Twenty chapters, damn. Also, name change and simplification of summary, nothing too drastic.

I'm glad you're enjoying the story if you've read this far. I hope you'll be ready for the wild ride that would be Season 7 because it all blows up there.

"Come, come, don't be shy." Saint beckons Ruby to come outside, gesturing his hand around an empty spot on the porch. "Take a seat, you would probably need it."

The girl sits down cross-legged, facing both Osiris and Saint with a confused expression. The two Guardians glance at each other, then back to her.

"I suppose I should speak first," Saint says. "You had a mother, correct?"

"Saint-" Osiris sighs and breathes out into his palm with suppressed laughter.

"I mean, yeah…isn't that how kids get made—a woman goes-" Ruby starts trailing off. "Uh…"

Saint sighs. "Very bad question. I mean, do you remember who your mother was?"

"Um…" Ruby looks up in thought. "Not really…Yang told me she was a really good mom and that she was a really skilled Huntress."

Osiris recomposes himself and speaks up. "Do you know of her origins, like where she was born? Did she speak to you or Yang about any of that?"

She shakes her head. "No, I can't remember the last time I actually spoke to her, dad says she died when I was still really, really small."

Osiris' eyes darken and he looks to Saint, then back to her. He takes a deep breath and exhales. "Ruby…you do know where Saint originates from, right? Does everyone know that he is not from this world?"

"Yeah…Jinn said that he comes from a faraway solar system. That he ordered her species' death," Ruby says, turning her head to Saint. "That's true, right? You don't like Jinn?"

"No, not at all," Saint grumbles, glaring at the Relic on Ruby's waist. "Ahamkara cannot be allowed to-"

"We're getting off track," Osiris says. There is a silent pause. "This might sound quite crazy coming from me of all people, but if our suspicions are correct."

"Your mother is a Guardian," he finishes.

Ruby raises an eyebrow. "Uh…"

"She might not be from this world if it is indeed true. Saint told me that you showcased a fragment of Arc Light when against the Grimm, do you remember that?" The Warlock puts his hands on his lap, revealing one palm and emanating a tiny lightning strike.

"I remember…a staff…" Ruby covers her forehead, pulling back a bit of her dark-red hair. "Before I obliterated them all with my eyes."

"You might be a Guardian, too, Ruby," Saint interjects. "Now, I am no expert in what comes out when a Guardian and a regular person…copulate." He lets the word linger in his mouth. "So, don't expect me to answer any question about the Light being passed from generation to generation."

"I didn't even know it was possible," Osiris mumbles.

"We didn't know anyone that tried, or actually…anyone that survived long enough to provide results," Sagira says. "You're the first one in around two millennia, how do you feel?"

"I feel…um…burdened?"

"Now that wasn't an answer I expected," Sagira says. "But I suppose it's the truth. At least you're honest, Ruby."

"Thanks, Sagira."

"Back on topic," Saint says, crossing his arms and standing up. "Do you remember how you summoned that power? The staff, I mean. Your eyes are an entirely different subject matter."

Ruby takes a moment to think, rubbing her chin and looking upwards. "It just…came to me, when I saw Blake down and about to be grabbed by the Apathy, something just clicked."

"Like something was calling you?" Saint says, gently bobbing his head.

"Yeah, something like that. I felt…together, if that makes sense. Like I was at my best." Ruby bites her lower lip. "I don't know if this is useful but I saw some white…orb, like the one that was floating above the God of Light's pool when Jinn showed us her vision."

"White orb?" Osiris asks, leaning forward. He looks to Saint. "She may have seen The Traveler. You also have to explain what the Ahamkara showed you all to me."

"The what?" Ruby asks.

Osiris spends a moment to think. "Sagira, show her The Traveler." Sagira nods and projects The Traveler in a blue three-dimension hologram that pulsates every once in a while. "Was this it?"

"It looks like it," Ruby says, sounding a bit unsure of herself. "I don't remember that much, but I think that's it."

"This practically confirms it," Osiris says. "You are like us, a Guardian, wielder of the Light."

