Chapter 12
Teams RWBY and JNPR have arrived in Mistral with Qrow and Oscar. The Sith are inserting hunter teams into Haven Academy to find out who all the Jedi are before the Sith's plans are enacted. Umbra, returning to use the name Rosa for the time being, is among the Sith at the academy.
Oscar gathered everyone into the living room of the house. He saw how each of them had changed. He could feel the power they all had. It was more focused and intense than it was at Beacon, or so Ozpin said. Oscar took off his backpack and found his lightsaber. He took it out.
"I am Oscar Pine, as I told you before. But I didn't tell you that I too, am a Jedi knight." Oscar activated the emerald blade. The green was the darkest shade of green the knights had seen.
"I was trained by my aunt, who is also a Jedi Knight. I found out I was force-sensitive two weeks after the Vytal festival. I trained the entire time until I grew enough to meet the trials. It was during this time that I first heard the voice of Ozpin in my mind. I could see him even though I had never met him. I began to see his memories. I learned what our true mission is. We are not meant to just face off against the darkness. We are meant to beat it." Oscar said.
"Beat it? Do you mean Salem?" Yang asked.
"Salem is the leader of the Sith, and the woman who groomed Rosa to fall to the dark side." Oscar said.
"The Sith are here. We all sensed it." Jaune said.
"They are. That is why I am glad that you didn't stay in the dorms at Haven. Unfortunately, it has become a Haven to the darkness. This city, this kingdom has fallen into a veil of darkness. The Grimm are attacking the edges of the kingdom while the white fang gather their power closer to the heart." Oscar said. Blake moved slightly.
"Oscar, Ozpin, whichever you are right now, you need to tell us what the Maidens are." Pyrrha said. Oscar turned to her, and Ozpin turned his eyes in shame.
"Ozpin said he's so sorry for what he put you through. He recognizes it was unfair." Oscar said. His eyes changed color.
"It was not fair or right what I did to you Miss Nikos. I was afraid that the Sith were going to get the power of the Fall maiden and acted recklessly. I owe it to you to tell you what the maidens are. I'm sure you told them everything you knew miss Nikos." Ozpin said.
"Qrow was going to tell us more, but he went and got drunk." Weiss said.
"Please forgive him. He's been through a lot as well." Ozpin said.
"The Maidens." Pyrrha said.
"Yes, the maidens. Four women across the world that have magic. They are an echo of a long-ago time on Remnant, long before the first Jedi arrived here. This world used to have people who could access magic, a power source that came from the uniqueness of the world itself. These four women all have powers that echo nature. Winter for the gift of Creation, Summer for Destruction, Fall for Choice, and Spring for Knowledge. They have another power. A hidden purpose, a failsafe. Under each school is a vault that holds ancient relics. Each of the maidens represents that relic. The Fall maiden is Darth Vanus, the woman who took your legs Pyrrha. But she cannot open the vault underneath Beacon. I added more fail-safes to that vault. But they do not exist for the other three. The Spring Maiden is the maiden who can access the vault here. The relic of choice lies in the Vault in Haven academy." Ozpin said.
"So, the Sith are looking for the Spring Maiden." Yang said.
"Qrow might have been told where they are. He was mumbling about that while I carried him here." Oscar said. Oscar was in control now.
"So, we still have to wait for him to get over his hangover." Weiss said.
"Why do the Sith want the artifacts?" Blake asked.
"Once gathered together, Salem will have the power to leave this world. This world is safe from the outside galaxy because hyperspace doesn't work around it. She's wanted to spread her evil for thousands of years. But I've stopped her. She's gotten close, and it took many great and powerful people to stop her and take the artifacts back from her." Ozpin said.
"Do you know who all the maidens are?" Pyrrha asked.
"No. I believe the Winter maiden is safe for now. We know that the Fall maiden has fallen into the hands of the Sith. The Spring Maiden and Summer Maiden are not known to me." Ozpin said.
"Can we get the fall maiden powers back?" Pyrrha asked.
"It would be extremely difficult. Vanus is in Salem's inner court. But there is a way." Ozpin said.
"We'd have to kill Vanus first." Pyrrha said.
"Yes. That may be something we have to do either way." Ozpin said. "I'm getting weaker. I need to rest for now. Oscar will return to you. And students, He's a good person. Please keep him one."
Oscar shook his head.
"I wish he wouldn't say stuff like that." Oscar was blushing.
"Well Oscar, looks like we have to get to know you." Jaune said, slapping him on the back.
"So, how did you have Ozpin's voice there? Did you age backwards?" Nora asked.
"You're not possessed, are you?" Jaune asked. "Because that would be creepy."
"Jaune, he obviously isn't possessed!" Ruby said.
"How do you know?" Jaune asked.
"Because possessed people aren't able to switch back." Ruby said.
"Are you a reincarnation?" Ren asked.
"Oh, is it weird?" Ruby asked.
"Yes. Very weird. Two souls in one person is sort of disconcerting." Oscar said.
"Like your one book Blake. The one you were telling me about the night we met." Ruby said.
"I don't know if that's exactly the same." Blake had a slight blush on her face. That book was one that she hoped no one else here read.
"How are you with your Jedi skills?" Weiss asked.
"Oh, um… I think I've been learning so fast. I was able to do all the trials and all." Oscar said.
"Hey, let's let the kid in." Yang said. "He's been standing the whole time. We're going to need to find a room for you. Have you eaten? Do you need to do some shopping for stuff?"
