Just Rite Gas Station and Bar...
Anima...

Bartender: "Aren't you a little young to be drinking?" Asked the bartender behind the counter as he was cleaning out a glass while staring at the one before him. Yang Xiao Long, with her aviators on. She then pulled them off and gave a small, light hearted shug.

Yang: "A water. It's hot out."

Bartender: "Oh, sure." With a small nod, he duked underneath the counter and began to work on preparing a bottle of water for the blonde bruiser. As he did, laughter drew Yang's attention, causing her to take a glance to her left to spot some slightly older guy, possibly in his 20s.

Guy: "Are you telling me you're too young to drink?" Yang's expression changed to one of disinterest as she looked away. "You look like a regular Huntress. And a beauty at that."

Yang: "I'm good. Thanks, pal." Despite her response, the male stood up and began to approach her, with a slight stride in every step he took, hoping to catch her attention again.

Guy "Seriously. Not to bulky, not too lean. You're—"

Yang: "—just right." She rolled her eyes. "Yup, like I said, I'm good." Despite her clear lack of interest, the man seemed to completely ignore it as he began to reach towards her, or more specifically...

Guy: "And your hair..."

In an instant, Yang grabbed his wrist firmly. She turned her head while opening her eyes, revealing them to be a fiery and dangerous red color.

Noticing this, the man gasped but had no time to fully react as Yang reared her Mechanical arm back and gave one single punch, knocking one of the man's teeth out and sending him crashing out of the store, his body flailing all over the place, bouncing off the floor and roof before being sent outside, all the while flipping the sign on the door.

As her eyes went back to normal, the Bartender looked in surprise, but soon, a smile came to his face as he pushed the water towards the blonde.

Bartender: "This one's on the house. He's been driving me crazy."

Yang said nothing and reached for the water bottle with her left hand, which suddenly began to lightly tremble, forcing her to grab it with her right hand. Despite the training she went through with her father, she still had these sudden reactions that seemed to always trigger when she's either in a fight or about to get into a fight. The fear of what Adam did to her on that night never left her, but she had to wrestle with that fear if she wanted any progress done. With a deep breath to calm her nerves, she took up the water bottle and flicked off the cap and began to down it all in one go.

Bartender: "So, what brings you around these parts?" She merely lifted a finger, signaling him to wait as she finished the bottle in its entirety.

Yang: "Thanks. And I'm, uh, looking for someone." She turned to him while placing the bottle on the counter.

Bartender: "Not many people come out here. Too far from the Kingdoms. The only people worth notin' around here are, well, Ra—" She cuts him off, finishing his sentence for him.

Yang: "Raven Branwen and Vergil Sparda." There was silence as the Bartender just stared at the girl in surprise, realizing that those were the people she was actually looking for. "Thanks again." Picking up her aviators, she began to walk out of the store.

Bartender: "Now, missy, you don't wanna go messin' with bandits! They're a world of trouble!"

Yang: "So I hear."

Stepping out of the building, Yang began to make her way towards her parked motorcycle, Bumblebee. However, before she could mount her ride, she heard what sounded like the growling engine of another motorcycle fast approaching. At first, she didn't seem to pay much attention. Sure this place was pretty isolated, but it's not like no one ever passes by here. However, all of that would change once she heard something else...

???: "Oh? I've spotted a dragon!" In an instant, her eyes widened as her head snapped towards the direction of the approaching motorcycle, which had Ace Sparda mounted on it, her beloved brother that she hadn't seen since the Fall of Beacon. Like herself, Ace also wore a new outfit, but its changes compared to the outfit he wore previously were more subtle. The only big noticeable differences being that he had on a hoodie, and a pair of wireless headphones around his neck, similar to the ones Ruby had, only painted black and blue.

He came to a halt, a grin plastered on his face as he unmounted his bike and gave a two-finger wave to his blonde sister. Without waiting for an explanation or anything, Yang instantly tackled him into a tight hug.

Yang: "Ace! You're alive!!!"

Ace: "The fuck? You thought I was dead?"

Yang: "No!" She paused and slowly pulled away. "...Well kinda... But that's beside the point!" She exclaimed, a bit sheepishly as she rubbed her arm. The blue-haired male just chuckled and patted the blonde on her shoulder.

