Clockwork Spectrum

Volume I

Chapter 1: Spinning Cogs

The bar was practically empty, save for the single individual sitting at the counter by himself. Oscar shifted uncomfortably as he entered, unsure of what he was doing. Part of him wondered why he was even doing this. Here at Haven when he could be back at the farm, helping his aunt. Why did he bother listening to the voice in his head?

'Is…that him?' Oscar asked the voice – Headmaster of Beacon Academy, Ozpin – timidly. He was not about to walk up to a complete stranger, especially in a bar. He already saw the flask in the guy's hand, and wasn't about to risk being caught in a one-on-one bar fight. 'The Qrow person you mentioned?'

'Yes, that is him.' Ozpin confirmed for him. 'You'll almost always find him inside a bar.'

'A-and what am I supposed to tell him? Am I just supposed to tell him you're apparently inside my head and I have your memories or something?'

Ozpin chuckled softly. 'Not quite. Tell him I want my cane back.' Oscar blinked. His…cane? 'Trust me. It will work out.'

Sighing, the farm boy dragged his feet forward. His footsteps caused the floorboards underneath him to creak softly. It was loud enough, however, for the man at the counter to notice as he shifted slightly. He made no move to turn around, however.

"Um…" Oscar sucked in a breath nervously. Here it was. The moment of truth. "E-excuse me?"

The man turned. Peach fuzz was found across the bottom of his face, red eyes tired and weary from a long journey. His messy black hair was unruly like a ruffled bird's feathers, the bangs coming down over his forehead with the fringe slightly over his eyes. In hand was a glass.

And he reeked of alcohol. Oscar's nose twitched, repulsed by the smell. It was his first time smelling the stuff.

"…I don't think they allow kids in here." Qrow Branwen said. Thankfully for Oscar, his voice didn't have a slight slur, meaning he wasn't fully drunk.

'Well, go on.' Ozpin encouraged him. 'Ask.'

Oscar frowned. "I'm getting there." He snapped, only to realize he said it out loud. Qrow's eyebrow rose to his hairline, setting his drink down. His hands gripped the fabric of his pants, sighing. "I'm…supposed to tell you…" he began, looking at the man in the eye, all the while trying to maintain his composure. There's no way this would work. "…I'd like my can back."

Qrow blinked. Once. Twice. Then his eyes settled on the silver hilt that sat on his hip. He stared back at Oscar before he chuckled, standing up from his stool, gently shoving it back before taking the hilt from his side. Tossing it around in his hand, he looked back at Oscar. For a moment, the farm boy was worried he would do something to him.

His fears were unfounded.

Qrow tossed the hilt to Oscar, who caught it. He gasped when a sleek, black shaft suddenly extended, forming into what seemed like a cane. Fascinated and awed, his gloved hands held the cane. It felt smooth, yet it felt strangely nostalgic to hold it in his hands. It was perhaps because of Ozpin taking up residence inside of him – merging with him.

His eyes trained on the clockwork-like design at the handle before his attention turned to the drunkard.

Qrow grinned. "It's good to see you again, Oz."

A slight jostle from the Bulkhead caused Oscar Pine, age 15, to stir awake. Startled, he looked around. Steel was everywhere he looked, along with soft comfy seats while the passengers around him looked out the windows. Outside, a stunning view danced before them – a castle-like structure standing proudly atop a cliff with spires on either side.
Oscar calmed his dancing heart and sighed, reclining in his seat. "I'm starting to hate those dreams."

It had been two months since he left the small farm in Anima. His aunt was surprised by his decision, especially when he had previously showed no desires of going to Beacon

Academy. She was also maybe a bit disapproving of his actions, too. Beacon Academy was one of the best Huntsman Academies in Remnant, and he had no training whatsoever. Trying to attend was practically suicide.

If he didn't know what he did now, he'd agree with her and would have never even mentioned it to her.

The Bulkhead lurched forward a bit, descending down to the landing pad. The passengers began to gather near the entrance, eager to see Beacon Academy firsthand. Meanwhile, a familiar blonde was panicking, trying to reach the bathroom before he ended up dumping the contents of his stomach again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another familiar blonde, this one with much longer hair, panicking as she tried to grab a red cloak to wipe off the vomit on her shoes.

Red cloak?

Oscar's breath hitched when he saw her. She looked nothing like she did when they met. Silver, steely eyes that were proud and sharp like a warrior while holding a look of innocence to her. Her body language was always tense, as if prepared for a coming battle. However, there was none of her there now. Instead, he saw a childish girl with pure innocence. Yes, there were signs of the warrior within, but none were prominent.

"Ruby…" he whispered while holding a hand to his chest. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "No. Don't think about it."

He didn't want to relive that moment again. He's seen it enough to already have it burned into his memory. There was no more need to make him relive it further.

