Chapter III: Opening the Gate


"Ozpin, we've known each other for a long time, been through many things together, so could you please explain to me why it is that you did not inform any of us about the theft of the Arc boy's sword as soon as it happened?"

It may have been Oscar's body that moved as he sighed, but it was not the once farmboy who was in control at the moment of the evening, "You make it sound like I hadn't tried, James. It seems that you've forgotten that your resignation from Atlas Academy has made contacting you a bit more difficult than it used to be. That's including what you and Specialist Schnee have been up to since your forced retirement."

The ancient wizard couldn't find any reason to be surprised at the lack of change in his old ally's character. After General James Ironwood had been forced to resign his position in Atlas Academy, he had also been forced to focus on his seat on the Atlesian council, the politics making his schedule tighter than a snare drum. Judging by the even fuller beard on the grizzled soldier's face, it was more trying than being in battle, "I suppose that is true, but how is it that you know what I've assigned Specialist Schnee to?"

If all the people were talking in the same room, they would have collectively turned toward the familiar drunken spy, "What do you want me to say, Jimmy?"

Ironwood made sure to use his human hand to squeeze the bridge of his nose, knowing his metal one could break it with the pressure his fingers were exerting, "Absolutely nothing, Qrow, just stay silent,"

The familiar buxom blonde combat teacher was in no place better than the general, "I second that Qrow."

"Eesh, it's like they're all gangin' up on me! But I'm still your favorite, right Ozzy?"

'You know, if I hadn't have gotten to know him, I'd ask if he was serious, but after everything that we've been through with that guy…'

"James," Glynda figured it was best to stop the ensuing argument and get back on track, "Perhaps you and Qrow could save your measuring contest for another time? We do have business at the moment."

Glynda was about the only thing Ozpin could thank the gods for anymore, "Thank you, Glynda. As I was saying, it was two nights ago when an unknown assailant scaled the tower and took the sword. We spent the next morning following a trail through Vale until we reached the docks, where we discovered the intended destination of the man we're chasing. For about the last twenty-four hours, we have been on a ship, headed for the same island as our target, Gravegate."

Based on the fact that Glynda was the only one who didn't take a large swig from a flask or tense up in her seat, she was the only one who did not know the place, "Gravegate?"

Qrow coughed a bit as he finished off all he had left in his flask, "Why, in the hell, would anyone, go there? I've been there during some of my scouting missions, and even though it turned out not to be where she was hiding, it sure as hell could be her vacation spot!"

Looking back up from his processing, the General brought his voice back into the fold, "While I may not have had the displeasure of actually setting foot on that island, I have had the privilege of hearing all of the stories. When it comes to stories of the seas, sailors and soldiers can't live their lives right without knowing all the stories there are to know. What kind of person would purposely travel through such treacherous waters to walk on a dead island?"

He wanted to keep quiet, but no matter how much the name and the memories hurt, the old man made a promise to all who followed him, "Lothos."

One word and all thought of speaking flew out all the windows on the ship and the rooms from which the distant callers were sitting in. It was painful, but back then, Ozpin always had no choice but to tell those whom he recruited to his inner circle about his old life in the mythical kingdom. It used to be only his inner circle and no one else, until team RWBY and OLVN came into the picture. Knowing that there was only one conversation they ever had of the place, the lieutenants could tell this was no joke, "... Well shit…"

It was so sudden and unexpected that Qrow had to slap himself in the face to convince himself of what he had just heard, "Di- DID YOU JUST CURSE JIMMY?!"

"ENOUGH!" there was no time for anything but being serious, and Ozpin's tone got that point across thoroughly, "You all know that I never wished to say that word at any time other than when I had to bring you all into this fight. Keeping that in mind, do not speak, but listen. Teams RWBY and OLVN will be going after this apparent Lothonian, discover why Lothos would want mister Arc's sword, and why they would dare come here after everything. Until we return, Remnant will be in your hands alone, so keep up all operations and stay informed for when we return. And James? Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, attempt any assistance or following me!"

The Atlesian General may have been jaded, but hearing his old comrade in the fight against Salem lose even the littlest bit of control over his emotions was something he never thought he'd witness, "... Understood. Take care of yourself, Ozpin, and take care of those with you."

With that, the metal man signed himself off, the blonde combat instructor following his lead after a concerned wish of luck directed towards Oscar. Then all who remained were the two body-mates and the old crow, "Oz, I know there's nothing about this that doesn't make you angry, but keep that anger in check, for my niece's sake."

Oscar's head shook up and down, Ozpin's words following, "You have my word, Qrow, I will not lose control as I did before."

The dusty old crow nodded and shut off his connection as he took a final swig from his flask, leaving the wizard and his apprentice all alone, 'Oscar, you have my apologies, I didn't mean to lose my control. Lothos is-'

'Not a very pleasant thing to talk about, is it?'

'Ha. No, not particularly, but it is rather obvious that if you and the rest are going to trust me, I'm going to have to trust myself and trust I can handle the memories.'

