Chapter 21
Year 1 Month 1 Day 18
After A failed rescue attempt, Yang was captured. To rescue her, a large rescue party was organized, but found itself stuck on Mistral. Not so far away, a young man started to learn he had a bigger role than being a simple farmer.
Ruby yawned. Night had fallen, and they were able to get supplies, but they couldn't stay long. An imperial captain was killed by Grimm earlier the other day. The noise of a car was coming close. It was a truck with a young looking man driving.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Just getting back home." Ruby said
"Do you need a ride. It's not safe to be out here at this time of night. Who knows if the Grimm will attack yet."
"I got a few people with me." Ruby said.
"And this truck has a lot of room in it. Come on."
Ruby turned around. Qrow shook his head. Ruby opened the door and sat next to the boy.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Ruby Rose."
He didn't answer, but he looked like he was having an argument in his head.
"My name's Oscar Pines." Everyone came out of the darkness. Qrow and Yang took the seats behind them. Everyone else got in the back.
"So, I guess you're going to Vale?"
Qrow looked at Ruby as she grabbed her lightsaber.
"I'm supposed to ask you Qrow for my cane back." Oscar said.
He calmed down.
"So, you're already back then Oz?"
"What?" Yang asked.
Oscar's eyes glowed.
"Yes. And not too soon it seems. Of course the fact that I came back in the empire doesn't help. What did I miss?"
"The War's still going on. Salem attacked a few times. The Grey Jedi left their temple and moved to a new secret one. The building was sacked soon after. And the Chairmen are pushing Glynda to her limits."
"I thought they would do that. Do you have any way for us to get out of here?"
Qrow opened the back window.
"Any of you know how we can get back?"
Blake got out her scroll.
"The Pirates can sneak us out. But it will cost us."
"Better than staying here any longer." Qrow closed the window. "We need to get to the port. Pirates will pick us up there. Though it seems we'll have to sell this truck."
Oscar came back.
"Fine by me. I didn't plan on keeping this thing much longer. Too many sore memories."
Oscar was already planning on going to the port. He wondered how much he could get for this hunk of junk.
"Thank you." Ruby said.
"I don't mind." He looked at the gas. They were almost empty. "Looks like we're going to have to stop soon." He said.
They rode in silence until they got to the station. Oscar got out and started pumping the gas.
"You didn't tell me that Professor Ozpin could reincarnate." Ruby said.
"It's one of his powers. Do you know how old he is?"
"No…"
"Thousands of years old. He was alive during the time when the moon was whole and Magic was common."
"Then how many legends are based on him?"
"Who knows. My best guess is most." He got out of the truck.
"Where are you going?" Oscar asked.
"Need to take a leak. Wait up for me, or don't. I can keep up." Qrow walked into the gas station and bought snacks and drinks for everyone. He walked back and handed the bags to the people in the back.
He felt like something was watching them.
"Be on guard. I don't think we're alone." He went back in and relieved himself. Everyone was ready for a fight.
A grimm came out of the woods. It glowed red. It was a type of lizard. Qrow got his scythe out and ran for it. It spat out coals.
Oscar saw the Grimm. He realized that it could spew fire out of its mouth. If it got to the Gas pumps, it would destroy the gas station.
"Keep it away from the pumps." He shouted. Pyrrha jumped out of the truck, and blocked the hits. Arin used his semblance to cover the pumps with Earth. It cried out in what seemed frustration. Pyrrha fired at it, and it screamed. It got distracted, and that allowed Qrow to get close to it. He made a quick cut and split the Grimm in half.
"Why did it attack here of all places?" Qrow asked.
"Is there another gas station anywhere near by?" Pyrrha asked Oscar.
"No. The closest one would be two towns over."
"Then they were probably planning on destroying the town… but why?" Qrow said. Arin brought the wall down. The man in the station called about the Grimm attack. Oscar got everyone in and they drove off.
"Why would Salem attack this town? There aren't any hunters in it are there?" Qrow asked.
"How would I know? I don't live here." Oscar said, then something he read about came to mind. "This town was once the sight of a battle. Three hundred years ago a Dark Jedi came to power. He made his home around here. The Jedi attacked, and killed him. The nearby lake has been poisoned ever since by the Dark side. I heard tales that the body is at the bottom of the lake. Salem is looking for bodies."
"And with everyone gone, she would have free reign to look." Yang said.
"Exactly."
Yang though for a moment, then a horrible though came to mind.
"My first Jedi Master was killed by one of Salem's people."
"Then he is probably been revived for her dark purposes. I am sorry" Ozpin said.
"Is there a way to free them?"
"Yes, but it is far from pleasant. You have to kill them."
Yang sank down. She grabbed Uriel's lightsaber. She held her head down for a second and knew what she had to do, when the time came.