After a few minutes, the Bulkhead landed. Moments later, the doors hissed open, descending to make a ramp. The passengers then spilled out, moving towards the vast open courtyard. The closest Oscar had seen it was in pamphlets and Ozpin's memories; however it all paled in comparison to seeing it for himself.

The walkway was practically a statement unto itself: "Welcome, future warriors, to your new school. Hone your abilities and talents, so that you may safeguard this world or die trying!"

…okay, maybe not that last part, but still.

Trees lined the walkway while a single statue, showcasing a Huntsman and Huntress standing over a cowering Beowolf, hiding underneath a rock. A testament and a boost, meant to help encourage those who were not as courageous as others to take the step forward. The future students of Beacon Academy walked through with pride and awe, already looking forward to their year here at this prestigious academy.

Of course, Oscar had no attention of becoming a student here. He wasn't even an applicant, nor did he have any transcripts. He was more or less a stowaway – sneaking aboard the Bulkhead without anyone noticing. As far as he was concerned, he was just a guest.

That being said, he was nervous. What if this plan wouldn't work? What if Ozpin didn't believe him? Maybe this was a stupid idea after all…but there was no sense trying. Best case if Ozpin didn't believe him, he'd just ship him back to Anima. Worst case, he'd let James Ironwood get a hold of him.

He shuddered at the thought. 'Remind me again, why am I doing this?' Part of him expected an answer from his other occupant, but then remembered that he wasn't there. He was inside that school, waiting to begin the opening ceremony and deliver a speech to his students.

Oscar sighed, running a hand through his hair before he willed himself to walk away.

"Ooh! Ooh! Sis, look! That kid has a collapsible staff!"

And try and not run up to Ruby Rose and hug her while sobbing. That would be rather embarrassing.

It hadn't taken Oscar to find Glynda Goodwitch. She was found not far from the halls, overlooking the newcomers. It would be at least a good ten or twelve minutes before the opening ceremony began, so he was thankful he found her when he did. If he remembered Ozpin's memories correctly, the woman was as strict as she was devoted. Yes, she often disagreed with his judgement calls, but she ultimately followed his word. She also heavily disagreed with Ironwood, due to his tendencies to be overcautious and whatnot.

Sucking in a breath, and bracing himself, he approached. "Pardon me. Are you Professor Goodwitch?"

The woman turned. She seemed a bit surprise to see someone as young as Ruby here. He didn't blame her, though he wasn't technically invited here. "You're…a bit young to be here." She said slowly as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you have business here at Beacon? Or did you get on the wrong ship?"

"Not quite." Oscar said curtly, keeping his tone respectful. He knew better than to anger a woman. Especially one as high-strung as Glynda. "I'm here to talk to Professor Ozpin."

"I'm sorry, but the Headmaster-"

"It's about the Fall Maiden he has underneath Beacon Academy and Salem's lap dog."

His answer, which cut into hers mid-sentence, was so abrupt that he only now realized how rude it sounded. He momentarily cursed inside his head. Dammit, he must have been hanging around Qrow for too long. Regardless, his answer had stunned her to silence. For a moment, a look of panic had even formed over her features before she calmed down.

Hoooly crap that glare was the stuff of nightmares. For a moment, he wondered if he was better off facing one of Salem's Wyverns over being on the receiving end of Glynda Goodwitch's death stare.

There was only silence between the two of them. Wordlessly, Glynda produced her Scroll from her person. A few inputs, and soon a familiar voice – as somber and smooth as he always had been – spoke from the other line.

"Is something the matter, Glynda?"

"Sir." Glynda spoke tensely. "There's a young man here to see you."

"Oh?"

"…he mentioned her."

Another bout of silence.

"…well then, send him in. It seems we have a lot to talk about, then."

For what seemed like the umpteenth time today, Oscar wondered if he was better off staying home than coming to Beacon. The entire trip with Glynda had been nothing but a chilling silence that would put even the Winter Maiden to shame. He didn't dare say anything, choosing to instead grasp the object hidden in the pouch on his waist.

'I hope everything goes well…'

It was wishful thinking at best. Especially when there was the possibility that Ozpin would dismiss him. However, Oscar soon remembered that he had one way of making the man believe his seemingly impossible tales.

The elevator stuttered once it reached the height of its ascent. The doors slid open, presenting Oscar a view of the office. 'Just like how I remember it.' Oscar thought wryly. 'Oh, wait, how Ozpin remembers it. At this rate, I won't be able to tell apart my memories from his.'

The room was circular, with cogs spinning and whirring and clicking together in a beautiful sequence of rhythms above them. Behind the mahogany desk was a pane-glass window with a beautiful view of the entire academy, as well as Vale, which could be seen from afar.

And behind that desk was an unfamiliar man, yet at the same time, familiar.

'So this is what you look like, Ozpin.'

