Chapter 4: Haven

"So...anyone know why we're taking this random kid with us to Haven?"

Nora had spoken aloud what the rest of RNJR was thinking. For the fifth time. Qrow sighed impatiently.

"I told you, Nora: I'll tell you when we meet Lionheart!"

"But the suspense is killing me!"

"No, it's not," said Ren. He shot Qrow an apologetic look. Nora pouted.

"I mean, I'm not complaining or anything - he's a cutie!"

"Nora, please..." said Jaune, interposing himself between her and Oscar as they trekked onward.

The mountainside elevator to Haven Academy had been down for maintenance that day, forcing the now six-strong party to take the more traditional route: the long, winding path up. Thankfully for RNJR, their five some months walking in the wilderness meant that the trail went by relatively quickly. Unfortunately for Oscar, their determined pace meant that he often had to run to keep up with them. Though the former farmhand was by no means a weakling, he also hadn't recently traversed hundreds of miles on foot, nor had he undergone the intense physical conditioning that accompanied a Huntsman's training. Qrow, for his part, had thought about simply flying up to the top - but he was not quite sure that he wanted everyone knowing about his little ability just yet. Besides, he figured, it would be kind of a jerk move to pull on them.

Finally, the party reached the top of the mountain and the vine-choked gates of Haven Academy. The delicate, pink flowers of mountain orchids dotted the gate, belying their strength and weight. Qrow scanned his Huntsman ID at the terminal, and the gates swung open heavily.

Though Haven Academy took up most of the mountaintop, it hardly compared in scale to Beacon. The various buildings and offices were laid about in an orderly manner, and it much more resembled an ordinary Mistralian university than an academy for elite warriors. The party made their way down the central stone pathway, RNJR and Oscar's glances meandering about while Qrow plodded straight along.

"It's, uh...kinda empty," Ruby commented, and Ren nodded in agreement. Haven did indeed seem that way, with only a few other souls wandering about the campus.

"Well, school year doesn't start for two months," said Qrow. "Still...I did think there'd be more people here..."

"You think something's up?" Jaune asked.

"...I hope not." He took a swig from his flask.

"Uncle Qrow," Ruby began tentatively. Qrow spun around lazily. "Maybe, uh...maybe you shouldn't be drinking that...you know, right before we meet Headmaster Lionheart..."

"Phbbt - it'll be fine," said Qrow. "Leo's seen me waaay worse than this. He knows what to expect. Besides, I'm not even tipsy - whoa!"

He was suddenly interrupted by a green object whizzing past him, knocking him off balance and whooping merrily as it did so. The object circled around the party a few times before slowing down enough to be recognized as Reese Chloris. Her eyes bulged when she got a good look at the newcomers and she jumped off her hover board.

"Hey - I remember you guys!" She stared directly into Ruby's eyes and grinned mischievously. "Ready for a rematch?"

"Uh..." Ruby had barely processed this before Qrow stepped between them.

"Maybe later, kid. We've kinda got some important - "

But Reese ignored him entirely.

"So - what brings you all the way to Haven?"

"Well..." Ruby began. "Long story short, we're here to find information about the Vytal Festival attackers, since they came from Mistral. We figured Headmaster Lionheart would know something about it."

"Well, damn - that's impressive. You've got some fire in you! And - did you walk all the way here? It sure looks like it."

"I mean, we took a boat across the water part," Nora chimed in. "But, yeah, we did. And now, these Thunder Thighs are thicc!" She slapped her thighs resoundingly. Her teammates face-palmed.

"And that's why I have this," Reese chortled, shouldering her hover board. "By the way, I was kind of suspicious from the start about the, uh...incidents that happened during the finals, so I asked Lionheart about it. He said he suspected one of the saboteurs was causing your teammates to hallucinate, most likely with a Semblance. If, uh, that makes you feel any better..."

RNJR stood silently, contemplating all this. Ruby spoke up.

"Well, I guess that would prove that Yang wasn't crazy. That's good, I guess."

"But it also means our enemies are more dangerous than we realized," Ren added.

"Doesn't matter," said Jaune grimly. "They'll get what's coming to them, one way or another."

"I like this guy," Reese said as she reactivated her hover board and made to hop on. "Well, I'll probably be seeing you arou-"

"Miss Chloris!" A voice rang out from across the campus grounds. All heads turned to the door of the campus administration building to see an frustrated, gray-haired man wearing an ornate tailcoat.

