Oscar was shown trudging in his room, exhausted.
"Oh, what a day." He collapsed back-first onto his bed. "Who knew removing frozen busted pipes and replacing them with new ones would be so difficult?"
Apparently you didn't. a familiar voice answered.
The young farmhand groaned. "Seriously? Again?"
Yes, it's me again.
"Great. Old ghost still in my head. Just great." Oscar sarcastically remarked.
I already told you that I'm not a mere voice in your head. Our auras have combined. You know who I am, and you know that I met my demise at the hands of the Fall Maiden.
"That's not true. You're just a voice in my head. And you don't know anything about me."
I know who are Oscar Pine. And I know more than you think. Just as you have access to my memories, I have access to yours.
Oscar folded his arms. "Prove it."
Your parents are Cedar and Elm Pine. Ozpin began. Both of your parents worked desk jobs from home for Grand Industries. You used to live in Zephyros. The only reason you live with your paternal aunt Alyssa Pine in the middle of nowhere is because your parents were called to a business meeting in Wind Path and they needed someone to babysit you. All this happened when you were ten years old. Since Alyssa never found a mate and therefore never bore any children, she asked/ordered you to help her with the chores on the farm. As time passed, you began to fear that something may have happened to them. Unfortunately, your fears were correct. Three months after your arrival, you received a note in the mail stating your parents died at the hands of Beowolves. And you've been living here ever since.
The farm boy raised his finger and opened his mouth to say something, but then he realized... that there wasn't another person in the room and that the voice was right. "He's right..."
I told you.
"No... no... this can't be right. I must be imagining this." A shiver came over him. "Am I going mad? I've been on this farm for three years. Well, three and a half... I've hardly had any contact with the outside world, save for the few friends I have back in Zephyros." He lamented and turned on his left side, looking out the window. "But with the fall of one of the CCT towers, I haven't heard from them in months. Haven't even opened my scroll... There's no point..." He realized how he was babbling on to himself and laid back on his back. "I never talked to anyone in person besides my aunt, not even myself... Until now..." He sighed. "I'm going insane."
I can assure you, you're not insane.
He gave a dry chuckle. "Says the voice in my head."
"Oscar! Dinner's ready!" Alyssa called off-screen.
"I'll be right there!" he called to his aunt.
Oscar found the energy to get up and went down the ladder to the lower level of the barn. As he washed his hands, he threw some cold water onto his face.
How long am I going to have to keep this problem to myself? Maybe I'm really losing it... He sighed. Don't think about that now. Just try to focus on reality, and you'll be okay.
He finished drying his hands and face and ran off.
Meanwhile, Ruby was taking her lunch break aboard the ship. She was shown in the captain's suite, eating a ham and cheese omelette with a stack of blueberry pancakes, topped with butter and maple syrup. The omelette had been almost completely destroyed and the pancakes were half-eaten. Beside her plate was an empty coffee mug, with small drops of coffee left inside.
As she took another bite of her pancakes, she giggled and thought, Nora would be so jealous if she knew I could eat unlimited pancakes. Then again, I'd pretty sure all of them would be jealous if they knew I could have as much food as I wanted. She continued eating. Maybe I should get them some treats. Nora would definitely love having some pancakes. But even then, I shouldn't abuse my privileges. Aside from my standard two to three meals a day, I've really only used my unlimited meal plan for ultra-sugary coffee.
She yawned, and the camera focused on a small pair of bags under her eyes.
I've been losing sleep trying to learn all the nautical vocabulary in the glossary, reading the book itself to learn more about ship operations and sailor jargon. And when I'm not studying ship terms, I'm trying to find information about maidens and silver-eyed warriors from the books I checked out in Aquarian.
The silver-eyed warrior retrieved the first aforementioned book she had hidden in her cloak- The Third Crusade.
I can't thank Ren enough for lending it to me.
She felt a knot form in her stomach. Whether it was from indigestion or sorrow, or perhaps both, she couldn't tell. She looked at her food.
Do I even deserve such luxuries? I lied my way to get here. And I only did this so that team JNPR could buy the last room and so that I wouldn't have to sleep on the floor.
She sighed and soon felt a vibration from her scroll.
February 26th
12:15pm
She looked at her scroll to find a group text message sent by Pyrrha.
Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren
Pyrrha- Hey Ruby, you're on lunch break right? Sorry for disturbing you if you aren't. (Just now)
Ruby texted back- Yeah, I am. Why do you ask?
She set her scroll down and not too long after, it vibrated again.
