The dance was an amazing time for everyone, a moment where colleagues and friends could come together to enjoy each other's company. For some, the connections even went beyond friendship. The next day had arrived, and Y/N and his team were now gearing up to hear Ozpin's briefing, followed by potential missions that could last anywhere from a day to a week. While it was an exciting prospect for everyone, not all missions were meant to be thrilling; they needed to be prepared for the unpredictability and danger that came with being outside the controlled environment.
As everyone gathered in the hall in their school groups, Ozpin began his speech. He delved into the history of the Great War, wishing luck to the students embarking on missions accompanied by fellow Huntsmen. Team JNPY headed to the mission board to scout for potential opportunities.
Jaune voiced his observations, "There are quite a lot of missions outside of Vale. So, guys, do any missions catch your attention?"
Y/N turned to head away from the group which was caught on by Nora, "Y/N, Those missions are for the upper years" Y/N had already know but he was heading somewhere else, "I will be doing a mission by myself so good luck."
"Wait, why?" Jaune heard the conversation and looked at Y/N with questions. This was supposed to be a team mission for the day. Events like these missions were tests for students, allowing teachers to gauge their limits and identify areas for improvement outside the walls of Vale, unless they opted for an in-town mission that didn't require teacher supervision.
Ignoring Jaune, Y/N walked towards Ozpin. "Headmaster, I request a solo mission" Y/N said, prompting Ozpin to turn to him with a curious look as he sipped on his mug.
"May I ask your reason, considering such a request goes against Beacon's rules?" Ozpin explained, willing to hear Y/N out. However, he was aware that such a request, even with Y/N's abilities, could be risky. If discovered by the council, it could spell trouble not just for Y/N but also for Ozpin and Beacon.
Y/N took a quick glance around, noticing his team approaching. Time was running out to speak to the headmaster privately while everyone else was preoccupied.
Taking out a glowing clock, Y/N showed it to Ozpin, who looked at the item in his hands. After a few seconds, Ozpin's eyes visibly widened, and he had a quick choke of his drink.
"H-How do you have that?" The headmaster's voice became more serious, indicating that this was now an extremely serious matter, to be dealt with only by those privy to the secret. It was clear that Ozpin understood the significance of the stopwatch in Y/N's possession.
"It was given to me by a maiden. I request a solo mission to find a person" Y/N didn't hold back on the knowledge he possessed about the Maidens, making it clear that he knew more than what was commonly known about the Maidens and that it was more than just a childhood story... Y/N seemed to knew that Ozpin knew what he was talking about as well, Make sense if he put the dots together from everything that he learnt from Blaine.
The situation had become gravely serious.
"Y/N? What's in your hand?" Jaune asked, having spotted the glowing watch before it disappeared into thin air. "What do you mean? I was merely shaking the headmaster's hand for accepting my request," Y/N responded. By the time Jaune blinked, the watch was gone, and Y/N was shaking Ozpin's hand.
"You okay, Jaune? And did he actually accept the request? I thought that was not allowed" Pyrrha asked, not having witnessed what Jaune had seen.
"There was just a glowing watch in Y/N's hands... where did it even go?" Jaune stared in confusion before sighing, attributing it to possible fatigue from the dance.
Y/N began to leave without answering Pyrrha question, and his team watched him go. Ozpin stayed quiet, observing Y/N from the corner of his eyes before adjusting his glasses and returning to a neutral expression.
"Excuse me, Team JNPY, but I must prepare for the permission slips that will be sent out to the students for these student's" Ozpin smiled, seemingly unfazed by the earlier events, and left, leaving Team JNPY bewildered.
"Hey, guys, where did Y/N go?" Blake walked over to Team JNPY, having her own reasons to seek out Y/N. However, the confusion on Team JNPY's faces was evident.
Nora looked at Blake before glaring, "NOWHERE!" She then ran off in the direction she saw Y/N heading. "She's really bad at lying" Blake noted, realizing that Nora was running to catch up with Y/N. Despite Nora's lack of ill intent, she was disappointed with Y/N, as she had hoped to join him.
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Within Ozpin's office, Y/N stood alongside the headmaster of Beacon.
"Do you mind explaining yourself, Sir L/N?" Ozpin asked with a blend of seriousness and a relaxed tone, revealing his expertise in maintaining a facade.
