Hey everybody, how goes the world?
This one took longer than I thought it would. Turns out I'm not so great at giving advice. Who knew?
Took me quite a few tries, but I hope I got it right.
At this point, you guys are probably really tired of me saying that this fic would be finished on this date or by this time. Honestly, I give up- Not on this fic, just trying to predict when I will end it or when I will make a sequel. I originally planned to make the fic only 10-15 chapters long. I think we all know how that went. I keep changing my mind, adding/subtracting ideas, etc. I can't tell if I'm being creative or I just enjoy making an idiot of myself.
Chapter 16: hypnopompia
When most people talk about their dreams that they are aware are dreams, they describe it as either a sense of floating or falling. Funny how he couldn't remember anyone ever talking about a crash landing that didn't later turn out to be them falling out of bed.
The Were-Grimm pushed himself off the ground, hearing a few bones pop, he had hit the ground- of impossibly white space that seemed to be extending into infinity- pretty hard.
He looked around frantically looking for some shred of a clue to his location only to see much of the same.
Nothing.
No walls, no doors, nothing. It was well lit, even if he couldn't see any distinct light source, but where ever he was, he couldn't even tell if there was a ceiling. The floor below him wasn't even visible. It was solid- his face could confirm it. Yet it was if the air itself was made solid.
He willed his body to invoke his aura and struck it just to be sure only to recoil in pain. His knuckles throbbed in agony.
Hadn't his aura activated?
"Am I…am I dead?" he uttered to no one.
NO, YOU ARE STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE. An all too familiar, and surprisingly missed, a voice answered.
He could hardly believe it. Gone without a trace and now back again, "Where were you?" William asked trying not to sound as concerned as he did.
IT IS NICE TO SEE YOU TO. The voice answered in its usual monotone way. No emotion what so ever but welcomed nonetheless. When you've shared a body with someone for so long you grow attached. He knew that all too well.
Wait? How long had he known this voice?
FOCUS WILLIAM. The voice called him back before he could drift off into thought. AS FOR WHERE I HAVE BEEN, YOU CAN THANK OZPIN FOR THAT.
"Ozpin?"
I DO NOT KNOW ALL OF THE DETAILS, BUT HE HIRED A WOMAN WITH GREY HAIR TO INFILTRATE YOUR MIND.
"That's impossible. I'd think I would rem-…." He ends short as the memories poured into him. It had been when he went to Dafi, or rather the train ride back. Little details continued to flow; the monitor room, their conversation…him telling Ms. Goodwitch he set up Jaune and Pyrrha?!
Why had he forgotten that last part? He remembered the Hand of Humanity and he wasn't even there for it.
As more memories rose back to the surface, the end of his conversation with the woman finally came to completion. His breath hitched as his eyes widened. "Did she find out about Neo?" William burst out, feeling himself already start to sweat.
NO, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL YOU MANAGED TO PUSH HER OUT BEFORE SHE DELVED TOO DEEP. HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOW AWARE OF YOUR HATRED OF FEIGN.
Wasn't that obvious?
"Wait, before you said Ozpin? How do you know she was working for him?"
BEFORE SHE MANAGED TO PARTIALLY SEVER OUR LINK BY TRAPPING ME FURTHER WITHIN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS, SHE COMPLAINED THAT OZPIN ALWAYS GAVE HER THE WORST ASSIGNMENTS.
Ozpin had asked someone to peer into his mind, to read his memories. Did Ms. Goodwitch know? Was the grey-haired woman the one they were supposed to meet? Was it a set up all along?
"So, is that why you haven't gotten in contact with me the past few days?"
THAT IS CORRECT. HER SEMBLANCE TEMPORARILY DISCONNECTED US.
"Was this all one big setup?"
I DO NOT KNOW.
Why did he even ask? He knew it was a setup. He was so stupid.
No, no he couldn't think like that. He had to stop being so wishy-washy with everything. The Were-Grimm had to choose did he trust them yes or no?
Glynda yes, Ozpin no, and Ironwood FUCK NO.
He needed to be smart about this and stay calm, "What else did she see?"
I DO NOT KNOW. ONLY THAT YOU INTERRUPTED HER BEFORE SHE COULD DIVE TOO DEEP INTO YOUR MIND.
"That's just great." He sighed. This could be so very bad.
On one hand, they have yet to act directly. Though now that he thought about it, Ironwood's restrictions on his movements may actually be their move? He pondered, not sure if that was even a question.
Or it could be Ironwood being a jackass. Hard to tell really. Probably both.
Then it hit him. Ms. Goodwitch had never truly lied to him before. Outside of a few white lies here and there. Yet yesterday she had lied, to keep him with her at all times. Was that concern for him or about him?
She didn't seem to be lying to him about…well, anything he didn't already list. Maybe he could- agh- This was getting him nowhere, he needed more information.
He still needed more information, "What allowed you to reconnect with me?"
IT WOULD SEEM THAT YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THIS DAY WAS THE CATALYST NEEDED TO RECONNECT US.
What?
"Hold up, are you saying me being happy reconnected me to you?" William asked the invisible presence with incredulity.
ESSENTIALLY YES.
"That makes no sense."
WHAT ABOUT US DOES MAKE SENSE?
Huh. "fair point."
REGARDLESS WILLIAM, YOU ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. YOU MUST DECIDE WHAT IT IS YOU WANT.
"Why do you keep asking that? I just want to live a good life."
THEN DO WHAT YOU MUST! MAKE YOUR MOVE! The voice roared. Showing an anger William had long since lost the ability to fathom it even having.
"What does that mean? Why are you always so cryptic?" He roared, panting from his anger. "What about Ms. Goodwitch, did she know the whole time?"
There was no reply. "Of course. You wouldn't be you if you didn't just stop talking and leave after a cryptic half-assed- could be interpreted a dozen different ways- type of message." He said to himself as a dark void instantly consumed the room and him in it.
"Just perfect." He sighed returning to a state of torpor.
/-/
"Just perfect." Neo listened to William lightly hum in his sleep as she cuddled close to her favorite faunus. It took a little convincing- a combination striptease and lap dance- to get her boyfriend to forgo safety and let her have some fun with him. But It. Was. Worth it!
Even professional criminals need a certain ich scratched from time to time. And it wasn't like she had a lot of good options. There were those wimps Roman and Junior employed, but by now they all would probably faint from being in a room alone with her before they could get it up. Forget about that prick Mercury or those wackjobs from the White Fang.