Pyrrha- Think you could come over to JNPR's room? There's an important matter that we need to discuss and I'd like you to be there.
She replied- Give me five minutes and I'll be right there.
Five minutes later, she had finished her lunch and met up with the rest of her friends. Every member of team JNPR was already there.
"Is there a reason you called us here?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, there is. I think there's something else we need to discuss while we're all here and not worrying about survival. Jaune's redemption status." Pyrrha told everyone.
"Ah, yes, Jaune redeeming himself..." Ren noted. "We have been putting the evaluation off."
"How... exactly should we do this?" Nora inquired.
"How about this- We all state why or why not Jaune should be deemed as redeemed and out of purgatory." Ruby stated. "If we all agree to it, Jaune will be successfully redeemed." Pyrrha, Ren and Nora nodded in agreement. "Alright. Now, who would like to begin?"
"I'll start." Pyrrha stated. "I would say yes, and I'm not just saying that because he's my boyfriend. Well before this squad was formed, Jaune was training dutifully under the guidance of his elder sister, Tangerine. He even managed to beat his eldest sister Rouge Arc in a duel and unlocked his semblance. He's been working very hard to discover all that he can do with it. I will admit that I already knew of Jaune's forgery and theft before Mr. Mustard exposed his secrets, and I know he feels guilt for both of them. And if it's anything, his actions in Aletheia more than made up for any of his misdeeds. He came up with an effective plan to save the village. Furthermore, he not only fought off the Grimm and aided me in escorting Nora's victims to the hospital, he saved countless lives during the attack. He's bravest, most ambitious and most hard-working man I know."
"I would also agree with Pyrrha." Ruby began. "Jaune has worked incredibly hard to get where he is. Not only did he lead us through Grimm-infested outlands, but also Trojan-Alliance-influenced territories. He's had to make a lot of tough decisions, but ultimately I think he made many of the right ones."
Nora looked. "Hmm... I will admit that I was angry with Jaune for a long time after discovering the truth. Perhaps even too long depending on who you ask. I would agree with Ruby's point, and I think that he has shown growth, both as a leader and a warrior." She turned to her red-cloaked friend. "You weren't there to see it, but when Tyrian had betrayed team SOLR and Aletheia was attacked by Grimm, Surya just shut down. He couldn't think of a plan, and he's supposed to be a graduated huntsman! Wheres Jaune, who had just one year's worth of experience, successfully devised a plan to save the city, its people, you and protect the poor guys who's legs I should not have broken." She turned back to everyone. "I was wrong to accuse him and while he still has much to learn, I'd say he's effectively redeemed."
"Well, that's three." Ruby turned to Ren. "What do you say, Ren?"
"Hmm... This is a tough call. The main reasons I felt angry with Jaune when finding out the truth were because of his dishonesty and his selfishness. During the battle of Aletheia, I heard multiple accounts his selflessness with him saving lives. However, the powers that be have yet to test his honesty. Considering that Ruby hid her emotions and fears of inferiority and not being able to contribute to the group as a result of Pyrrha's emotional distress from being framed, I have reason to suspect that Jaune may be hiding some of his emotions as well." He turned to Jaune. "I'd like to ask you a few questions. And be honest."
He looked nervous, but quickly breathed in and calmed himself. "Um, okay. What are they?"
"First question- You mentioned that you had stolen money to pay for Beacon's tuition. If you had been able to graduate after four years at Beacon and become a huntsman, what would you do with the remaining money that wasn't used for school expenses?"
"Good question. Honestly, I hadn't thought that far ahead because I was more concerned with learning the ropes. I guess... I guess I'd give it to my family to help pay off the massive debt we're in and I'd tell my sisters the truth about how I acquired the cash to attend Beacon."
Ren looked at Jaune and nodded in the affirmative. "Alright then. Second question- do you feel any guilt for killing Charles Mustard?"
He hesitated to speak for a moment, but he answered, "I do. I will admit that my original intention for wanting to kill him wasn't just because he was dangerous, but also because he wanted to expose me for the fraud I was. But in the aftermath of the revelation, me and Ren had no choice. We had to kill him to save all our skins. And while I am thankful that we didn't have to drag him to Sumire, which upon seeing it in ruins would also mean we would've had to drag him to Cachee, I do feel guilty. He was mentally insane and I've wondered if, with treatment, could he have been cured of his illness? If so, could he have become an ally? Would things have gone better for us if we were able to get Charles Mustard to join our squad? And I will admit, I had been shoving many of these feelings aside. I probably should have said something in Mensonge, if not sooner, but little I can do about that now."
