Apologies for the wait.
Weiss Schnee knew initiation would be dangerous. She knew any chance of a peaceful life was forfeit the minute she started down this path, and prepared several contingencies. Yet her numerous plans, covering everything from malfunctions with Myrtenaster to dehydration and starvation, were tossed in the bin the minute a Nevermore flew off with her and her 'partner' riding by its talons. To her shame, the possibility never occurred to her, and though she prided herself on making plans, she had difficulty doing so with the wind rushing through her and the caws of the Nevermore breaking her concentration.
'This better not affect my grade!'
"Oh!" From her spot on the other leg, strangely not entwined in the Grimm's grasp, Ruby Rose pointed at a structure of gray. "There's the ruins! Looks like some people are already there. Alright, on the count of three we jump. Ready?"
What.
"Ready? No! What do you mean jump?"
"This thing won't put us down anywhere safe. Jumping now is our best bet." When Ruby saw her explanation hadn't changed the heiress's mind, she pulled out Crescent Rose. "Don't worry, I'll help you! One..."
'Wait, what is she doing?'
"Two..." she pulled back her scythe like she was going to swing.
"What are you doing?!"
"Three!"
Weiss shut her eyes and braced herself, yet nothing struck her. In a second she felt the wind from beneath her instead of in front of her, as though she were falling. When she opened her eyes and saw a Nevermore's talon fade away, she realized why.
'Oh that little brat! Next time I see her, I-' she shook the rage from her head. She could plot her vengeance on solid ground. Unsheathing Myrtenaster, she formed an angled glyph beneath her. She landed on it and leaped onto another, repeating the process until her heeled boots touched grass.
'Well,' Weiss thought, 'that wasn't the most unpleasant occurrence. Still, what was that dolt thinking!' She scanned the horizon in a frenzy, looking for Ruby. 'Where is she? We should've landed around the same time. She better not have run off!'
THUD
Behind Weiss fell Ruby Rose, five seconds late despite her head start. She gave no thought to this, focused instead on her goal. "There are the relics!" Weiss pointed at the ruins, for within were twelve podiums, several holding... something too small to make out. Weiss started to walk, and went five whole steps before she realized Ruby was not going in the same direction. "And where do you think you're going?"
Ruby knew she screwed up when she heard the stern, nagging voice. Worse, she didn't know where she made a mistake. Falling back on her knowledge of the diplomatic arts, imparted by some of the best teachers on Vvardenfell, Ruby gave her response.
"Going to kill the big scorpion?" Nailed it! As Weiss gave her a blank stare, Ruby realized she might have, in fact, not nailed it. "Well, I can't just leave those people to their fates!"
"Yes, you can. And since I actually want to finish initiation, that's what I'm going to do." She pointed towards the stone temple. "All I need to do is grab a relic and leave. That was the assigned objective, and a good huntress completes their objectives." While Weiss spoke, she did not notice the scythe wielder bristle with rage.
"Well, my objective is to save people!Grab my relic for me, please?" As she sprinted off with a burst of her semblance, Weiss stood still, surrounded by rose petals and trying to make sense of how someone could so easily deny her, deny reason itself, and rush headlong into danger.
"You're not even a student!" She eventually replied. Pinching her brow, the heiress decided there was no reason to make the day even longer. If the child wanted to hurt herself playing hero, she wasn't going to waste energy debating her. With a meditative breathe, Weiss marched away from the madness Ruby left behind and towards the ruins that held her prize.
While their impromptu argument was taking place, Blake, Pyrrha, and Yang fought the Death Stalker. Blake tried to rush the beast and cut whatever limb was in reach, but this Death Stalker was far more resilient than Blake thought. Her blade left only scratches in the carapace, and when she saw her efforts weren't working, she flipped back onto a tree branch, shifted Gambol Shroud into a pistol, and shot at the eyes of the great beast. Three shots rang out. One clinked off of the Grimm's body, another was swatted away, and the final wasn't shot by Blake.
Pyrrha had aimed Akoúo̱ at any weakness, any opening she spotted. Of particular focus was the joint between the stinger and tail and the leg joints. If she disabled the later, then the Death Stalker would be immobilized. As for the former, well, not being pumped with venom like custard in a doughnut was it's own reward. For the Minstral champion, it was hardly a test of her skills.
Not hitting Yang Xiao-Long in the process was a different story.
Where others held onto caution, Yang threw it to the wind. Each strike from her fist on its carapace was joined by the bang of a shotgun shell, like a rhapsody of violence. There was no conservation of energy, no punches pulled, no dodging. All that mattered to Yang was erasing this beast from the face of Remnant.
