Fox listened intently as Professor Gumo ran him through "the basics." Most of what the man said was old news to him and summarized the history of Remnant at large. Much was said about the origins of humanity and their innate ancestral capacity for magic without the usage of dust, as well as the supposed lost magic that couldn't be replicated with the valuable crystals. Kali interjected here and there, adding information she had been taught at Beacon… though not all of it was remembered clearly. Professor Gumo had to correct her several times, and she grew somewhat embarrassed by her lack of recall as time went on. Eventually, she stopped trying to help entirely.

The longer the conversation went, the more uncomfortable Fox became as he awaited information specific to Salem. He was still totally in the dark, and while he had his suspicions as to why, the waiting period only made the name more ominous in his mind. Fox was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost missed Professor Gumo's question and had to actively snap himself back to attention.

"Anything you need clarification on thus far?" Professor Gumo asked, sitting straight up behind his desk. "It may all seem rather basic, but it is essential to understand in order to truly appreciate the magnitude of what stands before us."

Fox and Kali were sat on the other side of the furniture and its array of holographic monitors, though a gap amongst the technology afforded them a clear view of the man. His helmet, however, continued to obscure his eyes and Semblance… as well as his emotions.

"…just the one," Kali replied. "What's the hold-up? You do realize that I also don't know much about Salem, nor does the rest of my group. Summer just pulled the name out of her ass and then you and Professor Ozpin acted shocked. Are you going to fill me in, too, or…?"

"Professor Calavera is currently filling the role of getting your friends up to speed," Professor Gumo answered as he folded his hands atop the surface of the desk. "We've been communicating electronically, and without Professor Ozpin's guidance on the matter… we've decided that it's too dangerous now to simply leave you all guessing. I will tell you what I know in a moment."

"…we're waiting for the rest of BASS," Fox said, more as a statement of fact than a question as he turned his head toward Kali. "That's why you haven't told us much that's new, thus far, isn't it?"

"Correct," Professor Gumo agreed. "They'll need to be made aware of the situation, and I would rather they hear it directly from me than get a second-hand version based on what you hear tonight. No offense intended."

"None taken," Fox returned. "I'm just… anxious. Worried."

"Understandably so," Professor Gumo offered.

"Any advice on dealing with that?" Kali asked as she rested her chin in her palm and her elbow atop the armrest of her chair. "I'm starting to feel it, too. The more time goes on, the worse it gets… and right now, I'm feeling pretty shitty."

"You would like advice for dealing with anxiety, specifically?" Professor Gumo asked, sounding almost amused. "Is that not something they discuss with you at Beacon?"

"…no?" Kali replied, clearly confused. "We just go to classes and learn practical stuff. Some of which I apparently forgot. I swear I'm not an idiot."

"I do not believe you to be one. That being said, the lack of support regarding your personal issues is… somewhat alarming," Professor Gumo said. Kali could have sworn she felt his eyes narrow behind the visor, but she couldn't be sure. "Mr. Alistair… you likely know what I'm going to say, based upon meeting with your counselor. Have you any advice for your new friend?"

"…right," Fox said, taking a deep breath. "Find an anchor point to make into a goal. Focus on it. Let it center you and determine how your current situation and approach serve that goal. If they don't, work to change them."

"Very good," the headmaster praised. "Calm your mind and try to determine the current status of your anchor."

Kali's ear twitched, and she pulled a face.

"So… you guys have a personal counselor here?"

"Counselors," Fox said, emphasizing the 's'. "A team shares one, and each counselor takes on only a few teams to ensure that they get to know us on a personal level. The fact that Beacon doesn't have that is…"

"Troubling," Professor Gumo finished for him. "Very troubling, actually…"

"Well… Professor Ozpin kinda fills that role," Kali said, feeling rather awkward about the whole situation as she shifted in her seat. "He does a pretty decent job, and his office door is always open if we need him…"

"…interesting," Professor Gumo replied, his voice carrying an air of suspicion. "That seems…"

The opening door of the office interrupted the man's thoughts and revealed two members of Team BASS standing on the other side. Ghira was the first to enter, followed by Sage. Neither of the two looked particularly comfortable as they moved to occupy the two open seats next to Fox. Sage looked to Ghira as if for guidance, and the faunus merely nodded.

"…Headmaster. You called for us?"

"I did, yes," Professor Gumo agreed with a nod. "There is a… situation you need to be made aware of. I understand that Miss Scarlatina is not available?"

"She isn't," Sage confirmed. "Velvet's out running a job for the Oaks family right now. We'll fill her in on whatever you need to discuss with us."

"I would ask that you do not," Professor Gumo warned. "Allow me to inform her face-to-face, as soon as she returns."

"The situation must be serious, then," Ghira pointed out. "What do you need us to know?"

"Before we get into that," Kali jumped in, turning to face Ghira. "I just want to say… I'm sorry for all of this. It's our fault that we didn't notice Fox walking through that portal, and that lack of situational awareness in the moment just pulled your team into something… bad. Really, really bad. This isn't something you should have to deal with… and I'm also sorry for keeping things from you guys. I hope you understand, once this explanation gets going, and…"

"Kali," Ghira said softly, resting his much larger hand atop hers. "Please. Calm yourself. We all have secrets, both as individuals and as teams. We cannot expect you to trust us implicitly, especially with foreign matters. Unless this situation directly involved us to begin with, I see no reason to hold such a thing against you at all."

