Chapter 66: A New Teammate
It wasn't long before Teams RWBY and JNPR, along with Penny, met up with Teams CFVY and SSSN on their way to the main lobby located at the base of Beacon Tower. From there they proceeded to past the glass doors of the Cross Continental Transmit System and up a separate staircase until they reached what was essentially a waiting room for guests to meet the headmaster of Beacon.
It was a moderately-sized room, with a carpeted floor and a number of curved sofas and chairs arranged around a pair of tables. One of the walls were framed pictures of selected alumni and posters related to Beacon in neat eye-level rows. At the far end of the waiting area beside the elevator was a curved wooden desk which was occupied by the headmaster's secretary Emilia Brunet, a brown-haired woman with copper eyes who was currently sorting out the paperwork on a holo-screen.
The large group of teenagers sat around on the furniture, waiting either to be granted permission to go up to Ozpin's office or for him to come down and speak with them. All the same, they made use of the waiting time to talk amongst themselves and rest after the ordeals of another day at Beacon Academy.
"Hey, you think we'll be able to fit our match in today?" Ruby asked her team, referring to the tag-team match they had agreed on a couple of days earlier.
"Possibly, it depends on whatever Professor Ozpin has called us down here for." Blake responded, to which Weiss nodded in agreement.
"Relax Rubes, if we can't fight today we can always fight tomorrow." Yang assured her younger sister with a beaming smile.
Ruby nodded and glanced over to Jaune who was resting up on a nearby couch after his fight with Russel "You okay?" She asked politely.
"A little sore, but nothing I can't handle." Jaune told her as he leaned into Pyrrha a little, allowing her to soothe him by rubbing his back and shoulders. His left cheek was still somewhat red from where Russel had cut him earlier, but after Ren applied some medicinal cream the swelling had lessened.
"So, what exactly happened in Goodwitch's class?" Neptune queried.
"Let's just say Russel and me are square now." Jaune told the bluenette boy as he rubbed his cheek.
"I hope so." Pyrrha mentioned, concern in her voice, "He fought very well, but you did allow him to win."
"And you would totally own his skinny butt in a rematch!" Nora proclaimed, making Jaune roll his eyes but nodding at the same time, happy that Russel wasn't around to hear this conversation.
Sun laughed before posing to the group, "So what do you think this meeting is about? A special mission, trouble with certain dark forces, maybe even rewards?"
"It could very well be either of the first two. Hell, it might very well be both, but it could be anything. I guess we'll have to wait and see," Coco said as she gently waved her fashionable sunglasses in one hand, "But personally, my gut instinct is telling me that it might be a mission that requires our special skills."
"And when you get one of those feelings…" Fox began, looking directly at his partner who gave a wry smile.
"Exactly." Coco stated with a firm nod.
Velvet knotted her hands on her lap, looking to Blake who sat across from her, "So how's your family, Blake? I hear everything's all right in Menagerie now."
The Cat Faunus nodded to her friend and said, "Uncle Ghira called me a few days ago, and told me that the Red Fang has lost its foothold in Menagerie and its support there is nearly non-existent. A number of their members have been taken into custody by the island's police after a failed minor uprising while the rest apparently have themselves scarce. And he's going to do everything in his power to make sure the Red Fang won't have any lingering influence on Menagerie and hopefully it will stay that way."
"That's good to hear. They're weak enough as it is, so it's a good thing your uncle is kicking 'em while they're down." Sun told his girlfriend, smiling at the news.
"And what about Razor's White Fang?" Velvet asked, "Last I heard from my uncle Thayer, they weren't sure on where they stood with Menagerie."
Blake offered her friend a smile and replied, "Don't worry, most of Menagerie's White Fang branch have either turned themselves in to my uncle or followed the chapter's leader, Sienna Khan, when she decided to join up with Razor."
"Sienna Khan, that name sounds familiar…" Sage voiced with a thoughtful expression.
The black Cat Faunus nodded, "It should, since she was one of the most prominent White Fang leaders to the general public and was in charge of one of its largest chapters before Adam gained more and more control over the organization. She was a close friend of my family before she decided to support Adam in excommunicating Claudandus from the White Fang. However, when that happened Aunt Kali and Uncle Ghira quit in protest, hoping their prominence within the Fang would encourage others to do so as well."
"And I assume it didn't work as well as they hoped?" Yatsuhashi noted quietly.
"I'm afraid not, I'm proof enough of that. Regardless, Sienna Khan remained in Menagerie and helped mainly with public relations, serving as a 'face' for the White Fang before Adam grew more and more violent." Blake explained, "Aunt Kali explained that after the Fall of Beacon and Clandandus's capture by Adam, Sienna and her chapter all but cut ties with the bulk of the White Fang, something that mended her relationship with my family."
"She didn't fear reprisals from Adam?" Weiss pointed out.
"Sienna had earned enough loyalty among her own chapter as well as a firm friendship with Razor that discouraged Adam from attempting any sort of action against her like attacking or killing her, though I don't doubt she was on his hit list or that he was planning to have her assassinated in order to blame her death on humans. When the White Fang fell and Razor reorganized it, Sienna and many in her chapter eventually re-established contact and joined forces together with them. Although I haven't heard from her personally in over two years, I am glad to hear that she was alive and well." Blake finished up.
"You and her on good terms or not?" Yang asked her partner.
"I think so, the last time we met we spoke about our faith in Adam beginning to weaken. Sienna was a fierce fighter and the hardships she had gone through in the past may have caused her to lose hope for equality, but she wasn't a warmonger like Adam was. Maybe she changed her mind and wanted to make amends." Blake explained.
"Maybe if we meet up with Razor and his team again, you can reunite with her." Ruby told Blake encouragingly.
Blake nodded and gave her team leader a small smile, "I hope we get the chance to work with them again someday, and that the others like Yuma, Trifa and Ilia have come to their senses by now. I hope I do see them in Razor's reformed Fang."
"The chances of running into them shouldn't be unlikely, knowing our track record." Ren pointed out.
"Speaking of Faunus and improving relations, I've been told by my butler, Klein, that my father has recently promoted a Faunus to a project supervisor position in the company." Weiss revealed to them.
"Whoa, when was that?" Sun asked her, genuinely surprised.
"Just the other day, it hasn't been announced to the public yet. I don't remember the name but I recall that it was an Elephant Faunus who is apparently rather gifted with machinery and he has been being put in charge of a team designing and constructing new mining device." Weiss informed everyone present.
"That's a huge step forward for both Faunus and Atlesians," Sun commented, "I know the treatment's gotten better recently, but that's still a big deal."
"Tell me about it, never thought I'd see the day when the Schnees put a Faunus in charge of something… no offense, Weiss." Scarlet quickly apologized to the heiress who sighed and shook her head.
"No, no. It's quite all right, and I agree. It's honestly quite the surprising turnaround, something I never would have thought my father would ever do a mere year ago." Weiss remarked.
"Besides handing out reasonable promotions to Faunus workers, did he do anything else?" Pyrrha inquired.
"Well, Klein also mentioned that he has reviewed the company benefits and increased the salary for Faunus workers and miners within S.D.C. operated Dust mines and also donated a substantial amount of Lien to several Atlas hospitals which serve Faunus, they tend to be underfunded from what I understand." Ruby's partner informed them, "And most recently he has also appointed a few diligent Faunus as the managers of their respective S.D.C. branches after conducting fair interviews with them."
"Looks like your father has a change of heart. So it is happening, despite a long and difficult road, change is indeed happening." Blake said with a soft smile and a hopeful look in her amber eyes, "We can only hope it will all be worth it in the end."
