A Favorite Fairytale

-A Few Days Earlier-

"UNCLE QROW!!" She yelled as she hung like a monkey when he lifted her up, "Hi!" She couldn't help but kick her legs a little, "It's so good to see you! Didja miss me!? Didja miss me?!"

"Nope." Qrow replied with a smirk.

He gave a pat on Ruby's head which she couldn't help but enjoy, though--

"Qrow." Ozpin soon said, getting his attention, not taking note of the fact that his niece slipped off, "A word, please."

Ruby had been able to recover quick after but a few seconds; just as she did, Qrow leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I think I'm in trouble."

"You did kind of tear up the courtyard." Ruby said with an amused expression.

Qrow made the same expression, "Yeah, I did." He gave her his fist and in turn she gave him hers, "Catch you later kiddo."

Before Qrow went to join up with Ozpin he noticed Destiny just behind Weiss, and Destiny seemed to have noticed him looking at her. She shrunk a little at his gaze. Though Qrow simply gave her a smile as he gave her a wink which honestly surprised the child as she watched him join up with Ozpin and Glynda.

They soon found themselves back in the Headmasters Office as Winter had been pacing angrily while Ironwood waited for them. As luck would have it, Ozpin, Glynda arrived along with Qrow.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" Winter yelled.

"If you were one of my men, I would have you shot!" Ironwood said, just as angry as Winter was.

"If I was one of YOUR men I would've shot myself." Qrow stated as he got his flask out.

"Well I wouldn't condone his behavior." Glynda said to Winter, "Retaliating like you did, certainly didn't help with the situation."

"He WAS drunk!"

"He's ALWAYS drunk!"

They all looked to Qrow who was practically gulping down what had been in his flask, but stopped when they turned to him. All he did was shrug before he put his flask away.

Ozpin sighed, "Qrow… Why are you here?"

"You've been out of contact for weeks!" Ironwood stated, "You can't just go dark like that in the field!"

"I'm not one of your special operatives Jimmy." Qrow said.

"General." Winter corrected.

"Whatever." He said, "You sent me to get intel on our enemy. And I'm telling you… Our enemy is here."

Silence overcame the small group.

"...We know." Ironwood had eventually replied.

"Oh!" Qrow said sarcastically, "You know!? Well thank goodness I'm out there risking my life to keep you all informed!"

"Qrow!"

"Communications a two-way street pal!" He pulled out his scroll from his pocket, to emphasize his point, "You see this?! That's the--SEND BUTTON."

"They had reason to believe you had been compromised." Winter said.

Qrow looked in her direction, giving her a glare, "And I have reason to assume you don't need to be here! Seriously? Who invited her?"

Ironwood soon turned to Winter, "Schnee, we'll discuss this incident back on my warship."

Winter gasped, "But sir--!"

"Winter. LEAVE."

She flinched at his tone, but had immediately complied, "Yes sir." She said as she saluted, before she went to take her leave without saying another word. The moment the elevator doors closed they looked back to Qrow.

"Go on." Ironwood said.

"Your little infiltrator isn't just another pawn." Qrow soon explained, "... They're the ones responsible for Amber's condition."

"What!?" Glynda exclaimed out of shock.

Qrow took a sip from his flask before he continued on, "Despite what the world thinks… We're not just some teachers or Headmasters, or Generals. The people standing here in this room, and the other leaders of the other academies, WE'RE the ones keeping the world safe from the evil no one even knows about! It's why WE meet behind locked doors, why WE work in the shadows."

Qrow soon turned over to Ironwood as he gave him a look, "So you tell me James--When you brought your army here to Vale, did you think you were being discreet, or did you not just give a damn!?"

Ironwood stood calmly as Qrow gave him a look that could kill. "Discreet wasn't working." He soon replied, before he put his scroll on the desk. In a few short moments there was a holographic image of Beacon as well as the Atlas military.

"I'm here because THIS is what is necessary." Ironwood soon stated.

"No, YOU'RE here because Ozpin wanted you here!" Qrow corrected, "He made you a part of this little group and opened your eyes to the battle that's right in front of us!"

"And I'm grateful for it."

"Really? You have a funny way of showing it."

"The citizens of Vale need someone to protect them; someone who would act. When they look to the skies and see my fleet, they'll feel safe and our enemies will feel our strength."

