chapter 2

With the additional speed, you concluded that it was safe to sacrifice a modicum of agility for an increase in power.

You connected Crescent Rose's and Harbinger's hilts together, and with a twist, the mechanisms at the bottom opened and joined together with a satisfying click. You experimentally spin the now duel-bladed scythe behind you to test its weight.

Grimm Reminder was still a relatively new addition to your arsenal, it was field-tested to satisfaction but you had a long way to go to actually mastering such a complex weapon. The two-handed grip and momentum granted by the additional length gave your strikes a sizable amount of power, which you were always painfully lacking.

Hopefully it wouldn't disappoint against a veteran huntsman. Speaking of which…

Your Grandfather's lips curled open. Then he blinked as he realized how far the double bladed scythe in your hands had advanced in little over a second. Sound left his throat, but it was a garbled mess of disjointed consonants and too long vowels. You could tell it should be coherent speech, but it was muffled as if you were immersed in water, drowning; fading farther and farther from the source with each passing moment.

Time dilation scarcely lasted longer than twenty seconds, so you'd have to make what little time you had left count.

You throw caution to the wind and leap.

Grandpa's eyes widened as you turned into nothing but a white blur that raced towards him in the blink of an eye, thinking quickly and raising his arms in a guard. At the very last second, you pirouette and fired a shot off mid-strike, the added momentum and force strengthening Grimm Reminder's blow.

With a mighty strike, Grimm Reminder connected with Grandpa's arms with enough force to shatter the older man's guard, his limbs thrown off kilter and his chest exposed for the kill. You don't hesitate to exploit his moment of weakness, scoring three additional strikes across his chest before he recovered and attempted to bat away you away with a backhand that would have taken the head off an auraless person's head.

You simply ducked your head, the slowed strike harmlessly brushing past your white locks, you proceeded to sidestep the follow-up knee. The third strike, however, is where you falter. Time rocked back to normal, Grandpa's movements suddenly sped up two-fold, leaving you unprepared to properly defend against a straight jab that you would have previously danced around with ease. In lieu of a dodge, you hastily raised Grimm Reminder and blocked the strike with the shaft, the sheer force of the blow still enough to force you backwards by several steps.

Grandpa's aura flared with a lilac ripple. "Okay, that was a good one. Definitely as fast as your mom, I see," he muttered, voice now comprehensible and slightly strained as he cradled his sore chest. "Alrighty, lesson learned. No more holding back."

Grandpa slammed his fists together and you're surprised when you actually feel the vibrations from the sheer force of it.

How did that not damage his Aura?

With speed that one wouldn't expect from a man his size, Grandpa leaped into the air and flew downwards towards you with a cocked fist. Thinking fast, you fired Grimm Reminder's rifle and used the momentum of the recoil to put yourself a safe distance between grandpa and his intended target. Grandpa's fist collided with the ground you'd been standing at scarcely a second ago, kicking up a sizable amount of dirt and debris in turn. You tried not to openly gape at the sizable crater his strike left behind.

Maybe starting off so strong hadn't been the smartest idea in hindsight.

The veteran hunstman wasn't done yet, he sprung at you with the speed of a viper and you just barely managed to backflip away from him leg sweep and rolled to the side when he followed it up with a haymaker punch aimed for your head.

You back-stepped away a safe distance.

You're in close quarters now, how do you respond?

Now that you were fighting at an equal speed, Grimm Reminder's length would no doubt prove a hindrance in close quarters with a grappler. By the time you raised it overhead for a swing, he'd no doubt have already punched your lights out.

No, better to keep your distance for now.

Flipping Crescent Rose's side so the blade was facing upwards, you rested the flat of the blade on your shoulders. Taking aim, you fired Harbinger's shotgun.

Grandpa's sprint towards you faltered when he saw you take aim at him, only for him to use the momentum to dive into a roll, easily dodging the spread of your shot. Unperturbed, he jumped back into a run and continued barreling towards you as if nothing had happened.

Your eyebrows knitted in concern as you quickly reloaded a shell and took a few steps backwards in near-panic at the sight of the rapidly approaching brawler.

Oh, this was going to suck.

You meet your grandfather's running punch with a running start of your own, dropping to the ground and sliding under his spread legs at the very last moment, his fist meeting nothing but empty air.

Grandpa cursed and fumbled slightly as he quickly turned to face you.

You immediately jumped up and spin backwards to face him.

How do you respond?

You closed your eyes and focused your Aura, a dark glyph appearing behind you as you pushed your back against it immediately. It stretched as you forced yourself against it, you kept pushing backwards until you were satisfied with the pushback it would cause as it held you in place. You allowed yourself a single second to calculate the correct trajectory before you were sent sailing through the air, scythe raised for the offense.