"And it's equally my fault," Fox chimed in. "I should've asked before following you all. I'm the one who made the move that's got us all involved with Salem, whatever that means. When I followed all of them through Raven's portal, I overheard some stuff, and now… we're apparently deep in something unpleasant. My bad."

"Salem?" Sage asked, looking to Professor Gumo and trying to move the conversation along. "Who or what is that?"

"Salem," the man repeated. "I suppose the blunt approach would be best, and then, I will entertain your questions."

"Always been a fan of the blunt approach," Kali agreed. "Lay it on us."

Professor Gumo tilted his head down, looking at the desk through his visor as he collected his thoughts. For once, the man seemed hesitant to speak. It was as though he was choosing his words very carefully.

"…I am not at liberty to reveal all that I know… but I am duty-bound to inform you of what you need to know for your own safety. Teams STRQ and OKRA, as well as Willow Schnee, are involved in covert activity that involves working against a woman known as Salem. Salem is an ancient being- far older than Shade Academy or Beacon- and is more a force of nature than a person. She is older than the names 'Vacuo' or 'Sanus', and the self-styled queen of the grimm. She and Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon, are mortal enemies… or in this case, immortal may be more appropriate."

"…we did know about Professor Ozpin being immortal," Kali said with a nod. "Well… Ozma. That's his real name, isn't it?"

"It is," Professor Gumo acknowledged. "I'm surprised that he told you such a thing. Ozma and Salem are both unable to be killed by any conventional means, and they have been warring for thousands of years. You are now all involved in that war, albeit indirectly, at present."

"…wait," Fox said, his face pale. "That's… wouldn't that mean that they're members of that legendary first iteration of humanity? The one capable of utilizing magic without dust?"

"They are indeed," Professor Gumo confirmed. "Both Professor Ozpin and Salem can simply cast magic- an art long thought dead- and they are capable of harnessing the power of ancient, unique magic unlike any you are familiar with. It is powerful- unfathomably so- and any direct clash between the two of them could level cities."

Sage cleared his throat, his expression unreadable.

"Question, before we continue. What exactly was the thought process behind throwing two teams of college students at an immortal witch? Or is that a Professor Ozpin… Ozma… secret?"

"Yeah, seconded," Kali echoed. "She's immortal? We're fighting an unwinnable war right out the gate?"

"She is unkillable by conventional means," Professor Gumo reminded. "They key to eliminating her is in a set of four equally ancient relics- the Crown of Choice, the Sword of Destruction, the Lamp of Knowledge, and the Staff of Creation."

"Barty had a theory about that," Kali said. "One relic for each Academy. Crown for Beacon, Sword for Shade, Lamp for Haven, Staff for Atlas. They're in the emblems of each school."

"Your friend is correct," Professor Gumo praised. "Most astute. Each Academy was initially built to protect a relic within an impenetrable vault located beneath them- the Academies are fortresses as much as they are places of learning."

"…a sword," Fox said hesitantly. "Kali- you and yours were transporting a case with a sword to Professor Gumo when you first arrived in Vacuo. I was able to 'see' into the case, and tell you what you were carrying…"

"About that," Kali said sheepishly. "We thought we might be transporting a relic- the Sword of Destruction- but it turns out it was just a test to see if we would poke and prod and snoop. And we, uh… did."

Professor Gumo smirked.

"Indeed you did. I believe I gave you all quite the fright with my theatrics…"

"Yeah," Kali said, her ears flattening. "Rude, by the way. We were terrified of you at first."

"As many should be," Professor Gumo said nonchalantly. "Though, as allies, you have nothing to fear from me. My loyalty will always lie with the cause, Miss Moonglove, no matter how convincing a charade I put on. To return to the topic at hand, though- you must have more questions, before we continue."

"I have one," Ghira said. "If the four Academies were built to house these powerful relics, presumably to keep them out of Salem's grasp… and they can be used to destroy her… why aren't they being used to destroy her? Why not simply harness their power and end this shadow war?"

"That is the crux of the entire war itself," Professor Gumo answered. "The relics are… temperamental, to put it lightly. Utilizing one properly requires the corresponding Maiden to wield it. Anyone else who touches one of the relics will invariably incur harm, and they will be unable to harness its full potential. The Maidens I refer to, of course, are those of the Story of Seasons. The very same that our festivals celebrate."

"…and Summer is one of those Maidens," Fox said, sinking deeper into his seat. "I walked into the portal and heard her say so…"

"She is indeed, confirmed as of today," Professor Gumo replied. "Things are moving quite fast, and it was a partially unexpected development."

"How many Maidens do we know the locations of, then?" Sage asked. "Two? Three, at least?"

"One," Professor Gumo answered. "We know only of Summer… and that isn't the biggest issue. Of the four Academies, only Atlas and Haven have their respective relics secured down in their vaults. The Sword of Destruction is currently in several pieces scattered around Remnant, and the Crown of Choice is… missing…"


Author's Note:

That's not good…

-RD