfully, a fresh pot of coffee was nearly finished, giving her no issues as she poured a rather large mug full of it before heading back to Qrow. Violet placed the steaming liquid down in front of him, "Careful, it's hot."
"Obviously," Qrow grumbled, slowly fumbling for some cream and sugar. After only a moderate addition of both, Violet's suspicions that Ruby got her love of sweets from Summer had been all but confirmed.
"Well, I need to grab breakfast for my team, soooo… see ya later?"
One crimson red eye swivelled to Violet, and after a few seconds some of the tension left the huntsman's shoulders, "Thanks, kid."
"It's just coffee."
"I wasn't talking about the coffee."
"Oh… right," Violet rubbed the back of her neck, "That isn't necessary. I'm just glad they're okay."
The barest hint of a smile tugged at Qrow's lip, "You know, I said something pretty similar when your parents came to get you in Patch."
"Huh, maybe I learned that from you," Violet shrugged, "Nice to meet you again, Qrow."
"See you soon, kid."
With her tray piled high with bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, waffles, pancakes, and a bowl of various fruits, Violet returned back to the dorm hastily. It was starting to get a bit later in the morning, and already the first few students were beginning to stream into the cafeteria, even more so in the corridors. Violet used her semblance to lighten the tray and hold it one handed while she reached into her pocket and withdrew her scroll to unlock the dorm door.
Apparently, Violet had taken longer than she realized. Blake and Yang had both already finished their showers, and Ruby was just then stepping out of the bathroom as well, a gust of steam riding her heels. Blake averted her eyes from Violet at first, her cheeks reddening slightly. Violet didn't miss the way her shoulders were slumped or how her ears mirrored them, laying limply down in obvious dejection. Blake and Yang had obviously been in the middle of some sort of conversation.
"Sorry that took so long," Violet gave Blake a confused glance, then transferred it into a questioning look to Yang. The girl shook her head, though, refusing to answer.
Violet set the tray down on one of the desks and laid out the extra plates she had snagged, "Eat up. I might just be paranoid, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Headmaster is going to want to talk to all of us about our little fight down at the docks."
"You think he knows?" Ruby gasped in horror, eyes darting around the room to the other two that appeared as equally shocked.
"Well, duh. Do you think the police wouldn't report something like that to him immediately?"
Yang grumbled, holding her stomach, "I'm suddenly not feeling very hungry…" Her eyes stared in panic at Violet, "Do you think we'll be expelled?"
Violet couldn't help but laugh, 'You lot, expelled over something like this?' She managed to calm down enough to actually speak, "Not a chance. Seriously, don't even consider it."
"How can you be so sure?" Blake spoke up from her top bunk, eyes even wider than Yang's.
"Trust me, alright? Ozpin wouldn't dare throw any of you out. You're all some of the most promising young huntresses of our entire generation. He'd be crazy if the idea even crossed his mind."
"I guess that's true…" Yang replied lightly, standing up from her bed to move across towards the desk, "You're sure?" Her hand hesitated over one of the plates, waiting for Violet's confirmation.
The young leader grabbed a piece of bacon and bit it in half in a gesture of confidence, "Cross my heart."
Yang nodded and started filling up a plate, followed by Blake who hopped down off her bed. She still seemed hesitant to meet Violet's gaze, 'Maybe my joke this morning offended her. She might already like Yang, or maybe it's just too soon after Adam still… I'll back off.'
Violet made sure to give Blake a bit more space as the reserved cat faunus grabbed mostly fruit for her own plate. Ruby finished dressing and snagged up a bit of everything, followed by the pair of cookies that Violet uncovered, saving them just for her. Violet grabbed some things for herself last and sat down on her bed, next to the red reaper that had chosen that spot as well instead of tempting fate by climbing up into her own bunk with a plate full of food.
The team peacefully sat and ate their breakfast, each mulling over their own individual thoughts. Blake continued to avoid Violet's gaze, and Yang still didn't seem entirely reassured. Surprisingly, aside from herself, Ruby seemed the most self-assured. Finishing up, Violet patted her stomach with a sigh and set the plate down on top of the bookshelf nearby before leaning back and resting her arms behind her head.