'Well, handle the memories or not, you still said that you would explain what you knew about the island once we all finished letting people know what we were doing.'

'You're right. It's time to call everyone together again. It's time I told everyone what I know about Gravegate.'

The ancient wizard brought the scroll up to his face, but he hesitated for the briefest second before he went ahead and called in the rest of the students for his next story to them. It took a few minutes, but eventually, all of team RWBY, along with Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora returned to the large room and found their places on the couches. Ozpin moved the small table over so he had enough room to stand in front of them all, and he glanced over each of the young warriors to see slight hints of exhaustion on their faces, "It seems to only be early evening. I hope you're not all spent already."

Yang recovered from her tired look enough to scoff, "Yeah right old man. So, no more stalling, we all know there is something you know about Gravegate, something personal, so come on and spill already."

"More than thousands of years walking the surface of Remnant was more than enough time for someone to make regretful decisions, but the centuries after those decisions did not make them easier to talk about."

The sheer defeat in his voice was easily discernable before the defeated sigh that signaled the start of another tragic trip down the professor's lane of memories, "There have been some lives that I had spent trying to forget my curse, my duty, and became a rather… uncaring individual. One of those lives happened to be one where I was… one of the pirates that took over Obsidia. Granted, I was merely an ordinary crew member on one of the ships that settled on the island after the other crews took over the island, but that did not make me any less guilty for the suffering wrought upon those innocent people. I'd like to believe that had I put down a bottle, I might have seen what had happened on that godforsaken land and done something about it, but I fear I was too far in my pit of self-despair and drowning in alcohol to do anything about it.

"I don't remember much of that life, partly because I repressed those memories, and mostly because I was too drunk to stand. Although, I do remember how it ended. There were strange voices or something of the like coming from the forest, and a large number of pirates went in to discover the sources, only to disappear with screams and what sounded like sword fighting. Before another group could follow after the sounds of battle, a tall man in a blue cloak emerged from the forest and cut us all down in the blink of an eye. I can only assume that man was the first wielder of Crocea Mors from Lothos, and that after he killed the pirates, he destroyed their ships and supplies on the water and coast."

"You…" if the students believed it, they were showing no sign of belief, "you were a pirate in a past life?"

Naturally, the students were getting ready for Yang to begin getting angry at the reincarnating wizard, but his agitation beat hers to the chase, "Yes. After everything I had been trying and failing to do, I certainly had lives where I tried to comfort myself, like other people that happen to be here in this-"

The young boy's head turned away, the eyes closing before they could see the looks of shock and worry on the other teens' faces. 'Ozpin? Easy there…'

Another minute of tense silence passed as the youngest body let out ragged breaths of air to calm down, all while being watched wearily by the rest of the teens. Ever since they learned of Salem's existence, the students had taken turns being angry with their old headmaster, but he always accepted their rage and never tried defending himself. Now, they were the ones being yelled at and getting pushed down by all of the pent-up rage and frustration, and it was intimidating. While they were fearful for the anger that seemed to be flooding the reincarnating old man, they were also concerned for their friend that had no choice but to be the vessel for all of that anger.

Surprisingly, Ren was the one to step up and move towards the young body with two souls and place his hand on the shoulder as he looked into the farmboy's eyes, "Professor? It's alright. I know that in the past, we've judged you rather harshly about Salem, the relics, and your past lives, but you have my word, we won't judge you anymore. I admit, it took us a while, but we finally understand that you've been through many hardships and even maddening challenges. It has been almost two years since you told us everything after all, and you accepted our anger and frustrations for that whole time. Now it's our turn, so go at your own pace, for Oscar's sake as well as your own."

'Maybe I should also take lessons on how to speak from Ren too.'

The elder soul made the young body smirk, 'Indeed, mister Lie does indeed have a knack for negotiation. You shouldn't rely on me to be your only teacher, Oscar.'

It didn't take long for the amused smirk to be replaced with a warm and grateful smile, "Of course. You have my thanks for the consideration, mister Lie, but I made a promise that I would be honest and upfront with all of you from now on, and I plan to uphold that promise."

Ren nodded before he turned and sat back down in his seat, his warm smile slowly spreading to the rest of the students as the professor cleared his throat to resume, "As I was saying, yes miss Rose, I was one of the pirates from Gravegate in a past life. I've told you before, I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on Remnant, some far worse than others. When I turned to the pirate's life, I was near broken in spirit and fell to drinking and more debaucherous forms of empty comfort. It was, without a doubt, one of the lives filled with the most regret. Which seems to be getting even worse with the realization that it was the life where Lothos returned to screw with me."

Yang chose to be the one to change the dark subject, "When we first found out about Lothos, you said that you wanted to reunite Lothos with Remnant, but the king refused and banished you for thinking like that. If Crocea Mors and its first wielder before Jaune's ancestor, were from Lothos, why would they come to Remnant? Could something have changed?"