Everyone but Oscar and Ruby fell asleep. Even those outside.
"What would you have done if I didn't offer you a spot at Beacon?" Ozpin asked.
Ruby thought about it.
"I guess I would have gone through like all the other students."
"I guess so, but do you know what effect it would have had on your team?"
"They probably wouldn't be together."
"Maybe. And maybe they would have lost to the Nevermore. Or any of the other trials you faced. You probably wouldn't be a Jedi."
"Why are you asking me all this."
"Let me put this another way, do you like sugar?"
"Yes."
"Well, do you know all the different people involved in making your sugar?"
"Not really?"
"There are those who plant the sugar canes, those who produce the sugar, and those who cut the canes. Imagine if you could control the taste buds, and make it so that they would reject sugar. That would make a huge difference."
"The world would be robbed of Coffee that actually tastes good." Ruby said. Ozpin smiled at her.
"And many other foods and drinks you now enjoy. Now imagine the people who cut the canes. If we never started making sugar, where would they be? And what about those who started harvesting sugar generations ago?"
"I think I get it. Every choice that one person makes has a ripple effect."
"Exactly. Now, why am I telling you this?"
She thought about it.
"Because you want me to realize how I affect people."
"Yes, and this is an important lesson you need to learn. You are a Jedi Padawan. One Jedi or one Sith could forever change the face of the planet, or even the universe. And you are doubly responsible, since you lead a group of huntresses. If you fail them, they fail others. I built this whole system up so that the right people were chosen to protect life from Salem. Have you wondered why Jaune is the leader, and not, let's say Pyrrha?"
"Because PJNR doesn't sound so good?"
"You always amaze me with your wit. Where did you get it from? No, that's not why. You see, Jaune needed to be placed somewhere where he was held to a standard. If he wasn't the leader, I doubt he would still be enrolled in the school. He would have let someone else tell him what to do, and maybe what to think. He wouldn't be friends with his team, and he would have dragged them down. I know Jaune is lacking compared to his peers, but he as a natural creativeness, and a sharp tactical mind. I knew he would swiftly fall into his role. Pyrrha wouldn't have made a good leader, though she is as strong as a fully trained hunter. She's too strong. She would be put on a pedestal so far above everyone else, that resentment would take root. She knew this. She even asked me personally not to be team leader. She knew just as well as I did that she wouldn't be good for the position."
"What makes me a good leader?" Ruby asked.
"To understand that, you must look at your team. Your sister, Yang is head strong and always ready to jump head first into battle. They're always the first to die, and if she led a team, she wouldn't retreat when it was more than obvious that the battle was lost. She would lead a team to their deaths. She needs something to keep her anchored. Weiss' heart was filled with hate and pride. A wise Jedi once said fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to the dark side. What do you think this means?"
"She said she was afraid that the white fang would kill her someday. When those close to her started disappearing, that fear became anger. That anger grew into hate. If we let that hate continue in her, she would have abused the Faunus."
"Yes, Weiss would have been a bully and a hypocrite. I think you already sensed that. You were able to see into the hearts of people long before you discovered that you were a Jedi. Blake had the same problem. She was abused by hateful humans. That's why she joined the white fang. That's why she did terrible things in the name of equality. But back to Weiss. That other vice, Pride would only have been made worse. She held herself up to an impossible standard, and she would have held everyone else to that standard. She would have made a division in her team. Because of the abuse Blake went through, she would have been distant. It would have caused an impossible to mend division between her team and her. It would have broken one any pressure was added."
"But you still didn't tell me why me."
"You are concerned with your teammates. You've shown a love to them all. You see, Love is what need to be present for any team to work. You have a love for your sister that is natural. Coming on this mission shows that. And it shows that the others love her too. Long ago there was a term for the connection the four of you have. Shield sisters, sisters in war, and peace. You would be ready to take on the whole world for each other. Only you can fester that type of love. If you remember to your first night, you were the one who made the first step. You tried to mend everything, though it didn't work out just yet"
"So, Love is why I'm the leader?"
"Yes."
Ruby thought about all that Ozpin said before falling asleep herself.
Month 1 Day 22
The group finally got to the port town. Imperial troops were stationed everywhere. Oscar finished selling the car when the pirate ships came into view. Blake knew that they were the ships, but she still hadn't figured out how they were going to get on.
"How are we going to get on?" Arin asked Blake.
"I don't know." She said.
The ships landed at the port. They started to unload cargo. The troops were focused.
"I got an idea." Qrow said.
"What is it?" Ruby asked.
"You'll know. Just start moving down towards the docks."
The group started going down. Ruby looked back and saw her uncle taking out bottles of alcohol. She knew what he was about to do. He got the guards to pay attention to him by acting drunk, and starting a fight.
Bronze and Robin Hamilton stood on the docks, waiting for their pickup. Robin saw Blake first.