"Yang, didn't you just tell us to stop asking questions?" Ruby asked.
"Those can wait. Mine can't." Yang said.
"A break would be nice. Climbing up the mountain today has made me kind of tired." Oscar said. He finally let himself feel how tired he was and realized it had been at least a day since he had anything to eat. He was so focused on getting to Mistral that he couldn't slow down for anything.
"Come on, we'll find you a room." Yang said. Ruby followed behind Yang, and Oscar followed behind them both. They went upstairs and saw the row of rooms.
"We got Ren and Nora here, Jaune and Pyrrha here." Yang pointed down one hallway. She moved to the other side.
"We have Ruby and Me, Then Weiss and Blake. Uncle Qrow is in his own room on the other side of the hallway, the one with the window facing the front of the house. We got a few more rooms available." Yang finished explaining. Oscar looked down to the other side of the hallway. He noticed that each room on this floor was a bedroom, but also a lounge in the center. He turned to the closest door to the stairs.
"Is this one empty?" Oscar asked.
"Across from us, eh? No peaking." Yang joked.
"I would never!" Oscar said, his face covered in a blush.
"Yeah, a teenage boy meeting some badass and sexy Jedi who sleep across the floor would never think…" Yang started.
"Yang please stop it!" Ruby had a blush too.
"Fine, I was only teasing." Yang said. "Or was that hazing? No, I think that was teasing."
Oscar opened his door and saw two beds, a TV, desks, a closet, and a bathroom. Each room had a bathroom attached to it. He went to it and saw it was a bathroom, a shower, no tub.
Oscar placed the backpack on the bed.
"I wasn't joking down there. Have you eaten? Do you need to get new clothes?" Yang asked.
"Oh, um, yeah, I need to eat." Oscar said.
"We got some stuff in the fridge. We're going on a shopping trip in the morning." Yang said.
"Thank you. For everything." Oscar said.
Rosa was in the bath, relaxing when she heard one of the boys enter her room.
"We got food." Kaelor said.
"Ok, you can leave my room now." Rosa said.
"Where are you?" Kaelor asked.
"In the bath, so don't come in here." Rosa said.
"Why would you take a bath when you knew we were getting food?" Kaelor asked.
"Do I need to explain myself to you?" Rosa said.
"I guess not. Oh, and we all got a side mission. We're going to search for the safe house the knights are using." Kaelor said. He left the room. Rosa shook her head. Why did he just barge in here? She could have been changing. She was naked right now. Didn't he have any respect for privacy? She was so annoyed that she finished her bath. She couldn't enjoy it right now. She left her room a few minutes later, changed into one of her casual outfits that Yang helped her buy. She saw pizza on the counter in the communal area.
"We know they aren't going to be at the bottom of the mountain. We also know they aren't at the top, so we just have to search the entire middle." Ravik said.
"That was kind of obvious." Emerald said.
"We have next to no information. Why are they having us hunt down a singular house in the biggest city in the world?" Rosa asked.
"It would be best to find where the Jedi are hiding." Kaelor said. He was looking at her with a confused expression. "That's what you wear normally?"
"What do you mean?" Rosa asked. Her choices weren't anything too outlandish. Jeans, a T-shirt, a hoodie. What else did she need?
"I mean you look like a civilian." Kaelor said.
"Isn't that the point?" Emerald asked.
"When we're out on the streets. But we're here. We can wear out Sith outfits." Kaelor said.
"So what? Let me dress how I want to." Rosa said.
"You don't even have a Sith talisman on you." Kaelor said.
"What a perfect idea, put something on that proves I'm a Sith so that every Jedi knows who I am. What's the point in having a disguise? Let's just walk out in the open in full regalia!" Rosa said.
"One day soon we will." Kaelor said.
"Do you not know what the idea of a surprise is?" Rosa asked.
"Can we get back to the task at hand?" Ravik asked. "It doesn't matter if she wears regular clothes. She's one of us."
"I guess that ticked a nerve." Emerald said.
"Shut up." Kaelor said.
Oscar was eating with Ruby and Jaune with him. The others returned to what they were doing or getting ready for the end of the night.
"So, you need a scroll. That is the most important thing for you to get." Ruby said.
"And you should also get some new clothes. The Jedi will be able to get you an outfit. We need you to stick out less here." Jaune said. Oscar finished his bite and looked at Jaune.
"How do I stick out?" Oscar asked.
"You look like you came directly from a farm." Jaune said.
"I did." Oscar said.
"Well, that does explain a lot. You should also slow down with your food." Jaune said. He got Oscar a glass of water.
"How old are you, Oscar?" Ruby asked. Oscar thought about it for a second.
"I think I'm fifteen now. I'm too tired to do the math." Oscar said.
"A little under two years younger than me." Ruby said.
"And almost four younger than the rest of you." Oscar said.
"Ruby, you can handle the rest from here, right? I got to check in on Pyrrha." Jaune said.
"Yeah, yeah." Ruby said.
"I heard she was hurt but I never got the full story. What happened?" Oscar asked.
"During the Vytal festival, after Ozpin lost his fight with Vanus, Pyrrha challenged her. I got to the top of the tower and saw Vanus stab her through the spine. For a while there was no hope of her ever walking again. But the Oasis of Healing in Menagerie was able to regrow just enough of the bone that she's able to start moving her feet again." Ruby explained.
