Crimson Spartan Learning Deep Secrets
The scene shows of Qrow in the office with Ozpin sitting at his desk, and then the beep sounded off from the elevator and out came Gouken.
"Where did you run off to?" Qrow asked.
"Just a little sightseeing of the school, I might be thinking about making my dojo a little bigger when I get home." Gouken answered, not telling them about his encounter with Emerald and Mercury, yet.
"Hey, did you notice how some of the Atlas forces are backing down from security a bit? Looks like you've really downed Ironwood." Qrow mentioned.
"His heart is in the right place. He's just... misguided, but I am glad that he is taking things a little calmer with a clear head, I hope." Ozpin stated.
"So, have you chosen your guardian yet?" Qrow asked.
"We all know Maidens chooses themselves, but I believe the candidate that Ozpin have found is a suitable one and has a strong heart." Gouken believed.
"Yes. Ever since the day I met her, I had the feeling she would be the one. She's strong, intelligent, caring... but most importantly, she's ready in anytime we need her." Ozpin explained.
"I just hope the girl will be able to take in what she's about to learn." Gouken concerned.
"With how the enemies are very close to us, she'll have to swallow them all hard down the throat." Qrow commented.
(Outside the Office)
"We can only hope that time will be on our side for this one." Gouken said.
Pyrrha is walking toward the elevator as she has been called into the office by Ozpin for a little conversation, probably to congratulate her on a job well done during the tournament with her team going through the two rounds and such.
"(I hope Jaune doesn't play with my shield again while I'm gone.)" Pyrrha thought giggled, remembering how she caught him pretending to be her.
She arrives at the office seeing Ozpin sitting at his desk as expected, but she doesn't recognize the two men here though curious about the older man who such a strong body.
"Hello young lady, I hope you're enjoying the festival." Gouken greeted with a bow.
"Hello, and yes, I am." Pyrrha nodded and stands in front of Ozpin's desk.
"That was Master Gouken, in case you're wondering. A close friend who helped train me in the past before becoming a headmaster." Ozpin introduced.
"I see." Pyrrha looked over at Gouken before to her headmaster.
"Well, it comes as no surprise that they've chosen you to move on to the final round of the tournament. Your performance was exemplary." Ozpin complimented.
"Thank you, Professor Ozpin, but I would never have made it this far without my teammates." Pyrrha smiled, being modest and thoughtful on her team.
"Personally, I think it's the other way around." Qrow commented but earns a look from Gouken.
"Now Qrow, you should know better. Even the strongest warriors need help from others when they find themselves doing things they can't do alone." Gouken scolded.
"Just calling it as I see it, old man." Qrow stated.
"Anyway, my name is Qrow, in case you were wondering." Qrow said to Pyrrha.
"Qrow is also a trusted colleague of mine." Ozpin mentioned.
"While we're at it, I'm also the master of Sun Wukong." Gouken revealed.
"You're his master! I did have a feeling that you're a master of combat, and that must also mean you've mastered the higher level of Aura control to fire energy blast like you have two Semblance." Pyrrha amazed.
"If you wish to learn, I would be happy to show you the way." Gouken offered to train Pyrrha under his wing like he did with others in the past.
Pyrrha looks forward to the day to train under Master Gouken, but first there is this little meeting with Headmaster Ozpin.
"Professor, if you don't mind me asking, why have you called me here?" Pyrrha asked.
"Please, take a seat." Ozpin gestured to an empty chair, and she does so.
"What is your favorite fairy tale?" Ozpin asked.
"I'm… sorry?" Pyrrha confused of the question.
"Fairy tales, stories from your childhood. Surely you must remember some of them." Ozpin clarified. Pyrrha took a moment to think of an answer to the question and a few stories has come to mind.
"Well, there's The Tale of The Two Brothers, The Shallow Sea, The Girl in the Tower..." Pyrrha listed some of the stories she remembered in her childhood.
