Here we are at Chapter 71. Time for Velvet and Ruby's special conversation with Oscar/Ozpin. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 71. Enjoy.
Chapter 71: An Interesting Conversation
In Mistral, Ruby, Velvet, and their group sit around in the living room, with a now sober Qrow, and Oscar sitting on a couch next to Ruby and Velvet. Meanwhile, the rest of the group stand in front of Oscar, eying him like some long-lost treasure.
"Did he age back?" Jaune asks.
"He's possessed!" Nora adds.
"Or he reincarnated," Ren suggests.
"Or some crazy hocus-pocus, and that's my gig," Magilou adds.
"And I thought I was out there," Velvet ends it.
Oscar appears nervous, not used to the attention, "Oh believe me, it's pretty out there for me as well," he says.
"Hey!" Qrow calls out, getting their attention from his seat on another couch. "Yes, I'm sure this is weird for you guys, but remember, it's even more so for the kid, so give him some space," he tells them.
At this, the group gives Oscar some space, laughing a little nervously at the embarrassing display.
"Thank you," Oscar sighs in relief, while Qrow nods. Oscar looks at Ruby, who giggles a bit, causing the boy to blush. "Um, sorry, I've just never actually talked to real huntsmen and huntresses before," he says.
"Well, we've never met a person with two souls before. And believe me, we've seen and heard about some pretty strange stuff around here," Ruby says as she nudges Velvet a bit.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Velvet asks, a little offended.
"Oh, don't worry, you know I adore you," Ruby calms her down by leaning against her a bit and holding her hand.
"Get a room already," Magilou teases them, earning a glare from Velvet.
"Anyway, back on topic. Mind showing us your little magic trick there kid?" Qrow asks.
"Um, right, sure. Just so you guys know, I'll still be here," Oscar says.
The group looks on in slight confusion while Oscar takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. A moment later, he opens them up as they glow green and then his demeanor suddenly changes.
"...It is so good to see you again, students," Ozpin suddenly says while using Oscar's voice.
"Wait...Professor Ozpin?" Ruby questions.
"Correct. And though I may be the one speaking, Oscar is still present mentally. He's merely handed over the control, so to speak," Ozpin explains.
"Just don't make us do anything embarassing," Oscar asks mentally.
"So, it is sort of like a possession. Nice call Ren," Velvet notes, while Ren nods in appreciation.
"I'm afraid this all must be very perplexing," Ozpin notes.
"And alarming, and bizarre, and just really kind of hard to believe overall!" Nora almost goes nuts.
"Eh, I've weirder back home, some of it because of me," Magilou shrugs her shoulders.
Ozpin looks to Magilou, "Um, pardon me, but I don't believe we've had the pleasure," Ozpin says.
"Hi there, the name's Magilou the Sorceress. I'm an old friend of Velvet's and I've come by to lend a hand. And to meet her girlfriend. And this is my partner, Bienfu," Magilou says as Bienfu appears on the coffee table.
"Hi there," Bienfu says.
Now Ozpin is a little stunned, "Fascinating, I've never seen such a creature before. What is he exactly?" Ozpin asks.
"A type of Malak called a Normin. Think of them like living spirits that grant powers to those that they make contracts with, meaning me. Get used to it," Magilou explains.
"I see. Even with all of my knowledge, I've never seen nor heard of such a being," Ozpin notes.
"Can we get back on topic, please?" Velvet asks.
Ozpin chuckles, "Heh-heh-heh, yes my apologies. Well, a pleasure to meet you, Miss Magilou, and you Mr. Bienfu," he replies, but then frowns. "I know you've all been through tremendous hardship already. I'm sorry," he apologizes.
"I mean, it's not your fault," Ruby tries to be supportive.
However, Ozpin remains unconvinced, "It's all my fault. I told you once that I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet, and I wasn't exaggerating. I'm... cursed. For thousands of years, I've walked the surface of Remnant, living, dying, and reincarnating in the body of a like-minded soul. The Professor Ozpin you all met was not my first form and clearly wasn't my last. It's... an extraordinarily strenuous process on everyone involved," Ozpin explains his condition.