It is so hard to find a good man- or at least a man in her profession- that doesn't come with an attitude or some kind of hang up; like killing all humans or making a girl suck his, literal, cane.
God damn Roman and his cane fetish.
Though this time was a little more than just a pole call. It was honestly touching how Will cared for her so much. Something she wasn't really used to. It felt so weird…and right at the same time. It was the kind of awkward sensation she didn't want to end. Not too many people were ever genuinely kind to a four-foot nine-inch adorable bundle of death by stabbing.
And yet he would stand up to her when he needs to- not something a lot of people have done and walked away afterward either. She did always like a man with some backbone. But the most important thing to her was that he saw her as a person, instead of an adorable murder machine.
Though she didn't mind an epithet like that so much. It's better to have that kind of reputation in her line of work. Still, there was no alternative motive, no half-assed attempts at double cross, no "it's just a one-night stand", it was, dare she say…love. Plain and simple.
I could get used to this. She thought stroking some hair from William's face. His eyes lay closed with such a calm and serene appearance. Almost contrasting the telling smirk he still wore.
She took a special kind of pride in the fact she was responsible for it.
Neo scrunched closer to him, feeling his body against her's. he was so warm, but not in a way that would burn her. No William was the type of warmth you could cuddle up to in the coldest winter. "I wish this could last just a little longer Will." She whispered softly.
*Knock Knock* "William are you up?" a man's voice sounded through the door.
I just had to say it. She mentally face palmed herself as she tried to, quietly, shake the sleeping Were-Grimm awake.
/-/
"-ake up….on Will….you need t…ake up…" Neo shook her boyfriend trying to wake him, while still keeping her voice down, "ugh…you asked for this." She sighed sounding at least a little apologetic.
"YYYOOOOOOUUUUCCCCCHHHHHH!" William cried awake feeling his good wolf ear being twisted. "Neo-MMPPHHHMM" William was cut off by her hand over his mouth.
The taste of her cool lips, still faint with the taste of dark chocolate, soothed the agony of his ear. William felt himself melting into her. Whatever this was, it was a something he could get used to first thing in the morning.
Or so he thought, only to have her break off before it could go any further. Much to the disappointment of his lower friend.
He went to question her, but she placed a finger on his lips and then placed one over her own mouth signaling to be quiet and listen. However, before the ice cream themed girl could explain, his question was answered through the door, "William are you okay?"
Professor Ozpin?! Wasn't Ms. Goodwitch supposed to pick him up?
Regardless What had he been thinking, letting Neo stay the night, he knew one of the most powerful of huntresses in Vale, now an even more distinguished hunstmen and her boss, was supposed to pick him up in the morning!
What the hell had he been thinking?
Then he noticed her naked breast still pressed against his abdomen. Couldn't have been helped. Had to do it. His mind defended.
"Just a minute- I'm getting dressed." He said between Neo's fingers.
"What was that sound before? It sounded like you said 'ouch'."
"Oh, uh, I just, uh, stubbed my toe. Nothing to worry about." He reassured springing from his bed, grabbing a handful of clothing off the floor and tossing them to Neo. He wasn't sure what was what and whose was whose.
Judging by how she tried to get a pair of jeans on that were big enough for her to hide in, it would be safe to say Neo was in the same boat as him. Caught off guard, panicking, and probably still a little sore.
Compounding the problem was the fact professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon, and according to Weiss a certified genius prodigy among even genius huntsmen, was within striking distance from, what William only recently learned, was one of the most wanted criminals in Vale. Only separated by a few inches of wood.
This would not end well.
William frantically tried to grab whatever clothing of his off the floor, forget being clean or adhering to uniform standards. "Oof." William blurted out as he fell trying to get his pants on.
"William, are you okay? I'm coming in."
Oh shit. The young man panicked. How would he explain a half-naked murder in his room?
Out of desperation, he noticed Neo was next to the window. Probably how she got in.
How had he not heard her come in through it last night?
No time to think. William grabbed the petite girl with her still trying to detangle the ball of clothing. "Neo you need to hide." He said pushing her out the window, expecting her to use her super stealth skills to glide through the nearby tree branches and safely land in the bushes.
At least that's how it went in his head until he saw the topless woman fall and ricochet like a pinball on a few thicker branches before crashing into, a thankfully soft, flower bed as her clothing miraculously untangled mid-fall creating a wardrobe snowfall. Her black satin panties landing ever so neatly on her face.
It was only then that William realized she could have concealed herself with her semblance. Or he could have at least hid her in his closet.
Feeling like a complete fool only did he realized his true blunder: he had tossed Neo out of a window. From the second floor. Topless no less.
By the gods, she was going to skin him alive. The glare of those normally mismatch, now identical blood red orbs comprised of only the most heinous of deaths confirmed his end would be a slow and VERY painful one.
Then he heard his door click. "William are you alright?"
a shirtless William looking out the window quickly turned, trying to look as neutral, and not internally screaming, as possible. "Is everything okay?" the older man asked stepping closer.
"No-I mean yes, everything's fine. I, uh, just wanted to close the window. It was kind of chilly in here." He lied closing the window. He continued to feel Neo's death gaze razing the back of his neck. The negative emotion erupting from her was comparable to three volcanoes going off simultaneously.
Maybe spending the day with a highly trained and dangerous huntsman would be a good idea. Speaking of which… "Where is Ms. Goodwitch? Isn't she supposed to pick me up?"
The man's enigmatic express remained unchanged, "Our Ms. Goodwitch had to run an errand for me, so I thought I could watch over you in her stead. At least until her business has concluded."
"Oh, that makes sense. I guess."
Probably a last-minute request. Based on how she talked, and felt, it wasn't uncommon for Ozpin to ask her to do things out of the blue. This was reaffirmed by the fact Ms. Goodwitch hadn't told him about this. Something a stern and organized teacher like her would always remember to do.
At that point, team RWBY began filling in. "Come on William, let's go eat breakfast." Ruby beamed. Her excitement was palpable.
Then again, that was all of them. Each and everyone was excited for their chance to fight. Even the typically calm and collected checkmate duo were actively trying to hide their anticipation.
The sudden one-eighty between fear from himself, anger from Neo, and joy from team RWBY was kind of disorienting for him. Too many extremes too quickly.
"Will you be joining us professor?" Ruby asked.
