Opening with Professor Ozpin's perspective.
It was late into the afternoon. Many students have already decided to go to bed so that they may be rested for the continuation of the tournament tomorrow. Professor Ozpin was sitting at his desk watching the sunset as he awaited to be visited by those he asked to see him this afternoon. Qrow soon entered through the elevator drinking a cup of coffee. Professor Ozpin looked over his shoulder believing Qrow had something he needed to say. Qrow soon broke the silence and spoke.
Qrow: You know, he's making you look like a fool.
Professor Ozpin: His heart is in the right place. He's just... misguided.
Qrow: Sometimes I'm not even sure he has a heart.
Qrow took another sip of his coffee.
Qrow: So, have you chosen a guardian yet?
Professor Ozpin turned his chair around to face Qrow.
Professor Ozpin: Maidens choose themselves. I simply believe I've found the right candidate. Ever since the day I met her, I had the feeling she would be the one. She's strong, intelligent, caring, but most importantly...
Pyrrha entered the office from the elevator as Professor Ozpin looked right at her.
Professor Ozpin: She's ready.
Pyrrha: Ready?
Professor Ozpin: Miss Nikos, please have a seat.
Pyrrha: Um, ok.
Pyrrha sat at Professor Ozpin's desk across from him.
Pyrrha: So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?
Professor Ozpin: So, who has your team chosen to represent your team in the final rounds?
Pyrrha was confused Professor Ozpin had made no effort to answer her question and instead chose to immediately change the subject.
Pyrrha: Umm... Me.
Professor Ozpin: Well, it comes as no surprise that they've chosen you as their representative for the final rounds. Your performance has been exemplary.
Pyrrha smiled humbly.
Pyrrha: Thank you, Professor Ozpin, but I would never have made it this far without my teammates.
Qrow then interjected.
Qrow: Personally, I think it's the other way around.
Pyrrha stood up and faced Qrow.
Pyrrha: I'm sorry, but I don't believe we have been introduced.
Qrow nodded at Pyrrha with a serious expression.
Qrow: Name's Qrow.
Professor Ozpin: Qrow is a trusted colleague of mine.
Pyrrha became troubled again.
Pyrrha: Professor, if you don't mind me asking again, why have you called me here?
Professor Ozpin gestured his hand out to the chair Pyrrha was sitting in.
Professor Ozpin: Please, take a seat.
Pyrrha nervously sat back down across from Professor Ozpin. Professor Ozpin then leaned forward resting his head on his hands.
Professor Ozpin: What is your favorite fairy tale?
Pyrrha was confused again.
Pyrrha: I'm sorry?
Professor Ozpin: Fairy Tales. Stories from your childhood. Surely you must remember some of them.
Pyrrha was still confused but thought about Professor Ozpin's question.
Pyrrha: Well, there's the Tale of the Two Brothers; The Shallow Sea; The Girl in The Tower-
Professor Ozpin put his hands down and leaned forward more.
Professor Ozpin: What about The Story of the Seasons?
Pyrrha: Oh, of course! A callous old man who refuses to leave his home is visited by four traveling sisters. The first understands his reclusive nature and urges him to use his time in solitude to reflect and meditate. The second brings him fruits and flowers, tending to his crops and revitalizing his garden. The third warms the man's heart, convincing him to step outside and embrace the world around him. And the fourth and final sister begs him to look at all that he has and be thankful. In return for their kindness, the man grants the maidens incredible powers, so that they may continue to help others all over the world. They graciously accept and promise to share their gifts with the people of Remnant until the end of days. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. The four maidens. My mother loves that story.
Professor Ozpin: Would you believe me if I told you that one's been around since I was a boy?
Pyrrha laughed.
Pyrrha: You're not that old Professor.
Professor Ozpin's expression was suddenly serious.
Professor Ozpin: Well, would you believe me if I told you it was true?
Pyrrha looked at Professor Ozpin in disbelief.
Pyrrha: I beg your pardon?
Professor Ozpin: What if I were to tell you that there were four maidens existing in this world that could wield such tremendous power without dust.
Pyrrha was still confused.
Pyrrha: You mean like a semblance?
Professor Ozpin smiled at Pyrrha.
Professor Ozpin: Like magic.
Pyrrha: I...
Qrow then interjected as Pyrrah turned to look at him.
