Chapter 6:
Qrow landed on a tree branch in his corvid form. Its position was a good source of cover as he looked at the nearby encampment, his attention mainly on the largest tent. Hopping off the branch, he reverted to his human form, tucking and rolling when he hit the ground. He wore his usual Huntsman outfit; a gray, long-tailed dress shirt over his torso, black dress pants over his legs, and black dress shoes over his feet. In addition to that, he wore a red, tattered cape, a ring on his right index finger, and two other rings on his right ring finger. Around his neck was a necklace with a cross pendant. Cautiously, he stepped out into the clearing behind the main tent. It had been a few days since he called Lux, and he had finally come to a decision.
He would talk to Raven. So here he was, at the Branwen Tribe's camp. The place he once so readily called home. When he had done a flyover, he'd found that not much had changed, though it had been a long time since his last visit.
That was when he still worked for Ozpin. Now, he just 'worked' for Ozpin. He no longer held any loyalty to him. Not anymore. Not after what Lux had told him. When Lux had told him the truth; about everything that happened with Ozpin and Salem; he was furious, though it had taken him some time to come to his final conclusion. The lies, the deception, all of it had come to light. If it weren't for Lux, he would've flown into Ozpin's office and punched the ancient bastard into next week.
While he still completed the missions Ozpin gave him, he now took orders from Lux. It still amazed him that Lux was from another world. Even more so was the fact that Lux knew of things to come. He trusted Lux, and he had a feeling it was better placed than his trust in Ozpin.
He came to a stop at the tent's entrance and briefly considered knocking, before dismissing the thought. Pushing open the tent flap and walking in, he immediately found the point of a slim, red blade tickling against his throat.
"Is this your idea of a warm welcome?" he jokingly asked, as his dull-red eyes rose to meet Raven's bright, crimson eyes.
"If you're here to try and convince me to come back again, save your breath. I'm not going to work for Ozpin. Not anymore," stated Raven. She wore a shallow-cut black and red dress with black shorts underneath, and a belt that wrapped around her waist, which carried Omen's sheath. Hanging out from under the dress' right side were black feathers. On her arms were red, armored gauntlets that protruded outwards, as well as black, fingerless gloves. Over her legs, she wore mid-thigh-high leggings and red-soled black boots over her feet. And around her neck were a few beaded necklaces. "My answer's the same as always."
Qrow grinned. "Well, then I guess it's a good thing I'm not here to convince you to come back to Oz," he replied. "I come bearing information. And a job proposal."
Raven narrowed her eyes, still keeping Omen pressed against Qrow's throat. "Information? On what?"
"Lux Rose," answered Qrow. "The person I now work for."
Raven's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly recovered. She snorted. "So, you stopped working for the old fool and started working for a child?"
Qrow grinned. "Well, if you want an explanation, I can give you one," he offered. "But, if you don't... Well, Lux did say that this assignment was optional."
Raven's eyes narrowed again. She was silent for a few moments, before she finally removed Omen from Qrow's throat and sheathed it. She sighed annoyedly. "Fine. I'll listen."
"Good. Because your world is about to be turned upside down," said Qrow, a grin on his face.
Rolling her eyes, Raven turned around, walked to the front entrance, and called out. "Vernal!" A few seconds later, a girl with short, brown hair, and ice-blue eyes, wearing a light brown vest and maroon jeans, entered the tent. "Some tea." Vernal just nodded and went back outside without a word. Turning away from the front entrance, Raven walked over to the short table in her tent and sat down on one of the cushions. She motioned to the one across from her. "Sit."
Qrow complied, joining Raven in sitting cross-legged at the table. While he kept Harbinger in its place on his back, Raven set Omen down beside her, still within easy reach if needed. A few minutes of tense silence passed by until Vernal returned with a tray holding two cups and a teapot. She set it down on the table, before taking her leave. Qrow and Raven each took their cup, and Qrow took the teapot to pour his tea, before setting it back down on the tray. Raven did the same.
"So," started Qrow, taking a sip from his cup. "You're the Spring Maiden, huh?" Raven instantly tensed up, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Relax. I only know because Lux told me. Didn't believe him at first." When Raven didn't untense, Qrow rolled his eyes. "Seriously. Relax. While I know he wouldn't mind having you fight by his side for the potential combat power of a Maiden, he really only needs you for access to the Relic of Knowledge." Raven sighed and untensed.
Raven's eyes narrowed slightly. "You seem to trust him an awful lot, considering he's just a child. And, of course, there's the fact that you deigned to come here on his behalf."
Qrow chuckled. "He's not exactly a child," he said with a smile. "And thus brings us to what I mainly came to talk about. The entity that is Lux Rose."
Raven raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly a child?" she questioned. "Are you implying what I think you are?" It was the only conclusion she could make from Qrow's statement.
"If what you think I'm implying is that this isn't his first life, then yeah, you're right on the mark," said Qrow. "And not only that, but he's also not from this world."
Raven glared at Qrow. "I said I would listen, not allow you to waste my time."
Qrow set his cup down, then raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Trust me, I reacted much the same way when he told me," he stated. "He said he doesn't know how it happened. He knows he died, but has no clue as to how he ended up here. He knows next to nothing about what was going on between his death and being reborn into this world, besides the darkness surrounding him. Literally. Just nothingness. But, he remembers being born. He remembers what it was like just seconds after coming out of the womb."
"Alright. Let's say that's the truth," said Raven, setting her cup down and putting her hands down on the table. "Why should I help him? What reason do I have to help?"
