"What?" Weiss' voice was like a whip in the silence of the underground lair. "How?"
Ozpin put his book down on the table before him, then stood from his chair. He nodded slightly to Blake as she too entered the room. She didn't say anything, but the frown on her forehead was enough to show her confusion at his presence.
"I understand your surprise. I will answer all questions you might have, but first," he set his eyes on Weiss. "You don't want to murder me anymore, I assume?"
Weiss stayed frozen where she stood, eyes wavering with countless emotions as she looked at the disgraced general. Indeed, the last time they had been in the same room, Ozpin had been framed for the death of her sister, and Weiss had declared his immediate execution.
How fast things had gone downhill from there – but that mistake stung most out of all. Ozpin's banishment, Ruby's sleeping curse, Cinder's growing power… All results of that fateful moment.
Could she ever redeem herself after everything that had happened?
Ruby recovered fast from the surprise of seeing her mentor, alive and well. She turned her head to look at Weiss, worry evident in her eyes, and slowly raised a hand to touch her on the shoulder… But before she could, Weiss rushed forwards and embraced Ozpin, burying her head in his chest.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry…"
Ozpin patted her on the head, his lips parting to reveal a small, but nonetheless warm smile. Ruby turned her eyes away, not wishing for anyone to see her tears. Blake crossed her arms and waited respectfully.
A few minutes later, Weiss took a step back and wiped her eyes with her sleeves.
"Well," she cleared her throat. "How – what happened to you, General? Sum- She has many spies in the city, yet we heard not a whisper of you after your escape."
"I'm sure she heard of me, but chose not to share with anyone. Even so, there was little to be reported, and nothing after I vanished," Ozpin said. He gestured to the room around them. "There is no record of this place anywhere in Vale. No blueprints, no maps. The perfect hideout."
"Yeah, my parents came here often," Ruby spoke. "How did you know about this, though?"
Ozpin looked at her as if she was an interesting puzzle waiting to be solved.
"Why, Miss Rose, it was I who showed them this place," he explained. "You see, in my youth I was a bit of a rebel too. Not to the extends of your parents or the Branwen siblings, of course. I believed – and still believe – change can be achieved by working with the system," he nodded. "And that's why I strived to rise through the ranks of the Guard, until I was High General and direct counselor to the throne."
"Fascinating," Blake said. "But that doesn't explain how you know about this place. You just said there exists no record of it."
"I wasn't lying," Ozpin looked at his feet and rubbed his noise, as if he was reluctant to continue. "As I said, I was a bit of a rebel. As a child, I used to… run around, playing pranks on the Guard's soldiers. Climbed atop many roofs and threw many stones at them."
Weiss blinked several times. Ozpin might as well have said he used to ride flying horses, and she would have been just as flabbergasted.
"One day, I was sabotaging this watchtower. I bought a liter of liquid clue from a merchant, and two boxes of sparkling dust from another, then went on to –" Ozpin waved dismissively. "Anyway. I accidentally discovered this passage that day. I climbed down the stairs, mind running wild with the possibilities opening up before my eyes… Then I came across the armory, and ran off, scared at the sight of so much firepower."
"That's… quite the tale," Blake frowned. "And you never told anyone about it?"
"Why would I?" He chuckled. "High General or street rat, there are some things that I can't change about myself. One of these is that I like to always have a contingency plan in case of emergencies."
The faunus still looked skeptical, but she figured Ozpin had little reason to lie, so she didn't ask for more. Weiss accept his words without questioning, as did Ruby.
"I've hiding here for the past month, occasionally sneaking out to hear of what's happened in the Castle," he said. "I know Summer Rose – of whoever she truly is – now rules as Regent. My plan was to wait until it was safer, then find the Queen and prepare for a fight. Fortunately, I didn't have to do that. You came to me, and with powerful allies to boot."
"I see. There's… a lot we have to tell you," Weiss sat down on a chair and rested her hands on her knees. She looked up at Ruby. "Do you want to start?"
Yang growled as she drudged through the snow, farther and farther away from the cabin, until she couldn't make it out in the distance. Heat radiated from her body in constant waves, fighting off the cold like a living, conscious force.
Perhaps she was being foolish, going out so early. One more day, and she would have the full power of the Moon to help her. She could still feel it now, but only as a pricking sensation on the back of her neck.
She could die because of her impatience.
But if she didn't try, if she didn't test her limits, then she might as well be dead anyway. The point of her going out was to strengthen herself, to find out just how much power she could muster, so that she could go back to Vale and tear it down to pieces.