"You know, I came out here to avoid non-sensical talk," Maria Calavera says from beside them. Saint nearly jumps out of his armor at her sudden appearance. He looks to the porch door, which is still closed, then back to the short woman. "Thank you Sagira, for not notifying them about my presence."

"Where did you come from!? Were you listening all this time?" Saint asks, somewhat bewildered.

"Yelling. I was here before you two came in, with my fruit, enjoying the peace, or used to be enjoying it." Maria gestures to a plate of fruit on a table to the right of her chair. "I was listening the entire time, and let me tell you all, none of what was said makes any sense."

"Of course, it wouldn't," Osiris snaps back. "We don't exactly come from Remnant."

"Leave the poor girl alone, she's probably still confused about her eyes, now you're just steam-rolling her with all this new information!" Maria scoffs. "So let's talk about those silver eyes of hers, to try and clear up one thing first."

Ruby bounces from her original position and stands excitedly in front of Maria.

"Ruby, sit down."

The girl takes a seat on the grass, facing the old woman.

"So, let's start with what you do know. Tell me," Maria says, hunching herself forward and squinting with those visors of hers. A few bright-colored butterflies flutter past her and almost fly into Saint's helm.

Ruby tilts her head to the side. "Uh…silver-eyed people are supposed to be legendary warriors or something. And at the Fall of Beacon, I turned a giant Wyvern to stone."

"You can do that?" Osiris asks rhetorically.

"Well, I did, and it's still stuck on top of Beacon, so…" Ruby trails off. "Anyways, that's…it, I guess."

"Wow, I have never heard of such a thing being done before, we may have a little bomb of Light on our hands!" Saint exclaims. "Can you show it to us? That would be a marvel to behold!"

"Oh, uh…thanks, but really it wasn't…" Ruby's voice goes quiet. "And I can't, uh, show it on command."

"You know, you don't give yourself enough credit," Maria says. Ruby is about to offer another thanks but is shut down as soon as her mouth opens. "That wasn't a compliment. Anyways…"

Maria shifts her position on her chair. "We have…a long way to go."

"I mean, yeah, I don't know much about them, so that's why I'm asking you," Ruby mumbles, slight frustration slipping into her words. She shakes her head and looks to the floor.

"It's good that you're willing to learn," Osiris says. "Knowledge is your best weapon on the battlefield."

"He's right, I had my father to teach me, and even he didn't have all the answers," Maria says. "I only knew him as an old soldier and an excellent teacher."

Saint turns his entire body to face the woman and takes off his helm, putting it to his side.

Maria pauses to think about what she's going to say next. "I never attended one of those fancy academies of yours—like Saint and Osiris here, but I scored higher on the license exam than any other Huntsman or Huntress that day."

"To make things clear, they never took any type of exam, ever," Sagira says, her signature snarky cheer weaved in her pronunciation. Osiris shrugs in agreement. Saint hums positively.

"You must've been proud," Ruby says, smiling.

"Heh, he would have scolded me for showing off." Maria dismissively waves her hand. "He'd never been able to find much information about our abilities. Just legends of warriors whose eyes shone like mirrors, reflecting the Light of the world onto Darkness. He found so little that it made him cautious."

"I wonder if the Guardians in the solar system have anything to do with it…" Osiris mumbles into his scarf.

"How could such powerful bloodlines be so rare? Unless something was actively seeking to destroy them."

/

Lisbon steps down a few stairs, stopping mid-way as he notices Oscar talking to himself in a very agonized tone. "Oscar, you alright there?"

"No!" Oscar replies, groaning into his palms. The poor boy looks angry about something.

"Wow, glad you're upfront about that…say, let's get you outside. This house is stuffy," Lisbon says, walking next to the farmhand and reaching out a hand. "Let's talk. I heard everything that happened earlier."

"Do you even trust me? How do I know if it isn't Ozpin talking right now!?" Oscar shouts, burying his face into his palms.

"You're talking crazy, come on, let's get out of here." The Hunter forcibly grabs the boy by the shoulder and drags him outside. Lisbon shuts the door behind him. "Alright, you're outside. Take a walk. I heard the nights out here are pretty nice. Maybe get you some new clothes, you're not looking too fresh on those farm overalls."