Qrow: Yeah. First time hearing it's pretty crazy.
Pyrrha turned back to face Professor Ozpin.
Pyrrha: You're serious?
Professor Ozpin looked at Pyrrha with a serious face.
Professor Ozpin: Do I look like I'm joking?
Pyrrha froze before answering.
Pyrrha: No. Why... Why are you telling me this?
Professor Ozpin looked to Qrow who nodded at Professor Ozpin before Professor Ozpin returned his focus to Pyrrha again.
Professor Ozpin: We're telling you, Pyrrha Nikos, because we believe that you are next in line to receive the Fall Maiden's powers.
Pyrrha was shocked for a moment but soon had a realization.
Pyrrha: We?
The elevator dinged as Pyrrha looked behind her to see General Ironwood and Professor Goodwitch enter the room.
General Ironwood: Sorry we're late.
Pyrrha seemed to get more troubled as she turned back to Professor Ozpin.
Pyrrha: Wait, what is this? Who are you?
Qrow, General Ironwood, and Professor Goodwitch began taking a few steps closer to Pyrrha. Professor Goodwitch began to speak with a reassuring voice.
Professor Goodwitch: You know who we are. We're still the same teachers and headmasters you met when you arrived at Beacon.
Qrow: Except we've got a little part-time job.
General Ironwood: We are the protectors of this world.
Professor Ozpin: And we need your help. Now, we need you to come with us. There's something we need to show you.
Pyrrha was still troubled but she wasn't sure what else to do but listen and find out what was going on. Everyone made their way onto the elevator and Pyrrha began looking around at everyone as though she no longer recognized them as the elevator kept traveling further and further down.
Pyrrha: Where are we going?
Professor Ozpin: The Vault, under the school.
The elevator then eventually made its way to the floor it was selected to go to. Everyone got off except for Pyrrha who was still in shock at what was in front of her. It was a dimly lit corridor that seemed to go on forever. Professor turned to face Pyrrha and waited for her to get off the elevator. Pyrrha soon got off and Professor Goodwitch placed her hand on her shoulder to treasure her as she walked with her.
Professor Goodwitch: I'm sure you must have questions.
Pyrrha: Maybe one... or two.
Pyrrha began to catch up to the others with Professor Goodwitch.
Pyrrha: I still don't understand. You said I was next in line to receive the Maiden's power. What do you mean by that?
Professor Goodwitch: The Maidens have existed for thousands of years. But, much like in nature, seasons change. No two summers are alike. When a Maiden dies, her power leaves her body and seeks out a new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost and that no individual can hold onto the power forever.
Pyrrha nervously looked down before asking her next question.
Pyrrha: So how does the power choose?
Qrow turned his head back to speak.
Qrow: Through a series of stupid and convoluted rules.
Professor Goodwitch: Qrow!
Qrow: Hey, don't get mad cause I'm right.
Qrow went back to looking forward.
Professor Goodwitch: At first, the only thing that was certain was that the powers were specifically passed onto young women. But, as time went on that selection process was much more... intimate.
Pyrrha: Intimate?
Professor Goodwitch: As we understand it now when a Maiden dies, the one who was in their final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit her power.
Qrow kept looking forward.
Qrow: Unless it's a dude or some old hag. Then the power goes to someone random, and our jobs get a lot harder.
Pyrrha: Why tell me all of this now? Why not wait until I've graduated?
Qrow: Honestly, we've run out of time. I don't know if you've noticed, but things are getting a lot scarier out in the world. Tensions are high. Grimm are growing stronger, more prevalent, and it's not gonna be much longer before all this peace we've all been enjoying so much goes out the window.
Pyrrha: You're not talking about war?
General Ironwood: Not a war between nations.
Qrow turned his head to look at Pyrrha again.
Qrow: We can fill you in on the details once we know you're with us. For now, all you need to know is that one of the Maidens was attacked, and for the first time in history, part of her power was stolen.
Pyrrha was then surprised to see that now in front of each pillar ahead of them was what looked to be an Atlesian Knight. Only these ones seemed to be more advanced. They looked to be much like the ones that were recently sent to Vale only they had their guns attached to the underside of their arms. They also seemed to have small jet engines at their feet, elbows, and back.
Pyrrha: What are these?