That's what she deserved. That's what Ruby deserved. If she wasn't strong enough to do that…
Well. The cold take her.
Ozpin was silent for a moment as Blake finished her story. Gears turned inside his head as he collected everything he had just heard and reimagined it as one concise timeline of events.
"Fall," he said. "Fall… Yes, I've heard that name before. It was an ancient noble house, if I'm not mistaken. One of the oldest in Vale's history."
"If that is so, wouldn't I have heard of it?" Weiss asked. "Winter insisted that I take every lesson there was to be taken, and that included the history of the bloodlines of Vale."
"There is little information of the Falls, so little that they might as well never have existed," Ozpin explained. "The most I can tell you is that they were one of the founders of Vale. Their role at the time eludes me. But if what Cinder Fall told Summer in her last moments is true…"
"The Falls were disgraced, somehow. This is about honor," Blake stated, a drop of bitterness in her voice. "Not surprising. It always is with noble houses."
Weiss shifted in her seat, but otherwise had no other visible reaction.
"Cinder was rather interested in my magic," she said with a small voice. "I thought, at first, that she wanted to measure how dangerous I could be to her plans. But perhaps there's something more."
"Perhaps she wants to disgrace the Schnee's house as it disgraced hers." Blake commented.
"My house did not disgrace anyone." Weiss refuted firmly.
Blake crossed her arms and stared at Weiss. Her cat ears rose up straight above her hair. Weiss looked away hastily.
"Sorry."
"I'm afraid we won't accomplish anything more tonight. I can see you're tired. A good night of sleep will help with that," Ozpin said. "There are four rooms back there, not counting the library and the armory. I've taken one already. Feel free to do the same."
"I'll visit the library first, I think," Blake noted. "Good night, Ruby, Ozpin… Weiss."
She walked into a hallway, amber eyes examining everything around her with a mixture of curiosity and guardedness. Weiss followed briefly after.
Ruby stayed in the entrance hall, looking like a small child in her red cloak as she avoided eye contact with Ozpin. The ex-general smiled lightly and stepped closer to her, then laid his hands on her shoulders.
"Ruby," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't come to your rescue. Every day I passed in this hideout, I hated myself more, knowing that I let you sacrifice yourself for me. I told myself I needed to wait until it was safe, so I could support Weiss – but the right thing to do was rescue you."
Her eyes welled with tears as she finally looked up at him.
"You, Weiss, even Blake, I suspect, see me as a flawless General," he said. "The truth is, I've made more mistakes than every man, woman, and child in Vale. Training you was not one of them. I'm proud of you… and I believe your parents would be too."
"S-sir!" Ruby exclaimed. "Thank you!"
Ozpin almost fell to the floor as Ruby jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He stumbled back, then held her close to keep his balance.
They stayed that way for a long time, until Ruby let go and bowed respectfully, then walked away to find a room for herself. Ozpin watched her go with a smile on his lips.
"Lady Rose?"
Glynda knocked on the Regent's door, keeping a dutiful distance from it. It was deep into the night, and her lack of energy showed in her usually perfect posture, but she couldn't hold off doing this. Summer needed it, apparently, and Glynda… she wanted to test the once-rebel's reaction.
She knocked two more times, with no response.
"Rose?" She called again, growing fearful. After a poisoned queen and another kidnapped, the last thing they needed was a regent assassinated in her sleep. "If you don't answer, I'll be forced to-"
"What?"
Summer opened the door suddenly, almost causing Glynda to fall forward. She stared her visitor up and down, and for a moment, Glynda swore her eyes shifted colors.
"I have an urgent message for you," Glynda said, showing a letter on her right hand. "A body was thrown in front of the Castle gates during the shifting of the guards. It was identified as belonging to Roman Torchwick, supposedly the most dangerous crime lord in Vale. This letter was found on his pocket. It's meant for you."
"For me?" Summer took the letter and read it quickly. "Did you read it?"
"Yes. That's how I know it was meant for you," Glynda nodded. "The White Fang killed him and delivered him to us. Why?"
Summer crushed the letter in her hands, then raised her head to stare at her.
"How should I know? The White Fang has been antagonizing us for years. Aside from his being a human, they had little reason to murder Roman. Who knows, perhaps it was a sign of good faith and they'll stop pestering us."
Glynda kept her expression free of emotion. She knew Summer was lying, but why was beyond her understanding. Could she somehow be involved with the White Fang?
"Thank you, Lady Goodwitch, for bringing this to my attention. Now, I ask that you leave," Summer said curtly. "I'm afraid I have a fever."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Glynda replied politely. "I could order that tea be brought to your room."
