I said I'd get to this story when I had time and I guess I finally had time. It's not as good as the gap since the last chapter would suggest- I only started writing this about a week ago.

It's not perfect, but it's way overdue, so enjoy the chapter.

The Forbidden World

2: Strangers

The tall structure in front of them looked like it was pulled straight from a fairy tale. It was a castle, but an ornate palace rather than an austere fortification. Tall spires jutted from elegant buildings covered in large glass windows. Cobble paths weaved their way through elegantly landscaped spaces between them.

Colonel Jack O'Neill had one word to describe it. "Disneyland?"

"Looks like a castle, sir," his second-in-command half-agreed. "Could it be a repurposed fortification from an earlier age?"

Daniel shook his head. "Actually, Sam, this style of structure was only built by 18th and 19th century romantics. They're often referred to as castles, but-"

"Daniel." O'Neill glared at them. "Disneyland."

Teal'c pondered that for a moment. "Are you not confusing the theme park with the symbol used in advertising?"

"That's Beacon," Ruby announced, stopping and gesturing enthusiastically. "That's our school."

"That's your school?" the Colonel asked. The girl in red nodded enthusiastically in response. He whistled. "Pretty nice."

"What kind of school is it?" Daniel asked them as they strode through the gates. The grounds were spacious, but busy, with students studying, training, or fooling around. Most of them wore what appeared to be a conservative school uniform, but others were dressed in wildly varying and very bright outfits.

"Beacon Academy is the premiere institution for the training of huntsmen and huntresses in the Kingdom of Vale," Weiss explained blandly.

"Weiss," Ruby whined at her teammate. "You make it sound so boring."

Daniel asked directly, "Huntsmen and huntresses?"

"We train to fight and protect people from the Grimm!" Ruby told them enthusiastically.

"And how did you do that back there?" He motioned to her scythe. "I mean, from our understanding, most humans can't move that fast."

"Most can't. It's my Semblance."

"What's a Semblance?"

"You know, the unique abilities tied to your Aura? That Semblance!"

"I've never heard of Aura, either, at least not in that context," Daniel said, confused.

Yang didn't believe them. "You mean you don't have Aura or Semblances?"

"Uh... it could be something we have but call something else. Could you describe them?"

"Well, Aura is-" Ruby stopped suddenly and called out, waving. "Professor Goodwitch!"

Heels clacked against the ground as a severe-looking blonde woman strode up to the group. "Yes, Miss Rose?"

"We found aliens!" The woman looked like she was going to lose it at the poor girl before the Colonel intervened.

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, United States Air Force," he greeted, tipping his hat. "Good day, ma'am."

She frowned at him. "I see. What is your business here, Colonel?"

"We're explorers from a planet called Earth," he explained, ignoring the Professor's understandable skepticism. "We came through a device we call the Stargate- it's kind of a big stone ring. We ran into these students and they took us here."

"Let me call the headmaster." Professor Goodwitch pulled a flat device out of her pocket and put it to her ear- a kind of communicator. She spoke into it with an irritated voice. "Headmaster, Miss Rose and her team have brought in a group of people claiming to be from another planet... what do you mean, bring them up... fine."

She stowed the device and sighed. "The headmaster will see you now. Follow me, please."

"Well, they certainly look military," Headmaster Ozpin remarked to his friend.

General James Ironwood chewed his lip. "The older one, definitely, and the woman too. The big guy, maybe. The guy with the glasses isn't."

"But whose military? Any idea, James?"

"None. Only Mistral uses green uniforms, and their combat teams don't wear them. The patches I don't recognize, either." He paused, deep in thought. "They could be ex-military, or an irregular force. Or..."

"Or?"

"Or they could really be aliens- although they look an awful lot like us. Or there could be a fifth Kingdom out there. Or this could be a joke or worse, some kind of set up."

"I suppose we will have our answers soon." As if on cue, the elevator doors opened. Four supposed aliens, four students, and one irate Glynda stepped out.

"I'm Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy," he greeted immediately. "This is General James Ironwood. I see you've already met Professor Glynda Goodwitch."

Colonel O'Neill noticed that the teenagers had already disappeared back into the elevator. "Colonel Jack O'Neill, United States Air Force. Behind me is Major Samantha Carter, Doctor Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c."

Ozpin nodded slowly before taking a deliberate sip of his coffee. "If you truly are who you say you are, welcome to our world."

General Ironwood was more critical. "If you truly are who you say you are, prove it."

"If you're willing to wait-" O'Neill checked his watch "-about fifteen minutes, there's a scheduled dial-in."

"Dial-in?"

