Chapter Fifty: Oscar Pine
Mistral, Not So Long Ago
He wasn't looking forward to dinner, but he was eager to talk to his aunt and hold a long conversation, filling the air with a familiar voice he'd heard every day: a comfort that he'd taken for granted after hearing an entirely different voice pierce the silence of his room.
We have to leave.
Oscar had to remind himself that it wasn't real. It sounded articulate and distinct, but it was just some sort of delusion. Some mix of exhaustion, stress, possibly some head injury he hadn't realized still troubled him…
Oscar. Oscar.
Oscar was on his way out from his bedroom, but paused before he could grip the handle of the door. He needed to be composed before he joined his aunt for dinner.
"I've decided you're not real, so you might as well give up," Oscar curtly informed the voice in his head.
I understand how you're feeling: I went through the same panic and confusion.
Oscar turned his gaze away from the door. Clearly he needed a little more time to get his head on straight.
Oscar turned to the floor of his room, collecting scattered books fallen from his shelf or his bed. "It's not real," he assured himself, quietly repeating the mantra. "It's not real. It's not real."
I can assure you: you are perfectly sane.
"...I'm talking to a voice in my head," Oscar dryly pointed out.
I didn't say you were normal. I said you were sane. There's quite a significant difference between-
"Shut up!" Oscar snapped. "You think this is funny?! It's not!"
...we are in complete agreement on that matter, I promise you. Believe me; I wish this weren't the case… but as I've told you, our Aura -our souls- are combined.
Oscar stared at the ceiling. He already thought he was losing it, now he knew for sure…
"I'm done listening to you," Oscar flatly informed the voice in his head.
Have you ever been to Haven?
Skies Over Mantle, Today
The ship continued to rock back and forth. But Harriet -firmly pulling back on the flight controls- eventually managed to level them out, rumbling only slightly in the choppy, frigid winds.
"Is everyone alright?" Clover inquired, quickly glancing around the ship. Vine still held the bomb securely in place, Elm and Marrow had managed to avoid falling out the open panel, Qrow and Emerald Sustrai were still clinging to the overhead latches… all of them present and accounted for.
"What happened?" Emerald wondered.
Qrow headed for the panel door to look back at the Grimm fleet, to appraise the situation they'd -until moments earlier- prepared to dive into despite the massive host of enemies besieging the ship's hull. Now...
The massive Grimm whale was partially obscured by black smoke. What Qrow could see of the beast left him stunned: much of its upper body had been ripped away, twisted husks of flesh still hoisted into the open air and very slowly fading away. The Grimm's body was so massive that it'd take considerable time to melt away… but for the moment, it was crumbling, and slowly falling from the sky towards the abandoned city below, revealing more of its damaged frame. Something had struck from inside, and the blast erupted right out of the whale's back, leaving a gaping, steadily widening hole.
The smaller Grimm that had been attacking their ship seemed to have either vanished or broken off their pursuit. Qrow could faintly see a number of them flying out a long distance from the whale's husk, but they didn't seem at all eager to resume their attack…
"Oz," Qrow realized.
"The boy?" Clover asked. Qrow nodded. "What did he do?"
"...I don't know," Qrow admitted. "But whatever… whatever that was, it was Oz or it was Salem. Can't think of anyone else with power like that."
"What do you recommend?" Clover inquired, deferring to Qrow's expertise.
"We should fall back," Qrow suggested. "Before the Grimm get a chance to regroup."
Clover took a look at the ship's tactical display, and how many Grimm remained. "...agreed. The primary target has been taken out. Back to the academy, Harriet."
Harriet grunted and reversed the ship's course. Elm and Marrow closed the side doors and allowed their ship a smoother trip.
Qrow moved to the cockpit to continue to monitor the sky. He didn't see any immediate signs of Oscar or Salem, or any ongoing fighting still happening in the whale's steadily falling corpse.
He didn't want to acknowledge the obvious. But once he got back, his nieces would ask him… and he'd have to. He'd need to be the strong one and tell them what he saw - and what he didn't.
His hand instinctively searched for his flask, before balling into a fist. He'd discarded his crutch and would have to be able to stand on his own.
They all would now.
In his office, Ironwood watched dozens -hundreds- of bogeys vanish from his tactical display. The Grimm had seemed to be legion before, but his sensors were now able to provide a more concrete figure. And the force was now substantially smaller than the arms of his air fleet had been built up to fight.
Clover's ship was already on an escape vector and out of range of the remaining Grimm force. The massive whale that had seemed to be Salem's command seat was plummeting from the sky but still obscuring some of his readings. The bomb may have had the intended effect, but it wouldn't have been able to kill Salem. If she had time to reconstitute herself she could still direct the Grimm to attack and inflict casualties on the kingdom, even if she was no longer capable of successfully besieging it.
He reminded himself only once that it had cost him a friend… possibly more, depending on what became of Clover's team. But they had successfully cut the head off the snake and scattered the Grimm for his fleet to mop up. Smaller ships had already begun their patrols of the city when he sent them to investigate Watts' digital ghosts… leaving him a cleaning crew for the ground level while his capital ships cleared the skies.
Ironwood issued the order to hold. He waited until the Manta was out of the firing path and was certain no significant Grimm force had followed after it. Once he was confident Clover's team would avoid any friendly fire, he issued the order. The Atlesian air fleet -after hours stuck in a tense standoff- finally unleashed their batteries on the scattered Grimm force.
Punching hole after hole in the dark, letting the light shine through…
Without Salem to force their compliance, the Grimm had to decide their course for themselves.
The elders recognized that they'd missed their opportunity: the battle had ended before they could attack. The fear of the humans and Faunus was no longer so potent that they could exploit and feed off it. Their weapons tore through the smaller ones in moments, and the elders couldn't sustain the barrage for long. They broke rank and fell back, even into the frigid cold of the tundra.
The newforged -Salem's last creations- rushed towards their attackers in droves. They were cut down by the steady, disciplined fire of the humans' ships, and -for all their defiance- were swept aside. They had not had time to learn, never fought any battle or sustained their grudge. They knew only to kill… and die.
Grimm native to the region -drawn by the negative emotion of the populace or following the hunting trails of others of their ilk- retreated back into the cold, to wait for another opportunity. Some sank into the blasted crevices and ruins of the city of Mantle, waiting for the children of light to try and reclaim their homes, where they might strike far away from the deadly weapons over their heads.
The clouds continued to part. The skies turned from empty black to crisper blue, save a thick layer of smoke.
The Monstra crashed into the border wall, crushing guard stations and shops beneath what remained of its husk. Its body continued to melt away as all its smaller ilk had already faded away.
After the humans ceased their firing, the skies were nearly empty. A handful of determined Grimm broke through and damaged ships; some even managed to take lives as they so desperately sought to. But their fleet held and broke what little remained of the Grimm line.
The cannons fell silent. The winds of the tundra moved in to howl in their stead: the cry to signal the end of a long night.
When the Manta returned to the landing pads, Qrow was quickly besieged by his nieces and all their friends. Ruby asked the obvious question. Qrow only stated he hadn't seen any sign of Oscar and he -or Salem- had acted before they arrived.
Clover and his team avoided the same interrogation from the others. Emerald -not keen on finding out how forgiving her former enemies would be feeling- followed after the Ace Ops to return to General Ironwood. She'd honored her end of their deal and dodged a bullet.
She passed by a visibly exhausted Neo. Not only exhausted, but distraught… angry… vulnerable. Emerald made a note of it all… for future reference.
Ruby asked her uncle what he thought; if there was a chance they could find Oscar alive. Qrow did his best to tell her… but -ultimately- he faltered, and no words left his mouth. And in doing so he told Ruby far more than he could've hoped to articulate.
Neo -furious- darted off from the academy, running out into the empty streets of Atlas. No one made any attempt to stop or restrain her. Dangerous and unpredictable as she was, no one could summon the energy to give chase.
Raven maintained her composure, quietly asking her brother: "...what about Salem?"
Qrow shook his head. "I don't know."
Ruby glanced around at her teammates. She didn't think any of them would be eager to hear it, but if Qrow wasn't able to say it…
"We all know what she had planned," Ruby grimly reminded them. "If she keeps trying to attack, we have to be ready."
Yang had already seen one Grimm contorted by Salem to instill in her every protective instinct. She was quick to follow her sister's lead, and Blake followed right along with her. Jaune deferred to her as he always had, and Nora was uncharacteristically quiet in following his lead.
