Chapter 18 –Open Hearts
Beacon and the immediate area were now under quarantine and no civilians were allowed to be anywhere near. There was no telling how long Aatrox would remain frozen in stasis, so few risks were being taken.
Winter Schnee spoke on Ironwood's behalf to announce to the public that anyone living or operating within forty miles of Beacon was at risk. She held a broadcast and advised that everyone was to evacuate. In fact, everyone who had fought for Beacon – The tutors, Teams RWBY, JNPR, SSSN, FNKI, ABRN, Ryze, Pantheon and Shen – had been the impetus to make the process as smooth as possible.
It was three days later after the battle at Beacon. Once they had all done their jobs, Goodwitch suggested that they leave, so they took an airship to an uninhabited village to the east. The only people who didn't accompany them were the Atlesian Soldiers, Team FNKY, Professor Port and Dr Oobleck. Atlas had requested that all affiliates return home to do their civic duty of protecting their own Kingdom. Oobleck and Port had volunteered to stay in the vicinity of Beacon, monitoring activity within the area and the state of the School and Aatrox.
The village was far from luxurious, but every single domestic house was empty, so there was plenty of choice of where to sleep and they were unlikely to be bothered. It would do for the purposes of recuperation.
Professor Ozpin, Ironwood, Qrow and Ruby were recovering from their injuries from fighting against Aatrox. They were still weak, but their bones were showing signs of mending themselves. In the meantime, Goodwitch was taking responsibility for the students, whilst Ryze, Pantheon and Shen looked after themselves. From Ryze's perspective, it was a waste of time to spend three days relaxing, but even he had to admit that it felt good to have a few days rest.
A few individuals had taken to scavenging nuts, mushrooms and other fruits and vegetables to provide food for everyone. Pantheon volunteered to hunt for animals. His precision with spears made him perfect for the job.
Ren had found a large lake nearby, so Team JNPR and others were harvesting water in used buckets and bringing them back to the village (Neptune sincerely declined this job when Sun, Scarlett and Sage offered to help).
Then the water was put over a fire so that it could be boiled, filtered and then drunk.
There was always at least eight people who stood guard at the entrances to their hideout – with two at each of the four openings and doing a session for two hours before swapping with someone else. So far they had been fortunate enough to have not have had any Grimm or intruders, but the risk was still present.
Although to be fair, if anyone who originally lived there came back and found their home under the control of a bunch of Huntsmen and Huntresses, they would have the right to ask them to leave. But considering the state of the village when they arrived, it was a safe assumption that the only people who would find them there would be Grimm, raiders or someone else who was hostile.
On the evening of the third day, Team ABRN and Team CFVY were standing guard. Everyone else was gathered in the village centre and they had all brought chairs to sit on in a circle. It was time for an overdue discussion to begin. The tutors, including Ozpin, Ironwood and Qrow were sitting together. Team RWBY were to the left of them, followed by Team JNPR, Team SSSN, Ryze, Shen and Pantheon.
'Thank you all for coming.' said Goodwitch. 'I appreciate all your cooperation as we managed to evacuate the citizens from the City of Vale. You have all been excellent and even though Beacon Academy has fallen, we have made the most of the situation as we possibly could. If anything happens and we're needed over there, it's just a short flight back to the city.'
'We're just doing our duty as Huntsmen and Huntresses.' said Ruby proudly.
'Still though, we as teachers didn't necessarily imagine that you would do as much as you did. All of you students exceeded our expectations and therefore we are exceptionally proud of you. Give yourselves a pat on the back.'
And they all did.
'But in additional to everything that you students have done for us, we must give a special thanks to three brave individuals who aided us when we most needed it.'
Everyone's' eyes turned towards Ryze, Shen and Pantheon. Ryze looked rather uncomfortable, but Shen and Pantheon seemed to be indifferent.
Pyrrha stood up and cleared her throat. 'I want to thank Shen personally in front of everyone here. He saved my life. If it wasn't for him, I would be dead for sure.' She turned her head and smiled warmheartedly at him as a few tears of gratitude trickled down her cheeks.
Shen smiled and back. 'You're very welcome, but there is no need to overpraise me.' he replied modestly.
'Saving the life of a wonderful person can never be praised enough.' said Jaune vigorously.
Shen nodded, knowing that there was no harm in these two teenagers recognising virtues.