Grandpa recoiled as you rushed towards him in a white blur once more, raising his arms up in a boxing guard.

Your grip on Grimm Reminder tightened.

This was going to hurt like hell if you missed.

You fired Grimm Reminder's rifle midair, bending your hips and arms in turn to redirect the momentum into a dizzying spin, Grandpa saw you as nothing but a flying blender heading straight towards him.

Grandpa tried to desperately dive away from your attack but he acted too late as you finally reached him. Grimm Reminder's blade struck him in the head just as he made to dive away, so fast was your approach that you managed to hit him with the other side before he was launched away.

Grandpa collided to the ground in a groaning mess of limbs and quickly cradled his throbbing temple. You shakily landed on your feet, stumbling slightly from the vertigo and observed your grandfather's crumpled form.

Did you... just win?

Grandpa winced as he rose. "Alright, I am officially never going easy on you ever again, I know I'm out of practise but just damn. Next time I'm bringing my own weapon and going all out," he groaned. "Damn kid, you almost made me throw up with all that flipping round you were doing."

You shrugged innocently. Your mother. Auntie Blake, and Uncle Ren were all good teachers, all that acrobatic training you did under them was worth all the lunches you lost from vertigo.

Not that you had many to lose.

Grandpa clasped your shoulder in a tight grip and beamed at you much to your confusion. "That was amazing! If I had any doubts about you being Ruby's kid before they're completely gone now from that ass kicking you just gave me." He laughed heartily and affectionately ruffled your hair. "The scythes? The flips? The use of recoil? That's my Ruby alright!"

Your cheeks burned at the sudden praise even as your expression remained neutral. "It wasn't that impressive, you weren't even using your weapon or semblance." you squinted at him chastisement. "I noticed you were pulling some of your punches back there anyway."

Grandpa chuckled warmly. "Ah, noticed that, did you?" He raised his arms in surrender. "You're good, but you've still got a ways to go before I'd feel comfortable going all out on you. But don't worry, one of these days I'll give you the fight of your life when you're ready."

Well, so much for your pride. But still, you did decently against a veteran, even if he had been holding back by an unbelievable amount. Hopefully you could give him a real challenge one day. "You'd better."

You both headed home afterwards to clean up and recover.

You also discovered the magnificence of indoor plumbing when grandpa demonstrated how to adjust the hot and cold water in the shower. You spent an entire hour in the shower and by the time you were done the bathroom was full of steam.

The past was awesome.

After a delightful dinner—it was the first time in your life you were full enough to decline seconds—you retired to bed shortly afterwards, Grandpa bidding you a warm goodnight, which you returned. Lounging in bed, you marveled at everything that had happened in these past two days. You marvelled at the loving grandfather you thought you'd never see, at the comfy clothes you were currently clad in, the abundant food you had been scarfing down non-stop, and the heavenly warm showers you were now free to take at any time.

Was this what having a true home felt like? Because you could certainly get used to this.

You and your grandfather stood side-by-side at the cliff's edge, the chill of the wind biting through your sweater as you both forlornly observed the sight.

You weren't expecting this.

You stared at the gravestone's inscription in shock.

Summer Rose

Thus Kindly I Scatter

Oh.

That was... that was the same thing Auntie Weiss had carved onto your mother's gravestone.

You inhaled sharply, fighting to keep your stoic mask in place.

This was your grandmother, the woman in white in the photo who resembled your mother so similarly it was almost eerie.

And even now you'd never get the chance to meet her.

"What was she like?" you quietly asked. Your mother hadn't told you much about her, only that she was a silver-eyed warrior like herself who had perished by Salem's hand when she was still a child and the Four Kingdoms had still been standing strongly. She had apparently been a good woman, but that did little to paint a picture of her in your mind when most people in your mother's life had been good people.

Grandpa gazed into the distance with a pensive expression. "She was kind, the kindest person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing but could still kick ass like no one knew it. She had a heart like gold, nothing makes me happier than knowing Ruby and Yang inherited it." He shut his eyes, face scrunching up as if he was in pain. "The day we lost her... it felt like losing a part of my soul."

"What would she..." you hesitated, your stony face cracking slightly. "What would she have thought of me?"

Grandpa let out a shaky sigh before hooking an arm around your shoulder and pulled you in close in a one-armed hug. "There was nothing more important to Summer than her family. Trust me, she would have loved you more than life itself if she got to meet you," he whispered, his face buried in your hair. "Heh, would have stuffed you full of food and candy like there was no tomorrow."

You nodded and politely ignored the tears that dropped on your hair.

Summer Rose...

You hoped you were doing her proud.

