Disclaimer: I own neither Digimon nor RWBY
"Enjoying the festivities miss Onyx?" Ozpin queried as he chanced upon the leader of team ROAL on her lonesome, observing the dancers from a high and isolated vantage.
"Professor Ozpin! It has been a great evening." The purple-haired girl responded.
"That is good to hear. How is your team?" He continued, scanning the crowds in an attempt to locate the people in question.
"They're a bit reserved, I had to drag them here, and even then, it took quite a bit of prodding to get them to dance!"
"I see." The older man looked at the team-leader with an unreadable expression. "But I do have to wonder. Is it not tiring?" He then asked without any preamble.
"Hmm?" Riina returned his look with a confused one.
For a while, neither party said anything. They merely gazed at each other.
Then, just as it seemed Ozpin would say something, the bubbly cheerfulness disappeared from Riina's features, and her eyes gained a character not dissimilar to the person before her.
"Most assuredly, this charade doth tire myself." Even Ozpin had been unprepared for the level of difference that appeared. "But I do believe it to be necessary, for the sake of minimising the disturbance of the daily lives of these fine students."
The Aloof Hermit chuckled slightly.
"Yet mayhap it was far too well performed. I fear that mine allies are uninterested in providing performances of their own, and are merely themselves, albeit with some restraint."
Had anyone else heard Riina speak now, they would have noted how out of place it was coming from someone with her appearance. Her speech was formal, polite, and archaic, and her voice sagely and severe.
Yet Ozpin remained unfazed by this dissonance.
"Who are you?" He instead asked, his face betraying no emotions.
"Fret not, oh guardian. We are not thine enemies. We merely seek to pre-empt a potential disaster that has nothing to do with thy struggle. Alas that I would have liked to interfere in thy favour, but mine lord has instructed me not to."
This reply did shock Ozpin, as he had not expected any of what the now quite apparently not girl said. Be it the reference to his taken role, to the possible admittance of knowledge about the secret war between him and Salem, or to the reference of either a potential disaster or to a higher power she obeys.
But, as with so many other things, he ultimately took it in stride.
"Very well, I will accept that you and your allies are not enemies. Regardless, I will keep an eye on you all. I can only stretch my trust so far after all."
"As one would expect from someone in thy position. I thank thee for thine understanding. Though I do feel compelled to ask, how didst thou know? Was there a flaw in mine performance?"
Ozpin smiled slightly.
"No, it was near flawless. But even so, perhaps thanks to my experiences, I felt that it was not quite… real." The headmaster replied. "But, I will admit the discrepancy between you and your allies helped a great deal."
An equal smile appeared on Riina's features, and just as suddenly as it had disappeared the act reappeared.
"Thanks headmaster! I think Omegos and Albion are approaching their limits now, so it's probably for the best if we retire for the night." She then said, chipper and bubbly like their conversation never happened.
Ozpin looked towards where Riina indicated a quite distressed looking Omegos and Albion, who both seemed quite exhausted, as well as swamped by people. He nodded in understanding, and the purple-haired girl set off, not even bothering to take the stairs, startling several attendees.
But the moment she was gone and an internal debate started up inside the headmaster's mind. Should he tell James? Probably not the best of ideas, the man had already gone overboard, adding this seemed like a recipe for disaster…
Glynda? Perhaps. She did deserve to know that some of the students were not what they seemed. Yet once again, if they were taking measures to ensure that their presence did not cause any disturbance, then informing her could still cause awkward situations.
He removed his spectacles and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Should he tell others and risk an unnecessary disturbance while adding more concerns? Or keep it to himself, and risk complications arising if team ROAL is accidentally involved?
A dilemma.
Still, team ROAL… Royal… They certainly were regal… and quite knight-like… But few, if any, on Remnant still employed knights, and Ozpin honestly doubted that he would be unaware if any of those were on the move, especially within the Hunter academies…
Then where were they from? And what kind of disaster were they trying to pre-empt that even he had no inkling about?
Or was it, perhaps, related to the odd reports of unusual beasts appearing?
Beasts that would get attacked by Grimm, wage a fierce battle that often ended with many Grimm slain, sometimes entire hordes wiped out, and the beast gone with only the ruined battlefield and disintegrating Grimm bodies as testament to their existence…
The question then was, how?
-Break—
Now reconvened and in a removed location, team ROAL discussed Omegos' and Albion's findings.
The not so human girl with traces of a certain type of energy clinging to her.
"We should find and secure her! She might lead us towards our goal, and hasten our return!" Lavender argued, gesticulating fiercely.
"I believe prudence to be necessary! Such an action might simply lead to complications! And we have no way of telling if she can lead us any closer to our goal!" Albion countered.
The two butted heads, and it almost seemed like sparks were flying between their eyes.
Omegos seemed hesitant to enter this conflict, and it was clear he supported both opinions. But it was also clear that he was deferring to their leader.
She stepped in, forcing the two apart with surprising strength.
"I'll try to approach the girl myself, see if I can gain any clarity about the situation. We do not want to antagonize the humans if we can help it." She said, taking Albion's side in the argument.
Lavender was clearly dissatisfied with this, but even so he acquiesced to his leader's decision.
"Why did you even come, LordKnightmon?" Albion suddenly asked the pink-clad teen before him.
There was clear consternation in Lavender's face as he replied.