He simply smiled, "As William's temporary guardian I have no choice", this caused the young reaper to deflate ever so slightly, "but as your headmaster, I would be delighted. I often don't get to spend too much time interacting with my students, so this will be an excellent change of pace."
Weiss stepped forward, already with her business smile on, "I look forward to it as well." William didn't even need his Grimm powers to know Weiss was going to try and milk some information from Ozpin. Then again, she always did say she had a business attitude toward being a huntress, i.e. ever being an opportunist to get a leg up.
"Well girls lets…go…" the heiress trailed off. Her eyes focused on the desk near the window. As William followed her gaze he saw it. On top of the desk was a Neo's matching satin bra.
Oh. Crap.
*Meanwhile at the Bullhead Port on the other side of the city of Vale*
"Did you really have to make a second trip?" Glynda asked approaching the blonde-haired man.
"I had to make sure my source was safe." He snarled. His tone said they weren't. "Thankfully I didn't have to bribe a corgi into a mail tube again." He tried to joke. It was how he had always been: trying to cover the melancholic nature of their work with humor. Qrow had his drinking and Tai had his…positive viewpoint. Denial through humor, so him.
"Did something happen?"
The huntsman, or rather "retired" huntsman kicked the ground in frustration, "She trusted me, Glynda. She trusted me and now she's…now she's…" the tears slowly began to fall from his eyes. "She had a family Glynda. What can I tell them?" He began to sob, dragging his arm across his eyes in an attempt to wipe away his tears. It did little to help and even more, she wondered if it hurt given the arm guards he was wearing.
Family was always a hard topic for the him. So much lost in his life. So many people that he loved. All in the name of protecting the world.
Screw the world. If it wasn't for that fact that it meant saving his family, they all knew he would have told Ozpin to shove that cane of his where the sun doesn't shine. Especially after it ultimately cost him the two loves of his life and now threatened the two reminders of them.
"I know you are upset, but we must work do what we can to protect those still alive." The blonde huntress spokes. Not sounding like she even believed the platitude herself. She had needed to say it too many times.
"All I can say is, we better damn win this."
/-/
as the six made their way to the cafeteria, five walked ahead of the sixth. An air of awkward sympathy and worry hung over them. Palpable to even those who passed them in the halls, giving them a wide girth.
As for the wolf faunus pulling up the rear, he was too absorbed by his own thoughts to feel bad that everyone was way off base.
He had been caught by his headmaster and team with some random woman's bra on his desk. He tried to wave it off that he had found it with the intention of taking it to the lost and found in the morning. Ruby had believed him, but the rest were not so easy to convince.
His anxiety had been so severe that he had to divert all of his attention to not transforming. Turning into a Beowulf would have all but declared him guilty.
Just as all hope was about to go out the window, and speaking of which:
"Hey asshole!" A voice suddenly called from behind the group.
Team RWBY parted as a short woman with black hair in a pair of the largest pigtails William had ever seen. She was wearing a sleeveless black blouse with white frills on the chest that left her midriff exposed and collar and a black ribbon bow hanging from the front. Her arms were coated in medium length black gloves with contrasting white knee socks and belt.
William moved closer before his faunus heritage told him who the woman was, "Ne-ughf!" He cried as a solid kick connected with his gut. She had almost instantly closed the distance between them before he had realized it.
Even for William, that kick was enough to force him to fall to his knees. Or he would if it wasn't for the knee that crashed upward into his chin before a massive barrage of kicks slammed him into his back wall causing him to fall onto his face. "That's for taking my bra." She stormed past group to collect her garment from his desk.
His temporary guardian was the one to move, "Miss…?" "Mintha. Lacy Mintha." She growled.
Lacy, or as he knew her Neo, then went on to tell them that her teammate got drunk and decided to scatter her and her other teammate's clothes along the hall around like an idiot some time past midnight.
When they asked her what they did to him, she gave the most sardonic and sadistic grin that sent even the hair on the back of William's neck standing at attention. "He got what he deserved."
As chilling as that answer was, it was what she said when she stormed out, none of the others trying to stop her, "If you ever do anything like this again…" She threatened, "I won't be so nice." Her contemptuous smile told him of the death that would await him.
/-/
While the group walked to the cafeteria they gave William some space. Two thought him innocent. One was skeptical. And the remaining two weren't really sure. However, they all seemed to wordlessly agree to leave William to himself as they walked. Though some thought like he was going to puke up his colon- something he truly felt like doing. That Lacy girl seemed to kick as hard as Yang punched.
Something William could confirm she did not, but she was adept at applying significant force to just the right places with great precision. Which did even more damage than Yang.
He could fell their pity after getting his ass handed to him on a silver plate by a girl half his size. It was especially so for those remembering that he was supposed to be a terrifying monster Grimm. At least according to Ironwood, the Hand of Humanity, and a couple dozen others.
At least that is what they thought. In reality, William was trying to figure out why Neo was dressed as Lacy.
It seemed too much of a risk for her to impersonate the girl. Plus what are the odds of there being two half-sized huntresses that looked so similar? It made sense why he felt attracted to Lacy from the video feed yesterday- and know he was imagining Neo in nothing but those knee socks and gloves.
No, no FOCUS!
So this means Neo infiltrated the tournament. But what about her teammates? Where they also criminals pretending to be students?
No that wasn't right, they were all students from Haven. And since no one is screaming that they've never seen them it would be safe to assume they at least attended Haven. That would also probably explain why Neo knew so much about the Haven teams when they were discussing the festival.
Good thing he didn't bet any money on who would win.
But now he was between a rock and a hard place. Sure, he made a deal with Neo about her side winning or losing, but now…now it felt… real. So close to his friends and family. He didn't care too much about the kingdom of Vale, I mean yeah, he would be sad people got hurt, but, well…that's about it. But this was different. These were people he liked.
What should he do? No, what could he do?
He could just imagine how it would go: Hi, I've secretly been dating a woman involved with a plot to destroy the kingdom. But don't get mad. All I did was sleep with her, give her marginally useful information about Beacon, its staff, and students, and made a bet with her where if she wins I'll betray you all.
In the end, that wouldn't only hurt him, but also Neo. Probably drag team RWBY into it along with Ms. Goodwitch. The very thought of what Ironwood would do to her to get information out of her made his chest clench and make his heart ack. Regardless of his ambivalence towards Neo, she didn't deserve what Ironwood would do to her. The man locks people up for being attacked for crying out loud.