Ace: "I missed you too, my badass sister." Yang was a bit flustered over her brother calling her by that but overall, she was just happy beyond belief. With how her brother was missing after the fall, she thought the worse, but seeing him here, completely fine without any injuries, relieved her greatly. It made her even more excited to find Ruby and see her reaction to Ace being alive.

Yang: "What... exactly happened to you by the way? On that night?" A deep sigh left his lips as he glanced up.

Ace: "It's... a long story. One better suited for the road, don't you think?" He smiled at her. "You're going to find them too, right?"

Yang: "'Too'?"

Ace: "Let's just say, you're not the only one looking for them." He said with a small smirk. Yang stared at him briefly before she lightly giggled and smiled.

Yang: "Then let's get going."

The two shared a collective nod before they mounted their respective motorcycles. Yang took the chance to rev Bumblebee a bit, its Dust-powered engine roaring in response. However, before either could get going, there was a grunt as the man from earlier began to stand up, though stumbling a bit from being dazed by Yang's punch.

Man: "Hey, girlie."

Yang: "Seriously? This isn't over?"

Ace: "You know him?"

Yang: "He tried to hit on me earlier." Ace narrowed his eyes and slowly glanced at the male.

Ace: "That so?" They watched as the man managed to stabilize himself before grinning at them.

Man: "I heard you were looking for someone."

>Chapter 43: Unforeseen Complications<

Belladonna Residence...
Menagerie...

Ghira paced back and forth, looking at the speech he had written for this day in his hands. The others in the room, Kali, Blake and Sun all watched him silently from one side of the room, while Akito remained on the other side on his own, the night on the balcony and his conversation with Ilia still on his mind. He knew that she was gonna appear during today's speech. Was she going to try and sabotage it or just silently observe? He didn't know. All he did know, was that today was gonna end in one of two ways

They succeed and rally every Faunus under their cause, or they fail.

Kali: "Are you ready?" She asked her husband as she got up from her seat to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Ghira: "Yes. It won't be easy for the people to hear, but the truth often isn't. I know they'll do the right thing." Blake soon moved from her spot to his side and nuzzled into his arm lightly, with Kali doing the same, but Sun also decided to join in by placing a hand on his back.

Sun: "You've got this."

Despite his best attempts of being supportive, Ghira didn't seem to appreciate it as he just stared blankly at him, causing the monkey-Faunus to slightly coward under his gaze and step back.

Akito: "We'll get results by not standing around here, contemplating on what the public's reaction will be." They all turned to him as he stared out of the window, before glancing at them.

Blake: "Akito..."

Ghira: "... As much as I hate to admit it, he's right." he said as he began to walk towards the front doors. Kali merely smiled and followed after him with Sun doing the same. Blake glanced at her boyfriend and walked over to his side as the two began walking towards the doors as well.

Blake: "I think dad likes you more now."

Akito: "Still not enough to not want to kill me." The feiline-Faunus giggled slightly from his response and held his remaining arm.

As Ghira opened the doors, they were treated to the majority of the Faunus within Menagerie all stationed outside of the residence, including Corsac and Fennec. Many were taking video recordings and even doing news reports for those staying at their homes as they made their way onto the stage. While Ghira went up to the pedestal, Kali and Sun remained on his right, while Akito and Blake on his left.

Ghira: "Thank you all for assembling here. I wanted to take the time to address some of the rumors that have been circulating around our island. I believe that it is important for the people of this territory to understand the truth. No matter how you feel about the Human race, I think we all can agree that the event, now known as The Fall of Beacon was a tragedy. A tragedy that will set both man and Faunus-kind back. While the main aggressor is still unknown, we do have official confirmation that Adam Taurus, the leader of a powerful splitter group working inside the White Fang was partially responsible for these attacks."

Akito slowly clenched his fist, but began to slowly calm down, feeling the softness of Blake's hand on his. He glanced at her briefly, only to see a reassuring smile on her face, one that worked wonders to calm his nerves.

Ghira: "His actions not only tarnished the reputation of an organization originally created to bring peace and equality to all, but to our entire race. With each day this man remains unpunished, it becomes increasingly difficult to condemn those that look down upon us." There were some murmurs going through the crowd as the two Albain brothers remained silent. Ghira once again raised his hand, signaling for the crowd to quiet down. "Recently, a spy from this same splinter group set their sights on this very home. My own daughter, Blake, the former Wolf of the White Fang, Akito Zara and their friend did their very best to apprehend this individual."

