Chapter 2
Reveal
"We're going to Atlas?"
Shade asked while standing next to his team
"That's what Oz said."
Qrow responded.
Most of the group looked at Weiss while most of Team SHDE looked at Dawn.
"Don't look at me, I was lucky to sneak in last time."
Dawn said to her group.
Weiss was a bit surprised.
"Youve got to be joking?"
"Trust me i'm not crazy about it ether, but without the Spring Maiden here to seal the relic back in its vaultIt's our best option."
Ren spoke up.
"Atlas might be the safest kingdom we have at the moment but its borders are closed, General Ironwood called everyone back."
"It's not safe while he's running things."
Shade said with venom in his voice.
This caused everyone to look at Shade.
"Are we going to forget how easily his army was hacked at Beacon? He doesn't know what he's doing."
"Look I know you have your issues with him but it's still safer there."
Qrow responded.
"For how long though?"
Shade stated.
"Look, I have faith in Ozpin's decision, that's the only reason I'm going along with this."
He crossed his arms.
Ruby quickly tried changing the subject.
"So how are we getting to Atlas?"
Qrow pulled up a hologram.
"The City of Argus is a ways north of us and it's the primary trading port between Anima and Solitas,they've got the largest Atlas Military Base outside of the kingdom there's no way they'd leave it abandoned and if we play our cards right i think there's a good chance we can get them to escort us directly to Ironwood."
Blake spoke up.
"I mean we do have the missing Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company."
Dawn slightly chucked at this.
"Ex Heiress actually."
Weiss said
"True true."
Yang said.
"But if there's a chance for reward money i say we take it."
"Hopefully the first option will surfice."
Ozpin walked into the room.
"Glad to see you're feeling better."
Qrow said to him.
"Likewise.and while im sure we could all use more time to recover."
He glanced at Shade
"I'm afraid time is of the essence."
Blake spoke up.
"Right,as long as that thing's out in the open its power could fall into the wrong hands."
"What is that power though?"
Dawn questioned.
Ozpin turned to everyone.
"Of course."
He took the lamp off his belt and it returned to its normal size.
"The relic of knowledge has a wonderful and incredibly dangerous ability. Its user can ask any question and the lamp will provide an answer."
Shade looked at the lamp and his aura flickered a little.
Everyone was too busy looking at the lamp to notice except for Dawn who glanced at her teammate.
"However, it's not without drawbacks."
Ozpin said while placing the lamp on the table.
"The lamp cannot tell you of events that have yet to happen and it will only ever answer three questions every one hundred years."
Shade stared at the lamp.
"Three questions."
"Well I guess that's not so bad."
Yang said.
"Adds a lot of pressure though."
"I'm afraid you won't be able to ask it anything at the moment, the questions were used before i sealed it away."
Shade felt something in the lamp, something different.
"Well at least now we know what it is."
Ruby said.
"And we'll be sure to keep it safe."
Shade turned away from the lamp and walked away from the group.
'What is this?'
He asked himself while looking at his aura
Shade closed his eyes and when he opened them he was at the wrecked train car with Dawn looking at the fox Faunus named Circa.
"You were looking for me?"
Shade questioned.
Circa nods at him.
"For a while I was."
She held out her necklace that glowed bright purple when it got close to Shade.
"This led me to you."
Shade struggled for a moment but walked to her and took the necklace.
Suddenly the purple gem turned green.
"Is that normal?"
Shade asked.
"I wouldn't know."
Circa responded.
Shade handed the necklace back to her.
"Why were you trying to find me though?"
"Well you see…"
Circa was interrupted.
"Great, this is just great."
The group of three looked at Yang who was trying to get her motorbike out of the snow.
"We're stranded. We lost a third of our party. And we have gained a defenseless old lady and a child."
"I am not defenseless."
Circa said while her ears twitched a bit.
Yang stopped moving for a second. She felt a shiver that wasn't from the cold.
She quickly shook out of her daze and pulled her bike onto its side and fell into the snow herself.
"My name is Maria Calavera"
The lady said as Oscar was helping her.
"And i am not defenseless either, i'm just a little hard of hearing and blind without my eyes.That are in desperate need of repair."
She tapped her prosthetic eyes
"Ok i'm starting to see your point."
Shade sighed.
"Doesn't matter what we lost and have now, our main focus should be moving forward."
"He's right."
Qrow said.
"If we lose our cool now we'll just be inviting even more Grimm."
"Does that even matter?"
Blake asked.
"Doesn't seem like it for some of us."
Shade whispered to himself unaware that both Circa and Dawn heard him.
"Yeah what happened to no more lies and half-truths?"
Yang questioned Ozpin.
"Yeah I think it's time we get an explanation."
Oscar said as he switched to Ozpin.
"I did not lie to you."
"Well you certainly didn't tell us everything about the relic."
Weiss said.
"Please now is not the time"
Ozpin was quickly interrupted by Yang.
"No, we're past that, I want to know why you're still not telling us everything!"
"It is true that the Grimm are attracted to the relics, it's faint but undeniable and it has to do with their origin but i'm not entirely sure. I had hoped that being near a shadow manipulator would be able to cloak it, but unfortunately I was wrong."
Ozpin glanced at Shade who listened cautiously.
"Regardless, I feared that making you all aware would only add anxiety and negativity, it seemed like the safer option."
Shade and Dawn glanced at each other.
"Is that why you chose to lie to everyone about Lionheart too?"
Yang asked.
"Yes as a matter of fact."