Next it was Blake's turn to stand up. 'I too want to vocalise my appreciation for Atreus.' she declared. 'My life was also spared because he saved me from…' she gulped as the image of Adam and his sadistic grin entered her head again. She searched for the correct word to describe him, settling on "assailant." '….my assailant.'
Sun's eyes goggled. He had no idea that Blake had been under serious attack.
'It truly was nothing, but I will willingly accept your gratitude. Let us hope that he's learned his lesson and will not attack others without reason.' said Pantheon with his oddly soothing voice.
'But most of all, we should be thankful to the man that saved all of us from being crushed by Aatrox.' said Ren. Now all eyes turned towards the archmage.
'Absolutely.' said Weiss and everyone else nodded in agreement.
'May we ask what your name is?' Ozpin asked, conscious of his irritability.
'Ryze.' he answered plainly.
'Thank you Ryze.' said Ozpin. 'I speak from the bottom of my heart when I say that I cannot thank you enough for saving my students.'
'You sincerities won't go unnoticed, headmaster, but I'm afraid that I don't have time to stay around for much longer. These three days sitting here have already been too much. I am on a mission that has no end in sight, and I must get back on the trail.'
'Perhaps we can help you.' said Ruby.
Ryze looked at Ruby and gave her a faint smile. It was almost non-existent, but Ruby still managed to detect it. 'I seldom encounter such kindness and purity.' he said. 'And I've come to appreciate people who show magnanimity to take the burden off my shoulders, but I work alone. If I sound rude, it's because my quest is something that only I can endeavour to ever finish, and I have been trying to complete it for over one thousand years.'
A moment of silence followed as the information that Ryze was over a millennium old sank in.
'What is your mission then?' Ironwood asked.
'I can't tell you that.' said Ryze. 'If I did, then I would be putting this world in danger too, as well as my own.'
'Ahh, I was just about to move on to that…' said Goodwitch. 'This whole issue with "another world". What is it all about? If you don't mind me asking, where are you three from, and do you know each other?'
'So you've noticed that our worlds have become one.' said Shen. 'To answer your last question, we don't know each other, but I think we come from the same world.' he turned his head towards Ryze and Pantheon. 'Runeterra?'
They both nodded.
'Very well then.' said Shen. 'The planet we come from is called "Runeterra". There are many different regions and they all have their own form of government and way of life. Some have strong ties with one another, whilst others are isolated and keep to themselves. I myself come from a minor continent known as "Ionia", where the practice of magic, spiritualism and harmony in nature is the integral to a prosperous life. I don't know much about the other regions, since Ionia is so isolated away from everywhere else, and I have only visited others on occasions. There isn't much that needs to be said about it at this moment. How about your world?'
'We call our planet "Remnant".' said Ozpin. 'Our political system is centred on unity with all of the other Kingdoms. We're currently in the Kingdom of Vale and have fantastic ties with the other three. Not too long ago, we had a great civil war between the Kingdoms. Fortunately though, the war eventually came to an end, a peace treaty was established and we've been in a time of relative peace ever since; although it seems like the peace we've been having will be ending shortly.'
'I wish I could say the same about Runeterra.' said Ryze. 'In the centuries that I've lived through, I can't remember many times when the regions of Runeterra were on good terms with each other. A lot of them even have had or are still going through major internal conflicts and civil wars, in addition to tension between other states.'
Ozpin wanted to say that he knew exactly how Ryze felt and give him reassuring words. He himself had been reincarnated and lived for thousands of years and had been in constant conflict with a perennial foe in an eternal struggle. However Ozpin also knew that optimism after a millennium was unlikely to mean anything to Ryze, and Ozpin himself felt the same way. Plus, he didn't want to tell his students about his dreaded secret. Now was not the time to divulge something so significant and dangerous just yet.
Still though, Ozpin was naturally curious to learn more about these three intriguing characters and was just about to ask, but before he could ask anything, Pantheon spoke.
'I must say that I am interested in these young warriors. What is your name, grand tutor?'
'I am Ozpin.'
'Please Ozpin, tell me more about these precocious warriors. They seem to have been trained in the art of war. This is a standard for where I'm from as well, but these kids are exceptionally young. How do you mould them into soldiers so quickly?'
