"I still think this is a terrible idea."
"Noted."
Oscar had very quickly realized early on that talking aloud to voices in your head drew much unwanted attention, and considering he was wandering alone he could use all the help he could get; people tended to avoid the crazy ones, and so he needed to appear at least a little sane. Turns out that while the spirit in his head couldn't read his thoughts, there was a way to speak silently through thought. Apparently he could direct certain thoughts directly to the specter, and with a few days of practice Oscar managed to figure it out.
"Up the street, turn right and carry on down the path. The train station will be just on the other side of the bath-house."
"For someone who's worked in Vale you sure know a lot about this place." Oscar wasn't so sure what to think. They had arrived in the smaller town, almost no bigger than his hometown, and yet Ozpin knew it like the back of his hand.
"I guess you could say I've been around quite a bit. Last time I was here it was during an assigned mission."
"Mission?" Oscar's interest was peaked; It wasn't everyday you got to hear what kind of missions a headmaster went on.
"Although it wasn't necessarily my mission, rather I was overseeing a group of students while they took on their own chosen task. I was there to both keep them out of any serious trouble, and to grade them on their performance."
"Right..." It was a little disappointing to be perfectly honest, but Oscar didn't let that get him down. He was sure he'd know all the interesting bits in time; the two of them were stuck together after all. Besides that Oscar remained excited to an extent, as he always wanted to explore beyond the farm.
Although it wasn't all good times and wonder.
Leaving had been rather taxing, on both his mind and body. His aunt had questioned why he was headed out, and he gave an excuse about spending a few weeks with some friends who were going camping. She never really bought it at first, but with a few choice words - mostly provided by his headspace roommate - she relented and allowed him off with the caveat that he'd stay with the 'local hunters' and not wander off. He didn't entirely lie about it; the whole adventure was somewhat like a camping trip, and he did have a hunter with him.
A hunter stuck in his head anyway.
"Are you well Oscar? You're slouching again."
Oscar's eyes widened, and he slightly shook himself. "It's nothing, just thinking over a few things."
"Yes..." Oscar could swear he heard a sigh, and he noticed a distinct feeling of fatigue in Ozpin's next words. "I understand that this isn't how you expected your life to turn out, and I know it's difficult. I will do whatever I can to make this easier on you, but to make it through everything we need to work as a team. Over time you yourself will grow strong, but we'll become strongest when we unify our skills and abilities, and to do that we have to set aside our worries and face whatever challenges approach."
"I know." Oscar understood perfectly clear. Ozpin had already told him about the need for them to work together, but even so Oscar was still worried. He was only a farm-hand, not a hunter. How could anyone like him stand alongside a professional Grimm slayer? Hunters supposedly trained from childhood to master their aura and semblance just for the chance to be admitted to the schools. Yet here he was: a young man with no aura and a ghost telling him to essentially walk headfirst into danger.
What hope did he have.
"Whatever doubts you hold cast them away."
"I'm not-"
"I may be dead, but I'm not blind." Oscar let out a sigh and wondered if it was really that obvious. "You believe there's no chance don't you? You think that your not good enough, or that the odds are stacked too high against us."
"I'm not a hunter." His silent tone seemed to hit at something in his ethereal partner, as Oscar could almost feel a sort of warmth across his neck.
"Yet... you're not a hunter yet. Listen to me Oscar, I understand your frustration. You've been forced into a scenario you never asked for; given an impossible task you've no idea how to do; told there will consequences should you fail. You have no training or preparation to perform the task, and yet you move forward hoping that an answer may appear. I know very well how you feel, and one day you'll understand exactly how similar are situations are. You may not be a hunter yet, but you have me, and soon enough plenty of allies who will help train you. You're not alone."
"I'm already halfway through my teens though. Hunters unlock and train their aura by the time they just start puberty. At this point it's already too late."