Ozpin nodded, "I can only assume. Perhaps the royal family was replaced with another. Perhaps the government had changed from a monarchy. I cannot be certain. I assume that whoever used and left the sword on Gravegate was going against the wishes of the kingdom, seeing as they've sent someone to bring it back."

"But why all these years later?" all eyes turned to Ruby, "I mean, you and the captain said that what happened on that island happened a century before the great war. That's almost two hundred years ago! Why is it that only now they've come to get it back?"

"Simple," Blake spoke up, "Jaune's sacrifice. Think about it. Nobody really knows what had happened at Gravegate; it's all been speculation and rumors. When Jaune fought Cinder at the top of Beacon Tower, it was televised, and the whole world saw with their own eyes. Now the world had seen a weapon from Lothos in action, and in such a way that no one will forget it, so that means there is more risk of being discovered or something, doesn't it?"

Pyrrha shook her head once she halted the tears for her old partner, "You make a good point, Blake, but Lothos is in a different dimensional plane from Remnant. If that's the case, how could they have seen what Jaune did? How could they even recognize this ancient weapon of theirs, and why would they wait two years after what happened to Jaune to even attempt getting the sword?"

Before anyone else could pitch in, Ozpin decided to take back his control of the room, "I may not know the answer to all of your questions, miss Nikos, but I might have the answer to one of them. While they most certainly don't have a way to watch Remnant's television channels from the other dimension, there are most certainly magic practices that allow people to see into other worlds."

His throat was cleared again as he prepared for another lecture, "You see, there are specific manifestations and forms of magic that all have their own function. For instance, personal magic such as protective barriers or attacks do not require any words to use, but the caster's mind must be clear to cast them correctly. Then certain spells can only be activated by one or more keywords, such as lighting up a room, instantly traveling from one point to another, and casting a screen or window to see certain places or events. Those forms of magic can only be used, however, in a specific location or with a particular object.

"For example, if one were to travel from one point to another instantaneously, they not only need the right words but the right object of power. Say you wanted to travel from Beacon Academy to Haven Academy, what you would need is a travel stone. A travel stone is a portable object that holds the power to activate instantaneous travel, but you can only activate that power if you had your destination in mind and you had spoken the exact words. The same thing goes for chambers or objects that could allow one to see other worlds."

They tried to look jaded. They really did. However, no matter how many of those long explanations and stories they had heard after all this time, the lecture of magic still felt like a lot of information to register all at once, "So, what you're saying, is that there are magic chambers and magic objects that allow people in Lothos to see what happens in Remnant?"

"That is correct miss Rose, though I doubt they would watch anything other than significant events, like mister Arc's sacrifice, so please don't think that we're being watched at this moment. It is rather highly unlikely."

Yang sighed in relief as she relaxed her arm around her little sister, who just looked back at her with a raised eyebrow, "Sis? Were you seriously just getting ready to hold me down as if I was about to run around freaking out about the idea people could be watching us right now?"

A nervous chuckle escaped the blonde brawler as she gestured to her sister to look around at those who were surrounding. Once she turned around, the red reaper groaned in defeat as she saw her friends in different positions, ready to help catch the little speedster if she started running around in a panic. Seeing that such was not about to happen, all of the teens relaxed back into their seats, and Ozpin chuckled along with his young body-mate. The embarrassing little situation helped to lighten the tension that was building up inside the exiled wizard from remembering his old home and its customs.

"As for the other questions, it stands to reason that if they are even trying to get Crocea Mors out of Remnant, that must mean there is something about the sword that they need or want, yet it is also true that it has been almost two centuries since the sword first arrived on Remnant. So perhaps the reason they took so long is that they didn't know they had something powerful. In all honesty, we'll never be able to find the answers to all of these questions without getting the answers ourselves from the king of Lothos. Don't forget; we don't even know for certain if what mister Arc did that night was his semblance, and now that we find ourselves chasing a Lothonian that stole Crocea Mors, who's to say that what mister Arc did came from him and not the sword?"

The young hunters shot their eyes towards each other and back to the ancient wizard faster than a round out of Crescent Rose, "You think that was the sword?! You think that wasn't his semblance?!"

"We all saw what happened that night. If what mister Arc did was a hidden power within the sword, it would explain why Lothos would want it back."

Ozpin raised his hand before anyone else could say any more, "While I understand that you wish to talk more, it would most likely be better if we took time to process all of this before we speculate further. Go back to your rooms and get some rest before you go to sleep, we still have another week until we reach Gravegate, and we can speculate all we want for our remaining journey. Until then, rest, process, sleep, we're going to need it for when we reach our destination."

It was logical, and though they wanted to refuse and to keep talking, they couldn't argue with the logic; and together, they all returned to their quarters, preparing for whatever answers and conflict may await them in the fifth kingdom.