The next few days passed in a blur, grandpa was a teacher in a huntsman school called Signal and had to host lessons from Monday to Fridays for most of the day. He had considered taking a few days off to spend some more time with you but you had gently convinced him against it. The last thing you wanted to do was inconvenience him after everything he had done for you.

So you stayed at home alone, bored out of your mind. It wasn't exactly a new experience, you'd spent most of your life kept tucked away safe and sound in a camp while everyone was busy scouting, hunting, fighting, and what else was required of them.

You trained, read the educational books grandpa left for you to go over, cleaned up where you could, tried to figure out how that confusing contraption called a Scroll worked, and you sometimes wandered around the house and stared at the various pictures and mementos of your mother, aunt, and uncomfortably familiar looking grandmother.

It was still odd, looking into their younger faces, so similar to the ones you remembered but still so different. Your mother's unscarred and Auntie Yang's organic arm was an almost alien sight with how accustomed you were to their maimed body parts.

Grandpa came home around the evening but he was usually too tired to do anything, so you usually just had dinner together and filled the rest of the day with chit-chat. Well, he was the one who mostly chit-chatted while you were simply content to listen and nod along to everything he said.

Apparently your mother and aunt were quite the hell-raisers when they were your age. Auntie Yang you could definitely understand, but mom too? That was hard to imagine. Then again, raising a child with super speed was bound to cause problems.

It was during a day when your grandfather was at school and you were going over a geography book that the doorbell rang, causing you to freeze in place at the sound.

You doubted it was grandpa, he had a key and wasn't due to come home in a few hours. So who was at the door at the moment?

Your fingers traced Crescent Rose's and Harbinger's compressed forms in well-earned paranoia.

Should you answer the door?

There was a peephole in the door, you could just quietly check who it was before you made a decision. You reluctantly approached the door, pouting slightly at the fact that you had to stand on a glyph to reach the peephole.

You narrowed a single eye into the peephole, equals parts curious and paranoid of who it was.

Messy grey bangs, red eyes, and a scowling face were the first things you saw.

Uh... who was this guy?

Your face scrunched up in confusion. You remembered seeing this guy in a few photos with your mother and aunt but aside from that you've never seen him before.

A family friend maybe?

Wait a second, you took a look again and zeroed in to the man's familiar red eyes, a distant figure from your memory slowly starting to appear the longer you stared into them.Holy crap, it was old uncle Qrow!

He looked completely different without the white hair, wrinkles, or beard. It made sense that he's look so much different twenty years into the past but the change was still jarring. If it weren't for the familiar red eyes then you would have never recognised him at all.

Uncle Qrow looked impatient and made to ring the doorbell again. Oh, right, he must have come to talk to you like Grandpa had said. You took your hands off your weapons and unlocked the door, quickly swinging it open to the surprise of the man on the other side.

Uncle Qrow's finger froze mid-way to the doorbell. His shocked eyes trailed over your scarred face, your hair, your eyes, and finally they landed on the glyph you were still standing on.

You awkwardly waved at him. "Um... hello uncle."

Uncle Qrow choked. "Holy fucking shit."

You and Qrow took a seat in the living room after he gained his bearings.

You marvelled at his appearance once more, he looked so different that it was hard to believe that he was the same bearded old man you knew from your own time. And that smell, was that...

Your nose crinkled at the smell. Alcohol? The Qrow in your time stayed away from the stuff like it was poison and was quick to harshly chastise the others if they even so much as took a glance at it. Auntie Yang had once bribed you with a chocolate bar to keep you quiet once when you had caught her and Auntie Blake sharing a bottle of wine together.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Qrow grumbled, staring intently at you.

You nodded grimly. "That's right, I know it sounds crazy but I really am from the fu-"

"My little Ruby fucked a gods damned Schnee."

You blinked "…huh?"

Qrow shook his head. "Sorry, sorry, getting a bit off topic here. I'm just surprised that she'd end up with one of those stuffy bastards out of anyone else." He paused. "Uh, no offence."

You took a deep breathe and quickly hid your frown. Okay, you were just going to ignore the insult against your deceased father and aunt before you punched the man. "So you believe that I'm from the future then?"

Qrow scoffed. "Kid, a time traveller doesn't even rank in the top three of the weirdest things I've ever seen in my line of work." He took out a flask from his pocket and took a might gulp from it. You tried not to look too shocked. "What about the me you knew, was I still kicking around in your time?"

You hesitated. "Well… sort of. You were one of the last few alive, but you still passed away when I was nine."

Qrow hummed, looking into his flask in contemplation and looking remarkably calm about that fact. "How'd I go?"

"Got your ribs crushed by a Beringel, passed away a few days later from an infection."

He didn't look perturbed at the slightest at the news. "And Tai?"

