"What's an Ozpin?" the question still resounded through my mind as I wandered the halls of beacon looking for one, whatever it was. None of the students seemed to be able to help me, or thought I was kidding. I bumped into a tall blonde kid, who promptly dropped all his books and scattered them everywhere. "I'm sorry!" I blurted out, promptly picking up the nearest books and dusting them off. "Here you go, bud. Really sorry about that." The kid looked at me rather intensely for a moment, then stuck out his hand.
"The name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it." I cocked an eyebrow at the last part, but held my tongue. "You don't look familiar, are you new here?" He said, a smile on his face. He's more perceptive than I first took him for, I'll grant him that. The nicest person I've met today as well.
"Yeah, you could say that. I'm actually looking for an Ozpin, think you could point me in the right direction?" I queried, watching his face screw up in confusion, I don't think he'll be able to help me either. Laughter seemingly confirmed this.
After Jaune had finished laughing, he clarified a few things for me. "Ozpin is the headmaster, not a thing. And you can find his office at the top of the building. Just follow this hallway, make a left at the end and catch the elevator up, you can't miss it."
"You're a lifesaver, I've been walking all over this place, and let me tell you, I'm totally lost. Thanks again!" I hand him the books and begin walking down the hallway. About half way down, I remembered I hadn't told him my name. "Oh well" I mumbled to myself as I carried on towards the doors to my future. Stepping inside the elevator, I found the topmost button with my hand. My finger hovered over the sleek silver button that would summon the elevator, propelling me onto a path which I wouldn't be able to return to. But do I really want to go back? I didn't exactly leave much behind. With that thought in my mind, I pressed the button and began my ascent. Quiet elevator music played, which directed my attention to my phone. I wondered how my battery was holding up, and was disappointed to find out that my battery was completely drained. My train of thought was completely derailed as the elevator slid to a smooth stop and opened the doors into a foyer. Walking into the minimalist room, I stepped up to the double doors and rapped on the frame. A voice rung out from inside "enter." Oh boy. I steeled my courage and pushed the doors open, striding in.
"Mister Ozpin, I presume?" I spoke as I entered. A statuesque chair swiveled around, and I was treated to the sight of a bespectacled handsome gentleman with silver hair. I am certain this is the correct place to be. "Yang mentioned that you wanted to meet me, sir."
Ozpin smiled "Indeed I do. And, please, call me professor. You have caused a bit of a stir here you see, and I'm curious. How does a person with no semblance, and no aura to speak of, defeat a creature of Grimm? And more importantly, where did you come from?" I relayed the events of last night to Professor Ozpin as best I could, which cause his eyebrows to raise more than a few times. After hearing my tale, he settled back into his chair, that same small smile gracing his face. "So, you fell through a door in your world to this one, and have locked yourself out? How unfortunate for you." My shaking head contradicted his statement.
"Oh no sir, I don't miss it at all." Again with that eyebrow! "I didn't exactly have a 'life' back there, I was mostly drifting from place to place. Coming here wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but the more I think about it, the better this place seems. While I was looking for you, I spoke with your students. You make people that matter here, a light against the darkness if you will. If you will permit me, I want to study here and become a hunter." The admission surprised even me, but what surprised me even more was what came next.
"These students have spent several years training just to get here, followed by a rigorous test, just to get in the front door. Do you really think you could compare amongst them?" His words didn't seem to be discouraging or dismissive, but a challenge.
"Right now? No. Give me a month with access to the requisite materials, and we'll see" I claimed, feeling far more courageous than last night.
"Very well, you have one month to prepare. Be warned, if you fail this test it will cost you your life." Ozpin cautioned me. "If you feel you are unready before the test, alert me and it will be cancelled. This will, however, be your only chance to enter beacon. One last thing, all of my students have a name."
I pondered for a minute, a name was a symbol of identity. My old life had finished when that door closed. Time for a new name. "Everyone has very 'colorful' names here, correct?" Ozpin nodded in agreement. "Call me Flint then. Flint Ddraig."
Ozpin smiled. "Well then mister Flint, welcome to beacon. I believe you will need this." He procures a small white bar with silver lining on it. "This is your scroll, guard it carefully. It will have value to you further than you can comprehend. I suggest you prepare yourself now."