While the teens went to sleep on their long day, a large wooden door opened to reveal a chamber the likes of which no one on Remnant had ever seen before. The floor was made of white marble, polished so well that it looked as if it was a mirror with a phantom layer of white covering everything above it. Six pillars of the same white marble stood as part of the circular walls around the chamber, which were colored pitch black but fluctuated like the waves of the ocean. The dome ceiling above it all was the same pitch black as the walls, but it didn't move around like water in a bottle and instead had small golden circles shining rays of light in every direction of the room. In a more technologically advanced world, it would look like a laser security system in a large corporation; only the lasers were golden rays of sunshine. Traveling back and forth on the rays of light were orbs the size of globes, each one a different color than the last.

In the center of the entire chamber, amidst the strands of light, a five and a half foot tall tower stood firm. It looked something like a tower one would see a white wizard in a world filled with powerful rings residing in, only it was made of pitch black stone and did not fluctuate like the walls around it. Floating just inches above the four spikes at the top was an orb that was starting to dull, like a layer of fog setting down in a valley, obscuring all that one could see inside it.

Once the orb had fogged up completely, the young hand that presided above it pulled back to its owner. The hand belonged to a young woman, looking to be just above twenty years old, dressed in a wine-red robe with blue and gold details in the stitching. Resting just above the chest was a metal piece of armor that gave the appearance of a brace, but had an intricate and beautiful design going from the center to the ends of each of her shoulders. Above the robes, above the collar, the woman's eyes were a soft brown like fallen leaves of autumn, the same as her long hair reaching the top of her waist. Her skin was smooth as silk, showing all the work that must have been put in to keep it as such, and showing just how youthful she was.

Upon hearing the door to her chamber opening, she turned to the entrance and bowed as she spoke in a voice soft as a fox's fur, "Your majesty."

The one who entered was none other than the ruler of Lothos, their entire head covered by the royal mask, which was merely a hood with a golden mask beneath it. The young woman knew who was under the mask, but it was custom in Lothos for the monarch to wear their royal mask out of respect when entering a Sanctum of Sight. Unlike the young woman's robes, the monarch's was more reminiscent of a coat, a dark blue with a golden bird flapping its wings together across the overlap on the chest. Beneath the cloak, in front of the pant-covered legs, hung a small flap reaching to the shins, while the back of the coat reached down to the ankles of the pointed boots.

"Rise, Royal Seer." when the monarch spoke, the mask altered their voice, but not their authoritative tone, "What news do you have that brought me to your sanctum?"

As the Royal Seer rose back to her feet, she took on a severe look to her leader and gestured to the center pedestal, "I have been keeping an eye on Remnant since the blade was reclaimed, and it seems that the seven children and the exiled mage are in pursuit of it."

Even though she could not see her monarch's face, the Royal Seer knew the face behind the mask had no smile; there had not been one in a long time, "How long until they reach the gate, Heimla?"

"At least a week. Luckily, the ship the children had chartered was not nearly as fast as the one he had chartered, which is why he had already arrived home."

Lothos' ruler brought their hand to their chin as they contemplated their next words, "Why would these children and the exiled mage care about the sword so much?"

The Royal Seer, now known as Heimla, wasted no time in answering, "They were the teammates and close friends of Jaune Arc. It's also been mentioned by your… operative that they've grown to see the blade as all that they have left of the boy."

With the new information, the magic monarch sighed in melancholy, "Loyal to their friend, no matter what. It seems the young Arc had the same effect on people as the rest of that family does."

A sullen silence fell upon the room until it was broken again by the royal ruler, "I understand why he told them not to follow, but perhaps it would be best that they see what they must. Heimla, keep watch on the children. Alert me when they find the Obelisk, and do what you can to ensure their journey to the gate goes more quickly."

Heimla tilted her head in confusion, "Your Highness? I do not understand. Are you saying you want these children in Lothos? Why?"

"Because I still owe the Arc family more than I could ever repay, and bringing young Jaune's friends here to answer their questions will be my way to honor the boy. Besides, after the boy's passing, the sword chose the one who would bring more honor to the boy with the blade than anyone else. If I cannot honor the boy by wielding the sword, then at least I can honor him with giving his friends some closure."

"And when they see you-" once again, Heimla paused and groaned at her near slip-up, "operative? You know what that could do to them all."

Her ruler nodded, "I know, but perhaps the pain it will bring upon them will teach them that the only way to truly stop the pain is to face it head-on."

Heimla's eyes narrowed at the choice of words from her leader, "Your Highness, when you appointed me this position, you told me to be a friend when need be and not just a servant. With that in mind, do I have your permission to speak in a free nature?"

"You may."

"Perhaps you should follow those words yourself."

The silence that followed the words was so tense it would have been difficult to cut through the tension without an axe, "Speed up their journey, summon me when they find the gateway, and assist me in bringing them to the palace, discreetly. We both are aware of the consequences if the word had gotten out that people of Remnant have been brought not only to Lothos but the Royal Palace as well. Understood?"

Heimla's eyes were still narrowed, but the closed shut when her head moved to the floor, "Shall be done, Your Majesty."

