Maidens and Mystics - Finale

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Troll in the Reviews-

So like Couer, I have a troll in my reviews. Soda something, doesn't matter. Ignore 'em, report 'em for spam, is up to you. Enjoy the story!

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"Stubborn bastard…" Jacques sighed, taking a short drink that emptied the wine glass in his hand in one go as he read over the previous day's reports and finalizations of Beacon's counter-claims and defences.

He'd handed most of the afore-mentioned bastard's paperwork off to various accountants, lawyers and other underlings to dig through, of course. Almost immediately, too, and he'd thought that the end of it for a solid fifteen minutes. Five for them to realize the problem, and ten for them to select someone to risk bringing him the bad news. Apparently, and unfortunately for the now jobless young lady who braved his office stammering like an anxious schoolgirl, much had been written and submitted in such a way as to need a parent's input, and he obviously couldn't trust Willow to do it.

Which meant he had been forced to, personally, process the paperwork.

"Clever son-of-a-bitch, I'll give you that, Ozpin." He chuckled at the words, and the futility of such cleverness, filling up his glass with the sweet red once again and easing back in his chair. Setting one down and taking up the next he smiled, skimming the report and taking a shorter drink of his wine. Sadly, he mused, "If only a tenth of my staff were half as clever, this game would already be over."

And of course, with him the winner, if the clever underlings wanted to keep their careers.

A knock on the door drew him out of his reverie with a sighed and simultaneously shouted, "Yes, yes, come in then. No damn sense shouting through the door, is there?"

"Yes, Sir." Klein, the only one willing to deliver any news to him for the last day or so since the little tart had been dismissed, answered as he entered. Smart man that he was, he carried paperwork under one arm, but a steaming steak and fresh bottle of wine on a tray with the other. Smiling impishly, the man asked, "Pleasure or business first, Sir? If I may be so bold, I mean."

"I prefer both at once." He joked. And it was a joke, he knew better than to indulge in any of the silly nonsense the tabloids often wrote about. Flings with maids or underlings, fun as the experiment a decade ago had been, were only a poor idea in the long run. He was still paying the little waif off… "Bring the steak in, Klein, and sit down. You can appraise me while I eat my meal."

"As you like, Sir." Klein knew better than to argue with him, or refuse a nice seat. Sitting, and letting Jacques begin to enjoy the steak and potatoes, Klein began to explain. "First, Beacon refused and countered the trade injunctions you filed. The end dates for them haven't arrived and so they refuse any price changes. One letter even accused us of using this as a barely hidden means to make extra Lien and said if we wish to use young Miss Schnee as such we should… Well, it was rather rude."

"Oh, I'm quite sure." That headmistress could be quite sharp and rude when she wanted to be, he mused around a bite of deliciously rare beef. "By all means, repeat it."

"But, Sir, I don't-"

"If I am to react to whatever asinine little barb that absolutely insufferable woman slipped in appropriately, I must hear it, Klein." Left unsaid, of course, was how displeased he would be to have to go out of his way to read it himself. Or, more likely but no less likely to make him irritated to do it, having someone else go through it again to relay it to him. Regardless, a poor outcome for Jacques' mood, and Klein's place in his graces. "Relay it properly or not at all, Klein."

"I merely wished not to… Very well." He sighed, eyes flicking to red as the man ground his jaw. No doubt schooling himself as his Semblance acted out. "As you like, Sir. The Headmistress said that if we wished to turn Miss Schnee's bedroom activities for profit, perhaps we should simply… Well, push her into the cinematic world to that end."

"I see." That explained Klein's red eyes, then. He always was protective of Weiss, even if Jacques didn't understand expressly why. The nerve of that harpy, though, to insult him like this… "Weiss is far more valuable to me than that. Pornography… The nerve! Even were she of age, I'd simply marry her off before resorting to that."

"I am…" He hesitated and, kind man he was, Jacques ignored it by way of taking a bite of his meal. "I am very glad to hear it, Sir."

"I imagine so, yes. Can we sue them for libel for that, I wonder?" He asked suddenly, taking a sip from his glass and tapping foot curiously. Curious, he asked the somewhat awkward looking butler, "What was the context, exactly, Klein?"