"Why don't we start at the beginning?" Ozpin suggested. "Tell me how you came here."

"Sir?"

"Go ahead, Carter."

"We came through a device called a Stargate- well, we call it a Stargate," she began. "It can create a wormhole between itself and another Stargate across interstellar distances. Once that wormhole is established, any matter that passes through the event horizon of the outgoing gate is broken up, sent through the wormhole, and reassembled at the other side."

"But how did you come here?" The General asked.

"There are thirty-nine symbols engraved around the outside of the Stargate," the physicist explained. "The math behind it is a bit complicated, but coordinates can be encoded using a combination of six symbols. We call that a gate address, and by dialling different gate addresses we can connect to different destination gates."

"Then how did you find our address?"

Daniel Jackson answered, "There's a bit of story to that, actually. We captured some files from the Goa'uld in a recent raid, and in them we found references to a planet of great wealth but great danger. It said that they abandoned the world because of 'monsters that emerged from the dark of the soul'."

"The Grimm," Glynda whispered.

"It's a possibility, yes."

Ironwood asked, "The Goa'uld? Who are they?"

"And... this is where it gets complicated," O'Neill said lightly before turning serious. "The Goa'uld are little snakelike aliens that can burrow into a human's spinal column and take control- they're parasites. They're technologically advanced, they basically control the galaxy, and they've ruled most populated worlds at some point, including Earth."

"Did they build the Stargates?"

"No. That was the Ancients. They were a race of humanoids very much like us, except much more evolved. They died out- well, that's not strictly true, but they're gone from the galactic scene. They left behind a great deal of technology, including the Stargates. We also think they were directly or indirectly responsible for accelerating human evolution."

"Hmm..." Ozpin tented his fingers. "For people from another world, you certainly look very human."

"That's because we are," Colonel O'Neill explained. "Most of the galaxy is human, in fact. The Goa'uld liked using humans as slaves, and we kind of got spread out because of that."

"So we have one race of aliens that control people from inside, another race of dead gate-builders, and a device that can transport people from one planet to another," Ozpin summarized. He kept his voice neutral and sipped his coffee. "A fascinating story, Colonel."

General Ironwood was more reserved. "Yes. Fascinating. But you still haven't told us why you came here."

"We're explorers," Colonel O'Neill explained. "Our mission is to make peaceful contact with other races and retrieve technology that could be advantageous to the defence of Earth."

He immediately guessed, "In other words, to gain an advantage over the Goa'uld, who you are at war with?"

While they tried to appear peaceful, the SGC didn't lie. Without skipping a beat, O'Neill replied, "That's correct. General, we are at a massive technological and material disadvantage to the Goa'uld, and they want us gone. We need every advantage we can get."

"Understandable," Ozpin noted.

"There are three possibilities, Colonel," Ironwood stated. "The first is that your tall tale is true and you really are explorers from another world. The second is that you are delivering this story with some sort of agenda, probably to discredit Ozpin. The third is that you are simply insane."

"Wait..." The Colonel checked his watch again. "Just a few more minutes. Do you have any recon assets that you can get out to the forest?"

"It's a possibility," Ironwood replied vaguely.

"Then get them out there. You're going to want to see this."

"What about your world?" Daniel asked, more toward the two Professors than the General. "Ruby mentioned something called Aura, and talked about her Semblance. Can you explain what those are?"

General Ironwood's expression hardened. "Are you sure you're human?"

"It could be something we have a different name for," Daniel explained quickly. "I'm assuming these are some kind of natural abilities and not a kind of technology?"

"Aura is the manifestation of our soul, both light and dark," Glynda explained. "It shields us, protects us, rejuvenates us. The strength varies from person to person, and not everyone chooses to manifest theirs, but it's present in everyone."

"Interesting." He was much too tactful to just call them out on their science being utterly wrong. That was more Carter's thing anyway. "And what about Semblances?"

"Semblances are a specific expression of Aura, manifesting as unique abilities individual to each person," she explained. "Are you familiar with these concepts?"

He shared a look with Carter. Most likely, it was something unique to their world or their subspecies. She answered carefully but honestly, "If humans do have these innate abilities, we've never seen them manifested elsewhere, including on our own world."

"If you don't have Aura or Semblances, are you really human?"

"James," Ozpin cautioned. "Perhaps we are the odd ones out."

"Or maybe you do have potential, but were never able to unlock it," Glynda proposed.

"There are possibilities," Daniel admitted. "I think it's best that we don't jump to conclusions at this point. What else can you tell me about your world?"

