Around a campfire, Ruby, Qrow, Jaune, Ren, Ryu and Nora sat on four logs positioned in a square. Qrow had just finished telling the story of the Maidens. There was silence and Qrow took a swig from his flask. He had a bandage wrapped around his abdomen over his clothing. "You shouldn't be drinking. It will accelerate the poison." Ryu informed him.
"Damn. Being poisoned takes the fun out of everything." Qrow grumbled, putting away the flask and looking to the others. "Really? No questions?" He asked.
"Of course we have questions. This is just... a lot to take in." Jaune explained.
Qrow sighed. "Sure, of course." He said.
"So these... Maidens... They're powerful fighters that don't need Dust to use magic." Ruby relayed the information she'd been given.
"Yeah." Qrow confirmed.
"And there are four of them?" Nora asked.
"Yup. Always." Qrow said.
"Which means that, whenever one of them dies, the power transfers to someone - a female - that they cared about?" Ren questioned.
"Whoever was in their thoughts last. Important distinction. Best option is someone we can trust. Regardless, their souls become combined, in a way." Qrow corrected.
"And that's what you were trying to do to Pyrrha... the night the tower fell. You were trying to turn her into one of them." Jaune said, a bit angrily.
"The previous Fall Maiden, Amber, had been attacked. She was young, inexperienced. And her assailant, who we now know is Cinder, somehow managed to steal some of her power, but not all of it. We were afraid that if we didn't do something, the rest would go to her as well." Qrow explained.
"So you forced it on Pyrrha." Jaune growled, looking angry.
"We didn't force anything. We explained the situation and gave her the choice, and she chose. You were there, you heard her." Qrow told him.
Jaune hung his head for a brief moment before getting up and walking several feet away from group. Qrow watched him go. Ryu walked up to him and grabbed his arm. "Jaune. I know it's easy to be mad at Qrow, or Ozpin, but you have to understand. We're dealing with a bigger threat than we ever thought possible and one of our greatest weapons against that threat was damaged beyond repair. They had to do whatever they could to salvage it. And Pyrrha was willing to let herself become that weapon. Whether or not you think it's right, you have to admit, they were trying to do what was best for everyone. So did Kratos." The Dragon ninja told him.
Jaune looked down sadly at this. He then nodded, knowing that, as much as he didn't like it, Ryu was right. Back with the others, Ruby had another question. "Those two, Tyrian and Azula - why was he after me?" She asked.
Qrow sighed. "Well, you definitely painted a target on your back with what you did at Beacon. I told you having silver eyes is a rare trait. And the fact that you were able to use them seems to have upset some very powerful people. Not many people know about the silver eyes. Those that do aren't very happy that one has surfaced. That's why I've been keeping an eye on you in order to make sure you were safe. All of you." He explained.
"Well, then, why not just travel with us? It seems like that would've been way easier." Ruby explained.
"He was using you as bait." Jaune answered her loudly enough to be heard, but with his back still turned to everyone. Sure, he could understand everything thanks to Ryu, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.
"Look, I wouldn't put it like that - it's complicated." Qrow explained.
"Besides, I'm at least on par with Qrow. He knew I could keep you safe as well as he could. He couldn't have planned on another Revived being there." Ryu explained.
Jaune turned back to face him. "And what is with all this Revived stuff? Huh?! Ruby's being hunted, the schools are being attacked, all for what?! What is the point of all of this?! Will you just tell us what's going on?! Either of you!" Jaune snapped, looking between Ryu and Qrow, before looking at Ryu. "Why didn't you tell us any of this before? You're our friend and you kept us in the dark about something as big as this?!" He demanded.
"All of Team SCRN knew. Even Kratos. We all kept you in the dark. It was Ozpin's call, not ours." Ryu explained.
Qrow then sighed at this. "Would you both sit down? You're stressin' me out, 'kid." He said, the last part to mostly Jaune.
Jaune sat back down on his log and crossed his arms. Qrow started to take another swig, but changed his mind before the flask reached his lips.