Weiss…
Weiss only nodded. She offered no encouragement nor a contrarian opinion. She just quietly fell into line.
She had little choice but to be quiet. She'd already missed her chance to say something.
"They didn't vocalize it, but they all would've requested the same thing," Clover reported to Ironwood. "I'm sure that you'll get plenty of volunteers if you want to organize a search party."
"Once we've swept the area several times," Ironwood bluntly replied. "If we confirm a sighting of Salem -or even any substantially large pocket of her Grimm- no one returns to the ground until they're dealt with." The general returned to his tactical display. "In the meantime, I want you to find this wayward Fall Maiden. The last thing we need is an unstable wanted criminal running loose in the kingdom."
"Speaking of unstable criminals…" Emerald gently reminded him.
"Yes, Miss Sustrai," Ironwood dismissively acknowledged, "I'll process you shortly. You will receive your pardon for services rendered on behalf of the kingdom of Atlas." Ironwood continued to stare at his holograms. "I simply have too much else to attend to at the moment. Harriet, escort Miss Sustrai to one of the dorm rooms and confine her to quarters until such time as I can issue a formal reprieve."
Emerald had several thoughts on the matter. If she were to still be confined, she'd risked her life only for a slightly more glamorous imprisonment…
She bit her tongue and followed his operative out. Requests could wait. She'd save antagonizing him for at least a few hours, in case he took her witty observations personally.
Ironwood turned back to Clover. "Tell Qrow he can organize a search party and be ready to deploy in a few hours. I'll have any damage to the Manta repaired and send him down when my scouts finish their scans; we won't delay him any longer than necessary. In the meantime, I need to check the status on the ships we lost when the Grimm began their counterattack."
"Sir…" Clover began, "...do you think we'll find any survivors?"
Ironwood reluctantly shook his head. "No."
The Grimm occasionally took trophies. They didn't bother to take prisoners. And while Salem may have toyed with Oscar for a while, Ironwood had no reason to believe any of her minions would've bothered to move him out of harm's way.
And the blast that took out the Grimm fleet… either Salem had tired of keeping him prisoner and unleashed her full power on the boy, or Oscar had done as much damage as possible on his way out. Salem could've survived even that, but Oscar…
The men before him had all died in the fight against Salem. Oscar might've been young, but he knew the same fate would befall him eventually. Ironwood might've wanted his friend to have pulled off some miraculous escape, but it was hard for him to doubt what he knew to be inevitable.
He returned his focus to the soldiers lost in his air fleet. He had to make several calls to families -families who'd need to be accounted for with an updated headcount after reestablishing local communications and getting a better hold on the number of refugees from Mantle- and he suspected he was several hours away from actually being able to give Qrow and the others a chance to search for their friend…
Ironwood returned to his desk and his terminal to pull up the files of the soldiers lost to the Grimm. His only comfort was that casualties were minimal… but that was a comfort for him, and it wasn't one he could look to when informing their loved ones of the sacrifices made for the kingdom.
Neo struggled to find a way to the ground. There were no more ships conducting a regular evacuation schedule, and she had no way of simply asking the Atlesian military to give her a ship of her own. She would not be content to wait with the rest of Ironwood's toy soldiers; not when the only person left in the world who bothered to listen to her might have been-
The last time she'd sincerely believed that the man she loved couldn't have been killed: he was too clever, or too skilled, or perhaps simply too lucky to die. She'd spent so long wandering through deserted, Grimm-infested ruins believing that somehow he'd survived… she didn't know how long it took her to accept it.
No, she did: she knew exactly when she realized it - she found proof. She still wore it atop her head.
When Hazel raged, when Oscar apologized and pushed Neo through the portal…
She hadn't seen it when Roman died. Not until the lamp showed her the event as it happened.
She hadn't seen Oscar go either. She wanted to believe that his powers, his own luck and cleverness might've been enough…
Neo stepped out from the edge of the kingdom, traversing wide swathes of farmland still floating over the crater and the abandoned city of Mantle below. She could still faintly see the remains of the Grimm flagship very slowly decomposing over the destroyed border wall and guard stations.
Roman taught her not to be optimistic. He'd have scolded her for taking a needless risk on but the smallest chance there would be a reward.
But Roman had also been the only person she met to have ever rewarded her faith. Until she met Oscar Pine.
Neo felt the unfamiliar power surge through her palms. Wind and flames that could -however briefly- carry her weight and let her glide along the air current all the way to the ground.
Anyone who came looking for her would not come out of concern for her well-being. She wouldn't pay her 'allies' anymore heed now that Salem had been dealt with. Only one thing mattered to her now.
Neo cast herself off the side of the kingdom in the sky and began her descent.
Whitley had been cleared by the medical and security teams for a few hours. Weiss hadn't meant to neglect him for so long, but she'd had too much on her troubled mind to be as considerate as she meant to be. He'd been mulling around the dining hall, pointedly ignoring numerous messages on his Scroll. When Weiss finally found him, her brother had hastily set it aside after reading yet another text: Weiss recognized the name as the head of the board of directors.
She didn't bring it up. She found a table and gestured for him to sit - while he may not have been quite as worried as she was, she knew he was facing quite a troubled mind of his own. He'd contributed the company resources to the evacuation effort and reminded Mantle and Atlas alike of the power and reach -and the generosity- of the SDC. Now there'd be many, many opportunistic voices trying to persuade him to use all the goodwill he'd built up. Weiss didn't think Whitley would jump at the chance the way their father had… but she did worry someone might be able to flatter him into submission.
It made for a nice distraction, compared to the maddening wait for General Ironwood to permit the launch of their search party. She could once again advise her brother on the ugly business of corporate politicking… and maybe disparage a few board members in particular deserving of the ire.
Whitley, however, shook his head. "There'll be time for business later. Are your friends alright?"
"Yes," Weiss affirmed, though she was still a bit surprised to hear it from him. "Whatever Watts, Tyrian and the rest were up to, they don't seem to have succeeded."
"And now I hear the Grimm have been routed by your friend Oscar," Whitley added. "It… really is incredible to hear."
Her 'friend.'
Weiss bit her tongue, only calmly replying. "Yes."
She hoped he hadn't yet picked up on the social cues to read too much into it. She might've welcomed him showing some concern for her well-being… at any other time.
Fortunately, Whitley didn't press her on it. Instead, he turned his eye back to his Scroll, turning away from the various messages left by opportunistic corporatists to show her tracking information of the transport ships and Dust. "I redirected a few of our ships to the refugee groups to act as temporary housing. They weren't really meant for habitation, but the Dust burns clean enough for them to have heat and light sources. We don't have anywhere near enough ships for everyone, but we're fitting in however many can comfortably fit."
More encouraging news… and a sign of both his initiative and his flexibility. She knew her brother was clever in his own quiet, subdued way… but she had to admit she hadn't anticipated him going above and beyond to help the Mantle refugees.
Some old stigma, she imagined. Doubts instilled by their father and the oppressive household they shared.
Whitley might've taken up Jacques' example if she hadn't stopped to talk to him. He might've been more inclined to listen to the same greedy men their father surrounded himself with and ended up following in his footsteps.
She might not have taken the time had it not been for Oscar's advice. She might've forgotten this important member of her family simply to nurse her own grudge…
"Weiss?" Whitley inquired, gently waving his hand in front of her.
Weiss quickly reestablished eye contact. "Sorry; long night." She quickly redirected the conversation. "You need to respond to the board eventually. If you ignore them too long, they'll start taking it personally."
"Yeah, I'm not at all eager to talk to them," Whitley admitted. "It's been easy enough to just go on autopilot and listen to you or the General; now that we might actually escape this emergency and I'll have to start running the company… I really didn't expect to be so concerned about something I thought I wanted my whole life."
It was something Weiss could relate to. She'd thought she knew what she wanted only to change her plans again and again. When she'd been the heir apparent to their grandfather's company, Weiss might've wanted to be exactly where Whitley was now. When she saw him dodging texts, Weiss was grateful to be carrying an entirely different burden.
Another small comfort, but it'd have to do. Weiss stood up from the table, heading to the commissary. "Well, if you let them know you were late with your reply because you were sharing a meal- father used to use that same excuse all the time."
Whitley smiled. "I think I'd like that."
