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RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth.
Chapter 14: An Oddity of an Anomaly
My daughters spilled through Keira's portal right into the center of our home. Unfortunately for them, I was absent. I was actually speaking with Ferrose about some repairs to one of my daggers. He was all too happy to help. Fortunately for my girls, Keira is rather resourceful. So, without much preamble, she began dragging Ruby through a multitude of portals in an attempt to find me.
It took them nearly half an hour but they found me in the entrance hall of my castle. I was rather surprised to see them. Not only because I was planning to discuss Ruby's training as a Revenant the next day, but also because Ruby's eyes held a faint silver glow to them. Something that really shouldn't have been possible considering that we had done no training.
Keira was quick to explain why they were here. I turned to Ruby, and gestured for her to speak. She gave me a quick rehash of what had occurred. It got me thinking. Before I could speak any further though, we were interrupted. Ozark and another one of the dead residents of the Necropolis interrupted us. I vaguely recognized her as our librarian. I noted how concerned Ozark was and how nervous the librarian looked.
"My lord-" the librarian began.
"Death, we found somethings you really need to see." Ozark interrupted. "You will find these most concerning."
"Can it wait for about ten minutes?" I questioned.
"I suppose." Ozark replied.
"It really shouldn't, my lord." The librarian countered.
"Ozark thinks it can, so it shall wait. I have pressing issues to worry about concerning my daughters. Take what you found to my study; I'll be along shortly." I commanded before turning back to Ruby and Keira.
"What's that about?" Keira asked, as she watched the two leave.
"I asked them to look into something concerning." I replied. "Now, about your glowing eyes."
"Did I do something wrong?" Ruby asked.
"No, quite the opposite." I said. "If anything, this is great… if ill timed."
"Ill timed? Wait, are you going to start…" Keira said before trailing off, looking contemplative.
"It would seem I need to." I spoke.
"You need to… what?" Ruby asked.
"It would appear that Dad is showing his favoritism of us once again." Keira answered.
Ruby just looked at her confused.
"Look, sis, normally Dad doesn't allow anyone to start training their death powers until they've mastered the scythe. We are special cases." Keira said with a grin.
"But what about portalling?" Ruby asked.
"Not necessarily a 'death power'. It's important that anyone I train knows how to return here should they need it. But Keira is right. She started exhibiting powers long before she mastered her scythe, and it appears you will be following the same route… though not as early as her." I explained.
"So, my eyes are an indication of my power?" Ruby asked.
"Yes." I answered. "It would seem that it is the beginning of your powers manifestation. Though, from the sounds of it, they only started to manifest because of your heightened emotional state. Glowing eyes are an excellent indicator that you're accessing your power, however."
"So, will that always happen?" Ruby asked.
"Probably." Keira answered. "I know whenever I use the powers Dad gave me, wind flares up… don't know why, but that's what happens. Nothing special happens when Dad uses his, though."
"That's where you're wrong, daughter. Whenever I use my powers, a tangible aura of death emanates from my being. You don't feel it because you've lived with me for so long and are likely used to it. Stay separated from me for a period of about a month or so, I guarantee that you will feel it." I countered.
"Back on topic," Ruby interjected, "how will we start training?"
"It's more you than we…" Keira began.
"Huh?" Ruby questioned.
"Keira's right. The first part of your training is actually something I can't teach you. Only give you an idea of how it works." I began. "I can't properly teach you how to use your power, until you learn how to consciously call on it. The problem is that it's as easy as breathing for me. It gets easier as you get used to using it, but I'm so familiar with my power, that I don't really know how to teach you to call on it. For me, I literally just will it to do something and it does what I will it to do. Bianca helped Keira with her power."
"Ok…" Ruby responded, kind of confused, and maybe a little dejected.
"I can help you, Rube." Keira said.
Ruby looked at her sister, a small hopeful smile on her face.
"First you have to know what the power feels like to you. Then you have to learn what it feels like to use. When I started it, Mom told me it helps to associate calling on my power with an action. Like this…"
Keira clapped her hands once. She lifted a little way off the ground and, true to her word, wind began flowing around her. She smiled at Ruby before clapping again and the wind dissipated.
"See, nothing to it. I would snap my fingers, but I have no clue how to do that…" Keira trailed off sheepishly.
"So, she claps to call on her power whenever we train. It's formed a bad habit that I'm trying to break her of." I spoke up, with a small glare at my daughter.
"Hey, it helped me, didn't it?" Keira protested.
"I suppose so." I muttered. "How about you two go off and practice for a bit. I should really deal with what Ozark and the Librarian discovered."
I walked off to my study as the girls headed out into the courtyard. I don't exactly know how long they stayed there. I only know that Ruby left sometime that night… or maybe it was early morning. Cause when she returned to her dorm at Beacon, the sun was high in the sky. Fortunately for her, since it was a Tuesday. Unfortunately, it was Tuesday morning, and Dr. Oobleck's history class began in about ten minutes.