'In Remnant, Atreus, there are various schools and establishments dedicated across the four Kingdoms, which are dedicated to train young boys and girls into Huntsmen and Huntresses. Beacon Academy is my school – or "was" is probably more accurate now… I want to make it clear that children are not forced to do this. Becoming a Huntsman or Huntress is a completely voluntary choice. If you wish to go to a regular educational school, then you can. You can even choose to join a traditional military programme if you so wish, but becoming a Huntsman or Huntress requires a different type of determination. In Huntsman Academies, you are trained to reach the peak of athleticism; how to recognise and respond to threats; how to fight and slay monsters, but most importantly how to be the best person you possibly can.'
'Very fascinating. I would dream for a system like that in my world! It's similar, but these academies seem to be not as harsh as the brutal conditions we go through on Mount Targon…'
'Well becoming a Huntsman is no walk in the park, Atreus.' said Qrow, taking a swig from his flask. 'These kids may appear to be stupendous at first, but until you compare them to the professional Huntsmen who have spent years in the field and not in school, you realise that they have ways to go. Learning to become one is like trying to learn a new language. It's a lifetime of studying that never ends until you retire or until you die.'
'Forgive me. I'm not suggesting that that isn't the case here. I'm just curious how the way of the warrior is taught here compared to how it is taught back at home.'
'I wouldn't like to say for sure. No one here has experienced both world's lifestyles, so we cannot make assumptions. Although I must remark that it is an extreme coincidence that we are from two completely different worlds, yet we speak the same language.' said Ozpin with his usual sagacious voice.
'Agreed. The chances are monumentally small.'
'But... speaking of another world, I would actually like to ask something of you three.' he said, addressing Ryze, Shen and Pantheon. 'I, along with others who are gathered here would like to know more about who you are and why you came to Remnant.'
Ryze shuffled awkwardly in his seat, feeling on edge once again, whilst Shen and Pantheon felt ambivalent to the question.
It was Pantheon who spoke first. 'My story is one that is hard to believe for many people – especially if you are a sceptic of magic and celestials, but I speak with as much heart as I can that it is real. My story is one that is hard to believe for many people – especially if you are a sceptic of magic and celestials, but I speak with as much heart and honesty as I can when I say that it is real. Although my actual memories of it are slim, I still remember some parts of it. I was born as "Atreus" into a warlike group on Mount Targon. Without going too deep it into, Mount Targon is an enormous mountain that holds many legends and tales of gods and celestials. Most civilisations in the region live at the base and the people are usually heavy believers in more than just the material universe. It was here that I was brought up with battle in my veins, and shield and spear in my hands. During my youth, I was paired up with another boy called Pylas. I many ways, he was a greater soldier than me, but he was still impressed by how I could keep up with him, and thus we formed a brilliant brotherhood.
'And as we started looking out for each other's back, we decided that we wanted to take on the seemingly impossible challenge of climbing Mount Targon itself. Now I don't know if I could illustrate well enough what Mount Targon is actually like, but let me tell you that hurdling over it is a feat that only a few people in history have overcome. So Pylas and I attempted the climb. We eventually reached the top after climbing for weeks. Unfortunately…' Pantheon paused as he reminisced his good friend. 'Pylas died from exhaustion and the cold shortly afterwards. I remember his last shiver before that dreadful moment... But as he passed away, the gates of heaven opened up. Describing how it happened is difficult, but I was granted the "Aspect of War" by the gods. My body of flesh and blood was no longer hosted by mortality. It was under control by the god to persue its own selfish ends. I became the "Pantheon", yet I was barely aware of what it made me do; I only have a cloudy recollection of what happened during that time. But an unforgettable battle is secured in my memories. I was brought face-to-face with Aatrox.'
'You mean, the thing at Beacon that none of us could take down?!' Nora asked in bewilderment.
'Exactly that which you saw. We fought in a duel that shook the heavens itself, with his blade and my spear and shield in hand. Fate decided though that the god was destined to lose. This scar across my chest is where Aatrox defeated me. He left me to die, but as the Aspect of War faded and the god died, the man that I am, returned and reclaimed my body. I returned home and recovered over time. During that period though, I realised that my worship had been misplaced. I had been looking up to the stars all my life, but now I realise that they are self-centred with no respect for those who live on the rocks and the soil of the earth. Eventually, I was able to pick up my spear again, and encountered Aatrox for a second time, invading my home. I also realised then that the Darkin, who are feared by many, are no worse than Aspects. I looked at Aatrox, one of the most formidable Darkin in history, and fought him again. His own arrogance was his weak-point though. I severed his sword arm with my spear and he fled. Although his arm has since grown back, he should feel the humiliation of defeat, because he had been bested not by a god, but by a man.
