The wisps led them to what appeared to be a solid wall, their ethereal light fading until only darkness remained. The corridor ended abruptly, metal and stone offering no obvious path forward.

"You've got to be kidding me," Yang groaned, running an armored hand along the seemingly solid surface. "All that cryptic light show just to lead us to a dead end?"

Ruby stood quietly, her fingers absently tracing the silver tree pendant that hung at her throat. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the wall, stepping closer as if drawn by some unseen force. The pendant felt warm against her skin, almost pulsing with a subtle energy.

"No," she murmured, pressing her palm flat against the cold surface. "Oscar wouldn't lead us here without a reason." Her fingers moved methodically across the wall, searching for something only she seemed to expect.

The others watched as she worked her way across the surface, her movements becoming more focused until suddenly, she stopped. A small smile touched her lips.

"There you are," she whispered. Without hesitation, she channeled a thin stream of her Light into the wall. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, ancient mechanisms groaned to life. The wall shuddered, segments sliding apart to reveal a hidden chamber beyond.

Stale air rushed out as light from their Ghosts illuminated the space. It was a study, untouched for what must have been centuries. Papers were scattered across various surfaces, covered in complex equations and diagrams. Star charts and maps of the Ascendant Plane lined the walls, each marked with meticulous annotations.

But what drew their attention was the desk at the back of the room. There, illuminated by their lights, sat an unusual tome. Its cover seemed to shift and move in the dim light, as if the material itself couldn't quite decide what form to take.

"Oscar's research room," Ruby breathed, stepping inside. Her hand finally released the tree pendant as she moved toward the desk. "He always did prefer to work away from prying eyes."

Blake's ears twitched as she scanned the room. "How long has this place been hidden?"

"Since the collapse, at least," Adam replied, examining the layer of dust that covered everything. "Maybe longer."

The group spread out through the study, each drawn to different aspects of Oscar's abandoned research. Yang moved along the walls, her Ghost illuminating the star charts that tracked celestial alignments with the Ascendant Plane. Her eyes narrowed at the complex calculations scribbled in the margins, notation systems she'd never seen before.

Blake's attention was caught by a series of journals stacked on a side table, their pages filled with detailed observations of Hive rituals and their connections to different planes of reality. Her ears twitched as she carefully turned the fragile pages, noting how Oscar's normally precise handwriting had grown more erratic toward the end.

Weiss, ever the scholar, found herself examining a collection of crystalline structures arranged on a workbench. Her Ghost scanned them, detecting traces of both Light and something else—energy signatures that didn't match any known patterns. "These aren't just decorative," she murmured. "They're some kind of focusing apparatus."

Penny and Pyrrha gravitated toward a wall covered in sketches of the wisps they'd been following, detailed notes describing their behavior and composition. "He was studying them," Pyrrha observed, "trying to understand how consciousness could exist in this form."

Adam stood near the doorway, his pale blue eyes taking in everything at once, measuring and assessing. His gaze lingered on a worn photo tucked into the corner of a frame—a younger Oscar with Ruby and their original fireteam, their faces untouched by the weight of what was to come.

Through it all, Ruby gradually made her way toward the desk at the back, where the strange tome sat waiting. The closer she got, the more she could feel it—waves of energy rolling off the book in patterns she'd never encountered before. Light, but somehow different, twisted and merged with other forces she couldn't name.

"The energy coming off this thing..." she muttered, reaching toward it. "It's like nothing I've ever felt before."

Her fingers made contact with the cover, and immediately she felt it respond to her presence. Acting on pure instinct, she channeled her Light into the tome, just as she had with the wall. The reaction was instant and explosive.

The book burst open, pages fluttering of their own accord as light erupted from its center. The energy swirled and coalesced, forming a swirling portal of pure Light that pulsed with otherworldly power.

Then, without warning, a figure tumbled through.

Oscar Pine hit the floor with a grunt, his robes tattered and worn, his hair wild and unkempt. He looked exactly as Ruby remembered him, if somewhat worse for wear, as though the centuries trapped between realities hadn't aged him a day.

He pushed himself up on his elbows, blinking in confusion before his eyes focused on the group before him. His gaze landed on Ruby, and a weak smile crossed his dust-covered face.

"I don't suppose," he croaked, his voice rough from disuse, "anyone has some coffee?"

Oscar sat at his old desk, hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee that Weiss's Ghost had managed to synthesize. The color had started to return to his face, though exhaustion still lined his features.

