For the second time in as many days, Maria Calavera found herself thundering across the desert sands on a borrowed dunecrawler. The sun was just cresting the sea beyond the small stretch of desert standing between her and the Schnee beach house, gently illuminating the dunes and giving the entirety of Vacuo an unfamiliar feel. Fortunately, obstacles between her and her destination were few- though she did catch sight of one almost a quarter mile out from the lone home. There in the sands stood a lone figure, their cloak rippling around them as they stood still. Maria knew immediately that the person wasn't there by chance. The figure was waiting. For what, the professor could only guess… but she had a feeling that it was likely to intercept her.
After all, when Ozma moved about Remnant, trouble almost always followed.
Maria began to decelerate as she approached the stranger, taking care not to spray sand at the individual as she braked. The dunecrawler came to a halt mere feet away, and the waiting figure dropped the hood of her cloak in response. Maria let her bike tilt to one side before she put out the kickstand and swung her leg over the back to dismount. Though she hadn't met the other woman, she knew who she was dealing with immediately from descriptions alone.
"…Sienna Khan," Maria said, sounding exhausted as she reached into her cloak to draw her short scythes, only to think better of it. "Of course. Back to cause more trouble?"
"Maria Calavera," Sienna returned with a small bow as she produced a chained kunai and pulled the length taut. "I am here to cause exactly as much trouble as is necessary. You're here for Ozpin and his charges, yes? We should talk before heading over for a visit together."
"Should we?" Maria asked as she raised her hands to crack her knuckles and settle into a fighting stance. "Last I heard, you caused quite a stir for my students while they were supposed to be relaxing, and they have enough trouble with that concept on its own. I don't like that, and I especially don't like Those Above All. Explain to me what we need to talk about, before I send you to join the others of your clan that I've removed from Remnant."
Sienna rolled her eyes and shook her head, beginning to circle Maria. The professor returned the gesture in kind in the opposite direction, taking care to move away from her bike.
"Perhaps your students neglected to inform you, but I plan to stand against my former clan," Sienna let on. "Salem has taken over the mountaintop, and the two of us should be allies, even if our relationship remains a bit strained. I'm here to assist the students in my own way. A way I don't expect you to fully understand."
"Then why are you gearing up to fight?" Maria probed, remaining tense.
"My own personal curiosity," Sienna answered as she allowed the chain to fall limp and stood to her full height. "However… I do wish to speak, first. Qrow and Raven. You taught them for a year, yes?"
"I did," Maria confirmed, pausing her circling but keeping her fists ready. "What of it?"
Sienna paused, looking off to the side at the seemingly endless stretch of sand to her right.
"As did I, throughout their stay upon the mountaintop. What was your opinion of their combat capabilities? How did they compare to the rest of your students?"
"I'm the wrong person to ask, if that's what you want to know," Maria cautioned. "I work primarily in the weapons lab, helping them forge and refine their armaments. I only saw them in action here and there, but they seemed capable enough. Perhaps a cut above, particularly in Raven's case. If you're seeking validation for your own ability to teach, then it seems to me you taught them well. I'm not interested in stroking your ego beyond that."
"And Qrow?" Sienna asked. "What did you see of him, outside of combat? I want to know how he acted toward both you and his peers. How he handled an environment like a hunter's academy, and the opportunities it provides."
Finally, Maria relaxed a bit, though her eyes narrowed.
"Qrow has always been… pleasant. A bit reserved toward his professors, but trusting and defensive of his peers. I saw in him great potential, beyond that of the average student. He is quite different than his sister in the way he approaches things, and quite honestly, I have a deeper connection with him, of the two. Raven came in with several advantages, though lacking a Semblance. Qrow… he thought little of himself and his capabilities, as though he was beaten into thinking he was the lesser of the twins, in part because of his Semblance. I spent quite a while trying to build him up. How much of that self-loathing was your doing?"
"I do not know," Sienna admitted. "I treated them as equals, and Qrow was one of few to show any sort of courtesy or caring to those around him upon that mountaintop. It was… odd. Potentially misguided. Perhaps that stunted his growth as a fighter, more than anything. If I played a role in crushing his spirit, that was never my intent. I was harsh to both Branwen twins, as that was my role as their mentor in combat. There was no ill intent- only a desire to see them grow through adversity."
Maria simply stared, her grim expression twisting into a snarl.
"What you said about Qrow is quite true, but the idea of his kindness being misguided… perhaps that is why your vaunted organization is where it is today. You've got a lot to learn, Miss Khan. Perhaps I could teach you a thing or two."
"All of life is a learning opportunity," Sienna answered, beginning to circle once again. "I assume your students told you of my Semblance, and that is why you have yet to draw your weapons?"
"They did," Maria confirmed. "Which means if my scythes touch your weaponry, or maybe even your skin, I'm in deep trouble. Fortunately, I like a challenge, and I'm more than capable of fighting hand-to-hand… or just with Dust."
"Then let's see just what the best that Beacon has to offer is capable of," Sienna suggested as she pulled her chain tight once again. "For fun."
"It's been a long time since I've been in a fight for fun," Maria considered. "You were about the last person I'd have expected to grant me such an opportunity. En garde."
Sienna watched as Maria dashed forward without another word, and readied herself to meet the professor.
"You're a… a god?" Taiyang asked, sounding almost disgusted. "Like… like an all-powerful being?"