"Trust me, it will be." Yang promised her partner, placing her flesh-and-blood hand on the Cat Faunus' shoulder. "It won't be any easier, but everything you and your family have fought for is going to happen."
"She's right," Sun spoke up, "I mean, we can't just erase prejudice but at least it's in the minority now and we're being accepted by the majority. It's kinda like a dream come true, and you helped make it possible Blake."
Blake blushed a little from Sun's compliment and said, "It wasn't all me, there were countless Faunus fighting for equal rights and many humans who helped us. I know my family was important, but I don't think I deserve that much praise."
"I think you do," Weiss spoke up, "After all, you befriended a Schnee, a member of a family with a well-known history of racism. That counts for something."
"But you didn't know she was a Faunus at first." Ruby pointed out.
The snow-haired princess sighed, but nodded all the same, "That is true, but still the fact is that I accepted you even after I learned that not only were you a Faunus, but a former member of the White Fang, should speak volumes of your character, Blake."
Blake smiled at her ashen-haired friend gratefully before Yang said to her, "I bet you never expected to have a Schnee sing your praises, huh?"
Blake smirked and answered, "Never, but I suppose she's right. I hope she is."
"Trust me, she is." Yang promised her secret girlfriend encouragingly.
"Hey, is Professor Ozpin ready for us yet? Professor Goodwitch said he wanted to see us." Ruby called to Emilia who looked up from her trio of holographic computer screens.
"I'm afraid not. Headmaster Ozpin should be soon though, he still has to finish up on his usual end-of-the-school-day activities." The headmaster's secretary mentioned to Ruby, who nodded as she sat back down between Weiss and Penny.
"Ugh, waiting is such a pain." Ruby groaned as she leaned her head back.
"Ruby, we've literally only been here for ten minutes." Weiss told her partner, shaking her head.
"Eleven minutes and twenty-three seconds, actually." Penny corrected as she raised a finger.
"Oh whatever," Weiss said with a slight groan before turning towards Ruby, "Besides, after all the things we've been through, a short wait shouldn't be anything difficult to you."
Ruby nodded and replied, "I know, but I don't like being kept in suspense and there's a lot of things I have been wondering about; like how is Uncle Qrow? What're the bad guys up to? What does Ozpin have in store for us? What did Jaune and Pyrrha learn from the Aura Crystal and… oh crud…" She trailed off and fell silent abruptly, silver eyes widening on her face as she realized she had let the secret slip.
Jaune and Pyrrha both instantly jerked their heads towards her with looks of surprise on their faces while Ren glanced at an equally surprised, and rather nervous looking, Nora who quickly looked away, whistling softly and completely failing to look casual.
Everybody else's attention was piqued by Ruby's accidental announcement, earning quite a few interested looks and raised eyebrows.
"Ruby, how did you know about that?" Jaune asked her carefully.
The silver-eyed girl glanced towards Nora, making Pyrrha turn her head towards her teammate as Weiss asked what was on the minds of everyone else, "Is something wrong?"
"You could say that. Nora?" Ren asked his girlfriend sternly.
"...Oh! I'm sorry guys! It was early, and I was sleepy, and it just slipped out!" A red-faced Nora frantically spilled, trying to excuse herself and getting an apologetic look from Ruby.
"Look, it's all right, Nora. We're not mad at you." Pyrrha promised her friend, "Maybe a little disappointed, but this was going to get out sooner or later."
"What are you talking about?" Neptune asked, confused.
"Don't leave us in the dark here, guys. Fill us in." Coco beckoned.
Jaune sighed and shared a look with Pyrrha, who nodded before taking charge of the situation. The Spartan spoke up, saying, "Well… we were going to tell you anyway, though I would have preferred it to be after we figured out a decent way to let you all know."
"Know what?" Scarlet inquired.
"Whatever they discovered in the Aura Crystal, that much is clear." Yatsuhashi stated calmly.
The couple nodded before Pyrrha added, "And most of you will have… a pretty hard time swallowing what we found out."
"What was it then? I mean, it must be pretty heavy if you two're this stressed about it." Yang commented.
"Well, it's pretty complicated and weird, even by our standards," Jaune answered, "It's not bad or anything, it's just… difficult to explain."
"Try us." Fox deadpanned as he looked directly at the blond.
"Okay then, don't keep us in suspense. What'd you learn?" Yang asked the Guardians of the Aura Crystal.
The couple shared a look with each other once again before Jaune said, "I think it would be best to let everyone know once we're in Ozpin's office, since this concerns him too."
"Excuse me?" Emilia called out from her desk, getting their collective attention, "Headmaster Ozpin is ready to see you now, you may proceed to the elevator."
The members of Team Beacon took the elevator up in groups, with Teams RWBY and JNPR along with Penny going up first while Teams CFVY and SSSN waited for the second trip, so as not to overload the elevator with their collective weight.
As the first two groups and the android rode the ascending elevator, they continued the conversation.
"Okay so, let's get real here; just how weird is your discovery on a scale of one to ten?" Weiss asked Jaune and Pyrrha.
"About an eight, I'd say." Jaune replied.
"That seems about right. It's certainly bizarre but at least it's not a message of doom or anything." Pyrrha voiced as she felt one of Jaune's hands touch her own and she gently squeezed back in return to assure him. She mentally wished there was some windows in the elevator so they could at least look at something else instead of the curious expressions their friends were giving them at the moment.
Ruby looked to her orange-haired friend and apologized, "Sorry Nora, it just… slipped out."
"Heh, don't worry about it Ruby. Besides, that's how you found out too." Nora said with a slight smile before looking to her teammates and offering her own apology, "I'm so sorry, guys."
The other three members of Team JNPR's expressions softened, with Ren telling his girlfriend, "It's all right, just try to do better at keeping secrets."
She gave him a smile and said, "I will. Pinky promise."
"We'll hold you to that, since we wouldn't want to keep you out of the loop." Jaune met her face with a smile.
"Do not feel so bad Nora. At the very least, you didn't tell me; I am not very good at lying." Penny said with a smile.
Nora chuckled, "You're right, you'd be hiccupping up a storm if you had to cover for me." As the last few words left her lips they arrived at the top of the tower, the elevator dinging as it reached its destination.
A few minutes later, Teams SSSN and CFVY arrived at Ozpin's tower office where the rest of Team Beacon awaited them with the silver-haired headmaster of the Huntsman Academy sitting at his desk with his knotted hands placed in front of him.
"Ah, it's wonderful to see you all in person again. I trust everything's going well for everyone?" Ozpin asked the entire team which was arranged in a rough semicircle in front of him.
"Eh, about the same." Fox quipped he leaned against the wall.
"We're just fine, Professor. Thank you for asking." Velvet answered politely, with Coco and Yatsuhashi nodding in agreement.
"Everything's cool with us, save for the usual tedious homework and lectures." Sun told Ozpin, which made the headmaster give a faint wry smile in his direction.
"I am pleased to report that interactions within the members of Team Beacon are normal, their academic performances are up to standard, and my systems have been performing very well with no malfunctions, sir." Penny informed him with her usual brightness.
"We're doing pretty okay Professor Ozpin, just kinda wondering why you called all of us up here." Ruby said to him.
"Don't worry, Miss Rose. I'll tell you all once our guest has arrived." Ozpin stated.
"Guest?" Blake repeated, placing one of her hands on her hips.
"Yes, he's part of the reason I summoned you all here. What about you, Team JNPR?" Ozpin turned his head towards them, noting that they hadn't answered his question about how they were faring.
"Honestly Professor Ozpin…we're doing fine, but there is something important we need to bring to the attention of the rest of Team Beacon, and you as well." Pyrrha said carefully to him.