This time you couldn't conceal your frown. "I don't know, my mom and dad never talked about their parents much and I just never asked. If I had to guess, chances are that he died before I was born."

Now that definitely got a reaction.

Qrow's face fell and he took another, longer swing.

You decided to steer the conversation to something less grim. You unsheathed Harbinger and handed it to Qrow for inspection. "You gave me your scythe before you passed, I modified it so that I could combine it together with my mom's scythe a few years later."

Your version of Harbinger was also nearly completely different from the original, the pole and blade shortened to almost half it's original length and with a grey paintjob. You connected it with Crescent Rose shortly after to demonstrate its combined mode.

Qrow traced the blade's edge with his finger. "A double bladed scythe, huh? I actually based my own style after a woman with a scythe like that. You give it a name?"

"Grimm Reminder."

Qrow looked amused. "Grimm Reminder? That's a bit much isn't it?"

You shrugged. "You were the one who I got the name from actually. Before you died you said you were sorry for leaving me with such a grim reminder in your memory."

Qrow grimaced and looked away, awkwardly handing you back the weapon.

"Is there anything else you want to know?"

Qrow chuckled humourlessly. "A crapton actually. Let's start with probably the most important thing to ask right now. How'd you end up twenty four years in the past anyway?"

You... actually hadn't given it that much thought if you were being honest. The shock of being in the past and meeting your grandfather had completely overridden any questions of how you had managed to get here in the first place.

You furrowed your brow and thought back to the last moments before arriving here. "The relic of Creation, it was the only one out of the four relics that we managed to keep out of Salem's hands. I remember holding it before arriving here," you started. "My auntie Weiss, she... she died a few days before that. We were attacked by a horde of Grimm and hunters, she told me to grab the Relic and run away as far as I could while she stayed behind to hold them off."

You swallowed a lump that suddenly formed in your throat, that was still a very fresh wound. Just as painful as the memory of your mother's death a few months prior to that. "I managed to get away. I had to stay on the run the whole time since every bounty hunter and soldier on the continent was after me, if I stayed in place too long the Grimm would also find because of all the negative emotions I was pouring out."

Those few days were easily the worst in your life. You were truly alone for the first time with your entire family gone and with no one left to care about you, the knowledge alone had attracted hordes of Grimm with the negative emotions you had unleashed like a broken dam. That damn staff that Auntie Weiss had died for hadn't provided much relief, only ever adding to your ire. You had no idea what she had even expected you to do with it other than to keep it out of Salem's hands.

Qrow looked uneasy, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees he gave you his full attention. "What happened then?"

You looked away from his searching gaze. "I, uh, was found a few days later by a group of bounty hunters. I hadn't gotten much sleep and food by then so I got sloppy, didn't realise I was being tracked until it was too late. " You paused to lick your suddenly dry lips. "I… was scared, I tried to run as far as I could but they were just too fast for me. My family's semblance has an ability called Time Dilation, we can use it to speed ourselves up and slow down time but it takes up a lot of energy and lightning Dust so I was taught never to use it too much."

You took a deep breathe. "When I was cornered I used up all my leftover Aura to power up my Time Dilation as much as I could as a last ditch effort to get away." You gestured fruitlessly with your hands. "I remember that the Relic started glowing while I was doing that, I was a bit too busy panicking to really give it any attention. I guess it somehow ended up transferring its own energy into the glyph and just... overloaded it. Next thing I know there's a giant flash of light and grandpa Tai found me in the forest and with the Relic nowhere in sight."

Qrow's face scrunched up slightly at the title of grandpa which you found a small dose of amusement in.

"And that's pretty much it," you finished lamely. "What happens now?"

Qrow hummed and rubbed his temple. "Now? I guess now I should just take you to old Ozpin himself so you can tell him your story in person." He gained a slightly brighter look. "I think you just became our trump card, kid. If we lost as badly as you just said than you might be our ticket to avoiding that."

"Oh. When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow," he bluntly replied.

You jumped up slightly in your seat. "Tomorrow!? That's going a bit fast isn't it?" You've only been in Patch for a few days now but it's become more of a home than all those rundown hideouts your family found shelter in ever felt like combined together.

Qrow shrugged. "We got less than half a year before Salem takes Vale down, I figure we shouldn't waste any time. I'll tell your, ugh, grandpa about it when he comes home." He snapped his fingers. "Oh right, one more thing, we'll need to hide that hair and semblance of yours. Schnees are a rare breed and the last thing we need is people going after you because of that."

You tilted your head. "Why would they come after me? I'm already hiding my eyes."

Qrow grimaced. "Let's just say that your family has a less than stellar reputation with a few select people."

That didn't really satisfy your curiosity but you decided to let it go for the moment. You were more concerned about what he had just told you about hiding your identity.