"A personal note included with a response, Sir." He answered, sifting through the small amount of paperwork under his arm and handing it to him. "And, ah, no. We can't. I took the liberty of asking one of the lawyers working on the other paperwork."

"And why not?"

"She didn't include anything to make it a professional insult, rather than a private one. And she made sure to post it differently, and it reads to have even been sent from her quarters at Beacon." Klein explained, gesturing to the envelope which had been included with it and, Jacques saw, did have a private correspondence room number. "As such, she simply sent you a message with her private opinions. We can't sue that unless she officially licenses it as Headmistress of Beacon, rather than Glynda Goodwitch."

"Hmph." And if he asked he was sure Klein wouldn't have gotten the lawyer's name. He could be forgetful like that, sometimes. Personally and privately, Jacques blamed the problem on his Semblance's influence, muddying his mind for names. Regardless, "Well whatever the case we should-"

Surprisingly, his Scroll rang in that exact moment, sat on the desk beside his food. Tapping in the code to answer he slid it across his desk in a silent, well understood command.

"Schnee residence. I am Klein, head of the Schnee Manor's private services and who would I have the pleasure of speaking to today?" Klein listened with a flat expression that swiftly evolved into a shocked one, then blinked and held the Scroll out for him. "It is Headmaster Ozpin, Sir."

"So?"

"Ah, well…" The man blinked and, uncharacteristically forwardly, pushed it towards him again. "You will want to hear this yourself, I think, Sir."

"Oh very well." If only for Klein's insistence, he would take the call himself. "What do you want, Ozpin, that you are spoiling my morning to-"

"I'm prepared to offer you a contract renewal with a twenty five percent increase on our Dust importation prices." Ozpin cut in before he could take the lead, sounding oddly… Cold, even for Jacques himself, as he did. Seizing the man's silence and taking it for consent, Ozpin swept on, "In exchange, you will put the rumor pushers you have circulating young Miss Belladonna's name and face to silencing rumors about her. Further, you will sign a contract stating you won't intervene in Miss Schnee's life until her schooling ends and front-pay her tuition to that end."

"I see." He murmured, "I would expect a sizable amount of time on these new contracts if I am to-"

"Forty years." Ozpin offered simply and deadly, sounding for the world like Jacques did when ordering his meal. Like the offer was nothing and all of this, their talk, a pointless affair. "With clauses for renegotiation in case the market heaves, one way or another. Further, I will approve your request for Beacon to handle a tenth of the funding for security for both incoming and outgoing shipments."

"On what condition…?"

"The ones I mentioned already, and you accepting the offer immediately." The man answered simply, still sound bored enough that Jacques held no illusions this was a surrender meant to protect against worse. Not that his inept staff had put Ozpin on the back foot, putting to bed that idea as to his motives. "I have matters to move on to regarding the Festival, and fun as these games are, I don't want them interfering with more important matters. What do you say?"

"I accept…?" Jacques answered, giving even Klein a look as though he would know what was going on.

"Very well." Ozpin answered, sounding at last something other than bored. If only because he sounded the least bit pleased in the manner of someone through with a chore. "I will have documents drawn up and sent your way. Good day, Jacques."

"That will be-" Ozpin hung up on him before he could finish and Jacque's jaw clicked shut for the surprise of the whole thing, and the gall of the end. Setting the Scroll down he quietly reached under his desk to retrieve another glass for Klein and filled them both to the brim. Setting it down after emptying it, he asked the man, "Did I just get man handled into my own deal, Klein?"

The butler, savoring his drink, could only shrug. "I… I think so, Sir."

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Call done Ozpin sighed and sat the Scroll on his desk, replacing it with his mug, from which he took a long and almost grieving drink. Coffee, for the morning, so not as grieving as he would like, but anything was better than nothing right now. So much Lien, practically thrown away for the bastard of a man's greed. And though he wasn't one to bandy insults easily, right now, he felt very validated in doing so.

"Headmistress," he started, barely turning his head to regard the woman over his left shoulder, "please go and see to the paperwork and financial interests. I'm sure our new friends won't want any dalliances on the matter."