"Oh?" Ozpin began with one thin black eyebrow raised, "And what might that be?"
"Apparently these two lovebirds learned something major in the Aura Crystal the other night and it's apparently kind of freaky, judging from how tight-lipped they've been." Yang mentioned.
"That's the gist of it. I'm honestly not sure what to really say about it since you guys might call us insane after hearing what we have learned." Jaune answered as he looked around at the other members of the team.
"Jaune, please. You and Pyrrha have both survived injuries that would kill normal people and you're both technically half-Grimm, and guardians of an ancient relic to boot." Velvet told him directly, "Whatever you learned can't be any stranger than what we've been through in the past two years."
"I wouldn't say that, but I do think that we're at least prepared enough to hear it." Coco agreed, pushing up her sunglasses on the bridge of her nose.
"And after all we've been through together, I believe we deserve to know whatever it is." Blake added calmly.
"It's not that we don't trust you, in fact we trust all of you," Pyrrha offered, "It's just that this is very strange."
"Well it's like Fox said earlier; try us." Ruby said to her friends with a bold smile as everyone within the tower office focused their attentions on Jaune and Pyrrha.
"I shall not force you both to reveal everything." Ozpin adjusted his spectacles with two fingers before adding, "But if you are comfortable with speaking about whatever you have learned, you may start enlightening us."
"Well, we wanted to wait to let you in on it as well, Professor Ozpin… since it kind of concerns you too." Jaune informed him, and Ozpin gave him an intrigued look.
"Well come on, spit it out already." Weiss prodded, crossing her arms.
Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other in the eyes one last time and nodded, before Jaune turned to face Ozpin while still holding Pyrrha's hand in his own.
"What we're about to talk about could be important, and since it might concern the safety of Remnant you might want to record it." He informed Ozpin, who nodded before touching a few buttons on the screen of his desk which presumably activated a recording device before giving a nod to the couple.
"It's recording now. You may begin whenever you are ready." He said.
Jaune nodded and began with, "The other night during our usual meditative sessions with the crystal, Pyrrha and I went into the relic to speak with Ashe and his mother about meeting the Maidens and to find out whatever he wanted to tell us the last time."
"When we spoke with him, he reminded us about a prophecy regarding the Aura Crystal that we saw in one of the old books he gave us." Pyrrha said, before quoting the prophecy verbatim to the group.
There were a few moments of silence before Blake broke it by saying, "Whoever wrote that prophecy really need to brush up on his or her poetry skills badly." That comment earned a few quiet chuckles from a few other members of Team Beacon.
"Children's stories from the past saving the world? That does sound weird." Neptune said with a nod.
"It's far from being the strangest part," Pyrrha said.
"Yeah, Ashe and Ember said that no one involved with protecting the crystal ever understood what it meant, but after the fragment of Ashe's soul joined with the relic he managed to hear a lot of stories from the aura collective. Stories that reminded him of us." Jaune explained to his friends.
Silence reigned before Ruby asked the question everyone wanted to ask, "Wait, what?"
"You see, when Ashe's soul fragment became integrated into the crystal, he merged with the combined aura of the people from before the Great Shattering, and apparently he heard a number of children's stories and legends that reminded him of us." Jaune revealed to them, taking in the stunned, shocked and weirded out faces of his friends.
"Okay, no wonder you wanted to wait before telling us." Nora murmured quietly.
"So, what exactly are these stories?" Sage inquired, fixing his gold eyes on Jaune.
"There's a fairy tale about a girl called named Little Red Riding Hood, who encountered a big bad wolf. Does that ring any bells?" Jaune asked which made everyone slowly turn to look at a very stunned Ruby.
"Wait, there's a story about me from thousands of years ago?!" She cried.
"Not about you, per say, but someone who sounds like you Ruby. Then there's the tale of Snow White, a story of the fairest maiden in the lands with skin as white as snow." Pyrrha said and looked at Weiss whose light-blue eyes widened.
"Hold on a minute. Are you telling me we all bear a resemblance to some ancient children's tale?" The Schnee heiress asked incredulously.
"Well, not all of us. Come to think of it, I don't think neither Ashe or Ember ever told us anything that sounded like Fox or Yatsuhashi." Jaune said carefully.
"Oh great, nice to be the odd ones out." Fox said sarcastically while Yatsuhashi carefully considered what he had just heard, a slight frown on his face.
"So aside from our boys here, we all have something to do with old legends and fairy tales?" Coco asked her friends watchfully.
"Yes, though there are exceptions since you and Jaune are similar to people who were real but became legendary." Pyrrha said to them before adding, "I know it's surreal and very hard to believe at first, but it's apparently the truth and makes up part of the prophecy I just told you."
"Okay, okay… so just tell us; what are each of our stories?" Yang asked them.
"I believe Mr Arc and Miss Nikos will reveal that soon, Miss Xiao Long," Said Ozpin as he looked at his students with a careful, but obviously fascinated look, "I find this conversation quite... interesting, if the prophecy has similarities with most of you, it would help to know as much as we can about it."
"Well… going on with Team RWBY, Blake is apparently similar to the heroine of a fairy tale named Beauty and the Beast, which was about a girl who loves to read books and she saves her father from a beast who was once a man and manages to soothe his heart and help him rediscover his humanity. It's hard not to see the parallels between Blake and the Beauty, while it's a safe guess that Adam Taurus was the Beast." Pyrrha continued, giving an apologetic look to the Cat Faunus as she noticed a brief look of distress on Blake's facial features, with the three other members of Team RWBY and Sun all looking at her with concerned faces.
"And there's a fairy tale called 'Goldilocks', which features a girl with hair of gold and it's clear Yang lives up to that name." Jaune said, looking at the blonde brawler.
"I admit I do," Yang responded proudly as she flicked her yellow-golden locks of hair.
"And Penny is supposedly similar to the story about a puppet named Pinocchio, who was brought to life by magic and wishes to become a real boy and if he tells any lies his nose would grow longer so as to let other people know he's lying." Pyrrha told them.
"Despite my extensive knowledge… I do not believe there is a proper word in my internal database that can describe how strange this is." Penny voiced a little worriedly as her hands knotted together in front of her torso.
"At least not without swearing." Yang joked, remembering that Dr. Polendina had programmed Penny to be unable to swear.
"And there was apparently an ancient character with the exact same name as Sun who was called the Monkey King, he wielded a long cudgel and flew around on a cloud." Jaune explained.
"Okay, that's pretty freaking weird but as the same time it's pretty sweet." Sun chuckled as he received amused looks from Neptune, Yang and Ruby while Weiss simply rolled her eyes. Blake instead remained silent, trying to process the latest bit of bizarre information.
"And Neptune was apparently a name for a God of the Sea." Pyrrha voiced.
Needless to say, said blunette threw his arms up and groaned, "Oh, that's nice! I'm named after a god and it's a god of something I can't stand!"
"Ah, get over yourself mate," Scarlet patted him on the back, "So what fairy tale do I resemble?"
"A story called Peter Pan, which was about a boy who could fly, never grew up, and fought pirates." Jaune informed him, "While Sage is apparently similar to some epic poem."
Sage hummed quietly as he took this odd information in, one hand rubbing his chin.
"So…if Fox and Yatsuhashi aren't similar to anything, what about Coco and me?" Velvet asked them, cupping her hands together and placing them on her lap.
"Supposedly you're based on a story named The Velveteen Rabbit which was about an ill little boy's favourite toy, Velvet. And Coco is apparently reminiscent of a real woman in the old world who was a legendary fashion designer." Pyrrha informed the two female members of Team CFVY.