Qrow's expression sobered. "Why? Because Salem's making her move." He looked at Raven, whose expression had darkened. She understood the severity of his words. He continued on. "A few months ago, the Fall Maiden was attacked. Half of her powers were stolen before I was able to intervene. She's alive, but in a coma, and dying by the second." He sighed. "Thing is, we know exactly who they are, and when they're going to come for the rest of Amber's powers."
Raven kept her expression even. "And the end goal?" she asked.
Qrow looked down at his tea, a complicated look on his face. "Lux doesn't know, unfortunately. From what he can tell, Salem wants the Relics. For what, however, is still a mystery, even to him. Lux does know certain things, though. Certain events and plans in the future."
"I have yet to hear a good reason to get involved, Qrow," said Raven evenly. "So what if Salem is making her move? So what if Lux knows of things to come in the future? What does that have to do with me?"
A growl slipped past Qrow's lips. "Because they'll come for you after Beacon falls!" he yelled, throwing one hand to the side, and he watched as Raven's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't stop, though. "That's right. Beacon will fall. That is if we don't do anything. If we allow them to get the rest of Amber's power, they'll come after you next. They know you're the spring maiden, too, Raven, or at least that you 'have her'". You're an idiot to think otherwise." He had her attention now, he knew. Raven's focus was on the tea in front of her, her eyes wide and wild.
Eventually, Raven turned her focus back to Qrow, her eyes firm once again. "I'll think about it," she said.
"That's all I ask," replied Qrow, sighing. He stood up, turning his back to Raven, and walked to the back exit of the tent. He stopped just before it, looking back at his sister. "Despite how much I may hate you for what you did, leaving Tai and Yang, I still care about you, Raven. I hope you make the right choice." He turned back to the exit, stopping again for a moment. "I'll be staying in Mistral for a little while longer. The Huntsman population has taken a huge blow, thanks to Lionheart's actions, and I'm going to be doing damage control. When you've decided what you'll do, you'll know where I am. Oh, and just keep in mind, Lux isn't as forgiving as I am." With that, Qrow left the tent, turning back to his corvid form and flying away.
Inside the tent, Raven calmly stood up. Walking over to the bottles of alcohol sitting in a case in the corner of the tent, she took one out, popped off the top, and took a long swig. She looked down tiredly at the bottle.
"Fuck."
Lux was the first to rise on Monday morning, and he rose before the sun. He had to, because he knew that if he didn't, he'd have to deal with a long wait before he could take his shower. Of course, there was also the fact that it was the first day of classes. After taking a quick shower and getting his uniform on, he exited the bathroom. Looking out the window, he could see the first rays of sunlight being cast across the campus. He found it beautiful, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
It's the small things in life, he thought to himself. Walking up to the window, he closed his eyes, and a content sigh escaped past his lips when he felt the sun's rays on his face. I'd stay in this moment forever, if I could. No conflict to worry about. No Salem. No Ozpin. No Cinder Fall to deal with. No one to disturb me. Just a peaceful moment.
"Well, you're up early," came the voice of Yang.
Aaaand the moment is ruined, he thought, both sighing and chuckling internally. Opening his eyes, he didn't yet look towards Yang, instead keeping his focus on the rising sun. "Is that really any surprise?" he asked.
Yang cracked a grin. "I guess not. And I don't think I'll ever forgive you for getting me into this habit," she joked. Swinging her legs around and off the bed, she sat there, looking at Lux. Looking out the window, her eyes roamed over the image of the sprawling campus of Beacon, still bathed in the morning rays of sunlight. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of this view."
"I don't think I will either," said Lux. "'It's the little things in life that make you appreciate the world around you.'"
Yang hopped off her bed and onto the floor and joined Lux in front of the window. Gently, she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. It wasn't often that he quoted Summer, and she didn't miss the sad smile he tried to hide. She gave him a gentle squeeze. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She gave him a warm smile.
"She'd be proud of you, you know," said Yang.
Lux smiled in return. "Yeah, she would," he agreed. "And she'd be proud of you and Ruby, too." He chuckled. "Now, go take your shower. Today's the first day of classes, and I won't let us be late."
Yang rolled her eyes amusedly and stepped away from Lux. Then, in a joking manner, she gave him a salute. "Aye aye, captain." After grabbing her uniform, she went into the bathroom.
The rustling of sheets drew Lux's attention to the bed under Yang's. Blake was awake, sitting up in her bed. For a few seconds, he looked at her, and she looked at him. Finally, Lux gave a noncommittal hum and looked back out the window.
"You heard most of that, huh," said Lux.
Blake nodded. "I did."
Lux briefly glanced at Blake, then turned his attention back to the view. "Well, thank you for not interrupting the moment." He looked over to Ruby's bed, where the girl still slept. "Guess I should wake up our leader." Turning, he walked up to the bed and reached up into the bed. Ruby was lying on her side, facing towards the middle of the room. Slowly, gently, Lux poked Ruby's cheeks.
Ruby let out a tired groan and shifted slightly. "No, Mr. Waffles, I'm good. I think I'm full," she muttered.
Slowly, Lux turned to look at Blake, barely managing to suppress a smile. Blake rolled her eyes, though the mirth in them said that she was far from annoyed. Turning back to Ruby, Lux poked her again.
This time, Ruby stirred a little more as she swatted at the air sleepily. "Noooo," she whined. "I said I'm full."
Again, Lux turned to look at Blake and found she was having a hard time suppressing the smile that tugged at her lips. Lux turned back to Ruby, and he poked her again. This time, he poked a little harder.
