Author's Note

To avoid any potential confusion, unless otherwise specific, this is how you can identify if its Oz or Neve talking when there is no identifying tag to their speech:

"Italics with double quotation marks represents Oz"

'Italics with single quotation marks represents Neve'

Hope you enjoy the chapter!

The voice of Ozpin was so clear in my mind, "Hello, Neve."

Yet, I wanted to deny it. I shook my head, still leaning on the wall, and crossed my arms, "...Nope. No, nuh-uh. Not happening. This is not happening." I knew it was, I knew there was no reversing it,

He knew that I knew that, "It happened, Neve. I'm sorry, but I don't even know who my next host will be until it happens."

I growled, "I didn't want it to go to Oscar, but… Really, me? Of all the people on Remnant, I was chosen?"

"We are like-minded souls, Neve. This, you surely can't deny. Additionally, you can think and I will hear your words. So long as you wish me to. I will not invade your privacy, if I can help it. Although… I can't help having access to your memories now."

I uncrossed my arms and rubbed my face with my hands, 'Well, now you have the whole story, don't you? Everything about me and what I know, laid bare.'

"To an extent, albeit yours is not a life nor a soul I have ever seen before in all of my time. You died and came to Remnant, your soul is… strangely whole. Every soul on Remnant is fractured, but a whisper of what they were before the first extinction, but yours… Yours is like the soul of a member of First Humanity."

That made sense, I supposed, after all while Earth humans may not have magic, we had never exactly been sundered and forced to come back as pieces of a broken puzzle. 'Because Earth was never at the whims of the Brother Gods, we didn't have magic but we also never suffered the consequences of Salem's selfishness.'

"Your awareness of everything makes sense, somewhat, now. However, I still struggle to wrap my head around your true origins… I suppose it doesn't matter now. I don't have access to all of your memories yet, only the broad strokes, just as you will only have access to my most recent memories for the first few months."

I frowned, knowing that I was going to be getting all of his memories perhaps made the sentiment hypocritical, but I didn't like the idea of him having access to all of my memories. Every moment, private or not, every action taken, for good or ill? That felt… intrusive. This whole damn thing felt intrusive.

Finally, I spoke aloud again as I pushed off the wall, "Fuck." It was a simple sentiment, but it encapsulated how I felt in that moment perfectly. I then turned around, opened the sliding glass door, and stepped back inside before shutting the door behind me.

It was late, everyone else was asleep no doubt.

I was in the living room, wooden floors with a mixture of landscape paintings and lovingly framed photos of one or more of us and our friends lined the wooden walls that matched the color of the floor.

The living room had a holo-television placed against the wall to my left, with a rug under a large couch and two armchairs. There was also a coffee table between the television and the couch, and other than that there was a clock on the wall that read 12:35 on it. Was it really that late? I must have been seriously distracted.

Now I was even moreso.

I saw the front door on the opposite wall to me, also wooden and flanked by two windows that were covered with dark blue curtains. There was a path that led to the tiled kitchen that had all of my kitchen necessities and then some, Glynda had gone as far as to buy me extra equipment as well as two months worth of groceries, all in the name of providing for Shi.

I supposed she really felt for the girl, and by extension, me.

"Glynda has always been a very kindhearted woman, even if as a student you've rarely ever experienced that."

I resisted the urge to chuckle as I looked at the stairwell that led up to the story floor. The other three were no doubt in their bedrooms, the only places that had carpeted flooring, and hopefully they were fast asleep.

'I wouldn't have believed you before the attack, but now? I'd be foolish to think otherwise.'

Oz sounded amused, "You'll get memories of my time with her, you'll see how nice of a person she is."

My eyes widened and I shuddered, 'You and Glynda?'

"Most certainly. Since we were students."

'My God.'

I put the thought out of my head and walked over to the couch before sitting down and sighing as I buried my face in my hands. First everything before and now this? Was I ever going to catch a break?

The answer was a definitive 'probably not.'

"I trust I don't need to tell you that we need to tell Qrow about this come the morrow? Not only so we can retrieve our cane, but so we can begin to plan."

I nodded even if there was no real need to, 'Yeah… that's gonna be awkward. I literally gave it to the guy like… three days ago.'

Oz chuckled, somehow, despite being in my mind, 'Knowing him, he will find humor in it, after he gets over the shock.'

I imagined that it would be, and I also fully expected to have Qrow around me a lot more than he had been previously. We'd never truly gotten to talk, aside from him asking for Oz's cane, not that I expected to talk to him much. He was a loner who only really talked to Ruby and Yang, as far as people around my age went.

I closed my eyes, leaned back in my chair, and sighed, 'Regardless of what planning we do, you should know that Glynda has expressly forbidden me from doing anything huntsman-related until January.'

"Oh, I'm well aware. I'm also aware of the unfortunate business that happened during the attack."

I scoffed, 'Unfortunate business, yeah, that's one way to put it. I killed someone, Oz!' I kept my eyes closed while remembering what happened, 'It'd be one thing if I had to kill someone in battle, but Amber was innocent. She didn't deserve this.'

Oz tried to comfort me, "You only did what was necessary, even if it hurt you and went against every belief you hold. That is a heroic action, Neve, you should not allow it to weigh you down."

I knew he was right but that didn't remove the sting that I felt anytime I remembered her final moments. The things that I did, the things that I saw, I promised that I would never have a hand in harming an innocent again.

Not that that should be hard, but it was a promise I made for myself more than anything else. I knew that someday I might have needed to kill again, that was just the life of a huntsman, but I only wanted to do it if absolutely necessary.

More than anything, I reasoned that I should perhaps have been angrier at Orchid and her company before anyone else. Salem, above all, but Orchid was a personal foe. She hurt Weiss, attacked Cinder, threatened the lives of countless people at Beacon…

Salem was a distant foe, far away and mysterious, though I knew I couldn't dismiss her, I also knew I needed to focus on what would be in front of me.

