Everyone was so tired that they didn't have much energy for talking when they turned in. Penny finally left them to rest.

"Having us followed everywhere," Shine said aloud after she had.

"Penny is our friend," Ruby said, hurt. "She's not following us."

"Do you think Ironwood will leave you to your own devices?" Shine asked.

"Why would he not?" Nora asked.

Shine shrugged like the answer should be obvious.

"Well, I'm tired," she said.

"Which room did you guys want?" Jaune asked. "Penny said this whole hallway is empty because all the students are dismissed, so..."

"So, why should they get to choose?" Yang asked.

"I...just wasn't sure if they wanted to be with one of the teams," Jaune said.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Blake said. She meant that she didn't want to share with them.

"I don't really think that's appropriate, do you?" Shine said, with a faint look. "You guys are all teenagers and we're adults. Isn't that a little strange?"

"I'm an adult," Yang said.

"But you're still way younger than us," Wally said.

"On the road is one thing, but we're not barbarians here," Shine said.

"So you want a room to yourselves. Got it," Qrow said.

"Actually, no, we don't share rooms," Shine said pointedly. "But if we have the whole hallway, and you're all doubling up, then it's not a problem, is it?"

"You don't share?" Yang thought this was stupid. "What, are you afraid people will talk? No one cares."

"Did I ask you?" Shine asked.

"No." Yang frowned.

"Then why would you assume I care what you think?" Shine said sassily. "It's about what I think, and I think I want my own room, so thank you very much, I'll just take whatever one you guys don't want."

"Same," Wally said. "If there's a smaller one, we only need room for one person. Unless Qrow wanted to double up."

"No." Qrow was more than happy to have this rule in place.

"They're a couple and they don't want to share?" Blake muttered to Yang and Weiss. "Weird."

"Well, everyone to their own, I guess." Weiss wasn't entirely sure she'd want to share if she had a boyfriend, so she was a bit less judgmental.

[I find the pushing of couples to share rooms together in media to be rather toxic overall. Not everyone wants to do that. It's awkward and uncomfortable if you're not used to it.]

Pyrrha also wished she could just share with Shine because she felt like this was going to be awkward, but Nora didn't give her the chance to opt out of going with team JNPR.

"Just like at Beacon," she said. "Just like Penny said!"

Pyrrha swallowed the lump in her throat. "Of course." She tried to fake smile.

"Is something wrong?" Ren glanced at her more closely.

"I... you all don't feel...awkward at all with me being here after all this time?" Pyrrha said.

"No, why would we?" Nora said.

"It is a little strange," Ren said. "But you're still part of the team."

"Do you not want to?" Jaune was more to the point.

"I do..." Pyrrha hedged. "I just...you know, you're so used this now, and I'm not sure about it."

"You don't want to hang with us?" Nora was hurt.

"Nora, this isn't a normal situation," Ren said.

"Oh, you're making too much out of it," Nora dismissed it.

"Mr. West, if you want to split a room, we could." Oscar was in the hall talking to Wally.

"Oh? Really?" Wally said.

"Well, I did say you guys were my friends," Oscar said. "And there's, like...4 beds, so it's kind of a waste of space. Plus, you know, this place is so..."

"Huge? Intimidating? Too white?" Wally asked.

"Quiet..." Oscar said, but he was thinking all of the above. "And I'm not really with any of the others. And I don't know if Qrow really wants to be around Ozpin right now."

"Say no more, kiddo. This will be like summer camp all over again," Wally said. "But no shorting my sheets or shaving my head while I'm asleep."

Oscar didn't laugh.

"So you guys are sharing," Ruby said.

"Ruby, why didn't you tell Ironwood the truth?" Oscar asked.

His tone implied he was surprised and also unsure it was wise.

"I...just feel like we need some more time," Ruby said.

Shine looked out of the room she was in, then she came out and rapped on the inside of team JNPR's open door.

"Do you guys mind if I borrow Pyrrha actually?" she said. "I can't work any of the things in the bathroom."

She shivered. "This place is spooky. I kind of wish I did have a roommate."