"So, what are you exactly? Some kind of spirit, jumping from body to body?" Velvet asks.
"...Well, I am the combination of countless men who've spent their lives trying to protect the people of Remnant. With every rebirth, my soul is eventually merged with another and I am changed, but my memories stay with me. This curse was bestowed upon me by the gods because I failed to stop Salem in the past. But we must stop her now," Ozpin explains.
"Okay, and how do you want us to do that, exactly?" Magilou asks, crossing her arms.
"We start... by ensuring the safety of the Relic of Knowledge," Ozpin says as he leans back in his chair.
"Isn't that the relic kept hidden in Haven?" Velvet asks.
"Yes, it is. With things as they are, it is likely the next target for Salem and her forces, which is why we must protect it," Ozpin replies.
"So, what, we go up to Professor Lionheart, tell him what's going on, and you convince him to help us?" Jaune suggests.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple. Qrow informed me about your previous meeting with Professor Lionheart. What he told me has left me concerned," Ozpin replies.
"Well, Lionheart wasn't exactly helpful when we talked to him. He did everything short of slamming the door in our face. It was pissing my off," Velvet says, earning a concerned look from Ruby who holds Velvet's hand in her own.
"Yes, that is the problem," Ozpin says as he stands up and starts to walk to a painting of Mistral on the wall. "You see, in times of reincarnation for me, I've left specific instructions for each of my Lieutenants, the other headmasters of the other academies, to follow. However, Lionheart is displaying unusual behavior. He's completely disregarding those instructions I've left him. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I don't want to rule anything out either. So, for the time being, I think it would be best to keep my reincarnation between just the people in this room," Ozpin says.
"Okay, then what are we supposed to do?" Jaune asks.
"We start by securing more huntsmen to the fight to aid us," Ozpin replies.
"But what about the council? They-," Ren begins.
"Don't own every huntsmen in the kingdom. And I know a few who just might be able to help us out," Qrow interrupts him.
"If they're trustworthy," Ozpin adds.
"You can trust them to put up a fight. I'll compile a list tonight," Qrow replies and goes to lay his feet on the coffee table, only for his semblance to go off, causing the table to break in half, spooking him a bit.
"Nice one, old man," Magilou jokes, while Qrow just groans a bit.
"Back on topic, what's the second step?" Ruby asks.
Ozpin walks by and picks up his cane, "Getting the rest of you into fighting shape," he says as he turns to them.
The teenagers look at each other in slight confusion, "But... we already know how to fight," Ruby notes.
Ozpin stands in front of Ruby and aims his cane at her, "You can only fight so long as you have Crescent Rose, but are lacking in hand-to-hand combat skills," he notes.
Ruby gets a little nervous, "Well, I know I'm not as good as my sister in that sort of thing, but I'm not that bad, right? Velvet?" Ruby asks her girlfriend.
Velvet glances away, "Um, well, is it okay if I agree with you, even though it's a lie?" she asks.
Ruby then looks betrayed, "Velvet, why?!" she cries.
"Anyway, next is you, Mr. Arc," Ozpin says, pointing his cane at Jaune this time. "I'm glad to hear you've improved, but I'm sorry to hear that you still haven't unlocked your semblance," he notes, making Jaune rub his head. "All of you have some improvements to make if you are to be ready for the battles that lie ahead of us. However, as for you," Ozpin adds as he turns to Magilou. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with your skills or abilities, so you'll have to show me what your capable of during the training sessions. However, if you're an old friend of Velvet's, then I can assume that your quite skilled in combat," he says.
"Hah, old man, you have no idea what I'm capable of," Magilou replies, liking the flattery a bit.
"Yes, well, as for you Velvet, you are quite skilled yourself. I'm not sure what's left for me to help you with," Ozpin says.
"Well, perhaps you can tell me more about the Fall Maiden's power," Velvet suggests, activating her part as the energy courses around her right eye.
This stuns Ozpin, "Wait, you have become the Fall Maiden now?" he asks.