"Well, at least whatever god or goddess decides these things knows what fits me." Coco said with a slight smirk.
"So, what about us? What kinda stories are we supposed to be named after?" Nora asked curiously.
"Well Nora… you're probably based on Thor, who was a legendary warrior who could control thunder and lighting and even had a hammer as a weapon." Jaune told her, intentionally leaving the deity part of Thor's legend out to avoid any unwanted boosting of Nora's buoyant personality.
"And Ren is apparently similar to a legend about a girl called Mulan who disguised herself as a man in order to take her father's place in a great war and ended up saving her country." Pyrrha said to her green ninja teammate.
Ren simply nodded and remained silent while a small part of him wondered why he was based on a woman, but if she was a powerful one who saved her homeland and honored her family he wasn't complaining, not that he would do it in the first place. Though another part of him wished he could have done something to help his own father the way Mulan had.
"And as for Jaune and I… it would seem that I appear to be similar to a great warrior named Achilles who was viewed as unstoppable until his heel was pierced by an arrow, similar to how I was wounded by Cinder when I fought her atop this tower." Pyrrha described softly, the painful memory emerging once again in her mind as she noticed everyone in the room having looks of concern and apprehension, while Jaune laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"And I'm supposedly named after a woman from thousands of years ago called Joan of Arc, who claimed to be aided by the voice of God in her mind and rose from obscurity to lead armies into battle. It's kind of similar to how I heard the voice of my goddess here and and fought to bring her back from Cinder and Salem." Jaune finished, glancing at Pyrrha who found herself smiling back at him.
"And what of myself, Mr. Arc?" Ozpin asked carefully as the recording function of his personal computer system continued to copy every single word spoken, "You did say this does also concern me, and are there any others who this prophecy may apply to?"
"Yeah, who else does this crazy prophecy talk about?" Yang chimed in.
"Well, Ashe also told us about a story called 'The Wizard of Oz', and it's pretty obvious who that's supposed to be." Jaune related to the headmaster, and saw Ozpin's eyes widen slightly.
"While I am aware of the old world and have actually heard of a title like that from one of the various top secret archaeological expeditions my group has funded, I never managed to find out much about it. Nonetheless, I did not expect this when I requested for your presence." Ozpin replied with a sigh as he mentally considered the implications the prophecy brought. While he had heard of that prophecy years ago when he first visited the Kasai family so they could ally with the Guardians of Remnant, he now knew there were more important truths hidden within those cryptic words then he had first thought so many years ago.
If this particular prophecy did indeed involve the fate of Remnant, then the existence of Team Beacon was more important than he had realized.
"Tell me about it, can this get any weir - " Scarlet began, only to be silenced when Coco placed her hand over his mouth.
"Yeah, I'm gonna stop you right there, fly boy. If this proves anything it's that things can always get weirder." The Fashionista told him before withdrawing her arm and then crossing it with its mate over her chest.
"Indeed, Miss Adel. Mr. Arc, Miss Nikos, who else does this prophecy involve?" Ozpin asked them
"From what Ashe told us, he said that the Wizard of Oz had certain characters in it that reminded him of Professor Goodwitch, General Ironwood, Ruby's uncle Qrow Branwen, and possibly the rest of Team STRQ as well." Jaune told him.
"And apparently Professors Oobleck and Port are similar to children's stories as well, specifically 'Peter and the Wolf' as well as 'Bartholomew and the Oobleck'." Pyrrha mentioned, "And that's not all, Ashe and Ember both also believed that Cinder is based off a story named Cinderella, which was about a mistreated girl who wanted more in life and was given that wish by a fairy godmother of sorts."
"And it seems that Cinder really trusted the wrong magical being in this case." Neptune sighed, "She must have been really poor at judging the intentions of other people."
"So that also could mean the prophecy's not all legit." Sun voiced.
"You're right, I don't think Cinder Fall and her cronies would ever do anything to help us save the world." Fox said grimly.
"Both Sun and Fox have good points, I think that Cinder's one of those people we could never trust to do the right thing," Ruby said, "Trust me, when I was her captive I got to know what she's really like, and I can tell she's not the kind of person who would ever do anything for anyone but herself, unless it's Salem since she's her serving her."
"And that's a truth I believe to be concrete as well," Weiss spoke guardedly, "After everything Cinder has done, at least what we know of, there's no way she would ever go against her master for us or do anything for the good of the world."
"On that, we are in agreement." Pyrrha nodded at Weiss, "I still have the scars from Cinder which are proof enough of her cruel and ruthless nature."
"While I don't think any of you have wrong opinions, prophecies are always strange and sometimes have mysterious and twisted meanings. Besides, who truly knows what the future has in store for us?" Ozpin said with a small shrug of his shoulders, as he noticed the lights of the elevator going back down behind the assembled members of Team Beacon. Ozpin made a small humming sound before asking "Is there anyone else you know of to be related to this prophecy?"
Jaune nodded, "Yeah, after a bit more discussion we think that Mercury was named after another God, while Emerald has some connection to a desert queen named Cleopatra who was apparently cursed by an emerald, and from what Coco figured out from the clothing style some towns in Vacuo that are in or around the deserts have, Emerald might be from a desert area."
"And that Neo may be based on a character called Mary Poppins, who could also fly with the aid of an umbrella. My fellow Grimm Commanders seem to have similarities to stories as well; Ziz was also the name of a flying beast from old legends and Sheer Kaa seems to be named after villains from a book about a boy in the jungle." Pyrrha added.
Ozpin, carefully considering this strange information, unknotted his fingers and placed them palms-down on the desk before he asked "Besides this intriguing prophecy, is there anything else you can share with us?"
"There's something else." Jaune's face looked thoughtful for a moment as he glanced at Pyrrha, "There's a second prophecy relating to a mysterious pair of powerful warriors, but neither of us knows what it means."
"Can you at least tell us what it said?" Sage inquired.
"Well… the gist of the second prophecy details something regarding a daughter of a phoenix and a son of a dragon coming together to bring… a salvation of sorts? And there's something regarding a Promethean Sun, or that is what I think it was named." Pyrrha's face frowned slightly as she tried to recall the details, and saw Ozpin straighten a little at the mention of the last few words.
"Are you sure that second prophecy doesn't have anything to do with you two?" Yatsuhashi asked as he gestured with his gauntleted hands.
"No, I doubt it has anything to do with the two of us." Jaune answered, "While Pyrrha does have something to do with a phoenix, since she was technically burned and reborn and all but she's not the daughter of one, I don't have anything to do with a dragon."
"Yeah, unless you are secretly a dragon with incredible magic powers who can fly and breathe fire in disguise as a human form, and what are the odds of that?" Nora joked and was quickly elbowed by Ren who was slowly shaking his head, while Jaune simply allowed his hand to meet his face, while a couple of others gave Nora good-natured laughs.
"Wait, what about Yang?" Ruby piped up, gesturing at her elder sister who looked a little puzzled herself, "Her name means dragon!"
"Ruby, the prophecy mentioned specifically a son of a dragon, not a daughter." Pyrrha clarified before looking to the headmaster who was absorbing every spoken word, "Would you be able to shed any light on the second prophecy, Professor?"
Ozpin remained silent, but there was a slow tightening of his fingers on the surface of the table. When he spoke, it was in a reasonably cordial tone though, "I have heard of the Mistralian legend of the Dragon and the Phoenix, but it has been quite some time. And the Promethean Sun, that reminds me of something..."