"Not many people are super religious these days." Qrow explained as he capped and set the flask down. "This world's been around for a long time, long enough that people have created dozens of gods. But if you believe Ozpin, two of them are actually real." He explained.
Pan over to a nearby large rock, where Qrow's story was illustrated with a display of light and shadows from the campfire.
"They were two brothers. The older sibling, the god of light, found joy in creating forces of life. Meanwhile, the younger brother, the god of darkness, spent his time creating forces of destruction. As you can imagine, they both had pretty different ideas about how things should go. The older one would spend his days creating water, plants, wildlife. And at night, his brother would wake to see all the things that the elder had made and become disgusted. To counteract his brother's creations, the god of darkness brought drought, fire, famine, all he could do to rid Remnant of life. Life always returned. So one night, the younger brother went and made something - something that shared his innate desire to destroy anything and everything." He explained.
"The creatures of Grimm." Ruby answered.
"You guessed it. The older brother finally had enough. Knowing that their feud couldn't last like this forever, he proposed that they make one final creation... together, something that they could both be proud of, their masterpiece. The younger brother agreed. This last great creation would be given the power to both create and destroy. It would be given the gift of knowledge, so that it could learn about itself and the world around it. And most importantly, it would be given the power to choose, to have free will to take everything it had learned and decide which path to follow - the path of light or the path of darkness. And that is how Humanity came to be." Qrow went on.
"But... what does that have to do with us?" Ren asked.
"Well, that's the kicker. See, the four gifts to mankind - knowledge, creation, destruction and choice - aren't just metaphorical. Each of them exists in a physical form, left behind by the gods before they abandoned Remnant, and each of them is extraordinarily powerful. If someone were to collect all four, they'd be able to change the world. That's exactly what the enemy wants. The Huntsman Academies were created to train generations of Humanity's protectors, but they also serve another purpose - guarding the Relics. When Ozpin's predecessor founded the schools, he built them around the Relics to act as a fortress. Not only would they be easier to defend, but they would constantly be surrounded by trained warriors. The hope was that hiding them would keep mankind from using them against itself... and, of course, keeping them out of her reach." Qrow finished.
Cut back to the group sitting around the campfire. "So yeah, there's that." Qrow said.
"Her. You mean Salem?" Ruby asked.
"That's right. Not much is known about her. Quite frankly, that's not what matters. What matters right now is that she wants the Relics, and if she gets them, it's not going to end well." Qrow explained.
"So then, what are these Revived you've spoken of? And why did Tyrian call you that, Ryu?" Ren asked.
Ryu sighed at this. "I was hoping I'd never have to tell you this." He said, before standing up. "There's a legend about us as well. The Other Worlders. A god of light, likely the same one from Qrow's story, watches over all worlds. When Remnant is in danger, he calls dying warriors from other worlds to Remnant to defend it. It's true." He explained.
"Dying... So you mean..." Nora started.
"Yes. I died long ago, on a different world called Earth. And I was reborn on Remnant. I remembered the truth shortly after I began training with my father in this world. I'd been through a cycle of resurrection before, but this was reincarnation. I'm not from Remnant originally. None of Team SCRN is." He explained.
"What?!" Ruby asked in shock.
"We all lived on the same planet, Earth. Kratos lived in a time long before ours, but it didn't matter. Each of us had fallen in our old world. And we were brought to Remnant. To protect it, like we could no longer do for our world." Ryu said.
"So... Bayonetta isn't my sister?" Ruby asked.
"No. Of course she is. She's family. Nothing will ever change that. But she used to be someone else before she was your sister. Something else." Qrow explained.
"So... Why didn't you ever tell us?" Nora asked.
Ryu turned away at this. "I was a killer in my last life, Nora. I admit, I took the lives I did in the name of justice, for the sake of the world. But I still took countless lives. Slaughtered thousands. They were evil, but they were still people." Ryu said, looking down at his arm, the one once cursed with the Grip of Murder.