"What about The Story of the Seasons?" Ozpin asked.
"Well, of course!" Pyrrha nodded, looking away and remembering how the story goes from the way her mother always tells her.
"A callous old man, who refuses to leave his home, is visited by four traveling sisters. The first understands his reclusive nature and urges him to use his time in solitude to reflect and meditate. The second brings him fruits and flowers, tending to his crops and revitalizing his garden. The third warms the man's heart, convincing him to step outside and embrace the world around him. And the fourth and final sister begs him to look at all that he has and be thankful. In return for their kindness, the man grants the maidens incredible powers, so that they may continue to help others all over the world. They graciously accept and promise to share their gifts with the people of Remnant 'til the end of their days. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall; the four maidens. My mother loves that story." Pyrrha explained the story.
"Aw, me and my brother were amazed of that story when we were little kids." Gouken smiled, thinking back on his childhood.
"Would you believe me if I told you that one's been around since I was a boy?" Ozpin asked with a smile.
"You're not that old, Professor." Pyrrha pointed out.
"But there are things that are true beyond belief, and that includes Ozpin being much older than he appears to be. Even older than me." Gouken said with a serious look on his face and crossing his arms.
Now Pyrrha was shocked beyond words from Gouken and look to Ozpin who is also giving the same serious look on his face, these two men are telling her that they said is true.
"What if I were to tell you that there were four maidens existing in this world, that could wield such tremendous power, without Dust?" Ozpin asked.
"You mean... like a Semblance?" Pyrrha asked, having a strange feeling about this conversation.
"Like magic." Ozpin revealed with a smile.
"I…" Pyrrha gasped, they can't truly be serious about this, right?
"Yeah. First time hearing it's pretty crazy." Qrow said.
"You're serious?" Pyrrha surprised.
"Do we look like we're joking?" Ozpin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"... No." Pyrrha struggled to find the right words to continue talking "Why... why are you telling me this?" She asked.
Before Ozpin could give her that answer, he looks over to Qrow and Gouken who gave him their nods of approval and he turns back to Pyrrha.
"We are telling you this, Pyrrha Nikos, because we believe that you are next in line to receive the Fall Maiden's powers." Ozpin answered.
"We?" Pyrrha felt a feeling that this "We" part is more than just Qrow and Gouken here in the room.
At that moment, the elevator door opens and came out are Glynda Goodwitch, General James Ironwood, Chun-Li, Cammy Wukong, Summer Rose-Xiao Long, and Raven Branwen-Xiao Long which surprises Pyrrha.
"Wait, what is this? Who are you?" Pyrrha asked, narrowing her eyes at Ozpin and feel like this is something too big for her.
"Calm down, Pyrrha. We're not any life-threatening bad guys." Summer reassured the girl.
"Yes, you know who we are. We're still the same teachers and Headmasters you met when you arrived at Beacon." Glynda said.
"But you could say the normal jobs we do are just the front to not raise anything about our group." Raven crossed her arms under her breasts.
"That would mean we've got a little part-time job." Qrow commented.
"We are the protectors of this world." Ironwood revealed a little.
"A little society that have sworn to protect the secrets that the world has gotten over the years, secrets such as the legends and fairy tales you would hear as stories." Cammy stated.
"And the reason we have called you over to us is because we're in need of your help when the time comes. Hopefully not too soon." Chun-Li said friendly at the end.
Pyrrha just looks at them in shock about what they are saying and what she might find herself into when she learns more about this group.
The scene changes with Pyrrha and the other adults riding inside the big elevator are they are going down, but she can tell that they are going far lower than ground level.
"Where are we going?" Pyrrha asked.
"The vault. Under the school." Ozpin answered.
The door opens revealing a long dark and big tunnel lighted up by dark green lights, everyone walks out with Pyrrha looking around and feeling her head being pounded with questions.
"It's a lot to take in, like having lots of questions in your head." Cammy said, speaking from experience.
