(3rd Person POV)
The dinner table was abuzz as the currently present members of Team RWBY and the remaining members of Team JNPR all talked over each other indistinctly. The mood was quite cheery, with the children all smiling and laughing, Yang currently laughing at Jaune's misfortune.
Yang: How do you lose your map at a time like that?
Jaune: Believe me, I've asked myself the same thing ever since.
Yang, Weiss, and Ruby laughed, while Jaune smiled and giggled sheepishly.
Nora: Hey, but you made up for it, Mister Muscles! You shoulda seen this guy take a giant Grimm head on!
Jaune: I couldn't have done it without Ruby wearing it down.
Ruby: Uh, me? Did you see Ren during that fight? He was out of control!
Ren: I'm sorry, I may have lost my temper momentarily.
Ruby: No, no! Out of control as in "awesome"!
Ren: Oooohhh.
He smiled at her.
Ren: Thank you.
Everyone at the table bursted into laughter.
As dinner continued, Weiss told her story about how she accidentally summoned a Boarbatusk during the Schnee charity ball, Ruby gasping.
Ruby: You did not!
Weiss had her face in her hands, embarrassed.
Weiss: Yeah, right in the middle of the party.
Yang: Please tell me you let that lady have it.
Weiss: Of course not! Even if I did really want to.
Nora crossed her arms, skeptical at Weiss' story.
Nora: No way, I don't believe it.
Weiss summoned her Boarbatusk right next to Nora. The Grimm summon growled, causing Nora to yelp and fall to her side. Weiss, Yang, Jaune and Ren all laughed at her.
As dinner nearly finished, Yang showed off her robotic prosthetic arm to the rest of the group. All of them reacted in awe.
Yang: It's not a replacement for the real thing, but I'll make sure to make good use of it.
Jaune: That's amazing.
Ren: Incredible.
Ruby got all starry-eyed and quickly zoomed over to her sister's side to admire her arm, holding Yang's arm up to look at it.
Ruby: And it's just as strong?
Yang: Hm, sure is.
Suddenly, they heard a bang on the table. Nora had her arm out ready to arm wrestle.
Nora: Wanna bet?
Weiss: Nora, please, now's not the time...
Despite Weiss' protest, Yang and Nora arm wrestled. Jaune and Ren cheered on Nora while Ruby cheered on for her sister, as Weiss looked on disdainfully.
Jaune: Don't let her beat you! You can do it! Come on!
Ren: You can do this! Show 'em what Team JNPR's made of!
Ruby: C'mon, sis! Aw, you can't lose to a girl in a skirt!
Weiss: You wear a skirt, Ruby.
Ruby: Weiss, you're not cheering loud enough!
She shook Weiss, who was still frowning.
Nora: It definitely feels like the original, I'll give you that!
Yang: Yep. But, it does have some new features!
Nora: Heh, oh yeah?
A robotic sound was heard coming from Yang's arm, and suddenly Nora was knocked back to the wall holding Yang's detached arm in her hand. Nora groaned in pain while the others looked on in concern, except for Yang, who had a smug grin on her face.
Jaune: Did she... win?
As Nora came to, she realized she was holding Yang's robotic arm, causing her to scream and throw it away from her. Yang laughed while she caught her arm.
Later on, Jaune helped clean up the dishes.
Jaune: Gyah... We ate it all...
He picked up the pot holding all the bowls.
Jaune: Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick...
Yang: Easy there, Vomit Boy, I believe in you.
Jaune spoke sarcastically at the callback to Beacon.
Jaune: Oh, we're doing nickname throwbacks now. Wonderful.
He walked away with the dishware in his hands.
Weiss giggled.
Nora: I mean, the Ice Queen seems to like it.
Weiss stopped giggling, and Ruby bursted into laughter at Nora's remark, as Weiss smiled nonetheless, rolling her eyes.
Weiss: I so did not miss you people.
Nora gasped in disbelief.
Nora: Oh my gosh, she really does like it! What went and warmed your heart while you were gone?
Weiss: Hey! You make it sound like I used to be terrible.
Yang: Nah. Just a lot to deal with it once.
Weiss: Hmph!
Yang playfully stuck her tongue out at Weiss.
Ren: It's been a long time. We've all grown in our own ways.
Ruby: You really think so?
Ren: Well, think back to when we were all at Beacon, would you say you ever did anything foolish or embarrassing? Or do you think you were perfect?
Weiss: Oh gosh.
She buried her face in her hands again, thinking back to her earliest days at Beacon.
Yang: I may have been a little too gung-ho from time to time.
Ruby: Heh, you? I tried to 1v1 a Nevermore on the second day of school.
Jaune finally walked back into the room.
Jaune: Yeah, well... don't even get me started.