She wasn't especially hungry. But it gave them a reason to put things off just a bit longer - and for Weiss, gave her an opportunity to be grateful for what Oscar Pine's efforts had left to her. Just another thing she hadn't thought she wanted… until she had it.
Weiss headed back with coffee and whatever assortment of bagels and pastries sat already prepared. A very haphazard, slapdash meal -especially for a Schnee- but Whitley was grateful for the effort just the same. Whitley told her a bit more about the expense of burning up some of the Dust earmarked for fuel, but had already decided to have the company simply eat the loss rather than try to creatively conceal it. He was already a marked improvement from the last CEO.
Weiss ate a meager ration, but enough to keep her going. She had to have energy enough to join the search for Oscar. No matter what they found when she went down to Mantle, she'd have to be strong enough to speak her piece.
"Blake… could you give us a minute?" Yang requested.
Blake side-eyed Raven, who curtly nodded. She hadn't forgotten Blake's advice -or her warning. Raven waited for the girlfriend to finally detach herself from her daughter's hip before inquiring: "What do you wanna know?"
"Can you… Dad told me how your Semblance works," Yang reiterated. "I just wanted to know if you… can sense, or feel him or whatever. If you know-"
Raven shook her head. "I don't. My Aura took a beating from the explosion: once it's replenished I'll try to open a portal to him. If he's still alive and his Aura is intact, then I can bring us right to him."
"And how long do you think that'll be?" Yang impatiently wondered.
Raven raised an eyebrow, but patiently endured her daughter's questioning. "Maybe a few hours to get it together."
"So, what… about as long as Ironwood needs us to wait too?" Yang grumbled.
Raven shook her head. "Look, Yang… I'm eager to find him too, but my Semblance can be dangerous. Living things aren't the only ones who can get through it: if there are any Grimm left down there or Salem's still with him…" She left the thought for Yang to finish on her own.
"Yeah, yeah," Yang dismissively waved her left hand. "Alright, fine."
Raven appraised her daughter. Yang being impatient and irritable wasn't anything new, but she seemed unusually -uncharacteristically- determined to avoid eye contact. She asked her questions and made her demands only to turn her head when Raven answered her. Clearly she had something else on her mind.
"Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?" Raven inquired.
There had to be. Raven simply offered Yang the courtesy of asking it herself.
And Raven had needled Yang about it once before. Even after Yang moved on to Blake, the doubts had lingered for a while. Raven knew the feeling better than most.
"You told me before," Yang began, "To be happy with what I had or go for the thing I wanted."
"And?" Raven encouraged her.
"Is that what you did?" Yang asked her. "With Oscar?"
There it was. Raven shrugged. "We did what we did."
Yang had been getting better at putting up with her mother's antics, but this latest display of flippance left her stammering again. "You did… and that's just-?"
"You and him were done, right?" Raven reminded her. "The first time I tried my luck he turned me down, because he was still trying to be loyal to you."
"The first time…?" Yang repeated.
"In Argus," Raven explained. "You two were on the outs, but apparently you hadn't broken things off yet. It really took me by surprise, to think that the boy Oz reincarnated into would be so loyal; he really wasn't much like the last one."
Yang set aside the myriad of things her mother just uttered she found distasteful and zeroed in on one sentiment in particular. "Isn't."
"Mm?"
"He isn't like Ozpin, you mean," Yang firmly corrected her.
"...right," Raven ceded, whether she believed it or not. "He isn't."
Silence again. All too familiar between them.
Yang had evaded her mother's gaze again. Raven spoke up, wondering: "Does it bother you?"
Yang scoffed. "Of course it does."
"Why?" Raven wondered. "Didn't you finish what you started?"
"...don't put it like that," Yang insisted. "I'm- just because I'm not with him anymore doesn't mean that I-" Yang took a deep breath and composed herself. "He's my friend. I care about his well-being; I want to know what he's up to and where his life's going."
"And you don't approve of his taste in women?" Raven teased.
"Stop it," Yang snapped. "I'm- I don't know why I'm bothering with this; I don't know why I thought you'd understand."
"Because you want me to," Raven suggested. "Oscar said that this was the life you wanted for yourself, and you want to share it with someone." She glanced back at the door to Yang's room. "Your partner shared him with you too, didn't she? Do you think any less of him for that?"
"That's different and you know it," Yang replied. "You- you don't know what it's like to-"
"To love someone at the same time you've fallen in love with someone else?" Raven asked her.
Another silence. But only a very brief one before Raven continued. "I've been there too. And… I'm sure this isn't one you want the details for, but what you went through isn't anything new."
"You're wrong," Yang quickly interjected.
"Yang, I only meant-"
"I do want to know," Yang insisted, finally holding her mother's gaze. "We've got time until you can get to him, right? So tell me. Tell me everything: you, Ozpin… whatever this is now. Tell me that there's something about this I'll understand."
Ozpin hadn't been the one Raven thought of. She hadn't been the one to fall in love… but that was a tale for another time. Perhaps after they'd known each other long enough for Yang to believe her when Raven told the story.
But for the moment…
Raven moved to sit on her daughter's bed, getting comfortable for the long explanation Yang was due. She wasn't sure where to begin.
Neo didn't mind the quiet as much as she used to; Oscar wasn't as talkative as Roman had been, and she'd been trying to acclimate to that. But with Mantle essentially deserted and with many of its buildings reduced to rubble, she had to constantly fight off a niggling, familiar feeling.
Neo assured herself this was not a retread of the past. The past wasn't something she could change, but these events had yet to fully unfold. She was not prepared to say she'd lost something -the only thing that mattered to her- a second time.
Though she did scold herself. If she hadn't tried to dissuade Hazel, if she had simply struck from behind and left him to his fate rather than tried to pity him for losing something too…
The Grimm might've remained, but that would have been someone else's fight. So long as Oscar lived, that would have been enough.
Though -she could reluctantly acknowledge- Oscar wouldn't have simply let it happen. He was so infuriatingly determined to protect the others that he'd have allowed himself to die. Hadn't Neo insisted on going with him into the very belly of the beast so that wouldn't happen?
She tried not to think on it. She tried to remember that she only had a narrow window to try and spite mortality one final time… to firmly take hold of the entire reason she continued to linger on…
Neo found the shattered guard station. The beast was continuing to slowly evaporate, long stretches of its black flesh splayed about the street and coalescing with the rubble on the ground. Neo steeled herself and stepped closer.
She didn't fear any Grimm lingering on. She didn't fear Ironwood's dogs at her back or Salem's lieutenants emerging from the rubble. She only feared finding someone she recognized under the debris.
Because the Grimm, the military, the law, the cold… none of it could kill her. But Oscar Pine… if he was gone, Neo would once again be left in a world where no one could hear her.
Neo told herself there was something left alive, buried under the rubble. She told herself that when she'd been lost he'd managed to find her.
She couldn't help but think she was the only one to hear her plea.
Whitley finally returned the calls from the board. Weiss didn't want to lose what little she'd had to eat listening to the ensuing politicking, and headed back to the dorm. There weren't any battle stations to assume, and she didn't want to hover in Ironwood's command center and simply wait for his approval. She considered visiting Yang or Winter, but there was one more pressing conversation to see to.
Weiss stepped inside RWBY's dorm room. While she had the place to herself she took a moment to appraise her appearance before she said her piece. She wanted to make sure she was presentable… and she took a few looks in the mirror, carefully practicing her smile. She knew how to put on appearances and push down how she felt… this time in particular, she just wanted to hold firm and not visibly crack.
Weiss returned to her desk and aligned her Scroll, getting a good look at herself in the device's camera. Once she was framed appropriately, once she was confident enough in placement and ready to say her piece…
Weiss set the device to record. She drew a deep breath as she began.
"Hey, Oscar," Weiss gently lifted her left hand to wave to him, as though he might one day ever see this -as though anyone would. "I've wanted to have a chance to say something to you and… I don't want to say that we've missed chances to, because we haven't: I have. I could've told you all of this before and I kept coming up with reasons not to and now… now I know I waited too long and I can't change any of it. The only thing I can do is be honest and just… just say what I should've said when I had the chance.
"I don't know what it is I feel, but I know that you're the one who caused it: when you reminded me I wasn't as alone as I felt, and could do something more than just feel as powerless as I did," Weiss explained, still managing to hold firm. "And I should've just been able to say I appreciated you; I was glad to have you in my life. I should've just said that - you should've been able to hear it and I'm sorry you didn't get to hear it from me. You grew so much so fast that- that maybe it all just passed me by and I didn't get to…"
Finally a waver. Weiss composed herself quickly, lest her voice crack. The hesitation was an imperfection she could stomach; a whimper she would not permit.