"To reach Jaune," he began, his voice stronger now, "we need to find a place where reality itself is... flexible. Somewhere the boundaries between our physical world and the Ascendant Plane have worn so thin they're almost nonexistent."

He gestured to one of the complex diagrams on the wall. "Normal attempts to breach the Ascendant Plane require immense power—power that usually corrupts. But if we can find a place where those barriers are naturally weak..."

Penny suddenly straightened, her green eyes brightening with realization. "The Dreadnought," she said, causing everyone to turn toward her.

Oscar's lips curved into a slight smile. "You've been there."

"We both have," Penny nodded, glancing at Pyrrha. "When we went to face Oryx. The entire ship exists in both realms simultaneously. The barriers there..." She paused, searching for the right words.

"They're practically nonexistent," Pyrrha finished. "The whole vessel is a tear in reality itself."

"Exactly," Oscar confirmed, setting down his coffee. "Oryx's throne world wasn't just connected to his ship—it was his ship. The boundaries between physical and ascendant space are so blurred there that with the right approach..."

"We could use it as a launching point," Ruby concluded, her silver eyes sharp with understanding.

"More than that," Oscar said, turning to the tome. "The Dreadnought's unique properties would amplify the tome's power. What I barely managed to accomplish here, what scattered my consciousness across realities... there, we might actually have the strength to punch through, to reach where Jaune is trapped."

Yang crossed her arms. "One problem. The Dreadnought's been abandoned since Oryx's defeat. Who knows what's moved in since then?"

"The Hive would never truly abandon such a place of power," Adam noted, his voice grim. "And if Savathûn is involved..."

"She'll have forces there," Blake finished, her ears twitching. "Waiting."

"Then we go prepared," Pyrrha said firmly. "Penny and I know those halls. We mapped them during the campaign against Oryx. We know the quickest paths to the throne room."

"And this time," Penny added with unusual steel in her voice, "we'll have eight Guardians instead of two."

Oscar looked around at the group, his expression both proud and concerned. "It's dangerous. The Dreadnought... it changes people. The longer you stay, the more it affects you. Even with our Light..."

"We'll do what needs to be done," Ruby interrupted gently. "For Jaune."

As Oscar finished speaking, a Ghost materialized beside him, its shell an elegant design of bronze and emerald. The Ghost's single eye seemed to hold centuries of wisdom as it regarded the group.

"I hate to be the voice of reason," the Ghost said in a familiar, measured tone that made Ruby and Oscar exchange knowing looks, "but you're in no condition for such an endeavor. The Dreadnaught can wait - you need rest, supplies, and time to recover."

Oscar started to protest, but his Ghost - Ozpin - continued firmly. "You've been trapped between realities for centuries. Your Light is depleted, and your connections to our world are still... tenuous at best. I can sense how much that tome drained you just bringing you back to our reality."

The others watched this exchange with varying degrees of recognition, particularly those who remembered Ozpin from their past life. The Ghost's mannerisms and way of speaking were unmistakably those of their old headmaster.

"Besides," Ozpin added, his shell rotating slightly as he hovered closer to Oscar, "there are protocols that must be followed. The Vanguard needs to be informed of your return. And there's the matter of that corrupted Knight we encountered - its abilities require thorough documentation and analysis."

Ruby nodded slowly, "He's right. We need to regroup at the Tower. Plan. Prepare." She placed a gentle hand on Oscar's shoulder. "Jaune's waited this long. He can wait a few more days while we do this right."

Oscar slumped slightly in his chair, the adrenaline of his return fading as exhaustion crept in. "Perhaps... perhaps you have a point." He looked around his study, at the scattered research and complex diagrams that had consumed so many years of his existence. "We should take what we can. The calculations, the maps... everything that might help us navigate the Dreadnaught safely."

"I'll help gather the essential documents," Weiss offered, already moving to sort through the papers with practiced efficiency. Her Ghost began scanning and digitizing the most crucial diagrams.

Blake's ears twitched as she studied the tome that had brought Oscar back. "What about this? It's too dangerous to leave here."

"Agreed," Ozpin said. "But handling it requires extreme caution. Its power is... unstable. Especially now that it's been activated."

Yang stepped forward, her Titan armor glinting in the dim light. "I can carry it. My armor's reinforced against unusual energy signatures." She paused, then grinned. "Plus, if it tries anything funny, I can always punch it."