All right. Pass, or die. No pressure. I was second guessing myself all the way down the elevator. I do like living, but I also have nothing in either world. This could be a new life for me, and I can't back away from it. From my earlier wanderings I had seen a library. Time to head there.
On my way down the elevator, I pulled out my scroll. Opening it up, I saw a transparent screen, but that was it. Looking all over for an on switch, I couldn't find one. Shrugging, I decided to ask someone for help with it later. It was about that moment that the elevator came to a stop. Stepping out, I strode towards the library.
"Hello, and welcome to the academy library, is there anything I can help you with?" a cheerful looking woman asked. It was safe to assume that she was a librarian.
Looking at the woman, I realized she had a pair of horns on top of her head which was disconcerting. Recovering from my disorientation, I then ask "Ozpin is arranging a personal test for me, and I just arrived here. Could you direct me to the basic materials for classes here?" The woman beamed at me.
"If you could hand me your scroll please, I'll transfer all the materials right now, " she said with a smile on her face. She pulled open the scroll, frowning when she realized there was no information on it. "You haven't filled out any of the basic information on here, once you have done that you can bring it back and I can give you the materials then."
"So how exactly do I go about filling out the information?" I asked.
"All you have to do is use some of your aura on the scroll and it will automatically fill out your information for you. Sorry I can't help you out more."
Turning my head, I caught sight of a familiar black bow peeking above a novel. "That's all right, I think I have found someone who can." claiming my scroll from the librarian, I walked over to the dark beauty from the other night.
She was lost in a realm of paper and ink when I approached her, and was thusly startled when I spoke to her. "Mind if I sit down here?" The bow tied female narrowed her eyes at me, concentrating before realization dawned upon her.
"You're the boy we saved in the forest." Her tone stated it as a fact. I nodded my head in confirmation. "You were injured when we first found you. How is your arm?" she inquired.
"I'm not sure, and at this point I am afraid to look. It doesn't hurt, however, so that's a sign. I never actually caught your name, do you mind my asking?" I asked as I began to unravel the ribbon.
"Yang used her ribbon for that?" she asked, completely disregarding my question. The flesh on my arm was an angry red, with black borders around the scar tissue. "You haven't used your aura to heal this, have you." again, less of a question.
"I still don't know how to use my aura, I actually only just learned of it recently" I confessed. "I was actually wondering if you could help me out with that. Maybe explain what aura even is?"
Blake smiled, looking eerily similar to the Cheshire cat. "Aura is the physical manifestation of our souls, and it has many uses. I gather yours isn't unlocked then. Why not ask Yang to unlock it for you? I'll message her to meet you out by the tree in front of the school, sound good?"
I nodded my head, seeing as she was already typing out a message. "Thanks for the help Blake, see you around!" I commented as I walked out of the library.
Blake smiled into her book after I had left. "Don't thank me just yet."
By the time I had made it to the tree Blake had described, the sun was beginning to descend. Looking around, I saw no blonde woman to unlock my aura. I sighed and sat myself to watch the golden disc finish its' travel across the sky.
I had completely lost track of time when I heard heavy boot fall behind me. Turning my head, I locked my gaze with Yang. "Hey there wonder boy, Blake said you wanted to see me. What's up?" Her head cocking to the side with the question.
I wordlessly raised my finger to my lips as if to silence the world, gesturing beside me for yang to have a seat. "It's almost at my favorite part." Yang sat down as quiet as she could, turning to me and asking "favorite part of what?"
"The sunset. It's my favorite part of the day."
Yang seemed confused. " Why is the sunset your favorite part of the day, and what does it have to do with me being here?" Her eyes became slits, suspicion clearly visible in the lilac orbs. "If this is supposed to be funny Wonderboy…" the venom in her voice left no doubt as to what would happen should the case be anything otherwise.
"The sunset has nothing to do with why you are here. You simply arrived at the same time as it. Now shush, it's about to happen."
Turning my head back to the horizon, I was able to witness the sun touch down on that line that separates the earth and sky, bathing the world in crimson, gold, and violet hues.