Of course, this chaotic combat left little room for teamwork and coordination. It wad kind of sad, really; they were each obviously skilled, together they were less than the sum of their parts. Such thoughts were not on Ruby's mind, as she swung at the beast, scythe slicing through a protruding bone.
Her arrival made all present still as they stared at the scythe wielder. "Is everyone alright?" As she asked, Yang spotted the tail of the Death Stalker rear back, aimed at the armored huntress. Knowing her family, dead and alive, would never forgive her if she stood by and watched someone get eviscerated, she shot forth and tackled the girl, dodging the stinger by inches. Her heart beat at a mile a minute as she lay above the stranger.
"Heh. Next time, try moving while you fight. Kay?" For a time nothing was said, neither an apology nor a word of thanks. Behind the face coverings, the googles, the cloth, Yang saw nothing of the stranger's expression. Yet it was what she heard, both the word itself and the vulnerability it carried, that shook her to the core.
"...Yang?"
Questions raced through the blonde's mind: who was this? How did she know her name? Did Yang know her from somewhere? She sounded familiar, but her voice was muffled. The stream of questions and thoughts was split by the piercing shriek of the Death Stalker. Looking back, the two found a bronze shield stuck in the beast's tail, one that was soon retrieved by Pyrrha.
The two were back on their feet in an instant, weapons at the ready as they stared down the Death Stalker. Two of its eyes were missing and a few scratches scarred its shell, but still it stood strong, proud, and ready to kill. The other huntresses looked ready to fight, but the sag of their shoulders and frequent breathes showed the need to end this fight.
"Focus on the legs." Yang turned to the confident voice, and was surprised to hear it come from the masked figure. That much conviction should not fit in something so small. "Use your semblance if you need to, but an immobile Grimm is easier to kill."
Yang Xiao-Long didn't know how she knew what her semblance was, and she didn't have the chance to ask before the reaper rushed towards Pyrrha and Blake. She shook her head and followed her instructions, blind to the rose petals that drifted towards the ground.
"C'mon guys! Weiss has the right idea!" Jaune meant what he said; the others could fight the scorpion shaped avatar of death for all he cared! All he had to do was grab the relic, get Pyrrha, and book it! And if Ren and Nora tagged along, well, he was more than happy to let them help!
When the trio reached the stone ruins, they split off to find their own relics. Jaune swiveled his head to and fro, he searched high and low, yet he saw neither hair nor hide of a relic, of any relic. Panic gripped him as he gripped his head: did he get there too late? Were they all gone? Was he going to get kicked out of Beacon? Would Pyrrha share his fate?!
'It has to be somewhere!' The blonde thought, eyes wide and frantic like a cornered hare. 'Gah! If only there were something here other than these stupid chess pieces!'
And then, an epiphany.
Jaune glanced at The others; Nora was dancing about as Ren watched amused, Rook balanced on her head. To their left, Weiss backed away, confusion and a little horror danced across her face, as she clutched a knight like one clutches a weapon.
"Oh," Jaune shook off his confusion, his embarrassment, thankful for Nora drawing all attention while he made a fool of himself, and looked at the pieces that remained. He remembered his grandfather teaching him chess; of the various pieces, their roles, and the history of the game. Thus, he knew better than to take the king: it might be the most important piece, but it was the most useless. And when he couldn't find a queen, he shrugged his shoulders and grabbed a white rook.
"So, Jaune." So focused was he on his choice, that he didn't notice Weiss sneak behind him. He prayed she didn't notice the feminine yelp that left his throat. When he turned and beheld a face of disturbed irritation, his heart sank: Yeah, she noticed. Fortunately, the heiress recovered in seconds, schooling her face with the skill honed by years of experience. "I was wondering, since you're here by yourself, if your search for a partner hasn't borne fruit."
It took Jaune a second to decipher her sentence, but when he did he rubbed the back of his head, fingers flowing through golden locks as he gave a sheepish smile. "Oh, ah, no. My partner's actually fighting the... that." He pointed his thumb behind him, towards the Death Stalker and the four huntresses that engaged it in combat. That shy book girl who gave Weiss a look you'd reserve for refuse maneuvered around the Death Stalker with grace, slashing at exposed joints. Despite their rough start, Weiss could admit she possessed some modicum of skill.
"I see, rather acrobatic. She can get behind the enemy while you strike from the front." Agility and armor, a good enough combo.