Without another word, the Lothonian ruler turned back to the doors, which closed on a melancholy Royal Seer sighing in defeat and sorrow for her hurting ruler.


Mass confusion presided in the minds of the Beacon students as they rushed through the halls of the ship, heading for the deck. Three days earlier, they heard that it would take another week until they reached Gravegate, and now, just after a mere three days, the captain announces they're only miles away from their destination. That confusion grew even more once they reached the deck and saw the captain was right. Off in the distance, they could see an island with a fog-covered mountain, surrounded by green treetops, and its shores surrounded by what looked like a graveyard of shipwrecks.

The heiress let out a shaky breath as a chill ran up her spine, "Hearing was one thing, but seeing this place in person, even at this distance, Gravegate truly lives up to the name it was given."

Ruby slowly nodded, her wide silver eyes not leaving the distant island, "You can say that again partner."

Oscar was about to say something, but he stopped himself as he heard the ancient wizard in his head, 'We should not be here by now. Something else is at work here, making our voyage shorter.'

"Captain!" Oscar called out to the veteran sailor, "I thought we weren't supposed to get here for another week! How did we get here so fast?"

"Honestly, I don't know son." the captain called back, "It was almost as if the waves had calmed to a standstill, but the ocean current changed and went with the ship. It looks like we were just lucky enough to find the right spot for us to sail through."

'I don't believe that luck was involved in cutting our journey short. Don't you feel it, Oscar? There is something in the air around us, not any scent, but a kind of invisible energy. You do feel it, don't you?'

'Yeah, I do. What is it?'

'Magic. A powerful form of magic. More powerful than anything I can do anymore. It would seem that while the one who took Crocea Mors did not want us following him, someone else from Lothos does. Someone powerful.'

'Oh man… you think that could be a good thing though?'

'... Nothing about Lothos is a good thing to me…'

"Oscar?" the young farm boy looked up to find the emerald eyes of his spartan partner, "Is everything alright? Is there something we should know? Something Ozpin wants to share?"

He thought on it for a bit, but it didn't take long for Oscar to decide to tell her, "Ozpin and I are both sensing something around us. We're pretty sure that someone with powerful magic is getting us to Gravegate earlier than we should be."

"FINE WITH ME!" the bombastic hammer-wielder appeared out of nowhere, making her two teammates jump back and scream in shock, "Just means we get to break some legs sooner!"

Pyrrha just laughed and giggled at her teammate's antics while Oscar covered his heart as he tried to get his breathing under control, "How is it that someone who's the equivalent of a human grenade capable of being stealthy enough for sneak attacks like that?!"

Nora giggled playfully as she took a single step and was face to face with Oscar, "Sorry, Little-Cute-Boy-Ozpin. Trade secret."

If the color of Oscar's face decided his name, it would be Oscar Wine, "N-Nora, please stop calling me that… er… us? That?"

'If you want to get into the technicality of it, I believe that was directed towards you, but myself as well since I'm still residing in your mind. Just remember that eventually, I will fade away, and it will just be you with my memories, then at least you won't be confused as to who miss Valkyrie is teasing.'

"Okay Nora, that's enough." Ruby put herself between the wildcard and the boy with two souls, "Oscar, should we be worried?"

The boy shrugged, "I mean, I don't think we need to be worried, we just need to be even more careful. Whoever took Crocea Mors didn't want us following him to Lothos, now we find ourselves being guided by magic to our closest clue on how to get there. It looks like there could be some conflict of interest in Lothos, so we should be cautious when we find a way there."

Ruby nodded as she clasped both of her hands onto one of Oscar's, "And Oscar? If Ozpin starts to lose control of himself or anything like that, don't worry. I have faith in you, and I know you can calm him down and take control yourself."

"I…" the young farm boy couldn't find any words, so he looked down, put his other hand on Ruby's, and looked back into her eyes, "Thank you, Ruby."

It was at that moment, they both realized just how close they were and blushed red as tomatoes, but luckily for them, the captain brought his presence back before the rest of the teens could tease the two team leaders, "Alright, this is as far as I can take you. You'll have to take a rowboat or two to navigate through the shipwrecks."

All of the young hunters looked back to the island, finding they were close enough to see some of the black shores past the mass of shipwrecks. They could see passageways of water between the corpses of wood and metal, only able to fit boats far smaller than the ship they were on. Following the captain, they were led to the back of the vessel, where they took two rowboats and placed them in the water.

Team RWBY climbed into their rowboat, but Oscar paused before he could join his team and turned back to the captain, "Captain, I know this isn't exactly a place that you would want to bring people to, but you did anyway, and we are very grateful. How much do we owe you for bringing us here?"

The jolly sailor laughed and waved his hand in refusal, "Nah, you don't owe me a thing. I remember what you and your friends told me, that you were chasin' someone that stole from you, and I'm just glad you let me help you out. Although, I just want to know one thing, how exactly are you hoping to get back to Vale once you're done?"

