RWBY Through Worlds

49: Count My Sins

Finally, Wally just stood up.

"Oz," he said, "I'd let a lot of stuff go. I mean, I don't believe in holding a grudge and rubbing it in someone's face when they fail...but you knew all along that those doors led to another world. You knew that it was like what we did, and you even knew that your friend, the lady, warned you what would happen...and you just decided not to talk about it? Why? Because it was embarrassing?"

"It's more than that," Shine said. "He couldn't let go of his burden. Alicia was right...and if you told us that, does that mean that you finally know that, Ozpin?"

"I was hoping you would say that she was wrong," Ozpin said feebly. "That, in fact, you did have a way to unite the world. You've said it's impossible, but knowing the whole story now, are you so sure?"

"Like I'm going to argue with her," Shine said. "Why would we disagree on this point?"

"It's been 1000 years of you keep that secret?" Wally said. "Why would you? Why not just give up?"

"Because I had nothing else!" Ozpin said. "I had to tell myself she was wrong... She was gone. It was too late. It was either do it the gods' way, or not. And I tried to forget... I think I really did forget some of it, but with your presence here it's been coming back to me bit by bit. And the things you do, they seem like what she described...but I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to think you were just here by chance...or that you were here for Oscar alone...but then it seems I and Oscar are not truly separated yet. You can't just send me into someone else?"

"And that would fix what, even if we could?" Shines asked. "You couldn't really have thought this wouldn't involve you, Ozpin. You only told yourself that so you'd not have to deal with it--well, now that it comes out, what do you plan to do?"

"I...have no idea," Ozpin said. "I have no plan to stop Salem, as I said before... I no longer have any plan to do anything... I've been letting Oscar make decisions, because over all...it seems better that he does, while he can. And in your case, I will not stop him, but it's too late for me. Alicia herself said it was so...and so that is why you cannot do all you wish you could do. I'm sorry."

"You fool," Shine said, catching him by his collar. "If you weren't Oscar, I'd smack you in the face for such a stupid statement! You have not understood what she said at all! Don't you get it? Alicia was trying to help you. She loved you, as we all love our people who we're sent to. It must have torn her apart when you sent her away, but she was still doing her best till the end to get you to realize your error. She hoped that if we ever showed up, if the door ever reopened, you'd be ready by then. Well, it's been 1000 years...are you?"

Silence.

Raven just shook her head. "So I have you to thank even for Yang being able to fall into another world?" she said. "Well, all I can say is you're lucky Summer is not around anymore to hear this. I may not be able to do anything to you, but somehow I doubt even they could've stopped her."

With that parting jab, she stormed out of the tent.

Ozpin hung his head.

Shine let him go. "Well...thank you for telling us," she said slowly. "At least now I know."

"You're not mad?" Wally said to her.

"Mad?" Shine said. "Didn't we know most of this already?"

"But hearing it like this," Wally said, "it doesn't bother you just a little? I mean, that poor woman... What if they do the same thing to us? Will we just end up like her? Stuck...trying to fix something we can't fix?"

"But we never could fix it," Shine said. "Wally, what is wrong? This seems a bit odd to me. Usually I'm the fiery one and you're calm."

"Because this is wrong!" Wally said. "You can't act like him coming clean makes it okay that he just did that to her after how many times she warned him... What? Is he telling us now so we'll let him off the hook? So he doesn't even have to try?"