Avoid using your semblance? That would be difficult, practically half your combat style relied on your glyphs. This was going to be difficult, you'd have to be really careful about when and where you used it.

Dyeing your hair would be easier at least. You saw a few products for that during your visit to the store with grandpa. People had really weird priorities in this place. You didn't like the thought of hiding one of the few reminders of your father but it would be best to play this safely. You could wear your white hair out as much as you wanted to if Salem was ever defeated in your lifetime.

"Alright."

"Any preferences?" Qrow asked.

Since grandpa wouldn't be home for a few more hours Qrow brought you over to a store called a pharmacy to pick up some hair dye. Apparently it was a place where medicine was sold but for some reason it also sold cosmetic hair products. Qrow just shrugged when you asked him about how something that changed the colour of your hair was supposed to be related to medicine.

After a moment of hesitation you picked up two bottles, one for black hair and the other for red. Qrow instantly recognised what you wanted to do but refrained from commenting.

After that was done, Qrow brought you home, instructed you to sit in the bathroom while he wrapped an apron around you, wetted your hair, and applied the hair dye.

"Have you done this before?" you asked in the middle of it, it was a bit odd how familiar he was with the motions.

Qrow snorted. "Yang wanted to dye her hair blue when she was eight. I helped her out since I knew it would piss Tai off."

Yup, that sounded like Auntie Yang all right.

You gazed at your reflection once it was done. Pale skin, red eyes, a burn mark on the right side of your face, and your hair was now an onyx shade of black with red tips at the end similar to your mother's own hair.

You'd undoubtedly be the splitting image of your mother if it weren't for the contacts and burn mark. The thought actually made you a bit giddy inside.

Qrow's eyes softened as he looked down at you. "Not a bad look kid, I like this a lot more then the white." His eyes flicked your scar for a moment before quickly looking away. "Oh, and before I forget what's your full name?"

You blinked at the sudden question but answered back as quickly. "Silver Rose." You didn't unintentionally puff up your chest in pride, that never happened.

Qrow flinched. "Ah, we'll need to get you a new surname than. Silver's fine but the hair, cloak, and scythes will already connect you to Ruby without the surname, best to avoid making it anymore suspicious."

Your face fell. Giving up your mother's surname? That was... hard to stomach. You didn't like to whine about trivial things, but you'd rather avoid that. You had very few things left to remember your mother with, your name was one of them. "Do I have to?"

Qrow's guilty expression did little to comfort you. "Sorry kid, but this for the sake of Ruby and Yang's safety."

You turned your head and pouted. "I'm keeping the cloak," you angrily muttered as you protectively wrapped your arms around your snow white cloak. "Not negotiable."

It was a gift from your mother, like hell you would be getting rid of it. Childishness be damned.

Qrow sighed. "Got your mom's stubbornness too I see." There was no hiding the note of fondness in his voice. "Anyway, got any ideas for a name?"

"How about Silver Branwen?" you asked cheekily.

Qrow stared at you blankly for a moment. "No."

Darn, worth a try.

You bit your lip in thought. Huh, this was actually a hard choice. After a few minutes of thought you finally answered.

Your father's family originated from Atlas, right? So how about...

"Silver Snow."

Qrow cringed. "Eh, a bit on the nose but no one will make the connection without the hair at least."

You and Uncle Qrow spent the rest of the afternoon together, cleaning out your weapons and making comparisons to each others scythes. Your own Harbinger was undeniably a downgrade from the original, but that was to be expected when the goal was to modify it use in one hand. The resulting blade was shorter, the caliber of the shotgun rounds were dramatically lower, and the sword form had to be removed. Uncle Qrow didn't seem disappointed by the changes as expected, he actually seemed rather impressed when you had informed him you had modified it alone. With your mother gone and Auntie Weiss being middling when it came to engineering, you didn't exactly have much help available.

After that was done you took the moment to clean out your contact lenses, Grandpa conveniently came home at that exact moment and nearly had a heart attack when he saw you with your new look.

At least no one had anymore doubts about you being from the future.

Qrow explained the situation to Taiyang, he was pretty unhappy about you leaving you so soon but relented when Qrow reminded him of what was in stake.

You packed your things, got a good night of sleep, ate breakfast, and then said goodbye to your grandfather in the morning just before setting off with Uncle Qrow.

Grandpa hugged you tightly at the doorway and clasped your shoulder. "Call when you get to Beacon and make sure to eat well, sometimes I worry that the wind will knock you over whenever you step outside," he said, eyes slightly watering. "Take care of yourself, son."

You nodded. "I will grandpa, and... thank you." you smiled up at him shakily. "I'm glad that I got the chance to meet you."