"Ozpin told me about the one not here. Rosa Reidan. I know that something happened. Ozpin told me everything he knew about her, but there were some gaps." Oscar said.
"Rosa…" Ruby looked down at her hands.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." Oscar said.
"No, it's alright. You're probably going to see her at some point. Rosa was someone important to all of us. She helped us when we needed it. She helped Weiss a lot with some mental issues she was going through because of her father. We didn't see the darkness that was inside of her. We didn't see it in Maku. We failed her. She asked why we didn't trust her and told her about an incident when she fell to the dark side for a short amount of time. We should have." Ruby said.
"Did she tell you about the train? What they did to her?" Oscar asked.
"No, what did they do?" Oscar told Ruby about what Ironwood told him. It was from Torchwick, so he didn't know if it was too reliable. She looked at her hands.
"We knew she went through a lot physically. But she never told us what was done to her. She never told us she touched the dark side. Did… Did she not trust us?" Ruby asked.
"I'm sorry. I don't know her well enough to say." Oscar said.
"That's alright…" Ruby said. "Rosa is a Sith Lord now. We've seen her many times now. She has such pain inside of her. I don't think she joined the Sith for any Ideological reasons." Ruby took a second to remember the word.
"Why do you think she did then?" Oscar asked.
"I think she was afraid. Maku tried to kill her after she learned what he did to her." Ruby said.
"Do you think there's still hope for her?" Oscar asked.
"Yeah. There's always hope. I just need to find the shatterpoint to bring her back." Ruby said.
"I think you can do it. If you have hope." Oscar said.
"Thanks." Ruby said with a smile. Oscar looked away.
"So, what else do we need for the list?" Oscar asked.
"Oh, that. Um…" Ruby looked back over it.
Jaune and Pyrrha looked at the shower. No bath this time… so Jaune would need to hold Pyrrha up. There was no chair she could sit in.
"Oh… that's…" Jaune's face was burning. Pyrrha's was burning as well.
"We should probably get a chair for you in there." Jaune said.
"In the future, yes…" Pyrrha used the force to grab her clothes.
"I guess… we're both taking a shower." Jaune said.
"I guess we are…" Pyrrha said.
"You know, this could be a lot more awkward. We've both seen everything already." Jaune said. Pyrrha smiled at that.
"Thank you, Jaune." She said.
Blake and Weiss were in their room meditating. Weiss was getting better, Blake noted. Weiss opened her eyes and let out a sigh.
"It feels like I'm trying to force it." Weiss said.
"Then it probably has already failed." Blake said.
"I have no idea how you doit so easily." Weiss said. "And not just meditating. I mean, my skills with the force are good for where we are at, but I'm nowhere near your level. You can stop blaster bolts. I can't."
"I could say that I was jealous of your skills with the lightsaber. You have an understanding of combat that I don't even begin to comprehend." Blake said.
"I don't want to let any of you all down. I don't want to burden any of you." Weiss said.
"No one has ever thought that you were a burden." Blake said.
"I know. Trust me I know, and I'm really thankful that you all trust me so much." Weiss said.
"Does this have to do with Rosa or your father?" Blake asked.
"Probably both. I wish she had just talked to us, Blake. I wish she trusted us." Weiss said.
"I do too." Blake said. "That reminds me Weiss, how is Gold doing?"
"I've been sent a few more pictures." Weiss took out her scroll and showed Blake pictures of her Faunus half-brother.
"We're doing this for everyone. Including Gold. You will get it Weiss. Trust me." Blake said. She put her hand on Weiss' shoulder.
"Thanks, Blake."
The next day the Knights were out shopping for everything they needed. Yang grabbed Oscar first and dragged him into a clothing store meant for hunters.
"Alright, I'm going to help you with this." Yang said.
"Okay." Oscar said, trying to not get hurt as she dragged him along. They went through multiple different aisles. Oscar grabbed the clothes Yang was going to have him try on. Ozpin sat back and watched with amusement.
"She can be aggressive when it comes to certain topics. It looks like fashion is one of them." Ozpin said.
"Hey… is that Yang Xiao Long?" A Haven student said. Oscar looked back and saw a few students recognized who they were.
"Yang, are you sure this is the best way to have a low profile?" Oscar asked.
"Oh, don't mind them. They won't say anything… I think." Yang said. Oscar was given a few outfits to try on and as he was trying them on, he made notes on them.
"This one is a no." Oscar said about an outfit with a leather jacket. He went through the pile and stepped out after each one. There was a changing room section that Yang was sitting in.
"That one looks… it's too much." Yang said. Battle armor was closer to what it was.
"Not your color." It was all blue.
"Not enough pockets." Yang said. She had someone, one of the students, sitting next to her. She agreed with Yang.
"Yeah, pockets are necessary. That one looks like someone who's trying to look like us but isn't." She said.
"Oh, thank you." Oscar said.
"Oscar, this is Reese Chloris. We fought in the Vytal festival." Yang said.
"It was a good one." Reese said.
"Your leader… is she around?" Yang asked.
"She should be getting back into town today." Reese said.
"Alright. You guys should come see us." Yang said.
"Why's that?" Reese asked.
"Reasons." Yang said. She leaned in and whispered. "Sith and Jedi."
"I see. I'll tell her." Reese said.
Oscar tried on more outfits, until he found one he liked. It was a long-sleeved shirt, a white vest over it, with suitable pockets, green pants that gave him room to move around, and boots. He decided to put his orange suspenders up and found two orange gloves. He zipped up the vest and looked in the mirror. He shook his head and stepped out.