"This is my favorite time of day, because it is the end of today, and the beginning of tomorrow. The slate is wiped clean with the day's end." I explained to an unimpressed looking blonde.
"Now, the reason I asked you here, is that I was told you could help me with something." Yang raised an eyebrow. "I was told you could awaken my aura" I spoke after a pregnant pause.
Yangs suspicion had been replaced with burning anger. Literal burning anger, I noticed as I cried out "holy shit your hair's on fire!" Her eyes burned brighter at the statement.
"Yeah, it does that when I'm pissed off! You've got some balls, asking that!" a slight hitch in her voice. She seemed quite agitated.
"I suspect that there is more to this than Blake told me" I threw out there as I backpedaled down the slope, promptly tripping and falling on my butt. Yang doubled over in laughter as she watched me tumble down the slope. After I had finished a great deal of rolling and bouncing, she walked down the hill with amusement and trepidation in her eyes.
"You really don't know anything about this world do you?" She said, her voice suddenly quiet. "When you awaken someone's aura, you see… things. Parts of their past. Things they might have kept hidden. You get to see into their very souls. Are you sure you want it to be me who does this?" Yang seemed a bit anxious about the whole ordeal.
I guess the ball is in my court now. "This is definitely more personal than I thought it was, but if anyone was to see my past, I would want it to be the one who saved my life. Ultimately, it's your choice, though." Settling back into my grassy seat, I continued to watch the sky darken.
Back in the dorms, Blake was grinning ear to ear. Watching the events unfold with her binoculars she was able to see that Yang was the poster child of a nervous schoolgirl right now. "Oh, this is just too good, " she mumbled to herself, giggling internally at her machinations unfolding according to plan.
I was waiting for the first star to appear by the time Yang spoke again. "Alright wonder boy. I'll unlock your aura for you. But be warned, you might see some dark stuff. 'Kay?" I merely nodded my head. The blonde sat across from me. "Alright, hand up like this." she raised her hand and spread her fingers out ever so slightly. I mimicked her actions and was slightly surprised when she brought our hands together. Her skin was very soft. I heard her begin to speak. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality, through this we rise to become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee." Everything seemed to go bright at that point, and I was flung across the span of a decade.
I was standing knee deep in snow, in the middle of some forest. I'm not sure at what point it snowed more, or when I had left beacon, but apparently it did and I had. I surveyed the area and saw two little girls trudging through the snow, a little girl with a familiar hood sitting in a wagon, and a tiny blonde pulling said wagon along. I recognized the blonde as Yang after much deliberation, and realized that this must be one of her memories. Satisfied with my deductive skills, I followed the girls as they walked through the forest. Yang began to call out "Mommy, where are you?" plaintively crying for her mother. It broke my heart to hear that, but there was nothing I could do but follow as her cries tugged at heartstrings I didn't know I had. Growling around the edge of the glade we had entered turned my head, and as I did so I saw beowolves emerging from the shadows, all around the children and I. Yang screamed and covered ruby as best she could, shielding her sister with her body as the beowolves sprang.
Gunshots rang out and beowolves fell like the snow around us, as a mysterious figure wielding a scythe jumped into the clearing and destroyed the pack utterly, before turning to the two girls. "Sh, sh, its okay, uncle qrow's got you, you'll be safe now. Let's go home."
Yang kept fighting on. "Gotta find mommy, gotta find her!" before collapsing in sheer exhaustion. Qrow cradled her and put her in the wagon beside ruby before grasping the handle and returning the way he came. Everything turned bright and I was cast through time again…
Looking around, I saw chaos. Bodies slamming up against another, noise assaulting the ears from every direction, and alcohol flowing as quickly as it could be consumed. It seemed that Yang was showing me a house party. I couldn't quite see her so I decided to wander around. A tall boy was leaning in on a particular blonde, and she seemed none too pleased with the situation. Her eyes were clouded with booze, but still seemed to burn as the boy continued to badger her. As I walked closer, I gradually caught the conversation. "Come on, me an' you, upstairs? I promise ill be reeaal nice" His lecherous grin couldn't possibly have made it more obvious what, or more precisely who, he wanted to be doing at that moment.