"That won't be necessary. I don't believe tea can relieve the pain of someone's daughter being poisoned and kidnapped," the Regent cocked her head pointedly. "Good night."
The door slammed shut, and Glynda took a step back, caught off-guard by Summer's words. She shook her head and walked away, wondering how long it would take for the Castle to descend into chaos, and if she could do anything to stop it.
Summer huffed as she finally managed to climb on top of Vale's outer wall. The climb had been treacherous, and many times she had almost lost her grip and fallen, but she made it.
Now, to get down… Summer swung her legs over the edge and looked down. The wall was high enough that if she jumped, she would probably break every bone in her body and die a horrible death. But if she was careful…
She retrieved her scythe from behind her back and took a deep breath, then slipped gracefully off the edge. Swiftly she turned and thrust with her weapon, its blade grinding against the wall and slowing down her descent. The sound hurt her ears, and suddenly she was aware of a glaring flaw in her plan: everyone in a large radius would be rudely awakened from their sleep, and every patrolling guard nearby would come to check on the noise.
As soon as her feet connected with the ground, Summer gritted her teeth and broke into a sprint. Drawing her cloak around herself, she dived into a dark alley between two houses, seeking to disappear in the shadows.
Not ten seconds passed before someone cleared their throat above her. Summer gulped and looked up, meeting eyes with a gray-haired young man, dressed in Guard uniform and carrying a lance and pistol.
"Hello," she said meekly. "How are you doing?"
"I'm… well. Thank you for asking," he blinked, seemingly surprised by her question. "And you are…?"
"Me? I am the Red Reaper, Terror of the Bluebloods, Freer of Slaves, the Noblemen's Reckoning!" She exclaimed proudly, beating a hand against her chest.
Summer waited for a reaction, but he only stared at her in puzzlement.
"You… haven't heard of me?" She asked.
"No? I've never heard of any Red Reaper."
"The Wall?"
"No."
"The Shadow? The Flame?"
"No," he crossed his arms. "I'm Captain Ozpin of the Vale Guard. You aren't a thief or a bandit, are you?"
"No!" Summer shook her head in bewilderment. "I'm a rebel! Like I said, I, uh, fight nobles and free slaves."
Ozpin kept staring at her. Summer prepared herself to run, expecting him to try to imprison her, or worse… But instead, he shrugged and pointed to the street.
"If you intend to kill someone today, get away from this city. I'm always on watch, and I won't allow you to cause havoc here," he said. "If that's not your intent, you're free to go wherever you wish. Just try not to wake people up, alright?"
"Y-yes," Summer stood up, confused and relieved at the same time. "Thank you…?"
"And if you ever need any help," Ozpin smiled. "You know my name."
He walked away, and Summer stayed in that alley for a long time, wondering who the hell she had just met.
"Ruby? Are you alright?"
Ruby woke up beneath a layer of blankets, her forehead drenched with cold sweat. A candle burned a small light beside her bed, and kneeling there with a worried expression on her face was Blake.
"You look terrible," the faunus whispered. "Are you sick?"
"What? No!" Ruby sat up. "I just – had a weird dream. W-why are you in my room?"
"I passed by your door while I was returning from the library and heard you mumbling and shifting around in your bed," Blake explained. "Was it a nightmare?"
"No. I just- Wait."
Ruby jumped from her bed and stood in the middle of her room, looking around frantically. Blake watched her with increasing worry.
"Oh, no. No no no! I just dreamed a memory from my mother. I shouldn't be able to do, because I'm awake – in the real world," Ruby's eyes widened. "Unless I'm not in the real world. Maybe I've never been. Maybe I'm stuck somewhere in the dream world, or elsewhere, in-between realities, and- and…"
"Ruby. I only followed half of what you just said," Blake said slowly. "But I promise you this is real. I'm real, you're real, Ozpin and Weiss are real. Just… calm down, please."
"A-alright. If you say so," Ruby sat down on the floor and leaned against the side of her bed. "Sheesh. I must have scared you, didn't I?"
"Yes, you did," Blake nodded. "A lot."
Ruby looked at her palms, wondering about the repercussions of what she had just discovered. If she could still visit memories of her family, then that meant… there was still a connection between herself and the dream world. Maybe she had left a piece of her back there with Raven. That would also explain why she could move so much faster now.
Blake sat beside her, still holding the candle in her hands. Ruby immediately forgot all about her dream as heat rose through her body, making her skin itch and cheeks redden. Panic overwhelmed her as she realized Blake would be able to see that, even without the aid of the candle.