Ren: Well that embarrassment - that desire to go back and tell yourself not to be so stupid - that just proves you're not the same person you used to be. You're smarter, you're kinder, you're stronger, and you're not done growing yet. None of us are.
There was silence for a brief moment.
Ruby: Yeah, turns out Ren gets real deep when he feels like talking.
Everyone giggled.
Nora: Well, hold on, I thought I was pretty great in school!
Yang: Even at the dance? When you spilled punch all over yourself in front of--
Nora: Yes, especially the dance! Thank you, Yang!
Yang covered her ears from Nora's yelling, who had her scroll out playing "Shine", Ruby laughing.
(Your POV)
You sat in the sitting room with Qrow, Ozpin and Edel, all eating in the quieter room. You spoke of the basics, you being there mainly to stay away from Ruby.
Edel: So...
You looked up from your food at Edel who was seated forward, head down.
Edel: What's the plan?
Qrow: What?
Ozpin: The plan is still in development. We are not quite sure what the best course of action is at this point.
Edel: The best choice would be to prevent Raven from allying with Salem, correct? She left everyone to return to her tribe for their safety, she will most certainly bow to Salem's rule. We know she possesses the maiden, let's go in there and get them.
Ozpin: It's not that simple. We have to make sure that we play this correctly, less we risk the maiden being compromised.
Edel: Hmm...
Ozpin: I have a feeling that the students would wish to be more involved, have less secrets between everything. Perhaps it is time that we reveal more of the tale.
Edel: You wish for me to share. I don't see a good reason for this.
Ozpin: The more we hold back, the more they don't trust us. We need their help now more than ever. This is not a time to wait around any longer, this is the time to take action.
Qrow: Beacon's fallen.
(Y/N): We're closer more than ever to war with Salem.
Edel paused for a moment, looking over the group.
Edel: I have encountered more horrifying forces then any of you have seen. Are you proposing that I lay down my fight and fight for your cause? I've already repaid my debt, and aided you in your war, helping you to unite Remnant.
Ozpin: I saved him long ago. When Salem took hold of you, I rescued you from her ensnarement. Consider this your debt paid off.
Edel: The longer I leave, the worse the creatures of darkness will become in this world.
Ozpin: A tradeoff we have to make, given that you actually fill his shoes.
Edel paused, grinding his jaw.
Edel: Fine.
He sat back, closing his eyes.
A silence fell over the group as you sighed.
(Y/N): I for one would like to know who I was before the mind wipe.
You looked to see Ozpin and Qrow exchange a meaningful look before looking back at you.
Ozpin: I don't know your backstory Mr. (L/N).
(Y/N): What do you mean...?
Qrow: Kid, we heard of you in Ironwood's laboratory.
Ozpin: We don't know where General Ironwood truly took you from.
You thought about their words. The people that you thought may know didn't...
Qrow: How can six kids possibly make so much noise eating dinner?
Qrow and Oscar were seen standing next to Jaune. Nora pressed her scroll to stop the song. Oscar gave a small laugh.
Everyone relocated to the second-floor living room, with Weiss and Yang having finished being filled in on what everyone else knew so far, you continuing to look down as you processed everything.
Weiss: So, the Maidens. Magic. Salem. It's all true?
Qrow: Uh-huh.
Ozpin: Miss Xiao Long, is this more or less what your mother told you?
Yang didn't respond, still having her arms crossed, so instead Weiss answered for her.
Weiss: For the most part.
Yang: You forgot something. You forgot to tell everyone what you did to Qrow and my mother.
Ruby gasped.
Jaune: What is she talking about?
Qrow: Oh, great.
Ozpin: Hmm, that's not a secret I thought she would give up so easily. Your mother must trust you a great deal.
Yang scowled at him.
Ozpin: My ability to reincarnate, though a curse, isn't without a few key benefits. Much like the Maidens, I too possess a certain... "magical" power.
He stood up and walked next to Qrow.
Ozpin: Using this power, I was able to gift the Branwen twins the ability to "see" more, to move freely and be unburdened by their natural bodies. I... well... gave them the ability to turn into birds.
He chuckled.
Ozpin: Rather ridiculous sounding out loud, isn't it?
Ruby: Uncle?
Ren: You turned them... into birds.
Nora: Alright, now you're just messing with us.
Jaune exclaimed angrily.
Jaune: What else is new?
Weiss: He's telling the truth. We saw it. Yang's mom... changed, right in front of us.
Yang now spoke to Ozpin, still angry.
Yang: Why would you do something like that? I mean, what is wrong with you?
Edel: I'm not sure what the issue is.
Yang: He turned them into creatures!
Yang stood from her spot, moving over to Edel.