Ruby's eyes fluttered open, and she slowly sat up in her bed with a groan, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Her eyes scanned the room slowly, lingering for a few seconds longer on the view out the window, before finally coming to rest on Lux. She blinked a few times, then her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh it's morning and I have to get ready for classes and woah-!" Somehow, in her panic to get out of bed, she got tangled up in her sheets, and when she went to get out of her bed, she fell off. Lux backed up, allowing Ruby to fall to the floor. She hit the ground with a thud.
"Ow," groaned Ruby. She looked up at Lux. "Why?"
Lux smiled in amusement at Ruby. "Because classes start today. Yang and Blake were already awake, so that just left you and Weiss," he explained.
"Did you have to do that?" asked Ruby as she got up from the floor, unraveling herself from the sheets in the process. Folding them up neatly, she set them on her bed. She would make her bed later.
"No," admitted Lux, before he cracked a grin. "But it was funny." He looked to Blake, who had finally given up on trying to hide her smile. "Right, Blake?"
Blake rolled her eyes, though not in annoyance. "It was a little funny."
Lux reached out and ruffled Ruby's hair. "Relax, we're just teasing you a bit." He let his arm fall back to his side and looked to where Weiss slept. "So, how should we wake up the Ice Queen?"
Ruby perked up. "I could use my-" she started to say, but was cut off by Lux.
"No, we are not using the whistle," said Lux, much to Ruby's disappointment. Lux tapped his left index finger against his chin in thought. After a few seconds, he shrugged. "Eh, I can't really think of anything creative. I guess we'll just have to do it the normal way." Then, in a joking manner, he turned to Ruby and saluted. "Sergeant! Permission to yell at Private Schnee to wake her up?"
Ruby went along with it, straightening up and nodding. "Permission granted, Private Rose!" She was barely able to suppress a giggle.
Lux chuckled and dropped the salute, then turned to face Weiss. Leaning over close to Weiss' ear, he took a deep breath. He could barely stop the small smile tugging at his lips. "Wake up, soldier!"
Weiss jolted awake, her eyes snapping open, and upon doing so, found herself staring into pools of silver, though they were more like unwavering rings of steel. "What are you doing?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
Lux straightened up again, though he didn't move his focus away from Weiss. "I said wake up, soldier!" He repeated. "Classes start today, which means getting up early and getting a good breakfast. You're the last one to wake up." He nodded toward the bathroom door. "Which means you'll be the last to use the shower."
Weiss blinked a few times, then sighed. This is going to be a long day, she thought.
Yang walked out a few seconds later, now dressed in her uniform. Upon seeing that Weiss was awake, she grinned. "Oh, hey, the Ice Queen's up."
A long day indeed.
Ozpin took another sip from his mug as he delved deeper into the files he currently had pulled up on his terminal. At some point, the student file hadn't been enough in terms of information. So, he had started looking for articles, cross-referencing reports and records, all in an attempt to find any evidence that would support Goodwitch's theory. Of course, he hadn't neglected his health. Many millennia of living had drilled into him the importance of maintaining his body's health. After all, if someone works, but never takes breaks, they'll run themselves into the ground.
However, if someone took the time to care for their body's needs, they could achieve so much more. In all honesty, Ozpin felt it was the only reason he had lasted so long in his war with Salem.
For the next few minutes, Ozpin continued to search for anything that would support the theory of Lux being a reincarnated entity. Yet, all he came across were dead ends. He continued for many more minutes, still not finding anything, until a tone came from the elevator. Ozpin looked up at it, pressing the button on his desk to allow it to open.
Goodwitch exited from the elevator, coming up to stand before Ozpin's desk. "Good morning, Ozpin," she greeted with a nod.
Ozpin nodded back with a smile. "Good morning to you, too, Glynda. I hope you are ready for today."
"I wouldn't be much of a teacher if I was not, now, would I?" replied Goodwitch. Her eyes looked to the files pulled up on Ozpin's terminal. "More research, I see."
Ozpin leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as he took a long sip from his mug. "Yes. More research," he said, nodding in confirmation. "I found that Mr. Rose's student file was not enough. So I began to cross-reference, though I have only found dead ends."
Goodwitch hummed in thought. "There was always an extremely low chance of you finding anything, anyways," she said.
"I suppose you are right," said Ozpin, as he powered off his terminal. A small smile tugged at his lips as he looked at Goodwitch. "A small reminder, Glynda. Do not forget to pit Mr. Rose and Ms. Nikos against each other."
A small smirk tugged at Goodwitch's lips. "I needn't a reminder Ozpin. I haven't gone senile yet." Her expression straightened after a few seconds. "I'll make sure it happens."
"Good," said Ozpin, nodding his head. "Now, I suggest you get ready for your first class." He received a nod from Goodwitch, and she turned and left. When she was gone, Ozpin stood up, grabbing his mug, and stood before the large window. His gaze went beyond the sprawling campus, beyond the cityscape of Vale, to the horizon. He could almost imagine her face—Paper white skin, deep, crimson eyes.
"A new piece has been added to the board. But is it mine? Or will it be yours?"
Lux sat down at the table, setting his plate down in front of him, piled with bacon, eggs, and some toast. Ruby sat beside him, as did Weiss. Across from them sat Blake and Yang. It seemed that they had subconsciously made a rule; partners sat with partners. Then came the members of Team JNPR. Jaune next to Pyrrha on the same side as Yang and Blake, then Ren and Nora across from them. As they sat down, Pyrrha glanced at Weiss, who was scowling and glaring at Lux.
"Did something... happen?" asked Pyrrha hesitantly, looking to Lux for an answer.
Lux shrugged, taking a sip of orange juice. "She's mad because I woke her up."
Weiss continued to glare at Lux. "I'm not mad because you woke me up. I'm mad because of the way you woke me up."