"Of course I can help." Pyrrha's relief was more evident than she intended it to be.

"It's too bad you're in here already," Shine added. "We could share. I always shared with my sisters...before we had a bigger house."

"Ah, that's so sweet. You have sisters?" Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, just like Jaune...but only 2," Shine said.

"Lucky," Jaune said.

"I'd hate for you to feel alone," Pyrrha said. "Guys, is it all right if I go with her, just for now? I mean, what if she gets locked in?"

"Yeah, I could get locked in," Shine agreed. "I can't work these doors you have."

Everything in Atlas was electronic.

"Ah...but I want Pyrrha with us," Nora pouted.

"Well, if Shine is more comfortable with someone else there, maybe it's just as well," Ren said. 

Jaune wondered why Pyrrha felt so uncomfortable, but since it seemed pretty obvious she did, he nodded.

Pyrrha took her pack and followed Shine out.

"How did you know?" she said.

"I couldn't imagine it would be anything but awkward," Shine said. "Also, I'm not lying about the bathroom... There's a keypad on the shower."

"It's just to set the temperature and length. You have to control hot water up here because dust is so expensive," Pyrrha explained. "I'll show you how to use it. We have the same thing in Argus."

[While not shown, that would have made perfect sense. China has stuff kind of like that for their water.]

* * *

"I can't believe Pyrrha would rather hang out with that stranger than with us." Nora sat on her bed. "I mean...she's been dead for, like, 6 months!"

"It only feels like a few days to her," Ren mused. "I didn't believe it at first...but...it's been 24 hours and she hasn't done anything suspicious at all. If this wasn't real, how is she acting for that long?"

"Pyrrha can't act anyway," Nora said.

"I meant if it was someone else," Ren said. "And she's acting too...normal. I mean...I'd almost say that, if she was trying to fool us, she'd try to act more calm and like nothing was off, but she isn't."

"I think she's real," Nora said. "Qrow is just being paranoid because of Opzin." She turned serious. "We still have to deal with that...but having Pyrrha back makes me feel better about it. Something good finally happened."

"But why?" Jaune finally voiced his thoughts. "Why now? I thought it was forbidden."

"You seemed to think it might not before," Ren said. "You were talking to those two last night, weren't you? Did they say something?"

"They said a lot about life and death and how people coming back to life isn't upsetting the balance," Jaune said. "They said the gods were wrong. I thought it was just to cheer me up, and it wasn't working. I just felt worse. Then...Shine said that maybe it wasn't as hopeless as I thought. And I thought that was dumb too."

"Did you talk about Pyrrha at all?" Ren asked.

"Yeah...but more at the statue, before you guys showed up. She was there, looking for the guy, and we just started talking. She said she knew what it was like to lose someone. And then she just...left."

He didn't want to say the part where she'd said it wasn't his fault.

"So, she was hinting that she would come back to life?" Nora asked.

"Or was she asking you if you thought she should?" Ren said.

"I've been wondering that since it happened... I just don't know," Jaune said.

"Why don't you ask?" Nora asked.

"How do you ask something like that?" Jaune said.

"We thought it was impossible or, at least, a bad idea," Ren said. "But, I worry if we get used to her being here, it's going to be just as bad the second time if it turns out that she...can't stay."

"How much longer do we need to be sure that she's back for good?" Jaune sounded terse. "She's eaten, drunk, gotten tired. How could she not be real?"

"Ozpin was real," Nora said, looking sad, "but the gods still..."

"But those gods aren't the ones who did this," Jaune insisted.

"What are you talking about?" Ren asked.

This was going to take a while.

* * *

"Mr. West?" Oscar was just sitting at the end of the bed, not even trying to relax.

"Call me Wally." Wally was kicking back. "Or The Flash."

"The Flash?" Oscar reacted that exactly the way a teenaged boy would--if they were more awkward than goofy.

"Yeah, because I'm so fast," Wally said. "That's my superhero name."

"Superhero...like the X-ray or X-files?" Oscar asked.