"You know very well why. I followed along in order to ensure that this distraction of our leader's is finished quickly, so that it may return to us earlier, Dukemon." He put extra emphasis on 'Dukemon'. "Or do you not remember how lengthy its absences can become?"
"Albion! Lavender! Do not suddenly start referring to each other's true identities! Also, I am right here! And you know very well the reason behind my lengthy absences!" Riina suddenly exclaimed, clearly angry at the two.
"There is no one anywhere near here to hear it!" Lavender retorted. "And why do you persist with that silly pretence?!"
"I persist in this pretence in case we are ever overheard. And also so that it remains strong in my mind, so that I won't ever slip and forget it." She explained. "Besides, my true manner of speech does not befit this form, don't you agree?" She then added with a slight pirouette.
This caused the knight to become silent, astonished by his leader… and embarrassed at his outburst.
Of course, Albion and Omegos were also astonished by their leader, but they did ultimately decide to take it in stride. Their leader always did have a few quirks after all.
-Break—
Two figures strode through a pristine hall clad in marble, with a fine red carpet running down the centre.
One of the figures was far shorter, with blue skin, and shining pure golden armour, which shone, not by the surrounding light, but with a light of its own.
The other was clad in white and purple armour with golden decorations that covered most of its body, save for its arms, where light-blue skin could be seen. Two draconian pinions sprouted from its back.
They both gave an air of being seasoned warriors, and both radiated honour. It would be unthinkable for either of them to deny their lord's will.
And yet there was a tension between them.
"I understand your concern, really I do Dynasmon but…" The smaller figure said.
"Do you truly, Magnamon? They have been absent for quite some time, and I cannot help but worry. I fear my eternal friend LordKnightmon will not do well on an excursion like this." The larger replied.
"Alphamon leads them, surely it can handle this task? It wouldn't do if most of us Royal Knights were off doing whatever, surely you must agree?"
"I do. Yet I fear that my friend will complicate things, and make it take longer… And surely you must have noticed Gankoomon's restlessness ever since its disciple ran off?"
"I have. And if it does chase after it then it becomes ever the more important that you stay."
"I know, but I am unable to ignore this worry."
"Then go." A new voice cut in.
The two warriors stopped and turned simultaneously towards the newcomer.
It was a being clad in red armour, its upper body humanoid, but its head was reminiscent of a horse's, and its lower body was like that of a horse, but with six legs instead of four.
"Sleipmon? What?" The smaller of the two said.
"Even if Dynasmon and Gankoomon leave, you, I, Ulforce V-dramon, Duftmon and most importantly Craniamon and Examon still remain. And considering our recent victory over the seven, and the fact that several of them have disappeared, it might even be prudent, considering the chance that they followed as well." The newcomer replied.
"Still, if you must insist on going, at least prepare better than Jesmon did. From what little Alphamon has told us, we are unable to maintain our Ultimate forms for long over there. Lower level forms will hold longer, but you will even then need to secure some source of energy." Yet another new voice cut in.
This time it was from a figure clad in black and white armour, with a helmet reminiscent of a great cat, and a pair of small white feathery wings behind him.
"Duftmon! I… You would agree to let me go?" The taller of the first two said.
"While I dislike letting you go on a fool's errand, Examon alone is capable of picking up the slack. And I do suspect that some of the seven have followed. Besides, perhaps you can help settle Alphamon's nonsense quicker." The black-clad one replied.
"I am unable to make any promises, but I will endeavour to shorten Alphamon's quest!" The white-clad figure said.
-Break—
She wasn't sure what it was she was seeing.
But she didn't like it.
She had felt that Roman had been acting strangely lately, and had decided to keep just a little bit of an eye on him.
Then suddenly he returns, without her knowing he had left, and with him came… something. It was tall, dark… but certainly not handsome.
Whatever that being was, that towered over the criminal mastermind, she knew one thing for certain.
It was bad news.
But not like with Cinder.
With that woman, she still felt that she could win.
With that thing?
Even faint as its presence felt, even as unstable as it felt… There was no way.
Sure, it might seem a little spindly, but she knew better than to judge by appearances.
She knew herself after all.
And there was one more thing she noticed.
For some reason it seemed to be on oddly… familiar terms with Roman, as if they had known each other for a very long time. It didn't feel like they were on good terms, but most certainly like how two more unsavoury individuals would begrudgingly work together, out of some common bond, and a sliver of respect.
This didn't help her peace of mind at all.
Because while she would happily work with Faunus, and she might be willing to work with Cinder...
They were at the very least Human, or Human-like enough.
But this, this was like some sort of demon, a monster possessed of fell intelligence and purpose, radiating a hunger for battle. Its mere presence stirring up the darkness within.
Then its three eyes met hers for a brief moment, and they were filled with disdain.
Yet if Roman noticed this he made no indication, and it didn't seem like the being informed him.
Because, oh yeah, it also talked.
And it said:
"Interesting, there is something here that nourishes me…"
Author's notes: And I'm back. And I haven't updated for... Well crap. It got a bit busy with school. And I'm lazy. I would love to hear if I made any mistakes or errors, and do feel free to ask if something is confusing you. Hopefully things are going to get 'interesting' soon. Assuming I'll write the next chapter anytime soon.
I hope you enjoyed and that you have a nice day.