The lotus warrior examined the knight's face again before asking, "Third and final question- If you had the power to go back in time, and change any one decision you previously made, what would it be, and why?" Jaune was silent. "I know this is a hard question, so take your time."
Jaune remained silent for a few moments, thinking over some of the decisions he had made; the forgery, the theft, going to Beacon, accepting Pyrrha's help, and many, many others. His mind lead him to the night that Beacon fell... how Pyrrha had kissed him, shoved him into a locker and him breaking down...
He returned to reality and looked at his friend. "If I could turn back the clock, I would choose to go with Pyrrha to stop Cinder. She almost died up there, and if it hadn't been for Ruby, and that Griffon, my best friend and the love of my life would be dead. I felt horrible for not doing anything to help her face the evil witch, even if I was bogged down by Grimm. I'm not sure if I would have been ready back then to face her, and I'm not even sure if I will be ready to face her when the time comes, but I know one thing is certain; I'm not going to run and I will fight until the very end."
Ren studied Jaune's face as his calm, serious expression never wavered. The ninja looked closely into Jaune's eyes and he did not flinch or grow nervous.
"You have spoken honestly." The lotus warrior concluded. "Therefore, I will agree with Nora and everyone else that you have effectively redeemed yourself. You may have much to learn, we all do, but you've come a long way."
Jaune smiled at Ren. "Thank you." And the rest of his friends. "All of you. I'm honestly not sure if I deserve this, but I'm not going to waste this chance to become a better leader, warrior and person."
The rest of them nodded in agreement.
Pyrrha turned to the red-cloaked girl. "So, Ruby... how's the job going?"
Ruby yawned. "Tiring. I've been studying a lot when I'm not on the job."
"Have you memorized all the vocabulary yet?" Ren inquired.
"I'm getting there." She gave another yawn. "I'm working on making flashcards for all the glossary terms. Right now I'm on the R's." Another yawn. "Thanks again for lending me that book by the way. Where did you get it?"
The ninja shrugged. "Not sure. Some local bookshop down in Vale, I can't remember the name..."
"Is Captain Odell getting suspicious?" Nora asked.
"He's noticed I'm a bit slow, but I passed it off by saying I haven't been on a ship in a while, which is sort of true." The silver-eyed girl explained. "I mean, we arrived in Vale by ship on New Year's Eve, and it's been nearly two months since then."
"So you told him a half-lie, half-truth." the Valkyrie concluded.
"Yeah..." She yawned. "Sorry about the yawns. I'm waiting for the ultra-sugary coffee to kick in."
"Hey um, Ruby?" Pyrrha began. "Might I advise you to get some sleep? You look like you have bags under your eyes."
"I do. You got any makeup? Odell hasn't noticed, but I don't think I could cook up an excuse to explain to him on why I'm so tired."
The formerly masked warrior looked at her a bit unsure, but laughed it off and smiled. "Sure thing."
She gestured for Ruby to follow her into the bathroom so that she could apply some makeup. Ruby left and Nora looked at her worringly.
"I'm worried about her." Nora stated.
"I think all of us are." Ren added.
"This isn't good. I mean, it's great that we got the last suite and that Ruby has a place to stay on the ship, but what if it blows up in her face? What if the truth comes to bite her in the butt?" Jaune asked his friends. "I mean, both me and Pyrrha have been on the short end of that stick."
"We haven't even been on the ship for a whole week and she's already beginning to crack." Nora brought up. "But it's not like there's anything else we can do to help her, is there?"
"Probably not." Ren sadly answered.
She looked towards the window and looked out to the sea. "Seven weeks and one day to go." She sighed. "Honestly, I fear that one day the captain will find out the truth if she doesn't come clean. I guess now the only question is when and what will the cause be."
Leonardo Lionheart was shown pacing in his office, his loud footsteps heard by no one. He was alone with his anxiety, guilt and regret. He went back and forth from one wall to another.
"I can't believe I did this..." Leonardo was still pacing as he spoke to himself. "I gave her the location of every huntsmen and huntress in Mistral. They're all falling, one by one. Over half, no, two-thirds of Haven's staff is gone, and with many of the huntsmen and huntresses dispersed, we don't have enough to keep teaching, even remotely." He sighed. "The backbone of Haven is crashing, burning and breaking. There's no way I could teach them all myself, and even if I could, they'd just fall to the Lady of Darkness!"