Velvet deactivates her power and shakes her head, "No, I only have a part of it that I absorbed from Cinder at the Fall of Beacon. Right now, I believe it would be best if I tried to absorb the rest from her. Better for it to be with me than with her, am I right?" Velvet explains.
"I see. Well, you have a point. I suppose should we encounter Cinder Fall in the future, we'll need to you do this. This way, it'll give us an advantage over Salem's forces. That semblance of your certainly is interesting, to say the least," Ozpin notes about her demon claw.
Velvet looks down and Ruby holds her arm for support, "Yeah, about that. If we're going to work together, I think you need to know a few things. I still don't really trust you, Ozpin, but if we're going to do this, we need to do it together. I know that's what Ruby would say. So, I think you should know about me... and about where I come from," Velvet decides.
…
A while later after Velvet finishes explaining her origins to Ozpin, everyone watches him as he sits on the couch, taking all this information in.
"So, she used to be a human from another world, but then became a demon, did some things, died, and then was brought back to life in our world. I thought having a voice inside my head made me feel crazy," Oscar notes mentally.
"...To think that Summer Rose would continue to surprise me, even in death, even to this day. She certainly was an incredible human being," he mutters before looking to Velvet. "What you've told me has certainly filled in many blanks that came into being when we first met. No wonder we could never find any information or records on you. However, what does concern me is what you did back in your world, when you were this 'Lord of Calamity'," Ozpin notes.
"If you were put in the same situation as I was, I bet you'd be a lot more understanding," Velvet retorts.
"Well, what you did in the past doesn't matter now. What you do now, in the present, does. We are on the same side, fighting against a common enemy. You've learned from your past, and Summer Rose saw the potential for redemption in you. I trust her judgment, as well as Miss Rose's judgment here. So, I will trust you, Velvet Crowe," Ozpin states.
Velvet actually feels a little relieved at hearing that, "Thank you," she replies.
"So, what now?" Nora asks.
"We continue with the plan, by helping you along with your training, along with Oscar's training. He'll inherit my muscle memory with time, and while he can give me temporary control, he'll need to strengthen his body and aura," Ozpin says.
"Wait, what?" Oscar asks.
"Physical training with you all will help expedite the process," Ozpin notes.
"But if Qrow is out looking for other huntsmen, then who's going to train us?" Ruby asks.
Ozpin suddenly jumps into the air with his cane, spinning counterclockwise into a barrel roll before landing onto the seat of the armchair, twirling his cane with style and a smirk.
"Well, I believe I WAS the headmaster of Beacon Academy," Ozpin notes.
The display leaves the members of Team RNJR with surprised looks on their faces, while Magilou looks a little perplexed, and Velvet just raises an eyebrow.
"We have approximately one month before classes resume at Haven. If Salem were to plan an attack, it would make sense that it would occur prior to students' return. It's not MUCH time, but it's better than nothing. Just don't expect me to go easy on you," Ozpin says as he stops twirling his cane around.
Just then his eyes glow green for a moment, a sign of him switching control back to Oscar. Oscar has a hard time keeping his balance on the armchair and quickly falls backwards, taking the chair with him and landing hard on the floor.
Oscar groans in pain, "You've gotta be kidding me," he mutters as everyone stares at him.
…
Meanwhile, it is late in Menagerie and at the Belladonna household, Blake's family, Sun, and Rokurou are all sitting around the table, having dinner while talking about Ghira's upcoming speech to his people.
"So, how's the speech coming along, Ghira?" Rokurou asks while sipping his tea.
"I think I'm just about done with it. After this, I'll finish up the rest and then look over it tomorrow before I call the people together. Some of what I plan on saying, the Faunus of Menagerie may not exactly be supportive of," Ghira replies.
"Maybe, but still, they need to hear it. We can't keep turning a blind eye while the White Fang continues their plans, and we can't let Adam attack Haven Academy. People are already looking negatively at Faunus, and the Fall of Beacon only made it worse. If the attack succeeds, then there may be no hope of peace between humans and Faunus," Blake notes.
"I am inclined to agree with you. The truth may be difficult to hear, but that makes it all the more important to hear it. We can't sit idly by anymore," Ghira replies.