Akito slightly tensed up, hearing his old title again, only for him to calm down again by Blake's reassuring hand on his. She even slightly leaned more towards him, making their shoulders touch to fill him with reassurance. Despite their many arguments and bickering, it was moments like these that Akito was truly glad to have someone as loving and caring as Blake by his side.

Ghira: "While they were unsuccessful after being physically assaulted and seriously injured, they were successful in obtaining the assailant's scroll." He pulled Ilia's scroll out from his coat and held it up. "With this, we have been able to ascertain that Adam Taurus has plans to overthrow the current leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan, and take over the reins himself. His radical plans do not stop there. The documents on this scroll proclaim his next target to be Haven Academy and its attached CCT tower. Their plan is to strike on the last full moon before the beginning of the Fall semester, roughly two months from today. I have sent my swiftest messenger to the government of Mistral, but I believe we have a greater responsibility. My relationship with the White Fang... has been an interesting one. Years ago, I led the organization to help try and create a world where I, and every Faunus who wished, could walk alongside the human race. And while I believe we made great strides towards this goal, it was made clear to me that people both in and out of the White Fang wanted faster results. So I stepped down, and Sienna Khan was appointed as my successor. It's true that I do not fully condone many of her methods. What I do condone is what Sienna fights for: the idea that Faunus and the Humans are, and should be equal. Adam Taurus does not seem to have that goal in mind. What he has done benefits no one but himself. I think it's time that the Faunus showed the world that we are equals! Time that we snuff out this splinter group and restore the White Fang to what it once was!"

At this point, the crowd began to cheer in support of Ghira's words while again, the two brothers in the crowd remained silent. Akito took a small glance at them, narrowing his eye at them briefly as Ghira continued.

Ghira: "To do this, I think the answer is clear, we must go to Haven and protect it at all costs!" At that moment, the crowd went silent, all the Faunus having conflicting expressions. Ghira cleared his throat before continuing. "Before we proceed any further, I'd like to invite my daughter to come and share her story. Not only as a former member of the White Fang but also as a survivor of the Fall of Beacon."

With that being her cue, Blake glanced at boyfriend, the wolf Faunus looked at her and giving a small supportive nod. With determination in her eyes, Blake left his side and began to walk towards the pedestal. However, she'd soon be interrupted.

Ilia "TRAITORS!" Everyone turned to look, at where the voice came from, only to see the chameleon Faunus standing in the crowd, while tossing a cloak off of herself.

Sun: "Ilia."

Akito: "Tch..."

Ilia: "Cowards! After everything the humans have done to us, everything they've put us through, you're asking us to help them!?"

Ghira: "I know we haven't been treated fairly-"

Ilia: "Where was their help when the Dust companies treated our people like slaves!? Where was their help when Kingdoms hunted Faunus just for being who they are!? Where was MY help, when my parents were killed in a Dust mine!? Where!?" She then turned her attention directly to the Wolf Faunus. "What about you Akito? You were there in the mines with me and Adam! Where was your support after all of the endless torture you went through down in those mines!? And what's even worse, recently, a human took YOUR arm! And yet you still want to help them!?"

Akito: "You know nothing about me. Don't act like you do."

Ilia: "Oh but I do. You're just the obedient little dog following whatever the Belladonnas tell you just because you happen to be dating their daughter! What happened to all of that backbone you used to have!? Is this what you've been reduced to? A dog on a leash for these weaklings to command!?" Akito merely gritted his teeth, his eyes turning red again as he clenched his fist tightly. Blake just narrowed her eyes at Ilia as Ghira tried to deescalate the situation.

Ghira: "Young lady, progress takes patience and cooperation!"

Ilia: "The Belladonnas are the worst kind of Faunus! They want us to work with the same people that are trying to hold us down!" She continued her speech as a figure cloaked in brown snuck through the crowd, with a familiar red, white and yellow pointed shield hanging from their left arm, and a white handle emitting a green beam in their right hand. "If you truly, TRULY want to help your people now is the time to support Adam, not the Belladonnas! He will bring the future you deserve. And if you are unwilling to fight, know that the White Fang will do it for you!"