"That one's not bad." Reese said.
"Not sold on both suspenders being up though. Still has that 'naïve' feeling to it." Yang used the force to slide the one strap down.
"Now that! That looks good on him, don't you say?" Yang asked Reese.
"Looks like an evolution of what he was wearing before." Reese said.
"Exactly!" Yang said. They left the store with that set.
"Okay Oscar, you get to look around now for anything you need. But remember, we need to be back here in three hours." Yang said.
"Three hours? How can people shop that long?" Oscar asked.
"You innocent child." Yang said, patting him on the cheek.
"Hey, is that Yang Xiao-Long?" Someone said as she walked passed.
"My sister dump you here too?" Ruby asked. Oscar spun around.
"Ruby!" He jumped.
"Sorry, thought you would have felt my presence." Ruby said.
"Yeah. What am I supposed to do for the next three hours?" Oscar asked.
"The next thing on your list is getting a scroll. We're close by a shop." Ruby pointed out.
"I don't have the first clue what to look for." Oscar said.
"No problem. I know that stuff pretty well." Ruby said. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. Oscar followed, thinking only about her holding his hand. He had never held hands with someone so pretty before.
"Oscar, you are precious." Ozpin said.
"Shut it." Oscar said.
"What?" Ruby turned around.
"Not you." Oscar said. She shook her head, and realized she was holding his hand.
"Sorry, guess I don't need to do that to show you the way." Ruby said.
"Oh no, the moment is gone." Ozpin said.
"Do you have to comment on everything?" Oscar asked.
"How else am I supposed to entertain myself here?" Ozpin said. Oscar didn't reply. Ruby took Oscar to a tech store. They spent a while checking out the different scrolls that were being sold.
"Ruby, how am I supposed to afford this stuff?" Oscar asked her in a muffled voice.
"Don't worry. We got loads of cash." Ruby said.
"From what?" Oscar asked.
"The Masters received a reward for saving Menagerie, and they gave us some of it for our trip." Ruby said. "Oh, and Weiss."
"I don't know if using her money is too moral." Oscar said.
"Why not? She's got too much to use in one lifetime." Ruby said. Ruby looked at the different scrolls and picked one generation from the latest. It was a few hundred Lein cheaper.
"Never the latest model." Ruby explained.
"I see." Oscar got everything done in store so that he could walk out and start using it. That entire process took an hour.
Rosa spotted Ruby by accident. She was just walking along the road looking for the store Emerald told her was the Hunter clothing store. She felt Ruby before seeing her. She hid her force signature and put on a mask of a random woman in Vale. She kept random citizen-looking masks just in case. She looked at her scroll as Ruby walked passed. She was in a new outfit. She was talking to a new person. Rosa felt a tinge of jealousy.
"Did you replace me?" Rosa asked herself.
She saw the boy, a few years younger than herself. But she felt a power to him. He looked around, but didn't see anything.
"Something wrong Oscar?" Ruby asked.
"Why do I feel that? I think... Is that Jealousy" Oscar said. Ruby looked around. Her eyes went over Rosa. Her eyes stayed there for a second. Rosa wondered if Ruby saw through the disguise.
She turned to Oscar.
"Something's off over there." Ruby said. Rosa remembered Ruby could see shatterpoints. Was this moment one? She brought up her scroll and looked something up. Rosa couldn't think what it was. Then she felt her scroll buzzing. Her heart dropped. She saw Ruby's head swing around. She knew that if she moved, Ruby would figure it out. She had to fade in the background. But she couldn't use the force.
"Rosa." Ruby whispered. Rosa didn't mean to turn her head. But it was enough for Ruby to spot her. She used her semblance in the middle of the street to get to the other side and stood in front of Rosa. Ruby grabbed her shoulders. Rosa tried to stumble back she had no idea what to do! This wasn't part of the plan! Why did they have to be shopping at the same time? She heard the Sith in her ear.
"What's going on?" It was one of the random Sith in the city. Rosa didn't answer.
"Rosa!" Ruby shouted.
"You're mistaken." Rosa said.
"No, I'm not." Ruby looked at Rosa's face, keeping her there. Rosa didn't know what Ruby was seeing. Ruby raised her hand to Rosa's face and took the mask off. Rosa didn't even know that was possible. Rosa was standing there, looking into Ruby's eyes. The boy she was with came up next to Ruby.
"Rosa…" He said. She could feel him now. He was a Jedi. He was trained.
"Why are you here?" Rosa asked. Ruby didn't hear her.
"Rosa, please, come back to us." Ruby said.
"You know I can't. Forget about me Ruby." Rosa said. She tried to break Ruby's grip, but Ruby held onto her.
"Rosa, I know that you went through terrible things on the train, please won't you tell me if anything else happened?" Ruby asked. Rosa remembered the pain. She remembered everything that was done to her.
"Let go of me. I'm not the person you think I am." Rosa said. She couldn't look Ruby in the eye, she couldn't face the pain.
"You aren't who you think you are. Just look at you. You're wearing the clothes we gave you. You use the scroll that connects you to us. Come back to us Rosa." Ruby said.
"I can't Ruby. I'm not strong enough to." Rosa said. Ruby hugged Rosa. Rosa felt tears coming to her eyes. She needed to get away.
"Please. Let me go." Rosa said.
"You have to come back to your senses Rosa." Ruby said. Rosa dropped from the hug and stood away from Ruby.