"Er, no. She isn't my partner." Weiss's head snapped towards Jaune, who chuckled a bit. "She's partnered with the other blonde." Sure enough, wailing on the Grimm with reckless abandon was another blonde. A brute, yet Weiss could tell she spent more time on her hair than she did.
'That must be Yang,' Weiss thought. And if she wasn't Jaune's partner, that left-
Weiss blinked.
After a second's pause, she blinked again.
"You're joking." At her statement, Jaune only gave confusion.
"...Nnnooooo? Why would I lie about that?"
"Did you not remember the conversation in the locker room?!"
Jaune winced at the tone of her statement and the memories it brought up. "Not gonna lie, I was hoping you forgot." He still had that hole in his hoodie.
"So tell me, how did you wind up with Pyrrha Nikos as your partner?!" She waited with crossed arms and a deep scowl.
"Well, I made eye contact with her."
"...Luck, then. Sheer, dumb luck." Though Jaune wanted to argue, the fact he wasn't a chunk of crimson coated carrion gorged upon by beasts mundane and Grimm alike proved her point.
"Er, so what about your partner?" An agonized, inhuman shriek interrupted his deflection and answered his question. Sure enough, it was the Death Stalker, down one leg courtesy of the girl in strange armor. Those gathered by the relics watched in awe as she commanded the flow of battle, shouting instruction and swinging a scythe like it was nothing. Four at the ruins, four ruining the Grimm: even Jaune could figure this out. "I'm guessing that's her."
He expected any number of reactions, but a groan crawling out of her throat, rough and weary, was not in the cards. "That's Ruby..." Weiss said, voice tinted with the embers of an exhausted rage, not unlike a parent's after dealing with the problem child's antics for a week straight.
"Go Ruby!" Both knight and heiress flinched when Nora cheered beside their ears. "Kick it's butt and crush its skull! Hey! Where do you think you're going!" She grabbed Weiss by the collar of her jacket.
"Let go of me!" She slapped Nora's hand away. "You'll stretch out the fabric." Weiss took a moment to compose herself. "Now, while this meeting was all well and good, I really must be heading back to Beacon."
"Buh?" Jaune asked like an idiot given his first kiss out of nowhere. "But, what about-"
"Ruby is not my partner. She isn't even a student, just some poor child who wandered somewhere they shouldn't. Thus, I don't have to wait up for her." Before Jaune could argue, she snapped out another statement. "And shouldn't you be helping your partner?"
The Death Stalker was down one claw, pierced and shattered by Pyrrha Nikos. She stood up, shifted Miló into a sword, and slashed at it's carapace. Her technique was power and grace melded into one, whereas Jaune was... Jaune. "I know where my strengths lie."
"Hmmph. Just don't slow her down. She deserves better than a blonde bumbling buff-"
A screech from above rang in their ears. The four looked up, and saw the Nevermore fly overhead, eyes promising slaughter fixed upon them. Whatever rage, awe, or humor was felt before had evaporated. In it's place was the determination of those who desired survival. Weapons were drawn, guns were cocked, and a manic smile crawled onto one particular ginger's face. Weiss didn't want to deal with the Death Stalker, and a Nevermore wasn't much better. Yet from this inconvenience, opportunity emerged. The Schnees were natural born leaders in industry and combat alike; this beast was nothing more than an opportunity to prove it! A plan formed in her mind, detailing the best way to ground the bird.
"Nora! Aim for the wings." And once again, a dolt shattered her dreams. "Ren, stay back until we can get it down. I don't know much about pistols, but their bullets don't pack a punch from far away, right?" As Ren nodded, Weiss gripped Myrenaster tight. Did this ingrate truly believe he could just swoop in and bark orders? Who gave him the right? "Weiss, can earth dust coat it in rocks or something? If we weigh it down-"
"Alright. I'm on it." It's not like his plan was different from hers.
Back with the Death Stalker, things were going... well, they were going. In spite of mutilation and amputation, the Grimm still gave no quarter. Too massive to dodge, it instead made attacks upon it unappetizing. When Yang sought to punch it, a pincher was waiting to punish her. When Blake sliced at its joints, a shift of its weight brought her off balance. And when the armored one swing her scythe around, hoping to cut off the Death Stalker's tail, all it took was the threat of a painful sting to stop her in her tracks.