"I-"

"Come on." Lisbon's hand slides down Oscar's arm and grabs his wrist. The Hunter starts moving one direction of the sidewalk. "It'll do you some good, I promise."

"Alright…you can let me go now," Oscar says, his intonation stiff. Lisbon releases his grip and the boy starts rubbing his wrist with his free hand. Lisbon notices a few red marks around that same area and silently reminds himself to grab lighter next time.

The two walk in silence side-by-side for a moment. They pass through the old-town style city, gathering stares from those passing by because they both probably stick out like a sore thumb. The blue, tentacle-like pieces on Lisbon's worn-down armor most likely contributes a lot to that.

"Talk to me, what's wrong with you right now?" Lisbon says nonchalantly, bending his arms and holding his hands on the back of his head. "That confrontation with Jaune sounded pretty heated, everything okay between you two?"

"I don't know…he just blew up on me and I don't even know if I can be mad at him. This whole thing is my fault, I led you all here…" Oscar says, throwing his head down and letting his hair cast a shadow over his face. "Why did Ozpin have to choose me!?"

"Choose you?" Lisbon asks, raising a metal eyebrow. He looks into the bright blue sky, still shining when the sun is setting behind the glimmering sea who's view is being blocked by that huge…boot island. He huffs in annoyance.

"I don't even know where to start…" Oscar mutters. His shoulders slacken. Lisbon gives the boy a good pat on the back. "Hey—ow!"

"Sorry. So…this Ozpin chose you and…?"

"He lives in my head," Oscar says, clutching then shaking his head. "I hate it, everyone thinks I'm him and I don't know if you've noticed, but it's a lot of pressure!"

"Oh, I can tell. For a fourteen-year-old, you've got a lot on your shoulders," Lisbon says, glancing over to the boy to his right, who lags behind half a step. He slows down so they're side-to-side. "And you're right, you're not the bad guy here. You're just a vessel…"

Oscar shakes his head and sighs dejectedly. "Yeah…I figured…" he mumbles.

"Bad choice of word," Lisbon says. He takes a moment to think. "Look, from what I can tell you're not Ozpin, just as Ozpin is not you."

"You just said the same thing twice," Oscar points out.

"Tautology, always gets me. Anyways, from what I can gather he's a separate person, right?" Lisbon waves him off. "Is he like…locked away in your brain or something? I heard some weird stuff down there…"

"That's about right," Oscar says. "After everyone just…piled on him, before we got the farm, he just left."

"Ah, not my forte, I would say."

"Would it be anyone's?"

"Also true. Anyways, all that matters is that you're not responsible for Ozpin's mysterious actions and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Clothing shop, for Huntsmen it looks like. To your left," Ghost says. Lisbon screeches to a halt and the heels to his boot develop a mysterious case of burnt rubber.

"Hey, Oscar, you remember I said something about your clothes?" Lisbon asks, his robotic eyes widening and increasing in glow as his body starts vibrating in excitement.

The shop's sign is comprised of a soft light that shines behind a minimalistic and cubically lettered "Mick's Battle Shop."

"You said something about them before we left…hey, are you alright?" Oscar turns and looks at Lisbon with a confused expression. "Uh, Lisbon?"

The Hunter doesn't spare the boy's arm as he grabs it and propels like a rocket jet inside the store.

. . .

The owner didn't pay them much mind as Lisbon practically threw articles of armor, ranging from sleek, stealth designs that could reflect light, to bulking tank-like armor that would give a Cabal Colossus a run (or in their terms, a "backwards advance") for its money onto Oscar, who could narrowly evade the first few barrages but eventually got buried.

"Hmm…Oscar, what do you think about this cape? Doesn't have a hood, so you don't get the 'Thieves' Den' look but it does come with a nice green glow," Lisbon calls out, inspecting the black piece of fabric that has lights lined up on the edges and running it between his metal fingers. "Hmm…maybe a cape won't look good on you."