Oscar smiled, "Another friend of ours will be rounding up a force of huntsmen and huntresses we know, and they will be waiting for word from us off the coast of Anima. You won't have to come back for us, just keep avoiding this place like other sailors."

"I dunno." the bearded man shook his head, "Just doesn't sit right with me, leaving good people in such a dark and ominous place."

"You have my word. We're all taken care of with our return journey. Just go on doing what you've been doing, and stay safe."

The young farm boy and the old sailor shared the same smile and the same firm handshake, "Alright kid, you got it. You just take care of yourself okay?"

With that, Oscar nodded in confirmation and joined the rest of his team in their rowboat, and both teams began rowing through the water trenches towards the black beaches that awaited them. Since the passageways were so small, one boat went ahead while the other stayed close behind, rowing together like a two-boat convoy. Before they got onto the boats, they all decided it best for OLVN to go first, since Oscar's apparent seasickness would make them have to go slow and careful. The boy may not have appreciated it or been enthusiastic about it, but he had no choice except to repeat "it makes sense" and "makes us slower, makes us careful" in his head while he once again released his breakfast into the water.

"Poor Oscar…" Blake sighed as she shook her head in sympathy, "I guess it wouldn't seem normal if we didn't have a friend that had some sort of inconvenient sickness."

"Yeah, I guess so…" the blonde brawler drawled before a devious smirk appeared, "I guess you could say we'll never be sick of sea-ing vomit."

If their team leader wasn't already groaning as loud as a truck, the rest of team OLVN would have heard a collective groan from behind them, "DAMMIT YANG!"

They did, however, manage to hear a high-pitched shout, followed by a collective gasp from three deeper voices, which Nora just shook her head at, "Seriously? She's seventeen years old now, of course, she's gonna get to that rebellious-word-shouting-phase."

Oscar wiped his mouth of all remaining vomit and washed his hand off in the water before turning to his thunderous teammate, "I don't know what's more unbelievable, the fact that you said something sisterly, or the fact you think it's a phase. I mean, no offense Nora, but I don't think you went through that phase, but just made your life that whole phase."

"True~." Nora playfully giggled at her leader's remark.

Five minutes of rowing passed before Oscar managed to keep his apparent seasickness under control, and not a moment too soon, the two teams beached together. To be on the safe side, they decided to pull their boats past the water line and into the foliage, but once they got to the treeline, they noticed something peculiar, "Nothing."

It was only one word, but everyone knew what Ren meant: that there was absolutely no sound coming from the forest. It was as if the only living things on the island were the students and the trees, but not even they made a sound with the lack of wind blowing through the branches. The only sounds on the entire beach were the sounds of the small waves racing up the black sand. It was unnatural. It was unsettling.

"We're going to have to go through the forest," Oscar motioned towards the muted trees, where a thick line of cut branches laid out, "there's a trail here, so we're lucky with that at least."

'You feel that Oscar? This whole island is drowning in magic. That must mean only one thing.'

'Our way to get to Lothos is here, isn't it?'

'It's the only explanation.'

"Alright, listen up!" Oscar looked around until he found a large rock next to the trail, "It looks like this island is exactly where we want to be. There is far too much magic here for the island to be anything other than our entrance to Lothos. Remember though, while the guy who took Crocea Mors didn't want us following him, the ghostly presence from back on the boat proved that someone else skilled in magic did want us here. Be on guard, stay close, and don't stray from the group. We'll follow this trail to wherever it leads, then we'll figure out what to do from there."

The teens smiled at their youngest friend, their newest leader, taking his own action and standing tall, "Now then, let's go get our sword back!"

"YEAH!" with that declaration, Oscar got one in return from Ruby, Yang, Nora, and Pyrrha, while the two ninjas and the heiress smiled brightly.


While Oscar's little speech managed to brighten the spirits of the hunters, they were darkened rather quickly as they walked through the forest, following the trail of branches on the ground and hanging off trees by a thread. For ten minutes, they walked through the forest, and not a single sound entered their ears other than their own footsteps: not a single buzzing fly, not a single roaring predator, not even one growling Grimm, only the lonely sounds of eight pairs of feet walking down a trail of fallen branches. If they were honest, the silence was more offsetting to the teen hunters than the prospect of Grimm packs, what they can predict.

'Ozpin? What kind of magic could be able to silence an entire forest? I mean, this place just feels… wrong.'

'I'm sorry Oscar, but it has been just too long since I've been in a place of magic. It's even entirely possible that there have been new forms of magic discovered since I was exiled from Lothos. However, I understand what you mean, the magic presence here feels… conflicted.'

Conflicted. For whatever reason that neither Oscar nor Ozpin could explain, the word felt so fitting for the atmosphere they found themselves in that they began to think that perhaps that wasn't just what awaited them, but what they might see themselves thrown into. They started thinking that there was a conflict in the fifth kingdom, and, knowing their luck, they were going to find themselves right in the middle of it. Oscar, however, thought it best to get more information than a feeling in the air before he threw the idea out to the rest of his comrades, so they continued in a mixture of contemplative and careful silence.