Ruby had already finished as well, and was now fidgeting next to her. Even with her eyes closed, Violet could feel the bed shifting around as the girl shuffled nervously from side to side. Violet huffed, "It's hard to get a little extra rest when you're bouncing around like that, Little Red. What's up?"
"Umm, well… Blake said that you were able to control your power more easily last night… Can you show us?" Ruby stumbled over her words, apparently nervous that her request would be rejected due to her leader's previous stance on 'testing out' her abilities.
"Yeah, that's fine." Violet sat up and looked around the room, incapable of singling anything out to really show off with. She shrugged and moved the plate from the top of the bookshelf to the floor. All eyes were on both her and the plate between her feet as she held her hand out and summoned a foot tall purple crystal of ice.
"Wow…" Yang lowered herself off her bed and crouched down next to the small spire of ice. She glanced up to stare at Violet, "Do you feel any different?"
Violet shook her head, "No, not really. It feels kind of natural, actually. Like I could have been doing this all along."
'Not far from the truth.'
Ruby was leaning forward past Violet, one hand against her thigh to look over at the spectacle, "What about fire?"
Violet gestured for Yang to back off before igniting the small tower of ice in purple flames. The ice cracked and popped under the heat, already pooling into a steaming puddle of purple liquid that quickly dissipated into nothingness, leaving the plate cleaner than it had been before.
"Looks like I'll make an excellent dishwasher. I'm sorry girls, but I've found my true calling."
"Have you tried anything else yet?" Blake piped up, sitting at a high enough angle on her bunk across the way to see over Yang.
'The only other powers I've seen used are lightning and wind, neither of which would be the safest thing in the world to try and use in a small room…'
Violet shrugged, "Nothing yet. I'm hoping the Headmaster might be able to offer a little guidance. Who knows, maybe there's other people like me out there, and we just don't know about them?"
"I've never heard of any," Ruby's face was thoughtful, likely racking her brain for any comics that fit the description.
The team leader's scroll buzzed. She sighed as she lifted it up to read the message, "Oh," it wasn't from Ozpin.
"What's up?" Ruby asked, noticing the hint of surprise in Violet's voice.
She shook her head, "Nothing, really. Just not what I was expecting. It's an email from the SDC, apologizing that the shipment was 'regretfully lost' and promising the order will be filled by next weekend."
Yang snorted, "Do you think they'll find out it was us?"
"I doubt it. The headmaster will probably keep this all under wraps," Violet put her scroll away and stretched, "Either way, I need those cells. I'm down to one shot."
'On second thought, now that the cat's out of the bag… I could try powering it myself with my 'maiden' powers…' Doing away with the dust cells completely would free up such a large constraint, 'And make my parents' accountants happy.'
"When do you think the Headmaster is going to call on us?" Ruby asked from next to her, eyes on the door that led out into the hall.
Violet's response was interrupted by a firm knock on the door, causing her to change what she had been about to say and instead hopped up with a smirk. The adventurous leader was already opening the door before any of the others had overcome their panic. Violet's view of the hallway was blocked by Glynda's chest, as the familiar and strict professor had leaned forward and was already preparing to knock once more.
"Hey, Ms. Goodwitch! What brings you to our neck of the woods?"
The older woman stepped back, hand retreating to her clipboard as a pair of piercing green eyes looked over the young leader of team Vibrant, "The headmaster is requesting your presence in his office," her eyes lifted above Violet's head to the rest of the room, "That goes for all of you."
The other members of her team shared a few looks before slowly rising and filing out behind Violet, all led by Ms. Goodwitch as she marched them outside and to the tower, where Ozpin's office resided. The early morning mist had dissipated, leaving on a slight chill in the air as the sun crept past the horizon.
Glynda led them on a direct path to the tower with little deviation. Soon enough, the group of five were inside the base and shuffling into the elevator. Before the professor had a chance to hold out her scroll, the elevator doors were already closing, announcing their destination as the headmaster's office.