"What about a Warlock robe?" Ghost inputs. Lisbon hums, rubs his chin and shrugs. "…No? I don't know what you mean by that."

"It could look good, maybe keep it short, not past the knees …" Lisbon says. A light bulb figuratively appears on his head. "He would look good with a Bond, though! Do you still have the one I took from that guy on Nessus?"

"Uh…does it look like a Vex that's been stuck onto an arm-sized ring?" Ghost asks, making it appear in Lisbon's hands.

"Yep, this is it. Hey, Oscar, we're gonna put you straight into the future, no more will you be-"

"Hey…Lisbon?" Oscar says from behind him. "I…uh, picked something out, what do you think?"

Lisbon turns and he's caught gawking at the boy's shockingly good sense of style.

"Damn, not bad, kid. Not bad," he says, scanning Oscar's new olive coat with dark red shoulder pads over a white collared shirt. "Though the bandages clash with the fancy look you have going on here. Maybe some extra plating on those forearms would do some good, you'll get caught easily with those wrist straps."

Lisbon rubs his chin and he hums in affirmation. "I got it! Try…" He dives down a pile of clothes. "This!" He emerges empty-handed and nods to his Ghost, who blasts Oscar's arms with a beam of light, which transforms the straps on his forearms and his orange gloves with dark, skin-tight gauntlets that have an X weave from the shoulder to the elbow.

It fits snugly on Oscar and he stretches his fingers, opening and closing his fist, slowly nodding in agreement as his facial expression transforms from slight astonishment to agreement.

"The orange gloves clashed with the subtle look I think you were going for. Cane goes really well too, so, what do you think?" Lisbon drags Oscar to a mirror and keeps him there for a moment. "What was I thinking, going for a futuristic look? You look great! Although…there are some improvements…to be made."

"Are we done here?" The owner asks, flicking his wrist and sending all the discarded pieces of clothing and armor flying back to their respective spots.

"I think?" Oscar replies, looking to Lisbon. "Are we? I'm fine with this."

"I'm not. We're going at this until you're absolutely perfect."

/

"So, how do I laser beam monsters with my eyeballs!"

Saint jumps to his feet as soon as Ruby finishes her sentence. "Ah! Now, this is something I am proficient in-" He flinches at Maria's swift cane being brought down on the girl's head.

"First, you stop thinking like that! Saint, you're not being a good example here!" Maria glares through her visor at the Titan, who returns with the same. "Ruby, I want you to think of all the times you've triggered your powers. What did those moments have in common?"

"I would suspect they were all in distressed moments?" Osiris pipes in. "Light is at its strongest when the user is distressed, when all their thoughts are focused on one thing."

"I didn't ask you, did I?" Maria snaps.

"He's right. Every time I used my eyes, I was scared, and stressed. Is it emotional? Like unlocking a Semblance?" Ruby says, rubbing her head.

"Emotional, but focused, correct? By summoning your power, you wished…" Osiris takes a moment to looks at the Relic on Ruby's waist. "You wanted to use it for one thing. Whether it be obliterating your enemies or protecting…" He lets her finish.

"Protecting my friends," she says.

"Right, it's that desire, that fuel, that charges the Light within you. Make no mistake, you are more like us than you are to everyone else. You are special, Ruby. When you find Ghost, you will unlock your true potential and rise above the rest." Osiris crosses his arms and smiles underneath his scarf. "Even without a connection to the Traveler, you can still make use of it, albeit only in short sparks and in the direst of situations."

"I don't know what you're talking about with this Traveler being, but I do know that her powers originate from the God of Darkness' brother," Maria says. "She mentioned a white orb, earlier. I saw one floating above the God of Light's domain, is that what you were referring to?"

"Precisely. I suspect that The Traveler and the God of Light are the same," Osiris says, humming afterward. "Was there a black pyramid in this God of Darkness' domain?"

"Yes," Saint says, a grave hint in his voice.

"Hmm…I need more time to come up with a conclusion."

"So…where do we start?" Ruby asks, standing up and putting her fists forward. Her face brightens with determination.