The silence didn't last long, however, as after only a few more steps after Oscar and Ozpin's little discussion, the hunters found themselves at the foot of the mountain, where sound returned to their hearing in the form of tumbling rocks. That wasn't the only sound, however, as they looked up to see flashes of light speeding through the clouds atop the mountain, with thunder drumming along soon after each burst. "We're going to have to climb the mountain, aren't we?"

"Yep." Ruby answered her partner's question automatically, emphasizing the "p".

Wasting no more time, they began to climb up the mountain together, but in pairs rather than on their own. The first pair was Ren and Blake, who were the most skilled in parkour, and used those skills to go ahead and make notes of any loose rocks that could slow the rest down. Following the two ninjas were Oscar and Pyrrha, Ruby and Weiss, and finally Yang and Nora, who all went up the face of the mountain more slowly than the first pair. Whenever they heard another clap of thunder, they all froze in place, waiting for a signal from the first pair. As they all stopped for what felt like the tenth time, Pyrrha looked at her partner with slight agitation, "What exactly should we be looking for on this mountain?"

Oscar shrugged, but he also responded vocally, "I'm not sure. My guess is it'll probably be some doorway or opening, or maybe we won't find anything on the mountain, and we'll have to climb to the top."

Pyrrha's frustration in her eyes gave way to concern and worry at Oscar's guess, "But didn't the captain say this mountain is a volcano?"

He nodded but kept the fear in his eyes hidden behind seriousness, "He did, but we are dealing with people who can use magic here. What's to say there isn't a form of magic that created an island in the center of the volcano's opening and that our only way to Lothos will be there? As far as I'm concerned, anything that we could imagine, we could be dealing with, because that form of thought comes with the idea of magic."

"Fair point. Well then, let's get back to-"

"HOLD IT!"

Neither the spartan nor the farm boy was surprised that if anyone was going to shout in the form of a whisper, it was their beloved hammer-wielding teammate, "Sorry, but Ren and Blake just found an opening further up the volcano, looks like a tunnel. They're just waiting on everyone else."

With that, Nora went back to climbing to the tunnel, while Oscar shook his head, "You know, if I hadn't gotten to know Nora the way I have these past few years, I'd ask how she was able to climb ahead of us, but…"

Pyrrha giggled as she finished her young leader's thoughts, "But now, you know it's just Nora, and there is no real ability to question it."

"Yeah…"

The two partners shared a chuckle before they began climbing again and eventually reached the opening, with Blake and Ren standing next to both sides of the doorway. Once everyone else had managed to get to the passageway, they cautiously began walking through the tunnel, their path becoming darker with each step they took. Eventually, they found themselves at a point where they couldn't even see two feet in front of them, and they ceased moving completely. Slowly, Oscar raised his cane and slammed it down in front of him, the sound of the impact reverberating in the darkness and signaling that they had reached the end of the tunnel and found themselves in some chamber.

"I can't see anything!" Ruby whined, "I'd reach for my scroll to turn on the flashlight, but I can't even see my pockets!"

'Oscar, listen carefully, I believe I know how you can make your surroundings visible, but you're going to have to use magic.'

'Seriously?! I can use magic?!'

'Well, you are carrying my soul, along with my ability to use magic, so yes. Yes, you can. You need to clear your mind, and say a command.'

"Wait." Oscar's voice paused the rest of the young hunters as they listened to him take a deep breath and release a sudden roar,

"KENAZ!"

The command reverberated through the darkness until it all faded away once again, and a chamber made of stone took its place. The first thing they all noticed was the lava that surrounded them, both in the mote below and trailing down the walls, didn't magically appear, but instead magically lit up. Then they all looked towards the center of the room and saw the Obsidian Obelisk, and not a single word passed through their minds, nor their lips. Oscar, on the other hand, grew a confident smirk and turned back to his friends, "Guys, I think we've found our gateway."

"What? What do you mean? And what was that Oscar?"

"Ozpin says that that Obelisk right there is a powerful travel stone that's capable of taking us to Lothos. As for what I did, I just shouted out the magic command for 'fire' and the power in this chamber activated. Just like he said, this place is a chamber with magic power, and it just needed the right spell from someone gifted with magic for it to awaken."

For the second time in less than a minute, the hunters were rendered dumbfounded and speechless, which made Oscar's smirk grow even more significant, "Well come on! Let's go!"

'STOP!'

Ozpin's scream was so loud in Oscar's mind that his head throbbed with pain and he brought his hands up to hold it as he collapsed to his knees, "AGH! WHAT THE HELL?!"

'Oscar, I know using magic for the first time is an empowering experience, but don't let it go to your head. We're still in uncharted territory, and it being Lothos territory makes it more treacherous. Now listen here: I do not want to set foot back in that hypocritical land, nor do I even want to think about it, but even though I may not be ready or willing to go there, your team wants nothing more than to go and reclaim their last reminder of mister Arc. For their sake, be careful, and if I lose control of myself and take over for whatever reason, do whatever you must to take back control.'