That meant Orchid.

Yet, at that moment, there was nothing I could do about it.

Before I could think any further, I felt someone sit next to me. Once I opened my eyes, I saw Shi sitting there with a look of concern on her face.

…I supposed I had been sitting on the couch with my eyes closed. In the dark.

Yeah, really putting on a tough face for Shi, Neve.

Wait! I blinked a few times, "Shi, what are you doing awake? It's far too late for you to be up." My voice wasn't chiding, but it was filled with concern.

Thankfully she just shook her head, "I just wanted some water." I believed her, Shi wasn't a liar, unlike me, "You don't look happy, Uncle Neve. You look sad."

Curse this girl's perceptiveness…

I smiled at her, "I'm quite alright." Then I blinked before I cleared my throat, "I'm okay, Shi. Just thinking."

Yet, she didn't believe me, I could see that. Instead, she placed her hand on my arm and channeled her aura.

Aura-linking was something I hadn't known about until someone brought it up in a conversation. Shi wanted to learn it and Violet seemed to know what it was. The way it was explained to me is that Aura-linking is the process of being in physical contact with someone while you channel your aura and channeling it into the other person. When that happens, without proper training you'll receive a deluge of thoughts and emotions, a veritable torrent that could leave someone reeling.

When properly trained, though, you can feel the emotions of the other person, and through the link, you can decipher a message, with enough practice.

It's mostly a meditation practice, or done as a matter of trust between two people who are close. Rarely, though, it can be used to impart information and words that one might be incapable of voicing correctly out loud.

I felt Shi's emotions, transmitted to me. Worry, Care, Concern, 'You've done nothing wrong.'

I blinked in surprise before sighing. Shi was just as much a pillar to me as I was to her, ideally I wouldn't let her see me like this, but here we were. I returned the link and transmitted my own feelings.

I tried to mask my emotions, but I had a feeling that that wouldn't work.

Sadness, Regret, Self Loathing. 'I did everything wrong.'

Shi frowned at me, "You are sad." Her stubbornness was an ever-present characteristic of hers. Yet, her voice reeked of sadness, just the same as mine, "You took me in when Mama and Papa… left. You're my uncle. You can't be sad."

She closed her eyes and continued to maintain the link. Concern, Certainty, Care. 'My family shouldn't be sad.'

The sentiment made me smile, I tried to assuage her worry, "It's just a little roadbump. I'll be fine."

Yet the aura-link spoke another story. Fear, Anguish, Despair. 'You shouldn't have been stuck with me. You deserve better.'

Her face contorted to a few different emotions, for a moment I was concerned. I didn't have control over what she heard, at least, not very good control. These links were unfiltered truth, nothing less. My concern remained until she, while still maintaining the link, did her best to wrap her arms around me. It was somewhat difficult due to her diminutive stature. She sounded like she was reaching for the right words, a difficult thing for her, I didn't doubt, "Roadbumps hurt. I don't like them."

Grief, Loss, Despair. 'You're everything I have left.'

Then, she added softly, "But… whenever Mama hit one, we were always there with her… So, I can be there for you too."

Weariness, Empathy, Concern. 'Don't shut me out. You're all I have. Family doesn't shut family out.'

It took me a few moments to process and decipher what message I was receiving, due to how long it was. When I did, I took a deep breath before I returned her hug and muttered, "Thank you."

Comfort, Care, Assurance. 'Thank you.'

The link ended, and she looked tired from the effort. She didn't have to do that, but I knew she wanted to. Shi was, and is, very mature for her age. If only I didn't know why that was the case. Loss created adults out of children, faster than it happens normally. It was all I could do to try and preserve her childhood while she still had it.

I hugged her back. While we were hugging, Ozpin commented, "You are a better father figure than you think. The way you make such a concerted effort to give her a good life. She appreciates it as well, based on how she helped you."

I scrunched my nose in annoyance, glad that Shi couldn't see it, 'I'm not trying to be a father figure. I'm trying to be a brother figure. I'm too young to be a father. Also, we help each other, that's just how it is.'

Ozpin sounded amused, "Technically, you're well over four thousand years old now. Additionally, in your situation, the line between the two is blurred. Miss Xiao-Long served a similar role for Miss Rose, and even today she has many motherly tendencies, though I would not repeat that to her. The fact that you are helping each other is all the evidence one needs, really, family helps family."

I was most assuredly not over four thousand years old! Still, I supposed he had a point, even if I still didn't much like being considered a father, 'Fine. I suppose you have a point, somewhat.'

Shi and I separated and I smiled at her, she yawned and I placed my hand on her head before I ruffled her hair, causing her to giggle. Then, I suggested, "You should go to your room, Shi. Get some sleep. Tomorrow, after I get back from running an errand, we'll go into town and get some ice cream, okay?"

That was an exciting prospect to her, she nodded, "Okay! And then I'll train when we get back!" I nodded approvingly, then she got up and ran to go upstairs, "Thanks, Uncle Neve!"

She was a bit loud there, but I knew Jeanne and Violet both slept like logs. I was a much lighter sleeper, a habit that I'd always had.

I stood up and stretched before walking upstairs to go to my room and sleep as well.

Tomorrow was going to be busy.

Having Oz in my head was a strange experience, and it took a lot of getting used to.

He locked himself away when I went to bed, claiming that he wished to give me as much privacy as he could. However, after I woke, showered, and dressed in my usual huntsman attire, he was there again.

It's like having this… presence. That feeling that you weren't alone, that someone was looking over your shoulder. Yet, in some strange way, it was not a bad feeling. I wouldn't say it was particularly good either, but I could live with it. At the very least, I would never walk alone.

It was around 8 AM when I woke up, my habit of waking up early in the day had shifted somewhat due to all the time I had spent recovering. It was around 9 when I was finally ready to head out, Jeanne, Violet, and Shi were all still asleep.