Yes, the Death Stalker was putting up quite a fight. Yet Yang could see it was nearing the end of it's rope. If the shattered and useless left claw wasn't evidence enough, if the severed legs strewn about weren't a sign, and if the viscera that was once its face didn't tip her off, then the beast's growing desperation was. Just a few more strikes and the beast will fade from the world, it's remains carried like...
Like ash on the wind.
She caressed her red 'belt', concerned at the how often she thought of her sister today. Yes, being a huntress was something Ruby always wanted to do. Growing up, it was her life's goal, one she spent hours training for. Of course being at Beacon would draw out those thoughts. That didn't make them any more pleasant, nor their timing any less irritating.
"Red head! Think you can sever the stinger?" The stranger snapped Yang out of her funk, though her musings were uninterrupted. The warrior wearing an armor Yang was unfamiliar with, wielding a weapon she was very familiar with, was a mystery. She knew who Yang was, knew her semblance, yet Yang didn't know her. Though she was supposed to focus on the fight, and she did an admirable job, she couldn't help but want an answer. The very recesses of her mind were scoured, searched, picked apart, yet not one viable name was produced. Part of her wanted to cry foul, to accuse miss pelt shirt of stalking, and was only kept from doing so by a feeling she could not place.
Pyrrha responded well to the command, as she drew back her arm and tossed her shield like a frisbee. A very dangerous frisbee capable of slicing off limbs, as shown when it cut through the tendons holding stinger and tail together. It fell from the beast, whose screech echoed through the forest. Blake nearly fell to the ground, hands over her head, and Yang was knocked off balance. Before she drag herself back up, the beast struck.
Something of note regarding Death Stalkers is the strength of their tails. Many who first hear of this Grimm assume it's venom to be its most dangerous weapon. While a Death Stalker's venom can cause an agonizing death as the organs that don't decay immediately will do so when necrosis sets in, most are lucky to die from the piercing. This meant the beast was not unarmed, and desiring the destruction of mankind above all else, chose to make this fact known. It's tail punched towards the nearest target, a boisterous blonde bruiser prone on the forest floor.
"YANG!" The stranger shouted her name, and Yang was pushed out of the way. She didn't see the Grimm strike, but she heard something shatter, felt her back hit the ground and a weight fall upon her. On reflex, she breathed and caught the aroma of roses.
"Heh, guess we're even now, huh?"
"Yeah. Guess we are." Her voice, now unmarred by the cloth covering, hit Yang like a bucket of ice water splashed upon her soul. It wasn't jarring, horrifying, or grating: No, it was familiar. Painfully familiar.
Her eyes flung open. The person before her had features Yang would call, in the nicest way possible, alien; her ears were knife-like, the points jutting out from her dark red, almost black hair. Her skin was a pale gray, not unlike ash leftover from a camp fire. Yet it was the eyes which held her focus and gripped her heart. Not because of the red sclera, filling the girl's face with twin pools of blood.
No, it was the haunting, familiar irises, silver like the moon.
"...Ruby?" Her voice was weak, uncertain, and not at all like Yang Xiao-Long. She wanted to punch herself for such a poor performance, such an abysmal impression.
The strang - Ruby's eyes went wide and she fumbled around her head, looking for a helmet that wasn't there. "Yang, I..." Yang wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug her frightened, lost, returned baby sister, but that was not to be. The shadow of the Death Stalker creeped over them, and once again it was ready to strike. Twas only the intervention of Pyrrha Nikos, shield raised as she slid between, that stopped its strike.
"Talk later, kill it now," Ruby grabbed her scythe and stared at the beast once more. Her scythe didn't do much on the first strike, but a tree does not fall from one swing of the axe. Still, the auras of all for were doubtless low, so the fight had to end soon. On instinct, her eyes were drawn towards a section where chitin and bone was stripped away, exposing a jet black mass of soft tissue to the elements. It wasn't quite wide for Crescent Rose to slice through, but Ruby knew how to solve that issue.
"Ninja girl." She got Blake's attention and pointed at the Death Stalker. "Think you can distract it?" Ruby knew she had the agility, her jumping about, to, and through the Grimm was proof enough. If she could just leverage that talent, the beast shall fall with ease.
"Got it. And my name's Blake." As she weaved around the beast, Ruby turned to Yang.
"There's a gap in its shell. Can you widen it, please?" In spite of her confusion, Yang still. She slammed her fists together, launched towards the Grimm, and pounded the edges of the gap.
Ruby considered getting the Pyrrha to join the fray; with a beautiful weapon that was rifle, sword, and spear in one, her assistance seemed ideal. Perfect. Yet with three already around the Death Stalker, jumping and crawling over one another, it was already too crowded. She was better off taking pot shots from where she stood.