???: "That's enough!"

The sudden female voice startled everyone as leaping from the crowd was the cloaked figure, slicing down with the green Beam Saber in her hand. Ilia narrowly dodged by using her Lightning Lash as a grappling hook to swing away, with the figure raising her left arm, aiming that familiar shield with two vulcan barrels on either side. But Ilia was already gone.

Guard: "After her!" As the guards began to disperse, Akito, Sun and Blake stared at the cloaked figure in surprise.

Sun: "No way, that voice!"

Blake: "And not to mention that shield and Beam Saber... Is it really?" The cloaked figure turned towards them, with the beam disappearing from the handle as she stored it back into her Wing Shield.

???: "We meet again, Exia's Meister!" She greeted as she pulled off her cloak, revealing herself to them. With her 'curled goat horns' on either side of her head, the Blonde leader of Team MYLC stood before them, with a big grin on her face.

Akito: "Maya?"

Selena's House...
Mistral...

After letting Oscar Pine into their hope, Team RNJR and Setsuna all crowded around him, all asking many different questions related to the fact that the boy claimed to be Professor Ozpin, the same Ozpin that taught them all, yet they all found it so hard and confusing to even believe.

Nora: Did he age backwards?"

Jaune: "He's possessed!"

Setsuna: "Eep! He's possessed!"

Ren: "Or reincarnated"

Ruby: "Oh! Isn't it weird?" He looked at them all, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the attention he was getting.

Oscar: "It is very weird, yes."

Qrow: "Okay, okay." They all turned towards the kitchen only to see Qrow and Dante coming out, both with a cup of coffee each. "Let's all just take a second and remember that this is very overwhelming for everyone."

Dante: "Aka, please give the kid some space. You'll end up suffocating him with all of your questions." The teens all looked at each other before quickly backing away, while all sharing sheepish laughter. Oscar looked back at toe two men with a grateful expression.

Oscar: "Thanks." As everyone began to take their seats, Oscar looked at the group of five before him, before his eyes briefly trailed over to Ruby. She just smiled at him, causing him to stutter slightly and look off with an embarrassed expression. "Ah, sorry! I-It's just I've never really met Huntsmen and Huntresses before." He spoke as Selena came out, holding a tray of 7 extra cups of coffee she made. She went around, giving one to each to the teens, including Oscar.

Ruby: "Well, uh, we've never met a person with two souls sharing the same body! So, first times all around." She said as she began to take a sip, only to yelp at how hot it was.

Selena: "Careful now. Wouldn't want to burn yourself." She said with a smile as she took a seat next to Dante and Qrow, with her own cup in hand.

Nora: "Don't Akito technically count?"

Setsuna: "Technically, the four sisters didn't share a body with him. His mind was... kinda just like a home for them."

Nora: "I don't get it..." She scratched the back of her head as Ren just shook his head.

Qrow: "Not to break up the whole getting to know you game, but we need to have a talk." Oscar looked at him before sighing.

Oscar: "Oh... Y-Yeah... Okay. Just so you know, I'll still be here."

The 5 teens looked at each other confused before looking back at Oscar. He took a deep breath before closing his eyes. Then suddenly, he briefly glowed green and opened his eyes to reveal them glowing golden temporarily. And then, he began to speak, his voice slowly changing to one they're all familiar with.

Ozpin: "It is so very good to see you again, students."

Team RNJR and Setsuna all shared bewildered expressions with each other as they just tried to process what they just witnessed.

Jaune: "Wait, what just happened?"

Ren: "Professor Ozpin?"

Ozpin: "Correct. And though I may be the one speaking, Oscar is still present mentally. He's merely handed over the controls, so to speak."

Oscar mentally: "Just don't make us do anything embarrassing..."

Ozpin: "I'm afraid this all must be very perplexing." Nora suddenly zipped over to Ruby and Setsuna, startling them both.

Nora: "And alarming, and bizarre and just really kind of hard to believe overall."

Setsuna: "Y-Yeah... Setsuna knows for sure Akito could not do that with his sisters... How freaky..." Ozpin merely chuckled a bit at their bewilderment.

Ozpin: "It's good to see you children still have your sense of humor. I know you've all been through tremendous hardships already. I'm sorry..."