"You weren't meant to find me! You were meant to join me. That's the only way I can keep you safe from her. She's going to order me to kill you soon. Unless you join me." Rosa said.
"I'll never join the dark side." Ruby said.
"Rosa, please listen. Salem's power over you is fake. You are strong enough to break through the manipulations." Oscar said.
"This was a mistake. I should have just left." Rosa said. "They've seen you."
"What?" A portal opened behind Rosa. She was grabbed and dragged through.
"Wait, Rosa!" Ruby shouted.
Rosa was back in her dorm with Emerald.
"What happened? How did she find you?" Emerald asked.
"I don't know. I was hiding and she was focused on that boy… then that boy… felt my emotions." Rosa said. She recognized that power, how couldn't she? But that would mean… They replaced her.
"That boy, great. They have someone who can spot you. Why didn't you just run when you saw them?" Emerald asked.
"I've been able to hide from them before with the masks. I don't know what happened!" Rosa said.
"What did you tell them?" Emerald asked.
"Nothing! Besides, they will never join the dark side." Rosa said, losing all emotion by the end.
"You know what that means, don't you?" Emerald asked.
"Salem will no longer protect them." Rosa said.
"Correct. And you will probably be tasked with killing them." Emerald said.
Ruby just watched the spot where Rosa slipped through her fingers again.
"How did you spot her?" Ruby asked.
"I don't know. It was almost like how the plants talk to me." Oscar said.
"Plants talking to you?" Ruby asked.
"Yes. I think we're going to have to tell the others." Oscar said.
"Yes, but we can't wait here." Ruby said. They were on the move again. Ruby opened the top of her dress and grabbed her lightsabers. She handed one them to Oscar, who quickly hid them on his backpack.
"What did she mean when she said they saw us?" Oscar asked.
"I don't know." Ruby started to call everyone. Yang was the first to pick up.
"Sith are here. We saw Rosa. She told us they saw us." Ruby said. They kept moving. They turned down an alley and saw a Sith drop.
"You know too much." He said. He took out a lightsaber. Oscar tossed Ruby her lightsaber and turned on the second as another Sith dropped behind them. They were far enough down the alleyway that no civilians would have seen them.
The first Sith rushed Ruby. He brought his arm up in an upward arc. Ruby stepped back and blocked the strike. She felt Oscar's back hit hers.
"There's not a lot of space here." Ruby said.
"Don't worry about that Ruby." Oscar said. He jumped forward, running along the wall and landed behind the second Sith. The Sith turned around and brought his lightsaber up to block a strike. Oscar dropped down, spinning on the ground, and brought his leg up in a second. The kick slammed into the second Sith's stomach. He dropped for a second.
Ruby spun around forcing the Sith's lightsaber out of the way. She brought her lightsaber forward and got a quick strike on his arm. He stumbled backward before Yang rushed into the alleyway.
"Found you." She rushed forward. She used the force to grab her lightsaber, hidden in her sleeve.
"Another one?" The first Sith said.
Oscar dropped behind the second Sith. He was moving too much for the Sith to keep up in this confined space. Oscar brought his lightsaber up to block the strike from the Sith.
"Stop moving." The Sith said. Oscar blocked the next strike and saw Blake drop down. The Sith realized it too late and found a lightsaber in his chest.
"That's both of them." Ruby said. She turned around putting away her lightsaber.
"What are we going to do about the bodies?" Oscar asked. He handed Ruby her other lightsaber. She put them away back in her outfit.
"There is a dumpster nearby." Yang said.
"Really?" Ruby said.
"Would you rather the bodies be found?" Blake asked.
"Fine." Ruby turned around and took out her scroll again.
"Don't worry everyone. We got them." Ruby said.
"Good thing too. It feels like using a lightsaber here is dangerous right now. Two random Sith in here. We have to be careful." Yang said. They moved the bodies.
"I don't feel any of them around us." Oscar said.
"We're going to a different pickup spot. We still need to pick some things up." Blake said.
"Is it important to get those now?" Oscar asked.
"Unfortunately, yes. It's better to go now when we know they are no longer following us, then risk it again." Blake said.
"I need a moment to calm myself." Oscar said.
"First real fight?" Yang asked.
"I almost killed." Oscar said. The others looked at him.
"You haven't taken a life yet?" Ruby asked.
"No." Oscar said. Yang put a hand on his head.
"Good. Try to keep that for as long as possible." Yang said, in a motherly tone.
"Let's go." Ruby said.
"We'll go the other way." Blake said. They left the alleyways.
"Let's get you somewhere safer than here" Ruby said. She looked around. Oscar heard whispers.
"Why do they keep walking passed us?"
"Aren't we beautiful?"
Oscar went in that direction. Ruby didn't notice he left her for a few seconds. Oscar went down and saw a flower shop. He smiled as he saw the plants. He reached for his wallet and saw he had enough Lien to get a few flowers.
"Someone's walking in." He heard a flower say.
He thought what would fit best for all the knights. He found a Lily of the Valley for Weiss, a yellow tulip for Yang, a black daisy for Blake. He found a group of snapdragons for Pyrrha, an Alstroemeria for Nora, a Zinnia for Ren, a Gerbera for Jaune, and finally, he picked up a red rose for Ruby. She opened the shop door as he was examining the rose.
"Oscar! You can't just leave like that!" Ruby said. She looked at what he was getting.