The once-farm boy did not like the sound of that request, 'What do you mean "whatever I must do"?! What could that cost?!'

"OSCAR?!"

Brought out of his mindscape, the young boy opened his eyes to find two distressed silver orbs frisking him, "Oscar! What happened?! Are you okay?!"

"I…" what could he say? "I'm okay, Ruby. Ozpin just blurted something I got startled, and it sent my head out of control for a second."

"Well, what did he tell you?" Blake walked forward and knelt to take a good look, her enhanced Faunus senses combing the boy to make sure he was really alright.

"He just told me not to get over-confident with my new gift of using magic, and keep a level head." the looks on his friends' faces practically telegraphed their suspicion, "And… he also mentioned that since the memories of Lothos are so painful for him that he thought it best to let me have control for the entirety of the mission. In case he might lose control of himself."

It may not have been precisely what the ancient wizard said, but Oscar knew if the old man was told or asked that, he wouldn't deny it, and it was that knowledge that convinced them to drop it, "Makes sense. If either you or even Ozpin need any help with staying in control, you'll let us know."

By his partner's tone of voice, it was not a request; it was an order, one he accepted with gratitude, "I will Pyrrha. I promise."

Satisfied, the red-headed spartan smiled and held out her hand for her leader to grab, "Well then, let's take a look at the-"

Suddenly, the chamber began to shake violently like a ship sailing through the middle of a violent storm, the mote of lava below starting to bubble as if the volcano was about to erupt. The hunters were all caught off guard, leaning from one direction to another to keep themselves from falling off the stone island and into the river of liquid fire. As the tremors were getting worse, both Ruby and Oscar shook out of their panic and went into their leader modes, "EVERYONE! TO THE OBELISK!"

Following the two leaders, the rest huddled around the Obsidian Obelisk, not wanting to lose their only way to Crocea Mors before they could even get to the other plane. Though it seemed they might not have needed to worry as much as they thought. As soon as Oscar put his hands on the Obelisk, his brown eyes widened before they lost all color and turned white as snow. When Ruby turned to him, she immediately noticed that something was wrong, but no matter how loud she screamed his name, he wouldn't respond. However, it was not because the shaking and trembling of the ground beneath them were too loud, it was because a voice was blocking out all of the outside world, and taking all presence in his mind.

And it was not Ozpin.

'You seek answers? Then you will find them, but only if you are prepared for what toll they will take on you all. However, if you continue on this path, look for the spire where the sun reaches tomorrow.'

Even if he could ask the voice what it meant, Oscar hadn't the time, as without even a word, he and the rest of the young hunters were absorbed by the Obelisk, their panicked voices drowned out by the rumbling ground. Soon enough, all traces of the Beacon students were gone, and the Obelisk pulsed with energy as its carvings glowed blue before it released the power, not only bringing back the darkness but calming the unstable ground. Meanwhile, each one of the hunters found themselves flying through a bright tunnel alone, the walls of light fluctuating and shining every single color in existence like a rainbow bridge. They had no control over their body, and all they could do was look up towards the end of the tunnel and scream in distress. Nearly upon the blinding light, they all shut their eyes and braced themselves for any impact… only for seven pairs of eyes to open and find themselves… somewhere else.


A/N's: "In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again." - Lewis Carroll

It's finally time! Goodbye Remnant, HELLO LOTHOS! If you weren't already enjoying yourselves and this story, I can assure you, this is where the fun begins. While planning this story, I debated whether or not to make their arrival in Lothos occur later on or to make it as early as possible. In the end, I chose to make it as early as possible, as the true story is not what happens in Remnant, but in Lothos. Also, am I being cruel with all of these secrets I'm keeping and teasing you with?

What really happened the night that Jaune died? Who exactly is the one that took Crocea Mors, and what is his connection to the ruler of Lothos? What consequences that the ruler mentioned could happen if RWBY and OLVN are seen in Lothos? How does the ruler know the Arc family, and what do they mean when they say that they owe the Arc family more than they could ever repay? Why does the Royal Seer tell her ruler that they should listen to their own advice? And was the other voice in Oscar's head Heimla or someone else?

I'll leave that to you to figure out or guess. However, I promise, most if not all will be revealed in due time. Anyways, special thanks to SunWukongMogar for being my beta reader with each step of this thing. Be sure to check him out after you leave some comments, suggestions, constructive criticism, etc. Just let me know what you think of the story in the reviews, maybe even take some guesses on what might come. It's always welcome!

Misc. Notes:

The Royal Seer's name, Heimla, is based on the name of Heimdall, the Aesir god who sees all in Norse Mythology.

Since this is a MAJOR AU, I'm making it that Ozpin will fade away eventually, but Oscar will be left with all of his memories and his ability to use magic.


Well then, 'til next time!