Multiple scenarios flooded Pyrrha's mind; Lux dumping water on Weiss, Lux dumping ice cold water on Weiss, Lux blowing a whistle next to Weiss' ear... After a couple of seconds, Pyrrha finally spoke. "How did he wake you up?"
"I yelled in her face," answered Lux, then proceeded to practically inhale his food.
Pyrrha opened her mouth to speak, paused, then closed it a second later. "That's... not as bad as I thought it would be. Definitely better than what we got." She made an effort not to glance over at Nora.
"So," started Ruby, swallowing a bite of her bacon, "who's excited for classes?"
"I'm not excited, exactly, but it'll be interesting to see the difference between classes at Signal and the classes here at Beacon," said Yang. "What about you, Lux?"
Lux shrugged. "Yeah, it will be interesting to see what the classes are like," he answered. "Our first class is Grimm Studies with Professor Port. That one should be pretty easy. Then we've got History with Doctor Oobleck, lunch after that, a free period, combat class, and then dinner." A moment later, he grimaced. "I've heard some things, though."
"Like what?" asked Yang.
Lux sighed. "Apparently, Port doesn't even teach. He just tells tall tales for the whole class, then assigns work at the end."
"I doubt he's that bad," said Weiss.
"I heard this from a pair of second-years."
"Oh, well, maybe the lessons are just hidden in the story," replied Weiss.
A few moments of silence passed by, in which no one dared to speak.
"Suit yourself," said Lux, shrugging.
"What about Oobleck?" asked Pyrrha. "Does he have any… quirks?"
"He speaks too fast for anyone to follow what he's saying," replied Lux.
Pyrrha tried not to grimace. "Ah. That's… grand."
Taking out his scroll, Lux checked the time. "Speaking of classes, we should probably get on our way to Grimm Studies. It's already fifteen minutes till."
"Fifteen minutes!?" shrieked Weiss. "Why are we still sitting around!?"
Lux chuckled internally. These first few days of classes are going to be interesting, he thought as he disposed of his tray, following his team out the cafeteria doors.
As Lux entered Professor Peter Port's classroom, the first thing he noticed was the cage. It was rattling slightly, hinting that it held something. It might still be a Boarbatusk. Considering the size of the cage, it most likely has to be, he thought as he sat down, following his team's lead and sitting in the front row, with Team JNPR not too far behind. It wasn't long before the lecture hall filled up, and an even shorter amount of time before Peter Port entered the room.
Here we go... thought Lux.
"Monsters! Demons. Prowlers of the Night." started Port. "The Grimm go by many names. But I... refer to them as prey!"
Lux knew where this was going, and so rested his chin on his right hand, making sure to take all focus away from the rambling professor. Now left with only his own mind to keep him occupied, his mind wandered to the events of the previous night, and Ruby's questions. He had known he couldn't answer all of them, especially the first, but he answered as many as he could. He could only imagine how Ruby would react to finding out that Qrow worked for him. After that, though, Ruby hadn't mentioned anything to Lux about the conversation, or the questions.
I wonder how Qrow's doing with that assignment I gave him. Lux's thoughts wandered further, going back to the day he revealed to Qrow what he knew, and what he was. Those ten years ago.
A six-year-old Lux Rose stared down at his mother's gravestone. A black cloak covered his form, the hood drawn up, and Spinam strapped to his waist. The sword had been one of the final gifts he had received from Summer before she'd left for her final mission. There were so many things he would never be able to tell her. To share with her. Because she had died. She had walked out the door and not come back.
Just like he knew she would.
And he'd failed to stop her.
The sound of footsteps came from behind him, signaling the arrival of his guest.
"You're late," said Lux, not yet turning to look at the person.
"Only by a few minutes," came the reply from Qrow. "You said you wanted to spar?"
Lux turned to look at Qrow. "Yeah, I did. Are you ready?"
Qrow nodded to Lux. "Yeah, I'm ready. Though, I gotta ask, couldn't you have asked your dad to spar with you?"
"No," replied Lux, shaking his head. "It has to be you."
"Alright. If you say so," conceded Qrow, ignoring the uneasy feeling in his gut. " Any rules?"
"No, not really," replied Lux, shaking his head. "Just don't hold back too much."
"Whenever you're ready then."
Qrow had barely gotten into a fighting stance before Lux was already dashing towards him, Spinam drawn, one hand on the hilt. Qrow quickly drew Harbinger, bringing the sword up to block as it expanded, metal plates sliding out. Lux brought Spinam down in a slash, the blade glowing black as he activated the Gravity-Dust crystal in the pommel and took it in a two-handed grip. Noticing the glow at the last second, Qrow angled Harbinger to the side, allowing Spinam to be deflected. Though that didn't stop him from being jarred by the impact.
While he lacked the muscle, Lux made up for it with the Gravity-Dust in Spinam, using it to change the weight of the blade. And as he brought Spinam back into an upward slash, he reversed the effect of the Dust, making the blade lighter, accelerating the swing. And as he reversed the effect again at the last second, Spinam crashing into Harbinger, he let go, much to Qrow's surprise.
Lux took the opening, leaving Spinam to fall to the ground, as he surged in, swinging his right fist into Qrow's stomach. Dodging back before Qrow could retaliate, Lux reached out towards his sword, willing the Dust to bring it flying back to his hand. Qrow took a moment to study Lux.
"You've gotten better on your offense, kiddo. Shame's me to say that took me by surprise." Qrow smirked. "Let's see how you've gotten with your defense." He wasted no more time, rushing towards Lux, bringing Harbinger to bear. He slashed downward, and Lux parried it to the side, stepping back as Qrow brought Harbinger back in for another downward slash, checking his strike this time, then brought it around in a sideways slash, catching Lux in his side. Aura flared, and Lux recoiled, taking multiple steps back, and readied Spinam again. Then, keeping his eyes locked with Qrow's, he started circling the man.