"Oh, you're buying flowers?" Ruby said.
"Yes, not only to liven up the house but also as a way to say thank you." Oscar said.
"Oh. And is that one for me?" Ruby asked.
"You were named after this kind of flower." Oscar said.
"We still need to be careful Oscar. Don't let your guard down." Ruby said. Oscar paid for the flowers and handed Ruby hers.
"Now?" She asked.
"You're here, aren't you?" Oscar said.
"Okay." Ruby put the rose in her pocket, the top of the rose poking out.
"Are the thrones poking you?" Oscar asked.
"No. My dress is thick enough that they can't poke through." Ruby said.
"I hope everyone likes theirs." Oscar said.
"The Sith are gone. I can't feel any darkness." Ruby said.
"For now, they are." Oscar said.
"Oscar, we need to figure out that force ability you used to find Rosa. If we can figure that out, it may become a lot easier to find the Sith." Ruby said.
"I don't know what it was. I felt targeted emotions, at us. I feel this massive ping of Jealousy directed at us." Oscar said.
"Jealousy, you say? Why was Rosa Jealous?" Ruby asked.
"Was… was she jealous of me?" Oscar asked.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked quickly.
"I don't know." Oscar said.
Everyone gathered at a different pick-up spot. They had arms full of things. Oscar looked at them all and told them what happened.
"Was it an accident that Rosa ran into you?" Weiss asked.
"I think so. She wasn't her normal self. I mean, she hasn't since she joined the Sith." Ruby said.
"I think there is more hope for her than she realizes." Oscar said. They were on the move back to the house.
"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.
"Think about it. She hasn't examined her own thoughts. She just went to the opposite extreme. Many of those who leave their birth religions often do the same." Oscar said.
"Did Ozpin tell you that?" Nora asked.
"Yes." They got back to the house and quickly put everything away. They gathered back together.
"Since she hasn't thought about what she believes she doesn't have much loyalty in the Sith. She doesn't realize that Salem has not won her loyalty. The Jedi just lost it. Salem must realize that Rosa still can return to us." Oscar said.
Qrow stepped down the stairs, empty glass in hand.
"REALLY!?" Ruby asked.
"Calm down! It was a seltzer." Qrow said, holding onto his head.
"A what?" Nora asked.
"I'm not going to explain it." Qrow said. He put the glass down and looked at the group.
"We ran into Rosa and killed two Sith." Yang said. Qrow held his hand up to his head.
"And you came back here?" Qrow asked.
"Not at first, and only after we felt that the Sith problem was gone." Ruby said.
"As long as they don't know where we are. Alright, tell me everything." Qrow said. Qrow listened to everything. He nodded.
"Rosa hadn't expected to run into you. That means the Sith have their own agenda here. We can't trust the school. Or Leo." Qrow said.
"That seems a bit far." Yang said.
"He had Sith artifacts in his office. And that secretary had the same face as the assassin that tried to kill Winter back in Vale. The artifacts were hard to tell that they were Sith and not just regular artifacts, but the tell-tale signs were there. There is only one piece of information he gave me that I trust right now. The Sith are after my sister. Raven." Qrow said.
Ruby turned to Yang.
"Why are they looking for her?" Yang asked.
"They said the spring Maiden ran off to her group, before the train. Leo told me that he was trying to find her before telling Oz about it, but then Hellio and Vytal happened." Qrow said.
"Why tell you?" Jaune asked.
"Two reasons. The first is to make me believe he's still on our side. The other… He wants us to lead the Sith right to them." Qrow looked right at Yang.
"How does he know about me?" Yang asked. She knew what that look meant.
"Leo was once a close friend." Qrow said.
There was a knock at the door.
"I thought you said you weren't being followed." Qrow said. Everyone got out their lightsabers, but didn't turn them on.
"I think I may know who it is." Yang said as she went to the door. Arslan Altan and Sun Wukong were on the other side of the door.
"Sun?" Yang asked.
"Arslan ran into me on our way back. We got bad news. Three Jedi were found dead in a nearby town. The Sith are here." Sun said. They entered the house.
"We got worse news." Qrow said.
"But we also got good news." Ruby said.
"Good news first please." Arslan said. Ruby grabbed Oscar and brought him forward.
"This may sound strange, but this is Oscar Pine, and also Ozpin." Ruby said.
"Hello." Oscar said.
"You're going to have to explain all that later. What was the bad news?" Sun asked.
"You can't go back to school. The Sith have taken over." Qrow said.
"What?!" Arslan shouted.
"What about our teams?" Sun asked.
"You need to get them out. Sun, you are probably one of the top targets of the Sith. You've foiled their plans before, and they still have yet to take revenge. You cannot go back to Haven under any circumstances." Qrow said.
"Where are we going to go?" Arslan asked.
"For the night, here." Qrow said.
"This house is getting a lot of people." Weiss said.
"There are more rooms below the basement if need be. This is a Jedi safehouse." Qrow said.
"So how did you find it?" Ruby asked.
"A close friend, her name's Em, first brought me here during…" Qrow didn't finish and coughed "That's not a story for you guys."
Oscar's face was bright red. Ruby turned and saw it. She was about to ask what was wrong, and Qrow saw his face as well. It took him a second, and he realized he shouldn't have said that.
"How many and fit here?" Arslan asked.
"The second floor is set for sixteen, the lower floors are probably ready for a few dozen more. I think sixty can be in the house at once. This is one a five safehouses in the city." Qrow explained.