Edel: I would sit back down girl. Fighting will be of no benefit to you.
Yang: Alright, le...
Qrow: Yang, that's enough! We made a choice. We wanted this.
Yang relented, stalking back to her seat. Edel rolled his eyes, relaxing back into his seat as he sighed.
Ozpin now addressed Qrow.
Ozpin: May I?
Qrow nodded in response.
Ozpin: Granting this power to them was no trivial task, and I can assure you it was not done frivolously. I required assistance in gathering information on Salem's plans, as well as searching for Maidens when their hosts became unclear.
Ruby: Okay, so, have you done this with others? Like General Ironwood? Or Professor Goodwitch?
Ozpin: As helpful as that might be, unfortunately, it is not that simple. My power is finite, and if I'm being honest, dwindling. The amount that I gifted to Qrow and Raven was, all things considered, rather miniscule. You see, centuries ago, I sacrificed a great deal of magic to four young women, who I hoped would use my gift for good. They were the first Maidens.
Everyone was silent for a moment, taking the information in.
Ozpin: Miss Xiao Long, it was never my intention to lie to you. To any of you. There are just some matters that I prefer to... "play close to the chest".
He looked to Qrow.
Ozpin: I believe that's how you phrased it?
Qrow chuckled.
Qrow: Yeah.
Ozpin: Everyone has a choice. The Branwens chose to accept their powers and the responsibilities that came with them. And later, one of them chose to abandon her duties in favor of her own self-interest. Now, all of you have a choice. If anyone wishes to leave, now is the time. There's no shame or disgrace in abstaining, only in retreat.
Everyone was silent as they pondered Ozpin's words.
Ozpin: Very well, then.
Yang suddenly stood up again.
Ruby: Yang?
Yang: If Ruby sticks around, then I will too. If there's one thing I know about her, it's that she somehow always knows the right thing to do.
She smiled at Ruby after saying that.
Yang: But, if we're going to help, if we're going to keep risking our lives, no more lies. No more half-truths.
Everyone remained silent. Ozpin and Qrow exchanged a brief look with each other, before looking to Edel who looked completely uninterested with the conversation after being denied a fight. Ozpin pondered Yang's words for one last moment, before responding, smiling as he did so.
Ozpin: Understood.
Yang sat back down, before looking at Edel.
Yang: Raven told me to ask you something before we left.
Edel lazily looked at her, sighing.
Edel: I'm sure she did... Your point?
Weiss: What are you hiding?
She said it in such a small voice, and you realized how much she was hurting from Edel's rejection, from him not seeming to care.
Edel: Fine.
He sat up straighter, looking around at everyone.
Edel: I grew up thousands of years ago in Solitas, in an orphanage on the southern tip. My father was in control of it, exiled from the kingdom that ruled the continent at the time. I grew up with a glaring weakness.
He continued on with his tale.
Edel: My father made an alliance with General Herz, who so happens to be our favorite immortal Ozpin.
He gestured to Ozpin as everyone turned to him, the immortal keeping a straight face as he continued to look at Edel.
Edel: They conquered Solitas into the kingdom that would later become Mantle, however my sister would kill him as he attempted to awaken her magical powers. In doing so, his army would fall apart, for a short time, and I would escape with my sister as my father attempted to abuse her magical powers.
Edel paused, casting a meaningful glance towards Ozpin as he said this.
Edel: Eventually we were found by Salem, who was looking for ways to permanently end Ozpin. At this point I had no magical power, and my sister was a novice. She overpowered us, and took a hold of my weakness, forcing me to serve as her puppet.
Edel's jaw tightened.
Edel: I performed cruel and bloody acts. Many more people than you can even think lived in this world have died by my hands. Hopes were crushed and I devoured the dreams of people, giving way to fear... The Grimm.
He paused, taking in the temperature of the room.
Edel: I hated this, but I was helpless to resist. I couldn't do anything, with Salem's grip on me. Finally, Salem and Ozpin met on the battlefield, and without magic, I eventually fell to Ozpin's power, his magic.
He paused, gesturing to the immortal.
Edel: I awoke years later, frightened at the prospect of her returning and finding I was alive, so I fled Solitas, heading south. I reached Sanus, the continent where Vale is. Along the way, I happened to run Ozpin, and an agreement was made.
He gestured to Ozpin.
Ozpin: I had realized that my initial strategy of taking Salem head on would not work. And so, I chose to return further into the shadows, leaving others to do the fighting while I chose to create the strategy to defeat her.
He paused, looking at his students.
Ozpin: I helped to create a group of four warriors. I helped to focus their magic, and only asked that they aided me in my attempts to defeat Salem. They battled against the most dangerous forces, letting the weaker Grimm, that you know, pass through, to be dealt with by others.
