Epilogue

More than just Ozpin and Oscar and Qrow and the girls had been pulled into the Pattern. Half the mountain had had the same vision, had enough magic in them to be pulled into a vast space of light and dark, intricate swirls and the weight of consequence with the death of Salem, all of them collapsing and getting apprentice nosebleeds as the message was delivered.

Marrow had been found collapsed on the floor - Salem had commanded him to stay and he had frozen, unable to move until the Grimm was lifted, and he had fainted from the strain, hitting his head in the fall. The imperial guards held them for four days taking their statements, the Belladonnas furious that the palace refused to release their daughter and threatening an international incident. All of them told their stories, the girls hatching their plan to free the soothsayers, Winter and Marrow's distraction, the message of the crows. Ozpin had explained his conversation with the general, the insight of Cinder Fall's betrayal, and the arrival of the soothmaker. Qrow handled the details after that, and Oscar had to describe his terrifying chase through the palace as he tried to break the maker's reader.

None of them called her by name. She was only the soothmaker. That was all she would ever be.

The vision, more than anything else, lent credence to their story, and they were released.

Ozpin leaned on his cane more than ever, having kept his magic open for almost the entire ordeal, desperate for insight on how to stay alive and now so thoroughly drained he looked like a stiff breeze would knock him over. Oscar hovered, he couldn't help it, he had too many memories of the last days of his aunt and the horrifying moment of Ozpin's fall down the stairs to keep him attached to his father's side. Qrow fared little better, glaring and snapping at anyone associated with the palace to keep their distance. Ozpin in turn made a point of being cordial and available to everyone, side eyeing his beloved in public and expressing gratitude in private.

When they were released after their four days of interrogation, beyond the palace was a massive crowd, signs in hand demanding their release, an explanation of what had happened, and apparently a slew of riots when the Belladonnas had gotten a crow from their daughter that they were being held and that the general was dead. The entire entourage, Winter included, were escorted to their temporary government building and then expected to go through it all again. Robyn Hill was spitting fire before they even got into the arrival of the soothmaker and yelling at her girls about the emergency print they were going to run.

As the details trickled out to the city, learning the general was dead, as was the emperor, that the soothsayers had been secreted out, all of it, the city collectively held a tantrum to process all of the information: Riots lasted for over a week, no one knew how to handle the power vacuum on the other side of the palace walls, more than a few thought that meant they won by default, others thought negotiations should continue, still others were just so tired of it all and wanted to get on with their lives now thank you.

Ozpin, Oscar, and Qrow stayed in the apartment through all of it, Ozpin sleeping for hours at a time as his body recovered from all the magic he had used that day. Nana Calavera shouted at anyone who entered, like she always did, and Ruby managed the crows for both the apartment and the office as Weiss and Winter handled the arrest of their father as one of the conspirators to kill a General of the Round Table. Dr. Polendina examined everyone, wrapping Qrow's chest and checking the knock on Marrow's head from his fall, monitoring Oz's condition though he admitted he had no idea what he could offer.

Jaune, Nora, and Ren discreetly became guards of the building with Nana Calavera, carefully monitoring who came in and out and - in Nora's case, not subtly - demanding what business people had. Leo was denied entry twice before Oscar saw him and told Nora to let him in.

That had led to a long debrief on the legalities of what had happened - legislation being put forth to better protect soothsayers from being drafted in wars and more structured means of feeding and supplying the army that had starved for almost three years while the war was on Mistral soil. Leo was alive in a way he hadn't been in years, Oz observed, discussing law and legislation and policy. He and Robyn Hill got along swimmingly, the old lawyer able to break down concepts to the reporter clearly and concisely to deliver the news to the people. Winter quickly turned veteran advocate and joined the Belladonnas on the negotiation table to arrange for the Atlesean army to leave the continent. Word came that the entire city of Argus cheered when the army left, Atlas firing one last shell into the bay to articulate their spite at being shoved out of the continent.

The winter season was hard - but not as hard as it had been in recent years. The year spent with the revolutionaries turning burned out lots to communal gardens had created food for the city without stripping the surrounding farmlands bare. Ozpin and Nana Calavera were still barred from their finances, but people around them had the spare food or coin to keep them afloat. Money suffered terrible inflation, and the sands talked about debt, and Oscar watched as his father kept looking out the window as the first snows came, fingering his cane and reading the papers with thinner and thinner lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked, giving him tea as they sat by the reader, between clients.

