The moment the two entered the sterile room holding Ruby Rose, the larger of the two immediately stiffened up, expanding to his full volume in an instant.
It was quite the sight to behold, considering his origins.
The ICW was a large room, and it allowed the giant to fully stretch his back and shoulders. He stood at exactly 3.5 meters, had shoulders the length of an Ursa Major's height from tip to tip, and looked too thick for a King Taijuu to swallow, and had limbs that would put a fully grown Goliath to shame.
Despite the spectacular view, one had to wonder why he even rose to his full height in the first place when they both knew he preferred to keep a much lower profile.
"Desruc, is something the matter" For a few moments nothing was said between the two, the larger simply moving closer towards Ruby's ailing form. Once he had reached to the bedside, the giant kneeled down on his right knee, bent over as if in a praying position and reached into his pouch.
Now, Ozpin was an extremely sharp man, and he'd noticed the little pouch that the giant carried, the humor being the immense size difference between the object and the person carrying it. He'd said nothing about it until now, hoping that maybe he'd see its contents soon enough.
From inside that pouch he took out an old, brown, [Aged Feather] from what could possibly be a large bird. He raised it so it was pressed on the bed and said words, that Ozpin swore would never come out of the large man's mouth again-as Desruc himself had sworn.
"I have returned to the [Bonfire], great [Fire Keeper]"
There is a reason that time and position are together, without one to balance the other, there would be nothing stopping the fabric of existence from unraveling itself.
For as the light of a candle burns brighter, so does the shadow it casts grow ever deeper.
When time begins to unwind, perceptions will crack and falter.
When location begins to evaporate, anchors will crumble and concepts are free to take any form it wishes.
Death will become only a nuisance rather than a threat, its final rest escaping many who would then willingly seek out its cod embrace.
The Dark Sign will be born once more.
Ozpin looked at what could only be called a miracle.
Ruby Rose had made a miraculous recovery, her vitals immediately spiking back to its regular- even better that before-levels!
"Desruc, I don't know what you did, but it worked!" He shouted, uncaring if anyone heard him. He loved his cute little students no matter how old they got, and would willingly sacrifice his image to keep them safe. He tapped the seemingly petrified giant, but received no response "Professor Desruc Daednu T'naig?"
He got a response, just not from who he expected to be unconscious for a few more hours. "The [Bearer of the Curse] will not respond to you right now, Dean of Beacon"
From Ruby Rose's mouth, words formed. It was definitely her voice, she implied maturity and wisdom through pain but her tone was dead and so were her eyes. This was definitely not the little red-head he called his cute student. "Who are you and what have you done to Miss Rose and Professor Desruc?"
All traces of previous mirth evaporated from the Dean, he was wary of this stranger speaking through one of his students.
Through a face so painfully similar to the woman he crushed heavily on.
"This world will soon fall like my own" She turned so she sat in a position that faced the still kneeling giant, her right hand brushed tentatively against the [Aged Feather] in the petrified giant's massive fingers. Her left placed itself upon the fully encompassing helmet as she spoke "But there is hope to end the cycle before it starts, to rid this world of the womb that birthed the dark [Humanity] I know of. The [Father of the Abyss] lays dormant in the Grimm, and Dust is what I know as the ashes [The First Flame]"
"Why are you telling me this? To stop some cycle that you refuse to explain?"
She seemed to smile at his frustration, taking her hand away from the Giant yet not meeting his gaze. "[Bearer of the Curse] it is time to take up arms once more, should you need to rest once more, go then to the [Forest of Fallen Giants], where blood falls from the branches and Nectar flown in veins."
"My time is almost up Dean of Beacon, If you've more questions, the [Bearer of the Curse] can answer them" Now, her flat gaze met his sharp ones, like he'd wanted the whole time.
Ozpin blinked.
"Tell him that it's time to face his past" That last line proved to be her last, as Ruby Rose returned, blinked twice in confusion and fell back to bed to continue snoozing.
Meanwhile, Professor Desruc rose from his kneeling positon and faced his headmaster "You must have questions"
"Yes, and you have answers I need"
Desruc nodded "Come to my room, it's time to talk openly. We'll also need to speed up the schedule by a few months if what the [Fire Keeper] says is true"
"Indeed, things will begin to get hectic now"
The two walked out of the ICW, discussing grim matters. Completely forgetting to tell Glynda about Ruby's condition.
At midnight, the teams came together and found one Ruby Rose missing. Following this, hours were spent until morning searching everywhere for Ruby save for the RWBY dormitory, where she had wandered in to.
She was then found the next day happily munching on cookies in the Dining Commons while everyone seemed dead tired, especially Glynda.
Glynda personally smashed the Dean's head in with his own mug later that day, resulting in Ozpin without his coffee.
Things were truly getting worse.