Ozpin looked well into his thirties, but his hair was gray. He was dressed professionally, as one might expect from a Headmaster of the most prestigious academy in Vale. A black jacket over a dark green shirt, a black tie, and formal pants. Atop the bridge of his nose were small, round black glasses. In hand was his cane, while in the other was a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

Even now, Oscar didn't understand why he drank the stuff instead of coffee. Would have been a lot more effective in keeping him awake.

Oscar and Glynda stepped out of the elevator. Behind them, twin metal doors slid shut, locking it down until it was needed again. Ozpin had finished taking a sip of his favorite drink before setting it down on his desk. "…when Glynda said a young man had come, I wasn't expecting one around Ms. Rose's age." Ozpin said, his voice calm and collected as it usually had been. He set his cane down afterwards and folded his hands, leaning forward with a curious intrigue in his eyes. "Nor was I expecting someone who knew about the Fall Maiden, much less Salem herself."

Oscar sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "To be honest, I wish I didn't." he said. "If it's okay…can I take a seat? I'm still dealing with jet lag."

"Of course." Ozpin gestured to the opposing chair. Oscar bowed his head gratefully, pulling it back and sitting down. From behind, Glynda remained where she was at the far end of the room. "So then…may I ask who you are?"

"My name is Oscar Pine. 15-years-old, and until recently, I was a farm hand at my aunt's place in Anima." He answered. "And you're Professor Ozpin. Headmaster of Beacon Academy, and one of the guardians of the relics."

From behind, he heard Glynda shift in her spot. Once more, he felt a dangerous feeling emanating from her. Ozpin seemed to tense at this as well, evident by how his shoulders seemed to lock in place. "Interesting…" he hummed, drumming his fingers against his folded hands. "And, if you don't mind me asking…how exactly do you know about that?"

"Because you and Qrow Branwen told me." Were the situation weren't so tense, he would have chuckled at the stupefied expression the man gave him. "I know about the silver-eyed warriors. I know about the four maidens. I know about the relics, and that only the maidens can reach them. And Salem wants them. She already has half of the Fall Maiden's powers because of Cinder Fall."

"Cinder?"

"Her lap dog, along with Arthur Watts and Hazel Rainart."

Two individuals, and arguably among the most dangerous of her group. One of them Ozpin knew well enough.

"…I find it odd that I told all of this to someone I never met."

"You didn't." Oscar answered. "At least, not for nearly a year." Ozpin quirked an eyebrow. The farm hand scratched his head. "And what I'm about to tell you is pretty much going to sound like I'm crazy, and I see one of two things happening here. Either one, you let Ironwood have at me in an attempt to interrogate me, or at the very least bring in Qrow. Or two, you just wave me off and send me back to my aunt while keeping me under watch."

The gray-haired headmaster tilted his head, waving a hand. "Well then, young man, enough with the suspense." In spite of his formal and even tone, there was obviously a hint of suspicion. "Tell me your story."

"…eleven months from now – eight months after the Fall of Beacon Academy, I wake up with a voice in my head calling itself Ozpin. I try to ignore it, yet for some reason I remember things that I know for a fact didn't happen. And I can't even begin to tell you the crazy stuff that happens next in my life."

So he told Ozpin everything. From Ozpin's own memories from after Ruby Rose underwent Initiation-

"-Ruby and Weiss ride on the back of an Elder Nevermore in order to get to the temple faster-"

-to the soon-to-be formed Teams RWBY and JNPR fighting back to back against the avian Grimm and a Deathstalker-

"-Blake and Yang make a slingshot with Blake's weapon and Weiss shoots Ruby at the Nevermore, which she drags up the cliff and cuts off its head. Jaune and the rest of Team JNPR send the Deathstalker down the bridge-"

-to Initiation's conclusion. He also told of the minor incident regarding Jaune's transcripts coming into question with the whole Cardin Winchester incident, but even then Ozpin never really interfered. He spoke about the events that occurred in the following semester, where Ruby had caused a food fight with Team JNPR in the cafeteria-

"-she practically glued them to the wall after returning Pyrrha's own attack against her. Professor Goodwitch wasn't exactly happy about the mess, either."

-and then their involvement with reports of four teenagers battling a hijacked Altesian Paladin, supposedly controlled by Roman Torchwick. Oscar continued on by speaking about the breach, where Roman and the White Fang collaborated by blowing a hole in their defenses and letting the Grimm inside the city. Then came the Vytal Festival.

"-because of the Breach, the Council decided that Ironwood and the Altesian Military were a better choice to guard the festival. You weren't exactly happy with the decision, especially since it was an unnecessary show of force that only raised concerns."

Oscar spoke of the fateful match between Yang Xiao Long and Mercury Black, which became the powder keg that would seal Vale's fate-

"-one of Cinder's allies: Emerald, used her Semblance to make Yang think Mercury was attacking him. The result was obvious: everyone thought that she attacked him unprovoked. The negativity in the crowd spiked-"

-and that the fight between Pyrrha Nikos and Penny Polendina – an android designed to look like a human, harboring an artificial soul, had lit the spark.