She quickly changed, grabbed her books, and ran. It's a good thing that the dorms aren't situated too terribly far from the classrooms, otherwise she wouldn't have made it. That being said, she still arrived as the Oobleck was beginning his lecture.
"Ms. Rose, so good of you to join us. May I suggest setting an alarm in the future? It would not do for you to be late to a mission." Oobleck stated, rapid fire.
Ruby simply nodded and found her team easily. Blake and Yang looked at her, slightly concerned. Ruby would be tired. Fortunately, though, it was Tuesday. Weiss glanced at her, and resolutely turned back her attention back to Dr. Oobleck.
"I overslept?" She quietly questioned Yang.
"That was the only excuse we could think of." Yang whispered back. "It wouldn't look good if you disappeared for no reason in week two."
"They know of my alternate arrangements." Ruby replied.
Yang nodded and turned back to the professor. He was doing a lesson on the history of the old royal families from the kingdoms, and how the kings of Mistral and Vacuo had nearly destroyed Vale. It was honestly a rather boring event. All centered around a trade dispute. Vacuo didn't like that Vale traded with Mistral, and Mistral didn't like that Vale traded with Vacuo. Vacuo put a trade embargo on Vale, as did Mistral. It became a ridiculous arms race to see who could starve out Vale first. At one point, the army of Vacuo had completely surrounded Vale.
Vale called on Mantle, the kingdom before Atlas, for help. Fighting broke out, and Vale was almost leveled. They did come out on top, without their protective walls. Vacuo and Mistral were forced to help repair the damages they had caused in their stupid little contest.
All in all, it was a rather boring lesson for Ruby. She had learned much of this from Famine and Bianca… and the few residents in the Necropolis who didn't mind expounding on their own personal histories.
The class ended a while later and team RWBY returned to their dorm. Ruby noted that Weiss was rather apprehensive the whole way back. When they entered, Ruby flopped down onto her bed. Blake and Yang sat on their respective beds. Yang watched the heiress while Blake pulled out a book. Weiss remained standing. She took a deep breath before speaking.
"Ruby, can we talk?" She asked.
"About?" Ruby prodded as she sat up.
"My behavior. Since we were assigned teams, I have been rather obstinate towards you." Weiss began.
"Obstinate? HA!" Yang interrupted with a harsh laugh. "You've been a mega bitch since you weren't named leader."
Weiss just turned and glared at Yang.
"She is right." Blake said from behind her novel.
Ruby idly noted that Blake was reading the first book in a series called Ninjas of Love. A 'romantic' series that basically amounts to porn with plot. Bianca and Keira really like them… for some reason. Ruby and I don't. I prefer novels of the more… fantastical approach. Fantasy is my favorite. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings being a particular standout. Though historical fiction isn't a bad genre.
Anyways, Weiss huffed in annoyance.
"I suppose the brute is right. And after your rather verbal and violent tearing down of me last night, I did some thinking." Weiss continued.
She did smirk slightly at Yang's irritated shout of indignation.
"You were right. My life has been relatively easy and I'm used to getting my way. I should not have accused you of cheating and I am sorry. Sorry for disparaging you and your teachers." Weiss said, expressing her remorse.
Ruby smirked as she spoke next. "Your remorse has been accepted, given for review, found satisfactory, and I forgive you."
"What?" Weiss said.
"Sorry, something Dad used to do when we got in trouble with him. It was his way of determining if we were actually sorry." Ruby explained. "But I do forgive you. How about we start again."
"Ok." Weiss agreed.
"This means you won't be trying to undermine her authority… right?" Yang asked.
"No, Yang. She won't. I do believe that she is truly remorseful and will repent." Ruby answered.
"Fair enough." Yang accepted. "That is an interesting way of accepting an apology though."
"When did Weiss apologize?" Ruby asked, confused.
"Just now." Weiss answered, also confused.
"But you didn't. You said you were sorry and expressed remorse." Ruby said.
"Yeah, that's offering an apology." Yang explained.
"That's not an apology the way I learned it." Ruby replied.
"What do you mean?" Blake asked.
"I grew up learning that to apologize meant to defend your actions. Apologizing was justifying why what you did was right." Ruby answered.
"Ah, the classical definition." Blake clarified for herself.
Ruby nodded and the girls continued about their day. Admittedly, nothing much happened. Ruby and Weiss got to know each other a little better. Blake read her porn. Yang took a nap. When it came time for their aura classes. The three girls left, without a fuss from Weiss this time. Ruby spent the better of the hour attempting to feel out her power, as Keira had taught her. Unfortunately, due to the previous night, she didn't stay awake for long and was soon passed out on her bed.