Three sets of eyes continuously glanced her direction on the long ride up to the top of the tower, each girl looking for confirmation that they had nothing to worry about. Violet kept her expression resolute, and nodded once to each of them with a soft smile. Ruby seemed to be the least nervous of the three, 'She did have that interview with him before getting into Beacon. I guess the others just haven't interacted with Ozpin much yet.'
The doors dinged open, revealing the headmaster sitting by his desk, and a very tired looking Qrow a little behind and to his left left. Glynda stepped inside then took up her place on Ozpin's other side, each flanking him and giving him an air of importance. Qrow at least was better off than how she'd left him. He must have gotten a few more cups of coffee before heading here.
The two niece's eyes each darted to their uncle's, confusion clear across their faces. Qrow could only give a tired nod before Ozpin cleared his throat and leaned forward. The group of girls picked up the pace, stopping in front of his desk in a line while the headmaster eyed each of them in turn.
His gaze finally settled on Violet, "Did you happen to catch the news yesterday evening? There was a particularly interesting story, about a destroyed van, and a hole that had been blown through several buildings all in a single line. Do you have any recollection of such an event, Ms. Regalia?"
'Whoops. I'd forgotten about that entirely, compared to the docks.'
Violet rubbed the back of her head, "That was uh… yeah that was me."
Ozpin sat back and made a small motion with his hand, indicating that Violet should continue.
"We were scoping out dust shops to try and catch Roman Torchwick. Blake and the others put a stop to his theft, but he was escaping. I was a further distance away, in the path of his retreat. I uh… stopped his getaway van."
"And caused thousands of lien worth of property damage in the process," Qrow grunted, shaking his head.
"What were you thinking?" Glynda demanded, hand gripping the end of her riding crop tightly.
"I… wasn't?" Violet raised up her hands defensively, "I was caught up in the moment, with my mind only on my goal and not the potential collateral damage it might cause. It won't happen again."
"And yet it did," Ozpin gave her a disapproving frown, "Your firing of Zenith at the docks was the catalyst for the explosion that happened there. What have you to say for yourself?"
Violet's mind retreated to the events of the night prior, how her memories had come flooding unbidden to mind in the middle of the fight, throwing off her timing and allowing the pilot to attempt to avoid the shot.
"There were… extenuating circumstances. The minigun it was firing was too great a threat to leave unattended to."
"Could Ms. Rose have not fired off another ice dust round, blocking the pilot's view as she had done only moments before?"
"I was out! We only brought the three," Ruby piped up from Violet's left.
"I see…" Ozpin weaved his fingers together and stared at the group overtop his hands, giving each a considering look, "And what of Torchwick?"
"He vanished," Blake chipped in, barely able to meet the headmaster's gaze as it was leveled at her, "His hench-girl used some kind of teleport to get them out of there."
Ozpin nodded, "That confirms what we caught on video… However," The holographic screens came to life, depicting an image of the massive, coiling spire of purple ice that had surrounded and protected them, "What can you say of that?"
Each eye in the room eventually swivelled to stare at Violet, who sighed, 'He's trying to figure out how much I know.'
With a small wave of her hand, a short smattering of purple crystals appeared across the surface of Ozpin's desk, forming into a wide swath that covered part of his keyboard. "Oops, sorry," Violet let her cheeks redden slightly, feigning embarrassment. She had done it on purpose, of course. It wouldn't do to show too much skill with her 'maiden' powers so soon.
"Interesting," the headmaster idly poked at the crystals, "Ah, it is purple ice. That certainly clears up some confusion."
Violet ignited one of her fingers, allowing the amethyst colored flame to dance back and forth across them, "I can't consciously do much else with it yet, whatever it is… Do you know why I can do this?" Violet turned two curious eyes to Ozpin, letting the flame go out and the ice disappear.
The ancient man steepled his fingers and leaned back, crossing his leg, "Have you ever heard the story of the four maidens?"