"I think it wasn't until after I spoke to my sister -the day after we went out and cleared the mine- that I realized how grateful I was for you," Weiss elaborated. "It took me that long: I'd known you for weeks and I hadn't even stopped to realize how important our friendship had become to me. I'm sorry that I didn't say it then. I'm sorry I always seemed to tell everyone else but you.
"I'm grateful for all that you did to help me; that you wanted me to reach out and if you hadn't encouraged me to I could've lost so much more than I had," Weiss continued. "If you did what I think you did, then everyone I have here with me I have because of you, and I couldn't even-"
Another pause. She powered through the tears swimming under her eyelid. She only had to hold on a few moments more.
"Thank you," Weiss insisted. "For everything you did for me. Oscar Pine…"
She just had to be brace a few seconds longer. She just had to say a few simple words.
"...I love you."
It didn't seem so difficult once she made it to the other side. Maybe it would've been harder if she expected him to ever hear it.
Weiss ended the recording before she lost her composure. Once she was sure she'd finished, once there were no lights or red dots to signify any activity…
Weiss set her Scroll aside. She drew up her left hand to cover her eyes, and catch any running makeup upon her glove. She made no effort to stifle her sobs.
After a few minutes, Weiss stood up from her desk and returned to the bathroom to throw water on her face. She needed a few minutes more to get her breathing back to a steady rhythm, then another few minutes after that to smooth out her attire and make herself presentable again.
When she'd finally managed to say it…
Weiss collected her Scroll and headed for the door. She'd barely stepped out into the hall when she noticed she'd had eavesdroppers… both standing right outside her door. Nora -still holding the lamp in her left hand- and Jaune leaning against the wall between their two dorm rooms. Weiss did her best to contain her exasperation… she really hadn't intended for anyone else to ever hear that.
But neither of them brought it up. Nora bounded over and pulled Weiss into a firm embrace -even with only one arm- and held her tightly. Jaune maintained his distance, only offering a steady pat on what shoulder Weiss had unobstructed by Nora's grip.
Nora had cared for him too. Jaune had his own experience with a recorded message being all he could cling to after suffering the loss. Neither had any reason to mock her; not when they'd stood right where she had.
No more words were needed. Weiss settled into Nora's grip and waited for her grip to lessen, quietly hoping it might be a ways off.
"The third sweep has been completed, General. No sign of hostiles."
"Acknowledged," Ironwood replied. "Standby."
He continued to monitor his tactical display. He understood that Salem might've ordered the Grimm to retreat after losing her flagship, but his forces hadn't spotted a single straggler? That was altogether much too convenient.
Oscar had told him Salem couldn't be killed. Ironwood might've understood how she escaped unnoticed among a large force of Grimm, but he had never expected it of her. Her mere presence had terrified him into making a contingency to flee into the upper atmosphere; had Oscar's attack damaged her enough she no longer thought an immortal with an army of Grimm could endure a prolonged siege?
"Check again," Ironwood instructed. "No stone unturned."
"Yes, General."
They understood the abundance of caution. They were almost happy to run multiple sensor sweeps, given they could compare it to previous readings where they appeared to be hopelessly outmatched…
The door to his office slid open. Pietro stepped inside, his four-legged chair clomping along the floor. "We finally managed to rig something up for our Faunus friend down in the catacombs; he's on his way up now. Won't be stinging anyone anytime soon, but the way he spits his poison he's gonna melt through several layers of containment in a matter of minutes."
"We'll keep him sedated until he can be tried," Ironwood agreed. "When we can demonstrate how he infiltrated the kingdom and murdered Robyn Hill's friends and supporters… whatever they decide to do with him, he won't be threatening anyone ever again."
"And Arthur," Pietro interjected. "Still planning on doing things the easy way?"
"The man's too dangerous to live," Ironwood curtly replied. "I'm never going to risk letting him crack our systems again."
"Maybe you ought to have a little more faith, James," Pietro suggested. "It's worked out pretty well for us recently."
"Perhaps," Ironwood conceded. "But we have to think about the future too, Pietro. Salem will just find new pawns to carry out her schemes, and any of the old ones she thinks might be worth the trouble of keeping… I didn't expect her to bother to try and free Watts, and that blew up in our faces. It could've been far worse."
"I ain't gonna tell you how to defend your kingdom," Pietro acknowledged. "But a man like that can also serve as an example, for good or ill."
"I will… consider your request," Ironwood allowed. "Out of respect for your old colleague."
It was a difficult position for him to take. He was so used to staunchly defending and adhering to his own plans that he had difficulty considering the alternative viewpoint. But his rigidity had cost them to the point it nearly splintered the tenuous alliance he'd made with Ozpin's former students, to say nothing of how easily it led to Jacques and his machinations dividing the council…
Oscar had reminded him that it was possible to be flexible, and to share some of the weight. If he had stuck to his plan, the Grimm would still be gathered outside his doorstep and he'd have retreated with too few supplies for Atlas and the refugees from Mantle. If he hadn't been willing to bend, eventually… he'd break.
Pietro was satisfied at having been heard. He headed towards an available terminal and resumed work, before abruptly pausing. "James, can you patch me into your fleet? I want to confirm something."
"Confirm… what?" Ironwood asked.
"Signals I'm picking up in the north," Pietro replied. "We're still getting a ping from the CCT…"
"Ruby and Weiss said the tower toppled over," Ironwood informed him, incredulous.
"Yes, and the signal's pretty garbled, but apparently some of that comm tower of yours' is still functioning out there," Pietro explained. "I just want to see if anyone can corroborate my readings."
Ironwood humored his request. Once linked to Blue Squadron and their long range sensors, Pietro compared their respective readings…
"Boats," Pietro realized. "Ships heading due south from Menagerie."
"Menagerie?" Ironwood repeated.
"They're sending out a request to enter the kingdom border," Pietro explained. "They've come to offer aid."
Ironwood was so puzzled by the suggestion it took him a moment to register. But eventually, it dawned on him… "Ruby's message."
"Well, ain't that something?" Pietro mused. "I might be able to get a message through if the snow's clear enough and we bounce it point to point off one of your ships."
"Do it," Ironwood instructed. "Let them know we appreciate the help."
Pietro happily complied. Menagerie didn't have much of a standing force, but their combination of volunteer police and any supplies they might've brought along with them could be quite useful with the numerous refugees in Atlas. Though Ironwood wasn't sure how well some of the more… traditional mindsets of Atlas would take to a surge of Faunus visitors, he wasn't going to spurn anyone crossing an ocean towards a horde of Grimm to offer their help.
"...faith, huh?" Ironwood wondered, as he watched Pietro send their message out through the tundra to the ocean, to another surprising ally arriving in their kingdom's time of need.
Neo waited for the Atlesian drones to finish their pass. She was well practiced at avoiding attention; and she didn't want anyone else to know before she did. She had spent too long wandering an empty, ruined city the last time she'd been here.
She used the ice and heat in turn to clear the stone. She unleashed gusts of wind to push aside dust and debris. When she saw anything that might've even resembled him, she dug until the dirt covered each nail.
She continued for hours, increasingly convinced she was wasting her time. He'd used his magic, he'd found a way to escape unharmed…
...until she pushed aside some debris and heard a clatter, spotting a familiar handle. She remembered the cane well; she'd disarmed him of it and held it on him.
Neo frantically cleared the area nearby. It might've just been knocked aside in the crash, or forced from his hand by Hazel before the explosion. It didn't mean…
Neo pulled her hand up from the ground and placed it over her open mouth. She wanted to look away, but couldn't convince herself to do so: she needed to know.
And she did.
Neo eventually managed to pull her hand from her mouth and reach down to him. To find unfamiliar cold like she'd never experienced when she'd reached out and touched him.
She dug her nails through his hair and tried to scratch him; to hurt him enough to wake. He didn't move. Neo couldn't bear to lift his face up from the rubble to confirm it. She had her answer.
Neo fell on her knees, eventually folding backwards, sitting beside him. She dug her face into the back of his head and screamed, knowing no one was left to hear it.
She sat with him for a long time, finding it difficult to summon the willpower to stand back up. She could only stare at the back of his head.