Qrow started to laugh, "You think they're scared of your little ships!? I've been out there and I've seen the things she's made, and let me tell you… They are fear."

"And fear will bring the Grimm." Ozpin soon added, "A guardian is a symbol of comfort. But an army is a symbol of conflict. There's energy in the air now. A question lingers in the back of everyone's minds. If this is the size of our defenses… What is it we're expecting to fight?"

Ironwood had eventually sighed in defeat as he went to pick up the scroll that was on the table. Though he failed to notice a pawn icon appear in the middle of his screen just as he picked it up.

"What do you suggest we do than?" Ironwood asked the Headmaster.

Ozpin soon gave his answer, "... I suggest we find our Guardian."

***

-Present-

Pyrrha had arrived in the headmasters office right on schedule. She was sitting in one of the seats provided just across from Ozpin as she still had the black and white tulip in her hand.

"Well, it comes as no surprise that they've chosen you to proceed to the singles round in the tournament." Ozpin said, "Your performance is exemplary."

"Thank you Ozpin." Pyrrha said with a smile, "I wouldn't have made it as far as I did without my teammates."

"Personally I think it's the other way around." Qrow soon said as he had been looking at his own scroll; specifically the messages box.

Pyrrha turned to him as she placed the flower in her hair, "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been properly introduced."

"Names Qrow." He replied, turning to her.

"Qrow is a trusted colleague of mine." Ozpin briefly explained.

"Professor Ozpin?" Pyrrha soon said, "If you don't mind me asking… Why did you call me here?"

Ozpin motioned her to take a seat, to which she did without question, though she had been a little hesitant. "What is your favorite fairy tale?" He soon asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Pyrrha said, confused.

"Fairy Tales." He clarified, "Stories from your childhood. Surely you must have some."

Though she was still confused, Pyrrha had given her answer, "There's The Tale of Two Brothers, The Shallow Sea, The Girl in the Tower--"

"What about the Story of the Seasons?" Ozpin soon asked.

Pyrrha's expression seemed to have brightened, "Oh of course! A callous old man who refuses to leave his home is visited by four traveling sisters. The first of the sisters understands his reclusive nature and urges him to use his time in solitude and meditate. The second brings him fruits and flowers and tends to his crops in the garden. The third warms and convinces him to step outside and embrace the world around him. And the fourth and final sister, begs him to look at all he has and to be thankful. In return for their kindness, the man grants the maidens incredible powers so that they may continue to help others around the world. They graciously accepted their gifts and promised to share their gifts with the world of Remnant until the end of days. The four maidens… Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall."

Pyrrha soon gave a smile, "My mother also loves that story."

"Would you believe me if I told you that one's been around since I was a boy?" Ozpin asked her.

"You're not that old Professor." She said with a laugh.

"Well…" Ozpin said, "...Would you believe me if I told you that it was true?"

This time, Pyrrha had been left stunned, as she didn't know how to take it.

"I…" She said, "... I'm sorry…?"

Ozpin soon said again, "What if I were to tell you, that they're four maidens existing in this world? That they wield tremendous power, without the use of Dust?'

"You mean… Like a semblance?"

"More like magic."

Despite her back being turned to Qrow, he could tell what her reaction had been. "Yeah." He soon said, putting his scroll away, "It's pretty crazy to hear at first."

In her head, Pyrrha had been trying her best to process the information, and Ozpin could tell from her expression that she had been struggling to come to grips with it. "Are…" She said looking up to him, "... Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Ozpin asked.

Pyrrha saw the look in his eye, and any doubt she had about his words were practically gone. "No sir." She replied, "But if I may ask… Why are you telling me this?"

There was silence in the room; Ozpin and Qrow had exchanged a glance, before Qrow gave a nod. Ozpin soon spoke up again, "The reason we're telling you this Pyrrha Nikos… Is because we have reason to believe that you are next in line to receive the Fall Maidens powers."

Once more Pyrrha had been taken back, "Did you say we?"

At that very moment, the elevator doors opened, and there she saw familiar faces. Glynda Goodwitch, and James Ironwood.

"Sorry we're late." Ironwood said while fixing his tie.