He stopped and looked at his hands, imagining streams of blood dripping on them. He gasped and the blood disappeared. "I have to close the school. It's the only way to protect my remaining students and any future graduates from her wrath and that of her other subordinates." He looked at the window. "But what if people start to get suspicious? What if Her Graciousness disapproves of my action?" He walked to the window, putting his left hand to the glass. "What if my students and constituents are already starting to question me?"
He looked at the list of teachers, many of which had their names crossed out, including Phoenix Nikos. "First Phoenix Nikos, and now I'm the one of ten staff members left. And she was killed long before Salem sent out Watts and Hazel to kill the ones that Tyrian missed during the time of the Vytal Festival." He went forward and looked around his office, paying particular attention to the tea set that Ozpin had given him. "Should I really do it?" He sighed. "I'm afraid I may not have much choice. Not if I want to do the right thing." He clinched his fists and brought them to his chest. "I hope I'm doing the right thing. Ozpin... forgive me..."
A newspaper was shown against a black screen- Haven Academy Temporarily Closed Until Further Notice
Team ARBN was shown, with Reese Chloris holding the newspaper.
"No... This... this can't be..." Reese bawled.
Nadir Shiko looked at his friend and teammate in concern. "What's wrong?"
"Haven Academy is facing a staff shortage and we've been left with nothing! Lionheart has closed Haven Academy indefinitely!"
Reese started to sob, and Nadir threw his arms around her.
Bolin Hori scowled after reading the paper. "This isn't right. This isn't like him. Why would he do this?!"
"Calm down." Arslan Atlan ordered. "I know you're angry. I'm angry too, but it's not going to help us."
"But what do we do? We're so close!" Reese sobbed loudly, her voice breaking in a mixture of sorrow and anger. "We're just one semester away from graduating and getting our huntsmen and huntress licenses!"
Nadir handed her a tissue, which she blew her nose into.
"Don't worry. I expected that something bad might happen regardless of where we went." Arslan told her teammates. "That's why I sent letters asking for admissions to the other huntsman academies just in case something like this happened. Last week we got the one from Atlas from the emotionless messenger, and they accepted us in." In her right hand, Arslan took a letter that was addressed to her. "And this letter that just came in is from Vacuo."
The green-haired girl dried her tears. "And what does it read?"
ARBN's leader opened the envelope and smiled upon reading the letter. "We've been accepted into Shade Academy."
"So what do we do now?"
"We, as a team, must make an important decision. We have two choices to continue our pathway to becoming huntsmen and huntresses- First choice, we go to Atlas, face the cold climate, indifferent students, and step into the unknown dangers of the tundra. Or our second choice, we go to Shade, face a hotter climate, hopefully nicer people, and battle foes under the hot sun."
"Doesn't Shade Academy, and Vacuo in general have mean, unwelcoming natives?" Nadir asked.
Reese realized... "Aw, fuck. He's right."
"Maybe so, but I don't think we should let that stop us if we do head to Vacuo." Arslan encouraged them. "So, what will it be? Face the harsh cold tundra, or the brutal heat of the desert? Personally, I'd rather go to Vacuo. Ironwood seems to be keeping his stress levels in check, but I'm still worried he might go over the edge. He's been refusing a lot of interviews ever since Beacon fell. Then again... he hasn't closed Atlas's borders or started a war, so... perhaps my fear is misplaced. What do you think?"
"I don't know... The idea of possible harassment from Shade's students doesn't sound very appealing to me." Reese told Arslan.
"I agree with her." Nadir added. "I'd say it's better to be ignored than treated badly."
"The Grimm of Atlas would be more challenging, but we might not be ready for it." Bolin told his teammates. "And honestly, after seeing Beacon crumble and Mistral slowly start falling apart, I just want a nice, easy train ride to graduation. Or least, as easy as it can get in our profession. I think our best bet for that is Shade." Bolin gave them a bold, confident smile. "So what if the other students and residents complain? We'll be in and out way before most of them will even graduate anyway."
Reese faintly smiled. "I guess that's true."
Arslan raised her right hand. "All in favor for going Shade Academy, raise your hand and say, 'Aye!'"
"Aye!"
"Aye!"
"Aye..."
Nadir, Bolin and somewhat reluctantly Reese raised their right hand in agreement.
"Then it's settled. At the next flight, we leave for Vacuo."
Team SSN was shown, with Scarlet David holding onto the newspaper.
"Well, this is not good. Not good at all." the red-haired brawler stated. He turned to the team's new leader. "Now what are we going to do?"
"That's a really good question, Scarlet." Neptune stated. "Sun's still going to be waiting for us here in Mistral. If we left for Vacuo now, we'd be worse then him leaving us to help Blake."