Eventually, however, Neo did force herself to stand, turning her attention to her Scroll. She didn't really care if the others never knew, but some part of her could acknowledge the need for… closure. She'd gone without it and upended three continents. She didn't doubt some among Oscar's friends might've done the same, if they didn't know for sure.
She had only one contact still among them. And there was no guarantee she'd bother to help… but Neo would at least make some effort. For him.
Emerald watched as Tyrian joined Mercury in an unusually restrained ward of intensive care. A final stop to visit her old friend, ruined by a higher ranking member of Salem's cabal… it was distressing in how fitting it proved to be.
Her Scroll buzzed, immediately drawing her attention… and suspicion. Who was left alive that had this number?
Salem wouldn't bother with this modern technology… Hazel? Watts having successfully hacked another piece of tech?
She saw the name. Her grip tightened around the frame of her Scroll.
They exchanged numbers at Beacon, while posing as Haven transfer students, while infiltrating and sabotaging Ozpin and the Vytal Festival tournament. The very last person in the world she wanted to talk to…
A simple text message: I found him.
Emerald wasn't especially inclined to reply. It might've been something to barter to Ironwood to speed up his timetable of pardoning and releasing her, but that was the only value she could see to it.
She didn't bother to reply. She had nothing to say to Neo.
Neo, apparently sensing Emerald's disdain, pressed right ahead, sending a pair of coordinates. Based on her Scroll's map functions, that'd be near the spot she saw the Monstra crash. She was curious what became of Salem and Hazel…
If you need to settle things, I'll be waiting.
Emerald was certainly weighing the option. She hadn't made up her mind.
That was the last Neo sent to her. Emerald continued to stare at the screen for a long time.
After a few minutes she turned her eye back to the unconscious Mercury. She mulled another option...
Clover received the report from the general. He called the operatives back and went to Qrow. He said James had given him a set of coordinates to check, but wanted the two of them -and only the two of them- to look into it before he authorized the search party he knew Ruby and her friends were aching for.
They took a Bullhead rather than a Manta; it should've been a short excursion.
They found him exposed on the rubble. His cane and a pair of Scrolls sat on the concrete beside him.
Qrow reached down and picked him up. He felt the cold under his fingertips.
"...I always liked him in this coat," Qrow mused. "It suited him."
"Any sign of Neopolitan?" Clover wondered, glancing around the debris.
"I doubt it," Qrow grunted, cradling Oscar closer. "Come on. We've got what we came for."
Clover collected the items on the ground and headed back to the ship, Qrow carrying the boy in tow.
"...your information checked out," Ironwood begrudgingly admitted. "Alright- I'll do it." He sternly pointed a finger at her. "But if I ever hear about the two of you up to your old tricks..."
"You might hear it from him," Emerald conceded. "He's stubborn that way. I'm done with this - I'm really hoping to never see any of you ever again."
Ironwood continued to appraise her with suspicion, but seemed appeased by her honesty. He turned his terminal to show her the arrest warrants for her -and for Mercury Black- had indeed been revoked, and sent the pardon letter to her Scroll.
"This only absolves you in this kingdom," Ironwood advised. "I will offer my recommendation, but Vale and Mistral will come to their own decisions."
"Of course," Emerald shrugged. "I'll find somewhere to go."
Ironwood turned his gaze back to Mercury Black on his screen. "And him?"
"He'll have an easier time than I will," Emerald suggested. "He gets to have the life he wanted."
Ironwood considered it. "The information you've provided has been of great help to the kingdom of Atlas, and the two of you are both very skilled…"
"Don't bother," Emerald interjected. "Ask him if you think he's interested."
Ironwood didn't press her. "Very well. I'll arrange for transport back to the surface. Are you sure you won't be needing anything else?"
"Not from you," Emerald assured him.
Ruby received a text from her uncle. He asked her if she'd rather come see him herself or bring her team.
Ruby had learned her lesson clearly. She told the others immediately and brought them along, no matter how Yang had to limp. Seven people arrived to greet Qrow at the landing pad. Clover quietly excused himself to report to the general.
Qrow opened the ship's hatch and led them inside. Cramped as it was, they all had room to see him. He'd never taken up much room.
Nora dropped down first to reach out to him. Yang and Blake turned towards each other, each finding an opposite shoulder. Jaune drove his fist into the nearest hull wall. Weiss just stared at him lying on the floor.
Ruby found a place to crouch down beside him, reaching down while Nora bawled. She felt his shoulder under his garbs, squeezing it tightly.
Ren was the strong one, turning to Qrow. "When?"
"James got the message from the mute," Qrow explained. "I'll let the docs figure out the cause, but…" He shook his head. "Doesn't make much difference, does it?"
Ren sighed. "No… I'm afraid not."
Ruby slowly stood back up as Nora continued to cling to him. She turned her gaze to Weiss, finally turning her blue eyes away from Oscar.
She'd made her condition clear. And Ruby had not met it.
Ruby never had the chance to speak to her before Weiss stormed out of the ship.
Ironwood received Clover's report with only a simple acknowledgment. He knew he wouldn't have long to grieve.
Still, he took a few minutes in his office before summoning her inside. Long enough to disguise his grief as simple exhaustion. He doubted his guest would be searching him for anguish, but he was sure she'd be searching him for weakness.
Raven stepped inside, glancing about the room. "So, this is where the magic happens… quaint."
"Let's make this brief; I'm sure we… both have a lot to attend to," Ironwood couldn't quite conceal his distaste. Raven probably preferred it that way.
"I'm sure you do," Raven replied, remaining mostly formal… though she didn't pretend his slip of the tongue went unnoticed.
"I'll get right to the point," Ironwood informed her. "Despite my considerable distaste for you, you have a very useful skill that could be of benefit to the kingdom of Atlas, and I want to employ it while the kingdom is in crisis. I want you to use your Semblance to reach our friends in Vale and see what economic assistance can be offered, in light of the damage to our kingdom."
"Why, James, butter me up like that and I might get the wrong idea," Raven observed.
"General," Ironwood gently corrected.
"General, right," Raven shrugged. "And in return?"
"...I had a feeling it'd come to that," Ironwood sighed. "In return, I will grant you a pardon for any crimes you -personally or as a member of the Branwen tribe- have committed against Atlas and compensate you based on the number of trips made to and from Vale. Qrow, Yang, and Oscar all vouched for you, so I'm willing to bite the bullet and give you a chance."
Raven was tempted to ask for a specific number. But if those three laid it on the line for her.
"Fine, General," Raven agreed. "When do we start?"
Ironwood sighed. "Don't make me regret this."
"Why does everyone keep telling me that?" Raven wondered.
"Experience," Ironwood curtly informed her.
"Haven't you heard?" Raven asked him. "I've been good… recently."
Weiss went to the dorms. Ruby's first instinct was to speed after her, but Yang and Blake held her back.
"Take time for yourself too," Blake advised. "It's… it's going to hit her harder than us, but you have to deal too."
She'd know. She'd bawled her eyes out after the death of a man who'd emotionally controlled and abused her: attachments weren't restrained by logic.
Ruby, however, brushed off the advice. "She'd feel better if she talked to us."
"Like we talked to her?" Yang pointed out.
At last Ruby was given pause. How long had they waited before they could talk to each other?
That made her less willing to hesitate… but more willing to listen.
"Yeah, okay," Ruby conceded. "Okay."
Yang turned her eye back inside the Bullhead. Nora still hadn't let go of him, cradling him with one hand while the other clung tightly to the relic. Jaune and Ren tried to comfort her, but she wasn't ready to be consoled yet.
Grief hit them in different ways. And at different times.
Ruby took one look back at him lying stiff in Nora's arm…
I'm more scared than I've ever been in my life; than I ever thought was possible. I always knew I wanted to be something more than a farmhand, but this...?
I don't think there's time for many long goodbyes, so… I'm sorry.
Yang spotted it before Ruby did. She pulled her little sister right to her.
Another one Salem killed, another one lost while she could only look on…
Yang pressed Ruby's head against her shoulder. Ruby fell into place, losing her ability to stand. Yang patted the back of her head and told her -over and over- that it'd be okay.
The day rolled on. Eventually, even Nora Valkyrie managed to let go and step aside.
Weiss went to her sister's quarters. Yang and Blake remained in the medical ward. Ruby remained latched onto her sister for hours. Nora had still yet to relinquish the lamp: she seemed to have taken over the role in guarding it Oscar had played before, symbolic as it may have been.