At this point, Pyrrha felt fear, as she stood up from her seat. "Wa--wait!" She stammered, "What is this!? Who are you!?"

"You know who we are." Glynda said calmly, "We're still the same Headmasters and teachers you met when you first arrived at Beacon."

"Except we got a little part-time job." Qrow added.

"We are the protectors of this world." Ironwood stated.

"And… We need your help." Ozpin finished.

The very next thing Pyrrha knew, she found herself in the elevator along with Ozpin, Qrow, Glynda and Ironwood, descending to the lower levels of the very building they were in. Lower levels that Pyrrha didn't even know had existed. She rubbed her elbow as she had been anxious about this whole thing.

"Um…" Pyrrha soon spoke up, "... Where are we going?"

"The vault beneath the school." Ozpin replied.

"...A vault?" She said questiongly.

Finally they had reached the floor, and Ozpin, Glynda, Qrow and Ironwood stepped onto the floor. Pyrrha stood there a bit hesitant, as she didn't know whether to follow them or not. It hadn't been long before she felt someone staring just over her shoulder; eyes glowing dimly in the light. She turned around fast, but saw no one had been there.

Why was she expecting anyone in the first place? They were the only ones in the elevator.

With a sigh she soon followed them, taking all that surrounded her. The hall they walked down was large, most of it covered in shadow, and only lit by the candles that had been provided. She kept up her pace but noticed a couple of pathways within the floor they were on. Where did they lead to, she wondered.

"I'm sure you must have a lot of questions." She soon heard Glynda say.

"Maybe one or two." Pyrrha replied, fixing the flower a bit, "I'm afraid I don't understand. You said I was next in line to receive the maiden's powers. What did you mean by that?"

Glynda soon began to explain, "The maidens have existed for thousands of years. Though very much like nature, the seasons change. They're no two summers alike. When a maiden dies, her power leaves her body and seeks out a new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost and that no individual can hold onto that power forever."

"If a person can't hold onto it forever… Than how does the power itself choose?" Pyrrha asked.

"Through a series of stupid and convoluted rules." Qrow replied.

"Qrow!" Glynda said angrily.

"Don't get mad at me because I'm right!" He said as he slouched.

Glynda soon continued on, "At first, the only thing that was certain was that the powers were specifically passed on to young women. But as time went on, the selection became more intimate."

"Intimate?" Pyrrha asked.

"From what we understand…" Glynda began to reply, "... When a maiden dies, the one who is in her final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit her powers."

"Unless it's a dude or some old hag, or even if the power decides to split on it's own." Qrow soon added, "Then the powers go to someone random, and it makes our job a whole lot harder."

"On its own?" Pyrrha repeated, "I don't understand, why tell me all of this now? Why not wait until I've graduated?"

"Honestly we've run out of time." Qrow soon replied, "I don't know if you've noticed, but things are getting scarier out in the world. The tensions are high. Grimm are growing more and more stronger and powerful and not to mention prevalent. It's not gonna be much longer before this peace we've all been enjoying so much goes right out the window."

"You're… Not talking about a war are you?" She asked.

"Not a war between nations." Ironwood said.

"We can fill you in on the details once we know you're with us." Qrow said, "The only thing you need to know right now is that one of the maidens was attacked. And for the first time in history… Part of her powers were stolen."

"Stolen?" Pyrrha said, "But before you said--"

"I know." Qrow said, cutting her off, "But like I said… We'll fill you in later."

They soon approached what looked to be a machine, connected to two capsules. One was empty, but the other contained a person; A young woman to be exact. She possessed a light brown complexion and had short brown hair. Under her eye she had a beauty mark, though all across her face she appeared to have a scar. She wore a tube top and a skirt; she looked to be in a comatose state.

"Is…" Pyrrha started to say, "... Is that…?"

Ozpin sighed, "... That's the current Fall Maiden… Amber."

Pyrrha gasped at the name knowing she had heard it before.

"Could it be…" Pyrrha thought, "The lady in control of the White Fang, that Destiny and Cristal mentioned… Was the same one that did this…?"

Pyrrha soon spoke, "She's… Alive? Isn't she?"

"For now." Ironwood replied, "We're using state of the art Atlas technology to keep her stable. However there is a lot to this situation which is unprecedented."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Ironwood let out a sigh, "Well we don't know what will happen if… Or when she passes."