Maybe it was self-delusion, but William ultimately decided to place his faith in the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Beacon Academy. Damned if he talked, damned if he didn't. this was the all too familiar anxiety of being powerless to affect your own destiny.
/-/
Breakfast was thankfully uneventful. Just sitting back and quietly listening to team RWBY's excited yammering about how they were going to win the whole tournament due to their "pure awesomeness", was entertaining. Weiss had tried to get some details about the competition, not as discretely as she may have thought, from professor Ozpin, but was eventually dragged into team RWBY's usual antics. This was a good distraction for all.
He needed it. And seeing their eyes light up with pride and excitement tugged at him a little. Was this what its like to want to prove yourself as a huntsman? It somehow made them all seem more endearing to the faunus.
But at the same time, he felt a small pang of guilt. He was complacent in someone trying to bring this all to an end. All their hard work, their dreams…potentially, their lives.
But what could he do? It all came back to that question. As much as he cared for them, his fear of being caged again kept him gagged with fear. Ten years in the valley was ten years too long. The last thing he wanted was to be put in an even smaller cage.
Fortunately, something broke him out of the downward spiral of fear, anxiety, and a growing supply of bile in his gut. "Hey guys!" Nora waved. It was team JNPR.
"Well if it isn't Beacon's newest power couple." William shouted earning a blush from the Arkos pair.
"Yeah we're together," Jaune answered before noticing Nora about to say it, "…together, together." The arc knight gave a genuinely warm smile as his eyes instinctively moved to meet his spartan partner.
"Yes, and I believe we have you to thank for that William." Pyrrah beamed. When he first talked with her she seemed so rigid emotionally, she held in so much and now it was gone. She was like a breath of fresh air compared to the stale and stagnant emotional withdrawal plastered with a fake smile. Pyrrah had always wanted friends, and now she did, but Jaune was the only one to make her heart truly skip a beat and someone she actually pursued. Not the usual other way around.
"Oh, I wasn't aware Mr. Beorthwulf was a matchmaker?" the headmaster cut off the temporarily pink hared faunus' pride in his work. The comment ran ice down his spine.
As if picking up his fear the headmaster spoke up, "While I would like you to use your abilities with more restraint, I will not fault you for helping your friends."
William relaxed. "I'm not entirely in the right either…" he admitted turning towards the new couple. "I'm sorry for tricking you guys. I knew it might help Jaune and Pyrrha, but it was just me setting you up on a date." He apologized.
"Well, you're not the first," Pyrrha admitted surprising the faunus. "In fact, I'm actually thankful you were not as…direct as Nora was."
That was an eyebrow raiser, "Do I want to know?" he asked turning towards Nora looking like the cat in the canary cage but with a pancake sticking out of her mouth instead of some feathers.
The question made all of team JNPR noticeably uneasy, minus Jaune who looked genuinely confused. After a few moments, Ren was the one to answer, "Nora thought they could bond by letting an Ursa into our dorm room." He sighed.
"That was her?" Jaune blurted out. "How was supposed to get me and Pyrrah together?"
"It seemed like a good idea at the time." She winced slightly.
"Again, how does letting and Ursa into our dorm room help…anyone?"
"Oh yes, I remember that, if I recall correctly that was shortly after you returned from your assignment to a small village on the outskirts of the kingdom?" The headmaster chimed in drinking from his coffee mug receiving a nod.
He had been drinking out of that coffee mug since he came and got William, how did it still have anything in it? Or if he had refilled it, when? "Though, I must ask Miss Valkyrie, how did you manage to sneak an Ursa into Beacon without anyone know?"
Strangely enough, Nora seemed to relax at the question, almost seeming proud of her feat. Then again William could sense the memories of her teammate's regret at their group punishment for bringing a creature of Grimm onto the campus. "All I had to do was wait till the dead of night, lure it with the sap we collected for professor Peach and use one of the cages professor Port leaves in the hallways from time to time." She beamed.
Honestly, William never felt his jaw drop so fast. For someone who survived by reading negative emotions, Nora Valkyrie was an enigma of the highest caliber. She seemed…jubilant at her actions. Something that William, and apparently the rest at the table couldn't fathom.
"I see. Well thank you, I will be sure to talk to professor Port about him storing his cages later." He said if-so-facto making half the table bite down to stop themselves from going 'REALLY?'. "Oh, but Miss Valkyrie, please do not do that again. I do not want to have to suspend you for such a…well meaning, but an ultimately misguided mistake."
"I promise." She said in a way that sounded like a little kid having apologized for the same thing a hundred times over, "Next time I'll just smash the Ursa when I see it." She smiled giving a double fist pump. A smile that would normally be heartwarming and full of good cheer if it wasn't about smashing something with an oversized hammer.
"Please save that excitement for the tournament." The grey-haired man lifted up his scroll, "speaking of which we should probably start making our way to my office if we are to catch the opening ceremony for the second day."
"We also need to make our way to Amity Coliseum as well." Wiess chimed in, dragging Ruby from her chocolate chip pancakes. "But Weiss…" Ruby whined in between shoving as many pancakes in her mouth as possible. Struggling to get more than one in at a time.
"Amateur." William heard Nora scoff.
"Do you want pancakes, or do you want to win our first match?"
"…"
"RUBY!" Wiess glowered. Trying to stand against the power of Ruby's puppy dog eyes.
Seeing she didn't have a time or desire to argue she sighed in defeat and handed her a few napkins,
"Just eat what's left on the way there."
"Yeah, thank you besty", the chocolate lover beamed hugging her teammate.
"You better not get chocolate on my combat skirt or I will freeze you solid." Weiss threatened, having little to no effect as they all got up to leave.
/-/
In all honesty, William was a little uneasy about the arrangement. It had only dawned on him after breakfast, but this was the first time he had genuinely been alone with the inscrutable headmaster Ozpin. Of all the people the Were-Grimm had encountered he was the only person who truly hid his true thoughts from him. It wasn't over joyfulness, a natural calm nature, he was definitely human; no, it was definitely something else entirely.
As they entered the room Ozpin sat at his desk with another seat next to his. Based on his gestures, it was for William.
Where was he keeping that chair anyway? Aside from the desk, chair and a small table at the far side of the room next to the entrance with a lamp on it, his office was completely empty. You would expect him to at least a few chairs set up for guest to sit on or maybe some kind of library of books. He had to need some form of reference material for something right? Or did some of those overly decorative, and seemingly functionless gears strewn about double as some type of storage compartments?