She nodded and was gone, James shifting on his other side while Ozpin took another drink from his mug and surveyed the other in the room.

First and most reasonable for being there was their new Maiden, Blake, sitting directly across from him with her hands folded in her lap and her eyes locked on them. To one side was Miss Schnee and to the other, Miss Rose and Miss Xiao Long as well. All perfectly reasonable and, in a way, to be expected. Even if they were a bit much to have stepped out of his elevator all together. They'd even had chairs for them, just in case, and he had happily waved for them to sit so they could talk.

Then, the elevator had gone back down, called by someone else that young Ruby had said they needed to wait for. Chairs in hand, team Juniper arrived, less expected but at least foreseen by him enough not to show any surprise.

He was, of course, unsurprised that they had come. But he was surprised by the sheer display they put on over the matter. Silent, flat faced but clearly anxious, they'd set up their chairs just behind team RWBY itself. Like team RWBY, they were all armed as well and, he noticed quickly, their formation put the two Maiden candidates in their center.

They were shielding them, then, exactly as they had said they would the night before. Even in his presence. Interesting…

"Now that demand is presumably satisfied, we can move on to your next, I presume." Ozpin smiled, resting his elbow on the arm of his chair and his chin on his knuckles. "Unless, of course, either of you are displeased by the way I handled thing?"

"N-No." Blake stammered, anxious for a moment before taking a breath and meeting his eyes. More firmly she answered again, "No, Headmaster. Weiss and I are just glad to have that over with."

"We just didn't want the added attention on us with…" Weiss grimaced and shrugged, unsure and seemingly exhausted for everything going on. "With all of this going on. Securing our place together and silencing the debate seemed prudent, and something we'd need before agreeing to this."

"It is." Though he sincerely wished that a faster solution that saved Lien would have been more feasible. Ah, had this been a few lifetimes ago when he wore the crown… "I don't begrudge you having demands, children. Rest assured on that. I am asking much of you, I know, and it is only fair that you ask what you need of me as well."

"Well…"

"We want to be excused from classes, Headmaster." Their most interesting member, Mister Arc, spoke next. "Time to train, mostly, and time to get Blake up to speed with the Maiden's powers. We'll need to all be at top form as soon as possible and, useful as it probably is for normal hunters, algebra won't do us much good."

"It does have combat applications."

"Then tutor us under someone." Jaune suggested quickly, "You, the Headmistress, even the General if we really need it. But sitting in a small, crowded room for two hours isn't useful or safe."

"Crowded areas are easily targeted, we've learned as much from the Fang's operations alone." Ironwood offered quietly, sounding off-put and displeased in a way but unable to keep the point quiet. If Ozpin had guess a reason for it, it was likely at them having demands, when he would prefer them following orders. "Not to mention the risks of the Maiden's powers flaring while young Miss Belladonna hasn't quite gained control over them. In a crowded schoolroom…"

"Yes, I can imagine." In truth, he'd already planned to excuse those involved from classes. Though if they wished to demand as such, he could affect a different tone… Sighing theatrically he leaned back in his seat and pursed his lips, feigning being deep in thought. "I suppose I could excuse you all… Assuming James will work with me on long term field study assignments?"

"I thought we-" He blinked, though, brain catching up to his mouth, and then he grimaced. With a similarly theatrical sigh, the man pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can task them to scientific endeavors, Ozpin. The excuse for using first years would be that for the most part, combat is unexpected. And even if it happens, there will be a battleship on station to easily obliterate those threatening them."

"Scientific endeavours?"

"We're conducting information trades with the Archive that team Juniper discovered previously." Ozpin answered, regurgitating what Ironwood had detailed to him in an information packet the night before. "Our hope is to discover more such locations, or come to better understand their technology."

"Our robotics programs are largely based on the study of the Temple's drones which had been encountered and subsequently destroyed in Atlas." Ironwood explained, either forgetting that Juniper already knew this or explaining for Ruby's benefit. Or, from the pride in his voice, simply because he saw a moment to lean on his desk and extol Atlas' virtues. "Using these wrecked samples, we advanced our own robotics technology, which we use to supplement our forces and for prosthetics."