"Arguably more important than that- the God of Light and God of Darkness are dead?" Adam asked. "People the entire world over are largely worshipping two dead deities, while two other living ones walk Remnant, and everyone is none the wiser? You expect us to just believe that?"
"I do not," Ozpin answered. "Though I fear that proving it to you would be… costly. Much of my innate power has been given to the people and the landscape throughout the ages, while Salem chose to retain almost all of her own behind my back while claiming otherwise. It is also not as simple as 'Light' and 'Darkness', when it comes to my fallen brothers… though that hardly matters, at the moment. What you need to be aware of is the fact that Salem has dominion over several things beyond just the grimm. Her natural magic is incredibly powerful, and includes the aspects of primordial, pure, arcane magic, as well as the domains of water and air. Fire and earth are the classical elements I continue to govern, though my grasp upon them pales in comparison to what she can do."
"This is… too much," Ghira said solemnly as he moved forward on the couch to sit on the edge of the cushion. "My team does not know you at all, and it sounds more and more as though STRQ and OKRA barely know you, either. With so much new information, the scope of which changes our entire perception of Remnant as a whole… what is your goal, here? What do we stand to gain by having you come and visit, other than asking us to swear loyalty and secrecy? I know that my fellow students are all asking for information and an open dialogue, but… would it not be better to focus on our next immediate moves, including a determination as to how we can trust you?"
Ozpin offered the faunus a slow nod and moved into the kitchen to retrieve his waiting mug before beginning to rifle through drawers to find the silverware.
"…Ghira Belladonna. I have read and heard much about you and your team, giving me the advantage in any sort of exchange between us. Such a thing seems unfair, does it not?"
"Get to the point," Sage said gruffly, looking over his shoulder at the headmaster. "I'm also getting tired of the runaround."
"Very well, Sage," Professor Ozpin offered as he began stirring a bit of milk into his cocoa. "You all have no reason to trust me… but I would assume that you all trust Professor Gumo?"
"With our lives," Velvet agreed. "He's done right by us, and if you're about to tell us that Professor Gumo trusts you, so we should do the same…"
"Not quite. I merely want to establish a baseline," Professor Ozpin explained. "Your headmaster believes that Salem is real, and a threat to us all, does he not? I know he had a part to play in filling in your current understanding of the situation."
Fox shifted uncomfortably and wrung his hands, keeping his eyes closed as he began to sweat. Though he had stayed quiet for the duration of the meeting, he felt as though he couldn't hold his tongue any longer. Not with what he could feel in the room as Professor Ozpin walked past.
"…yeah, he did, after I made a huge mistake," Fox answered.
"Fox. Not now," Cerise warned as she touched a hand to the boy's thigh.
"All of this is my fault, Professor Ozpin," Fox continued, ignoring her. "Well… everything that has to do with Team BASS learning about Salem, anyway. I'm the reason you're here. I'm the reason things have gotten so heated and tense between all of us, and I'm the reason that Professors Gumo and Calavera had to give us details about what's going on. I guess… I also led to Cerise finding out. The others tried to stop me from telling you during our call, but I think you should know it was me before we go any further. If you want to establish a baseline and go step by step toward our next move… well… there's our baseline. It was me."
"Fox Alistair," Professor Ozpin said quietly as he walked back into the living room, his cane in one hand and a mug in the other. "Thank you for your admission. You and I will need to speak one-on-one soon… or perhaps, as a team, after we settle everyone's immediate concerns. The primary concern at the moment seems to be trust, in several directions. Would you say that is accurate?"
"Yeah," Fox agreed as he both heard and felt the man moving closer to him. He heard the mug clink down onto the coffee table before him… but he didn't need the auditory cue to know that Professor Ozpin had transitioned to kneel before the couch. His Semblance allowed him to 'see' a melded, compound aura of the headmaster more powerful than any he had ever encountered, twisting and writhing in the vague shape of a man. "A-and a big part of that is… the stories you're telling. The others can't see what I can, but what Sasha said… I think it's true. You're not normal. You're not just one person…"
"I am not," Professor Ozpin confirmed as he reached out a hand and placed it atop Fox's. "You were… born without sight, were you not? Seeing vague shapes through your Semblance is all you've ever known when it comes to having a visual of the world?"
"Yeah…" Fox said quietly, not daring to pull back his hand.
"How is that relevant?" Cerise demanded, her tone full of ice. "Leave him alone…"
Professor Ozpin ignored the girl's demands, instead gently massaging a thumb around the back of Fox's hand.
"…you are perceptive, Mr. Alistair. The primary issue right now is trust, and the unbelievable things I have claimed this morning. Would you trust me if I performed a minor miracle? If I could offer you the gift of sight that those around you have all possessed since birth?"
Fox turned pale, and his breathing quickened.
"…what? You could…"
"I could," Professor Ozpin confirmed. "As I said before, it would be… costly, but I see it as a worthy investment. If you consent to it, I can heal your vision, here and now. Place you on a level playing field with all those able to see since birth."
Fox opened his mouth to say something, only for the sound of a massive explosion not far from the beach house to rattle the windows. The majority of the group stood up off the couches and looked to the source of the noise while Professor Ozpin let go of Fox's hand as he narrowed his eyes in the direction of the blast.
"Think it over, and hold that thought. We have a problem to address first…"
Author's Note:
No brakes.
-RD