Yang and Ruby both nodded, while Violet and Blake shook their heads 'no'. It wasn't a story that had ever been told to her in this life, even if she did already know it.
Ozpin cleared his throat, then began a retelling of the story, just as Violet recalled it. The old wizard out alone in the woods, the four maidens that visited him, his gratefulness for their efforts and resulting distribution of power.
"So, you're saying I'm one of these maidens?" Violet tilted her head, bangs falling loosely across the front of her face. She smiled and shook her head, "I wasn't alive that long ago, professor. Unless you're suggesting I'm like, two hundred years old."
"Certainly not. The tale of the maidens is true," Ozpin's eyes scanned the other girls in the room, a slight hesitation in his voice, "Ms. Regalia, do you… trust... your teammates?"
"With my life," Violet replied instantly, knowing exactly what Ozpin was getting at, 'They would never turn on me for power.'
After a moment, the older man nodded, "If that is the case, then I shall divulge the process of acquiring the maiden's powers to you all. It is important, as others have sought to steal this power for themselves." Ozpin paused for dramatic effect, "Through death, the powers are passed along. Whoever is in your final thoughts when you die will gain the maiden's power for themselves."
"So if I'm murdered…"
"It is very hard to avoid thinking about your attacker in your final moments," Ozpin finished for her, nodding, "On the other hand, if you die without anyone in your final thoughts, the power will be randomly assigned to another eligible maiden in the world."
Violet grinned at the others, "Here's your chance for unimaginable power, ladies. It sleeps in the same room as you every night."
Ruby gasped, "Don't even joke about that!"
"It would match my eye color…" Yang rubbed a hand against her chin and shot Violet a playful smile, "Hey, Rubes. Do you want to trade bunks?"
Ruby punched Yang, a weak hit that barely served to stagger the older sibling. Yang laughed and ruffled Ruby's hair, "I'm kidding, sis. We would never do anything like that, right Blake?"
"Of course not!" the black-haired faunus replied in mild shock, "Ruby's right. You shouldn't even joke about that, you two."
Violet smirked, "Hey, it's my life on the line."
"Still…" Ruby nervously poked her index fingers together, shooting Violet a worried frown.
Violet placed a comforting hand on the younger girl's shoulder and pulled her into a sideways hug, "Don't be silly, Little Red. I won't be dying any time soon."
Qrow coughed from where he stood, gathering their attention, "Actually, that's the other part we needed to talk about. It's happened in the past, and just recently, another one of the maidens was attacked. Part of her power was stolen." The grizzled huntsman stared them down, "If you value your life… Keep. This. A. Secret."
"That means no using your powers, aside from scheduled times when we will be present to observe," Glynda continued in a tone that brooked no arguments, "We will be taking time each week outside classes to accompany you into the Emerald Forest so that you may practice these new abilities. Aside from then, it is strictly forbidden."
Violet shook her head, "I won't use them if I can help it, but…" her eyes scanned across her teammate's faces, "If something else happens where its the difference between life and death, you 'forbidding' me won't mean jack."
"I would not have it any other way," Ozpin cut off Glynda's retort with a raised hand, "These powers are yours to do with as you please. We only seek to guide you as we have others in the past."
Violet nodded, "Fair enough. I'll take your lessons and try to avoid using my powers as best I can. I'm not exactly in a rush to get stabbed in the back," she tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Although I suppose they would have to do it from the front if they wanted the power."
"Can we please stop talking about people trying to kill you?" Ruby asked quietly. The subject was making her nauseous.
"As you wish, Ms. Rose. While Violet will have her own separate sessions to learn about her new abilities, we will also be moving up the rest of your training," his eyes stared at each of Violet's teammates in turn, "You will all need to be at your best in the future. Glynda has agreed to help you with tandem attacks after your regular combat classes. You all must learn to think as one."
Ruby brightened back up at that. Any chance to train with her team was an idea she could get behind. The rest nodded in acceptance. It was a little earlier than when regular students would start training together. Violet welcomed it, already thinking of attack names.