"Normally, the language barrier stalls all attempts to study the technology or ruins." Ozpin mused, taking a long drink to hide his smile as they got to the best part. Setting his drink aside, he added, quietly, "Luckily, young Arc understands and can translate ancient Imperial Sith easily."

"Y-Yeah." Jaune nodded, eyes narrowed as suspicion played quiet obviously across his face. Or, well, obviously now that Ozpin was thinking to look. No doubt referring to it as 'Sith' directly had brought up the question in his mind over whether they had been calling it that. A small segment of a big lie was hard to recall, sometimes. "I'm not perfect at it, but… I can translate well enough. My teacher would be better to do it, though."

"Oh we know. Having the man, or men, who taught you? That would have been a great boon indeed." General Ironwood rumbled, pushing off his desk to fold his hands behind his waist and sounding rather pleased with himself. "What a shame, then, that we have concluded without a doubt that your story is a fiction."

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For a long moment, Jaune could only stare, frozen on the spot as the general looked on him. Then, Pyrrha shifted, turning slightly and spreading her legs as though preparing to run. In front of him, Ruby did similar, leaning forward to be able to run or draw Crescent Rose if need be and turning to look over a shoulder at him. Lips parted slightly, eyes wide in panic, she mouthed, 'How?'

He didn't have an answer, of course, to what they should do or how Ozpin knew. Though he did appreciate how swiftly they all seemed ready to fight to protect each other, even if, against Ozpin and the General, he doubted they could win.

Settling on pushing the lie, and testing whether he was bluffing or not, Jaune stammered, "I-I don't know what you mean, Sir. Don't tell me my friend died out-"

"I ended up trapped under a mountain, in an old Sith Temple where a droid named Instructor trained me." His own words cut him off, played from the Headmaster's Scroll on the desk. His own words, spoken in privacy, now betraying him.

"Given the importance and risk placed on Miss Belladonna, after the previous Maiden's attack, we have been… Well, watching her, to be frank." Ozpin explained, before anyone could seize the momentum of the conversation. In the same fashion, he went on, "If anything untoward happened we could respond instantly to protect her."

"I had a handful of Huntsmen standing as students, guards and faculty for the purpose." Ironwood added quickly, giving Ozpin a look like he was asking for permission. A note that very much had him questioning the power dynamics at play here. "Rest assured this wasn't a decision made based on a lack of trust for any of you. It was entirely so we could protect you if the assassin made another move against us."

"And so you heard our conversation." Pyrrha murmured, sounding… Surprisingly doubtful, and giving Jaune a narrow eyed look for it. "And so you know everything."

"Indeed." Ozpin nodded, smiling thinly in an amused sort of way. "Including your informing Miss Schnee. The older Miss Schnee, that is, though James had already been preparing to inform her on our end."

"You… Know." Jaune's panic was palpable, even to him, but Ozpin only smiled and nodded.

"I do, yes." He answered simply, closing the little white device and bouncing it on his palm. "And I understand why you kept the secret. Rest assured, this knowledge goes nowhere but here." To make his point, he threw the Scroll to him and nodded, "That Scroll is my personal one. I have already purged sensitive information and relogged what information I need onto a new one. But that video only has one copy. Do with it as you like."

"I can do whatever I want?" Ozpin was giving him, at least from what he claimed and his little nod to his question, the only copy of the damning evidence.

And though now, focused on it, his paranoia screamed that the man was lying, his friends seemed convinced. Holding the Scroll he took his frustration out on it, the Force closing around and crushing it while he stared at the man. Ozpin only seemed amused at the display of power and Jaune could understand why, impotent as it felt. But it was cathartic, at least, and he had the satisfaction of hurling it to the side to clatter against the wall of his office. And hey, he had the second bit of satisfaction of Ozpin frowning, though he looked more affronted for needing to clean it up later than anything.

Still, he was feeling petty, and took what he could get.

"Now that this is done, I would like to commend you all." Ozpin moved on, the students all flinching and easing suddenly in the way of young people receiving praise they hadn't expected. "To see you rally to each other's sides so quickly and passionately is… Moving, to say the least."