Then, suddenly, Lux rushed forward again, eyes glowing, white light suffusing Spinam's blade. He brought it into a sideways slash, aiming for Qrow's midsection. However, Qrow wisely dodged back from it, opting to let the slash slip by, rather than try to block what he knew would be a powerful strike.
Another weapon in Lux's arsenal; the Silver Eyes. He had spent the past two years refining the power to what he wanted, and while it wasn't perfect yet, he still had enough control to make some powerful attacks.
Slashing downward this time, Lux sent a crescent beam of white light towards Qrow, who brought Harbinger up to block. The light crashed against the sword with tremendous force, pushing Qrow back several feet.
Qrow whistled appreciatively. "Those attacks are still getting stronger," he commented. "Let's see what else you can do.
Lux only nodded at him in response.
They continued for several minutes, going back and forth, trading blows. No matter how many times Qrow struck Lux, he, unsurprisingly, never faltered despite his heavy breathing and the sweat dripping down his face. And then, it came to a sudden end.
As Qrow parried a thrust from Lux, he brought Harbinger back around to counter, crashing it into Spinam, sending the sword flying off to the side, and blowing Lux's guard wide open. He brought his left fist around in a punch to the chest, sending Lux stumbling backward. But most notably, and more worryingly, shattering Lux's Aura.
"Shit!" exclaimed Qrow, his eyes growing wide, immediately putting away Harbinger. "Why weren't you keeping track of your Aura?"
Lux wouldn't meet Qrow's eyes, keeping them hidden by his hood. "Remember what I said at the beginning, Qrow," he replied. "I said there were no rules. This was never meant to be a normal spar."
A growl escaped from Qrow's mouth. "Then why are we sparring here, near the cliff?" he asked angrily, now noticing how close Lux had come to the edge of the cliff. "You know how dangerous that could be."
Finally, Lux brought his eyes up to meet Qrow's. There was no guilt, no remorse, in them. There was only a deadly calm. One that scared Qrow.
"That was the point, Qrow. To give you a little more motivation," replied Lux, finally. And with that, he stepped backward, off the cliff.
"No!" cried Qrow as he rushed to the cliff's edge, then jumped off in pursuit. He could still see Lux staring up towards him, though several yards below him, and plummeting towards the choppy waves crashing against the bottom of the cliff. There's no time! he thought. I won't make it in time!
With that sobering thought and a final decision, Qrow transformed into his corvid form, stooping into a steep dive. Speeding past Lux, Qrow transformed back into human form, drawing Harbinger and unfolding it into its scythe configuration, then slammed the blade into the rock face. Lux slammed into him less than a second later, and Qrow struggled to keep them anchored to the rock.
He said nothing as he worked to get himself and Lux back up to the top of the cliff. And after several minutes of silent work, they reached the top. Qrow continued to carry Lux, taking them far from the cliff, to the tree line, until he felt they were far enough away. Then, he let go of Lux, allowing the boy to sit against a tree.
"What the hell were you thinking!?" he yelled angrily, though he didn't wait for an answer from Lux. "Do you have a death wish or something? I knew something felt wrong from the start, but I ignored it. Now I see that I should've trusted my gut. So why did you do that? What was the purpose? Don't you realize how hard your death would have hit your dad? Your sisters?"
"You seem to be overlooking something here, Qrow," said Lux. the chuckle that slipped past his lips only served to make Qrow angrier.
"What?" growled Qrow. "What am I overlooking?
"The fact that you turned into a bird, Qrow. You turned into a bird to get ahead of me."
Qrow rolled his eyes. "And? That's just my Semblance," he lied.
Lux let out a loud laugh. "You and I both know that's a bullshit lie," he said.
Qrow's anger subsided a bit, curiosity coming forward. "What did you just say?"
Lux smirked. "I said that both you and I know that's a bullshit lie. Turning into a bird isn't your Semblance. You were given that power. It was gifted to you by Ozpin."
Qrow's eyes narrowed. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he lied again. "You're probably still rattled from what you just did." How the hell Lux knew about Ozpin went unquestioned.
Lux's expression turned serious. "Don't play dumb with me, Qrow. I know Ozpin gave you and Raven the power to transform into your namesakes. I know about magic, about the Maidens. I know about the Brother Gods."
Qrow stared at Lux with wide eyes, his jaw slack. How? He thought. How does he know about all that!? Before he could put his thoughts into words, Lux delivered the final blow.
"And, most importantly, I know about Salem."
It was like a punch to the gut. Nothing made sense to Qrow, as he looked down at Lux. His mouth had dried. For once, he couldn't speak. What was Lux planning here? Was there a plan!? After all, this was all too sudden. The random request for a spar started to make a little more sense. Stumbling back, he slid down to sit at the base of a tree, holding the sides of his head. "How?"
Lux raised an eyebrow. "How what?" he asked. "How do I know? Or do you possibly mean 'how much do you know'?"
"How do you know?" asked Qrow. "There's no way you should know any of this, no matter how smart or advanced you are. So how?"
Sighing, Lux sat down across from Qrow, bringing one knee up against his chest, and rested his arms atop it. "That's a… hard question to answer. I don't really know where to start. Well, I guess I should start at the beginning."
"That's usually a good place to start," commented Qrow. Noticing the flat look Lux was giving him, he raised a hand in a placating gesture. "Sorry. Head's kinda spinning, still. Continue."