'If truth speaks, I wish to live a life of simple peace - as a baker - but I continue to fight because there are still Aspects, Darkin and other demons who wield power too great for them, and use it for destruction and evil. They must be stopped, and I shall do it, by willpower alone.'
'That is certainly a fascinating tale you have there, Atreus.' said Ozpin. 'But why have you come to Remnant and how did you get here, for that matter?'
'When our worlds merged, I could feel the heavens shaking. Something was amiss and I leaped into the sky to see what I could find. Above high and I caught a glimpse of your world. Taking a brief look at the area surrounding your school, I thought that would be a good place to begin my visit. And that's about it. I arrived in the courtyard and immediately set my eyes on the animal that attacked Blake. That's how I got here.'
Blake winced slightly as Pantheon's use of the word "animal".
'Very interesting indeed.' said Ozpin. 'Thank you for sharing that with us. How about you two?' he said to Shen and Ryze.
Ryze clearly wasn't going to speak without being directly prompted, so Shen spoke next. 'I was born and grew up in a Monastery which housed the "Kinkou Order". My Father was its master and a great teacher in Ionian nature, stargazing and martial arts. Under his wing, along with my once great friend Usan, we became exemplary students and we were equipped to face the real world. But I did not foresee how bitter the real world is… I have been on many dangerous missions outside of the Monastery – many of which were exceptionally arduous – but even when I meditate, there are three awfully painful memories which plague my head relentlessly…' Shen clutched his head, trying his best to suppress his emotions.
'Please do not feel pressured into telling us about them if you don't want to.' said Ozpin.
'It's fine. I can go on. The first is the mere thought of a man that will make your skin crawl indefinitely. I don't know his real name, but "Khada Jhin" is the alias of a psychotic murderer, whom Usan and I were tasked with capturing. It took us so much evidence and clue tracking along with so many dead mutilated bodies to finally catch him. He should have been executed, but my Father instead decided that he should be imprisoned instead. With hindsight, this was not the best decision at the time because he escaped and continued to take more lives. We had to go overseas to track him down again to lock him up for good.
'The second is of the infamous invasion of Ionia by Noxus – an extremely imperialistic nation. Ionia fought back the best they could and the Noxians were eventually driven out, but the loss of life and spillage of blood on both sides was immense. And at the same time, Jhin was released from prison to fight against the Noxians. The Kinkou were adamant that we remain impartial keepers of peace and not let emotions force us to fight and I stayed like a coward inside the temple. Meanwhile Usan went to fight for Ionia and I only came out when the battle was closer to our victory and tried to keep the spiritual morale high.
'But it was at this point when I learned that Usan had been raising students of his own and had seized the temple in my absence. This is my third unbearably painful memory… I rushed back to find the Monastery in ruins and worst of all… my Father was dead… by Usan's hands…
The circle heard this and they silently gave their condolences. Only Ozpin made a comment. 'My goodness Shen. I'm sorry to hear that.'
'Usan discovered a forbidden art of shadows. He rejected the teaching of harmony and balance in judgement of all things. His new Order of Shadows set out to do what he believed the Kinkou failed at and save our homeland, but supposedly he wished to preserve it the Kinkou in the process. In his words, if he had merely beaten my father, the Kinkou would switch allegiances. Killing him though would make them hate is Order, which was what he did. To this day I have not forgiven him because his decision was an act of betrayal and an unnecessary loss of another life. We have clashed multiple times since that day. By then I was not thinking with the Kinkou's disciplines in mind, but in the end, I did convince Usan to help me capture Jhin once again. But this is all in the past. I went on to become one of the new masters of the Kinkou Order and adopted the title of "Eye of Twilight". Since that day I have taught a lot of protégés and potential students. My most notable one… was more impetuous. Her name is Akali. She's the daughter of one of the former leaders of the Kinkou, and we all assumed she would inherit her place by my side. But alas, she too renounced the teachings of the Order and went rogue. Subsequently we have worked together again, even with our disagreements. In fact, she was also a huge asset in helping us capture Jhin for the last time.'
Everyone let Shen breathe. 'Thank you for sharing this with us, Shen.' Ozpin nodded. 'If I may move on though, by what means and why did you come to Remnant?'