"You killed people... That many?" Ren asked, shocked.
"No... It can't be..." Nora said, horrified.
"All of you. You've been so kind to me. You became like the friends I had in my old life. And more, like my family. But now you know the same thing I've always known. You're all better than I could ever be. I'm a monster. And I have no right to be near you..." Ryu said, walking into the forest.
"Ryu..." Nora said sadly, reaching out for him.
Dante and Weiss arrived at a large apartment with a distinctive lack of furniture. "Well, it's roomy. We'll have plenty of space to train. And plenty of time until that pilot friend of mine gets back and we head to Mistral." Dante said, walking to the middle of the room and turning back towards his sister. "So, let's work on those summons of yours. Just don't forget you can do other things, too. Not just summon." Dante told her, drawing Rebellion.
"Right!" Weiss said, drawing Myrtenaster and standing off against her brother.
Ryu continued to walk through the woods, trying to process his thoughts. He knew he'd have to return to his friends soon, but what could he say to them. And he feared what they'd say to him. Especially Nora. However, as if the universe was waiting him to think of his girlfriend...
"Ryu!" Nora called, running up to him.
"Nora..." He said, turning to her.
"So, I was thinking... And I decided I don't care what you did in your last life. The you here, with me now, is different from the Ryu Hayabusa on Earth. You're not a killer. You saved my life and Ren's more than I can count. You're the man I love." She said, narrowing her eyes a bit. "And while I'm A LITTLE annoyed you kept a secret THIS BIG for THIS LONG!" She said with clear annoyance in her voice, making Ryu cringe a bit, before she softened up. "I still love you. That will never change." She said, throwing herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.
Ryu was a bit shocked at this, but kissed back. They separated and he smiled at her. "I love you, too, Nora. You're the one that makes me better than I was in my last life." He tells her.
She smiled and nodded at him. "Come on. Let's head back. The others are worried about you, too." She said, taking his hand and leading him back to the camp.
The other former students still sat talking to Qrow at the campfire. "Hey. So, you're gonna be okay?" Jaune asked.
"Yes. Sorry for worrying you. I just needed to collect my thoughts and felt you might need to do the same." Ryu said.
"Yeah. But, whatever you did in your old life, that's not who you are now." Ruby said.
"Yes. You're our friend, Ryu. Like a brother to me. Nothing will change that." Ren added, walking up to Ryu and putting his fist on Ryu's chest.
"Yes. And I feel the same." Ryu said, putting his own fist on Ren's chest.
Jaune then looked back at Qrow. "Alright. So, let's say we believe all this. There really is this crazy evil being behind these attacks, not just some thugs trying to become powerful. Why doesn't the world know? Why isn't Atlas going after them? Or Mistral?" He asked.
"And why aren't we in more of a hurry to get to Haven? Shouldn't we be getting them a message? What if they're next?" Nora asked.
"The headmaster over there saw what happened to Beacon. He's not dumb. He'll be on his guard. Besides, it takes time to mobilize forces like that. Do you really think they planned out that attack on Beacon overnight?" Qrow explained, before pointing at Jaune. "And to answer your question, it's the same reason we keep quiet about the Maidens. If the whole world knew about the Relics, about Salem, there would be chaos. There'd be another Great War on our hands and this time, you'd have to fight." He explained, pointing at Jaune again.
Jaune turned away. "I understand all this is difficult, Jaune, but it is the best way of handling things. It was largely the same for us. We didn't go after our greatest threats unless we truly had to." Ryu explained.
"Look, I had the same questions, too. But ol' Ozpin would always put his foot down. 'We can't cause a panic.' Heh, can't tell you how many times I've heard that. Salem's smart. She works from the shadows, using others to get what she wants, so that when it comes time to place the blame, we can only point at each other. She's trying to divide us - humanity, and so far she's done a pretty damn good job." Qrow explained.
Leaning back, Qrow looked up at the broken moon and the visual panned to follow his gaze before returning to him, with an above shot at first, changing to a frontal shot when he looked ahead and sighed. "Alright, so what should we do?" Ruby asked, Everyone looking to Qrow.