"But your methods demonstrate your ignorance." General Ironwood stepped in, smiling as the deflated. "Rest assured, ignorance isn't bad. It only speaks to a lack of your understanding of the subjects to hand."

"Your protection idea is one with merit, but also with flaws you didn't seem to recognize." Ozpin stepped in, playing off the General almost like they'd planned this conversation out in advance. Which, knowing what they did now, they probably had. "For instance, even now, you sit with Miss Nikos and Miss Belladonna in your group's center. Protected. The Maiden candidates, and Miss Nikos with your vision on her, in the middle."

"We're making it obvious who we're protecting." Yang picked up quickly, sighing when the general and headmaster both nodded.

"Exactly." Ironwood nodded, "You're surrounding them like a shield, telling everyone with eyes exactly who is under threat. And thus, naming their target."

"That's one mistake." Ozpin pointed out, "What was the second mistake, though?"

It took a moment but Nora answered, voice quiet and embarrassed but more frustrated than anything, "We're calling attention to ourselves when we don't need to."

"Indeed. Good work, Miss Valkyrie." Ozpin smiled, satisfied in the way a teacher would be when his students got a question right without being told beforehand. An almost galling thing to go through, even as Jaune reminded himself that he was literally a teacher and they were equally literally his students. "By coming as a group, armed as you are, and with those under threat in the center, you have essentially announced that you are the group I am calling on for the task. And you're saying who to target as well."

"Assuming they see you like this a few more times." Ironwood added, "As is, if you hadn't come armed and armored, then it wouldn't mean anything."

"But as you did," Ozpin added, "we need an excuse for it. Missions are the easiest options but, and I do agree that you need the time and focused, specialised training, this favoritism will draw eyes onto you. Especially with excusals from regular lesson frameworks."

"Your commitment to each other is commendable, and your plan is excellent for a basic plan." Ironwood complimented, smiling in a way that genuinely seemed like he was pleased with them. "A few small tweaks and adaptations to some consequences and your plan will be an excellent one, supported by my men and Oz' Hunters."

"First and foremost, we need to settle fully on the Maiden candidate. I'm assuming that would be our young Faunus?" Blake nodded, anxious but set in their decision, and unwilling to once more wade into the debate. Returning the nod, Ozpin gestured to the general beside him, "Very well then. Miss Xiao Long, Miss Belladonna, if you would go with James we will see the process completed."

"We can't go?" Ruby asked, voice quiet and weak. "I-I wanted to be there to support Blake, Headmaster."

"If you wish to, Miss Rose, you may." Ozpin nodded, "You all already know about the Vault to an equal level, so going there is largely irrelevant. Though I would like a number of you to head into Vale as well, to procure supplies."

"You'll be departing in two days on a mission back to the Archive Temple." Ironwood explained quickly, when their confusion showed. "You will be broken into your two teams and sent to protect the researchers there. Jaune, you will be in the temple, helping with our research."

"Meanwhile, Headmistress Goodwitch will be training Miss Belladonna as best she can to use the Maiden's power." Why Goodwitch specifically, Jaune couldn't really be sure, beyond her simply being strong and a teacher. And likely one of the few available in the know enough to do the task. "If we are settled, I would suggest we set to our tasks."

"I'll go into Vale." Weiss volunteered, turning to Nora and Ren behind her, "Come with me?"

"Will we? I'd love to get back into that waffle place again!" Nora smiled, eager as always to go into the city if only to satisfy her stomach.

"I'll see to the Maiden, then." Ironwood rumbled, stepping around the desk and giving the three who were coming with him a nod.

"And us?" Jaune asked as they left, the large group cramming into the elevator to head down to the Vault.

"I would suggest rest for you two, while I prepare things on my end." Ozpin smiled simply, "Meditate and prepare. After this, I doubt you'll have a chance to get yourself alone and in the quiet you so enjoy. You've had much on your shoulders already, and it is time you let the burdens ease. Now that you have allies you can trust."

"Yeah." He nodded, "Now that we have allies we can trust."

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"Damn it!" Pyrrha sighed as they walked through the woods, watching her partner grind his teeth and practically froth. "Why didn't I think that he'd bug the damn rooms? Of course he would bug the damn rooms! Why wouldn't he? Fuck!"