The threat of Grimm faded. Even the massive corpse of the whale faded away and scattered to the winds.
Another day's sail around the western side of the continent and boats from Menagerie docked on distant shores. A few hours trips across the world, and Raven Branwen brought back allies and supplies from Vale, traversing thousands of kilometers in an instant.
Blake detached herself from Yang and Ruby long enough to greet her parents, arriving at the head of the Menagerie relief efforts. It seemed very strange to her to witness her father step out from the interior of a repurposed SDC craft. Whitley Schnee reached out and offered his hand to the Chieftain, welcoming him to Atlas: the first time in decades the Schnee Dust Company and the White Fang offered one another their hand.
General Ironwood finally lifted the alert. Though the threat of Grimm remained elevated, he would now focus efforts on returning and resettling citizens to Mantle, as well as organizing a new election to fill the vacated council seat. Robyn Hill, though hardly Ironwood's biggest fan, acknowledged his efforts had saved thousands of lives. She was -at least at the time- undecided on running again.
Kingdoms and regencies arrived expecting to fight, but were just as quick to render humanitarian aid instead. As Ruby Rose had promised, unity repelled the Grimm, and remained even in the wake of their defeat.
For most of them, at least.
In Ironwood's office, the council finally assembled after Sleet and Camilla could be relocated from their designated shelters. The council had many affairs of state to attend to, but they decided to deal with an internal matter first.
"It's about time I'm brought before a tribunal," Jacques Schnee grumbled. "Do you have any idea how long I've been made to wait in those dingy cells alongside real criminals?"
"This is not a tribunal, Mr. Schnee," Camilla informed him. "This is simply an inquiry. Do you maintain -as you did before sworn Hunters of this kingdom- that you were simply manipulated by Arthur Watts rather than acting with malice for the kingdom?"
"Of course!" Jacques insisted. "That bastard doctored the footage; he was a monster, but he was still a very clever man."
"We're willing to entertain that you were framed, just as General Ironwood was," Sleet allowed. "We've established this -admittedly informal- hearing to examine the evidence and decide what legal actions -if any- to take."
Jacques grinned. Ironwood sat humorless behind his desk, hands folded under his nose.
"We've asked for some witnesses to attest to your character," Camilla elaborated. "To help ascertain what your intent may have been in this… unfortunate business."
Ironwood turned to his desk's intercom. "Send them in."
The door to his office opened. Jacques craned his head back to see his children: Winter, Weiss, and Whitley stepped in and approached the seated council.
"We believe we should start with the most relevant parties; those aware of your personal and business interest," Sleet explained.
Jacques sputtered. "Come now, surely that won't be necessary…"
Weiss had barely spoken throughout the day. She turned her fierce gaze upon her father and replied: "Don't worry; we'll tell them everything we know about you."
She didn't let grief halt her in pursuit of her duty. She knew there was a remedy -if not for her own pain, then at least from any others who might've suffered it from a man cowering behind her grandfather's name.
She wore a scar because of him. She was cast out and discarded at his whim. She'd lost a friend -at least in part- because Jacques had made a pact with men even more callous and evil than he. And she had proof that Jacques had done it all willingly, whatever his protests to the contrary.
In the time she had with him, Oscar urged her to speak her mind. Despite the grief the day had brought her… she intended to.
Ironwood stepped back, leaving Jacques' children to offer their insights. "Shall we begin?"
Cold again. She only knew it was there because she no longer had someone to ward it off for her.
She wasn't sure in which direction to wander. Mistral and Vale were probably solid destinations -at least preferable to the block of ice she currently stood upon- though she'd have to spend some time looking over her shoulder.
That didn't bother her. If she continued to feel the way she did then… maybe she wouldn't bother to move when she saw them coming.
Roman had his revenge. Oscar sacrificed his life for hers'. Now all she had to do was wait.
Though, as Neo continued to head south, she didn't feel quite as cold now. Perhaps the powers were good for something. Maybe they could make her life a little easier in simpler, more utilitarian ways. Though, with her Scroll left to the Atlesians, she was once again without a voice… it made little difference when she had no one to hear her.
She found boats from Menagerie docked at harbor. Scarcely guarded… though she didn't have much seafaring knowledge. She'd need someone to pilot the ship for her, but if she was patient, she could easily stow away and put some distance between her and the kingdom no doubt still hunting for her; searching to imprison or exploit her, now that the only person left who'd believed in her had gone…
She found a ship with a comfortable cabin. With the ability to generate gusts of wind or create ice to walk across the water, sneaking aboard was almost trivial. But even a warm bed could feel cold for one small… and alone.
Though still not as cold as she thought. Maybe the magic shielded her all the time now.
Or maybe…
Neo trailed a hand under the covers of her (current) bed and ran over stomach. She did wonder.
Maybe...
Morning came to Atlas again. Before the refugees could begin shipping back to the ground, the head of the Schnee Dust Company and the commander of the armed forces were in attendance for an impromptu ceremony.
Military headquarters had a formal cemetery located nearby for decorated soldiers and Huntsmen, but Ironwood held the viewing at Atlas Academy, so Oscar Pine would lay in repose a few hours before his proper burial. His Ace Operatives, Qrow, and the General himself carried the casket and placed it before his mourners. Ironwood stood behind a lectern beside his friend's casket, taking a long time to compose his remarks.
He looked out over the crowd: Team RWBY, Winter, Whitley, Qrow, Raven, the Ace Ops, Team FNKI, Jaune, Ren, Nora, Pietro, Penny, and the Chieftain of Menagerie, his wife, and the head of their guard. A small sample of those lives saved by Oscar Pine at one time or another.
"I've presided over too many funerals," Ironwood admitted. "I've gotten too used to the words I usually say; the comforts I try to offer. But none of my usual lines apply to Oscar Pine- I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to any of you to know he was very special… extraordinary, really.
"No one called on him to fight; none of us even wanted to put him in danger, he was still in training to become a Huntsman. Yet he volunteered to fly into the largest force of Grimm the world had ever seen," Ironwood espoused. "He didn't expect to win, only to distract them long enough to give us time to finish our evacuations. And while we lost too many fighting the Grimm, he saved more than we believed we could… more than I could have. He was not a soldier, or a Huntsman: he was a farmhand from Mistral, who did more for the world than it may ever know." Ironwood stepped aside from the lectern. "Before we begin the congregation, I'd invite anyone to speak who might have a few words to say."
Eyes shifted about the room. No doubt many among them could've said a great deal.
Ruby stood up from her teammates. She cast a long glance back at them, then past them to Penny, who firmly nodded in support.
Ruby had been able to offer encouragement when she could speak to the entire world, almost entirely on the fly. More than that, she could offer encouragement to a farm boy when he hadn't believed in himself and doubted he could be what the world needed him to be.
When she stood behind the lectern, Ruby took in the crowd. She saw many supportive faces, but the eyes she most wanted on her were looking anywhere else. Ruby reasoned that her task was for Oscar - and not herself - and carried on.
"The first time I really talked to Oscar, I asked him if he'd ever fought before," Ruby began. "He picked it up really fast, but he'd never had to face anything like Salem and her followers. He lived outside the kingdom walls -he'd faced the Grimm before- but when faced with intelligent, malicious enemies… it was a hard thing to wrap his head around. It would've been easy for him to have gone home." She turned her gaze briefly to Ironwood. "No one would've faulted him for it.
"He was scared of… the scope of it all," Ruby continued. "But he wasn't scared only for himself: he was scared for me. I barely knew him and he already worried for my safety; for all of ours'. We'd been deceived, told by someone in Salem's cabal that the world was about to go to war. Even then, even when he'd barely begun, he wanted to stop that from happening. He always wanted to what he could.
"That's as much as any of us can do," Ruby added to the crowd. "And in spite of everything he saw, everything he suffered, he kept trying to help. Even when things seemed their worst, even when we fell out -even fell out with him- he kept trying to help us."
Blake shifted in her seat. Yang offered her a reassuring pat.
"When he found out about the Grimm fleet on the border, he chose to go face Salem by himself, all to give us a fighting chance," Ruby continued. "He said he was sorry he didn't have more time. He wanted to say goodbye to everyone. He always took the time to look after us even when he would sacrifice more than anyone ever should have."