'I shall spare the details for the sakes of brevity, Ozpin, but I'll explain as best as I can in a concise way.
I do not live entirely in either the physical or spiritual realm. In can see into both and distinguish differences between their states of existence. Although not entirely obvious, both of these worlds are parallel and have influence over each other. I have taken on the role of mediating between the two. With experience inside of them, I have been versed in the metaphysical rules of both, but some of these rules are transferable to the other realm. For instance, I can fight in the physical realm with assistance from the spiritual one, therefore enhancing my offensive abilities when using swords – the same is applicable to defensive elements and the laws of motion. With my body being the way it is, I am not limited by the laws earth holds when moving in the physical world. I can travel in the blink of the eye: instantly teleporting to wherever I want to be. This does require mental concentration and energy from both the physical and spiritual realm to be able to go across the world like this, but I can cover short distances much faster at light speed frequently in combat and long distances with enough setup.
'Usually it helps if I focus on a specific point. For instance, if I think of a person, I can transfer some of my spiritual energy into them, giving me a direct gateway to a new location. This is a practice I did in the Kinkou order to save allies in emergency situations. It grants them a shield and gives them enough extra protection before I show up by their side.'
'This is… exactly what you did to save me?' Pyrrha surmised.
'Exactly.'
Everyone from Remnant was in a state of awe. Jaune and Nora literally had their jaws dropped; Ruby's eyes were wide open; every external reaction was priceless. Even those who did not show any signs on the outside were certainly doing so internally.
'And why did you come to Remnant, may I ask Shen?' Goodwitch asked.
'For me it was obvious that a disturbance in the spiritual and physical world had occurred. Whilst I wasn't entirely sure what happened, the sheer size of the imbalance told me that something potentially huge was awry. I took trips over many miles and eventually found myself near the school, because it was there that I sensed the most disturbance.'
'Thank you Shen.' said Ozpin. 'And how about you, Ryze? Would you be willing to tell us more about yourself?'
Ryze was knew that there were expectations for him to say something, now that Pantheon and Shen had spoken. He was an alien in Remnant, so it was only appropriate that he gave some explanation as to who he was and what his mission entailed.
'But these are complete strangers to me. I have no idea if I can trust them at all. Saying anything about myself could put me in jeopardy.'
Ryze considered making up a story that was more innocent sounding than his true one. But then again, his appearance and the scroll on his back would belie it. Plus, Shen and Pantheon might already have a good idea of what he was like and could probably detect any lies that he made.
Although hesitant and reluctant, Ryze said a little bit about his background. 'Alright. I wasn't lying when I said that I'm over one thousand years old. It's been so long that I don't remember where I was born. When I was young, I had a master called Tyrus. He once told me about magic and how it can be… harnessed.' he said, being exceptionally careful of his word choice. 'Although not exactly tangible, magic can be stored in a vessel of sorts. My master was committed to the task of scavenging these magical vessels and keeping them out of the possession and knowledge of people. When you have such potent arcane power, it's easy to use it for evil or wrong, so Tyrus and I made it our mission to collect as many of these vessels as we could to prevent magic from being used as a tool of destruction. It's an ongoing mission that has prevented me from dying of old age. Magic has altered my body so that it is now a vessel of its own. I can produce magic with my own hands as an offensive weapon and a defensive shield.'
'It is the Runes and the Rune Wars which you speak of, is it not?' said Pantheon.
Ryze glared at him. 'Damn you! That is not an appropriate subject to talk about here! How do you know about Runes anyway?!'
'It's literally written all over you, Ryze. You are tattooed with runes, and as a Targonian, what you said was not subtle at all. We are educated about the long history of Runeterra, Ryze. That includes the Rune Wars. Perhaps they don't do so in other regions like Demacia and Piltover, but in Targon, we most certainly are.'
Completely thrown off, Ryze struggled to find words. 'Yes...' he said, addressing everyone else once again. 'I am a product of a series of magical wars that went on for centuries. Runes were attractive because of the power they provided for their wielders. Groups of people, ranging from villages to entire kingdoms sought power and the eradication of foes. The wars are over, thank goodness, but the runes still exist, and the threat of war therefore remains, and I've seen what they can do. Entire landscapes and mountains can be blown up in a second; entire civilisations can be obliterated with just one rune. So long as these runes are up for grabs from lustful, misguided people, I will not rest. Every rune I collect is another day that we all live.'