"That won't be necessary," Ozpin said dryly, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone. "But your offer to carry it is appreciated. Just... try to refrain from any punching."

Penny and Pyrrha began mapping their route back to the surface, marking potential danger zones and planning contingencies. The corrupted Knight's appearance had proven that Savathûn's forces were already moving. They couldn't afford to be careless.

Adam stood near the entrance, his posture tense as he kept watch. "Whatever we're taking, we need to move soon. That Knight will have reported back to its master by now. We should expect resistance."

"Agreed," Ruby said, her hand instinctively moving to where her scythe would materialize. "Penny, Pyrrha - you take point. Blake, maintain our rear guard. Yang, you're on tome duty. Weiss, stay close to Oscar. I'll cover our flanks with Adam."

Oscar watched as they organized themselves, a mix of emotions playing across his features. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I never meant for any of you to get caught up in this."

Ruby turned back to him, her silver eyes soft but determined. "We're already caught up in it, Oscar. Have been since the beginning. But this time..." She looked around at their assembled team, at the mix of old friends and new allies. "This time we face it together."

The group began their preparations for departure, each member falling into their assigned roles with practiced ease. As they worked, Ozpin hovered near Oscar, his shell expanding slightly in what might have been concern.

"It's good to have you back," the Ghost said quietly. "Even if you are still as reckless as ever."

Oscar managed a weak smile. "Some things never change, old friend."

"Indeed." Ozpin's eye dimmed slightly. "Though I fear many things have changed in your absence. The Tower, the City... the very nature of our war with the Darkness. You'll need time to acclimate."

"Time we may not have," Oscar pointed out.

"Perhaps not," Ozpin conceded. "But you won't help Jaune by rushing in half-prepared. Rest. Recover. Let your Light replenish." His shell rotated thoughtfully. "Besides, I believe you'll find the Tower's archives most illuminating. Much has been discovered about the Ascendant Plane since your... departure."

Oscar nodded slowly, watching as the others efficiently packed away years of his research. "The Hive's presence here, that corrupted Knight... Savathûn must be close to finding what I found. The paths between realities..."

"All the more reason to proceed carefully," Ozpin advised. "The Witch Queen's schemes are rarely what they appear to be. We must be certain we understand what we're truly dealing with before we act."

The Ghost's words hung in the air as the team completed their preparations. The journey back to the Tower would be dangerous, but it was necessary. They had found Oscar, but rescuing Jaune would require more than just determination. It would require planning, preparation, and the full strength of their combined Light.

As they prepared to leave the study, Ruby paused at the entrance, her hand resting on the wall that had hidden this place for so long. "We'll be back," she promised quietly, whether to herself or to Jaune's memory, none could say.

The door sealed behind them as they left, hiding Oscar's study once more in darkness. But this time, they carried with them both the knowledge and the hope needed to finally bring their lost friend home.

The real question was: would they be ready for what awaited them on the Dreadnaught? And more importantly, would Jaune still be the friend they remembered after centuries trapped between realities?

"Wait," Ozpin called out suddenly, his shell expanding in alarm. "We can't leave yet. We need to find Juniper."

Oscar's eyes widened in recognition. "Of course - Jaune's Ghost. She went into hibernation when..." He trailed off, the memory clearly painful.

"Like I did," Ozpin confirmed. "When our Guardians entered that portal, we... retreated. Preserved ourselves. She should still be here, somewhere."

Yang turned back toward the study, her boot coming down near a small, dark shape in the corner. At the last second, Ozpin's beam of light illuminated it - a Ghost shell, covered in dust, its eye dark but intact.

"Yang, stop!" Ozpin called sharply.

Yang froze mid-step, her boot hovering inches above the dormant Ghost. "Oh shit," she muttered, carefully shifting her weight back. "That was close."

Ozpin floated down to the hibernating Ghost, his light gently scanning her shell. "Juniper," he said softly. "Still here, after all this time." His shell rotated thoughtfully. "We'll need her when we find Jaune. The connection between Ghost and Guardian... it might be the only thing that can help him fully return to our reality."

Ruby knelt beside the dormant Ghost, carefully lifting her from the floor. Centuries of dust fell away, revealing a shell decorated in soft whites and golds - Jaune's colors. "We'll wake her when the time is right," she said, securing Juniper safely in a pouch at her belt. "When we're ready to bring them both home."