"Sure," Wally said. "Probably cooler though." He pointed his thumb towards himself. 

Oscar still didn't laugh.

"What is it?" Wally sobered up.

"Why do you think Ruby didn't tell Ironwood the truth about Salem?" Oscar asked.

"Huh...I dunno," Wally said. "I guess maybe she doesn't trust him. I suppose he is kind of scary."

"Yeah, but aren't we doing things kind of the same way Ozpin was?" Oscar said.

"I'm not sure," Wally said. "I kind of only got what you and Jaune told us. There's still a lot I don't understand. Why didn't Ozpin tell everyone that Salem can't be destroyed? Maybe there's another solution."

"I've been asking myself that since I heard," Oscar admitted. "I guess he got tired of being betrayed."

"Just how bad was it?" Wally wondered.

"Bad," Oscar said. "Everyone was so angry, yelling at him, yelling at me. Qrow punched him. He said meeting Ozpin was the worst luck of his life. Then Ozpin said, 'Maybe you're right,' and he disappeared inside my mind."

"Ouch," Wally said.

The door to the bathroom opened then, and Shine looked in the room.

"So we share a bathroom, apparently," she said. "I heard you guys talking. Mind if I join you?"

"I guess not," Oscar said.

Shine came in. Pyrrha followed. "Sorry...I'd like to hear this also."

"I suppose," Oscar said.

"So Ozpin disappeared on purpose," Shine said. "And Qrow hit you?"

"No, he hit Ozpin," Oscar said.

"Right...so then what happened?"

"Well, the others yelled some more, and then Maria said we should move on. We found the farm, and the Apathy attacked us, then we went to Argus. You know the rest," Oscar said.

"I'm sorry. That must have been hard for you," Pyrrha said gently.

Oscar was surprised to hear this, then he put his head in his hands.

"You know, I said I was just going to be another one of his lives," he said slowly. "Ruby told me that's not true, that I'm my own person... Qrow said, 'Don't lie to him. We're better than that.'"

He closed his eyes like he was blocking it out. 

"He said that?" Wally was stunned.

"In the vision, I saw the first man Ozpin reincarnated into," Oscar said. "The first time Ozpin took over. He knew how to fight better than the others... They asked him who he was... He didn't know."

"Oh..." Pyrrha gasped.

"What is it?" Wally asked her.

"I...was just thinking...that could have been me." Pyrrha hugged her sides. "I was going to choose that. Willingly."

"Willingly?" Oscar sounded horrified and angry also. "Why would you do that? Why would you do that on purpose?!"

"Oscar," Shine said warningly. "Please, I'm sure you're upset, but is Pyrrha really the one you want to ask that of? Or is it Ozpin? Tell me, did he accept that curse willingly?"

"He did," Oscar said.

"And that makes you angry, doesn't it?" Shine said.

"Well...I just don't understand. Why would you ever want this?" Oscar looked at his hands. "I hate it. I want it to stop!"

Pyrrha flinched and then said, "Excuse me." She went into the bathroom.

"Huh..." Wally said.

"Go on," Shine told him. "You're good with this. I'll talk to Oscar."

"You sure?" Wally said.

"Yes," Shine said.

Wally got up and followed Pyrrha.

"I'm sorry to put this on you..." Oscar felt ashamed of his outburst now.

"I'm not sorry. I'm glad you've finally told us what you're feeling," Shine said calmly. "I wondered how you could be so calm. The problem is horrifying and terrifying. I've always hated the idea of someone taking over my body or my soul. Being what I am comes with some protection against that, thankfully. But for a long time I feared it. You're living it, and it wasn't your choice."

"But I shouldn't have bitten Pyrrha's head off," Oscar said. "It's...not like she knew what it would be like."

"No...but you do," Shine said. "Perhaps she will be wiser now."

That was cold comfort to Oscar.

"I always wanted a great adventure," he said. "But this wasn't it. Now I'm just doing what I can with the time I have left...but it's like I'm just waiting to..."

"To die?" Shine finished.