William sat next to the man. He sipped his coffee- where the hell was he getting all this coffee from- as he turned on his holo-screen computer to professor Port announced the beginning of the first-round match. This was the one he had been waiting for: Team RWBY's match.
William was excited to finally see what they could do. Spending all that time sparing with them, on and off for almost two weeks, he really wanted to see them win.
Otherwise, all those blows to the jaw and having to hide his indigestion was for nothing.
Okay, that last one would come in handy no matter what, but William will keep that to himself.
They started out a little rocky. For whatever reason, they decided to forgo a strategy and just paired off with their opponents. Team ABRN (Auburn) if he remembered right.
Their leader, Arlan, was surprisingly able to swap blow for blow with Yang herself. Though she did so with more composure and less wasted effort. Unlike Yang's wild style, she was well trained in some form of martial arts. The dagger she has fashioned to the bandages on her right arm just added to her damage potential.
The contrast to Arlan's strength was her turquoise-haired teammate, Reese. She was giving Blake, the most maneuverable member of the team, a run for her money. Her hoverboard was surprisingly versatile. It was a shield, a blunt weapon used to attack as is or it can disconnect to form two pistols- because everything seems to also be a gun. It could even absorb a shard of fire dust from the field she used to melt her frozen teammate.
If he remembered right, Ruby told him that there were a number of ways to load and use unprocessed Dust, but it was murder on most weapons. Why wouldn't it? If they didn't need to process Dust, the Schnee Dust company wouldn't be even half as big as it was.
Almost as if he could read his thoughts again Ozpin spoke up, "The fields generated by Amity Coliseum, though appearing to be raw material, are in fact already partially processed Dust." The man explained over his coffee cup. "The only difference is that some are processed into crystalline structures or used directly to form substances; like buildings or bodies of water. They could be used the same way in natural settings, but this way it is easier on the weapons." He added.
"Huh," he only nodded. "Hey, is it weird that half of team ABRN are actually pretty tough, but the other two are really weak." He asked as the pink haired guy was trapped in ice, again. This time with his teammate.
"Sadly, it isn't uncommon for a team to have only one or two genuinely strong members and the rest be protected by them. the problem lies in the teammates that want to protect each other instead of helping them to grow stronger. This creates a failing cycle of dependence. Usually ending only in severe injury or death."
"Did Yang do that with Ruby?"
"Thankfully not. Miss Xiao Long, though protective of her younger sister, seems well aware that in order for Ruby to survive being a huntress, she must obtain the necessary skills to survive."
"Though that isn't to say she won't hesitate to rush to her sister's aid if it is needed." He added taking another sip of his coffee.
The thought of Yang looking out for Ruby made him feel warm inside. She was like that with all her teammates, but Ruby was the one she looked out for the most. In his short time with everyone, he'd come to somewhat envy Ruby and Yang's bond. "It must be nice to have siblings." He smiled.
Ozpin hummed a little, "It is William. It truly is."
As Yang delivered the finishing combo, knocking the remaining three members of team ABRN out of the ring, the faunus raised an eyebrow, "Do you have any siblings, professor Ozpin?"
The grey-haired man paused, clearly pondering his answer for some unknown reason. It seemed to be a cut and dry 'yes-or-no' question. "No, I do not have any siblings to speak of. I am an only child."
Still took longer than it should to answer. "However", he continued, "I have had many friends and teammates I considered family. The bond between us was just as strong."
As touching and stirring as that answer was, William still couldn't help, but wonder if the elderly man could read his mind. Of if he was just that good.
Perhaps it was at that moment that William wondered if team RWBY or any of the others felt that way about him. If they did, then what did it make him? Could he really stay silent and let Neo and her compatriots cause harm to Vale, and by extension them?
This would be so much easier if he could sense more than just negative emotions.
However, this could be his best chance for advice. Professor Ozpin always seemed to radiate this aura of sage wisdom that comes from a life lived full of countless experiences of numerous kinds. Perhaps it was that wisdom allowed him his calm demeanor that inhibited the Were-Grimm from sensing his negative emotions while appearing to be able to read William's mind instead.
He swallowed, he didn't have anything to lose from trying, "Professor, can I ask you a question?"
He gently smiled, "Of course William, as an educator, it is my duty to help if I am able."
"Let's say I have this friend. Yeah. And he isn't sure what he should do. He wants to make people happy but, at the same time if he does one thing he will get hurt from it and possibl- probably," he corrected himself, "get someone in trouble or hurt. Yet if he doesn't do the other thing, the awkward kind of stalemate he's in will keep getting worse and worse until something as bad or worst happens. What should he- my friend- do?"
Ozpin took another sip of his coffee. This time taking much longer. So long, in fact, William had to wonder if there was anything even left in the mug or if he was just making those drinking sounds with his mouth.
"William", he began. "In life, we are all faced with difficult decisions. While many consider thinking of the needs of others before one's self to be noble, it is not always so. In fact, in some cases, it could even be detrimental to all those involved. Many a huntsman has lost their lives forgoing their own wellbeing to save 'everyone', only for all involved to end up worse for the experience."
"So if I follow, you are saying that sometimes it's best to look out for yourself before you look out for others and only do what you can."
"That is correct."
"But that doesn't exactly answer my question. Then what should I-I mean my friend do."
"William, let me ask you a question. This friend of yours, does he have an idea of what exactly he wants?"
His eyes darted away from the headmaster's, "Um, no, not really." His feet awkwardly shuffled. "Just, you know, to make the people he cares about happy. If he goes with option one, he will probably be 'miserable' and the people he cares about will be too. But if he goes with option two…then it'll just get worse and drag a lot more people into it."
"I see." He stroked his chin a little before continuing. "I would first suggest he should find what it is that he wants or wants to do- something a little less ambiguous than making everyone happy. Rarely, is that even possible. If he hopes to achieve anything it first helps to have a goal to work towards. If he is torn between two unpleasant decision, try to look for a third option. If there is no third option, work towards the option that causes the least harm." The older man looked so…out of sorts as he finished the last part. It was clear to William he had been in that situation a few times. He couldn't imagine being a headmaster at a school for huntsmen would ever be easy.
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But then what should he do about finding a goal?"