Qrow chuckled. "I don't really know." He said. The teens all looked at each other, surprised and nervous. They returned their gaze to him when he start speaking again.
"Ozpin has put a lot of trust in the headmasters. Like I said, the schools are an important part of stopping Salem. Atlas is going to be on high alert after the last attack, and Vacuo is - well, Vacuo. It'll be hard to hire thieves and scoundrels to fight against other thieves and scoundrels. Take that, add in the fact that Cinder and her crew claim to be from Haven, and I think it's likely the next target. So, we're on our way to the headmaster. Haven't heard from him in a while, even before the attack. I'm hoping he has the answers." Qrow said and stood, but grabbed at where he was cut. He groaned. "Alright, I think it's time you kids got some sleep." He told them.
"You should as well. I'll take first watch." Ryu said.
"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah?" He acknowledged.
Ruby stood up. "This is a lot to take in, and it all sounds crazy, but... I'm willing to do whatever I can to help because I trust you. But why couldn't you trust me? Why couldn't you just travel with us, instead of this secrecy, and, and-" She started.
"Look, this has nothing to do with trust. I- It's a long story, okay?" Qrow asked.
"Seriously? Now you're tired of telling us stories?" Nora asked.
Qrow looked at Ryu, seeing the ninja looking at him as well. "Well, your own family should know about your semblance by now." He said.
Qrow stared at the fire in silence before speaking. As he talked he knelt down, picked up a stick and poked at the fire."Did you know that crows are a sign of bad luck? Old superstition, but it's how I got my name. See, some people can absorb electricity and some people can burst into rose petals and some people are just born unlucky. My Semblance isn't like most - it's not exactly something I do. It's always there, whether I like it or not. I bring misfortune." He explained and chuckled bitterly. "I guess you could call me a bad luck charm. Comes in real handy when I'm fighting an enemy, but it makes it a little hard on friends..." He added, looking over at Ruby. "And family." He up, he still holds his side.
"Well, you are just a real bundle of help, aren't you?" Jaune said bitterly, to which Ruby and Nora turn to glared at Jaune.
"Weren't you dead weight for your team for the entire first semester?" Ryu questioned, shutting Jaune down.
"But he's not wrong..." Qorw said as he walked away from the campfire, slowly.
"Where are you going?" Ren asked.
"Taking a walk." Qrow answered.
"There's nothing else you want to tell us?" Ruby asked.
A red-eyed raven landed on a tree branch with a quiet caw. Qrow looked at it and it cocked its head, looking at him. "Not tonight." He said and continued his slow walk away, leaving the five teenagers to themselves for a bit. The log he had prodded earlier rolled out of the campfire. Ruby watched Qrow, concerned.
It was morning time at the campsite and the birds were a-tweeting. Everyone except Ryu was in their sleeping bags as the ninja stood on a tree top, observing the camp. The campfire burned out in the middle. Qrow sat up against the base of a tree, facing the group. Ren sat up with a sigh. "We should probably get moving." He said.
"Yeah, yeah." Jaune grumbled, sitting up.
Both turned at the sound of Qrow coughing, which grew louder and sounded worse with each cough. Nora and Ruby sat up and Ruby quickly went to her uncle's side. Ryu dropped from the tree, landing beside Qrow and observing him as well.
Purple staining was visible on Qrow's bandage, which he was holding his right hand over. He lifted his left hand to his mouth as he continued to cough. A cuckoo bird joined its call to the rest of the morning birds. Qrow pulled his hand away with a groan and the whole palm, including up over the wrist and his fingers, was covered in the purple stain. "The poison's spreading..." Ryu said.
Ruby's eyes grew wide and she gasped. Qrow looked at his hand. "Well..." He said as he looked up at Ruby. "That's unfortunate." He finished. With a groan, he lowered his hand and head before going still. The cuckoo finally stopped and everything went black.