"Yeah..." Oscar said. "And...it's just...I'm still a teenager... There's so many things I haven't done yet, and I never will."

Shine looked like she might cry. "You're right that it's not fair. But you know, it is admirable to want to do the most good you can, while it's up to you."

"I know that's what everyone thinks," Oscar said. "At least I think so. No one has spoken about it. There's nothing they can do, I guess. Or say. I mean, I'm not even me anymore."

"How did Ozpin ever come to tell you how to use the Relic?" Shine seemed to go off topic.

"He didn't. I got it out of his memories, and I told them," Oscar said. "It was hard. He tried to stop me. For one second, I was able to stop him... It was strange. I'd never been able to take control from him before. I guess I was so focused, and he wasn't..."

"In The Man With Two Souls story, both souls are fighting for control of his body," Shine recalled. "Perhaps some of Ozpin's hosts fight back for a while... And now I suppose I should tell you something. I didn't like to say it in front of the team because I wasn't sure how they'd react, if they would demand I try to do something--but I've been able to sense Ozpin inside you ever since Argus."

"What?" Oscar said.

"I knew he was there already, but he was so still, he went under my radar, until Pyrrha returned. Then I felt him." Shine put a hand to her chest. "I have very intuitive abilities, and I can sense souls, spirits, magic. I could feel it emanating from you already, but I know it's not yours. He got stronger for one moment, I remember."

"Yes... Wait, I felt that too," Oscar said. "But he didn't say anything... Why are you worried about the others knowing that though? It doesn't really change anything."

"That wasn't all," Shine said. "I believe, with the authority I carry, I could force Ozpin to speak."

"You...what?" Oscar sat up straighter.

"I could at least pull him out of your mind," Shine said. "He is a spirit, no? A human one, but still, all spirits know their master. And he's bound in there by magic, which is something I fight and overcome. I believe I could. I can't promise he would like it."

Oscar felt right then this cringe of fear that he didn't think was his.

"Oz?" he said. "Are you there?"

"I'm not sure the others are ready to talk to him, yet," Shine said. "But..."

"I don't know... I'm mad at him, but forcing him out? Isn't that...a little harsh?" Oscar said.

"No more so than him forcing you in," Shine said. "Do you enjoy being a puppet? He has a bit of an unfair advantage. Would you like to level the playing field?"

"What?" Oscar said.

"Watch." Shine stood up and pulled out her sword.

Her eyes lit up, though she didn't know it.

She put the tip of the sword to Oscar's chest. He didn't feel it at all.

"Ozma," she said, "I want to talk to you. Stop hiding from me."

There was a flinch inside Oscar like Ozpin was trying to get away from it, but then a jerk at the point of it like it had reached inside his soul.

Suddenly Oscar was pulled back...yet he didn't feel it as strongly as usual, like he had a back seat, but the door might not be shut in his face.

His eyes flashed and Ozpin's more battle-weary look transposed itself over his features.

"How...did you do that?" he said, puzzled.

"Hello, Oz," Shine said, coolly. "We finally get to meet in person."

"Miss Likstar...this is...not what I wanted." Ozpin held up his hands.

Oscar thought he was afraid of her...but why? Other than she'd just...forced him to come out?

But it seemed deeper than that.

"Can we talk plainly for a second?" Shine said, sounding mad. "I understand perfectly well your frustration with getting yelled at, but you brought it upon yourself. You're thousands of years old--do you really not know better than to abandon people in their darkest moments?"

"I..." Ozpin looked wan. "I had no words for them. You've heard the story now, Miss Likstar... There's no way to stop Salem."

"What were the Lamp's exact words?" Shine asked.

"That I could not destroy her," Ozpin said. "And I know you're going to ask, perhaps someone else can... I've asked myself that. But no one ever has been able to."

"Seems to me you have not given them much of a choice to do so," Shine said. "But even so, you don't know that you cannot stop her, only that she cannot be killed. Her living is not significant if she is powerless to do anything."

"That is what I've been trying to accomplish," Ozpin said. "If she had no following and not so many Grimm...but, if you tell people that, they don't find it a very good cause."