Edel: I shouldered the burden of keeping the most powerful of evil at bay, those that are leftover from the God of Darkness, those that are made of pure darkness, pure evil.
He now stood up, walking towards Weiss and Yang.
Edel: You ask why I fight. I made a contract with Ozpin. To def...
Ruby: To defend against all evil. To cleanse the land of darkness. That was the first contract.
Edel simply nodded.
Edel: I returned when you were at school because I had a chance to cleanse my weakness. Salem didn't know of Ozpin's plans and I helped to make sure they occurred in the way he wanted.
He now walked away, back towards his seat, sitting down.
Ruby: What did you do in between?
Edel: Hmm?
Edel turned around, looking at Ruby.
Weiss: There's a large amount of time you left out of that.
Edel: All I did was fight. I kept the largest forces of evil away from the people, and served to protect them. I used both my semblance and m...
Yang: What's your semblance?
Edel: I have control over energy. I can not create, nor destroy on my own. I must take, and manipulate.
He paused, looking around at the adults.
Edel: I became what was known as the Bane of all Evil. I worked for thousands of years and I held back the darkness, so that you could live a normal childhood.
He paused, and genuinely looked sad for a moment.
Edel: When the Great War emerged, I was contacted by Ozpin yet again, now the King of Vale. He requested my aid in defeating Mantle and Mistral, in order to create a peace. I did so, and helped him to win from the shadows.
He cast a look towards Ozpin, who nodded in confirmation.
Edel: I left until the time that Team STRQ attended Beacon. I was to enroll as a student a year ahead of them, and did so, nurturing Summer Rose into the warrior and leader that she was remembered as.
He looked at Ruby and Yang as he said this, and then at you for a split second.
Edel: It was at this point, that Salem was seriously injured by Summer Rose. She began to draw more dark energy, weakening the creatures of destruction that I fought against. This gave me time to become more involved in the world, and then...
Edel looked towards you, but you refused to raise your gaze up to meet him.
Edel: I found several reincarnates. Those that possess the powers of old ones. I found four...
He nodded towards Ozpin.
Edel: Two of which, around with us today.
You finally looked up at this, looking at Ozpin who refused to meet your gaze.
Edel: The two here have control over the air, and the fire. One is fire...
He paused, looking over at you, and he nodded at you.
Edel: I returned as an exchange student, with the enemies, furthering the destruction of Beacon, furthering (Y/N) to unlock his magical abilities. Now, I only seek to destroy evil in this world, to destroy the forces that stand against humanity, to get revenge on Salem and reclaim her hold on my weakness.
With that Edel stood up, walking away.
Edel: Make your own decisions, and don't let people make them for you. Lead yourself on your own path, and fight to achieve your goal, not what destiny has laid out for you.
With that he left the room, opening the door to the outside, leaving you with one question.
Who controlled the air?
Everyone sat in silence, looking around at each other, as you glanced back down at your hands, your mind no longer taken up by some other tale that was spun, but by your apparent relation to Ozpin.
Jaune: So... what now? I mean, what can we do?
Ozpin: Mm, that is a difficult question. One that I believe is best answered tomorrow.
Jaune: What do you mean?
Ozpin: The road ahead is undoubtedly filled with hardships and peril. However, it's been far too long since you have all been together.
He put his hand on Yang's shoulder.
Ozpin: Please, take tonight, enjoy this moment.
Yang smiled up at him.
Suddenly Oscar's eyes glowed, with Ozpin giving him control back to his body. Oscar realized he had his hand on Yang's shoulder.
Oscar: Geh!
He quickly took it off and nervously held his cane in his hand. Yang and Weiss laughed at him, before hearing a noise from Nora, who exclaimed in sudden realization.
Nora: Oooohhh. Raven? Qrow? They're birds! Cracked it!
Ren shook his head at Nora being slow on the uptake.
(3rd Person POV)
At the Branwen Tribe camp's entrance, Shay and two other bandits stood guard, conversing with each other. Suddenly, a voice called out from the forest.
Mercury: Hey ugly!
With Shay and the bandits' attention drawn, Mercury and Emerald walked out from the forest toward the camp's entrance.
Emerald: Is Raven Branwen home?
Shay sighed.
Shay: Ya know, I've had a real bad week. So I think I'm gonna take it out on you...
Shay stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Cinder, Renata and Watts walk out of the forest and joined the two of them.
Mercury: Hmph, doesn't look like he wants to cooperate, Boss.
Cinder chuckled.
Cinder: Then make him.
Mercury: I was hoping you'd say that.
Emerald proceeded forward. Shay and the other bandits held their ground while Emerald unsheathed Thief's Respite, twirling them before they transformed into their sickle forms.
Until next time!
E...