He broke out of his brief musing and looked at both Jaune and Pyrrha, "I am afraid I would have to consult the Beacon Archives once more before I can say anything else, since what you have just told me has certainly given me food for thought. Rest assured though, I will immediately inform you if I find anything with regards to the second prophecy."
"Thank you, Professor." Pyrrha replied and Jaune nodded.
"It's the least I can do to assist you. However, if these two prophecies does indeed have something to do with Remnant's future, then they cannot be so easily dismissed." Ozpin said.
"We had hoped you wouldn't. They sound very strange, but they might have some important meaning or come into play when the time comes to confront Salem." Pyrrha said sensibly.
"But why would it? The first prophecy doesn't give out any concrete details, just that people who apparently resemble tales from ancient times like us will help save Remnant in its darkest hour and that their bonds must not weaken." Yatsuhashi said questioningly, "And I still find it peculiar that Fox and I don't seem to have any resemblance to any ancient stories."
"At least none that Ashe, Ember, or the of the aura collective knew about. Maybe the fact you two are not based on any legend may also means something else as well. I pointed out to Jaune last night that this might be about a destiny when all is said and done, and he told me that destiny isn't set in stone like I once thought it was. We're all apparently similar to these ancient fairy tales, and yet here we are together, but at the same time both Fox and Yatsuhashi might not have anything to do with any old story and are simply themselves. If destiny brought us all together, then why would it also include two random people?" Pyrrha pointed out meaningfully.
"A good point, Miss Nikos. You each have your own histories and journeys that led all of you to where and who you are today, so whether based on ancient tales or not, you all are still unique individuals shaped by your thoughts, experiences and relationships. But all the same, I cannot deny that these prophecies are quite… interesting." Ozpin told his students before letting out a sigh and admitting, "Unfortunately, unless I have more information it will be difficult for me to take any further action. Perhaps I can reach out to some of the historians my group is acquainted with to look into those prophecies, and I'll bring this matter to the attentions of the other Guardians of Remnant once I have the chance to let them listen to this recording."
A few quick taps of his fingers halted the recording and saved it away behind several security barriers, and Ozpin stood up from his chair behind his table to address all of Team Beacon once more, "Now, if we can briefly put aside that oddness for a short moment, it's time for me to actually explain why I summoned all of you here."
"Yeah, I almost forgot about that," Ruby said as she rubbed her head, still a little uncomfortable by what they have just discussed.
"You aren't the only one, Ruby. Something as strange as what we have just discussed would easily make anyone forget what they were thinking about." Blake confessed as she looked at her team leader, a perplexed look on her face which was probably caused by the idea of her similarity to the tale of Beauty and the Beast.
"Indeed, Miss Belladonna. First of all, Team Beacon shall be receiving a new member." Ozpin announced, and noticed the expressions of surprise on the faces in front of him as it was something none of them had been expecting.
"Well, isn't this a day for surprises." Fox stated dryly.
"Maybe it's Unofficial Surprises Day." Penny suggested lightly, sharing a good-humored smile with Ruby.
"No, that's not until next month." Nora dismissed in a way that no one but Ren could tell if she was joking or not. She wasn't.
"So who is it, Professor Ozpin? Someone we know?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Yes it is someone you're familiar with, Miss Rose, and he is coming up with Professor Goodwitch in the elevator as we speak." Ozpin confirmed as he gestured towards the flickering indicator above the elevator, which was steadily getting higher and higher to the current floor.
"So, sorry if we freaked any of you out or anything. We wanted to find a good way to tell all of you, but how exactly do we tell you about something like the first prophecy without it sounding totally nuts?" Jaune said to his friends, spreading open his hands in a friendly gesture.
"I don't think that would be possible." Blake remarked.
"Not at all. But still; Monkey King, huh? I like the sound of that…" Sun mused to himself, getting a small laugh from both Blake and Neptune.
"Don't let the banana royalties go to your head, your majesty." Yang joked before slapping him on the back, just as the elevator finally arrived with an electronic ding.
The doors drew open to reveal not only Glynda, but also a tall armored figure that some of Team Beacon were all too familiar with.
"Sharp Strike!" Ruby cried out, happy to see her friend again.
"Greetings, Ruby Rose. Hello everyone, it's good to see all of you once again." Sharp Strike announced as he stepped inside Ozpin's office, giving them a polite bow.
"Wait a minute… tall, mysterious, and armor-plated here is our new team member?" Yang asked Ozpin and Glynda as the blonde combat instructor walked over to stand beside her co-headmaster.
"He is indeed, Miss Xiao Long. Sharp Strike has been appointed to join Team Beacon as a representative on behalf of the Order of Remnant Knights, and he will be accompanying you on any future missions. I expect you all to be on your best behavior and treat him with proper respect." Glynda told the assembled students, "I hope that won't be a problem for any of you?"
"Not at all. If this guy's still as good as he was on the White Fang mission, I'm sure we'll be cool." Coco remarked as she nodded to Sharp Strike, who returned the gesture.
"It's a lot to take in, but apparently today won't let up." Velvet commented, still processing some of the information about the prophecy.
"It's great that you're joining us, Sharp Strike!" Ruby said as she shook his gauntleted hand, "So what've you been up to since the last time we saw each other?"
"My usual duties as a Knight, as well as my preparation to join you." He replied in a strong and firm voice.
"I can kinda tell, your new armor looks fantastic." Ruby praised, her eyes beaming at his armor before they got even brighter upon seeing his weapons, "And those new swords at your back also look impressive too!"
"Indeed." Weiss agreed, who was also admiring the new Aegis armor worn by the Knight, "I have only ever seen something like it in the Atlesian museums, but your looks much more advanced."
"Thank you both, I'm glad to know it's impressive." He answered.
"I gotta admit it is, and if you can kick ass and take names as good as Ruby, Neptune, Coco, and the others say you can, then you're more than welcome on our team." Yang said as she shook his gauntleted hand with her robotic one.
"I can assure you I can pull on my own weight within Team Beacon." Sharp Strike promised.
"I suppose that if he's joining us, there's something big probably going on?" Blake asked aloud, "I mean, I doubt a Remnant Knight like Sharp Strike would join us simply to sit by and help us with our school work and combat sessions."
"Once again you are correct, Miss Belladonna. There is more to this meeting than the addition of your new teammate. We have an important mission for Team Beacon to embark on today." Ozpin informed them, which immediately captured the attention of everyone present as Sharp Strike walked over to stand between Ruby and Jaune.
"Whoa, it must be big if a Remnant Knight is joining our team." Jaune stated aloud.
"I can assure you it is. Now, I take it that Miss Nikos, Mr. Arc and Miss Rose had informed you all of their meeting with the Winter Maiden?" Ozpin inquired and received nods from everyone standing in front of him.
"We did, and I briefly told them about the other two Maidens." Pyrrha confirmed.
"Very well, Miss Nikos. As long as you all remain faithful to your vows of secrecy, there's no problem with that. This new mission of yours concerns the Spring and Summer Maidens," Ozpin explained to them, his serious tone of voice making them all understand that whatever they were hearing about now wasn't to be taken lightly, "The other night, the Spring Maiden, who has been suffering from horrible nightmares for some weeks now, apparently had one bad enough to make her wake up screaming. She claims that her dream showed her the capital of Vacuo being turned to death-filled ruins by the Grimm and Salem's forces, and that she also saw the Summer Maiden having her powers stolen from her, just like the terrible attack the Fall Maiden fell victim to."
There was a few moments of uneasy silence in the room before Pyrrha broke it with a soft, dread-filled reply of, "Oh…oh gods no…"
"I'm afraid that is what she saw, and it was further confirmed by Storm Bringer, the prognosticator of the Remnant Knight detachment assigned to protect her." Ozpin added.