Ozpin started to walk away.
"I believed the Kingdom of Mystral deserved better than the truth and I believe Leonardo deserved to be remembered for his lifetime of service and not the unfortunate missteps he made in his final years."
Yang got more angry.
"Missteps!"
Everyone was following Ozpin.
Circa remained right behind Shade and Dawn who were behind the others.
"I don't like where this is going."
Dawn said to Shade.
"Be ready to stop a fight if need be."
Ozpin continued speaking.
"What professor Lionheart did was reprehensible. I am not here to argue differently, but does one lapse in judgment truly negate all of his good? Do we not all have regrets?"
Shade stopped walking, causing Circa to bump into Shade.
"You may have met professor Lionheart, but you never met the man he was before Salem found him."
Shade sighed.
"He's not wrong."
This caused the group to look at him.
"If anyone has regrets it would be me."
Shade looked at his swords that were in his gauntlets.
"I could have prevented so much if i would have acted sooner."
"Exactly!"
Yang shouted before looking at Ozpin.
"Look, we're supposed to be in this together. You can trust us. We're not gonna turn our backs on you. "
"Do you really think Leo was the first?"
Ozpin shouted.
Out of instinct Shade put his shield in front of him as well as Circa.
Dawn readied to grab her weapons.
"I'm sorry but you have to understand that my behaviors are backed by experience. I'm not saying that I have reason to think you will betray me. Im saying that i have reasons for the things that i do. The secrets i keep. The reason i…"
Ozpin stopped talking and looked around.
"Where's the relic?"
"Right here."
Ruby said while holding it.
Shade didn't like where this was heading and started slowly moving forward.
"Please, hand it over."
Ozpin held his hand out to Ruby
"So all those times you talked about having faith in humanity, that was just for everyone else?"
Ruby asked.
Ozpin sighed.
"That's not what I meant to suggest."
Shade was only a few yards away from the two.
"Miss Rose, the relic is a powerful item and I simply feel as though it is my burden to bear."
"But you said it couldn't do anything,right now."
"Why does it matter who carries it?"
Blake asked
Shade moved his hand behind his back and gave some signals to Dawn.
"I need you to listen to me."
Ozpin went towards
He stopped as Oscar started to take control again.
"Hurry."
He said while struggling.
"He's trying to stop you."
"From what?"
Shade said while standing near Ruby.
"He's afraid you'll find out what he's"
Oscar was starting to lose control.
"Hiding."
He fell to the ground.
Dawn was a bit behind Oscar at this time.
"Her name is Jinn."
Oscar said while holding his hand out to Ruby.
"Say her name to summon her."
"Summon her?"
Shade questioned.
The wind around them grew strong.
"Jinn."
Ruby said.
The snow around them stopped falling.
Circa tapped the snowflake and it fell to the ground.
She walked to Shade as the Lamp flew out of Ruby's arms and was emitting some blue energy.
"What's happening?"
She asked Shade.
The lamp flew behind everyone.
"I don't even know anymore."
Shade told her.
The lamp continued emitting its energy until Jinn appeared stretching.
"Wonderful."
The group looked at Jinn with wide eyes.
"Tell me, what knowledge do you seek?"
Shade immediately wanted to just ask so many questions but kept his mouth shut.
He had no idea if there were any consequences for asking for knowledge.
"I am Jinn. A being created by the God of Light to aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. I've been graced with the ability to answer three questions every hundred years. You're in luck as-"
"That's enough!"
Ozpin shouted interrupted.
"Enough time has passed so you may ask three questions this era."
Shade's eyes widened.
"You lied about this too huh?"
Shade looked at Ozpin.
"I have so many questions and yet you do this."
"Your pursuit of knowledge is not worth it."
"Is it though?"
Shade's shadow flickered with his aura before it stopped and Shade held his head.
"Urgg."
"I would recommend avoiding using your powers right now."
Jinn said to the shadow manipulator.
She looked at Ozpin and chuckled a little.
"It's a pleasure to see you again old man."
"Ruby please don't."
Ozpin said, looking up at her.
"Hey."
Qrow said before Yang, Weiss and Yang looked ready to fight Qrow.
Dawn stayed behind Ozpin while Shade stood next to Ruby, still holding his head.
Circa stared at Jinn curiously.
"Young Fox, I see you found the shadow manipulator."
She remained silent.
"I have."
Jinn chuckled again.
"I wonder how your story will go."
Circa stood back next to Shade.
Ruby turned to Jinn.
"Jinn?"
Ozpin got ready to move.
Dawn noticed this.
"What is Ozpin hiding from us?"
"No!"
Ozpin jumped at Ruby.
Shade quickly moved in front of her but before Ozpin got to Shade, Dawn's strings pulled Ozpin back.
Everything went white.
Everyone was separated except for Shade and Circa.
"Ok this is very different."
Shade said before kneeling down to Circa.
"You ok?"
The fox faunus nodded
Jinn began to tell the story of Salem and Ozma.
AN: Yeah i'm going to be honest here, i was struggling on this chapter for a while so that's why it was delayed so much. Anyway, the next chapter would be the backstory of Salem which I legitimately have nothing for except maybe a few reactions from Shade,Dawn and Circa but I can't make a full chapter out of it. But don't worry I have plans to make up for this lack of chapter in the future but as of right now i hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I have no reason to release this on Valentine's day except that I felt like it. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon and give a little bit of a break from the Ruby Group so we can check in on Hiroki's group. Until next time.