Ruby: "I mean, it's not your fault."

Ozpin: "It's all my fault. I told you once that I made more mistakes than any man, woman and child on this planet, and I wasn't exaggerating. I'm... cursed. For thousands of years, I've walked the surface of Remnant, living, dying and reincarnating in the body of a like-minded soul. The Professor Ozpin you all met was not my first form, and clearly wasn't my last. It's an extraordinarily strenuous process on everyone involved."

Jaune: "So who, what... are you?"

Ozpin: "I am the combination of countless men who've spent their lives trying to protect the people of Remnant. With every rebirth, my soul is eventually merged with another and I am changed, but my memories stay with me. This curse was bestowed upon me by the gods because I failed to stop Salem in the past... But we must stop her now."

Ruby: "And how do we do that?"

Ozpin: "First thing's first..." He scanned the teens for a brief moment. "Do... we know of Akito's status?"

Setsuna: "A-Akito...?" They all shared a glance while Dante just looked down into his cup, with Selena rubbing his back.

Ruby: "No. All I heard was that after he woke up in my house, he set out after Blake, even with only one arm and the damaged Exia."

Ozpin: "... I see..."

Nora: "Is it because he's... your biological son?" A sigh left the man possessing the farmhand's body.

Ozpin: "Yes... Akito... he's a special case, you see. Him and his four sisters. They were all very special in their own right. I hoped he would be here so I would know he hasn't fallen down the wrong path. Even then, he probably holds a heavy disdain for me after everything, and has every right to do so."

Ruby: "E-Even then... I'm sure Akito can find it in his heart to forgive you. He's your son after all. He might... just need some time away to gather his thoughts and cope with everything that happened."

Setsuna: "Yeah... Besides, he probably still thinks you're dead."

Ozpin: "You're right... I'm just glad it seems like she hasn't found him yet."

Jaune: "She? You mean Salem?"

Ozpin: "Yes. I know not the reason, but she's always had a keen eye watching my son. She knows how powerful he can be and I guarantee she'll do everything in her power to recruit him to her side. I just hope he doesn't fall for her tricks..." He clutched onto his cup a bit tightly.

Ren: "Akito's mentally one of the strongest we know."

Ruby: "Yeah, I'm sure he'll resist her! Besides, he really loves Blake and would stop at nothing to stay by her side!" She confidently said with a smile. Although, at first Ozpin seemed to be a bit conflicted, he soon smiled and nodded.

Ozpin: "You're right, thank you." Selena however remained silent, watching the man speak for a moment as she hummed. She didn't know what it was, but she had this deep gut feeling that he wasn't telling something important. "Now, with that out of the way, we can begin with our plan, which starts with ensuring the safety of the Relic of Knowledge."

With her excitement growing, Nora could no longer contain it as she jumped up from her seat, while yelling in excitement.

Nora: "This is PERFECT!!! We were stuck at a dead end, but now, we can take little cute boy Ozpin to Lionheart and have him set things straight!" she excitedly gestured to Ozpin, who had a bit of a deadpan expression.

Ozpin: "Please don't call me that."

Qrow: "We're not sure that's the best idea." Nora groaned and stomped her way back over to her seat before sitting down with her arms crossed.

Ren: "But, I thought the headmasters all took their orders from you."

Ozpin: "That was the intention. Four lieutenants, I can trust, especially during times of reincarnation. But Qrow and Dante told me about your meeting with Leonardo." He got up and began to pace around with his arms behind his back. "He isn't just behaving irrationally, he's disobeying specific instructions I had left him. Something's wrong."

Dante: "Yep. He's acting stranger than he usually does, as if someone was watching him closely." Qrow confirmed this with a nod.

Ozpin: "I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I don't want to rule out any possibilities, either. No one outside this room knows that I've paired with Oscar, and I think it may be best to keep it that way."

Qrow: "Play things close to the chest, until we get a better hand."

Ozpin: "Precisely. Now, we have two steps ahead of us. The first is enlisting the aid of more huntsmen."

Ren: "But the Mistral Council-"

Qrow: "Doesn't own every Huntsman in the kingdom, and I've been here enough times to know where we can find some more."

Ozpin: "So long as they're trustworthy."