"Well, not here. The Light will only work in the presence of Grimm, meaning the only practice you'll get will be a trial by fire." Maria lets a blue and grey-dotted butterfly climb onto her finger. She holds it there. "What you can do is focus on creating a state of mind that you can tap into when you need it. Don't think about your Light as a means of destroying evil, but as a way to protect the people of Remnant."

"But that can't be right," Ruby mumbles, deflating a slight bit.

"Hm?"

"You said the Light only reacts to Grimm, but…I used it during our battle at Haven. It reacted to Cinder."

"This is the point where I disagree the most with Maria," Osiris says, standing up and stepping beside Saint. "The Light can be used for whatever the user pleases. I have had to deal with…less than valorous Risen, before the City."

"Warlords, terrorists, thieves, bandits, vandals, traitors, there were all types of people running amok following The Collapse," Saint takes over, shaking his head. "I may not be the most perfect man, but in the end, the purity of the Light is dependent on the one who harbors it. There have been some…corrupted, by the Darkness."

"What do you mean, corrupted? Can Salem do that to me?" Ruby puts her hands to her chest.

"It's mostly the desire for power that drives them to do violent and disgusting acts. They are all lured with the promise of being stronger than the rest that they descend into the Darkness," Saint nearly spits. "Where they become not defenders of The Traveler, but…spreaders of the Darkness. We are all here to defend what we hold dear but they…they want to take it from us for the mere feeling of being better."

"Now that's a bit of information I haven't heard of, before. Maybe I wasn't looking at the full picture, I mean, how could I? You two don't even come from Remnant." Maria chuckles and a small smile remains on her face. "Ruby, I can be here if you need help with anything, but I do suggest that you listen to Saint and Osiris here, they probably know more than I do."

"Saint can help you hone your skills, perfect them so when you do find your connection to The Traveler, you'll be able to get used to them quicker." Osiris nods to Saint, who puts his hands to his hips. "But…he does get a bit over-the-top, sometimes."

Saint laughs. "Whenever you have any free time, I will be here to help you train for the coming battles to come, do not be afraid of coming to me if you require any aid!"

"Can we start now?" Ruby pumps herself up and raises her fists. "Can you show me how you-"

The patio door slides open. "Ruby!" Yang calls out from the door. Ruby turns to her sister.

"Er, give me a sec," she says, walking inside the house. "Oh, hey guys."

"What's going on?" Jaune says from inside.

"It's Oscar, he's missing."

"The boy is missing!?" Saint exclaims. "We must go find him!"

/

Land of Darkness.

Salem, scourge of Remnant, mother of the Grimm, smiles upon the endless armies of her creations. The powers that have blessed her so allowed for such…greatness. The snarling and snapping of her creatures gives her peace, even as her mind crosses the thought of Ozpin, and the Lightbearers.

"Tyrian, dear…" her words, smooth and cold like melting ice rings out in her little room at the top of her castle. She realizes the little red-haired girl and her group are headed to Atlas, and with General Ironwood still being the wrench in her plans…he would call upon aid from Vacuo, perhaps Mistral even and that would certainly put her at unpleasant odds.

On top of the added threat of the three Guardians. She had sensed them the moment each appeared. The first was confused, distraught, but strong; she could work something out with them. The second was powerful, determined, a disgusting beacon of Light that would tear through her Grimm like they were fodder. The last was skeptical but sharp in their thinking and clear of mind. This one was powerful, on the same level as the second one.

They would pose a great threat, bigger than the silver-eyed girl or of the kingdoms reunited. She has to stop them before they do too much.

Luckily, there are other agents of the Darkness on Remnant, and she would come up with ways to work with them.

Salem would not let the Light win here, as it did against her father. She knows that this time, it will be a harder fight than her first altercation. She would hold sharp and learn from the mistakes of Oryx.

"Yes, my queen?" The frenzied voice of her associate, Tyrian Callows, accompanied by his incessant giggling, was endearing, but sometimes displeasing. "What is it that you need?"

"You and Watts will be heading to Atlas."

Working with Season 6 is harder than I thought.

Edit: As far as I know, there's no hard evidence that Guardian can or cannot have children. It's left ambiguous.