"I don't know if we should be-"

"James," Ozpin interrupted again. "If they are lying, then we would not be telling them anything they do not know. And if they truly are from another world, then it is in our collective best interest to put our best foot forward, as soon as possible."

"Well, you can start by just giving a history of your world," Daniel suggested.

"Man was born from dust into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness – the dark creatures of Grimm - set their sights on man and all of his creations. However, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. Dust. Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life."

"A slightly shortened version of a classic tale of our history." Ozpin paused. "A poetic phrasing, but one that summarizes our history concisely. There was an age before the discovery of Dust, where the creatures of Grimm had pushed humanity nearly to extinction. Little is known of that time. Then, after Dust was discovered, the establishment of the beginnings of civilizations that would eventually become the four Kingdoms."

"These Creatures of Grimm, where did they come from?" Daniel asked. "What are they?"

"An excellent question, one which had many answers but none that are certain."

"You mentioned four kingdoms," O'Neill said. "Are those the only nation-states on your world?"

"Yes. Vale, which is where we are. Atlas, which is where Ironwood is from. Vacuo and Mistral. Four kingdoms established in regions with strong natural defenses which have been able to survive and thrive."

"What's Dust?" Carter asked, a sneaking suspicion in her mind. "Is that the basis of your technology?"

"Yes." Without any prompting, Ironwood was not inclined to elaborate further.

"And does it have a kind of silvery-grey metallic form, with a high atomic weight and immense energy potential."

"No. Dust occurs in four types of crystal. There are other forms, but none match what you describe."

She deflated slightly. "I see."

Eager to get the conversation started again, Daniel asked, "What's your world like now?"

"In an unprecedented period of peace, one which I fear will not last." The Headmaster paused, took another sip, and checked his own watch. "I believe it is now time for whatever you wish to show us."

"This is so weird," Ruby commented, stepping out of the elevator. "I can't believe we've met actual aliens!"

"Probably because we haven't," Weiss groused.

The crimsonette rolled her eyes. "Why am I the only one who thinks they're aliens?"

"Because it's crazy! If they're aliens, they look less advanced than we area, so how did they get here?"

"Maybe they hitched a ride with some other aliens, or maybe they actually have really good spaceships but they don't fight a lot so they're weapons aren't very good," Yang suggested.

"Are you actually agreeing with your crazy sister?"

"Well, they were out in the wilderness, miles away from civilization, saying crazy stuff and gaping at everything once they came here," she explained with a shrug. "Just saying, Weiss. Either we met a group of crazy badasses or they really did pop out of some old stone."

"What was that you said about old stones?" a rapid, inquisitive voice interrupted.

"Pro- Doctor Oobleck!" Ruby exclaimed, jumping back as the odd professor suddenly appeared.

"Ah, it must be the strange visitors? Have you met them? Of course you have, you brought them in! Tell me, what are they like? Are they really aliens?"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"We were hoping you could tell us, Doctor," Blake replied evenly.

"I would need to know more to make an assessment. Where did you find them? How did they appear?"

"We found them on a mission to gather sap in Forever Fall. I heard gunfire and rushed over and found them almost getting killed by a Beowolf-"

"It was an Ursa," Weiss corrected.

"Right, I killed the Ursa, introduced myself, then they introduced themselves, then Weiss showed up, then we met up with the rest of the team and we came back."

"They introduced themselves? Quickly, what were there names?"

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c," Ruby answered. "I don't know if that was his first name or last."

Oobleck pondered it for a nearly imperceptible moment. "Hmm... interesting. The first three names sound similar in origin- and almost like pre-war names- but Teal'c is totally unfamiliar. Could he be an alien of a different world? And Colonel and Major are ranks. Did they say which military?"

"United something-"

Blake finished, "United States Air Force."

"United States sounds like the state, or simply State- no, too simple, it must be the United States. And their air force is its own branch and in charge of space exploration, extremely strange!" He paused momentarily again. "But still the biggest question- how did they get here?"

"Well, there was a big stone ring where I found them, along with a bunch of other ruins," Ruby replied. "They called it a Stargate- some kind of portal device."

"An ancient artifact that allows space travel. If this is true, it could be huge! Massive!" Oobleck spread his arms. "As big as Dust itself!"

"If they're not making everything up," Weiss reminded them.

"Whether they are aliens are not, we must proceed as if they are, and confirm the facts as quickly as possible..." he trailed off, going silent in thought.

Ruby asked after several seconds, "So... our we going to tell the Headmaster?"

Oobleck shook his head, pointing to a Bullhead taking off in the distance. "Not necessary! I believe he has already come to the same conclusions we have, and is no doubt already acting upon them!"