They usually slept until noon, I had time for this, if nothing else. Although it would be kind of hard to explain to Jeanne and Violet why I suddenly had Oz's cane back…

I decided that I would tell my whole team about Ozpin, magic and maidens, eventually. When I came to this conclusion, Oz sounded a bit concerned, "Neve, are you sure? These are closely guarded secrets for a reason."

To which, as I was leaving out the front door to start down the dirt road that would lead to the Xiao-Long household, I responded, 'You have your circle of confidants and I have mine. I will do things my own way still, even if I now need to work alongside your compatriots.'

"Fair enough."

He didn't sound completely convinced, he was used to having full control of these situations, and while my confidence in myself had been shot and I considered myself little more than a fool, if I was going to have to take this role as 'The Next Ozma', then so be it. I might not have believed in myself at the time, but I knew there was no running from this. If I needed to put on a mask of confidence and surety, then I would.

Always with the masks, with me, it seemed. It was rare for me to ever just… be myself. I had done it with Cinder and with my parents, a couple times with my team, but it was rare.

I doubted that my team even knew the full extent of it, they would be more concerned if they did, and they were already concerned.

Lunus repeatedly made efforts to try and help me move on from Cinder, Jeanne and Violet did everything they could to help me take care of Shi and to comfort me in my time of strife… Even Tai, Ruby, Ven, and Venrou (Ven's father) knew that something was off with me, but they didn't pry too much. At least, most of them didn't.

Ruby constantly tried to figure out what was bothering me, I feel like she was doing so in order to distract herself from how distraught she was. If I could, I would tell her where Blake was, that might set her mind at ease if she at least knew where everyone on her team was.

…Were it so easy….

I lived in the same general area as the Yue-Longs (Ven's family), the Xiao-Longs, and the Marigolds. All three families had offered to help take care of Shi in their own way, Tai in particular was incredibly sympathetic to what I was trying to do.

I had never expected to develop a sense of camaraderie and fondness towards Taiyang of all people, but I supposed I didn't expect most of what had happened to me to, well, happen.

When I eventually got to the Xiao-Long house, I saw Tai sitting outside enjoying the nice weather. Contrary to yesterday's rainstorm, it was bright and sunny out today. The weather was still somewhat laden with humidity, but it was nothing that minor applications of aura couldn't negate.

Tai smiled when he saw me as he waved me over to him, "Neve! Glad to see you." We shared a smile and he asked, "What's up?"

I responded simply, "Is Qrow here? I need to see him."

Tai hummed, "Qrow, huh? I'm surprised you're looking for him." Yet, he didn't pry, "He's in town at one of the bars, 'Patch Paradise' I think."

I nodded, "Ah, alright." I figured I'd ask a question, my voice lacing with concern, "Is Yang… getting better?"

Tai sighed and gained a forlorn look on his face, "...Any day now the package I requested should arrive. I called in a few favors from Atlas to hopefully help her get out of this rut, but I know it's more than physical."

I understood that, at least, "Small steps. These things aren't easy to get over." Then I offered a smile, "Maybe I'll bring Shi over later, Yang always loves seeing her."

The idea seemed to brighten Tai's mood, "Great idea! Thanks, seriously." He smiled, "I know Yang appreciates it too."

I shook my head and waved my hand dismissively, "Yang's a friend, I want to help her feel better just the same as everyone else."

After that I left and started towards the small town that was located on Patch. It was a cozy place, filled with life and happiness. Admittedly, were I to raise a child anywhere on Remnant, Patch was my number one choice.

Not that I intended to have any children of my own any time soon, of course, I was far too young for that.

While I was walking, I decided to ask Ozpin, "So… what's going to happen to my soul? Myself? You mentioned that I'm different, what's going to happen?"

Oz sounded uncertain, 'Truthfully, I have no clue. Your soul is comparable to mine in strength, and all of my previous hosts have had fractured souls. It could be that this fusion will affect you differently. Maybe I will be the one subsumed, maybe our fusion will never fully complete. We simply will have to wait and see.'

So all hope for my self-identity wasn't lost. That was a silver lining in this dark cloud, at least. The idea of losing myself didn't sit well, and if I thought she'd give me a straight answer, I'd ask Assistant.

I'd just have to live with the guessing. As agonizing as it was.

Dirt roads eventually changed to paved roads and sidewalks the closer I got to the town. People did have cars here, but really they were less a necessity and more a luxury, everything was mostly in walking distance.

The town was bustling with activity, as it always was. Not too crowded and yet not sparsely populated at all. The town itself cropped up around Signal, once it was founded, and grew from there. In that regard, I could compare it to a college town from Earth.

It had everything you needed for a town, and even more than a few luxuries. Granted, it did live in the shadow of Vale as far as things like getting new issues of certain magazines, like Ruby's favorite 'Weapons Weekly', but those were small inconveniences. People in the town regarded me kindly as I walked, huntsmen, even huntsmen-in-training of my age and skill level, were something of a rarity. There was the staff at Signal, the occasional traveling hunter on a mission, and the students at signal primarily.

Really, outside of that, my team, Ruby, Tai, and the others were the only hunters of any notoriety in the town. When I moved in, it was apparently something of an event in the town, especially since I brought Jeanne and Violet with me, two more Beacon students.

Some people talked about me, they whispered about 'The Dragon Slayer', as if I was some sort of mythical figure. I wasn't, but you couldn't stop gossip circles. Interacting with them would just get you pulled into it, and so I chose to ignore it.

Besides, just as many if not more people were talking about Qrow, he was something of a hometown hero. Even if this wasn't his hometown. I supposed that spending as many years as he did here, teaching and helping take care of Ruby and Yang, played some part in that.

I found the bar in question and entered. Nobody tried to stop me, normally they'd ask for my ID, but wearing my huntsman gear was enough for them to assume I was able to drink. Not that I intended to do so.