"At least he had the decency to inform us of his intentions before leaving. Unlike last time..." Scarlet remarked, before looking down in sadness. "I hope he's okay."
Neptune expressed the same sentiment. "So do I."
"We all do. Do you even think he'll be successful in either of his objectives?" Sage Ayana asked his teammates.
Neptune gave a wry smile. "I would certainly hope so."
Sage raised an eyebrow for a brief moment, but shrugged it off. "Well, either way, we need to do something to keep our skills sharp aside from fighting against each other. I know Headmaster Lionheart is allowing all students to stay here in the dorms for as long as they'd like, but we should do something aside from sitting here with our thumbs up our noses."
"Look on the bright side. If nothing else, we're really familiar with each other's moves and can work well together as a team." Neptune told them.
"And we could do some good with the time we don't spend training." Sage suggested. "Maybe we could do some volunteer work?"
The blue-haired huntsman trainee looked at his teammates and proposed to them an idea. "What about becoming messengers?"
Sage looked at Neptune like he had grown two heads. "Messengers? Isn't that dangerous?"
"It is, but between three trainees who've had two full years at Haven Academy, our odds of survival are much higher than a single messenger who is likely inexperienced and working alone." Neptune reasoned. "And we could continue to use our dorm room as our base of operations. It's free real estate."
The strongman nodded. "Good point."
"All in favor?" Scarlet and Sage raised one of their hands in agreement. "Then it's settled. We will become messengers. Starting now."
Meanwhile, in Griamore Port, faint rays of orange were seen in the sky as the sun dipped lower and lower. Kali and Ghira Belladonna were shown lounging in beach chairs by the seaside. Kali was shown wearing a black bikini with black sandals beside her chair. Her own arms rested on the chairs arms and in her right hand was a coconut drink served in an actual coconut with a white little umbrella. Beside her was Ghira, no longer wearing his big purple coat and laid far back with his arms up.
"Ah, I will admit, this was a pretty good idea. Leaving Fennec in charge of Kuo Kuana while we take a vacation." Ghira stated.
Kali smiled. "Reminds me of our honeymoon days." She took a sip of her drink. "And back when your last name was Porfirio."
Ghira chuckled. "No one's called me that in a very long time. Not since..."
"Extra, extra!" a female voice was heard calling. "Maura Celandine is caught, trialed and executed!" A newsie girl came into view. "Final words will really surprise you! Read all about it for just three Lien!"
Ghira immediately looked up in confusion. "What?"
Kali almost choked on her drink. "Maura... executed?"
She set her drink down as the newsie girl came over their way. "Hello. Would you like to buy a newspaper on Maura Celandine's death? Only three Lien!"
Kali handed her the money and took the newspaper. It was the same paper from Nina News that Sienna Khan read several weeks ago. The newsie girl ran off, chanting, "Extra, extra! Maura Celandine..." which faded into the distance as two silently read over the paper.
"Something's not right here..." Ghira stated after finishing reading.
"Maura would never attack a combat school, and Sienna would never allow it." Kali stated. "Then again, look at what Adam did to Beacon..."
"It seems that something worse may be lying underneath the surface. First Sanctum, then Beacon by Adam's command, now Maura's death, and who knows what else?"
The older catwoman looked at her husband. "So what are we to do?"
The panther-clawed faunus gave a sad, deep sigh. "I know that we left the Fang a long time ago because Sienna had adopted more extreme methods, but now it seems that the White Fang, or at least certain parts of it, are turning or already have turned evil. Is it possible that she is losing her grip on the Fang? And if I'm correct on either account, then who knows what they could do to Mistral, or worse, the world?"
Kali tensed up. "Do you really think the White Fang could be torn asunder?"
"I don't know." Ghira told her. "But that's what we need to find out."
She gave him a look bordering on worry and reluctance. "No. You can't be serious. We haven't fought in years. Not to mention I've always been the weaker of us, both in terms of strength and amount of combat experience and knowledge."
"But we both have our aura, so we're already ahead of most of the White Fang members." He took her hand and then put his right one over it to reassure her. "I have my strength and claws. Do you remember how to fire a gun?"
With her free hand, she waved it in a so-so motion. "Kinda, but not really."
"Hmm... I can reorient your skills, but in the meantime, perhaps we should get you a weapon that no one would expect you to use?"
An idea quickly came to her as he let go of her hand. "How about a frying pan?"
"I like that idea." He sighed. "Alright, between our skills, we should be able to survive. I guess now the real question of the hour- where do we begin?"