"A prognosticator?" Neptune repeated with a look of confusion.
"Essentially the seers and mages of the Remnant Knights." Ozpin explained to the bluenette, "And the current Chief Prognosticator, Soul Seer, has apparently glimpsed similar visions."
"And from what I know of her, Soul Seer's visions are almost never wrong." Glynda mentioned resolutely.
"She was the one who made sure the Aura Crystal was the real deal, right?" Weiss asked.
"That's correct, Miss Schnee." Sharp Strike said, "Soul Seer is one of the most powerful Prognosticators in the history of the Order, someone I respected as both an honored mentor and someone treat as an aunt or an older sister, and if she saw something similar then it must be a highly probable forthcoming threat."
"Quite so, Sharp Strike. The Spring Maiden was so distressed by this vision and the implications of it, she attempted an escape from her protectors, but they were able to foil her escape and make sure she remained in their custody." Glynda briefly recounted the incident to her students.
"She tried to escape? Why?" Coco wondered, while Pyrrha groaned visibly and almost felt the urge to slap her forehead rise within her.
"Oh, I knew Amethyst was strong-willed, but I didn't think she would be this foolhardy." The Spartan sighed.
"She is indeed very headstrong, but not foolish." Ozpin said evenly, "She wants meet up with the Summer Maiden to ensure her safety, and isn't assuaged by the Knight protectors' promises of heightened security. Amethyst also claims she intended her escape plan to fail, simply to prove to the Knights and we Guardians of Remnant that she wouldn't stop trying to escape until she saw her sister Maiden in person to confirm her safety. So after much discussion, we have allowed her to visit the Summer Maiden in Vacuo for a short period of time so that she will no longer attempt any escapes and will be more compliant in the future."
"Wait, why can't she just meet the Summer Maiden in the mindscape?" Jaune questioned.
"The mindscape isn't physical, Jaune. Even if they were to meet there, I think Amethyst would still want to personally ensure her friend's safety." Pyrrha told her partner.
"An accurate summary, Miss Nikos." Ozpin confirmed.
"So, I guess this is where we come in; I take it we're extra security?" Coco guessed.
"Right on the money, Miss Adel. You see, Team Beacon is not only aware of the existence of the Maidens, Miss Rose, Mr. Arc and Miss Nikos have all met the Winter Maiden and Miss Nikos also knows of the Spring and Summer Maidens from her time in the mindscape, which the rest of you were no doubt informed of." Ozpin continued speaking to them, "And with the Knight Order requesting to have Sharp Strike join you as a representative and considering your past experiences with the agents of Salem and exceptional combat abilities, we feel that it would be wise not only to bring in protection in the form of a large team of Hunters who were already aware of the Maidens, but also a group with members familiar with them as well."
"So we're going to go to Vacuo as bodyguards for the Maidens?" Ruby surmised.
"That's the idea, yes." Glynda acknowledged, "Although more details will be explained further during the journey."
"Then we're going to need our gear. If there's a risk that Salem and her cronies are going to attack, we'll need every weapon and every ounce of Dust we can get our hands on." Sun mentioned.
Ozpin nodded in agreement, "You may all go to your dorm room and prepare yourselves for the mission. You may also inform Professor Goodwitch to request additional supplies from Beacon's armories if you are short on any important items. When you have finished attending to those matters, meet Sharp Strike, Professor Goodwitch, and I out on the Beacon airship docks so we may transport you all to Fort Lakeford."
" Lakeford?" Ruby repeated, wondering why they'd be going to the sizable Valean Military base located at the northwestern part of the Kingdom, forty miles away from the city.
"Yes, you won't depart from here to Vacuo, since the Bullheads don't have enough fuel reserves to make such a long trip. Don't worry, you'll soon find out what you'll be travelling in, it's on the way as we speak. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to have a few words with Sharp Strike." Ozpin finished and inclined his silver-haired head.
The students making up Team Beacon nodded obediently and began to take their leave, with Teams SSSN and CFVY going down in the elevator first with Glynda joining them.
As the rest waited for the lift to return, Yang turned and asked the headmaster, "Professor, is it all right if I take my bike Bumblebee with me? It has some neat new features that could come in handy since we're going into a desert environment and potentially up against the big bads again.
Ozpin nodded "I don't see a problem with that, Miss Xiao Long. You have my permission."
"Yes! Thanks, Prof!" The blonde bombshell pumped her flesh-and-blood fist.
"Your bike won't be the only one, Miss Xiao Long, since I'll be taking mine as well." Sharp Strike mentioned casually.
"That's great! Perhaps we can race sometime?" Yang suggested with a smile.
"While I don't usually use my bike for such frivolous activities, I can always use that as a way to see if my bike's capabilities are performing up to standard." The Remnant Knight replied.
Yang smirked and accepted with a fiery look that told him she loved a challenge, "Anytime and anywhere, shining knight."
Ruby laughed and said, "I hope you won't regret that, Sharp Strike. My older sister races like she fights; for keeps."
"Then I won't go easy on her when the time comes." The knight offered, a sense of humor in his voice.
"You better not, I'd be extremely disappointed." Yang commented which made Blake smile and shake her head, Weiss to form a smirk on her features, while Ruby simply giggled.
"To be a little serious, I'm happy that you're joining us Sharp Strike. It's great to have another friend with us, especially one as skilled and powerful as you. If anything does happen on this new mission, the bad guys won't stand a chance against all of us." Ruby said to the knight, who nodded in return.
"I look forward to fighting alongside you as well, friend Sharp Strike!" Penny snapped off a salute which was mirrored by the knight clapping his gauntleted fist against the surface of his gleaming chest plate.
"As do I." Sharp Strike nodded as the elevator returned to the top, and Teams RWBY and JNPR as well as Penny got inside and the doors slid shut before bringing them swiftly downwards to the ground level.
The Headmaster and the Knight waited for the lift's doors to close completely before focusing their eyes on each other. Or more accurately Ozpin was looking directly at the azure lenses set into Sharp Strike's helmet. It was always difficult to know the emotions of most Remnant Knights since their faces were always hidden behind faceplates, but Ozpin had lived long enough to know how to read the body language of others in order to have a reasonable impression of their personality.
Right now the Knight was at ease, although it was possible his posture would change at any hint of a threat. One gauntleted hand rested on the pommel of a red and gold sword sheathed in a black and gold scabbard attached to the belt around his waist, while the other had its fingers open and held casually by his side. The headmaster had a brief mental image of an apex predator at rest underneath the jungle's shade, its tremendous strength simmering slightly below the surface but still easily able to transition swiftly into quick retaliatory action whenever necessary once the prey has been scented.
It was after a few seconds of silence punctuated by the ancient gears grinding against each other continuously in a slow, monotonous yet methodical rhythm above them as they regarded each other evenly. The moment passed and Ozpin decided to break the silence by speaking, "I apologize for not being to receive you in person, but I trust Glynda received you with the respect due to your position?"
Sharp Strike gave a nod of his helmeted head to concede the point, "I understand, and yes she did."
Ozpin smiled a little and then gestured with one of his hands towards the seat set opposite him, "Would you like to take a seat?"
"My thanks. What is it you wish to speak to me about, Headmaster?" The knight asked with a cautious tone in his voice as he sat down.
"Think of it as merely making conversation. I only wish to ask a little about you." Ozpin replied as he sat down once more and laid his arms on the table, "It has been quite some time, to my knowledge at least, that a Remnant Knight has been attached to an active team of Hunters."