"I think what we need to focus on right now is getting your teams out of Haven without too much noise." Jaune said.
"That's right. We'll make a plan. But you two need to rest for the night." Ruby said.
"We need to make sure this place stays hidden from the Sith." Oscar said.
Salem had Umbra brought to her. Umbra was in the throne room, being forced to the ground by Salem.
"Explain to me once again how you were discovered?" Salem said.
"They have someone new with them!" Umbra shouted. She was lifted up in the air, unable to move anything. Salem brought her closer.
"A Jedi?" Salem asked.
"Yes! He had my same force ability to read emotions. I was Jealous and he felt that." Umbra said. Salem let her drop to the table.
"Jealous?" Salem asked.
"Of him." Umbra couldn't look at Salem. Salem looked at Umbra.
"Explain." Salem said.
"They… replaced me!" Umbra slammed her hand into the table.
"Yes. They did. Now you see how far your loyalty to her went." Salem said. Salem stood up and grabbed Umbra's face.
"Umbra, you must kill your former friends soon. They have abandoned you. Give them no quarter." Salem brought Umbra into a hug.
"How could they?" Umbra asked.
"The Jedi have always used you. You believed your friends didn't have the shame of the light on them, but you were wrong. They betrayed you in every sense. But you are here. And you shall never feel the pains they gave you." Salem said.
'What is this feeling?' Rosa thought. Umbra brought up her arms and embraced Salem. Salem was smiling.
"Now you my dear, wait until they have all gathered themselves to kill them. Do this and you shall gain the full measure of power you were meant to obtain." Salem said.
'What is this pressure?' Rosa asked.
"Yes, my Master." Umbra said. Umbra brought her arms down. Salem stepped away from Umbra.
"Oh, you dear child, I am the only one left you can trust. I am the only one who will never betray you. I am the only one who will protect you." Salem said.
'Her words… Augh!' Rosa grabbed her head.
"My head." Umbra said. Salem brought her hand up and held Umbra's chin in her hand.
"Umbra, remember who is your master here." Salem said.
Raven entered her bandit camp. She looked at her men and was disappointed in all of them. They were all pathetic. Raven walked into her tent and saw Vernal there.
"What are you doing here?" Raven asked.
"Master, we had a visitor." Vernal said, placing a lightsaber on the table.
"Jedi or Sith?" She placed a lightsaber on the table.
"Jedi." Vernal said.
"Sith." Raven said.
"Looks like everyone is looking for us. Rumor has it that your brother has been seen in Mistral, with that meddlesome group of Jedi." Vernal said.
"What do you mean he's alive? I killed him months ago." Raven said.
"That must have been a Sith clone." Vernal said. She poured Raven a cup of tea.
"Fine. If we see him again, I will kill him. But why did I fight a Sith with a squad of White Fang troops here? I thought they were supposed to be on the lookout for them." Raven said, pointing behind her.
"They've been hunting for us. One must have just slipped through the defenses. It happens from time to time." Vernal said.
"Not good enough!" Raven yelled. Vernal moved back slightly.
"If they're dead Raven, we don't have anything to fear." Vernal said.
"It's that attitude that lost Sarah her life." The last spring maiden.
"Sarah was different. Her power made her arrogant Raven. We learned from that." Vernal said.
"Not well enough apparently!" Raven said.
Raven left the tent. She left the base camp and flew to the highest point in the area. She had to be away from them. She closed her eyes, and the wind started to pick up. She saw the trees swaying from the cliffside they hid under.
"Yang… Yang." Raven said. She knew Yang was hearing her. She couldn't respond, but she could listen.
"Come to me Yang, my daughter. Join me and be safe from Salem." Raven felt an emotional response. She stood up and sliced open one of her portals. She tried to step through, but she felt a light side protection that burned her.
"I see Yang. You must be with the Jedi right now." Raven said. "You will join me Yang. You have to."
Yang was in bed, tossing and turning, seeing the image of Raven reaching out to her. She shot up out of bed and saw a light in the room. Ruby saw it as well, but nothing came through it.
"Raven." Yang said.
"What? Now?" Ruby asked. She was out of bed with Crescent Rose in sniper mode, aiming at the portal. The portal closed.
"Why did she open it and not walk through?" Yang asked. Qrow threw open the door. He looked at his nieces.
"Shit. The portal closed?" Qrow asked.
"Yeah. Does she know where we are now?" Yang asked.
"No. Her portal doesn't tell her where you are." Qrow said. He turned back. "Yang, be careful. Your mother is a dangerous woman."
"I know she is." Yang said. Qrow left the room. Ruby turned to Yang.
"Are you okay?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah. Thank you, Ruby." Yang said. Yang sat down on the floor and took a few deep breaths. Ruby sat across from her.
"I'm going to meditate now, Ruby." Yang said.
"I'll join you." Yang and Ruby began to meditate. Yang felt a darkness out in the woods. Far away from Mistral itself. She saw the map of Mistral in her mind and saw the darkness swallowing the map. Two darknesses were there… but then they moved together. They moved together to Mistral.
Then she saw the entry hall to Haven. She opened her eyes and saw Rosa standing in the middle of the room.
Rosa looked behind and saw Yang standing there. She turned back and saw Ruby on the second floor looking down at her.
"What is going on?" Yang asked.
"Yang? Ruby?" Rosa asked.
"Why are we here?" Ruby asked. Rosa looked back at the two of them, anger on her face.