"... I've seen this before," he said softly, staring at the reader. "It won't be the same, here, Mistral is much more organized, but the next few years will be a period of unrest." He rubbed his forehead, the faint scar from his forehead visible. "I'm not sure I want to live through this again."

Oscar frowned. "You… don't want to stay in Mistral?"

His father looked up. "I want to stay with you," he said, reaching out and touching his hand. "I love the family I created here, and you and Qrow both have roots here. I don't want to uproot you."

Oscar frowned again but didn't say anything, mulling over the idea that he had roots in Mistral. The farm he grew up on was liquidated and divided up to the rest of his old village. He had friends here in Haven, yes, but… He brought the thought up to Qrow that night at dinner, and Qrow glared across the table at Oscar's father.

"You're a Brothers-damned fool if you think I have roots here, Oz," he said. "What roots do I really have here? Raven? She's not family. Ruby and Yang? They're Valean, and they want to go home, same as you."

"Same as…?"

"Dark Brother's filth you're oblivious," Qrow muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "They're going to be going home in the spring. Do you want to join them?"

Ozpin blinked. "I don't…"

"Your side is where I wish to be," Qrow said in formal tones, Oscar blinking to hear it. "If your side is in Vale then that's where I'm going."

Ozpin stared at both of them, Oscar smiling as he watched his father actually entertain the idea of leaving Mistral. "... to go home…" he said, wide eyed. He choked slightly, quickly covering his mouth and hunching over. "I never thought I'd be able…!"

"Fye and filth, Oz, why the hell not?"

"... because of the Grimm…"

Qrow looked to Oscar, confused, and he had to explain. "Going back to Vale," he said. "That would make him happy, and that would trigger the Grimm."

Qrow snorted. "Good thing there's no Grimm anymore, then is there?"

Ozpin limped across Beacon's campus, warm in the dark emerald coat given to him by the Belladonna's four years ago. Winter was in full effect, flurries fluttering and dancing in the air, students throwing snow at each other with pink noses and rosy cheeks. A crow was on his shoulder, occasionally fluttering its wings as he made his way to his practice. The campus clocktower was the predominating feature of the campus, stretching up into the air high enough to see most of the city and its five hills. Ten floors of offices, and his was on the very top. Anywhere else the thought of having an office so high was impossible, but the architecture department that had designed the clocktower some twenty years ago had created some kind of lift based on translation screws that a team of horses moved. After a ten minute wait for the lift to come down to position, Ozpin entered the lift. The student operator knew his floor and, fifteen minutes later, he exited the lift and moved down a short hall to the door to his office.

The office of the headmaster had a panoramic view of the campus and the seven hills of Beacon. The Governing Palace was covered in snow like everything else, and a glance at the flags from the palace said the Ministry was still in session. His crow left his shoulder, sweeping to a designated perch by a window, giving a soft caw before settling in.

Shrugging out of his coat he sat at his desk, looking through the papers he had left the night prior, mostly student write ups that needed his attention. That would be his morning, keeping his crow busy as he sent after students to summon them and get to the root of their disruptive behavior. Oscar would be in class now, twenty-one and still soaking up information, shocked to realize how much he loved learning.

He could still remember the half-taught boy he had adopted, weak in his figures and with a small reading vocabulary, and he smiled to know how far he had come. Qrow was somewhere, that was obvious by the hot chocolate sitting at his desk, steaming and ready for him to indulge in. He sipped it greedily, pleased to know his beloved had not only learned how to make it but how to make it well. Ozpin hummed, swinging around in his chair and looking out over the grey skies, the falling snow. It was beautiful - it was home, home not only because it was his homeland but also because his family was here.

Ruby and her uncle ran the aviary of the campus, Yang in charge of security and running campus self-defense classes. Their father Tai - a marvelous man that Ozpin had been pleased to meet - agreed to come on as instructor for political science. Blake was further in the city, ambassador of Menagerie and near her own beloved, Weiss running a branch of her conglomerate on one of the other hills. A letter had arrived from Abuela, complaining about her tenants of course, and Dr. Polendina had written from Atlas, talking animatedly of his discoveries in cellular structure and its effects on medicine. Penny was still in Mistral, training at Higanbana and in constant contact with the newly married Ren and Nora. Oscar said Jaune had written a letter from Argus but that he hadn't read it yet.

A warm hand spread across his shoulder, Qrow leaning in to plant a soft kiss at his temple. "Thought you were going to sleep in," he said.