"Well, don't worry, we've got your back, Mr. B," Sun says with a cocky grin.
Ghira just glares at him, "Suddenly, I'm feeling less confident about all this," he deadpans.
"You'll be fine, dear. It's not your first big speech," Kali supports him.
"Yeah, sorry I couldn't help out much with that. Writing speeches aren't exactly my specialty. I do better by slashing and breaking things rather than making them," Rokurou notes.
"Yeah, we've noticed," Blake says.
"Well, it's helped you get back into fighting shape. Now that nice blade of yours won't have to get rusty, and that's a real waste," Rokurou replies.
"What do you mean by that, Mr. Rangetsu?" Ghira glares at him.
"I'm talking about her katana, Ghira. Like I said before, I can appreciate a fine blade, and I hate seeing one go to waste. If you're worried about boy problems with your daughter, then focus on monkey boy here," Rokurou says, pointing a thumb to Sun.
Ghira then glares back at Sun, "Thanks for reminding me," he says, making Sun glance away with a nervous laugh while sipping his tea.
"Anyway, you think the White Fang will try something at this big speech of yours?" Rokurou asks.
"I wouldn't be surprised. That's why I'll have my guards around during the also have news crews coming in to tape the speech. Hopefully, this will help spread the truth that we want to be equals with humans; to peacefully coexist with them. We'll just have to wait, see, and prepare for whatever happens as best as we can," Ghira replies.
"Alright, enough about work. Let's just enjoy the rest of this meal together as family and friends, shall we?" Kali suggest, while the others nod.
The rest of the night goes quietly, and later on, Rokurou is seen outside Ghira's study, polishing his blades under the stars. However, a moment later, he stops and glances to his side.
"You know, you're gonna have to do a lot better than that if you want to sneak up on someone like me. So come on out," he says and looks to see Ilia land on the railing to the side. "Ilia," he notes before going back to polishing his swords.
"You're not gonna try and attack?" Ilia asks.
"Something tells me you didn't come here to fight," Rokurou notes offhandly.
"I just want to talk to Blake," Ilia says.
"No can do. If you want her, you got to go through me first," Rokurou replies.
"Please, whatever you guys are planning, it's not going to work. Just... just tell Blake to leave Menagerie before it's too late," Ilia asks as she takes off her mask.
Rokurou grunts, "You want her to run away again? Well, she's done running; from her past, and from the people she cares about. Blake's not gonna run from this. She's done letting her fear get to her. Unlike you," Rokurou notes as he finally looks at Ilia.
"What's that supposed to mean? I just don't want Blake to get hurt, but I don't want her getting in our way either," Ilia retorts.
Rokurou sighs, "You care about her, don't you? And I suspect, it's more than just as a friend," he says, making Ilia look a little surprised before looking away. "If you truly care about Blake, then you'd be fighting by her side, rather than against her. I've seen plenty of people like you. Full of hate and bitterness... It's that same bitterness that turned me into this..." he says as a breeze of wind blows by, allowing Ilia to see his demon eye. "I know what it's like to fight out of hate. Trust me, I know that better than anyone else, and I also know that it doesn't work in the end. I still have some hate left in me, but I also have many other things in me that are stronger than hate and bitterness. It's those things that have allowed me to reach where I'm at today," Rokurou says before he stands up and sheathes his swords. "If you truly want things to be better for the Faunus, then you need to stray from Adam Taurus' path. If the attack on Haven succeeds, then Faunus will be seen as monster by everyone, forever," he says.
Ilia looks down, contemplating his words, before she glares back at him and puts her mask back on.
"You don't know anything about me, or about what I've been through," Ilia replies before she jumps into the shadows and disappears.
Rokurou watches her go and sighs again, "I know more than you realize kid," he mutters.
And that's the chapter. Velvet reveals her origins to Ozpin, and Ruby's team prepare for the next stage in their mission for Haven and the Relic of Knowledge. Meanwhile, Rokurou has a little chat with Ilia about what she should really be fighting for. Who knows what may happen next? Will the speech go well? Will Velvet learn to fully trust Ozpin? Until then, please Read and Review.