General Ironwood: They're still experimental but they're still better fighters than the ones you've seen on the streets. They're controlled by the tower and Professor Ozpin's scroll. I decided it was best to use them to protect the Fall Maiden once she was hurt the way she was.
Pyrrha: Then wher-
Pyrrha looked ahead to see a machine with two pods that were large enough to fit people inside of them. The pod on the left had a woman inside of it already. She looked to have a scar on the right side of her face across her eye. Pyrrha was shocked to see the condition the woman was in.
Pyrrha: Is that-
Professor Ozpin sighed.
Professor Ozpin: The current Fall Maiden. Amber.
Pyrrha still could hardly believe what she was seeing.
Pyrrha: She's... still alive.
General Ironwood turned to look at Pyrrha.
General Ironwood: For now. We're using state-of-the-art Atlas technology to keep her stable. But there is a lot about this situation that is... unprecedented.
Pyrrha: What do you mean?
General Ironwood sighed as he hung his head troubled.
General Ironwood: Well, we don't know what will happen if- when she passes.
Pyrrha: Won't her power just transfer to the next host?
Qrow: *Sarcastically* Look who's been listening.
Qrow then began to whisper to Professor Ozpin.
Qrow: *Sarcastically whispering* She is smart.
General Ironwood looked back to Pyrrha and began to answer her question.
General Ironwood: Under normal circumstances, yes. But this is a delicate situation. It's not uncommon for the last thoughts of the slain to be that of their attacker.
General Ironwood turned to look at Amber.
General Ironwood: And to make matters worse, no one's ever seen the power split like this before. For all we know, it will seek out its other half.
Pyrrha looked up to Amber again.
Pyrrha: Her assailant...
Professor Ozpin: And that would not bode well for any of us.
Pyrrha looked down sadly before walking up to Amber's pod and placing her hand on it.
Pyrrha: If all of this is true...
Pyrrha turned back to look at everyone else.
Pyrrha: Why keep it secret?
Pyrrha took her hand off the pod and continued to turn her body to face everyone else.
Pyrrha: If this girl is so important, if-if we're truly on the brink of war, why not tell everyone?
After a moment Professor Goodwitch stepped forward with a reassuring smile.
Professor Goodwitch: From what we understand, it used to be common knowledge.
Pyrrha looked at Professor Goodwitch in disbelief.
Pyrrha: Excuse me?
Qrow stepped up next to Professor Goodwitch while holding his canister that more than likely had alcohol in it.
Qrow: How do you think legends and fairy tales get started?
Qrow took the cap off his canister.
Qrow: Even the craziest ones come from somewhere.
Qrow then began to drink out of his canister.
Professor Goodwitch: Our group was founded in order to protect both mankind and the Maidens. Those hungry for power hunted them down with the hope of inheriting their strength.
Qrow stopped drinking and gasped for breath.
Qrow: And as you can imagine, the ones that succeeded weren't exactly the kind of people you'd want to have unimaginable power.
General Ironwood: And so this brotherhood chose to remove the Maidens from the public eye, allowing their existence to fade away into legend.
Professor Goodwitch: The things we're telling you go against hundreds of years of human history, religion.
General Ironwood: No one would want to believe us. It would cause an uproar-
Professor Ozpin: It would cause panic.
Professor Ozpin turned to face General Ironwood.
Professor Ozpin: And we all know what that would bring crawling into our kingdom's walls.
Professor Ozpin looked off to the side uncertainly.
Professor Ozpin: Which is why we would like to-
Pyrrha: I'll do it.
Professor Ozpin and the others all looked at Pyrrha who was looking down defeated.
Pyrrha: If you believe this will help humanity, then I will become you're Fall Maiden.
Professor Ozpin and the others all looked at each other in concern. They had Pyrrha's answer but also knew it wasn't that simple.
Pyrrha: That's what you wanted, isn't it?
Professor Ozpin took a step forward.
Professor Ozpin: It is, but I'm afraid it's not that simple. Given Amber's condition, you won't be able to inherit her power naturally. However, General Ironwood believes he has a solution.
Professor Ozpin gestured to General Ironwood.
General Ironwood: For the past few years, Atlas has been studying aura from a more scientific standpoint. How it works, what it's made of, how it can be used. We've made significant strides. And we believe we've found a way to capture it.
Qrow: Capture it and cram it into something else. Or in you're case...
Qrow gestured to Pyrrha who soon looked shocked at the realization of what this meant.