"What have I told you about riding your hover board on campus grounds?!" The man roared as he strode towards his increasingly nervous student, but then stopped short when he saw her company. His bluster melted away into a wide grin.

"Qrow! you moldy, old drunk," he laughed, and the two embraced heartily. "You're here at last!"

"Good to see you again, Leo," said Qrow.

Lionheart looked past him at the Huntsmen-in-training standing behind him. "And these must be the students you spoke of! Oh, it is good to finally meet you all, so very good," he said, shaking their hands one by one, then bowing respectfully. "I am Headmaster Leonardo Lionheart. What, pray, are your names?"

Each student gave their name, but as Ruby was speaking, Lionheart suddenly gasped and did a double take. Taking advantage of the timely distraction, Reese had impishly snuck off elsewhere with her board. Much to Lionheart's annoyance, she was now nowhere to be found.

"Wha - where - umph! That girl..." he sputtered, then yelled out in no particular direction, "You are not off the hook, Miss Chloris!" With a disgruntled sigh, he turned back to Ruby. "I apologize for that. What was your name again, young miss?"

"Ruby Rose!"

"Wonderfu- wait. Ruby Rose, you said? As in - "

"Yup," said Qrow. "That's Summer's kid. If you couldn't tell."

"Couldn't tell! Hah! Why, she's the very spitting image of her mother."

"Yeah, I do get that sometimes," Ruby said, feeling a little awkward. Lionheart chuckled.

"Well, I say that, but..."

"But, what?" Qrow asked.

"Well..." Lionheart chuckled some more. "But she sounds nothing like Summer!"

This surprised Ruby. "Really! I've never gotten that before..."

"You don't say? Surely, you don't remember what..." Lionheart sensed something was off and glanced at Qrow. The Huntsman was shooting him a glare that said, No. Bad idea. "Erhm...yes, ah...I'm sure your mother would be most proud were she here today to witness your exploits."

He turned to the rest of the party. "Well - Qrow has told me that we have many important things to discuss here today, and I see no reason for delay. Come along - let's to my office!"

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The headmaster's office much resembled the rest of the Academy: ornate, yet unassuming in stature. Books sat in shelves flanking the double doorway, as well as the central window behind Lionheart's desk. The desk itself was quite a mess, covered in documents parchment and digital. In front of the desk sat a coffee table with a pot, a tea set, and several assorted ceramic mugs. As the party settled in, Lionheart made his way to the table.

"Tea or coffee, anyone?"

They all sat around the table; Qrow took the middle across from Lionheart, with Ruby and Jaune on his right and left sides. Ren and Nora sat closely together on Jaune's end of the table, and Oscar sat on Ruby's side. The Headmaster poured everyone their drinks; Jaune and Ren had jasmine tea, Oscar took his coffee black, and the girls put way too much sugar in theirs. Qrow said he was good in terms of beverages and reached for his flask - then, much to Lionheart's dismay, made to pour the alcoholic concoction into a teacup.

"Qrow! Stop that!" he exclaimed. "They'll taste like vodka for weeks!"

"It's not even vodka," Qrow grumbled as RNJR snickered, and settled for swigging straight from the flask. He swallowed a belch. "Well, not entirely..."

Oscar seemed particularly fascinated in something. "The tea set..." he whispered to himself.

"Hmm? What was that, err...Oscar?" said Lionheart, remembering the boy's name.

"Huh? Oh, uh..." But Qrow interjected.

"So, Leo. Let's get down to brass tacks. I noticed the school seemed a bit empty, even for this time of year. Considering what happened at Beacon, and the fact that we have a Relic to protect here, I woulda thought we'd have a few more Huntsmen hanging around. What's up with that?"

The Headmaster seemed confused. "Relic? What on Remnant are you talking about - "

"You can drop the act, Leo. The kids already know about the - "

Lionheart spit his coffee out. "You told them? Qrow, are you mad?!"

"Given the circumstances, I figured it was the best thing to do. Besides, I think they deserve to know. They walked across Anima to get here, and all the way they really stuck it out there to help others...even after everything they'd lost." Qrow made a point to nod at Jaune. He received a solemn smile from the young man, and a spontaneous hug from his niece. Lionheart looked over the students, and conceded with a sigh.

"...I suppose you're right, Qrow. I can see that this group has members from both Team RWBY and JNPR, yet neither team is whole." He looked to JNR with sorrowful understanding before turning to Ruby. "I hate to ask, as I fear the worst..."