"Won't her powers just transfer to the next host?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well look who's been listening!" Qrow said with a bit of sarcasm, leaning towards Ozpin, "She's smart."

"Under normal circumstances, yes." Ironwood soon said, "Though with all things considered, this is a delicate situation. It's not uncommon for the last thoughts of the slain to be that of their attacker. To make matters worse, no one has seen the power split like this. For all we know… It will seek out it's other half."

Pyrrha had soon put two and two together as she realized what he had been saying, "... Her assailant."

"And that would not bode well for any of us." Ozpin added.

Pyrrha gave a solemn look to Amber as she stepped towards her. She placed her hand on the glass. "Destiny…" She thought, "... She met one of the maidens from the story… And she doesn't even know it…"

That was when a certain thought came to her.

"If all of this is true, why keep it all a secret!?" Pyrrha said, turning to them, "If this girl is so important… If we're truly on the brink of war, why not tell anyone!?"

Glynda soon stepped forward, "From what we understand, it used to be common knowledge."

Pyrrha looked at her confused, "Excuse me?"

"How do you think the legends and fairytales got started?" Qrow asked, "Even the craziest ones have to have come from somewhere."

"Our group was founded to protect mankind and the Maidens." Glynda soon added, "Those that were hungry for power hunted them with the hope of inheriting their strength."

"And as you can imagine, the ones that succeeded weren't exactly the kind of people you would want to have unimaginable power." Qrow finished.

"And so the brotherhood decided to remove the Maidens from the public eye." Ironwood soon explained, "Allowing their existence to fade into legend."

"The things that we're telling you right now go against hundreds of years of human history and religion." Glynda said, "If we ever told anyone else, no one would believe us."

"It would be nothing but worldwide panic." Ozpin stated, "And we all know what that would bring clawing at our kingdom walls. Which is why we would like to--"

"I'll do it."

Ozpin looked to Pyrrha, surprised to hear this kind of an answer from her as her eyes changed. "If you believe this will help humanity." Pyrrha said, "Than I will become your Fall Maiden."

The four of them looked to each other as they had a look of worry, which Pyrrha couldn't help but find perplexing/

"That's… What you want…" She said, "... Isn't it?"

"It is." Ozpin said, "But I'm afraid it's not that simple. Given Amber's condition, you won't be able to inherit her power naturally. However, General Ironwood, believes that he has a solution."

Ironwood started to explain once more, "Over the past few years, Atlas has been studying Aura from a more scientific standpoint. How it works, what's made of, and how it can be used. We've made significant strides and we believe we have found a way to capture it."

"Capture it, and cram it into something else." Qrow clarified, "Or… In your case…"

Pyrrha didn't quite understand his words, but after a moment or two, she quickly got his meaning. She turned to Ironwood.

"That's--"

"Classified."

"--Wrong!"

"The feeling is mutual." Glynda said, "However desperate times call for desperate measures."

"And these are indeed desperate measures." Ironwood said, "We can't give you Amber's powers to you but we can give you what those powers are bound to."

"Her Aura." Pyrrha concluded.

"Her life will become intertwined with yours." Ozpin said, "The question is…"

"What's that gonna do to you?" Qrow finished.

Pyrrha's expression soon changed to a look of fear. None of them seemed to notice that one of the petals in Pyrrha's hair glowed dimly, before it had vanished.

"You have an important decision to make, Miss Nikos." Ozpin said, "There's no guarantee that the transfer will work, and there's no telling if you will be the same person if it does. I advise you to take time to think about this matter. But understand… Before the Vytal Festival is over… We will need your answer."

Pyrrha turned back to Amber, her eyes softening once again.

"The assailant that attacked the Fall Maiden has made their first move." Ozpin said, "And there's no telling when their next move will be." With that, one by one they started to take their leave. Pyrrha still stood before Amber having conflicted thoughts about the whole thing entirely as she looked to the floor.

"What am I going to do…?"

Just as she picked up her head, she saw a reflection that looked exactly like her, though at the same time… It didn't. She couldn't tell the appearance, all she saw was that the eyes had glowed a dim red and orange color.

She let out a gasp as she practically jumped back. Though when she blinked she saw her own face instead of those strange red eyes.