"Here they are." She said
"Let's just get them on quick. We don't want the imperials to notice us." He went back to the ship and got everything ready. Blake ran down the dock and greeted Robin.
"We have eleven."
"That's five thousand per head."
"That's not what we agreed on."
"Yeah, but those imperials are around. It's doubt now."
Oscar came up and handed them ten thousand.
"That's I have. We'll get you the rest of your money once we get back to Vale."
"So, just add it to the tab?"
"Yes."
"Hey, we could just ask them to get us a fleet at this point and still get money." Robin yelled to her brother. "Fine, only because you're cute." As Oscar was walking to the ship, she reached down and pinched. Oscar jumped.
"Just take it out of the tab." She said. Oscar's face was red. Everyone else quickly got on. Somehow Qrow got down to the docks, and got on just in time. The ship left port when the captain arrived.
"I'm sorry about that. I didn't know she would do that." Blake said
"It's fine. Just… keep me away from her. She creeps me out."
The trip across the waters was calm until the night.
"Everyone, be ready. Imperials are doing an inspection." Robin said. She opened hidden storage and made everyone get in them. She forced Ruby and Oscar into the same compartment.
"Why does she like making me uncomfortable?" Ruby asked. She had he hand on Oscar's face pushing it.
"How do you think I feel?" she let go
"Sorry."
They heard the troops board the ship.
"What do we owe this visit to?"
"Standards inspection. Just show me the master list and where you put the supplies, and I'll be done in less than half an hour."
"Good thing we have time." Bronze said.
"No date?"
"We're just hauling metals. Come with me." Bronze led the troop away.
Ruby closed her eyes, then saw they were surrounded by troops. She went up to Oscar's ear.
"Fourteen. Don't move." She silently moved back.
After a few minutes, the inspector came back.
"Just one thing. The list says Iron Ore. I didn't see that."
"Yeah, forgot to 46 that. They quit on us at the last second. Must have forgotten to cross it out."
"Just make sure it doesn't happen again."
"Honest mistake."
"I'm just saying because some other inspectors are less forgiving. You can go on your way after we leave."
The troops left. Bronze kicked on the storage.
Everyone got out.
"Now we can take our sweet time."
"What was that iron?"
"You guys. We just needed something." Bronze said.
Month 1 Day 24
After a long journey, the Hamilton crew landed. They made a stop at a different port first than the one listed. They dropped off their guests at Vale.
When Oscar saw the city, he was shocked. There was still rubble from the battle, and some building still showed the scars of battle.
"Now, we have to get to where we were going. Remember, the Alliance is going to have to pay for that Tab at some point." Robin said.
"We'll tell them." Qrow said.
"Don't be a stranger." She said to Qrow.
He just waved. Ruby looked at him.
"What was that about?"
"I think she likes me."
Oscar led them to Beacon. Team JNPR went back to their dorms. They went to the headmaster's office. Once the doors opened they saw Glynda and Raven talking.
Yang looked at her mother.
"Yang…"
"Mother."
The tension filled the air.
Glynda broke it.
"Who's this boy you brought with you?"
"We found him. We found Oz."
An old lady was getting off the ship. She was laughing with Robin.
"Dear, you should right your stories down. I'd read them if I could."
She tapped her eyes with the visors covering them.
"It's alright Grandma. I don't think writing so many illegal stories will do go for me. You need to come back more often."
"No, I've got nothing left for me in Mistral. Besides, my doctor's here. It's no good to be an eye surgeon if you're getting shot at."
"Then it seems like he chose the wrong place to go to."
"No. I don't think so. Quick question, what color eyes did that hooded girl have?"
"Why?"
"Oh, you know me, a nosy grandma. I just want to know."
"I think she had silver eyes."
Maria Calavera knew that the force guided her to this moment. She was going to be a teacher once again.
"Did you catch her name?"
"Ruby Rose I think"
Rose. So the force really was in charge.
"Well, I guess I'm coming out of retirement for just a little bit." Maria started walking in the direction of Beacon.
"Grandma, where are you going?" Robin asked.
"I'm going to go teach that girl my secrets. Just like her Mother."
Maria Calvera, the old force user, Silver eyed warrior, and the Grimm reaper, was going to have one final apprentice. She knew who was behind the war. She knew who was the true enemy. Salem's biggest mistake was killing Summer without killing her. Even though she took away her eyes, she underestimated her. That was her final mistake. Now the Grimm Reaper joined the war against Salem. And nothing was going to stop her.
Author's notes: Another one done.
So I don't have to make an excuse for this chapter. Actually made it a decent amount of time after my last chapter.
If you want to read more about Karel, I would point you to the other series I've been writing.
As always, review this so I know what to change.
May the Force be With You
-DragonZlayerx12"