"that is up to him I'm afraid." As William lowered his head Ozpin continued, "But if I may make a suggestion." William perked up, "I would advise your friend to talk with those around him, examine what he likes, what he dislikes. Find what it is that fills him with passion and drive and where does he want to be five, ten, or even twenty years down the road- ultimately what is it that he is willing to stand for-to fight for."
"Yeah," William began to smile. He felt his pulse begin to race a little. "That makes sense." It felt a little weird that Ozpin was so close to what his inner voice had said. Maybe he should have come to see him sooner and it would have saved him so many headaches.
The headmaster raised two fingers, "Please do remember two more things when relaying this to your friend. The first is that this is his path, he may take suggestions, but at the end of the day, it is his choice. He may even find a way to make achieve both instead of one or the other."
"And the second?"
"That whatever he decides, he must form a plan and stick to it. Not being inflexible, but at the same time still remaining firm. Do you understand?"
"Yes, professor. Yes, I do." William grinned as the gears began to turn.
/-/
The second round had just begun. Both teams were in top form, but Jaune and Pyrrha stole the show.
Jaune was by no means the most powerful huntsmen out there, or the most skilled, but he was so in synch with Pyrrha that he didn't need to be. She had the skill and experience to cover the holes in his attacks while he had the timing to the openings in her attack down, allowing her to fight uninhibited without having to worry.
As the two pushed back the three melee fighters, Ren came in from the left for a pincer attack. His speed allowed for him to dodge and weave in between the enemy making their sniper useless before beelining it to her sniper's nest.
The remaining members of her team couldn't even chase after him for an assist. If they turned their backs, it meant a sword to the back. Nolan learned that first hand.
Roy tried to use his saw disks as a distraction, but a rebound from Jaune's shield landed one a little too close to Brawnz's head for comfort. The other embedding itself in a tree, having passed just between his legs. Brawnz almost fainted as he felt a hearts toping breeze just under his crotch.
Hearing May screaming as Ren knocked her from her nest, Brawnz forced himself through in a desperate rush grabbing both Pyrrha and Jaune and forcing them to the ground. Normally, he wouldn't have gotten maneuver to go through, but a small opening coupled with his size and momentum was enough to force the duo to the ground at his own sacrifice.
"Now Nolan. Roy help May." He cried signaling his teammate with the electrified baton to take the three down with his most powerful electric shock as their teammate with dreadlocks went to assist their sniper. Most likely realizing that losing their sniper meant losing their only advantage.
Sadly, their plan, as noble as his sacrifice might have been, was in vein. Before Nolan's attack could connect, a flurry of orange and pink intercepted him, and a sense of dreaded déjà vu came over the young man as he was meet with a wide grin that spelled pain.
While they had been so distracted with her teammates, Nora had made it to the top of the mountain and charged herself with electricity. Now Nolan was giving her an even greater charge than last time. Coupled with the lightning strike, the only thought that crossed Nolan's mind was this: We. Are. Fucked.
William could have sworn he felt his thoughts through the monitor.
True to his prediction, Nora used her mighty Magnhild to scoop Brawnz, Nolan, and Roy into her sweeping swing before putting all her strength into sending them flying towards their final teammate.
The sound of the three larger bodies barreling into their teammate and propelling her along with them into the force field with a loud, and somehow satisfying, BAM signaled the end of the match.
Though the real show ender was the kiss Jaune planted on Pyrrha for all the world to see.
The headmaster felt himself smile only as William wrecked a little as his body shook slightly, "William are you alright?" He asked as the young man placed his hands on either side of his head as if to keep it from splitting.
It was like Nora was using his head like a piñata.
"Yeah, just didn't expect so much negativity feelings." He undersold it as the pain exponential climbed. Soon it was as if all of Amity Coliseum, Beacon Academy, and the cliff it was built on was dropped on his head at once. The sheer volume of jealousy and contempt for Jaune was unlike anything he had ever felt. He knew Pyrrah had some fans, but this was ridiculous.
It seemed to just grow endlessly, ever expanding, ever crushing him as he fell from his chair. "ah, m-my h-head-d." He stammered, doubled over as his head hurt. "It's too-too much, it's too m-m-much."
The headmaster rushed to his side. Hoping he could be of some aid.
William's body began sporadically spurting forth new Grimm parts only for them to burst into ash as new ones began to form. Spikes, claws, horns, and every other form of body part sprouted from the young man, deformed and twisted as to barely resemble anything that naturally occurred in the already monstrous creatures.
William curled up on the ground wishing for death. The pressure was too much. Too quickly. He couldn't take it. He did all he could to close off the outside world. To prevent further stimuli from being added to his grown overload. His eyes were shut closed and tight, his hands covered his human ears as his wolf ears pressed down as hard as they could to melt with his skull.
He didn't even notice the professor getting up or what he did. All he knew was that is all went black.
/-/
Glynda and Tai Yang walked into Ozpin's office. He was sitting at his desk and Ironwood stood next to him. Glynda was the first to notice something missing. "Where is William?" she asked. Tai noticed her putting more emotion into the question than he had ever heard her ask outside of someone potentially being dead.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Beorthwulf needed to be sedated for a short amount of time."
Immediately the deputy headmistress turned to the general, ready to ask what the man had done now. The creak of her riding crop told the room this would not go over as easily as last time.
"Glynda, it wasn't James this time." The headmaster stopped her. "Mr. Arc gave Miss Nikos a rather passionate kiss for all the world to see and the resulting jealousy of her fans from those both in Amity Coliseum and the surrounding area were too much for the young man to handle so suddenly. As such, I need to sedate him." He explained seeing Glynda exhale a sigh of relief. "He is resting safely in the infirmary."
"With a dozen of my most trusted guards outside his room," Ironwood added.
Tai, not knowing their history aside from what Ruby had told him, spoke first, "Do you think someone wants to harm him?"
"Given all that has happened since his arrival it is highly likely", the cyborg mused, "but that's not why I posted guards outside."
"Then why did…" Tai trailed off remembering what Ruby had told him and who he was talking to. It was just like that time Qrow got drunk and vomited on the control panel of James' brand new fifty billion Lien airship before it crashed into his equally new and expensive hanger. By the gods, he hated Qrow for that one.
"Tai Yang", Ozpin directed the conversation back to its intended subject, "How was your Mission? Did your informant finally contact you?"