Dante: "Meh. They might not be the most reliable or friendly, but you can trust them to put up a good fight for sure." He shrugged.

Qrow: "I'll throw together a list tonight." He leaned back into the couch and rested a leg on the coffee table, but suddenly, it collapsed as Selena just sighed and shook her head.

Nora: "Good luck with that." A groan of frustration left Qrow as he bend downwards and began to clean up the mess.

Selena: "You know with your attitude it's only going to get worse."

Qrow: "Oh shut it."

Ozpin: "...After that, we can move on to step two."

Setsuna: "Which is...?"

Ozpin: "Getting you five into fighting shape." They all looked at each other confused.

Ruby: "But... we already know how to fight." In an instant, Ozpin's Long Memory cane was pointed directly at her face, causing her to stumble back slightly out of surprise.

Ozpin: "You can only fight so long as you have Crescent Rose, but you're still lacking in hand-to-hand combat."

Ruby: "Well... uh... Yeah..." He then pointed his weapon towards Jaune, who had the same reaction.

Ozpin: "Mr. Arc, I'm glad to hear you've improved but sorry to say, you've yet to unlock your Semblance." The blonde male just looked off slightly. Then he turned his attention to Setsuna, his cane in her face now. "And Ms. Setsuna. I've heard of your troubles from Dante. We'll need to continue your training in using your new weapons, along with that evolution of your Semblance."

Setsuna: "A-Ah... Okay..." She rubbed her arm and looked off.

Ozpin: "All of you still have a ways to go before you're ready to pose any real threat against Salem and her forces. And though Oscar can give me temporary control, he'll need to strengthen his body and his Aura."

Oscar mentally: "Wait, what!?"

Ozpin: "He'll inherit my muscle memory in time, but practice will expedite the process."

Ruby: "But, if Qrow and Dante's out looking for Huntsmen and since Ms. Selena's going to be focusing on our medical supplies, then who's going to teach us?" Ozpin suddenly jumped into the air while spinning and landed on the chair, spinning his cane around.

Ozpin: "Well, I believe I was the headmaster of Beacon Academy." The five teams just stared up at him, all with different variations of awe. 

Ozpin: "We have approximately one month before classes resume at Haven. If Salem were to plan an attack, it would make sense that it would occur prior to students' return. It's not much time, but it's better than nothing. *smirks* Just don't expect me to go easy on you." His eyes suddenly glowed and Oscar was back in control but he instantly began to lose his balance and fell backwards, along with the chair.

Oscar: "You've gotta be kidding me..."

Branwen Tribe...

All he really saw was darkness. Akira didn't remember much about what happened, other than he was falling through the sky towards a Queen Lancer with the intent of killing it in one strike. But after that, everything went fuzzy and quiet for him...

???: "Akira!" That voice, it sent shivers down his spine. It was one he never thought he'd hear again.

Akira: "Yomihime...?"

???: "Akira!" Once again she called out. The black-haired teen desperately looked around this dark space, hoping to find his only family left. But again, there was nothing. "Akira!"

Was his mind playing tricks on him or was there something else in influence? That was when he looked down and spotted a familiar glowing green object. Before him, Harvester, his scythe floated, ghastly whispers radiating from the dangerous weapon. He stared at it silently, before suddenly feeling a pain in his head. He clutched onto his forehead, his eyes starting to glow that same color as the voices got louder and louder, drowning out Yomihime's voice.

Akira: "No... Shut... UP!"

With a sudden gasp, Akira's eyes shot open as he found himself lying on a semi-soft sleeping bag. He quickly looked around, his eyes scanning for anything or anyone, only for him to realize that he was in a rather large tent. As he began to sit up, he realized that he his jacket and his top were off, allowing him to see the many bandages that covered his upper body.

Akira: "Where..." He muttered before his eyes widened. He remembered why he jumped out of that Airship. It was to protect someone, someone he considered dear. "Weiss!"

???: "You're awake. Thank goodness." Startled, he quickly looked towards the source of the voice, only for his eyes to widen. Sitting before him was a face he never thought he'd see again, someone he only remembered from his younger days of living with his cousin.

Akira: "Raven...?"

Raven: "We meet again, Akira." She greeted, with a smile.

______________________________________________________

Next Chapter: The New Gundam