"It must be nice," Blake muttered. "Seeing glimpses of your parents' lives."
"Y-yeah," Ruby stuttered. "S-sometimes."
"I don't know if I would want that, though. I never knew my parents, and… I don't think that's a bad thing, necessarily," the faunus said. "They probably had it as hard as me. Maybe they were slaves too."
"M-maybe."
A moment of silence passed, then Blake edged away from her.
"I'm sorry," she said. "You must hate me now. I'll leave."
"W-what?!" Ruby almost shouted. "No. I don't hate you! At all!"
"You do. You're acting distant, and I know why," Blake pursed her lips. "I deserve it, too. I killed people – a lot of people. I made a deal with bloodthirsty criminals. Fuck. You found me trying to stab the Queen to death."
Ruby shook her head slowly.
"You did what you had to do. What you thought was right," she muttered. "It's not as if you enjoyed any of it. And, to be fair, Weiss was also trying to kill you."
"Ruby, you see far too much good in people," Blake sighed. "Do you really believe I didn't enjoy killing?"
"Alright. Maybe I am naïve, but not when it comes to you," Ruby said firmly. "I know you're a good person. The only reason you're saying those things is because you feel guilty."
Blake remained silent for a long time after, her eyes trained on the candle in her hands. Ruby waited patiently, hoping that her words had had some effect on her friend.
"Ruby," Blake spoke again, and this time there was a levity to her tone. "Whenever we talk, I always end up feeling just like when we first met. You know, just like a scared slave girl who managed to run away somehow. It's… something about you."
"I, uh," Ruby gulped. "I-I don't know."
"It might sound weird coming from me, of all people, but you make me feel safe," Blake said. "I'm… glad we met."
Blake stood up and blew out the candle. Ruby wasn't sure, but maybe she had done so to hide a blush.
"Come talk to me if you can't sleep," Blake said. "Good night, Ruby."
Weiss woke late the next day, if the clock on the wall of her room was to be trusted. Fortunately, she had nothing urgent to do. She perused through her wardrobe and found three worn-out dresses and a pair of boots. Not the most glamorous of outfits, but it certainly beat her current one.
She brought her rapier with her as she headed for the entrance hall, where she found her companions sitting around the table. Ozpin was cleaning a box full of pistols, while Blake read a book and Ruby poked away at a burnt sandwich.
"Did you sleep badly, Ruby?" Weiss asked curiously, taking note of the dark circles surrounding the redhead's eyes.
"Huh?" Ruby blinked. "Yeah. Just, uh – discovered I can still visit my parents' memories when I sleep. It scared me a little, and that's why I didn't sleep. No other reason."
"Alright. If you say so." Weiss said, intrigued by how fast Ruby had spoken.
Her eyes wandered to the title of Blake's book, but the faunus quickly hid it from view. Weiss raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't make a fuss about it.
"So, now that we are all here," Ozpin said. "I believe it's time we begin planning. To take back the Castle and the throne, we'll need some things. Weapons, which we have right here; and people, which we have few of."
"Jaune will help," Ruby said. "I'm sure he will."
"Sun already promised to help too," Blake noted. "He has a lot of friends – or allies, at least. That's valuable, correct?"
Ozpin nodded.
"We need someone on the inside. Someone who can feed us information on Cinder Fall and her plans," he said. "I thought Lady Goodwitch could be that person. She might not like me very much, but she is loyal to the throne. If she knew who the Regent really was… But I'm sure Fall has an eye on her, always. It won't be safe to approach her."
"What about prince Neptune?" Weiss suggested. "He's rather… inconspicuous. I doubt Cinder would ever suspect him of anything."
"Yes. He might be our best shot." Ozpin agreed.
Ruby looked around the table, tapping her fingers nervously against it. Her sandwich lay forgotten on its plate, becoming colder by the minute.
"What… what about Yang?" She asked meekly. "She needs to know I'm alive – awake, I mean. And with her power, maybe she could defeat Cinder."
"I looked for her, Ruby," Ozpin said, pity evident in his voice. "I did, but she was nowhere to be found."
"Well, yes, you only looked in town!" Ruby exclaimed. "I know where she is. Yang left to live with some friends of ours – Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren."
"Wait, that Nora Valkyrie? The deranged inventor? You are friends with her?" Weiss shook her head in wonder. "Doesn't she live miles away from the city, in a cabin probably drowned in snow by now?"
"Actually, she invented some stuff that made the house really warm. I think she has a daughter now, too," Ruby blinked. "Anyway. If only we had some way to get there…"
They shared a moment of silence as Ruby stared at the table, biting her lip thoughtfully, while Blake and Ozpin shared a knowing look. Weiss crossed her arms, pondering, then nodded.