As for Ruby herself, she held her hands in front of her, stilled her mind, and shaped mystic energies within. Not aura, like what she's been using so far, but a power far older, far stranger, and far more versatile. Magika, the very fuel upon which all spellcraft relies.
When she first bore witness to actual, honest to Azura magic, she had just arrived at Sedya Neen. She snuck her way along the edges of a cave with utmost care, but was detected by a robed figure, who politely told her to leave with a fireball to the face. At first, she thought it was dust, but a chance trip to Arrille's Tradehouse disabused her of that notion and her preconceptions of reality.
Of course, with so many witnesses, she wouldn't dare risk one of her flashier spells; that was a surefire way to draw all the wrong types of attention, and end with her strapped to a operating table. Lucky her, there were several restoration spells that could be written off as advanced aura applications. With careful, subtle hand gestures she felt her Magika deplete and her strength increase. The weight of Crescent Rose, usually minor yet present, disappeared. She repeated the process, though when this spell ended it was Ruby who felt lighter.
In a burst of petals, she launched herself over the Grimm, nimbly evading the students' attacks. Were it not for her most recent spell, she would've been caught in the crossfire. She aimed her scythe at the middle of the Death Stalker's tail, swung with arcane might, and severed the limb. Disarmed and in pain, the beast was easy pickings for one final strike. As though she could read her thoughts, Yang Xiao-Long shot herself away from the beast, leaving enough room for Ruby to land the finishing blow.
The scythe's blade landed on exposed flesh, and though blackened blood was drawn the beast still stood. She strained herself and used every ounce of her might to push it forward, but she hit a wall she could not force her way past. Worse, the spell that gave her strength was starting to fade. "Yang! A little help!" Her sister took one look at what was going on and knew what she had to do. She ran towards the beast, aimed at the back of Crescent Rose, and punched the scythe with the force of a truck.
The wall Ruby faced had broken, and she cleaved through the Death Stalker like a knife through warm butter. Ebony rivers poured from both halves before all turned to misty smoke. The four huntresses released breathes they didn't know they held; the beast was slain.
Yang was the first to recover, for while the Death Stalker was no more, her work wasn't done. Step by step, she approached the ashen figure, who still stood where the beast once was. "Ruby?" The stranger - no, her sister - spun around, and Yang's breath caught in her throat.
Much had changed since that fateful day. Instead of a pale white that almost glowed in the sunlight, her skin was a light, but still pale gray. Her sclera were now a dark red, and her eyes resembled a whole moon reflected on pools of blood. Some of her hair was stuck out of place, revealing pointed, knife like ears. Yes, much has changed regarding Ruby Rose.
That only made everything else stand out.
Her face, though not as soft and round as it was two years ago, was still young and ripe for the pinching. Her hair still ended in red tips, somehow completely natural in spite of the protests of kindergarten teachers. Yet most striking of all, and the final nail in the coffin of doubt, were her irises, still a bright, shinning silver that used to reflect the joy of the world.
For a sum of time the two stared at each other, neither daring to move a muscle. "So. Y-you're back." Yang finally said with an uneven tone. Try though she might, she could not keep her voice steady, and why would she? Her sister was back! Death had been undone! But she hurt, oh how her heart ached. Just what was she supposed to say to her? Nobody prepared her for this!
Ruby's thoughts weren't much better.
'Crud crud oh Azura! I thought I was prepared for this; I AM NOT PREPARED FOR THIS!' There are times when a plan, lovingly crafted and refined over weeks, months, even years falls apart the second before it was implemented. The usual result of such a catastrophic failure is staring dumbfounded at whatever threw away all your hard work, the gears of thought grinding to a halt.
Yang took her sister's silence as condemnation. Her stance, which until now was strong, became weak and uncertain. "Y'know, I always hoped you would come back someday, but I never thought - I never..." A choked sob caught in her throat, and Ruby rushed towards her in a burst of wind and petals, arms around her waist in a death grip of a hug. For the sisters there was no sound, no thoughts, no passage of time. Just the warm embrace both craved for years and the scent of ashes and dust, roses and sunshine. At last, the younger of the two spoke.
"It's okay, big sis. I'm here now." And with those words, the floodgates opened. There were people watching, but neither Yang nor Ruby cared. As tears streaked down their faces and sobs wretched from their throats, they just stood in each other's comforting embrace.