Qrow was sitting at the bar itself, the whole place was desolate this early in the morning. Hell, I had a feeling the only reason it was open was because Qrow was here, and everyone knew Qrow's drinking habit.

I walked over, and my footsteps were enough for him to glance back. He was drunk, but not smashed, it seemed, "Hey, kid." The Long Memory was on the small of his back, using the strap made to hold it in place when not being used, "You need something?" His voice grew amused, "Or is the stress of parenthood driving you to day drinking?"

I smiled, "No, that's not it." I stopped a few feet from him and held out my hand, "I would like my cane back, Qrow."

There was a pause and silence. His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. He turned around in his bar stool and leaned in, looking at me, as if trying to see Oz hiding somewhere in my eyes. Then he scratched his head, "No way… You?" I nodded and he sighed, "Fuck… I'm sorry."

I shook my head, "We can talk about the consequences of all of this later. It's not as straightforward as you might think it is. For now, though…" I gestured with my still outstretched hand.

He nodded and removed the cane, along with the strap it went on, before handing them over to me separately. So, on went yet another strap onto the small of my back, not that I had my sheaths or quiver on given that my weapon was still in the shop, and then I regarded The Long Memory.

It looked the same, but it felt different, if that makes sense. There was a certain… familiarity with it.

Like I'd used it for my whole life, and beyond.

Yet, I knew the muscle memory and reflexes were not going to reach Oz's level so quickly, if I ever fully got there. I had no idea at the time.

Instead, I extended out the cane and leaned on it with one hand, "Thank you."

"Don't forget, we need to talk to him about what our next moves will be."

'I haven't.'

I cleared my throat, "Ozpin wants us to talk about what our next move will be."

Qrow nodded and regarded the whiskey he still had resting on the counter, then he downed it and stood up, "Alright. Let's walk and talk."

Together we left and started heading back towards my home, for being drunk, Qrow sure walked and talked rather normally. Maybe it was the shock of finding out the 'next Oz' was right in his backyard.

We didn't start talking until we hit the dirt road, with Qrow saying, "So, Beacon's safe, but we have no idea where that crazy chick and her cohort are. We also lost track of your girl, who happens to be the same chick who almost killed Amber and took the Fall Maiden's power from her."

I nodded, "As I've told you before, she's reformed. Salem tried to have her killed twice already, once when she defected and again when Orchid went for her. Although…" I trailed off.

He finished what I was thinking, "That doesn't change the fact that she ran away." I nodded somberly and he sighed, "Ah, kid. I know a thing or two about lost love. Let me tell you, it doesn't get easier with time. Best thing you can do is try to move on. Find someone new, when you're ready, and focus on other things till you are."

I appreciated the advice, but I didn't want to get over Cinder. The thought was there, I knew it was the right thing to do, but…

I sighed, "If it were that easy, I wouldn't be thinking about her right now."

Qrow nodded, "It ain't easy, like I said." Then, he shook his head and changed the subject, to my relief, "Anyway, Beacon's safe, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be doin' stuff to try and head off any more attacks on the academies. Salem wants the relics, and she'll need to go through them to get 'em."

Oz commented, "We are working with rather limited information right now. Qrow will need to gather more of it while you recover. That will give us time to think of what to do."

I clicked my tongue in contemplation, "Well…" I said out loud for Qrow's sake, "There's some information I think I can share." Qrow looked at me curiously and I responded, "Leo's a traitor. He was the reason Cinder and her former team were able to pose as Haven students. If we want to do something to beat Salem to the punch, he needs to go."

Qrow looked shocked, "Leo…?" He furrowed his brow, "How do you know this?"

I remembered that I hadn't told him about my 'special knowledge', but at the time I didn't really feel like explaining it, "Trust me on this. Oz has his knowledge, I have mine. If he didn't believe me, I think he would have taken over to tell you so."

"I have no reason to doubt you, Neve. Even if it is a shock to find that Leo would betray us."

'The Cowardly Lion never discovered his courage.'

"Beg pardon?"

'An old story, you'll get that memory eventually.'

Oz sounded amused, even in the face of this shocking information, "That's supposed to be my line."

I chuckled at seemingly nothing, but Qrow knew I must have been talking to Ozpin.

We continued on our way back to my place, but before we went inside I collapsed The Long Memory and slipped it into its satchel.

When we opened the door, I found that Jeanne was up slightly earlier than normal. She was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and her normal hoodie. Her hair was not in a braid, instead it was down. It was messy, but honestly it was a good look on her. She waved at us, "Morning, and hey Ruby's Uncle!" Then, she gestured to the TV, "I was watching something when the news interrupted it. It must be big." She frowned.

Qrow and I shared a look before the two of us walked over and sat down. Qrow sat in one of the armchairs, I sat next to Jeanne.

Lisa Lavender was on, a picture of Leo Lionheart on the screen next to her, "We interrupt this program to bring some shocking news. Leonardo Lionheart, the Headmaster of Haven Academy, was found murdered in his office this morning." My eyes widened as the news anchor continued, "Details are scarce, but it is known that he was discovered partially burned and suffering from several cuts and lacerations across his body. It is currently believed that the Headmaster was unaware of his killer's intentions until it was too late."

"Oh dear."

That was one way to put it.

I looked at Qrow, "Qrow." He looked at me, and I produced my scroll. He did the same and we exchanged contact information before he nodded and stood up before he walked out. Jeanne didn't seem to notice, she was too enraptured in the news report.

The reporter continued, "This tragic turn of events comes after the death of Beacon's renowned and beloved Headmaster, Lucian Ozpin, during a historic attack on the campus last month, that claimed the lives of thankfully few civilians and students."

I blinked at the name, 'Lucian? Is that your first name?'

Oz sounded mildly embarrassed about it, somehow, I didn't think he was capable of such an emotion at the time, "Ozpin is my last name, after all. Although even before I fully fused, I preferred Ozpin."