"That is a pathetic excuse not to tell them the truth," Shine said. "Undermining people's trust is never a good hiring strategy."

"With all due respect, Miss Likstar, why didn't you tell James about Miss Nikos then?" Ozpin shot back, with more temper than one would expect.

But it didn't bother Shine at all.

She shrugged and looked out the window for a moment before saying, "I don't trust him for reasons that are based on what he has already done, and that without remorse. Your mistrust is based on what you fear people will do. There is a vast difference between mistrusting someone who has already earned it, and refusing to trust people who have earned that instead. Team RWBY is still here--they are still trying to do something... You were wrong."

"Was I?" Ozpin said. "This is how it starts. But will they become wary?"

Oscar was stunned to hear him say this. He'd never been so open before.

Or...did he view Shine as someone outside this who it wouldn't matter if he said this to? He wasn't interested in recruiting them then?

No, Oscar could sense no intention to earn her loyalty at all... Why not? She was a useful ally. Why wasn't he trying to appease her?

"You already have," Shine said. "I can't say if they will. If they follow you, yes, they will become like you. They already have. You can hardly blame Ironwood for being such a control freak. You have been pulling the strings for centuries. He is learning from you. And he spots your hyperbole a mile away."

Ozpin opened his mouth and then shut it.

"And Qrow too, but perhaps he is waking up to this, perhaps not," Shine said. "And now they are holding back information because of your example. At some point, Ozma, your responsibility is to realize your methods do not work and change them."

"I have tried every single thing I can think of," Ozpin said. "Do you have new ideas, then? I have had this burden for an eon, and I have to start over each generation... I am stuck with it. They are not. Who would join you for such a journey if they thought it had no end?"

"I agree," Shine said.

Pause.

"If so, why are you faulting me?" Ozpin said.

"Because you asked people to risk their lives for you for dishonest reasons," Shine said. "You got that girl in there killed. And you know it."

Ozpin looked and felt guilty, Oscar could tell.

"I...truly am sorry," he said.

"That's not good enough anymore, Ozpin," Shine said. "Something tells me you believe us. You've been listening to us talk to Oscar since yesterday. You know it's true, don't you?"

"I know that you are from another world," Ozpin said. "I've heard of such things before."

Oscar got the odd feeling he knew more than he was admitting...but he couldn't access those memories; Ozpin had them pretty well locked away.

"I bet you've heard plenty." Shine studied him. "Who else wrote those stories? But you don't want to tell me what you know... Fine. I doubt it will matter to me either way, or my partner... But it might to you. Keep that in mind."

She rubbed her arms and looked pensive for a moment before saying, "Nevertheless...I do pity you in a way. The curse is not right. It's only just if I offer to help you. Oscar also. I believe we can help end this. That is probably why we are here, though I'm not sure just how. Oscar is listening to this right now... You know what he wants...and that boy deserves to have his own life. Will you take it if we help?"

"I'm in no position to turn down help," Ozpin said, hesitantly. "But your kind is not the kind I think will work. You think that ignoring the ways of our world will get you further than us? But this is the world we live in, and you have to make the most of it."

"Bullcrap," Shine said offhandedly. "You probably know it, too."

"I beg your pardon," Ozpin said.

"You should. You'll need it," Shine said. "You want to put this right, Ozma? It always starts with what's closest to us. You make this right with the people around you, right now, and stop treating them like they are disposable or untrustworthy. Be vulnerable, for once...and see if they will desert you. If they do, it would have happened anyway. If they don't, then you have real friends."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Ozpin said.

"This is wisdom," Shine said, "whether you care to hear it or not. Being older than me does not make you wiser, or you would have won this already."

That had to hurt. Oscar could feel the wince.

"You think about it," Shine said, after a pause. "I won't expose you, not yet. You are still a valuable part of the team. You have more experience than them--if you'd use it to help and not to shield yourself. And think of Ironwood and what your abandoning him may do in the long run."

Ozpin looked guilty again.