"It may be true that most hunters start their training at a young age, that is not a solid rule though. Anyone can begin their training at any time, and so long as they stick with it they can end up as powerful as any who started earlier. It doesn't matter when you start, and though it may take longer due to not having been exposed to aura during the crucial learning years you still have just as much of a chance to grow powerful as anyone else. Never doubt yourself Oscar; so long as you continue to stand up in the face of difficulty you'll never lose."
Oscar felt a tiny smirk sneak across his lips. It was easy for Ozpin to say that, as he had already been a professional hunter. However there was a small part of his mind that knew Ozpin was right, and while he knew it would be immensely difficult he fully understood there was no time to sit around feeling bad about his chances. Like it or not they were both put in a life or death scenario; it was live or die.
"There, we can get to Mistral from the next one."
It was time to move, and hope that the future would be kind.
.
.
"Well well, look who's back."
"What do you want?" I made no effort to hide the distaste in my tone. I looked to my other self, distinctly human and wearing a taunting smirk. Eyes half lidded and arms crossed he paced forward, leaning in and sliding far too close for comfort. He laid his hand on my cheek and spoke.
"Simple: I want you to move. You're stagnant."
"What?" He backed away and began to pace around me while tapping at his chin seemingly in thought.
"You're stagnant. You've awoken and recovered, yet you remain on the island." He stopped and faced me, his head tilted slightly as the smirk fell. "You have places to be, a goal to fulfill, and yet you choose to sit and wallow in your own misery. I suppose you could say I'm back to remind you of your goal."
"What goal?" I felt the fury of before begin to rise as my crimson eyes locked with his silver ones. "You have never once told me of any concrete goal. You've only told me that I died, and that I couldn't fully die."
"True, but... not quite." The area shook slightly and all around us the obelisks rose, just as they did before. "You 'know' your goal, however it is more instinctual than intellectual." He walked back, circling one of them, feeling it up only to stop and turn back. "Perhaps I should change that, no?"
"Get to the point!" I nearly shouted. He scoffed and looked back to the thing, his hand gently sliding down the imprinted writing.
"These are special, as I'm certain you've already deduced. Upon death your essence is drawn into the realm between life and death, and by your choice sent out to whatever beacon you've strengthened."
"Beacon I've strengthened... wait, you mean the obelisks are some sort of guide?" I could almost feel the smirk tugged across his lips."
"Not quite, but I suppose they serve a similar purpose, at least for returning your soul to the mortal world. This realm you see now is not the one you've visited before; it is merely a copy created deep within your subconscious where we now stand. These particular illusions have no power, at least not right now." He wandered around another, pressing up against it in an embrace. "As you die our split soul gains access to 'all' of it's power, free from the mortal shell that limits it. It is able to choose which obelisk to rebuild your body at, however it may only do so at those you have restored power to."
"What do you mean restored power to?" I felt an odd tingling at the back of my head.
"Nosey today aren't we? These fine pillars serve a much grander purpose than simply restoring your body, but their power is fading. When one is restored your soul is able to return to it, and the pillar will draw in all the Grimm around it. They are destroyed and absorbed, at which point their essence is used to create a new body for your rebirth."
"So that wasn't just chance when the area was free of Grimm?" It felt weird to think about. If what he said was true then it meant my body was entirely Grimm, and at that point what separated me from the other Grimm? Did I even retain any humanity at all?
"Correct. Your soul needs energy to form a new body, and with it's unique nature it is able to repurpose the very energy of destruction itself from the Grimm that wander Remnant."
That was... disturbing; knowing that my soul could essentially re-forge my body from Grimm did little to comfort me. It reminded me of the Goddess, and how she was able to do similar acts.
Is this a gift from her?
"That is not their true purpose though, and it is imperative that you continue to seek them out, rather than sit around whining all day."
"What is this purpose then?" His smirk fell off completely, and he let out a sigh. The sight gave me a small sting of intrigue, as I'd never seen him in such a state.