I furrowed my brow, 'Thinking about what you were like prior to full fusion is a strange thought. How much of the original Ozpin is really left in there?'

Oz sounded amused, "A good deal more than you might think. You need only ask Glynda for that information. Fusing with like-minded souls means that the personality shift experienced is never incredibly drastic, even if it is still influenced by the process. Although, I suppose it depends on how aware and in-touch with the part of themselves that's viewed as like-minded they are." His tone turned reminiscent, "You should have seen what the King of Vale was like when I fused with him… He was a very confused and hesitant young man."

Thinking about previous incarnations was an interesting exercise, although I didn't want to think too hard about it. After all, he said that the shifts were not drastic, but how much of that was true? Oz lied as much as I did, if not more, which was saying something. It was another frustrating instance of me just not being able to get a full answer at the moment, until I figured out more.

The report ended not long after that, with the program returning to normal, revealing that Jeanne was watching… Saturday morning cartoons. I looked at her and she blushed, averting her eyes and pouting, "Don't say it."

I chuckled and put my arm around Jeanne, giving her a quick hug before letting her go, "Dunno what you're talking about." She smiled meekly and her embarrassed blush darkened while I stood up and started for the kitchen to start breakfast.

It wasn't quite noon yet, but I figured it was about time for everyone to wake up anyway. Bacon, eggs, and toast would rouse the other two easily.

While I was cooking, I sang a song under my breath, "Then Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White…" I paused, "Ugh, how does the rest of it go?" I hadn't heard that in forever, especially since that video didn't exist on Remnant.

"What song are you singing?"

I couldn't help but laugh under my breath at his question, 'Don't worry about it. Just something from Earth.'

"You certainly seem a lot more lively than you did earlier."

'Cooking is my happy place. It makes me feel good.' And useful, but I didn't add that part, getting this whole 'directed thoughts' thing down was taking practice and time, but it seemed rather intuitive so far.

"I hope you know that you are useful even when you're doing other things, Neve. You played a critical role in saving Beacon, and you've spent every effort possible in giving Shi a happy and healthy home."

I huffed. Well, I supposed that I hadn't completely gotten the hang of filtering my thoughts, 'You can say that, I can say that. I might even believe it somewhat. It doesn't fix the problem.'

"You should consider going to a therapist. If you are suffering from depression, or some form of trauma, it might be the best way to address your problem."

'Therapy?' I scoffed, 'I don't need therapy, Oz. I'll be fine.'

I turned my attention to thinking about what I was going to have to do today and beyond. Qrow was going to go investigate Haven, and if I guessed correctly, I could assume that it was Cinder who killed Leo. It wasn't a hard thing to deduce, she's an enemy of Salem now with a vested interest in defeating her, and given her… ruthless nature, an enemy like Leo was just an obstacle that needed to be removed.

I noticed Jeanne come into the kitchen. As was typical of her, she leaned on the counter next to me and watched as I cooked, eager and expectant. I smiled, "It won't take that long, don't worry. You'll get the first plate."

I could almost hear Jeanne's tail start wagging, "Awh, you're the best Neve!" I caught her grinning as I glanced at her, before I looked back at the pan. Her tone shifted, and she grew concerned, "Neve… There is something Violet and I want to talk to you about."

I furrowed my brow, "Is it about Shi?"

She was quick to refute that, "No, not at all! It's about you. We can save it for after breakfast, but I figured I'd let you know now so you don't feel like we're getting onto you out of nowhere. That, and to thank you for giving me the first plate."

I could only guess as to what it is they were going to ask me about. Usually if they wanted to tell me something, they'd just say it. I wasn't going to bite, after all, and they're some of my best friends!

Eventually the food was ready and true to what I expected, Violet and Shi were roused by the smell of breakfast. Breakfast itself was a normal affair, the general 'good mornings' and the like while Violet drank her required three cans of soda to start the day and Shi had some orange juice.

After breakfast, Shi ran off out back to get some morning exercise in, and I was left with Violet and Jeanne just kind of… staring at me. We had replaced the circular dining table I used to have with a larger rectangular one to fit the new dining room. The two of them flanked me by sitting on my left and right.

I was about to ask them what was up when Violet suddenly pointed at me, "You need to go to therapy!" She declared with complete certainty, like it was just a fact of life, "Ever since you woke up from the attack you've been acting differently, and you've got this look in your eye like you're really sad!"

Damn it.

"I told you."

'Shut up, you, or I'll post an eviction notice. I still haven't approved your lease.'

Jeanne added on, "Something happened to you during the attack, and Cinder up and leaving didn't help. If you're not comfortable telling us, then you need to talk to a therapist!" I was about to argue but she shook her head, "We won't take no for an answer on this!"

Violet added on as she crossed her arms, "Yeah! We want our leader and friend back, and the Neve we know isn't so shut off!"

I tried to argue, "Hey, I've been acting normal today! I even gave Jeanne a hug!" I gestured to her as if that would prove my point.

Jeanne crossed her arms as well, "That was the first time in a month and a half! That doesn't mean everything is magically better. We already know a trustworthy therapist, she's in the city, and Violet went to her for a while. Now you are too!"

I could see there was no getting out of this so I just sighed and accepted defeat. I didn't need therapy! Just because I had nightmares about what happened that night and sometimes seriously closed myself off or didn't feel like getting out of bed all day didn't mean anything!

Right?

I finally just said, "Alright, fine. I'll make an appointment, just give me her info, and then you guys will see you're being ridiculous." After that, Violet gave me the information and I had to set up an appointment. I was able to take the attention off me by suggesting that we go visit Yang, Ruby, and most likely Lunus over at the Xiao-Long household, bringing Shi along of course.

Oz's smugness over this whole incident did not make it any easier, were this before I had him in my head I would have just skipped out on therapy and spent the day out in town. Yet, he insisted that I actually see it through, that it would if nothing else help me vent some of what I thought. So long as I didn't say too much, of course.