"Hey, don't act like this is goodbye forever," Grandpa chuckled. "I'll make sure to call often and you can come back whenever you'd like, this is your home too now."

With a soft smile, he bade you goodbye as Qrow gently laid a hand on your shoulder and led you away. When you walked a far enough distance you glance back the house that's become one of the brightest memories of your life and spotted grandpa waving at you. You choked back some tears and waved back.

Qrow had called a Bullhead all the way from Beacon that the pilot parked in a nearby clearing. You both entered and took a seat in the rear, Qrow gestured at the pilot to take off.

Patch soon became nothing but a speck from the sky, you hoped that it wouldn't be the last time you'd see it.

Flying on a Bullhead was a strange experience, it was a very different feeling to flying on one of Auntie Weiss's summons. Thankfully your acrobatic training with mom and Auntie Blake has pretty much made you almost immune to motion sickness so it wasn't as bad as it could be.

The novelty of flying in a Bullhead quickly wore off, the seating area was drab and you didn't even have a good view of the outside. You spent the rest of your time aboard tinkering around with your new Scroll's settings, uncle Qrow leading you through it to the best of his ability.

He gave you a disgusted look when you set your background to a plain white, which you promptly ignored.

You blinked when you noticed a nearby settlement at the edge of a cliffside from your window. You curiously peeked at it, your curiosity gradually turning to wonderment as the Bullhead got closer and closer until you could see the settlement's appearance in full detail.

Beacon Academy.

A long, wide avenue leading up to what appears to be the main academy buildings and their large, impressive main doorway, which opens up to a large amphitheater surrounded by a double ring of colonnades bisected by the main avenue with the outer ring rising high over the main entrance to the academy itself. It resembled a castle more than a school in your opinion.

The most noticeable thing was the large statue and fountain of a Huntsman and Huntress standing atop a rock, beneath which a Beowolf cowered. That was certainly an inspiring sight.

This was supposed to be a school? It looked like it came straight out of one of those fairy tale books with pictures that your mom read to you as a child.

Qrow chuckled when he caught your stunned expression. "Starstruck, huh? Don't worry, it happens to everyone the first time."

You nodded slowly. Starstruck was definitely one word for it.

The pilot landed at the docks and you picked your bags up to depart with Qrow. He led you through pillars and winding roads with practised ease and told you that Ozpin was located in the tallest tower at Beacon which was thankfully only a short walk away. You try not to openly gape at your surroundings as you try to keep up with his longer strides.

It was fairly late in the day but there was still a few students and staff prowling around the courtyard, they gave you odd looks because of what you guess is either your age or scar. You spent the rest of the walk to the tower with your eyes to the ground.

A rabbit Faunus squealed at you as you passed, you ignored it.

You arrive at Ozpin's tower, a stern blonde woman with a tattered purple and black cape was there to greet you both.

"Qrow," she opened bluntly in lieu of a greeting, receiving a cheeky wink in return. You were impressed with how she made Qrow sound so much like 'you asshole'. Her eyes turned to you, softening by a mite. "This is the boy?"

Qrow wrapped an arm around your shoulder. "Yup, he's got quite the story to tell. Ozzy upstairs?"

She glowered at your uncle's disrespectful tone but directed you both to an elevator which took what feels like forever to reach the top. A feeling of dread forms in your chest when the elevator releases a soft beep to signify that you've reached the top. Your mother told you about Ozpin, about his history with Salem, the deal he made with a God to stop her, and morbid method of immortality that involved jumping between hosts with every death.

And now you were here, and you were going to meet him and tell him that you were from a future where he failed to stop Salem.

Great.

Uncle Qrow placed a hand on your shoulder when he noticed your tense expression. "Ready to meet the old man? He's not as scary as he sounds."

You nodded back at him. "I think so."

Ozpin's office certainly isn't what you expected. Antique clockwork isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about immortal wizards. The ticking of the clockwork tower was haunting in its rhythmic beat. You had to wonder if it was an intentional intimidation tactic.

A white-haired man with glasses and an elegant green and black suit is seated at an impressive desk at the end of the room. Behind him was a clock-shaped window that held the sight of Beacon and Vale.

So this was Ozpin, a lot less intimidating than you had imagined. Although that serene look in his eyes was a bit creepy. There was a certain air about him, one of countless wisdom and experience, fitting for a man who had lived more lives than you had lived years. His disposition was comparable to a warm blanket, so much of your life was spent running around with no real goal in mind but survival that it was a relief to meet someone who seemed to have an actual plan.

"Hello there, Mr Rose, my name is Professor Ozpin. Although, I believe that you already know that," Ozpin greeted calmly. He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. "Please, sit, both of you. I imagine we have much to talk about."