'I guess the Weiss themed attacks are out, but we still have Lady Bug and Bumblebee to start with… I'll have to ask Ruby for suggestions. It seemed like she was the brains behind the names in the show,' Violet was spacing out already, 'What about all the ones that involve me?' She had a lot of work to do, that was for sure. Her and the little reaper would be attached at the hip until they could agree on each variation.
Ozpin sighed, "That is all for now. Please keep this matter close to the chest," his eyes glimmered as he stared them down one last time, "That means from team Siren, as well. The less that know, the better."
The group shuffled, not quite happy about having to keep secrets from their sister team, but eventually all nodded acceptance.
The door opened with a small ding, signalling the group of girls that it was time for them to leave. They did so fast enough, with only a minute quickening in their pace the closer they got to the elevator. Once they were inside and the doors had closed, a few of them breathed out sighs of relief.
Violet broke the silence after a while, "You know, if I made ice and then kept evaporating it with fire, we could turn any room we wanted into a sauna."
"Violet…" three voices chastised her in unison.
"It was just a thought," their team leader gave them all a smug grin as the elevator began it descent.
"She took that surprisingly well," Qrow muttered, swirling his newly filled flask, "Better than Amber did at first, anyway."
"Hmm," Ozpin hummed is assent, "Indeed. Amber lacked a team, though, and was only a regular citizen before the maiden's powers chose her. Violet has the advantage of years of training and people she can trust on her side."
"Do you really think it was wise to tell all of them how the power is transferred?" Glynda asked tentatively.
Qrow glared across the top of the wizard's chair, "What is that supposed to mean? Are you suggesting my nieces-"
"No, Qrow. I mean the Belladonna girl. We know she was part of the White Fang before coming to Beacon," Glynda shifted her focus to the headmaster, "Should I keep an eye on her?"
"If it will make you feel better," Ozpin replied, still staring at the elevator in contemplation, "For the record, I doubt Ms. Belladonna could be so conniving."
Qrow frowned, "I used to think the same about Raven."
"Yes, but Raven had already killed long before coming to Beacon."
Qrow shifted uncomfortably, 'So had I…', "I get your point, Oz." He looked between the two, "When are we setting up these little training sessions?"
"You will have to undertake the majority," Ozpin answered, "Glynda and I have our duties here at the school that still must be taken care of, and I have the Vale Council breathing down my neck after what happened at the docks."
"They didn't get a recording, I hope?" Glynda asked, concerned for the well being of her students, no matter how gifted they might be.
"No, no. I made sure of that. Still, a giant explosion hardly went unnoticed by the powers at be. As always, they're asking questions and sticking their nose in business that doesn't concern them."
Ozpin shook his head in exasperation and turned to Qrow, finally taking his eyes off where team Vibrant had last been, "I'll give you Ms. Regalia's scroll number. Set up an appointment to meet with her tomorrow, at the latest. She may be itching to try out her new found powers, and I would rather she does so in a controlled environment."
Qrow swirled his flask but thought better than to take another drink, and instead pocketed it. His expression became measured, as he looked at Ozpin, "...What about God? Are you going to hold true to your deal?"
"I don't believe we have any other choice… Besides, the way I look at it, 'she' has offered us a great opportunity."
"And what might that be?" Glynda chipped in.
"Well… If I feared for my own safety, due to Ms. Regalia's abilities to seemingly destroy the very soul of the creatures she kills, what is to say the same could not be said for Salem?"
Ozpin let his words sink in before continuing, "Ms. Regalia may just be the breakthrough we have been searching for."
'An end to the war…' Qrow could hardly believe it. Did he dare hope that such a thing could be possible? He accepted the girl's scroll number from Ozpin and added it to his contacts, then pulled it open to already designate a time for them to meet up.
"Beacon Cliff, after dinner. Be there. ~ Qrow"
There was no response for all of ten seconds, before his scroll buzzed, Violet's response flashing up on screen for him to read.
"Sir, yes sir."