Silence filled the circle once more. The extent of Ryze's hardship was difficult to comprehend, and he had omitted some of the worse bits as well.
'What happened to your old master?' asked Blake nervously.
Ryze gritted his teeth, and just said it frankly. 'I killed him.'
Every time Ryze spoke, it was like it took ages for everyone to catch up with what he was saying.
'It was he who advocated that the Runes should be scavenged and kept from human knowledge, but as we became more and more desperate, he began to compromise his principles as the allure of the runes tempted him. He said that we could fight fire with fire: use the runes as weapons and take the lives of those who would not hand over the runes. Tyrus was the shell of the man I once knew…
'I didn't want to do it… but it was necessary. He was corrupted and would have surely unleashed devastation on innocent lives.
'Ever since then, I have attempted to make friends with various people, and I've even had companions and protégés of my own. But almost all of them have went to the dark side. I had an acquaintance called Yago. He kept a rune in his home and I did my best to persuade him to surrender it, but he refused to listen. I paid him a visit in good spirits, and left with the Rune and Yago dead. He attempted kill me after my reasoning failed to get into his thick skull, and I've had to do this so many times to people who I thought would become a true friend who I could trust.'
Ten seconds of no one speaking and heavy breathing passed before Ryze continued. 'I don't kill because I like it. Every time a different soul is eviscerated from its body and new blood is on my hands, I feel physically sick. I can't sleep at night when I know that someone is no longer alive because of my own doing. Don't think for a second that I murder without giving it a second thought. Don't think that I'm hardened to the idea of using a person's life as a means to an end, because I'm not.'
'I don't think anything less of you for having to do what you think is ultimately right.' said Blake.
'Hmm?' Ryze grunted.
'All authority should be questioned and challenged. I don't know anything about these Runes, but if they're a threat to your world then it's admirable of you to dedicate your life to finding them so that no one can use it for evil. Sometimes sacrifices and what are usually immoral actions have to be made in order to do what you think is right. Killing where it is not necessary is not right, but from the sounds of it, you're not a murderer Ryze: you're a saviour of the world.'
'I wouldn't call myself a "saviour" until I've actually completed my mission…'
'But it's the fact that you're taking action that counts.' said Ren. 'Even if you don't ever get the results you are looking for, you should rest easy, knowing that you did your part.'
Ryze wasn't sure how to respond. He figured that these kids knew very little about how harsh the real world was; they were still very young. However he also guessed that Ren hadn't said that to mean he should give up, so he simply said: 'I know.'
'Thank you Ryze.' said Ozpin. 'We all greatly appreciate that you shared your story with us. But may I also ask why you came to Remnant?'
'I can use arcane power to create a portal to get from one place to another. When our worlds merged, I felt the presence of exceptionally powerful energy coming from certain places across the planet. It might sound silly to think that a Rune would be on an entirely different planet, but I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't something there. The sensation came from your school. I can't tell exactly where, but when I was in the courtyard, it felt very prominent.'
'Well, I can assure you that no exceptionally powerful objects like the Runes you're describing are stored at Beacon.' Ozpin lied with a smile. He didn't think Ryze needed to know about the Relic.
'That's good to know.' Ryze stood up. 'It's been great to have a lovely chat, but I think it's time I go back to Runeterra.'
'Ryze, you've clearly shown us that you have a seemingly insuperable duty to complete. Perhaps it feels like it to you because it's been this way for one thousand years, but the responsibility of an entire planet can't be put on the shoulders of just one man.' said Ozpin.
'Ozpin, let me reinstate this, I've discovered over years that having companions on my mission proves only to be a hindrance. I'm sure you all have good intentions, but it makes no difference. None of you will live long enough to see the mission through to the end, I can guarantee that. If this is the case, you should concern yourself with Remnant's affairs and not the ones from Runeterra. Secondly, I know these Runes and how they affect people's minds. My old master and countless numbers of people I knew crippled before their desire to use the runes for themselves. I can't remember the names of most of them, but one of my pupils burns me from the inside when I recall our time together, up until the day he lost it.
'Kegan Rodhe. I'll never forget that name… he was a broken boy, one that had been mistreated all of his life. When I found him, I pitied his soul and let him come with me. But it turned out that he was impatient. He wanted to know how magic worked, because his mother could perform magic, but he couldn't.