"You certainly put in the effort," Ozpin replied in a teasing tone.

Qrow snorted. "Glad the kid has his own room now. I get to play with you as much as I want."

"Careful, your Mistral accent is showing."

"Fye on you, Oz," Qrow said with no bite, kissing again, his mouth lazily tracing down to his neck.

"Stop there or nothing will be done this morning," Ozpin said, sipping his hot chocolate. "Do you not have an aviary to run?"

"Ruby can handle it."

"You said that yesterday, and the day before, and the day before, as I recall. What makes you so particularly insatiable this week?"

Qrow laughed into the nape of his neck, straightening out and shaking his head. "So oblivious," he said. "Do you know what day it is?"

"Yes it's the thirty-fir… Oh," Ozpin said, his eyes widening. He looked up at his beloved, saw the rakish grin and the scandalously visible collarbone. He made a face. "You know I don't like doing that kind of thing here at the office."

"I know," Qrow said, pulling up a chair. "I'll be good - for now. I bargained with Ruby to have the morning off, figured I'd enjoy some hot chocolate with you. We'll get to the other hot chocolate later."

"Other hot…? No, I know that look in your eye, you can't sneak your innuendo by anymore, Qrow."

He laughed. "It's still funny, Oz," he said. "Let a guy have his inside joke."

"Only if you don't want to celebrate later."

"Ha! Point made, I'll stop, I swear."

Qrow acted as angry muscle over the course of the morning, crossing his arms and glaring at the disciplinary students as they came up and Ozpin worked his metaphorical magic. He had a dry comment for every student that left, and Ozpin twice had to shush him as the next student came up. He had action plans and behavior intervention plans for all but two students written up before lunch, to be copied and sent to student and professors both, Qrow ranging from silently watching him work to playing with his crow to being a terrible distraction. The office had a chill that kept Ozpin alert but not outright cold, and one lift later he and Qrow were striding across campus to collect their son.

Oscar saw them before Ozpin did, jogging up and pulling at the green scarf around his neck. They talked animatedly about his classes as they ate at a tavern just outside the grounds, the flurries finally breaking and the clouds slowly brightening as they thinned out. By the time they were done eating there were patches of blue in the sky, children running around the streets throwing snow at each other like they were campus students.

Under the clocktower, across the courtyard, was an office building, and on the second floor was a door labeled, simply, soothsayer. Oscar let them in, all three of them dusting off their coats and hanging them on pegs. Qrow snuck in a daringly public kiss before going back to the aviary to (finally) start working, and Ozpin glanced through the schedule to make sure the afternoon was mostly free.

"How have the clients been?" he asked.

"It's weird," Oscar said, "when students come in. They expect someone older, I guess, and they double take when they see me."

"That happened to me when I was your age," Ozpin said, sitting in the client's seat. "Do they listen?"

"Yes. More than I thought they would. I think the overall opinion of soothsayers is different here than in Mistral."

"The Lost Summer didn't happen here," Ozpin said with a nod. "They didn't have a year looking for someone to blame for the new disease."

"It's not just that," Oscar said, sitting down. "They trust each other here - but I guess that's a Valean thing. They're open with people who aren't family. Even after four years it takes some getting used to."

"The reverse is also true," Ozpin said. "To arrive in a country that does not understand why you don't have family…"

Oscar nodded. "It must have been hard."

"It was…" he said, eyes tracing over the sand basin. "But it's in the past now, and my life is in a much better place."

Oscar smiled. "Is that a lead in to why you wanted to make an appointment?" he asked.

"Yes," Ozpin said, straightening. "You're twenty-one now, and apprenticed under me for seven years. I would like to test your skills with a final reading."

At fourteen Oscar would have been startled at the idea, worrying and wondering. Now he smiled, reaching out. "Would you like to hold my hand? It helps with accuracy."

Ozpin took it gladly. "For my final question," he said, "I think it only appropriate to ask: what's to become of me?"

Oscar blinked, knowing the two prior times Ozpin had asked that question of the reader, and he smiled, touched to be given such a meaningful, personal question.

He opened his magic and began his reading.

End

Author's Notes: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah, happy sighs to be done.

Not much to say here - that's always true of epilogues because they're only really tying things up into a pretty bow. Oz's life is bookended with his first reading, all the characters find neat little slots to live in Vale, and it's nice and soft and good.

Chapter is being posted a day early because tomorrow we have our housewarming. Hope everyone enjoyed the fic!