"Oh baby sis, what happened?" Ruby's musings were scrambled as Yang pulled away just far enough to look her in the eyes. "You look so - I mean, you've certainly changed." And it was that moment when Ruby truly realized that, for all her plans and all she had to tell, she didn't know where the hell to start.
"It's a long story. Like, really long. If your asking about, well," she waved her hand over her face. "This, weeelllll..."
"Long story?"
"...can I tell you later? When were somewhere safe and private?" Those words left a pit in Yang's stomach, but before she could ask her sister what she meant-
"SSHIREERK!"
"GAH! I didn't mean it!" When Ruby regained her bearings and found herself still whole, and not a smear on the ground, her gaze turned to the source of the sound. Above the battlefield, down a leg and flying erratically, was the very Nevermore she rode in on. Beneath the behemoth stood four students, one which Ruby was all to familiar with.
"Weiss!"
"Do you know her?" Pyrrha asked, having approached the two during their hug.
"Yeah! She's the first person I saw when I returned toooooo - where I entered the Emerald forest!" Nice save, Ruby! But just in case they still try to question you, "Anyways, you think they need help?" As she jerked her thumb back, a pillar of stone erupted from the ground and tossed some ginger girl Ruby never met. Yang thought she might've seen her at breakfast this morning, talking with some pretty boy about code words and sloths or something. In any case, the yell that echoed as she slammed her hammer on the neck of the Grimm was unmistakable. As was the following
SNAP
While echoes rang through the forest sky, the Nevermore went limp, fell to Remnant, and started to dissolve. The vapor trails followed the beast like a comet tail, as it slowly faded back to the void that spawned it. Nora fell alongside it, landed on the ground, lifted her hammer to the sky, and let loose a mighty war cry.
"Woooo! Aw yeah! Who's next?!" As she cheered, others approached her from the ruins. Ruby could make out yellow, white, and black hair, but focused her attention on Weiss. She probably had her relic now, meaning there was nothing left for Ruby to help her with. Her task was done, and though she wanted to be relieved that she didn't have to deal with her anymore, she still felt a void in her heart and wished the gap between them could have been bridged.
"I guess we should meet up with them?" The red head spoke, taking her first steps with eyes on the blonde. Not Yang, but the other one. "Besides, I might as well see if Jaune grabbed our relic." The other three followed.
"Really, it's good to have you back, but..." Yang started, and Ruby finished.
"Yes, we'll discuss it later, but please keep quiet. It's, you know..." she hoped her sister got the idea.
Neither sister noticed Blake's stare pointed at them.
Up on the cliff, overlooking the forest as they looked over the footage, Professor Goodwitch and Headmaster Ozpin were silent. They had their theories as to what happened, and some doubt about the mage was who she said she was. Yet when the helm was shattered and Ruby's face, altered but still hers, fell into frame, whatever preconceptions the two had were gone with the wind.
Glynda snapped herself out of her trance and kept up her analysis; there were more students to grade than the seven they spent so long spying. 'Let's see, it seems Mr. Winchester and Mr. Bronzewing gathered their relics with little problem. A few Grimm here and there, but at least it wasn't an Elder Death Stalk-'
She pinched the bridge of her nose, annoyed at but resigned to the thoughts bouncing off the corners of her mind, and how they revolved around eight particular individuals. Classes hadn't even started, and a migraine already set in, like an echo from the future, a premonition. This wasn't even considering the eighth member. Yes, technically Beacon's staff didn't have to deal with the paperwork regarding a non student, and Mrs. Rose's return would've brought a mountain of it upon her head.
It was a bullet she would've dodged, were it not for Ozpin.
"Sir, I know your have experience in these matters, more than I can ever imagine, so pardon me if for asking again: are you sure this is a good idea?" The swaying branches below and the breeze above were the only sounds for a second or two.
"No." Glynda flinched, unsure if what she heard was a trick of the wind.
"I'm sorry Ozpin, could you repeat yourself?"
"No." A faint smirk came and went from Ozpin's face. "When you live as long as I have, unprecedented events will eventually crawl their way into your life. That doesn't mean you ever get used to them, or that dealing with them becomes easier." He finished the last drops from his mug. "However, even if it isn't the best course of action, it is a functional one."
"Mr. Xiao-Long will be livid when he hears."
"And I will bear the brunt of his ire." Seeing Glynda's stern stare, he continued. "As well as the lion's share of the paperwork."
"That's not -" Glynda cut herself off, knowing better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I just hope your plan works, Headmaster."
"So do I, Glynda. So do I."