"I am aware of that." Sharp Strike answered calmly, "Argentius made mention of a particularly important mission in the past which had a group of Knights working in tandem with a team of Huntsmen and Huntresses from Beacon, Team STRQ if I'm not mistaken."
"I see that you are quite knowledgeable of past events," The headmaster inclined his head a little, "It was a joint mission of sorts between our organizations, and it changed the lives of everyone involved significantly and some may say irrecoverably. That combined team, although large at that point in time, had eventually handed us a hard-won victory against opposing forces who were loyal to Salem."
"And now I presume you have a case of Déjà vu with me being sent from the Order to join Team Beacon?" The knight representative guessed.
"Somewhat, yes." Ozpin replied, looking at the young knight, "While the previous example had veteran knights being partnered up with Team STRQ, they sent you here out of all the available Knights within the Order."
"The Order's operational procedures are varied and flexible depending on the situation at hand." Sharp Strike said, "Choosing me as the representative was only after much deliberation among the senior Knights and Prognosticators back at Tintagel. I may have an inkling as to why I was chosen, but I trust their decision aside from what I know of my own qualifications."
"And what do you think made them choose you?" Ozpin continued, and when the Knight tilted his helmet in an enquiring gesture, the headmaster clarified, "Purely as a matter of curiosity, of course."
Sharp Strike was quiet for a moment before he spoke once more, "I don't presume to know what the senior Knights think, but them selecting me specifically would most likely have something to do with practical reasons rather than any personal ones. However if I were to give you some of those reasons, they would be that I have encountered several members of Team Beacon and fought alongside them on their mission against the White Fang, and it would also be slightly difficult for them to accept any of the senior knights who they haven't met before, and hence would probably treat him or her more like a stranger rather than a trusted friend or a member of the team."
"What you have mentioned are among the main reasons." Ozpin acknowledged, "I have spoken to Grand Knight Master Seraph, and he also mentioned that the prognosticators of the Order also approved of your appointment as well. While I respect the exceptional skills and remarkable fighting prowess of the many individuals which made up the Order you serve, there seems to be quite a bit of strong support behind your choosing as representative, and at least to me that implies there could be more to those spoken reasons that you were assigned to join Team Beacon."
"You know better than to make such an observation, headmaster." Sharp Strike's fingers tightened a tiny fraction on the arms of his chair, "Whatever the senior Knights and prognosticators intentions are, I respect them and I will obey their orders to the letter. My presence here and my attachment to Team Beacon is merely a token of goodwill from the Order to show their continued support by cooperating with the Guardians of Remnant as per the sacred oaths sworn to both organizations. Nothing more, nothing less."
"And what are the orders you have been given?" The headmaster of Beacon asked.
"I apologize for being blunt, but I have sworn binding oaths not to divulge anything regarding the orders my superiors have given me." Sharp Strike answered cautiously, "And those oaths are not given lightly, given the exceptional nature of my orders. However, if you truly wish to know, I'm sure you can ask the Grand Knight Master himself when you see him again."
"Fair enough." Ozpin accepted his answer with a nod, "I will be sure to ask him at our next available meeting."
Although Sharp Strike remained still and silent, his body language, now tensed up more than usual, visibly spoke to Ozpin that he was now wary of something. While the Remnant Knight's face remained behind his expressionless helmet, he nonetheless looked like he could suddenly move at any moment, which was appropriate considering his given name.
"By the way, I've also read your personal file which was given to me by the Grand Knight Master," The headmaster said casually, "And from what it says, you have quite the… interesting skill sets and not to mention a past so obscured that even I have only gotten the need-to-know version from your superiors."
A slight movement of Ozpin's fingers caused a holographic version of Sharp Strike's personal file to appear above the desk, with some of its relevant information displayed. However, a significant amount of the profile was also covered with patches of deep black as well, presumably due to the Order not wanting to give away too much about their representative. The young knight said nothing.
"Your personal achievements have also been quite exceptional, having served with all of the known Knight Legions and surviving a number of dangerous situations which would have left others possibly physically or mentally scarred for life," Ozpin continued, "With that kind of skill and mental fortitude, if you have the fortune of being enrolled into Beacon Academy I have no doubt you would've made a fine Huntsman. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you actually attained the rank of Specialist if you manage to study under the tutelage of General Ironwood."
Again, Sharp Strike said nothing as he knew what the headmaster of Beacon was talking about. There was no need to expand further on what was the truth.
"However, there's one thing in your file that caught my attention." Ozpin said as he scrolled down document appearing on the hologram with a few flicks of his fingers, "There had been a couple of mentions in your history; you were originally an orphaned child found by the Knights in Mistral before being recruited by the Order and rising to eventually become Argentius' best protégé."
"It's not uncommon; many Knights have initially been orphans before joining the Order." Sharp Strike said quietly and shrugged, "During my years of service I've met my fair share of knights who share similar backgrounds."
"I see, and as a matter of interest, how old were you when you joined the Knight Order?" Ozpin inquired.
"Far younger than I am now, Headmaster Ozpin." The knight representative replied quietly, "That, unfortunately, is all that I can say on that matter. It's not that I do not wish to give you the answer, but there are some things in my past that I have… difficulty remembering."
"I wonder if you willingly chose to forget about them or simply kept those memories locked away somewhere within your mind." Ozpin said as he looked at the azure lenses of the knight's helmet, as though trying to gauge his reaction, "And I have been seen enough individuals throughout my long life, both humans and Faunus, to know that every single person has something they do not want others to know."
Sharp Strike didn't seem too bothered by the headmaster's careful prodding, but his initial silence hinted that he was bit more surprised by Ozpin's latest comment, as though the headmaster had accidentally given him a mug of tea instead of the usual coffee brew which was well-liked by Beacon's faculty.
"We all have our secrets." The Remnant Knight's eventually returned, "And I'm sure you have your own, Ozpin, since I highly doubt someone in your position would not have any secrets that could potentially endanger the safety of Remnant if any of them were known."
Seeing Ozpin's brown eyes widen a miniscule fraction, the knight leaned forward a little, "So unless you're willing to reveal any secrets of your own, then I'm sure you would understand if I keep my own secrets to myself until I choose to tell them."
"Ah, the 'playing one's cards close to one's chest' methodology." Ozpin inclined his head and complemented, "One that I have used before on numerous occasions in the past. You are indeed a talented and complicated individual, Sharp Strike. Argentius has taught you well."
True enough, the knight accepted the compliment humbly with a nod.
"Is there anything else you wish to ask of me, headmaster Ozpin?"
"Yes, actually." Ozpin gestured at the relic sword sheathed at Sharp Strike's waist, "The third sword you've been carrying with you particularly interests me, since I've heard from another of my associates that it bears the exceptional craftsmanship that could only be found from a tribe of highly-skilled weaponsmiths within Mistral."
"Qrow Branwen." The knight quietly whispered, "I know he's another one of your field agents as well."
Ozpin nodded, "It has come to my attention that you seem to bear a sword that, if my eyes do not deceive me, was crafted by the renowned Promethean tribe of weaponsmiths. They crafted a wide variety of weapons and suits of armor for many renowned Huntsmen and Huntresses throughout history, as well as making many famed swords and blades for the Mistrialian royalty. They chose to keep their excellent crafting techniques to themselves, fearing that others would try to imitate their workmanship." He looked directly at Sharp Strike and added, "I believe you know what actually happened to them?"
The armored knight's voice was a soft whisper but his words seemed to reverberate loudly around Ozpin's personal office, "I think you know the answer to that, Ozpin. I presume you know the whole story?"