Overall, not much of interest. However, my day was far from boring.
I entered my study to see Ozark and the librarian sorting through a multitude of files that they had placed on my desk. If I had them, I would have raised an eyebrow at the sight. I recognized the files for what they were, they were soul files from the hall of records. Only one I actually recognized. Erebus Grimshaw's file was still on my desk, right where I left it. There were a good thirty other files piled up next to it.
"All right, what is this about then?" I asked.
"Well, you asked me to do some investigating into the mysterious Grimshaw person. With no clue where to start, I decided to check the library. Considering that's where you found out about him. Behold my surprise when I found her rifling through a few files." Ozark gestured to the librarian.
"I found a file with an anomaly. I figured something had gone wrong with the hall, but figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to inspect some of the other files." She explained.
"Ok… and?" I questioned as a sense of dread began building. I feared where this conversation was heading.
"I found more." She stated. "Dr. Ozark came by as I found the third anomaly."
"We searched and found these few, I believe there are probably more." Ozark said.
I looked back at the pile of files.
"Isn't there some sort of notification system in place for when anomalies occur?" I asked.
"There was a long time ago, but you disabled that after you kept getting inundated with requests from me to look at these anomalies." The librarian answered. "I thought you got it fixed."
Right, now I remember. It was the huntsmen and huntresses. When they first started appearing and unlocking their auras, the soul file of said huntsman or huntress would register them as an anomaly. You remember how I mentioned that unlocking your aura was akin to releasing chains on your soul? Yeah, that metaphor applies quite well to explain what actually happens. You soul becomes partially unbound from your body. And soul files register that as an anomaly. I got annoyed at all of the notifications that came in from such unbindings, so I disabled that magical notification system. It would appear that I never did reinstate it.
I also worked on getting the soul files to register aura unlocking as natural and not an anomaly. I guess I never actually replaced the notification system we had… which does explain a few things.
Anyways, I started looking through the files piled on the desk. I made an idle note that three of them were kept separately. One of which was obviously Erebus Grimshaw's. Anyway, each of the files had the same error. The primary information was the victim's name, date of birth, date of death, and the current afterlife status and description of the soul. For each file, there was a name, a date of birth, a date of death, and the same afterlife status and description.
Soul: Error [Soul not collected] Status: Suffering.
"They're all like this?" I questioned.
"Yes." The librarian answered.
"I believe they are files of Grimshaw's victims." Ozark said.
I nodded. That seemed to make sense.
"And these two?" I questioned, looking at the two separated files.
"A more interesting anomaly I found. I don't think it's related to the previous thirty."
I opened the first file. It was related to the previous thirty. I showed Ozark.
"Not that particular anomaly." Ozark replied.
I rolled my eyes at that and read the file. Again, I would have raised an eyebrow as I read the name.
Raven Branwen. A proper date of birth and death. Followed by:
Soul: Error [Soul not collected] Status: Suffering.
"Am I missing something?" I questioned, pulling over the next folder.
"Read the next file. We can't explain it." The librarian answered.
I opened the file and I felt my eyes widen.
Raven Branwen
Date of Birth: Not Applicable
Date of Death: Not Applicable
Soul: Error [unknown] Status: Joyful.
Now I was confused. This is definitely not as bad as the thirty or so anomalies regarding people with uncollected souls. But how does one person have two files? That just shouldn't be possible. But I did know someone who knows someone who knew Raven Branwen… assuming I'm thinking of the right Raven Branwen. For all I know, this could be a completely different Raven. Summer Rose has mentioned Qrow Branwen's sister more than once.
I had a house call to make. With well practiced ease, I teleported myself to an abandoned alley in Vale, near the CCT tower. Donning my human disguise, I entered and was directed towards a call room.
Ozpin took a few rings before he answered.
"Hello. Grim, is that you?" he asked.
"Indeed. I need your help with something rather minor Oz." I replied.
"How minor?" he queried.
"Could you get me in contact with Qrow Branwen? I found something interesting about his sister." I answered.
"Raven? You found her?" Ozpin asked.
"Possibly a lead." I replied. "Can you get us a meeting?"
"Yes." Ozpin answered. "When would be the best to meet with you?"
"Tomorrow, if possible." I replied.
"It will be done." Ozpin answered. "Have a good one."
I nodded and logged out of the system.
If nothing else, it certainly made my day interesting.
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Data Log DoD-014
I'm back. Apologies for the unannounced absence. My job called, and it is over and done with now. We should be returning to our regular update schedule for the foreseeable future. Thank you all for your patience. I hope that you still enjoy this story, despite my lack of uploads over the past few months.
Thank you to all who read this, your feedback and views are much appreciated. Feel free to leave ideas and recommendations for the future.
Goodbye viewer; Fare thee well.
End Log S.T.K