"Uh, well..." Ruby began, letting go of Qrow. "RWBY's kind of split right now. I know my sister's okay, at least I think so...I know Weiss is in Atlas with her father, for better or worse...and, uh...and I don't know where Blake is. I hope she's okay...and..."

"We lost Pyrrha," Jaune cut through Ruby's trail of silence, and not without effort. "She gave her life fighting the new Fall Maiden."

"Yes...we had known as much of her fate. I am truly sorry for what you have suffered...all of you." Lionheart bowed his head. The room was silent until he spoke again. "But we mustn't let Pyrrha's sacrifice count for nothing. There is still much to be done if we are to succeed against...did you tell them about Salem, too? Yes?" Qrow grunted and nodded. "Good. We don't know when or where Salem will strike next, but I strongly suspect it will be here. Now - "

"You were saying about the Relic?" Qrow asked.

"Yes. I have stationed Team SHDW here at Haven to guard against any outside threats. Their presence might not have been immediately obvious, but they like to keep out of sight. I had wanted to have a second professional team stationed here as well, but the Council wouldn't budge. After the fall of Beacon, panic spread throughout the kingdom, and the Grimm attacks were horrendous. Several border towns fell, and the Huntsmen who survived are still out there, clearing out the area. It could be years before those towns are safe to resettle, if there's anything left. That's why the Council is loathe to have any Huntsmen sitting around at Haven when they could be out fighting Grimm, and why there are hardly any instructors on campus as of now. Other than that, there are a few students around the campus, as you saw with Miss Chloris. The rest of her team is here as well, and I do think they will enjoy your company."

"Hmm. Good call with SHDW," said Qrow. "However, we may need to use them."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Remember how we've been searching for Spring for the last ten years or so?"

Lionheart straightened up excitedly. "You've found her! Ah, finally!"

Qrow didn't share his enthusiasm. "Yeah...but there's a problem. Raven's got her under her wing."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Raven...you mean, Yang's mom?"

Qrow sighed, glancing at her. "Yup...that's right, and she's leading a tribe of bandits around northern Anima." He looked back at Lionheart, whose smile had long faded. "And she's been using the Maiden to help with her tribe's raids."

"Oh, dear," said Lionheart. "Are you sure of this?"

Qrow got up from the table and walked towards Lionheart's desk. "I saw a few destroyed villages here and there that had clearly been attacked with magic, and I questioned Raven about it later. Trust me - I know the bitch well enough to figure her out. I've managed to get a general idea on the location of her tribe." He placed his scroll on the desk's holo-projector, displaying a map of Anima with a marked location near the northeastern edge of Lake Matsu. The others had by then stood and gathered round the desk.

"This bodes ill, indeed..." Lionheart closed his eyes in thought. Nora piped up:

"Hold on. If the Spring Maiden's all the way over there - " She pointed at the marker, " - and we're all right here - " She pointed to where Mistral was marked, " - then why are we so worried? I mean, sure, it's bad that they're destroying villages, but what would a bunch of bandits want with Haven?"

"She has a point," Ren added. "Even with the help of a Maiden, it would be foolhardy to attack such a well-fortified city as Mistral. I don't think they would pose any more of a threat than a sizable Grimm horde."

"I thought you said you told them everything," Lionheart said dryly, at which Qrow rolled his eyes. He turned to the students. "Each Maiden possesses the sole power to open the barrier to a certain Relic: Destruction for Summer, Fall for Choice, Winter for Creation, and Spring for Knowledge. We are worried that Salem may find Raven's tribe before we do...and what might happen should she obtain the Relic of Knowledge."

"Which is why we're gonna need Team SHDW if we wanna go and take down Raven and the tribe," said Qrow.

"I was about to address that," Lionheart addressed Qrow. "I had specifically requested that SHDW be kept as a contingent defense for Haven. If I were to then turn around and send them off into the wilderness to dispatch of some mangy bandits, the Council would be furious. They'd take SHDW afterwards and send them to fight the Grimm like all the other Huntsmen, and Haven would be virtually defenseless."

"No, it wouldn't," said Qrow, motioning to the students. "See, Haven just got a bunch of tough-ass reinforcements. These kids here are some of Remnant's finest Huntsmen in the making. We can stay here and hold the fort down for you while SHDW's gone. And, we've got a little surprise."