"For the last time Richard, I said no." Yang was getting more upset by the second.
"Aw, why you gotta be like that? You know you want some of this" Richard slurred out, his grin somehow getting wider.
"I wouldn't sleep with you for anything, now back off!" Yang was shouting now, and she slapped the grin right off his face.
"Wrong move, bitch!" Richard snarled as he grabbed her hands and pinned them to the wall. Maneuvering so he could free a hand, he proceeded to grope one of her breasts while she squirmed, trying to get away. "Yeah, you like that, dontcha you little slut?" he drawled out as he brought his face in closer. "Now give me a kiss, sweet cheeks." I smiled in sadistic satisfaction as I saw her eyes snap red, then watched as his body went sailing across the way to land in a pile of limbs. Yang began walking away from the party, still steaming from the encounter.
The familiar white light flashed, and I was brought to a small room with bunk beds. Yang was laying on the bottom bunk, a foot dangling off the side as she stared into nothing. A wild ruby appeared from the top bunk, hanging upside down to chatter at her older sister. "Yang, I can't sleep. Could you please read a story to me?" Rubys' face was starting to turn the color of her hood as she maintained her grip on the upper bunk. Yang remained unresponsive. "Yaaang! I know you aren't asleep!" ruby pouted as she flopped down and assumed a predatory pose towards the older sibling. "I guess I'll have to bring out THE TICKLE MONSTER!" she exclaimed, pouncing on the older sister and reaching out to tickle her sister up.
Yang reached around and expertly trapped the tiny ball of energy, sighing "I guess I'll read you a story rubes. What did you want me to read?" reaching out for a weathered book, knowing the selection already.
"The knight and the dragon!" ruby bounced up and down in glee. Settling in under her blanket, ruby anticipated the tale eagerly.
Yang opened the book, knowing exactly where it began after so many readings. "Once upon a time…" Yang began to recite the page, making faces at ruby and using various hand gestures to illustrate the book for ruby, whose face was flooded with awe. The world went white again, and I found myself back at the foot of the hill, laid flat out.
Looking over, I saw Yang sprawled next to me. The blonde bombshell was still in the midst of seeing my past, it seemed. Sitting up, I went to brush myself off and noticed that I was clean. Not to mention, I feel like a million bucks right now. Looking at my hands, I noticed my hands were glowing, one a vibrant orange and the other a deep azure hue. The air was filled with the scent of ozone. A stirring by my side brought my attention back to yang, who was sitting up. We locked gazes for a moment, before she broke the silence. "Well, that was depressing."
I chuckled and shot back, "it's almost like I lived through that or something."
Yang had a sorrowful expression on her face. "I can't believe someone could go through that and come out as strong as you did. You're something else, wonder boy. You know that?"
I shrugged, and held my hands out, palms forward, I directed her attention to the glow around them. "So… I assume this is my aura?" Ozone continued to waft through the air.
"No, that's clearly Dust" yang declared, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Anyways, it's way late, I'm going to go back to my dorm." she called out as she walked away, hips swaying with a little extra kick as she flipped her hair over one shoulder.
Paralyzed by the show put on just for me, I shake my head and race to catch up. "If you don't mind, I'll walk you back to your dorm" I offered as I matched pace beside her.
"Whatsa matter, wonder boy? Couldn't resist all this?" yang teased, with just a hint of coyness. "I know my way back just fine."
I grinned, "Oh, darn. You caught me. Whatever will I do?" I threw my hands in the air in mock frustration. "Not going to lie, I remember that the guest room is near your dorm building and I don't know the way there." Yang just laughed and shook her head.
"Come on wonder boy, I'll show you the way."
We made our way back to the dorms, jokes and puns flying back and forth the whole time. I said good night as Yang walked back into her dorm building, and my gaze was yet again directed downwards. "I hate to say goodbye, but I love to watch you leave" I mumbled to myself as I wandered back into my room.
"And there's nothing wrong with me, this is how I'm supposed to be, in the land of make believe, they don't believe in me." I sang to myself as I crashed on my bed, a smile on my face. "Tomorrow is going to be awesome" I thought to myself before passing out.