"Why did you replace me?" Rosa asked.
"What?" Yang asked. Rosa glared at Yang. She was about to move, but she couldn't. She looked down and saw one foot was held in a dark pit, the other in a light pit.
"What is going on here?" Rosa asked.
"Rosa! Please, listen to us! Don't run away." Ruby said. She was stuck on the second floor. Yang couldn't move either.
"Why should I? You lied to me when you said you cared about me." Rosa said.
"No, we didn't." Yang said.
"Then how could you replace me with that boy so soon?!" Rosa demanded.
"What are you talking about?" Yang asked.
"That boy that was with Ruby. He has my same skills. He has my spot with you." Rosa said.
"Rosa, we haven't replaced you. No one can replace you. Why don't you get that?" Ruby said.
"I do."
"Salem told me the truth about you."
Rosa spoke both things at the same time. She opened her eyes wide. Yang and Ruby looked at her questioningly. Suddenly, Blake and Weiss joined them.
"What?" Ruby asked.
"We joined you once we saw what you were doing." Blake said.
"Rosa, what will it take for you to come back to us?" Weiss asked.
"Help me. I'm not safe." Rosa said.
"I'll never join you." Umbra said.
Rosa looked around at the others. She lifted her hands and saw the foot in the dark side was pale. The one in the light was Rosa.
"What is going on?" Blake asked.
"Help me." Rosa said.
"Get away!" Umbra said.
"What is this?" Rosa said.
"I think… that this may be cognitive dissonance. The two sides to her are fighting." Blake said.
"How's that possible?" Yang asked.
"I don't know. I just read about it from one of the records. Rosa is facing off against something inside of herself." Blake said.
"Shut up!" Umbra said.
"Help me!" Rosa shouted. Yang reached out to her. She felt that she was able to take a step closer. Weiss was able to as well.
"Rosa, please, help us understand you!" Weiss shouted. "Don't hide anything from us anymore!"
"I used it after the train." Rosa said.
"Shut up! Don't tell them anything." Umbra said, her hand raising. Umbra tried to wrap her hand around her neck to shut Rosa up. She could only touch the dark half.
"I used it on that Sith at Atlas. I chose the dark side to save myself. I used it at Vettom before you found me. I used it all the time… because I was weak." Rosa said.
"No! We are stronger with the darkness!" Umbra shouted.
"Rosa… why didn't you trust us?" Ruby asked. "We would have helped you with anything you needed. We care about you, Rosa. We can still help you. Just trust us." Ruby reached out her hand to Rosa. Rosa opened her eyes wide.
"Please help me…" Rosa reached out to Ruby… then she vanished.
"Rosa!" Ruby yelled. She opened her eyes and so did everyone else. She took a few deep breaths.
"Was that real?" Blake asked.
"I don't know for sure." Weiss said. "But it felt real."
"I think Rosa is less sure she's on their side now." Blake said.
Rosa woke up in a cold sweat. She tossed the blanket off of her and got out of bed. She took a few deep breaths.
"What was that about?" Rosa asked herself. Emerald knocked on the door. She stepped in.
"Rosa. What happened? I could feel it from my room." Emerald said.
"Emerald… do you remember my necklace at Beacon? The one you destroyed?" Rosa asked.
"Yes… Why?" Emerald asked.
"And that ring?" Rosa continued to ask.
"Where are you going with this?" Emerald asked.
"And the bracelet?" Rosa asked.
"Yes Rosa, I remember what you wore at Beacon." Emerald said. Rosa turned around, a crazed look in her eyes. She rushed forward and got in Emerald's face.
"Why was there darkness in them?" Rosa asked. Emerald took a step back.
"I don't know." Emerald said.
"Would you lie to me?" Rosa asked, grabbing her wrist.
"Let go." Emerald said.
"They're haunting me, Emerald." Rosa said.
"Who?" Emerald asked. Rosa let go of Emerald's hand.
"Ruby right now." Rosa said.
"What do you mean right now?" Emerald asked.
"I see them Emerald—those I killed. I see Maku in my dreams. It's only started recently. Ever since Mercury revealed who I was." Rosa said.
"You killed him." Emerald said.
"I did, didn't I." Rosa said. Emerald took a step out of the room.
"They're dead Rosa." Emerald said.
"Yes. They are all dead, aren't they? Maybe I can get a good night's sleep. Sorry about that Emerald. I haven't slept in a few days." Rosa said.
"How many?" Emerald asked.
"At least four. I keep seeing them. They keep waking me up. They keep messing with my mind. They keep trying to rip me in two. They try to force Umbra out of me." Rosa said.
"What do you mean?" Emerald asked.
"They keep telling me I can get rid of it." Rosa said. "Ruby and the others said they'll try to save me."
"Umbra, you need to listen to me. They failed you. They abandoned you. They cannot save you." Velum said.
"They can't." Umbra said.
'They can.' Rosa said.
Author's Notes: The choice is on the horizon. I didn't think there would be as much Rosa in this chapter as there was. I'm playing with this idea, hope you like seeing what happens with Rosa.
Originally, this story would have been much darker, with a depressing ending. That may be due to me starting this at a low in my life and liking the idea of a tragic story. There is still tragedy, but there is also hope.
Oscar has joined the group and got a new outfit. I took inspiration from Antatee from Tumblr for his outfit.
I set up a lot of the goals and plotlines in this chapter.
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May the Force Be with You
-DragonZlayerx12