Y/N gazed at Ozpin, who was cloaked in black, revealing only his face and tied-up, flowing black hair.
"It was the last gift from the person I had saved" Y/N explained blandly, demonstrating a reluctance to trust even those well-respected and hailed as heroes or geniuses.
Ozpin, sensing the lack of trust, sighed, placing his mug on the table and leaning forward, resting his cheek on his palms.
"Sir L/N, this 'person' would be a Maiden, correct?" Ozpin inquired once more, and Y/N nodded, affirming that he had not lied during the amphitheater incident.
Ozpin, attuned to the glowing watch's soul and the magical energy it emitted, recognized it as Maiden power. However, the specific Maiden, whether Summer or Spring, intrigued him.
"It cannot be the Winter Maiden, as she should be safe in Atlas according to James' report. The Fall Maiden is secured here, leaving the Maiden powers within Y/N L/N's watch to be either Summer or Spring" Ozpin pondered, grappling with the mystery of why one of the two Maidens, whose locations were unknown, would entrust such responsibility to a person. The stakes were high, as mishandling the power could lead to catastrophic consequences.
"I will get straight to the point. I want to leave Vale and embark on a search to find someone, as requested by the previous owner of this power" Y/N spoke with a sense of gravity. With Blaine now gone, it seemed imperative to honor the request.
Silence enveloped the office, an unspoken weight echoing through the room.
After a few moments of intense eye contact, Ozpin relented with a sigh.
"Very well, but you must inform me of the name of this person you seek. You are still a student, and I cannot allow you to venture without a plan to ensure your safe return" Ozpin stated, sitting back up and presenting a condition.
"Agreed. I am looking for Maria Calavera, the Grim Reaper from many years ago" Y/N revealed. As soon as he mentioned her name, Ozpin visibly flinched, and a contemplative expression crossed his face. "He knew about this Maria woman, and if death had claimed her, then this search would be in vain" Y/N thought to himself.
"The Grim Reaper, she was one of the old-era hunters, often called a vigilante, but more of a hero than anything. She was the strongest of her time, though her personality was viewed as somewhat... egotistical, supposedly leading to her downfall" Ozpin explained. Y/N nodded in understanding as Ozpin continued, "There is not a single piece of confirmed information about that woman. Most believe she has long passed away, but there's a rumor of someone having the same name, although this person has always managed to evade any confirmation of the truth or the lies" Ozpin concluded his explanation, leaving a lingering mystery about the Grim Reaper's fate.
"Where is this person?" Y/N decided to find this individual and verify the truth for himself.
"She was last seen in Mistral at a hunter's guild, performing Grimm bounties" Y/N hummed in response to Ozpin's words. As Ozpin began to take his leave, Y/N turned to him and asked, "And you assume I'm heading straight to Mistral?"
"That I am. Missions are allowed, so long as they are completed within a week, yes?" Y/N inquired. Ozpin sighed and nodded, "Indeed, however, any and all missions taken outside the walls of Vale would require either an upper-year team or a Huntsman to accompany you." Ozpin emphasized the importance of supervision, recognizing the dangers involved and the potential harm to Beacon's reputation if students were allowed to embark on missions without professional guidance.
Y/N ignored Ozpin's warning and began to fade into the shadows near the elevator within Ozpin's office. "Sir L/N, I will request a Huntsman that I trust, someone who understands the importance of your mission, to come with you" Ozpin offered, recognizing the gravity of Y/N's undertaking and willing to make an exception.
Y/N remained silent as he melded into the shadows. Ozpin stared at the ground where his student disappeared, sighing as he stood up slowly. He made his way to observe the school grounds from his clocked window.
"I do hope Tai would not mind doing one more mission for me" Ozpin spoke to himself, contemplating the decision he had just made.
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Y/N took out an old black and white photo featuring two women and stared at it intently. "Maria Calavera... Let's see if you are still alive" he murmured. The glowing watch in his pocket began to emit a faint glow before subsiding.
This marked the beginning of Y/N's journey to uncover the truth of the world and unveil the illusions that had been cast over everyone.
(Surprise Chapter as thanks for those reader's who are still enjoying this old book and happy new year's!)