"It was like that for most of us too, when Ozpin told us the truth about the world and other things, I thought my head was gonna explode." Summer confessed.
"You literally fainted after fives of the whole revealing." Qrow reminded her of that time.
"And Tai had to carry you on his shoulder, with your butt being close to your face." Raven teased smirking.
"Hey! No need to say that out loud when we have Pyrrha here!" Summer exclaimed blushing.
That certainly made Pyrrha feel a little relaxed, but she still can't help but feel that whatever is going on here is something more than she could possibly imagine.
"I still don't understand. You said I was next in line to receive the Maiden's power. What do you mean by that?" Pyrrha asked.
"The Maidens have existed for thousands of years. But much like in nature, the seasons change. No two summers are alike. When a Maiden dies, her power leaves her body and seeks out a new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost, and that no individual can hold on to that power forever." Glynda started the explanation.
"So, how does the power choose?" Pyrrha asked.
"Through a series of stupid and convoluted rules." Qrow said over his shoulder.
"Qrow." Glynda glared at Qrow.
"No need to sound harsh." Chun-Li said.
"Hey, don't get mad 'cause I'm right." Qrow shrugged. Then Glynda continues.
"At first, the only thing that was certain was that the powers were specifically passed on to young women. But as time went on, it was discovered that the selection process was much more... intimate." Glynda explained.
"Intimate?" Pyrrha confused on what she means by that.
"To put it like this: When a Maiden die, the power goes pass on to the final girl in their minds before death and the power goes to that girl making them the new Maiden of the seasons." Cammy explained how the process works.
"Unless it's a dude or some old hag. Then the power goes to someone random, and our job gets a lot harder." Qrow added.
"To be honest, it would also be harder for the ones who wishes to misuse the power for their own dark gains too." Raven stated her opinion on this.
"Why tell me all of this now? Why not wait until I've graduated?" Pyrrha asked.
"If only it were the case, child. But unfortunately, darkness is crawling over to us closer than ever." Gouken said with his eyes close.
"Yep, I don't know if you've noticed, but things are getting a lot scarier out in the world. Tensions are high. Grimm are growing stronger, more prevalent. And it's not going to be much longer before the peace we've been enjoying so much goes out the window." Qrow pointed out a lot of bad things happening on Remnant.
"You're not... talking about a war?" Pyrrha asked worry.
"Not a war between nations." Ironwood assured us that we would be adding the worse things that could happen to them.
"It is something far worse and we'll tell you more when you're given some time to think about all of this and if you're willing to join us, but we have to show you this first." Cammy said.
"Show me what?" Pyrrha asked curiously.
"That for the first time in history, part of her power was stolen." Qrow answered.
They soon arrive at the end of the tunnel where a metal capsule is stationed there with a woman inside, and she looks incredibly hurt with the scars on her body and the sleep makes her look like she's almost dead.
"Is she… Is that…?" Pyrrha wanted to ask but feels too shocked from seeing this.
"That is Amber, the current Fall Maiden and currently out of commission." Raven introduced the unconscious woman in the capsule.
"She's... still alive." Pyrrha said, looking a little closer to Amber.
"For now. We're using state-of-the-art Atlas technology to keep her stable. But there is a lot about this situation that is... unprecedented." Ironwood informed and looked down in shame.
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.
"It's about her powers, it was somehow stolen in half leaving Amber in this state. We're keeping her alive as long as we could, but there is the fear of what will happen when she dies." Cammy looked at Amer worry.
"One of the theories we came up with is that should the Maiden with the remaining half of the power passes, that half will go seek its other half to be whole again. Meaning the attacker who did this to her would have full access to the Fall Maiden power." Raven explained.
"Which we believe is the very most likely theory to go by. This kind of thing has never happened before in the centuries of the Maidens, until now." Gouken said while stroking his bread.
"And that would not bode well for any of us." Ozpin said.