"-Pyrrha's Semblance pulled her blades back. In the next second, Miss Polendina's body was ripped apart until it was scraps and shreds. Cinder took advantage of the negativity and made the situation worse. And then came the Grimm…and the Wyvern."

Oscar told him about the Fall of Beacon. How the White Fang, in the midst of the chaos, took to the streets and began raising hell. Worse, Cinder Fall had left behind a virus that allowed her to hijack every Knight and Paladin in the city. It was chaotic. The continuous rise of negative emotions brought hordes of Grimm into the city. If that wasn't bad enough, Cinder Fall had robbed Amber, the Fall Maiden, of the rest of her powers while they were in the middle of transferring hers to Pyrrha Nikos.

Then he spoke of the battle between the two of them. Cinder Fall had emerged victorious, but she would later be defeated by Ruby…at the cost of Pyrrha Nikos' life. Then, months later, Oscar would find him talking to him inside of his own head. With a bit of embarrassment showing, he told of his initial reactions to having someone calling themselves the Headmaster of Beacon talking inside of his head and urging him to follow on his ideals of excitement and adventure – the desire to be something more.
That, of course, led to him going to Haven, where he found Qrow and met Ruby Rose for the first time.

By the time Oscar finished recounting the events that had transpired in his time – the time he was desperately trying to change, he found his throat a bit dry. Throughout the whole thing, Glynda remained where she was, but she clearly looked at him as if he were a madman. Ozpin, on the other hand, looked perhaps a bit ready to accept his answer, yet remained apprehensive.

"An interesting story." He said after a moment. "So…you were killed by Salem after Ruby had dealt her a fatal blow, which came at the expense of her own life, and then you somehow woke up in your bedroom at your aunt's farm two months ago."

"Like I said." Oscar deadpanned. "You'll either think I'm crazy or…well, crazy."

Finally, the blonde head-mistress spoke. "I, for one, would like to think so." She said, taking a few steps forward and shooting a warning glare at Oscar before turning to Ozpin. "Sir, you can't honestly believe what this boy says. Time travel? Preposterous."

"Now now, Glynda." Ozpin dismissed. "Even if what Mr. Pine says is rather outlandish, he is aware of who we are, and what we're trying to prevent." He then turned his attention back to his future successor, taking the moment to drink from his mug again. "Still, I'm rather curious. Provided what you say is true…why come to Beacon? Why speak with us about this?"

"Because if I told Ironwood, he'd lock me up under the idea I'm working for Salem." Oscar stated, leaning forward. "And then he'd interrogate me. If I told Leo, he would report back to you while keeping an eye on me. And I wouldn't even know where to look for Qrow, since he keeps moving around."

He took another deep breath, calming himself down. Ozpin wasn't fully dismissing him yet. Part of him was willing to believe him. He just needed to push a bit further now.

"The reason why I came to you is because…I know I can convince you."

"How, exactly?"

"A name."

"And that name would be…?"

Oscar closed his eyes. Wordlessly, he removed the item from his holster, holding it out. He heard Glynda gasp as he felt Oz-his cane extend, revealing its battered and cracked form. The handle's cogs were stained with mud and dirt while the grip was covered in scratches.

Then he hammered the final nail in the coffin.

"Oum. Monty…Oum."

Opening his eyes, he found a visibly shaken Ozpin staring at him, wide-eyed and mouth agape. If he were holding his mug at this moment, he would have dropped it. Glynda looked at the two of them, confused while also shocked to find a replica of the Headmaster's own cane in his possession, albeit battered and worn out from countless battles.

After a long period of silence, the Professor turned to the deputy head-mistress. "Glynda…" Ozpin spoke, voice solemn. "Would you be kind enough to give myself and Mr. Pine a moment?"

"Wh-what?" Glynda stuttered. "Sir, you can't possibly-"

"Please."

There were only a handful of moments in which the man had EVER said "please."

Stunned, Glynda only nodded dumbly, and turned on her heel. Her shoes clacked against the floor as she left the room, closing the door behind her. Once it shut, Ozpin closed his eyes and took yet another drink from his mug…only it wasn't a sip. It seemed as if he were gulping down the contents as if he were Qrow Branwen drinking from his flask after a particularly long day. Once he lowered it, setting it down on his desk, he gave a long, tired and worn-out sigh.

"…I have always believed that, no matter what age or era I was in, I had done more wrong than any man, woman or child on this earth." Ozpin said as he looked at Oscar, eyes showing nothing but sadness while a somber, poor smile touched his face. "You…are far too young to be carrying this burden."

The same smile fell upon his face too. "We didn't really have much choice, Oz."

To Be Continued…