The blonde chuckled lightly, "Yeah, she did. She managed to tell me Salem's forces are in Vale before she died." He grimaced. Tai Yang was a huntsman, he had seen death many a time and knew the pain of losing someone. That was why he asked Ozpin to reduce his activity for the man and help him obtain a job at Signal. So Yang and Ruby would never be alone. But it was the death of women that always hurt the most.
"I see. You have my condolences."
"Your Condolences?! Your CONDOLENCES?!" Tai growled. "Ozpin, she had a family. Three kids and a wheelchair bounded husband. What about them?"
Ozpin gave a more sympathetic version of his usual indifferent languid expression, if only just, "They will be financially compensated. She knew the risk when she approached you on your last mission."
He couldn't refute his point. No matter how much he wished to.
"Tell me what else did you manage to gather?" Ironwood asked. He honestly seemed more indifferent than Ozpin did.
The blonde man sighed and took a deep breath. "From what I've gathered Salem is operating under three points. Her main income comes from several companies she, or more accurately her followers, have built up, bought, or otherwise obtained. Varying from anything such as ice cream shops and cafes to Dust mining and distributors to several types of manufacturing complexes."
"How do they keep hold of them? Surely her followers will die or at some point no longer operate the business."
"Mainly indoctrination. They find people within the business or connect to it somehow; business partners, family, friends, anyone who the Witch can pull to her side and they become the replacement. If no such person appears they will contact their higher-up in Salem's chain of command and they will bring someone in."
Ozpin's expression did not change. He probably already knew as much. "You mentioned a chain of command. Can you elaborate?"
"Not by much. Salem has anywhere from four to eight generals acting as her council acting as chief agents and heads of different divisions. The only one I've been able to find out about is some kind of genetic research division and robotic. And even that's only what they say they are 'a research facility for understanding genetic anomalies'."
The general flinched at this information, "something you'd like to share, James?" Ozpin asked his head not turning, but his eyes still fixed on the general from the peripheral of his vision.
The general paused for a moment, "No, its nothing." He dismissed.
"Aaannnyway, the different branches are either governed directly by the general or someone working under them. In addition to logistics, they have two other branches; recruitment and execution."
"We've been monitoring known operatives and none of them have been seen recruiting."
"That's because most of them don't. Aside from the generals specifically tasked with recruiting individuals that catch their interest, or Salem's interest, or would be of use to them, it seems only a few miscellaneous people actually do any form of recruitment at all."
"But how?"
"Mainly Grimm cults." Grimm cults, great. Since mankind has existed there have always been idealistic fanatics who worshipped Grimm. Often stating some kind of doctrine that Grimm only kill the unjust or some other nonsense about dystheistic beliefs. It shouldn't be a surprise Salem would take advantage fanatics like that. If the gods are evil and Grimm only punish the unjust, it would make sense they would worship a sentient Grimm promising them whatever they want.
"She has followers in various different cults from the Black Fur and the Lighthouse's Shadow to the Endless Night to the Church of Grimm. They find the most devoted members with discernable talent and recruit them to serve their goddess."
"Despicable." Glynda carped.
"It gets worse. The will go after anyone of value who happens to have an axe to grind; dishonorably discharged soldiers, blacklisted hunstmen, disgraced scientist, thugs with some unique power who want power and so on. As you know, they've been manipulating the politics of Remnant for centuries looking for holes in each kingdom's governmental structure. Influencing even the smallest positions to try and expand their hold. A lot of people on the bottom don't always agree with the people on top."
They all sighed, this was nothing new. Yet still as painful to know now as before. The great war was proof of their- her- power.
"In recent years, they've been reaching out to groups like the White Fang, Hand of Humanity, and a couple dozen other groups. Promising them weapons, financial, and logistic support."
The general looked unimpressed. "Anything we don't already know?"
The brawler took a step forward, "Well yeah. For starters, Salem doesn't actually have one of her generals working on acquiring the Fall Maiden. Instead, she has several operatives acting autonomously to one another working towards the same goal. All with the promise of a seat at her table. Though some of them go off pursuing other interest with Salem's permission."
"How do they prevent from unintentionally interfering with each other's plans?"
Tai just shrugged, "Beats me. Probably some kind of progress report or liaison, maybe?". He had spent a particularly large amount of time trying to find the answer to how so many small groups could coordinate with such precision. If they knew this, they could remove the pins holding the organization together.
"I see." Ozpin's hand wrapped around his chin, his pointer finger tapping on his chin. "What about the Grimm weapons?"
"Nothing concrete. Just the usual rumor. What about your end?"
"We are still waiting on Plum." Ironwood injected. "After the incident at his lab, he has been otherwise stalled for the time being."
the blonde man sighed, please tell me it wasn't Port related, not again...again…again. "Thankfully professor Port was kind enough to provide us with an alibi."
Huh, so it wasn't him this time.
"Now, what were you able to uncover about the information I sent you yesterday?"
"Was that when James was micromanaging over your shoulder?" he asked sarcastically. If it was his daughters, he would have expected a tongue sticking out of him. Instead, he had a glare that would make any child pee their pants and run for their momma.
"Yes," Ozpin responded trying to sound to in agreement. The general had a rather annoying habit of always wanting to be involved in everything. They may be at war, but this was not the Atleasian Military.
"Not much." He explained setting his scroll on Ozpin's desk as a map of a district of Vale was project before them. "I don't know who's scroll you pinged, but they are good. They take more than a dozen different routes through areas with localized signal scramblers as well as places with natural signal blockers like utility towers, bridges, highway overpasses, and warehouses."
"Can we take care of the areas artificially jamming the signal?" Glynda asked.
"Unfortunately no. their part of the criminal underground of Vale. As in they are connected to and supported by the entire underground to create movable highways to make tracking their people more difficult. Either they won't be there when we get there due to their nomadic nature or they will be tipped off before we get there and be gone anyway. And even then, it doesn't get us closer to our target."
Ironwood's brow furled, he hated organized crime in general, but when it related to her, then it wasn't uncommon for a few veins to become visible on his forehead. Like now. "Isn't there anything that can be done."
"At the moment no. I'm in the process of narrowing things down, but it's still a large area to cover." He gestured to the area spanning almost a fourth of Vale.
"If we secure the assistance from the Valeian army as well as my soldiers and local huntsmen we can cover the area."
Glynda crossed her arms, "James that won't work. One of their forces was enough to escape even me. If we spread ourselves too thin, they will be able to escape."