She met Raven's eye. Raven's portal had been cut open, and Neo fell out of it instead of the person she'd meant to save. Neo had never confirmed it, but they'd guessed from the lamp in her hand -the lamp she'd willingly discarded seconds later- she'd only done so because Oscar sent her out instead.
"We owe a lot to him, and we should remember that," Ruby affirmed. "Not just because of the lives he saved, but the people he helped and cared for." Ruby turned her gaze to the casket. "We should remember the way he lived and not only the way he died." She stepped back and uttered an awkward, too-quiet "Thank you."
No one else volunteered. Ruby returned to her friends. Weiss continued to avert her eyes.
General Ironwood organized the procession. One by one they passed by him to lay roses in his state.
Qrow set his flask alongside the flower. He'd wait until he saw the boy again to share a drink with him.
Raven reached down and patted his cold cheek. She looked at him a long time before moving on. Because of his efforts -his words- she believed in something intangible and greater than the material world; bonds that endured even without an immortal man to enforce them.
Nora leaned down to kiss his forehead. Jaune gently punched against his shoulder. Ren briefly clasped his hand before finding Nora's free one: the other still holding the lamp in her charge. She still had to carry something of him with her, but she could finally accept Ren's efforts to console her.
Yang reached down with her prosthetic to take hold of Oscar's hand. It was because of him she'd managed to shed much of her doubt, even giving her confidence to rebuke -and reconcile. And despite breaking off their relationship in a way that could've easily soured their friendship forever, Oscar remained supportive and helped her start something new with someone else. She couldn't even imagine the course of her love life without him now.
Blake knelt down beside his casket to press her forehead against his upper arm: a blessing she usually reserved only for those closest to her. Yang, her parents, and Oscar: all there beside her now. In no small part, thanks to him and his willingness to be her friend and not her rival; he was the example she'd look to now when she thought back on a man who'd both loved her and mentored her. He was the past she'd cling to and not run from.
"So young," Kali lamented as she laid her rose in the boy's casket.
"Not much younger than we were when we thought we could change the world," Ghira reminded her, patting the back of the boy's hand.
Whitley deposited his rose without comment: he observed the ceremony and left the rest to his sisters. Winter lingered a while longer… because of Oscar Pine, she'd had the time to see Fria off. Because she'd listened to his advice, Atlas gained powerful allies in the fight against Salem with three Maidens united under a single banner, and General Ironwood trusted him enough to take a dangerous risk… and helped hold her family and her name together as a result.
Weiss lingered beside him a long time before leaning down to kiss his cold cheek. No one out of the loop would read anything into it: her friends knew why, the observers would think a Schnee simply showing affection for a fallen friend.
For Weiss, however… an instrumental force in her life was gone. With only a handful of conversations and actions, the fate of an entire kingdom turned, and she acted in part because of his encouragement, and a feeling she never told him existed. When she quickly stepped away from him, she did not rejoin the others in their seats. She trusted the others to make the necessary excuse in her stead.
Ruby already said her piece. She didn't linger with Oscar long after laying her rose: he'd have told her to go after the person who needed her help more than he did then.
Ironwood knelt down and lingered over the open casket for a short while: he wanted to be as close to eye level as he could feasibly be again. When he looked at Oscar's eyes -and came to realize there was someone other than just Ozpin looking back- the weight of the world had not seemed so great. He'd had a friend to carry the burden with him.
Ironwood stood up and summoned the Ace Ops. They sealed the casket and hoisted it up, carrying Oscar's body to be interred. Ironwood, still serving as some form of master of ceremonies, addressed those seated a final time. "If you'd like to accompany us and witness the burial, you are welcome to do so. If not, the commissary has been instructed to be made available to all guests in attendance. Thank you -all- for joining me in seeing off my friend."
Weiss headed outside to the landing pad. It was unseasonably warm of late: maybe the Grimm's destruction had affected the air quality. Still, it was bright and warm in a dark corner of the world, and of late she'd had to be content with small blessings.
Ruby waited just outside the academy steps. She gave Weiss time to look out at the skyline before heading over to her partner, joining her in watching the sun illuminate the city of Mantle below, and the repurposed SDC ships beginning the resettlement.
"...is it strange that- maybe, some part of me would take the Grimm -take Salem back, if it meant he was still alive? Even if he was still her prisoner?" Weiss asked, before scoffing at herself. "It's unbecoming, really. That I would just… forego everything he'd done and all the people he'd saved just so we could be right back where we were."
"I went through the same thing," Ruby assured her. "When I finally woke up after Beacon. I wanted to believe it had been a dream, or that I could go back somehow and do it over. But then I remembered I hadn't been the one who decided to rush back in and save everyone." Ruby shook her head. "Not until you insisted you should come with me when I did."
"I think that's why it's stuck with me so long," Weiss admitted. "We had the time then, to talk, to make a plan. We didn't know what difference it'd make.
"I want to believe that he would've had time, but we'll never really know," Weiss admitted. "Maybe he had to be right where he was right at that moment in time; maybe not. But it had to be him, or Salem would've kept coming. We'd have had to fight the Grimm and… even if we won, there'd be so many more gone. I know that for sure."
Weiss had been beside Ruby when Salem taunted her. If Ruby had gone instead, if Ruby had woken them and brought her entire team, Salem would've toyed with them a while, but none of them could've done what Oscar had.
"...I told you I needed him to come back," Weiss continued. "And… I did. I needed to tell him how I felt instead of always knowing that I didn't." She finally turned her eye back to Ruby. "I did and… it still hurts; maybe it'll always hurt. But once it was all said aloud and all out in the open, I'm glad I didn't tell him. I'm glad I didn't make him hear all that before he went out there. I can't imagine what he might've done differently if he had that weighing on him."
Weiss sighed. "Do you know what the last thing I said to him was?"
Ruby couldn't think of it off the top of her head. "No."
"It was about Fria, and how he could help my sister," Weiss explained. "And… I don't know, I think that's probably for the best now. That I could trust him with the same secret my sister entrusted to me, and because I did he went to help Winter complete her mission." She turned her eye back to the skyline. "I'm glad the last thing I said was something that helped him."
If there's even the smallest chance of helping someone, then it's a chance worth taking.
She just stood beside her friend, watching Weiss's family name used to do some good in the start of rebuilding a damaged -but not irreparable- place below them. "I hope that was true for me too."
Weiss moved tentatively closer. Ruby nudged ever so slightly nearer.
The distance was never quite as far as it first seemed.
Ironwood presented to Team RWBY a topographical map of the fifth -uninhabited- continent of Remnant. "Based on the information Emerald gave me, Salem's keep is somewhere in this region," he pointed out a rough patch of unexplored territory in the dragon-shaped land mass. "If she survived, she may have fled back there."
"Even if she didn't, that's where we should go," Ruby decided. "To put a stop to anything else she set in motion. Even if we can't destroy her, we know we can stop her."
"And when Pietro finishes his repairs to the communication tower, the rest of the world will know it too," Ironwood assured her. "I'll tell anyone who'll listen how one brave young man saved the world… with a little help from the rest of you." Ironwood turned off the holographic display, finally tearing his eye off the relentless dream of data he'd spent so much time absorbing. "Are you sure I can't convince you to stay?"
"I think you've got some new friends now," Ruby reminded him. "And we can always stop by and tell you what we found."
Qrow nodded from his corner of the room. "I'll stick around and give Rae a fallback point for them, Jimmy; we ever need them, we won't have long to wait."
Ruby headed over to hug her uncle, Yang not far behind. Blake already said her goodbyes to her parents; Weiss exchanged some hours with her siblings after their father was carted back to his cell. Ironwood gave them several seconds before speaking up again. "Very well. I'll keep your dorms reserved in the meantime, should you need a place to stay. And of course… thank you -all of you- for all that you've done. For Atlas… for me."
Yang reached over to pat his right arm with her own. She knew it better than most.
"And you've done for us, General," Weiss assured him.
The four stepped out from his office. Qrow -finally free of his niece's grip- ambled over to the general's side. "You think they'll be alright?" Ironwood asked.
"'Course they will," Qrow assured him. "Even if Salem is still out there, she's the one running from them."
"I'd prefer her threat be gone forever," Ironwood observed. "Though… if she did survive and the rest of the world knows she ran from the greatest battle she ever faced…"
Qrow reactivated the general's hologram, examining the display of the world map. "If she did, she won't be the only one still out there. You think… maybe he'll reincarnate again, turn up somewhere else?"