Pyrrha: That's-
General Ironwood: Classified.
Pyrrha: -wrong!
General Ironwood and Professor Goodwitch looked at each other.
Professor Goodwitch: The feeling is mutual.
Both General Ironwood and Professor Goodwitch turned back to Pyrrha.
Professor Goodwitch: But desperate times call for desperate measures.
General Ironwood: And these are indeed desperate times. We can't transfer Amber's powers to you, but we can give you what those powers are bound to.
Pyrrha: Her aura.
Professor Ozpin: Her life, would become intertwined with yours. The question is...
Qrow: What's that gonna do to you?
Professor Ozpin looked down sadly again before continuing.
Professor Ozpin: You have an important decision before you, Miss Nikos. There's no guarantee this transfer will work, and there's no telling if you will be the same person if it does. I advise you to take time to think on this matter. But understand that before the Vytal Festival is over, we will need your answer.
Pyrrha looked down sadly before turning towards Amber's pod again and placing her hand on it again unable to look at Amber's face.
Professor Ozpin: The assailant that attacked the Fall Maiden has made their first move, and theirs no telling when their next move will be.
Switching to your perspective.
You and Yang we're saying your farewells for the night before going to bed. You remembered the woman in the photo that Qrow showed to you, Yang, and Ruby, and how Yang was intensely staring at it before Qrow put it away.
y/n: Yang?
Yang: Yeah babe?
y/n: Who was that woman you were staring at in that photo?
Yang froze for a moment before looking down sadly.
Yang: That... was my mother.
y/n: Really?
Yang looked up to you sadly.
Yang: Yeah, it was.
You knew Yang's mother was familiar but it was difficult for you to believe it was her.
y/n: I think I saw your mother somewhere before.
Yang: Really? Where?
y/n: I'm not certain if it was her. But it was before the White Fang was violent. We were having a rally outside of a Schnee Dust Company distribution center demanding that they release faunus slaves from their mines. But things went violent when a representative had one of his men shoot at the crowd. Then a band of mercenaries all dressed in a similar fashion your mother was wearing grimm masks began attacking the crowd. A lot of people got hurt that day and one of the White Fang was killed. It seemed like they were only interested in driving us away. That was the day the White Fang began to decided to become violent.
Yang was shocked.
Yang: That's awful! You're saying my mother did that?
y/n: You're mother seemed to be leading them. The masks that she and the others she led were what inspired me and my brother at the time to wear grimm masks to be more menacing. We believed it would finally let humanity see us for what they feared the same way they did when they attacked us.
Yang: My gods!
Yang looked terrified and curious.
Yang: Which White Fang member died?
Blake: My mom.
You and Yang looked to see Blake walking out of the girl's bedroom. Blake looked down sadly.
Blake: It was my mother Kali. She stood in front of me to shield me from the first gunshot and sacrificed herself for me. It was the reason I was willing to stay in the White Fang when it became violent and why I still hate the Schee Dust Company. But Weiss is doing her best to be a good teammate though and I'm hoping that she will be trying to make a difference in the future.
Blake looked up to you and Yang with a sad and angry face.
Yang: Blake, I'm so sorry that happened.
Blake turned away.
Blake: I'll be fine. Goodnight.
Blake walked back into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. Both you and Yang sighed sadly. Before you faced each other again.
Yang: Blake, really had it rough, didn't she?
y/n: Everyone in the White Fang did. But that didn't make what we were doing right. That's why we need to be better.
Yang: Babe.
Yang placed her hand on your face.
Yang: You are better. You're getting stronger every day by using your pain to do it. Just like our semblances. So don't ever beat yourself over what happened in the past when you have what's right in front of you.
You smiled at Yang. She always did know how to cheer you up.
y/n: Thanks, Yang.
Yang smiled back at you.
Yang: Anytime.
Yang then pulled you into a kiss before you rested your foreheads on each other.
Yang: I love you.
y/n: I love you too. More and more every day.
You and Yang then said your farewells for the night and went to sleep to be rested for the finals tomorrow.
Hey, guys sorry for still being rocky with posting. My illness has been giving me a headache which made it difficult for me to stay motivated in writing. But thankfully I'm beginning to make a good recovery. And my sister and her family are almost fully moved in so that shouldn't be a problem anymore. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for all your support!