"One day a great tragedy struck that the Promethean tribe, and it was completely destroyed by a massive Grimm attack. Despite the eventual arrival of the Mistrialian military, they were unable to find anything but a destroyed town covered with corpses and ashes, the entirety of the tribe completely murdered by the hordes of Grimm and becoming yet another victim of their terrible ferocity. The search and rescue operation for any survivors went on for roughly a week, before it was abruptly called off due to increasing Grimm activity in the surrounding areas of Kagayaku Valley, and so the Promethean tribe passed into legend alongside many others which had met their fate at the claws of the Grimm." The silver-haired Guardian explained, "The various weapons crafted by them soon became valuable relics, for their weapon-crafting techniques have yet to be replicated. Some were either stolen or bought to be placed within the personal collections of avid collectors or museums, while others were kept in storage by the Mistrialian authorities for future analysis and replication tests. However, many were simply lost but sometimes one or two resurfaced among the many imitations in Remnant's underground markets."
"And you believe my sword is one of those… cheap 'imitations'?" Sharp Strike's tone hardened slightly, as though he had been personally insulted.
"On the contrary, no." Ozpin replied, "I haven't seen many weapons crafted by the Promethean Tribe since it has been a long time since they were destroyed, but I can tell yours is definitely the real thing. Would you mind if I take a look at it?"
The Remnant Knight stared at the headmaster for several seconds as though considering his request, before one gauntlet reached down to unbuckle the black and gold sheathe from his belt. He then stood up and held the lengthy, elegant blade in both arms almost reverentially, placing it on the surface of Ozpin's desk before stepping back.
The headmaster looked down at the red and gold-colored pommel and crossguard peeking out from the top of the sword's sheath which had intersecting black and gold designs that curved towards the top. When Ozpin looked closer he could see that the craftsmanship was far too ornate for a simple sword, resplendent and yet simple in its own way. Most ancient heroes and heroines within the history of Remnant had their personal weapons extravagantly decorated, as though to display the hard-won victories of the wielders themselves, but the Promethean sword within his hands had a certain spartan honesty that surprised even Ozpin himself.
Sharp Strike said nothing as the leader of the Guardians of Remnant fastened his fingers on the sword's grip and drew the blade from its sheathe, a soft whisper the only sound echoing around the room as he pulled it from the sheathe and ran astute eyes carefully over the length of the sword like a jeweler assessing the worth of a diamond. The red and gold-colored blade glinted in the dim lights of the office, reflecting the faces of them both on its smooth flawless surface.
"I must admit; you have a magnificent weapon, Sharp Strike." Ozpin eventually said as he sheathed the sword and handed it back to the knight representative courteously, "You must have been very fortunate to have received such a well-crafted sword, since the only other person I know within Team Beacon who has a similar weapon would be Crocea Mors in the possession of Mr. Arc. If my memory on historical weapons serves me well, this blade you have could very well possibly be an ancestral blade of the Promethean tribe, used by various members of that tribe and passed down for generations. Although it looks to be weighted down by the burden of its past, but I'm sure with your skills you would be able to shoulder that burden and use it appropriately in future battles."
"I assure you, I will," Sharp Strike replied, "This sword has saved my life more times than I can count, and I will honor this blade of mine as much as it deserves."
"And might I inquire how you have managed to possess such a weapon?" Ozpin inquired.
Sharp Strike looked directly at the headmaster before replying, "It has always been with me, Ozpin."
Their implacable gazes met each other as like two card players pitting their poker faces against each other. It seemed to carry on for what felt like ages as the seconds ticked by, each of the two very different individuals waiting for the other to give in and reveal something.
The silver-haired man finally gave a nod of acknowledgement as though the Knight had answered some unspoken question, before speaking again, "One last thing. I know that when you are serving with the Order, you prefer to operate alone in the field. While I respect what you are capable of on your own, I hope you can cooperate with the members of Team Beacon while in the field since that would give a positive impression of the Order to any others who might be looking closely at the overall progress of the team you've just joined."
"That has always been my intention." The newest member of Team Beacon said, "As long as the rest of them perform to the best of their abilities, you can rest assured that I will do so to the best of mine."
"That is all I ask, Sharp Strike. You have my thanks." Ozpin managed a small smile, "Now, I believe we both have matters of our own to attend to before the team departs."
"In that case, I think that concludes our meeting, Headmaster." Sharp Strike replied, "I will take my leave now to finish up on my own final checks before the trip to Vacuo. But before I go, can I ask you a question?" Seeing the headmaster nod once, the young knight continued, "May I ask why you're so interested in details of my past and the sword I carry?"
Ozpin placed his hands behind his back and looked directly at Sharp Strike faceplate, "I may be the headmaster of Beacon and the leader of the Guardians of Remnant, but I do have a significant interest in discovering any new artifacts that may shed light on the past of this world. After all, the past does impart valuable lessons to the people of the present to properly shape a better future for themselves. If we don't learn from our pasts, then we're liable to repeat the same mistakes that are best avoided in the long run."
"I see, thank you Headmaster, and may you continue to serve with distinction and honor as the leader of the Guardians of Remnant." Sharp Strike executed the signature salute of the Knight Order before spinning on his boots and moving towards the elevator.
"And you as well, honored knight." Ozpin said as he watched the elevator doors close and cutting off his view of the young knight, but not before catching sight of his personal emblem on his left pauldron and noticed that it was an image of two winged caerulean dragons curled around a pair of upwards-pointed and crossed silver double-edged swords.
Curious.
Ozpin looked down at the surface of his desk and reached out to halt the secret recording of his conversation with Sharp Strike, before saving it within an encrypted file. While he couldn't tell if the Remnant Knight has accepted his reason for asking specific questions about his past and the Promethean sword, the headmaster had a feeling that Sharp Strike wasn't all that convinced with his answer but chose to accept it anyway for whatever reason.
A pair of prophecies, each with their own cryptic messages that could drastically affect the future. And on top of it all, a Remnant Knight with a mysterious past dispatched by the Order to join up with Team Beacon with orders that he wouldn't disclose. While Ozpin had his own suspicions, he still required more information before he could make any rational conclusions, and that in turn would require time and effort on his part to uncover anything from the Beacon Archives. If he couldn't find his answers there, then it he would have to reach out to alternative sources of information, some of which had been forgotten to all but a chosen few.
A few quick movements of his fingers opened up a hologram with the image of the Head Librarian Alison of Beacon Academy's library, "Ah, good afternoon headmaster. How can I be of service today?"
"I require information on a couple of topics from Beacon's library, and I would appreciate your assistance." Ozpin said as he looked intently at the hologram.
"May I ask what those topics are?" Alison asked.
"Fairy Tales, Old Legends of Mistral, and Ancient Weapons of Remnant." Ozpin stated, "As much information as you can find on those topics."
"I will see what I can do, headmaster." She curtsied and the Beacon headmaster nodded his thanks.
Ozpin sat back down in his chair and looked out to the school grounds below, and the city and landscape beyond. "Prophecies. Knights. Maidens. Visions. Oh Oum, I hope this passes without incident." He said to himself.
This chapter was co-written by Relentless Crusader
Yes, Sienna Khan exists in this story and she will be showing up later on. At some point I will go back and re-write parts of this story to include references to Watts, Hazel, Tyrian, Sienna, and other characters from canon I decide to include so they just don't show up.
Sorry guys, this chapter and the next were meant to be one and the same but this ended up being long enough to be a chapter on its own. Sad thing is this chapter, the previous one, and the next were all intended to be one and the same.
If you liked this story fave, follow, and review, or leave a kudos, a comment, and hopefully bookmark it too. Some feedback on what's good and what's not would be appreciated, thanks for everything guys.