"For now I want to talk to Oscar some more, so go back." Shine waved her hand.

"You cannot just command me to do that," Ozpin said. "I am not some Grimm."

"But you are a magical being, and that puts you at a disadvantage," Shine said. "Those gods no doubt wanted to keep you all subject to them. Now go."

Her eyes flashed.

Ozpin disappeared again.

Oscar returned, looking frightened and confused. "What was that about?" he said aloud. "I... He actually talked to you? How did you do that?"

"Easy," Shine said. "Authority."

She held up a hand. "We have it...but we can't use it flippantly. I don't want it hurting Ozpin or you. But I want to give you peace of mind, so I have an offer: Oscar Pine, if you like, I believe we can keep Ozpin from merging with you for the remainder of our time here."

"What?" Oscar thought he was misunderstanding her. "What does that mean?"

"Well, as long as we can control who is in control, we can put you at the helm, as it were," Shine mused. "So your soul will have to stay stronger...and I think we can help that also... Really, the One who helps us can, but, through us, He can minister to you. Or directly, if you prefer it that way. Either way, I think it's doable. If it would help you not to panic and be miserable, I would gladly monitor you. Perhaps that's why we're here. We did find you first."

"And you'd do that for me?" Oscar said.

Shine looked sad. "Why wouldn't we? Who in their right mind wouldn't do that if they could?"

"I just..it could be dangerous," Oscar said. "He might not like it, and...if others find out you can do that, they might expect you to...force him."

"I'm not a pushover, Oscar. I don't want to listen to them nag me, but I can deal with it, if it would help you," Shine said sincerely.

She spoke so calmly and without any pomp or grandiose manner that Oscar thought she was really serious about doing it just to help him.

It sounded too good to be true...but...if it was...he could be...safe?

"But...it won't last?" he guessed.

"I think it's likely it will last as long as we are here," Shine said. "I have no idea how long that will be. But there's no doubt a way to break your curse. I'd be happy to seek the answer on this from my own God, but in the meantime, this will help with your problem in the here and now. Someone came back from the dead--do you really think this is too hard?"

"I...I guess not," Oscar said strangely. "So I won't have to worry anymore...for a while."

"Not about that... Plenty of other things to worry about," Shine said. "But you can worry as yourself, not Ozpin... He'll still be there, but...he won't be able to control you."

Oscar could have hugged her--if he wasn't way too shy to do so and she wasn't someone he barely knew.

"I want that," he said, not sure what else to say.

"So it's settled." Shine put her hands together. "Ah, I sound like him. Something about the old fashioned style of all this place makes me want to talk like a book."

"You already do that," Wally called from the bathroom. "Are you guys done?"

"Yes, I think so," Shine said. "Are you?"

"I think, yeah," Wally said.

* * *

Pyrrha had been less difficult to calm than Oscar, mostly because she was only reacting to what could have happened, and not the ongoing nightmare of this fate.

She'd started crying over the sink when Wally came in.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

"I... Yes..." Pyrrha wiped at her eyes.

"It's pretty rough hearing about this, isn't it?" Wally handed her some toilet paper to use as tissue.

Pyrrha took it and sniffled. "I... That poor boy... I can't believe I was going to choose that so cavalierly. I didn't know what it would be like. But hearing how much he hates it...I think, was I willing to do that to someone else? Or myself... What if it wasn't over in an instant?"

"What I can't believe is that that Ozpin dude was going to let you do it, knowing how horrible it is," Wally said.

"Yes," Pyrrha said. She clenched her fist, and the metal faucets twitched, making Wally a little nervous. "I thought I knew Professor Ozpin... I thought he was a kind man...but he knew. He knew exactly what it would feel like, if it happened the same way, and he didn't warn me... He said it was a question...but it wasn't a question...not really. Not if the machine imitated his curse...and if it didn't...it would still be murdering someone."

"You didn't see it that way before?" Wally had thought it was sick the first time he heard it.

"I guess I thought she would be alive...sort of," Pyrrha said. "But I wouldn't be...and I could live with that."