Lux rolled his eyes in amusement. "I should probably mention that all or most of this will sound crazy," he started, ignoring Qrow's snort. "I'll start by saying that I'm kind of like Ozpin."
"In what sense?" asked Qrow, an intrigued expression now on his face.
"In the sense that this isn't my first life. But, I'm a little different."
"How so?" questioned Qrow.
"Whenever Ozpin dies, his soul goes to the next host here on Remnant. A host that is, to my knowledge, always already born. I, however, have been aware since I was born."
Qrow could do nothing but stare at the ground. "I… Why am I even considering that what you're saying might be true? Why?"
"Because your brain is being overloaded," explained Lux. "You're still trying to process the fact that I know about something that only a select few people are aware of. Now I'm adding more onto that pile, thus overloading your brain." He looked at Qrow with a sympathetic expression. "This is where things get a little bit harder to process."
"Hah, go ahead," said Qrow. "I doubt it can get any harder."
"I'm also not from this world."
Qrow's face slid into his hands, a loud groan slowly growing into a muffled yell. "Me and my big mouth."
"Do you want me to stop?" asked Lux.
"No, keep going," answered Qrow, waving off the concern.
Lux hummed in thought. "I'll get back to that later. But, for now, I'll explain the most important thing; the war between Salem and Ozpin."
"I already know about that stuff," said Qrow.
"Not all of it, though," countered Lux. He proceeded to explain the dispute between Salem and the Brother Gods, leading to the curse of immortality placed on her and her attack on them using many of the nations of the world, resulting in the destruction of the entire population of the planet. Then, he explained Salem's attempt at suicide, and how that resulted in her being able to control the Grimm.
Finally, Lux explained the mission given to Ozma, the curse the Gods had placed upon him, and the time spent with Salem before their split, essentially making the entirety of Remnant into a battlefield.
"Wait," said Qrow when Lux was finished. "So you're saying this war with Salem is essentially a giant marriage dispute."
"In essence, yes," answered Lux.
"Fucking hell," said Qrow, letting out a harsh breath. "And Salem's immortal."
"Yep," replied Lux.
Qrow let out an angry growl. "So we've been fighting a pointless battle this whole time?"
Lux shook his head. "No. It's not pointless, Qrow. It will never be pointless." His expression hardened. "Salem may be immortal, but it's not perfect. She has Grimm essence in her. I'm sure we can use the Silver Eyes to kill her."
Qrow let out a bitter laugh. "Summer had the Silver Eyes, and she still died."
Lux sighed, looking down at the ground. "But she didn't unlock them, Qrow."
Qrow's eyes narrowed as he looked at Lux. "And what the hell do you know?" he gritted out.
Lux looked back at Qrow, a serious look in his eyes. "I know more than what your mind could possibly conceive, Qrow." He sagged. "Sometimes, I wish I didn't know certain things."
"What do you mean?" asked Qrow, raising an eyebrow.
Lux looked off to the side, making a point to not meet Qrow's eyes. "I knew Mom would die on that mission."
It was like a slap to the face for Qrow. "Y… You knew?" His lips pulled back into a snarl. "You knew, and you didn't do anything to stop her!?"
"You don't think fucking I tried!?" yelled Lux, his eyes snapping to looking over at Qrow. "I tried, so many times, to stop her. But it was never enough. I even told her that she would die, before she left on that mission. But, you know what she did? She saw it as her four-year-old son being concerned. She just reassured me that she wouldn't die, like the mother she was."
Qrow didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent.
Lux clenched his fists as angry tears streamed down his face. "Fuck! I tried so hard not to let myself get attached. But in the end… It was all in vain."
Qrow chuckled somberly. "You're more like me than I thought you were. You're as broken as I am." A few minutes of silence passed between them before a thought occurred to Qrow. "Wait. If you're saying you knew Summer would die, you're saying you know the future."
Lux looked off to the side again. "Yeah, I know of events that happen in the future." He sighed. "It's… not good. Beacon falls. A lot of shit happens…"
"Wait," started Qrow. "Beacon falls? What do you mean?"
Lux explained to Qrow the events leading up to the Fall of Beacon, as well as the event itself. Then, he told Qrow about the individual journeys of Team RNJR, Yang, Weiss, and Blake, leading to the attack on Haven. Then, the journey to Atlas.
"The farthest I know is up to the events in Atlas," said Lux. "Salem leads an army of Grimm there. That's it. That's all I know."
"H-hold on," said Qrow, holding up a hand. "I need a minute to process this."
"Go ahead," said Lux, nodding. "I know it's a lot."
"No shit," snarked Qrow. He winced a second later. "Sorry. Sorry. Ugh, I can feel a headache coming on."
"Take all the time you need," replied Lux.
A few minutes passed by before Qrow spoke again. "So… What do we do? What can we do?"
"For now? Train and get ready for the events at Beacon, assuming things go about the same as what I know."
"And how are you so sure I won't tell Ozpin about this?" asked Qrow. "Or, well, I guess it would be Ozma."
Lux shrugged. "Well, I'm not sure. But I also get the feeling that after everything I've told you, you won't let him know. You don't trust him as much now."
"Hah, I guess you're right," said Qrow. "What about us, though? What happens now?"
Again, Lux shrugged. "Well, I guess you can continue to follow Ozma, still doing missions for him, while you do your best to not interfere with my work." He grinned widely. "Or, you can join me. You'd still be doing the missions Ozma gives you, but I'd also be giving you missions. Recon, for the most part. Confirming things for me."
Qrow was silent for a few moments, then stood, chuckling silently. Lux stood with him. "I guess I don't have much of a choice. I'll join you."