I hated that he had a point.

The appointment was a week after that, and I found myself going to Vale in my usual casual attire, with the addition of my scarf because of the chilly weather. The upside to The Long Memory being a cane was that even in places where having a weapon was a bad or unnecessary idea, I could avoid being defenseless in the event of an emergency by bringing it with me.

A sword was a lot harder to justify than a cane, after all, even if some people thought it was strange that I, an eighteen year old, needed a walking cane.

The practice itself is called 'Garden of Eden Counseling', which I thought was a bit odd at first, but I assumed that there was some sort of fairy tale on Remnant with a similar name to that particular story. After all, I wouldn't have put it past the God of Light's fountain to be named such.

It wasn't a big place, there was only one therapist, her name's Eve Cole. I had to talk to her prior to making the appointment for 'triage', as it was called even in that field. Although, when it came to making the appointment, I had talked with a guy named Vale Mundy, her secretary.

Said secretary was the first person I saw, sitting behind a desk and typing away on his computer. Vale had long red hair that fell to his back and blue eyes that had an orange ring around the pupil. He didn't look that much older than me, if he was older than me at all. I wasn't sure how degrees worked on Remnant, so I supposed he just didn't need one.

He greeted me with a raised hand, "Hey! You're Neve, right?" I nodded and he smiled, "Alright, perfect. She's expecting you, so just go right in." He gestured to a door behind him, albeit slightly off to his right, my left.

I thanked him and headed into the office.

My therapist was singing a song under her breath while writing something down on a chart. She has fair skin, black hair that goes down to her neck, brown eyes, and at the time was wearing a purple T-shirt, a dark-blue jacket that was unzipped, jeans, and sneakers. I recognized her, strangely enough, although it seemed like she had cut her hair since the first time I saw her. I saw her at the festival! She was the one who defended me and Cinder when we were getting a bit too personal in public…

The song she sang was vaguely familiar to me, "Well come and well met, my brave little spark…" She muttered under her breath, "How long you've wandered, burned bright as a star~ Oh, I have long waited you patiently, all this time…"

Oz, strangely enough, commented, "I thought I recognized her name… She completed her therapy practicum at Beacon."

That was interesting, 'Beacon hosts civilian students?'

"Indeed. They have separate dormitories to the hunters-in-training, and a different curriculum, but they do exist. The school is very large after all, and there are only so many wannabe-huntsmen in the world. You might have seen a few of them around and not even noticed they're studying something completely different to you."

That made sense, so I just accepted it..

I shut the door behind me and that was when she looked up and stopped her singing, "Oh! Hello, Neve, it's great to finally see you in person!" She smiled and gestured across from her. She was sitting in an armchair, and across from her was a comfy looking couch, pressed against the wall whereas her chair was just in the middle of the room.

The whole place looked cozy, with plants to add a bit of life to the room. The floors were carpeted with white carpet, and I saw a desk further back, against a window with the blinds shut on it. On that desk were a few different books along with several folders of notes, and a holo-computer screen.

I nodded and walked over to the couch, sitting there as I sighed, "You know, I won't lie to you, Eve, I've never really been that big on therapy… I know it works for some people, but I never thought I'd be here."

Eve smiled warmly, "Oh, you're not the first to think that way. Many huntsmen like you have similar sentiments, but I've found that usually it's huntsmen who have the most to talk about, if you let them talk."

For some reason, I wanted to trust this woman. Maybe it was the smile she gave or maybe it was just her general demeanor, but I felt more relaxed talking to her than I did other people, hell, more relaxed than I felt talking to Jeanne or Violet recently.

She looked at me expectantly and I nodded, "Alright… Well…" Then, I launched into telling her about everything that had happened to me up to that point, albeit leaving out certain 'unnecessary' details like how I was from another world. She listened along intently, occasionally writing things down and asking follow-up questions.

It must have taken thirty minutes for me to get all the way to the attack, and that was skipping over a lot of minute details. When I got to the part that I dreaded, I hesitated, "I…" I sighed, "I… I had to kill someone. I knew it would save so many people if I did, so… I killed someone."

Eve didn't seem shocked, "Mmh…" She hummed, "And did it?" I supposed I shouldn't have been surprised, if she had been to Beacon, then she knew the kinds of things that huntsmen had to do to survive in this world.

I sighed, "Y-Yeah… I think it did."

She nodded, "Yet you still feel guilty, for having to take a life?" I nodded and she continued, "That's completely normal, but… I have noticed a few things from the rest of your retelling… So Cinder is your love, correct?" I nodded again and she asked, "And she left?" Another nod, and she hummed.

I expected a pitying gaze, but I got none. Pity was bad, at least to me, you didn't want that. Sympathy was slightly better, but what I got instead was a look of… empathy? As if she understood exactly what I was going through. I supposed she was a therapist, even if she didn't know exactly what was going on, she could at least understand how it made me feel.

She continued, "Sometimes the people we love leave us. It's never fun, but it's not the end of the world." She wrote some things down before looking at me again, "It sure feels like it though, doesn't it?" I nodded and she smiled, "Moving on isn't easy, people telling you to do it isn't going to speed it along. Instead, you need to find something to occupy your mind. It will help you move forward. I've got a few things I want you to try doing after this session, and after we discuss some further possible causes of your low mood, but most importantly, I must ask…"

Her smile had a strange quality to it, I almost wanted to call it knowing, as if she was the one letting me in on a secret, "Do you like writing, Neve?"

I thought about her question before answering, "Uhm… Well I haven't gotten to do a lot of it, but there were a few creative writing assignments for some classes I was in…" Professor Port loved having us write stories that included what we learned from his classes and stories, it was his way of seeing if we really knew what we were talking about.

I, personally, always enjoyed writing. Port praised my prose, if not always my accuracy to what any given Grimm was capable of doing.