"In fairness, none of us suspected such either. Calm down, Jaune." Before they drew more attention to them, out alone in the forest as they were. Several Grimm had attacked them already, drawn to his anger, but she'd not even drawn her sword before they were reduced to little more than balls of smoke and bone plating. "We've all been quite suitably distracted, after all."

"Yeah, but still. I'm trained to suspect those kinds of things, Pyr!" He was furious to the point she could feel it around her, thanks to the Force according to him. And yet he still said her name so gently, she couldn't help but smile. He caught her, though, asking quietly, "What's got you smiling so wide, Pyr?"

"You." She answered honestly, because why wouldn't she? Suffering under a death sentence changed a person, and so shyness had kind of faded from her. "You're so angry that it's kicking up a breeze, but the way you say my name. My nickname, no less. It's so… Gentle, and affectionate."

"I-I didn't realize." And he flushed, cheeks actually darkening as he turned away from her. "I don't think about it, Pyr, I just… Do."

"Well, keep on 'just doing' it." She laughed, taking his hand and pulling him back to walk beside her. He stiffened but, after a second, eased into step with her. "We all made the same mistakes, Jaune. Do not yell at yourself unless you also wish to shout at me for them too."

"I couldn't do that…"

"I know." He was surprisingly gentle in that regard, and it made her feel warm in a way. Leaning over she planted a gentle kiss on his cheek before pulling away, fighting a laugh at the way he stiffened for it. Playing coy instead, and feeling powerful in a way she didn't understand, she prodded, "Now, I believe we need to get you calmed down so that you can meditate. Do you have ideas?"

"This is working." He shrugged, squeezing her hand gently and sighing. "I just need to ignore it. Focus on our date."

"Do so." She nodded, "And perhaps treat this as one, too."

"Yeah?"

"Jaune, we're alone in a beautiful, only slightly monster infested, forest. Headed to a special, ideal little pool all of our own." He blinked, mouth an 'O' of realization, and Pyrrha couldn't fight the peal of laughter. "Just enjoy your time with me, Jaune. Let it all go and focus on what's in front of you. Or, well, beside you, I suppose."

She certainly intended to, at least, and from the way he sighed he seemed willing to as well.

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So I made a mild mistake. LAST chapter was the finale to Family Issues, I mislabeled it. Fixed now, sorry. THIS chapter caps it off AND ends Maidens and Mystics fully. This ends the 'dual arcs' xperiment I was running.

I am ultimately dissatisfied by running the two arcs concurrently. It did do what I WANTED, which was to organically advance the entire cast at once, but good god was it a grind. I likely won't replicate it but thanks for your patience as I experimented.

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RDDDash :

He is schooled and trained in a philosophy known as 'Revanism', though it has faced its own tweaks due to the end of Revan and Revanism both. Nothing major, but tweaks exist. Revanism seeks balance between light and dark.

James 317 :

*whistles in totally not foreshadowing*

Dr Killinger :

I will explain why he has the technology he has at some point fret not. I will also further detail what exactly he has, at least a bit, though much will be left to mystery.

Malgrath :

I don't even know WHY but I read this and imagined Jaune dragging Oz along and criticizing him while taking all his fancy space toys. XD

Smokey Panda :

To be fair… He's kinda distracted atm.

Argus 456 :

There's a neat mirroring happening here. Jaune and Oz both have secrets, and neither is doing well at hiding them. The issue with REPLICATING the tech, though, comes in various forms. For instance, where would they get the gas needed for blaster ammunition?

I'm laying so many seeds rn, though.

ScrubLord :

*angry plantoid noises*

Jaunediced (Guest) :

Except that makes no sense in-character. He wants to protect Pyrrha, this 'bs' is directly in line with it.

Zenith Tempest :

Except that both Pre and Post V6 Ozpin are the same person. So his actions have to remain in line. As to the paranoia question… Yeah, Jaune made a mistake, though even acknowledging Ozpin might do that is kinda pointless. What could they do if they assumed that he knew about Jaune?

Also, Jaune and co were distracted with stuff.