Qrow took a seat without hesitation, slumping down rather rudely. You were raised with a semblance of proper etiquette so sat down with a straight and proper posture, shooting him a disproving look which went ignored.

Ozpin folded his arms and regarded you with an inscrutable expression. "Your uncle has told me quite a bit about your story. I'd like to hear how much you know."

You think for a moment, you don't want the man to think you're full of nonsense so you start out as strongly as you can. "I know your real name is Ozma."

Ozpin's expression twitched for but a moment but he recovered himself so quickly that you almost thought it a trick of the mind. "I see. Please, from the beginning if you would."

You retell your story. Salem's victory, your family's two-decade long rebellion, your mother's death and the death of all the others in your family, and finally the accident that brought you here.

When you finish Ozpin leans back on his chair and shuts his eyes, he released a breathe through his nose. "That... is not quite what I wished to hear." He sighed. "May I ask what became of myself in your future?"

You shook your head apologetically. "My mother didn't know, you were lost during am attack a few years before my birth and they never found you again."

Ozpin nodded. "Unfortunate, but understandable. Salem has always been... thorough." He gazed at you with an expression that seems almost desperate. "Please, tell me everything you can about the Fall of Beacon."

You look down in thought.

Roll with intelligence to remember your mother's stories.

You thought back on her words, a single name stuck out. The same name of the woman who had left you the scars you wore with shame now.

"Cinder Fall," you all but hissed, the monster's name poison to your very tongue. "She was a servant of Salem and the mastermind behind Vale's fall. She was after the power of the Maidens."

Ozpin narrowed his eyes. "I see, and would you happen to know which Maiden in question she took the powers of?"

You squinted in confusion for a moment before realising what he was getting at. Right, there were four Maidens; the Maiden of Fall, the Maiden of Winter, the Maiden of Spring, and the Maiden of Summer. Whoever was the host of one of the Maidens would have access to terrifyingly strong magical power, and upon death of the host the powers would transfer over to the last female soul the host was thinking about before her death.

Or you could be like Cinder and just kill all four of the Maidens to take their powers for yourself.

You frowned. "All of them."

Ozpin paled, for the first time in the conversation, the man seemed genuinely disturbed. "She held the powers of all four of the Maidens?"

You nodded glumly. "In my time she was basically half-Grimm, she couldn't fully use her powers as a result." You gestured at your scar. "She was still strong, possibly even stronger than Salem herself, took down my mom, my uncles, my aunts, and left me with this scar."

Qrow, who had quietly been sitting beside you stiffened harshly at that new piece of information.

"Can you describe what she looked like?" Ozpin asked in a weary tone, sounding much more like his true age.

You remembered a dark, ominous figure towering over even as you were suspended in the air with a clawed hand crushing your throat. A single golden eye was at odds with the dark, inhumane mask as it glared down at you with a haunting glow and a hatred so deep that words couldn't possibly do it justice.

You shook your head. "I don't know, there wasn't much left of her old human appearance left when I saw her for the first time, so she must look a lot different now. I'm pretty sure she has amber eyes but that's all I can say."

"We'll certainly keep an eye out than, Cinder Fall isn't exactly a common name. Let's hope that she never changed it." Ozpin adjusted his glasses. "Is there anything else that you can tell me?"

You bit your lip in thought. What had come after Vale? It was the Fall of Atlas wasn't it? But you felt like you were missing something. Mom had mentioned travelling on foot after Vale—she had complained in quite long detail that they could have saved two months of walking by just waiting a few weeks for the train lines to start again—but it wasn't to Atlas. Where was it...

You shoot up in realisation. "Haven!"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Do you mean Haven Academy?"

You nodded, pleased at your recollection. "Yeah, the headmaster there, he's a traitor."

Both Ozpin and Qrow gaped at you, the latter choking on a gulp of whiskey he had been in the middle of drinking.

Oh, oops. You probably should've worded that more gently.

Ozpin is the first to recover. "Headmaster Leonard is a traitor?" he slowly asks.

You shrunk back at his sudden intense gaze, huddling your cloak around you defensively. "I-I'm not completely sure but that's what I remember from my mother's stories about her past," you mumbled. Sheepishly, you awkwardly added, "I may be misremembering though."

Ozpin shut his eyes and did nothing but focus on his breathing for a few moments. "I see, I'll have to verify this later." he calmly said. "Is there anything else?"

You think for a moment before shaking your head. "That's all I can think of right now, I'll let you know if I remember anything else."

Ozpin nodded. "I see, thank you." Pausing, the headmaster tapped the rim of his cup. "I think it's time we talk about what you'd like to do now, Mr. Rose."

"Me? What do you mean?"