"I still think this is crazy," Velvet Scarlatina commented.

She was the V of team CFVY, who had been diverted from their previous training mission to observe the supposed Star Gate. A proper team of hunters and Atlesian soldiers was on its way, but for the time being, they were the only ones on the ground.

"Well, look at this way," Coco, the team leader, said. "Either we become some of the first to meet aliens, or we get to spend the next couple hours doing nothing. Either way, we'll have a story to tell."

Yatsuhashi, Velvet's giant partner, added, "Perhaps some Grimm will break the- Whoa!"

He took a step back as the inside of the ring began turning, the chevrons around the outside lighting up in sequence.

Coco lowered her sunglasses. "It's... alive."

What happened next made them all jump back in shock. It wasn't a dead ruin, it wasn't a hoax. Whatever it was, it was real.

Coco fumbled with her scroll, acting on autopilot with her mind still reeling in shock. She reported, "The ring just... I don't even know how to describe it. It shot out a big jet of water and formed a puddle, no joke. And now it's just sitting there, like a puddle standing up in the middle of the ring."

"You missed your scheduled check-in," General Hammond told his flagship team over the radio link. "What's the situation?"

"The area around the gate is not safe, sir." the Colonel's voice buzzed. "We met some locals and they took us to somewhere safer."

"Not safe?" he asked, concerned.

"The Stargate's in a forest full of something called Creatures of Grimm," O'Neill described. "They're big, scary animals with black fur, lots of bony plates, and red glowing eyes."

The General was slightly amused. "Grimm? As in Grimm's fairy tales?"

"Let me check with Daniel on that one."

After a moment, the archaeologist replied, "Uh, the link seems unlikely, but we really don't know much about them at this point. However, I believe that these are in fact the monsters the Goa'uld warned about."

"Understood." General Hammond paused, running down a mental checklist. "Colonel, what's your threat assessment?"

"Well, our guns didn't do much, but we know they'll go down to bullets. I recommend anti-tank weapons at a minimum, sir, but for the time being I wouldn't recommend sending anyone through. The local seem to be friendly, if skeptical. And weird."

"Weird? What do you mean by that, Colonel?"

"Well, General, so far I've met Little Red Riding Hood, except with a giant sniper scythe and two girls with weird eyes- who are about sixteen. They're all on a team at a combat school called Beacon, where they're training as huntresses- warriors who ostensibly protect people from the Grimm. Oh, and one of the professors is Glynda the Good Witch of the West."

Hammond kept the amusement out of his voice. "Is that a serious assessment, Colonel?"

"Embellished, but all factual, sir. They also appear to be not quite human. The two girls with the weird eyes I mentioned? One is yellow and catlike, the other is bright magenta. I don't think they're wearing contacts, or if they are, they're way better than ours. And none of that explains the soul magic."

"Soul magic?"

A different voice that he recognized as Carter's answered, "We're not sure exactly what it is, sir. They have an ability called Aura which acts as a sort of shield, and something called a Semblance which varies between individuals. It seems to be physiological rather than technological, but we're not sure about that either yet."

"Their technology?"

"We haven't had a good look yet, but they seem to be similar in technology to us. They mentioned something called Dust that could be a facet of their technological base. We know it's probably not another word for naquadah but that's all we know right now."

Hammond took a moment to process that information, then asked. "You said they were skeptical?"

"Yes, sir. They don't believe that we actually came through the gate- although they might if they're watching it now. Requesting you send a UAV with a welcome package."

"Will do, Colonel. Hammond out."

By the point O'Neill had finished his conversation, the real team had arrived and CFVY had some opportunity to recover. A pair of Beowolves had wandered by, giving them a momentary distraction. One of the braver (and perhaps dumber) soldiers had pushed a stick through the puddle. It did not emerge from the back side, and after that they had all been careful to stay away from the device.

For minutes they'd simply stood there, waiting. Their weapons were at the ready, but they were more concerned with the Grimm than the strange but seemingly harmless device. They figured it would either shut down soon or keep running indefinitely, and either way the scientists would want to look at it.

Then, suddenly, an unfamiliar voice buzzed from their scrolls, "Stand back."

The group needed no second bidding. Two soldiers were very close to the device, and they quickly backed away. Everyone else took a step back.

Without warning, a grey blur zoomed out of the puddle, a plume of smoke and fire billowing behind it. It arced upward and two pieces dropped away before the rest of it turned toward Beacon Academy.

"What the hell was that?" the soldier in charge asked.

His hunter companion shook her head. "Something out of this world."