"Glynda we don't have time. We know they will be doing something soon. Which- by the way- aside from involving an army's worth of Dust we know nothing about!"
"And if we rush, we could lose our only chance to capture them or, worse yet, force them to in act their plans sooner."
"That is why," Ozpin interrupted before they could continue, "I propose we bait them." The older man said setting his scroll on the desk showing a very surprising image.
"Ozpin what is this?!" She asked, not sure what to even make of the image. If not for those in the picture, she would have thought it a normal photo as anyone would have.
Even the general seemed hesitant at the idea implied, "Oz you can't, it's too risky."
Ignoring the general he looked Glynda in the eyes, "This my dear Glynda, is the bait."
/-/
His eyes slowly flickered open. The bone white ceiling and smell of sauerkraut- he was starting to hate that smell- told him he was in the nurse's office. Again.
He sat up to see general Ironwood causing the Were-Grimm to jump out of the bed, landing to keep the bed between the two of them.
"William relax. I'm not here to hurt you." He held his hands up.
The young man noticed the soldier lowering their guns with the general's signal. William relaxed but still kept his guard up.
"I am merely here to check on you."
Okay, that was a red flag right there. "What about Ms. Goodwitch or my team?"
The general looked uneasy at the first half of the question. "I've notified your team. As for Glynda…she is otherwise occupied." The discomfort was palpable.
He gave the general a deadpanned expression, "Is it Ozpin related?"
The general snickered. He actually snickered?!
As the man regained his composure. "…Yes."
The tall man's emotions were unsure and complicated, "What time is it?"
Relaxing at a simple question he could answer, he looked at his watch, "Ten thirty-six." This meant team RWBY was probably already asleep. Despite Yang and Ruby's protest to stay up later, the four ultimately agreed to go to bed on time for the tournament to avoid messing with their circadian rhythm.
William in inadvertently let out a deep yawn, despite being out cold for so long he still felt mentally exhausted. He was going to have to throw Jaune off Beacon's cliff for this one. "If it is okay with you I'd like to go to the cafeteria and get something to eat before going to bed."
"Actually, your team already prepared you something." He said motioning to three large plastic bags on the nurse's desk.
William instinctively licked his lips. The 'City Wok' label on the bags was all he needed to know. However, he stopped just short of the desk and turned towards Ironwood. Somewhat confusing the general.
"I just wanted to say thanks for looking after me. And I'm sorry." He said trying to avoid eye contact. "I know there are people who don't approve of…well me. But, despite having a clear chance, you didn't do anything to me. I misjudged you general."
The tall man seemed taken quite aback by the honesty in William's tone and a little hurt at the insinuation, "It was nothing. Merely doing my duty as head of security." He tried to wave off, but William could feel his emotions relaxing around the Were-Grimm.
As he sat down to eat, "Oh and general." William spoke up again, "I'm not sure what it means, but I just remembered, for the last few days, I've been feeling some weird negative emotions; almost like someone was trying to hide from you, professor Ozpin, and Ms. Goodwitch."
The general jerked slightly, "From Vale?"
"No from Beacon's campus." He answered innocently.
"I-I see thank you for informing me William."
*One short meal later*
The general and his soldiers walked William to his hallway and left as soon as they saw him go to enter his dorm room.
First step to getting him to trust me successful. It may have been improvised, but it still did something. William didn't want Neo to be hurt, but he still needed to do something. Pointing Ironwood in the right direction would not only make it harder for Neo's boss to make a move, but also to increase his chances of getting this restriction removed from him.
Two birds, one stone.
He did tell Neo he would try to stop her after all.
What he didn't see coming was that as soon as the wolf faunus had shut the door a black knee-high boot came sweeping across the side of his head knocking him on his back.
Looking up was a sight of desire and fear. Neo stood before him, dressed in a jet-black corset contrasting perfectly with her soft alabaster skin as it pressed her cleavage to almost Yang's level. Her arms and legs were clothed with black latex arm-length gloves and knee-high leather boots, respectively. Finishing the image was a jet-black thong with "Eat Here" posted in silver letters.
Before he could speak a riding crop caught him on the chin, "Slaves will not speak unless spoken to." She commanded forcing the flat of her boot onto William's groin.
"First you throw me out of a window. Then you force me to save your ass. Followed by me spending the entire day soundproofing your room." She gestured to the foam-like objects coating every corner of his room. "Now" she smiled with a grin equal parts lust and malice, "I'm going to have you pay me back with. Your. Body." She dragged out the last part.
Not even sure how to react, William saw the ice cream themed dominatrix's grin widen as she looked down at his pants rising under her heal.
He could only mentally morn. Not now boner.
Poor William. Every action has consequences and he will learn that very well. Then again considering who he threw out the window it could have been worst.
Okay, time for a breakdown. First, we never did find out the mission Tai Yang went on towards the end of volume 2 and, via Raven, Ozpin made recruited her entire team to his group. As we all know Tai Yang hasn't had the best luck with women; they either leave or die. Not to mention the fact he has two daughters training to fight literal walking nightmares. Naturally, women dying around him would hit him hard.
Second, I've always had a theory that Cinder may not have initially been one of Salem's general's, hence Watt's treatment of her as compared to the other two.
And yes, I know I've taken a few liberties with how Salem runs her organization. Despite being an evil Grimm queen, she still needs Lien, Dust, and countless other resources. This means she either has a direct line to these resources or a way to get them, legally or otherwise. In short, I highly doubt four people, six counting Mercury and Emerald, could pull all that off by themselves. This means there are probably a lot of people, unknowingly or knowingly, working for her. It is probably safe to say that Cinder isn't the only huntress-level woman working for Salem. She would need at least one other if Cinder should fail.
Then there are to two missing seats at Salem's table. I'm of the belief, that there are others in her faction we have yet to meet. I'd honestly would be very surprised if it really is just six people.
While on the topic of Cinder and Salem it is important to note that, while Roman did seem to care about Neo, in order for Neo's Mint persona to be accepted as a student at Mistral, she had to have attended classes. Now this doesn't negate the possibility that Neo was originally in Roman's group, but at least means she had to go to Haven, pass the entrance exam, and attend classes as to not raise suspicions.
As for why we only see Cinder until students from other schools start showing up… I'm guessing she used Lionheart to give everyone some B.S. excuse about having to leave due to family business or something like that, so she could oversee her operations in Vale. Then when students start arriving for the festival do we get Mercury, Emerald, and Neo.
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