"I could go there. My magic might be powerful enough to allow me to navigate through the blizzard," she said. "I have no clue where that cabin is, though."
"I-I could go with you!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly. "I know the way! Even with all the snow, the landmarks should still be recognizable. And it's not that far away. Just a few days walk."
"It sounds dangerous," Blake noted. "Weiss has her magic, but you? The cold might be your end."
"Blake. Yang is my sister," the redhead said with resolve. "I need to see her."
Blake looked away, as if she wanted to say more, but knew it was useless to do so.
"I agree that we need Yang," Ozpin said. "You two should depart as soon as possible. You can go through the breached east wall. Fall might have people watching it, but she won't have time to stop you from leaving."
"…Should I go too?" Blake asked quietly.
"No. I need someone to stay with me, so we can get started on gathering our allies," he answered. "Before you go, Your Highness, Ruby, let's go over some finer details…"
Ozpin and Weiss started to discuss strategy for the immediate future. Ruby stayed out of the conversation, lips shut tight, as she felt Blake staring at her, as if to read her very soul.
"Wow. Now that I look at it again, this is one tall wall," Ruby whistled as she looked up Vale's eastern outer wall. "Wonder how mom climbed it."
"Ruby. Quiet," Weiss hissed, keeping her hand on the pommel of her rapier as they walked towards the breach. "Don't speak. Let me to the talking."
Ruby lowered her head obediently and hid behind the queen. The breach on the wall remained just as it was one month ago, with naught but some wooden barricades and a handful of soldiers to keep the Grimm at bay. Cinder must have preferred it stay that way.
As they got closer, one of the soldiers noticed them and stood to full attention. The rest of them followed suit. Weiss kept her gaze strong even as her heartbeat accelerated. Obviously, she had been recognized.
"At ease, soldiers," she said as they walked by them. "Tell the Regent-"
The rustle of rising pistols sounded behind them, and Weiss turned around hastily. Ruby was already at work, though, vanishing and reappearing in front of each of the soldiers, her scythe a red blur in the cold air. In a matter of seconds, the soldiers were down and out.
"Sweet Moon, Ruby," Weiss muttered. "That's… frightening, I must admit."
"Thank you, milady," Ruby curtsied. "Cinder said much the same. Well, she didn't say anything, but the expression on her face was enough."
"She has made formidable foes," the exiled queen nodded. "They will wake up, right? I wouldn't want to leave the breach unguarded for long."
"Don't worry! I was gentle."
Weiss chose to trust her on that statement. The two walked through the breached walls, until their feet were being swallowed in the thick layer of snow of the plains. Ruby shivered and hid her hands beneath her armpits.
"Well," Weiss took a deep breath. "Let's see if this will work."
She joined her hands together in front of her and closed her eyes. After a moment of concentration, she parted them, and the air around them seemed to clear, and the falling snow fell in arcs beyond them at all sides, as if an invisible umbrella had been opened above them.
"Do you feel warm?" Weiss asked. "Answer truthfully. The last thing I need is for you to freeze to death halfway through the journey. Not only would I lose a friend, but also be left stranded with no directions to follow."
"Aw, you consider me a friend?" Ruby smiled widely.
"Answer the question, Ruby."
"I don't feel warm, but it's warmer than before. I think we can go," the redhead said. "What about you? Won't the magic tire you out?"
"I don't think so. This is an easy effort to maintain," Weiss stated. "As for the cold… It shouldn't be a problem. It never bothered me, anyway."
Ruby nodded, and together, they walked off, deep into the raging blizzard.
Yes. I made a Frozen reference. *puts on shades* DEAL WITH IT. If you found it stupid, be grateful it happened the way it happened. I was originally going to put it in during the discussion with the whole group, when Weiss first suggested she should go to the cabin. I had to stop myself because it ruined the seriousness of the situation. Sadly, I wasn't strong enough to stop myself completely.
And guess what? There was, like, five paragraphs of Yang. Again. Poor girl. But I know that she WILL be super-important next chapter. There is no more stalling anymore.
Oh, and regarding KabalAndStryker's anonymous review of last chapter: I actually wanted to write more of homeless Weiss too, but, simply put, the pacing of the story (and the chapter itself) would have suffered far too much from it. I needed to get Ruby, Blake and Weiss back together, so they could then meet Ozpin, and lay the foundation for the counter-attack. It's always sad when I have to scrape or reduce an interesting point element for the good of the overall narrative.
-Zeroan