"Well..." Lionheart thought this over for a moment. He looked worriedly back at his desk, then shook his head. "No. I'm going to have to turn down this plan. In all honesty, I don't like the idea of sending SHDW on such a mission anyway. The tribe itself should be little trouble for them, but Raven Branwen is one of the finest fighters I've ever seen; I'd certainly think twice about pitting any one of SHDW against the likes of her. With both Raven and the Spring Maiden...SHDW might defeat them, but I doubt they'd all come back alive. That would be a loss we can't afford to suffer, and so we simply can't afford to risk it."

"But, we're not just gonna let Salem take Spring, are we?" asked Ruby. "I mean, if Salem gets the Relic - " She gasped as an idea hit her. "Send us! We've gone through the wilderness, we know what it's like. And if you and Qrow come with, too, and maybe ABRN - we might have a chance!"

"Yeah! We can take 'em," said Nora, excited at the prospect of breaking some bandit legs. But Qrow shook his head.

"No, you can't," he said, deflating the young Huntress. "Remember the fight against that Tyrian bastard? He took you kids apart like it was nothing. This would be just like that, except ten times worse. Even with Leo helping, you'd all be slaughtered - no question."

"Yeah, he's right," said Jaune, which surprised his teammates. "I know it hurts to hear it...but if we went up against that Maiden, we'd end up just like Pyrrha. I don't think she'd want that - and I sure don't, either."

"Well, then, what do we do?" said Ruby.

"Train," said Jaune candidly. "Get stronger, stay on our guard, learn more about our enemies if we can. Try to figure out our next move - and Salem's, too."

"A fine plan, Mr. Arc," said Lionheart. "And one I am more than happy to lend a hand in. We shall have to discuss this soon - but, ah, Qrow. I believe you said something about a surprise?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah..." He turned to Oscar, who up until that point had been sitting very quietly. "You ready to show 'em?"

"...Yeah. Uh, gimme a second..." Oscar took a breath and closed his eyes, and he seemed to be concentrating inward. Suddenly, he straightened as if shocked by electricity, and his eyes flashed bright green. This strange episode ended as soon as it had begun...yet when it did, something had changed dramatically. The boy had undergone no physical transformation, and yet an entirely different person stood in his place. His posture, once awkward and hesitant, was now easily the most comfortable in the room; his face was a picture of wizened serenity. As off-putting as this was to the rest of the room, RNJR had still more questions when the boy reached into his spacious pocket and pulled out a very familiar-looking cane. Lionheart's initial confusion, however, was quickly dispelled by this last action.

"O-Ozpin!?" he stammered, seeming to go through multiple succeeding emotive portrayals within a few seconds. "But you - I didn't suspect - I mean, so soon! I - " He stopped, cleared his throat, grinned widely, and shook his old Headmaster's hand. "Oh, Oz...it is good indeed to see you again."

"Likewise, my old friend," said Ozpin; though it was Oscar's voice that spoke, the words were unmistakably those of Beacon's old head.

"I apologize for my initial reaction," Lionheart laughed nervously. "It is a little, ah, disconcerting to see an old companion in an entirely new form. And...well, I mean no offense to Mr. Pine, but I certainly did not suspect him to be your next vessel."

None taken, I guess, Ozpin heard Oscar's voice in his mind. The old headmaster chuckled. "No apology is needed, Leo. After all, it is not every day that this sort of thing happens. Now, about training - "

"Hold on a minute," Nora interrupted, before proceeding to explode out RNJR's collective thoughts in a single word. "WHAT?!"

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"So...you were cursed by the brother gods to reincarnate forever until you destroy Salem, and every time you do, your souls kinda...mush together...uh, did I understand that correctly?"

"Yes, I would consider that a relatively accurate description of my current situation, Miss Rose. As of now, Oscar and I share this body, and I can take control if need be. However, as our minds continue to meld together and Oscar grows in skill and wisdom, I will find occasion to do so less and less. Thus, there will come a day when we will be completely merged; Oscar will still be Oscar, but he will also be me, with all my memories and experiences to draw upon." Ozpin looked over his students and smiled warmly. "I know this seems a lot to take in at once, even given the secrets you have already known."

"That's an understatement," said Jaune. "As if the Maidens weren't enough..."

"Well, I will say that the Maidens are a bit of a different story," Ozpin replied. "It is not the consciousness of the Maiden that is passed down in their case, merely their powers; however, these powers are still bound to the soul, which is why we felt it necessary that Miss Nikos's case called for such...drastic measures." He looked down for a second, and then back up at Jaune. "And after hearing of her fate...I feel I must beg your forgiveness. All of you. Your friend and teammate was lost to an old man's schemes and machinations."