"I can't tell you that, but I can say this: the obelisks act as a form of binding. In short they are locks, and 'we' are the key. They are losing their power, and it is up to us to restore it, so in a way we're locking them. Should their power fade completely Remnant itself will come to an end. Once we succeed however you will have the answers to all your questions."
It sounded surreal, and yet I knew it was true; every part of me felt that he spoke the truth, and it pissed me off. "Did the divines know about this?"
He smirked and walked close. "Your king was entirely in the dark, however the queen was not. She knows, but only partly; she was given a promise, and like it or not everything hinges on whether we can uphold it or not."
"Promise? What promise?"
"Sorry, but that's for you to learn. Now go, stop wasting time."
A blinding light tore at my eyes.
.
.
The light faded and after a scant few seconds my eyes managed to pry open. It was then that I realized where I was. Blake had been down with her family in the basement having a moment with her dad, and I felt that it was something private that I had no right to disturb. I had returned to the living room and taken a seat on the couch, at which point I must have dosed off, or more accurately been pulled in by my other self; who knew a suspicious amount of information.
What was that about? He spoke of seeking out the obelisks, and yet I remained confused. Had he always known that, or was this just a special case. There was also the chance that it was only a dream, but the likelihood of that being only a dream was next to impossible. More importantly I wondered just what he meant by the obelisks being 'locks'. What were they keeping bound?
"Hey V- agh!" Sun had walked in, just to flinch in pain as Weiss followed along shaking her head.
"I told you to let me apply the ointment. This is on you."
"But that stuff stings, and besides, the pain is almost gone entirely." Sun said, only to flinch a tiny bit as his shirt seemingly rubbed against one of the scars.
"Idiot." Weiss looked to me, and her easy smile warmed the atmosphere. "Hello V, how did it go with Mrs. Belladonna?"
"Well... I think. She gifted me a new set of attire."
"I can see that." Her eyes were drawn to the White Fang symbol on the pauldron.
"She told me it was a gift from both her and Sienna." I clarified, and she made a silent 'oh' before looking a bit downtrodden.
"Right..." She looked away for a moment before facing Sun. They spoke no words and yet he nodded, to which she looked back my way. "We're headed out to visit Sienna's resting place, care to join us?"
Sienna's resting place, the words hit a little harder than I felt was intended. I knew Blake and Kali must have prepared something for her since we returned, and yet all this time I avoided everything I could, never trying nor wanting to visit wherever they'd laid her to rest. I had actively been trying to ignore everything in a vain - and quite frankly selfish - attempt to rest and ease the hurt. Yet I knew that was a cruel thing to do, and now it would seem it was time to face the music.
"Okay." I did my best to hide the hitch in my tone, and yet their softening eyes told of just how bad a job I did at that.
I stood, following them as they left and took to the road. We had taken a small path which lead along the outer edge of the village, a path that kept us hidden for the most part. I assumed they had been taking this path to avoid Weiss being seen, yet as we walked I noticed how the shrubbery had grown thick; it was clear this wasn't the easiest way to go, and yet we did so out of necessity.
As we forced our way through I took the time to focus on both of my companions, and noticed how there was a limp in Sun's step. Weiss would huddle close to him as if to speak, but I saw how she would subtlety lean against him to help his balance at times. I didn't know what types of damage the White Fang had done to them while they were captured, but it was obvious Sun had taken the brute of it.
My focus was interrupted as they suddenly stopped, and I heard Sun whisper to us.
"Hold on a moment, someone's there."
I slowly shifted closer, taking a place at his other side as I peered out to the small open space. My eyes settled on the person hunched over what I assumed was Sienna's grave, and immediately I recognised the one paying respects to the fallen woman.
"What are you doing!?" Sun whispered in a mild panic. I ignored him and continued on out of the bushes, calmly making my way over to the elderly man still bowing. I slowed to a stop beside the gentlemen, and I looked over the headstone.