Lux sighed in relief, his body sagging. "Good. That's great, actually. I wasn't sure what exactly I'd do if you decided to stick with Oz." He linked his hands behind his back and stretched, then grinned up at Qrow. "So, want to go get something to eat?"
Qrow laughed loudly. "Sure. Let's go get something to eat. It's on me."
"It would've been on you anyways," said Lux, smirking.
Qrow laughed again, playfully swinging a fist at Lux's head, who dodged it. "Smartass. You can tell me more about your world, as well."
As they left the clearing, Lux looked back at Summer's grave.
I promise I'll save them, mom, he thought.
Lux smiled at the memory, then remembered where he was. Professor Port was coming to an end with his story, and was asking for a volunteer.
"I will, sir!" said Weiss, raising her hand.
"Well then," said Port. "Let's find out."
Weiss, who was sitting to the right of Lux, away from the center aisle of the classroom, stood up. But before she could go anywhere, Lux held out a hand to stop her.
"Knock it over onto its side," said Lux in a quiet voice. "It's top-heavy, and its underside isn't armored."
"Do you mind?" asked Weiss, clear annoyance in her voice.
To his credit, Lux didn't flinch, instead rolling his eyes as he retracted his hand, allowing Weiss to go change. Five minutes later, she came out, her combat outfit on, and Myrtenaster gripped tightly in her left hand.
"Now, step forward, and face your opponent," said Port, his tone still jovial.
Weiss took one step forward, flourishing Myrtenaster, then settled into a ready stance. Ready, she nodded to Port. Inside the cage, the Grimm pawed at the floor, red eyes glowing through the spaces between the bars. Weiss looked over at her team, who sat in the front-most row.
"Go Weiss!" cheered Yang.
"Fight well," cheered Blake.
"Represent Team RRWBY!" yelled Ruby.
And Lux… Well, he just held up a piece of paper that said, 'It's a Boarbatusk.'
Weiss rolled her eyes, not ignoring Lux's advice, but also not letting it distract her. Concentrate, she thought. There's no way he's actually right.
"Alright!" said Port as he lifted his weapon above his head. "Let the match begin!" He brought the axe down on the lock keeping the cage closed, slicing it in one hit.
Not even a second later, a Boarbatusk charged out of the cage, much to the surprise of Weiss.
He was right!? she thought. How did he know!?
Weiss pushed her thoughts aside as the Boarbatusk charged towards her. She waited until the last second, dodging just before the Boarbatusk could hit her. The Grimm slowed down as Weiss turned to look at it, watching as it turned toward her. It pawed the floor again, preparing to charge.
'Knock it on its side.' 'Its underside isn't armored.' Lux's words echoed in Weiss' head. Okay, I'll do that, she thought. The question is 'how'?
She got her answer a second later when the Boarbatusk leapt a foot into the air, curling up as it started to spin. It shot forwards as it hit the ground, and Weiss conjured up two Glyphs - one in the air behind her, and one right in front of her. The Boarbatusk slammed into the Glyph before Weiss, its momentum being arrested. And as it fell onto its back, Weiss jumped back toward her other Glyph, executing a backflip in the process.
As Weiss landed on the Glyph, it briefly turned black, before she shot forward, Myrtenaster poised to spear into the Boarbatusk. She hit the mark, Myrtenaster piercing through the Grimm's underside and up to the head.
Weiss allowed a small but satisfied smile to slip onto her face. And as she looked toward Lux to give him a nod, she almost didn't notice the light that quickly faded from his right hand.
Was he preparing to intervene in case I failed? she thought. Does he not think I'm capable of beating a single Boarbatusk? She wasn't sure why it bothered her so much. However, her thoughts were interrupted by Port.
"Bravo! Bravo!" said Port. "You took it down both quickly and methodically. It seems we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress in training! However, it seems that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings. And stay vigilant. You never know when the Grimm might attack. Class dismissed."
As everyone packed their bags, Weiss walked back to the changing room, which was just a room connected to the lecture hall. As she changed back into her uniform, she couldn't help but think about Lux.
How did he know it was a Boarbatusk? she thought to herself. Was it because of the Silver Eyes that both he and Ruby have? Or was it something much simpler? Pulling on the last articles of her uniform, Weiss made her way out of the changing room, then out of the classroom. She was surprised to see Lux standing outside.
"I figured I'd wait for you while everyone went ahead," said Lux, seeing the curious expression on Weiss' face. "Next class is History with Oobleck." He started walking down the hall, and Weiss followed.
"How did you know?" asked Weiss.
Lux raised an eyebrow. "How did I know what?"
"You know what I'm talking about," replied Weiss. "You knew it would be a Boarbatusk. How did you know it would be? Is it something with the Silver Eyes?"
Lux let out a slight chuckle. "No, it wasn't the Silver Eyes. I just made some observations. That's all there is to it. I could hear it snorting and pawing at the ground. And with a cage that size, there was really only one Grimm I could think of that would fit the bill."
"That's it?" asked Weiss.
"That's it."
Weiss was silent for a few moments "I was wrong about you," she finally said, silently laughing. "I thought you would be so much worse."
"Are you referring to what I said to you the day we arrived here?" asked Lux. Receiving a nod from Weiss, he continued. "Honestly, I just wanted to teach you something. That not everything will go your way. It was something you needed to learn."
"I see…" she trailed off as she stopped walking and looked down at the ground.
"Weiss?" said Lux, quickly noticing something was wrong.
"I'm fine," said Weiss. "I just… need to think on something. You go on ahead. I know where Oobleck's classroom is."