RNJR was at a loss until Jaune spoke up again.

"I don't know if I can forgive you for what you did put Pyrrha through...I don't know if I ever will. But I won't let you blame yourself for her death. She chose her path herself that night, knowing she would pay for it at the hands of a monster."

It was Ozpin's turn to sit in silence, thoroughly impressed with his student. Jaune turned to Lionheart.

"Oh - and speaking of said monster...our original reason for coming here was to find information about the Beacon attackers."

"Yes," said Lionheart grimly. "An investigation was made into the infiltrators' transcripts. Everything was found to be false, and I am still furious with myself for not having looked into it sooner...perhaps it all could have been prevented. As for their true origin, we have confirmed that one infiltrator, whom you might have known as Mercury, was the son of a high-profile Sanisean assassin by the name of Marcus Black. The other two, I'm afraid, remain a mystery."

"And do you have any idea where they might be?" asked Ruby.

"We haven't the slightest clue. But even if we did, I would not recommend going after them. These individuals have shown themselves to be highly dangerous, and one of them is now a Maiden. You will need far more training and experience if you hope to match them in battle. Fortunately, in that endeavor you will have the assistance of Qrow, Ozpin, and myself. Now, class technically doesn't start for another two months or so..." Lionheart took on a mischievous smirk. "...but I think we can all agree that desperate times call for desperate measures, no?"

Everyone agreed with that.

"Then it's settled! Class starts the day after tomorrow. I hope you lot are ready for a lot of pain and suffering, because I do so enjoy dishing it out on my students."

"Bring it on!" shouted Nora as she hefted Magnhild into the air, and her teammates cheered with her.

"Remnant's finest, indeed," Lionheart said to Qrow. "I like them already."

"Oh, yeah. They're something else."

"If I may speak," said Ozpin; someone jokingly whispered, "No!", which drew snickers from RNJR. "Thank you, Nora. I would suggest we all get as much rest as we can before our training resumes. I know my new body is certainly feeling it."

"A good persuasion," said Lionheart. "Let's all retire for the day; not that I tire of company, but I must return to my, ah, paperwork..." He looked back somewhat reluctantly at the absolute chaos on top of his desk. "In the meantime - Qrow, I task you with finding any Huntsmen who may be willing to help us with our Spring problem. I will look into that as well. And - "

"I should think it prudent for me to lay low for a while," said Ozpin, anticipating Lionheart's next suggestion.

"Yes, good idea on that. Well - " He clasped his hands together. "I look forward to the weeks ahead. Until later, my friends!"

As the party said their goodbyes and filed out, Lionheart saw Ruby hesitate. "Is something wrong, Miss Rose?"

"I..." She seemed reluctant. "What you said earlier. About my mom. It's just...I'd never heard that before."

"Yes, I was quite surprised to hear that. I hope I didn't embarrass you there!"

"No, but...I actually don't know a whole lot about my mom. Yeah, there's little fragments of memories and images I can kinda make out, but most of what I know came from my dad and Uncle Qrow. And for whatever reason, they just don't like to talk about her."

"Well, I know her loss hit your family very hard. Grief is never an easy matter to discuss."

"Yes, but...it always seemed like they were holding out on me. Like there's something I'm not supposed to know, or something! And I was wondering, uh..."

"Go on."

"I was wondering if you might know what that could be. It seems like you knew her pretty well."

"I did, yes...and I think I may, but - but," Lionheart intoned gently. "That, I believe, ought to be discussed at a later day. What I have to say may trouble you, and you had best put your mind at ease for what is coming."

"...I understand. Thank you, Professor Lionheart."

With that, Ruby left the room, the doors closing behind her.

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Lionheart waited until he heard the outside doors slam shut, and then a few minutes more. All the while, his face twisted from a kindly smile to a brooding, low-browed, grimace.

"Ozpin," he uttered through gritted teeth. He looked down at the ornate tea set the headmaster had given him in years past. With a sudden fury, he roared and flipped the coffee table, smashing the tea set and mugs against the door in a sticky mess of broken pottery.

As he stood there panting, a chirping sounded from his desk, signalling a message from a certain contact of his.

"My, my. Someone's been having a rough day," came the voice of Dr. Arthur Watts.

"Shut your mouth, Arthur."

"Hmm. Salem's going to want to hear about what transpired today. Tomorrow, the usual meeting place?"

"Yes. At two. It seems our plans here may need to accelerate."