'We went searching for runes, and one day we found one imbued with flames. I told him just to collect it, but he was overcome with the temptation to take it for himself. As he absorbed its power, he was burned alive, yet he didn't die. The rune and its magic merged with Kegan's body. He became a being composed of nothing but fire and hatred…
'Now I'm not saying that you're all like Kegan, but I can't bare the idea of having to put down another person because they fall into the Runes' inescapable grasp.'
'But we won't fall into that trap.' said Ruby. 'It seems like everyone here has a common interest of doing good for the world. Our worlds have joined, so now we all must look out and be aware of each other. Ryze, you're not the only one who wants to see peace. We all do.'
'And let me point out Ryze,' said Ozpin. 'that Huntsmen and Huntresses are trained specifically to heighten their social awareness and moral code. Like I said earlier: it's not just about fighting for the sakes of fighting. Magic may not be our speciality, but someone as perspicacious in runic magic as you can give us directions if we did help you.'
'Please listen to reason, Ryze.' said Shen. 'You've probably seen more horrors and unbearable moments than all of us combined, and have years of experience that we most likely will never have, but it is clear that your emotions are clouding your judgement. Tiredness and fatigue from centuries of hard work have made you think that only you can save Runeterra, but that simply isn't true.'
'Even if you reject our help, Ryze, it's getting late now. You might as well stay in this village until morning comes at least.' said Qrow.
Ryze wanted to argue his way out, but acknowledged that they were genuinely trying to be helpful. 'Fine… but I want to check who here is actually interesting in helping me find the runes?'
To his surprise, every student raised their hands.
'You're kidding me? All of you serious want to concern yourselves with my affairs?'
'Well… when we discovered that there was a new world, a lot of us kinda wanted to go and see it.' said Yang. 'As Huntsmen and Huntresses, we're natural thrill seekers and like going on new adventures.'
'Yeah! I've always wanted to go abroad and wrestle fire demons!' said Nora.
Ryze sighed. 'Fine…'
'Perhaps it would be best to make a decision tomorrow.' said Ozpin. 'It would be good to know how Team CFVY and Team ABRN think about this.'
'I agree.' said Ironwood. 'And if it was worth it, I could lend some aid by providing you with airships and armaments. You could set up a post there and that'll enable you to travel between Remnant and Runeterra by air and allow for equipment and supplies to be transferred between the two planets as well.'
'As long as it's not on the water, I'm cool.' said Neptune.
It seemed like the meeting was at its end. Everyone started to move.
'Alright students, think through what these three men have shared with us today.' said Goodwitch. 'If this preliminary idea goes any further, we'll discuss it more tomorrow. In the meantime though, please think carefully about whether or not you're committed enough to go to an entirely new planet and help in another potentially perilous mission.'
'What about you two?' Ironwood said to Shen and Pantheon.
'I have no other imminent commitments.' said Pantheon. 'I shall stand guard tonight. However I think I would be more useful back at the school. Surely that area needs to be safeguarded rather well. Once the morning comes, I'll set off.'
'Very well, and what about you Shen?'
'The Kinkou can live without me for the time being, so I'll stay and accompany these kids to Runeterra. If you're going there, you need as many people as you can who are familiar with its land and geography.
General Ironwood gave a nod of approval and shook Shen's hand. 'Thank you.'
'What do you see, Barty?!' shouted Port, who was standing at the base of a tall tree.
Oobleck was crouching on a branch near the top that was strong enough to hold his weight. 'There are no Grimm in sight, Peter! There isn't any activity for that matter!'
Oobleck was looking through a pair of binoculars at the grounds of Beacon Academy. The wreckage and Aatrox were still golden and unflinching.
'At what point do you think it best for someone to go a bit closer and inspect that giant thing?!'
'Soon Peter! There's no telling when the spell keeping it there will break!'
The words were taken right out of his mouth. 'Wait! Something's happening!'
The golden coating was dimming in brightness. It flickered and flickered… and then it disappeared entirely. The spell was broken.
A clamorous roar filled the air with thunder and the ground shook.
Oobleck fell out of the tree and landed on top of Port, who was stunned by roar and didn't move out of the way.
'AT LAST, I AM FREE!'
'NOTHING CAN KILL ME!'
'NOTHING WILL STOP ME FROM DESTROYING THIS WORLD!'
Aatrox was unbound.