"Part of me really hopes we see him again," Ironwood admitted. "But another part hopes he found rest."
Raven, Jaune, Ren, and Nora waited for them at the base of the academy steps. They'd packed their bags, loaded their supplies… Ruby hadn't even tried to dissuade them. She already knew they'd come along with her no matter where she'd lead them. They always had.
Ruby gestured to Nora's hip. "You're good to hang onto that thing?"
Nora firmly nodded, patting the lamp with her left hand. "It was a gift from a friend. Let them try to steal it."
"So, where are we off to?" Lie asked.
"Patch," Yang explained. "Our dad's place: somewhere to rest up before we venture off into the unknown."
"...I have been looking forward to meeting your father," Blake noted.
"Lower your expectations," Raven advised. "He's kind of a dork."
Blake glanced over at Ruby. "...I never would've guessed."
Yang chuckled. "They grow on you."
Blake reached down to find Yang's right hand. "Yes. Yes they do."
Raven did her best not to grin. Fortunately, she had a mask that would obscure her when it came time to open up her portal.
Ruby made one final dash inside. The resulting thud that caught their ears indicated Penny had decided to drag out a goodbye before her best friend headed home for a while.
"Do you think he did it?" Yang asked. "Do you think he destroyed her, and we'll just… mop up the leftovers?"
"Jinn said he couldn't destroy her," Weiss reminded her.
"Jinn said Ozpin couldn't destroy her," Blake corrected.
"And -surprising as it is- the two are very different," Raven noted.
And always would be.
Ruby finally rejoined them, looking well-preserved despite a painful glomping. "You guys ready?"
Affirmations all around. Smiles from her circle of friends, save Raven, wearing an inexpressive mask and cutting a portal back to Patch.
Home, for a while. Then back to chasing down the Grimm and keeping the world safe, just like they'd learned to from a mentor, a friend… a loved one cherished forever.
Neo woke when she heard someone step into the cabin. She instantly activated her Semblance, glancing about as an unfamiliar Faunus woman in a black, asymmetrical shrug and a hakama stepped inside. Neo blended in with the dull wooden walls of the ship, disguising herself as empty space.
But the Faunus' eyes could see better than a human's. Her powerful ears detected Neo's breathing. "You don't have to hide from me."
Neo had another option available to her. She kept her parasol close at hand: it'd probably be quieter than the powers she'd yet to master.
"I'm not sure why you're in here, but you have nothing to fear from me," the Faunus woman assured her. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Neo maintained her disguise. Any element of surprise she had left she'd utilize, if the need should present itself.
"My name is Kali," the Faunus woman greeted. "And… if you don't mean to harm us, then you are welcome here. Menagerie has always taken in those other kingdoms have driven away."
Roman had been distrustful of Faunus. From what they'd experienced in their alliance of convenience with the White Fang, he'd been wise to do so.
This one closely resembled one such Faunus who'd been a particular headache for the two of them…
"Please," Kali pressed, gently extending her hand. "Come out."
Neo knew better than to trust. The only two people she'd ever trusted died and she'd been powerless to change it. No one else had ever proven worthy of it from her.
But this woman was unarmed and could see through her disguise anyway. So Neo shed it, her parasol still at the ready should this woman press her too far.
"There you go," Kali nodded, stepping closer. Neo tensed up but managed to refrain from slashing… for the moment. "What's your name?"
Neo shook her head and pointed to her throat with her free hand. She hoped a Faunus would be better at picking up the clues.
Kali nodded. "Alright. You don't have to tell me now. Just… I'd like to know you, and how you came to be here, if you're willing to tell me."
What was the point in that? Neo didn't plan on staying any longer than necessary. She hadn't even intended to be noticed at all when she stowed away.
She tried to conceal her exasperation. She tried to feign simple indifference.
Kali's ears visibly twitched. She showed some… concern. "Are you all right? Is something troubling you?"
Neo raised an eyebrow. This one was insightful. Maybe she-
Neo looked up at the ears. She glanced back at the yellow eyes a bit further down, curious against her will.
"Are you a refugee?" Kali asked.
To a point, she might've been. Someone with nowhere to go or return to.
"Not everyone is willing to live among Faunus, but if you need a place to stay, we can find accommodation," Kali assured her. "All are welcome with us."
Such naivete. Such easily exploitable weakness.
It reminded her of someone she used to know. Someone who'd been able to hear her.
Neo pointed to Kali's hip. She set her parasol aside long enough to reach for the woman's Scroll. Kali offered it freely, exactly as Neo expected.
She could compose any story she wanted and she suspected Kali might believe it. But for a brief moment, Kali had sensed Neo's distress… maybe she could do so again. Maybe she'd eventually know she'd been lied to.
Oscar told her to be herself. And Neo may have fooled a great many people, but she'd never spoken a lie.
Neo typed out something she knew to be true: I'm lost.
As she had been so many times.
"Not anymore, sweetie," Kali assured her.
Welcomed with open arms… it was a hard thing to accept from someone who'd so rarely experienced it. But it'd happened twice in her life now; often enough that she might've believed it could happen again. Someone already found her once when she'd thought she'd be adrift forever. Someone already changed the course of her life and believed in her when she'd thought there was no one left who would.
Neo turned to the Scroll and thought on what to say next.
Mistral, A Train to Haven Academy
Not So Long Ago
The meal was better than anything his aunt cooked, but dining for one made the experience much less satisfying. No matter how delicious the food, a lack of company made for a poor dinner.
He was alone for much of the ride too. It seemed as though he was the only one making the trip out to the middle of the continent, so far from his farmstead…
His aunt took the news about as well as anyone could, hearing about her nephew leaving so abruptly. Though she had expressed her hope he'd write to her and find his way back. Oscar hadn't the heart to tell her how long he'd be gone.
Sitting alone in the dining car, he looked up at a poster splayed on the wall: an advertisement for Haven academy bearing the slogan -the challenge: BE A HERO.
Do you have any doubts, Oscar?
Of course, he wasn't quite as alone as it first seemed. Though his choice in company was… complicated, to say the least.
"Plenty," Oscar admitted. "But I guess… I guess if there's a way for me to help…"
More than you may ever know.
"I thought you said I'd know everything you did… eventually," Oscar coyly reminded the voice in his head.
And even I can't say how much impact I've had, Ozpin explained. I can't promise that you will be able to look back and know for certain that whatever difference you made was anymore instrumental than any of the others before us, but I think… I know that wanting to make a difference is sometimes all that it takes.
"Well, I guess we're all set then, aren't we?" Oscar murmured.
Not yet, Oscar. There's still the matter of the people I'm guiding you to meet. You may find it difficult at first, to separate yourself from me in their eyes. We are always judged by the man who came before us, for better or worse.
"Well, they were your friends, weren't they?" Oscar asked, before optimistically suggesting: "Maybe they'll want to be mine too."
Maybe, Ozpin agreed. It certainly makes the danger of it all more palatable, to face it alongside your friends.
Oscar looked out the window of the train car, at the city built into a mountain in the distance. Where Leonardo Lionheart and Qrow Branwen waited for Ozpin's reincarnation to find them.
He didn't know how he'd ended up there. Only that he had, and he'd make the best of things now that his fate had turned. It was frightening to face something on the scale Ozpin described alone… the world by itself was scary enough when faced all alone.
But he reminded himself again he wasn't alone. And Ozpin wouldn't be his only companion much longer.
He wondered what they'd be like, or if there'd be any others traveling with Qrow. Part of him hoped there'd be others closer to his age, despite the terrifying danger of having to face an immortal threat like Salem.
He wondered who he'd meet when he got off the train. He told himself it'd be better to find out -even halfway across a continent- than go back home and never know.
Oscar briefly saw his reflection in the pane of glass. He wondered if Qrow and Lionheart and the others would be bothered he was so young.
It was an easy enough thing to set aside. If they'd listened to Ozpin's rambling, they must've been willing to hear him out. And when they did, he hoped he'd have something worth hearing.
New friends joining him in a hopeless mission to save the world…
He wondered what happened if they ever succeeded. Maybe he'd just take this same train right back home.
Oscar didn't dwell on it. Saving the world was a goal much further off than that. Making a new friend was much closer, and every bit as important a step to take.
He sat back, counting the changing gears of the train as he drew ever closer, knowing this was just the beginning of a very long journey… a life he never expected, but now gladly claimed. He couldn't wait to see where it all led.