"If you're sure," said Lux. Getting another nod from Weiss, he turned around, then paused, but he didn't look back at her. "You were wrong about something else, too."
Weiss' eyes narrowed. "About what?"
"The lesson wasn't hidden in the story." With that, Lux walked off.
Weiss shook her head in amusement, then looked down in thought.
"Deep in thought, Miss Schnee?" came the voice of Ozpin, startling Weiss. He had his left hand atop his cane, and a coffee mug in his right.
"Headmaster!" said Weiss. "I… Yes, I was deep in thought."
"Anything I may be able to help with?" asked Ozpin.
Weiss looked down for a moment, then back up to Ozpin. "I had something I was curious about."
"Go ahead," said Opzin, nodding.
"Why did you make Ruby the Team leader?" she asked.
"Do you believe you could do better?" asked Ozpin, a smile on his face.
A complicated expression came over Weiss' face. "While I don't doubt that I would do better in terms of leading, I was more wondering why you didn't make Lux the team leader."
"Mr. Rose?" asked Ozpin, receiving a nod from Weiss. "I suppose he does exude a slight aura of leadership. However, there is one thing you must keep in mind, Miss Schnee. This is a school, first and foremost. Its purpose is to be a place of learning. Therefore, I decided that Miss Rose would stand to gain more from being in a position of leadership, rather than being under the leadership of another."
After a few seconds, Weiss nodded in understanding. "I see. Thank you, Headmaster." She watched as Ozpin walked down the hall and around the corner, before looking down at the ground again.
Oobleck's - sorry, Doctor Oobleck's class - went about the same as what Lux expected. After that and lunch, he and the rest of Team RRWBY worked on homework during their free period. And, much to Weiss' surprise, without any complaints from Yang and Ruby. Though, that might've had something to do with the look Lux sent their way.
And before Lux knew it, it was time for combat class.
As Teams RRWBY and JNPR entered the classroom, all wearing their combat outfits, Lux looked around, noting that the arena - which looked more like a stage than anything else - was much the same as the arena they had used on Friday. He followed his Team to one of the middle rows of the bleachers. It was a few more minutes before everyone was in the classroom. Glynda Goodwitch was the last to enter the room, her riding crop in hand.
"Students! Quiet down," she said in a commanding tone. Surprisingly, everyone listened, the room becoming silent in just a few seconds. "Thank you. As you all likely know, this will be your combat class. In this class, you will fight against each other, working to improve yourselves in combat against non-Grimm opponents. For most of this class, I will decide the matchups. Now, let us begin with our first match."
Yang nudged Lux in the side, grinning. "Who do you think will be first?" she asked quietly.
Lux shrugged indifferently. "There's no way of telling."
"Our first match," started Goodwitch. "Will be Lux Rose against Pyrrha Nikos."
The statement immediately caused the students to mutter to each other.
Yang's jaw dropped, looking at Lux, whose eyes had widened slightly.
Lux looked at Pyrrha, a grin forming on his face. "Looks like we'll be getting that fight sooner than we thought." As Pyrrha made her way down to the arena, Lux set down his weapons case, then proceeded to remove his cloak and folded it up, setting it atop his case.
"You're going in without a weapon?" asked Weiss. "You realize you would be at a disadvantage, right?"
All Lux could do was grin widely. "You'll see," he replied cryptically. Then, checking his vambraces as he walked, Lux made his way down and onto the arena. Taking his spot across from Pyrrha, he couldn't help but overhear what the other students were saying.
"It's another easy win for Pyrrha."
"He doesn't stand a fucking chance. She's The Invincible Girl for a reason."
"He's going in without any weapons? Either he's an idiot, or he's overconfident. Pyrrha-"
"Pyrrha-"
"Pyrrha-"
"Pyrrha-"
He closed his eyes as a chuckle came forth. They didn't know. They had no idea the gap in both power and skill between him and Pyrrha. But they would soon. Opening his eyes, he stared at Pyrrha's. Her's were resolute, but there was just a hint of nervousness. Good, he thought. She's going to take this seriously.
"Quiet down," commanded Goodwitch, waiting until the entire room was silent. "Are you ready?" Then, receiving a nod from both Lux and Pyrrha, she started the countdown.
"Three!"
Lux nodded at Pyrrha.
"Two!"
Pyrrha nodded back.
"One!"
Lux activated his Silver Eyes, pushing power into his arms and legs.
"Begin!"
So, Chapter 6... Finally... Sorry this took so long. For those who have not read, or have not seen the update that this chapter is replacing, the TL;DR version is I basically got really busy. I also got a really bad case of writer's block. I just... wasn't sure where to go with this chapter. Again, like I mentioned in the update, I went into this with no plan. Thankfully, I now have someone I can bounce ideas off of, as well as get suggestions from. So a big thanks to Triscythe59! Seriously. I can't stress how much help they were. Honestly, I don't think I'd even be close to getting finished with this chapter, if it weren't for them.
And, while Triscythe is kinda like a Beta, I am looking for someone to actually Beta this. I have reached out to a few people, but have gotten no responses so far. So, if anyone is currently looking for a story to Beta, let me know. Also, I know my writing can be pretty rigid most of the time, and that's something I'll work to improve on. Right now, though, I'm just going to try and back into the swing of things. And as always, constructive criticism is appreciated.
But, for now, enjoy this note from Triscythe. This is Argentum Messorem, signing off.
Note from Triscythe59:
Hello! This is triscythe59 here helping out Argentum Messorem!
I have been a fan of this fic for some time and glad that it is back, and I am happy to help my fellow Fanfiction author for this new chapter and many more to come.
I hope you all enjoy and continue supporting the author!