"If only we could find out more about the attacker." Chun-Li said, cursing herself for not being able to find that truth out.
"If all of this is true, why keep it secret!? If this girl is so important... if we're truly on the brink of war, why not tell everyone?" Pyrrha asked, sounding a little angry with some wild gestures.
"I asked that very same question when our team were shown the truth before our graduation." Raven recalled that moment.
"And to honest, some of us have been thinking about that the truth that we just told you will come out someday for the whole world to know." Raven said.
"But I fear that that someday will come sooner than expected." Gouken stated.
"There is also the fact that all of this used to be common knowledge from hundreds and thousands of years ago." Glynda revealed, shocking Pyrrha.
"How do you think legends and fairy tales get started? Even the craziest ones come from somewhere." Qrow pointed out before drinking his flask.
"The Brotherhood group was founded sworn to protect both mankind and the Maidens from those who would seek harm to the innocents, especially to the ones who want to use the Maidens' power for evil." Gouken explained.
"And so, this brotherhood chose to remove the Maidens from the public eye, allowing their existence to fade away into legend." Ironwood mentioned.
"Only select few such as within the Brotherhood knows the secret of the Maidens and such, and you'd be surprised about how one would be able to join." Cammy said.
"The things we're telling you go against hundreds of years of human history, religion." Glynda said with a worried expression.
"Not only that, but if any of this would get out too soon and prematurely then it would cause an uproar to the public which is something we do not." Chun-Li worried.
"It would cause panic. And we all know what that would bring to clawing to our Kingdom's walls. Which is why we would like to..."
"I'll do it." Pyrrha said, surprising Ozpin and the teachers.
"If you believe that this will help humanity... then I will become your Fall Maiden. That's what you wanted, isn't it?" Pyrrha asked as she saw them being a little silent.
"It is, but I'm afraid it's not that simple. Given Amber's condition, you won't be able to inherit her power naturally. However, General Ironwood believes he has a solution." Ozpin said looking to Ironwood.
"For the past few years, Atlas has been studying Aura from a more scientific standpoint; how it works, what's it made of, how it can be used. We've made... significant strides. And we believe we've found a way to capture it." Ironwood explained.
"Capture it and cram it into something else. Or in your case ..." Qrow gestured to Pyrrha.
It took Pyrrha a moment to realize what that something is and becomes shocked.
"That's…" Pyrrha looked at Ironwood.
"Classified." Ironwood stated.
"Wrong." Pyrrha said firmly.
"The feeling is mutual. But desperate times call for desperate measures." Glynda admitted.
"We're trying our best to find other solutions, but this is the only one we have at the moment." Chun-Li said.
"We can't transfer Amber's power to you, but we can give you what those powers are bound to." Ironwood explained.
"…Her Aura." Pyrrha realized.
"Her life... would become intertwined with yours. The question is..."
"What's that going to do to you?" Qrow asked the question for Ozpin.
"You have an important decision before you, Miss Nikos. There's no guarantee this transfer will work. And there's no telling if you will be the same person if it is. I advise you to take time on this matter. But understand that before the Vytal Festival is over, we will need your answer." Ozpin said.
"We're hoping to settle things before we could come to doing that but try to remember what I said back at the office. Even the strongest warriors need help from others around them." Gouken said with a hand on her shoulder.
"Whatever decision you make, know that you will always have others by your side and keep them close to your heart for that will give you strength." Goukuen advised.
Pyrrha felt a little better from hearing those words and gave him a nod, she walks away for the elevator, but stop and turns around facing Ozpin one more time.
"The assailant that attacked the Fall Maiden has made their first move. And there's no telling when their next move will be." Ozpin warned.
"I may have an eye on who the attackers are." Gouken said, getting their attention on him.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
Pyrrha has now been informed about the secret of the Maidens and a little about a secret war that has been going on, let's hope she'll have a clear answer on what she must do and something else may happen once the tournament starts up again.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!