"The information you've provided has been extremely valuable, no doubt about that. But I doubt you'd be content to spend the next few years camped in my office. You can return to your grandfather's home if you'd like, after everything you've been through you have surely earned yourself a break from all of this," Ozpin replied. "Alternatively, you can stay at Beacon, be proved free housing and an education to prepare you to face Salem once more. Enrolling a student of your age will undoubtedly raise a few eyebrows, but allow me to worry about that."

You looked unsurely at him, looking back at your uncle for support.

Qrow shrugged. "It's your choice, kid. Me and Tai are gonna support you either way."

You didn't even have to think about it. The decision was obvious.

"I..." You swallow the lump in your throat. "I've lived in a world where Salem won, I can't just go back to Patch and relax for the rest of my life. That'd be pretty stupid and cruel of me knowing what will happen if we fail here. I have to fight, for the sake of my family and everyone else."

Ozpin nodded, a small barely noticeable smile on his lips. "So you'll stay?"

You nod. "I'll stay."

Ozpin stood and extended his hand over his desk. "Then as headmaster of Beacon Academy, I gladly accept you into our ranks, Silver Rose."

You stood and shook the hand, the taller man towering over you with ease. "Thank you, professor."

Ozpin smiled genially down at you. "Now, I've taken the liberty of preparing some quarters for you in case you accepted. It will be a shared dorm with other students. I trust that won't be a problem?"

You hesitated a moment before shaking your head. You didn't like the thought of living with a bunch of strangers but you'd have get over it.

"Wonderful, I'll have Miss. Goodwitch show you where it is," He reached down to press a button on his desk, the crackle of a radio channel becoming audible shortly after. "Glynda? I'm sending Mr. Rose down right now. Would you mind showing him to his dorm room?"

A quick affirmative followed and Ozpin shut it off. "Ms. Goodwitch is the blonde professor with the glasses and cape you likely met on your way here, she'll show you the way." He sat back down, nodding at you. "Now, I'll need to speak with your uncle about everything you've just told us. Please get yourself comfortable, you'll start your first class in a few days while I put you in the student records and procure an ID. I've sent my contact details to your scroll, so please don't hesitate to call or message me for anything you require."

You nodded and said goodbye to him and Qrow before collecting your luggage and leaving. You took the elevator back down and the blonde woman who greeted you was still there when you step out, awaiting you with an impatiently tapping foot.

"Mr. Rose? My name is professor Goodwitch, I'll be the combat instructor for your year," she said in a stern tone. "Please follow me and I'll show you to your room." With that she turns around and briskly walks off, not even bothering to check if you were all following.

Oh wow, this lady was all business. She kind of reminded you of your father and Auntie Weiss on training days. You hurried to keep pace with her. Your stupid, short legs made it a bit difficult, the luggage wasn't exactly helping either.

Ms. Goodwitch glanced back at you and saw your struggling form, she withdrew a riding crop attached to her hip and with a twist of her wrist a purple aura encompasses your luggage and took it into the air.

You gazed up at your floating luggage in wonder.

"That's really cool," you dreamily said.

Ms. Goodwitch didn't reply, but you noticed her back straighten slightly as she continued walking.

She led you into a nearby building, helpfully informing you that this was the dormitory for first and second year students. You both walked up a flight of stairs and stopped at the fourth floor. She directed you to a door on the left wing.

"Now, the rooms are built for four students at mind but the team has been notified and has made some appropriate space for you." She hesitates for a moment before pulling out a card and handing it you. A phone number was scrawled on it with elegant handwriting. Softly, but with a hint of awkwardness, she added, "My number, call if you need anything."

You pocketed the card. You had a feeling that she didn't really know how to interact with someone of your age. "I will, thank you, Miss Goodwitch."

Her arm twitched and for a moment you think she's going to pat you on the head, but that moment thankfully ended quickly and she briskly walked away instead. You stared at her retreating figure in curiosity.

Huh, nice lady.

You glanced at the door for the room you would be staying at. You delayed knocking on it as you contemplated your situation now that you finally had a moment alone. This was all happening so fast, you didn't even know the names of these people and you were expected to live with them.

Such an odd turn of events these last few days had been.

You travelled to the past, you now had a grandfather who loved and accepted you, and now you were a student at Beacon Academy, the same school that your mother and aunts had attended.

You had grown up with stories of Beacon, the place where most of your family had met each other and had formed the bonds that had lasted all the way to their deaths. Beacon had sounded like such a magical place to your younger self, a place where life-long friendships were formed and heroes were made. And here you were now, a bona fide student! It was still hard to believe, but then again so much of your life was now.

A lighthearted feeling bubbled up in your chest as you knocked on the door.

That feeling immediately died when the door opened and you came face-to-face with your mother's smiling face.