Eve nodded, keeping that smile on her face, "Something that some of my other patients find helpful is to write. Either about their lives, or some story of their own making. Writing about your life can help you come to terms with everything that's happened and allow you to work through your troubles, even discover ones you didn't know existed. If you're not opposed to it, I recommend trying it. Maybe it will help you? If not, of course, you don't have to, there are numerous other exercises to try."

And that, my friends, is why this book exists.

We talked about some further things, how she believed I might have depression and what could be done about that for example.

It was only the first session, but I did genuinely want to put in the effort. I started working on the book not long after, although progress was and continues to be slow. I never expected to be able to write everything in one sitting, and I haven't, but at the time of writing this particular paragraph, I can say that it has been somewhat therapeutic, to actually write down the past.

Although, I haven't covered everything yet, and who knows what tomorrow will bring. Even if, eventually, tomorrow on this page will become yesterday in some other page, further down the road.

As for that day, after the session was over Eve told me to talk to Vale (a confusing statement, I know) so I could set up another appointment. As I was leaving, I remember hearing her return to singing, "And how as time flowed on those waters, became one~ Stream, rivers, and lakes!" I found myself pausing at the door as I listened, just where had I heard this before? "Reaching for the horizon and far beyond. They carry onward, however, changed with each brief reflection…"

Reflections, huh?

I eventually gave up and left her to her song, deciding that maybe I'd remember what that song was some other day.

The secretary helped me set up another appointment, and I supposed that, ultimately, therapy wasn't such a bad thing after all. I heard horror stories from some people who had bad therapists about it sucking, but I supposed Violet got lucky when she found one that was actually a good person.

Therapy itself became a constant for me for the next month or so. Nothing in particular really happened, although it did help me start to at least return to behaving, if not how I used to, then a bit better than I did before.

I knew that I had to change, I couldn't just be a manipulative liar for the betterment of everyone around me, I needed to be better than that. In that way, Ozpin was something of a hidden blessing. As manipulative of a person as he was, he was also more than willing to offer me on-the-fly advice and direction.

The changes and adjustments to my weapon were taking a long time, I had asked Ruby about it, but she said that I couldn't rush art.

I received a notification before the fact that in a few days I would have my birthday and turn nineteen. December 21st, the winter solstice, or 'The Longest Night', was so perfect I had to wonder if Assistant chose it herself.

I didn't expect it to come up, after all nobody knew when my birthday was. Hell, I hadn't even known until the system told me!

However, a few days before, I received a letter in the mail. The envelope was blue with gold trimming, and the paper itself was a message wishing me a happy birthday in a few days. I just knew that it was some joke by Assistant, so I threw it out.

Well, I tried. I didn't expect Violet to get ahold of the letter after she saw me throwing out a letter. After all, who sent letters these days, and why were they sending one to me? Curiosity might not kill the raccoon, but it certainly causes mischief.

I didn't know that Violet knew, and by extension everyone else in our little neighborhood, from the Marigolds to the Xiao-Longs, even the Yue-Longs. She spread that bit of information everywhere, and I knew absolutely nothing about it.

Until the day itself came.

I woke up to a system notification, wishing me happy birthday. Oz did the same, "Happy birthday, Neve. Nineteen might not seem like much, but you're one year away from leaving your teen years behind."

I hummed as I got out of bed, 'It's just a number, I doubt I'll be feeling very teenage when more of your memories come in…' We still didn't know what was going to happen to me. I was getting memories of his time at Beacon now, and of several dates with Glynda (which was and is something that weirds me out). Yet, he still told me that there was knowledge of his that I didn't have, and that the gaps would be filled in with time.

I also made every effort to not use the cane in normal everyday life, because I noticed that if I had it, the temptation to lean on it or take on one of Oz's usual poses grew. It was instinct, instinct I tried to fight.

So, it seemed that no matter what I was getting some of his mannerisms, I couldn't say my personality had changed at all, but then again it had only been a month. I tried to ask Assistant about it, but she just told me that while yes, my fusion with Oz was going to have a different end-result than it would have had for a normal person, it was still happening. She also wouldn't tell me what was going to be different.

The distinct possibility that I'd keep my self-identity was uplifting, at least. I had a better chance of that then Oscar did in the other timeline, and anyone else would have. In a way, I viewed becoming the next Ozcarnation (as I called it, much to his chagrin) as something of a necessary sacrifice. If it wasn't me, it would have been Oscar or someone else, and they would have lost a lot more than whatever I'll end up losing.

If I would lose anything at all.

After I went through my morning routine (with Oz retreating away again until I was finished and then returning once I stepped outside my room), I started downstairs, expecting to be the first person awake.

It was dark in the living room, and yet the second I was at the bottom of the staircase, the lights turned on and I heard, "SURPRISE!" Coming from several different people, causing me to leap back and almost fall onto the staircase. I caught myself, thankfully enough.

Lunus, Jeanne, Violet, Shi, Ruby, Ven, and even Yang were all there! There were several balloons, a banner that read 'Happy Birthday!' on it, and even a few presents! Jeanne walked over to me, smiling happily, and grabbed my wrist before dragging me over to the others, "Did you think we wouldn't find out it was your birthday? Frankly, I'm upset you didn't tell us yourself!"

Violet concurred, crossing her arms, "Yeah! I saw you throwing out that letter! So I asked, who sends letters anymore? I checked and saw when your birthday was!"

…That had to be some elaborate and nefarious plan cooked up by Assistant. I just knew it.

Yang grinned at me, she seemed in much higher spirits today than she did the last time I saw her, and she even had her yellow prosthesis now! Aside from that, her hair was up in a ponytail and she wore an orange tank-top and black shorts, "Come on, Snow Boy, did you honestly think that after all the stuff you've done to try and cheer me up that The Yang wouldn't return the favor?"