Sienna Khan
1207AU - 1240AU
May she rest in comfort
In a world free of strife
"It has been a while, hasn't it." The man's voice was soft, and I could hear how he struggled to hide his sorrow.
"It has."
"It is nice to see you again Vermillion, although I wish it was under better circumstance." He looked to me, and I saw how his eyes had lost just the barest bit of luster.
"Me too."
I looked over Sienna's grave once more, and once again I was reminded of what I had lost. Along with being an ally, I couldn't help but wonder if I could truly call her friend. I had not known her all that long, and yet for the time I did it felt as though we'd been able to relax around one another. I'd seen her speaking with her goons back when she lead them, and she had always looked to hold herself on a higher level. Yet with me she seemed to drop that façade. I wondered if she thought of me as strongly as Kali had implied, however I didn't know how I was supposed to feel about that.
"I never get used to this you know." Mr. Quartz took a seat on the grass, patting the spot next to him. I got the memo and followed along as his gaze returned to the headstone. "As an old geezer I usually try to see death as that one little bugger out to get me, and I always laugh it off as death taking her sweet time. But whenever I hear of one of our people here on the island passing away for one reason or another I tend to ask if she even wants to take me."
I watched as his gaze fell, and his breathing steadied as he paused for a moment.
"I can't be picky though, when she comes, she comes. Death is crafty, but like everyone else she has a job to do, and like it or not she'll do it. It saddens me to know our little tiger's gone, but being down in the dumps isn't a good way to remember her. We can mourn yes, but we also have to move on too. I've seen too many who lose themselves to their yearning, unable to let go of those they lost; I was even one of those people for a while when I first lost my wife, but I had people who helped me move past that."
"I understand." I leaned back a moment, allowing myself to take in a breath and sooth the ache in my heart. "As I was growing up I'd always been told that death would bring peace, that it would purify our souls. No matter what we've done, what we've achieved, or where we are death would treat us all the same, granting us rest from a long and difficult life. It was a reward that everyone would get at some point or another, and a natural step of the soul. But there's been times where I've wondered: is it too soon? Friends and family would die young and I would be left to question if they were taken away from the world far too early; if they were stolen before their time."
I looked over, and saw the knowing smile traced across his lips. he wore a look of understanding, and I felt oddly comfortable around him in that moment.
"I can't say I've ever met someone with an outlook like that. It's a rather peaceful one, and I appreciate knowing there are those who look upon death not with ire, but understanding." He looked to the sky, breathing steady and the pain from before seemed to have almost mellowed out entirely. "I've often wondered the same thing too. There were moments where I questioned if it was fair or not. I realized however that it didn't matter. When our time comes, it comes, whether we like it or not. Personally I can't say this for everyone, but when I die I don't want people to halt everything and lose themselves over little old me. I'd want them to live their lives and experience the world. Life is short, and we can die at any moment. However this shortness is what makes the time we spend so special. We'll all die, and what we do may not impact the world all that much, but it makes memories for those close to us, and in their hearts we'll live on."
A part of me wanted to disagree, but everything he said was so hopeful, so pure. Every inch of my body screamed out, and yet I silenced it all. I may not have been able to truly die, but that ray of hope Mr. Quartz had so gently imparted on me sent a shock of drive throughout my spirit, and with it the willingness to push ever onward made itself blaringly known. Sienna had left this world to us, fighting for a better future and direction not just for the White Fang, but for all the Faunus who lived in suffering or despair. She wanted to bring hope to them, to show that there was indeed a better life to be had, a life worth fighting for.
My heart burned with a furious drive.
I would not be stagnant.
Author's note
...
Another one down, another step closer to the next big moment.
Oscar's back again, and with his second appearance he's one step closer to Mistral. Ozpin also had a few words of encouragement for the boy, but will they be enough? Guess you'll just have to wait and see.
V also get's to carry on, a much needed improvement from sitting around lazing about for a while. We also had a weird moment in probably dreamland again, and some actual answers... that lead to more questions.
That's all for now. See you next time.