"But there's no guarantee it would have been her and not you," Wally said.

"Yes...that is true," Pyrrha said. "Or...both of us, in the same way Oscar is both himself and Ozpin. Seeing it in person...it's...just wrong."

She leaned on the counter. "What was I thinking...?" She shook her head.

"Makes you kind of glad you didn't get to go through with it, huh?" Wally said.

Pyrrha cast a look at him. "I died." 

"Yeah...but couldn't you have died either way?" Wally said. "At least the other way you didn't kill yourself... I almost did that once."

"You mentioned that before... What happened?" Pyrrha straightened.

"I ran too fast," Wally said. "If I do that, my body can sort of fade into this dimension called the Speed Force. It's where I get my powers from. I can use the Speed Force all the time, but if I use it too much, just like if she portals too much, it has a bad effect on me. We could die, or I could get lost in it. My friends pulled me out before. They were able to ground me. Shine says if I ever do that again, she'll jump in after me and hit me for being that dumb." He rubbed his head. "But I don't think I ever will. It wasn't...scary. It was beautiful, actually...but I felt like it wasn't right, how I got there, that it shouldn't have been because I lost control of my powers. I was a little sad to have to come back, but I'm glad I got more time with my friends, and then I met Shine. I have plenty more to do with my life."

Pyrrha stared at him, then she nodded slowly. "And you want me to feel the same?"

"Oh, no, I don't think I can tell you how to feel," Wally shook his head. "That would seem pretty arrogant of me, would it? I mean, I was only in there for, like, one minute, and you've had months of time missed--that would be rough. My buddy Supes missed some time once too, only he only time traveled--the point is, this kind of stuff happens sometimes, and it doesn't have to be the end of the world--uh, I mean, the end of your--uh...well, journey, I guess? Maybe it's a little different now. But you're not like Ozpin, right? You're you."

"And I'm incredibly lucky that it worked out that way," Pyrrha said. "It didn't hit me yesterday--it was too strange to hear what happened..." She rubbed her chest. "I couldn't believe I really did. But I have the scars... I remember it happening... I'm remembering more and more about what happened before it, too. Things I regret now..." She shook her head. "But until I heard Oscar's story, I didn't feel guilty for what I was going to do to save Beacon... Now, I do. And the worst of that is, dead or not, I'd have been guilty of that. Cinder stopped it, not me."

"But Ozpin should have stopped you, too. I think you're being hard on yourself. It was bad to agree to it, but you didn't totally know what it was going to be like for you or the other girl. Now that you do, you wouldn't do it?"

"I couldn't do that to someone."

"Then it's good you didn't. But don't beat yourself up. We all make dumb decisions, and you're lucky if you get stopped. Trust me. I do dumb things all the time."

Pyrrha finally cracked a smile. "How humble of you to admit it... I'm surprised you don't blame me. The two of you seem to see this so clearly as wrong."

"Shine has a very forceful way of explaining herself," Wally said. "And it's great. She's really tough, and I like that about her. But she isn't judging you for what happened, okay? I know she sounds like it sometimes--she gets really passionate about what she's saying. But she's just concerned that you know it was wrong so you won't do it again. If you know that, then we're good."

"I thought so," Pyrrha said. "I was worried that she was angry, but I think I see now that she had a reason to be worried. She already knew about Oscar... She must wonder how I could have been so callous."

"Oh, no, that's not it," Wally said. "She really likes you, trust me. She was so angry about Cinder killing you. I think she cried."

"Really?" Pyrrha was surprised.

"Well, I wouldn't say I didn't get a little choked up," Wally said hesitantly. "It was so sad...but...I guess she still has to push you. I don't understand always why she does this stuff. But she has been doing this longer than me, so I'm believing she has a reason behind it. And I gotta admit, it was messed up, so I'm glad that you're seeing it now."

"I suppose I deserved that." Pyrrha wiped her face. "But somehow I feel better hearing you say that. Thank you."

"Oh, it's cool," Wally said. "Happy to help. I better check on Shine and the kid, though. I don't know if he's okay."