Ven concurred with a nod, he was wearing a simple blue T-shirt and black slacks. He smiled and said, "You certainly took a lot off of my plate." Yang jabbed his side, causing him to chuckle.

Ruby added on with a playful smirk, "Ignorant fool that you are, for you assumed that I wouldn't be waiting to give you the best birthday present ever, you never thought to question just how long weapon design took!" She was holding two slender, gift-wrapped boxes in her arms, while the rest were just stacked neatly on the coffee table.

Shi pointed at me accusingly, "If you celebrated my birthday with me, then I'm going to celebrate yours with you! It's not fair if I don't!"

Lunus crossed his arms and nodded, "Yeah, it's only fair." He smirked, "My mom put a lot of work into the cake, so you'd better be ready for it! My parents and Tai will be bringing it over soon."

I couldn't help but smile, "You guys…" I rubbed the back of my head as I came to a stop across from them and Jeanne let go of my wrist, "I'd say you didn't have to do this, but that wouldn't do, would it?" They all shook their heads and I felt a small grin find its way on my face, "Then… I'll just say thanks."

Ruby held out her boxes to me, "Before cake or any other presents, I need you to look at your new weapons! I told Professor Burnfire that you're using The Long Memory now, even if I have no idea why, and he changed some things."

I unwrapped the boxes and looked them over. Daybreak looked basically the same, although the pommel was different and now looked like it was meant to attach to something. I knew I couldn't call it Daybreak anymore, now that the Obsidian half was gone, so it would need a new name. Ruby explained that he made my original sword far sharper and more resilient than it already was, so it would be resistant to damage and hit even harder. He also made it more receptive to dust, so my dust attacks would be boosted.

The other half was brand new. A sword with the same black fading into blue color-scheme as the other blade and of the same length as well, although the blade was serrated and the pommel was also different. Ruby explained, "It might not look like much, but this is a place meant to go into a quick-release sheath that was made just for it! It's imbued with gravity dust, and can be tossed like a grappling hook! When you do that, this part-" she tapped the pommel, "-will tether to the one on your older sword. That way you can use it to pull you up buildings or after any more dragons! It can also turn into a bow if attached to the other blade, same as your old one." She huffed, "Although I wish you would have gone with my suggestion for a gun…"

I smiled, "Thank you, Ruby. This means a lot. I'll have to get in some training with it later."

We set it aside for now and went about the rest of the festivities, the rest of the presents would wait until after we had our share of cake and I made a wish. My wish was simple, I wanted everyone to be happy.

Of course, in the middle of enjoying cake with everyone, I received a text from Qrow.

When nobody was looking, I checked it and my eyes widened at his messages.

Qrow: "Happy birthday, Neve. Ruby told me about it. Unfortunately, I've got some bad news."

Qrow: "I haven't found your girl, nor am I any closer to finding out if she actually killed Leo, and on top of all of that…"

Qrow: "The Relic of Knowledge is missing."

(The following is not a part of the book 'Shattered Assumptions')

Somewhere in the middle of Anima

You'd have been forgiven for not noticing the teenage boy, aged about eighteen, sitting on a tree with a blue and gold lamp in his hands. The boy with hazel eyes and fluffy brown hair that covers his human ears and nearly conceals two small and brown-furred mouse ears. He wore a V-neck red and black wrap style shirt, followed by a dark blue skirt (for some reason) that went down to his knees, and as he would point out, he wore a pair of black shorts underneath it anyway, so what was the problem?

He wore black boots with red accents running down the sides and had a black sash wrapped around his waist. He also wore dark blue gauntlets that went up to his elbows, the gauntlets that gripped onto the aforementioned lamp.

You would have perhaps been less forgiven for not noticing the woman sitting across from him. A woman with fair skin, white sclera with azure colored eyes, and dark blue lipstick on her coyly smiling face. She had long, flowing, dark blue hair and wore a shirt that was a light-blue, loose-fitting blouse with sleeves that stopped at her elbows, a pleated cyan colored skirt, and a pair of dark blue high-top boots.

Most noticeable was the assorted jewelry she wore,all of it gold, bracelets on her arms and legs, a chain headdress, big hooped earrings, an extra earring in her right ear, and a choker.

The woman maintained her smile, "So, you stole me, took me out of Mistral, and even asked me to put on a human disguise, what questions did you have? Or are you going to ask more questions that don't count towards the lamp's knowledge?"

He nodded several times, "Yes! Jinn, I've been having all of these dreams and visions of things and people I've never met… I even knew that Mom was going to ask me to steal the lamp, I saw myself doing it, but… It was different. I didn't go back to the camp like I did this time around. She just wants me to keep you hidden, unlike the dream, where she had me cross half the world with you… So, I figured you have to know what's going on, right?"

The newly named Jinn giggled and, for some unknown reason, blushed a dark red, "Oh, Caine. It's just a consequence of something you, at least, you you didn't have anything to do with. Get it?" He shook his head, and she smirked, "Of course not. You'll get used to it." She leaned closer to him and patted his cheek, "I'm sure it will pass with time, anyway."

The boy dubbed Caine sighed, "Fine… Then, I'll just have to keep your lamp until they go away. In case you're lying. Genies lie a lot, don't they?" Jinn didn't seem offended, despite the stereotypical assumption. The boy hopped off the tree and the woman vanished into a blue smoke, returning to the lamp in his hands as he clipped it to his side and hid it under his sash, "Maybe now that I have it, someone will come to me. Someone from my dreams…"

"Lunus Marigold, Orchid Grove, Violet Merino… Neve Cadere. Maybe one of them has answers."

Author's Note

And so a wildcard enters the mix!

I wanted to again express my continued and ever-growing gratitude for everyone who leaves reviews, favorites, follows, or just simply reads. I also wanted to assuage any potential worry that I will just be mirroring the show's volumes in plot, I will not. You may see some similarities, but as you can tell by how this chapter ended, things are certainly not the same.