[A/N:
From this point forward, while I do feel sorry for long absences, I will not address most, if any, of them. On a similar note, I've had this chapter ready for a little bit, but I had the strange desire to write more so I could get multiple out at once, so a portion of the delay comes from that.
Important topic point, there is a lot of emotion that Argento shows in this chapter. If you think this is incorrect, you are free to have that opinion, but you are wrong. He took Summer's words to not bottle everything up to heart, partially because they rang true and partially because of his fondness for her before she disappeared.]
There are innumerable ways in which one can dream, and I can safely say that I dislike most of them. The obvious ones to hate are nightmares, but even my happy memories are sometimes too painful to bear.
Thankfully, if you can even use that term to describe it, I was stuck with a particularly bad nightmare; the type in which I am completely lucid but incapable of waking myself up. The only way to do so would be for it to escalate or for my inner alarm to go off.
These ones, though painful, allow me to handle whatever fucked situation comes up as it does so, instead of all at once when I wake up. It was just unfortunate that it chose to use Trivia and Ivy as the victims of the twisted games it plays on me.
In a similar-looking battle I had when defending Ruby and Yang, my body would barely move with my desires. I had to watch as they desperately fended off the growing group of Grimm, incapable of approaching them.
Just as the battle became truly bad, my desperation slowly increased despite knowing it was simply a nightmare I had to endure, and a massive sword-armed Grimm snuck up on Ivy. Mere moments before it impaled her, time seemed to freeze, and everything began to fade away.
My emotions began calming down as I realized it was over, but it made no sense until I felt a warm sensation begin to flood through me. Closing my eyes for a short moment, which makes little sense as I am in a dream, I open them to find myself back at my house in Vale.
Everything around seemed to fade into white after a few meters away, but I barely noticed it as I looked up to see a contently smiling Ivy slowly running her fingers through my hair as I lay on her lap. Sitting to her left was a slightly ethereal Trivia, and a barely noticeable shimmer I nearly disregarded was to her right.
Before I could begin to figure it out, I started to feel the unique sensation that came from my inner alarm pulling me from my sleep. Reluctantly letting both my curiosity and tranquility fade, I closed my "dream" eyes once again and came out of my dream.
Except my tranquility stayed, as did the sensation of fingers running through my hair. Knowing I still had 20 minutes, I stayed there for 5 more minutes before I let my curiosity get the better of me, and I opened my eyes.
Having not opened them yet, reluctant to let the pleasant feeling fade, I found that even opening my eyes wouldn't let it fade since it wasn't my imagination. Looking up I could see a peaceful smile on Celestia she only has when her wings are being brushed.
Had it not been for the meeting I had with Oz and Glynda soon I would simply close my eyes again, but knowing I had to go made me shift a little to gently grab her attention. Thankfully it was enough to pull her from her trance, and I gently smiled at her before she could even fully process how awake I was.
"Well I'll tell you this now, I wasn't expecting this when I woke up."
"It sounds like you did expect to fall asleep though, despite asking me to wake you up beforehand."
"Well, it never hurts to be careful, as there have been a rare few occurrences when I am unable to do so myself."
As we chat at a low volume and slow pace, she continues to run her fingers through my hair, which I happily allow. It may be something that was only done by Ivy or Trivia before, but it thankfully seems to not bring back painful memories.
Eventually, she stopped running her fingers through my hair, and with discontent I didn't think I'd feel I got up to stretch. However, it seems I wasn't able to hide the discontent well enough as I heard giggling from behind me.
"You know, if you like it that much I can always do it more; as long as you promise to brush my wings more often."
Taking a second to remember the layout of the campus, and finding the most ideal path to Ozpin's office, it takes me less than a second to agree, which only causes Celestia to giggle more.
"Oh yeah, before I forget. Professor Goodwitch stopped by right as class ended after you fell asleep. Turns out the kitchen is open 24 hours, and we can order it from the dorm or go there at any point."
"Well, this could come in handy later down the line. I'll see you back at the dorm Celeste."
With a final wave and an almost full aura, I slowed time by a small factor and began a comfortable jog that got me to Ozpin's elevator entrance with only a slightly drained aura and a few minutes to spare.
As the doors to the elevator opened, I walked forward to find a small surprise awaiting me in Oz's office. Ozpin was sitting at his desk, cane within reach and a mug of hot cocoa in hand, Glynda was standing to the side of the desk now looking up from whatever was on her tablet, and leaning on the edge of the desk was a dusty crow sipping from a flask.
[Argento] - "Well this is a welcome surprise. Last I saw you was the week following Ruby's birthday."
[Qrow] - "Yeah, though that was because someone decided to send me on a mission that took longer than I would've liked."
With what I could assume to be a playful glare he gave Oz, who simply chuckled at him, Qrow sighed and gave a sip of his flask. Seeing the look Glynda gave him let me know she was most definitely not happy with his continued use of alcohol.
[Oz] - "His mission ended at the perfect time, and with nothing else to do he decided to drop by for our meeting."
[Glynda] - "Not that he would've cared for permission anyways."
[Qrow] - "Hey, I'll have you know that I would've left if I was unwanted by all parties; seeing as Argento's exact words were 'welcome surprise' I'd say my presence is warranted."
[Glynda] - "You know full well that -"
[Oz] - "That's enough you two. As entertaining as it would be to watch you go back and forth like bickering children, I'm sure Argento would like to not be here too long. I assume you haven't eaten yet, seeing as you also haven't changed back into your uniform."
[Argento] - "Yeah, I woke up 20 prime minutes ago."
[Oz] - "Prime minutes?"
[Argento] - "It's what I call the uninterrupted time flow that everyone else is perpetually in. I woke up at 18:40, though I only came in this because I didn't get up until 18:50."
[Qrow] - "Oh? And what could keep you of all people down for 10 minutes when you have something to do?"
As I am about to answer, I stop and ponder how I want to answer this. It's not that I wouldn't, it's simply a matter of how to portray it properly.
What I don't miss though is that during my pondering Glynda began smirking, with a glint in her eye that is reminiscent of Laela. Interrupting my thoughts, I focus on Glynda, which wasn't the best of ideas as the other two now see her expression.
[Argento] - "I can tell you this, you're definitely not correct if that's the look you got."
[Qrow] - "Well kid, mind clearing it up for us then? Cuz I can count the number of times she's done that since we graduated on one hand, including this time."
Taking a second to stare at Qrow and think about how I wanted to say it, I decided to just go for it.
[Argento] - "Fine. From what Celestia told me my nightmare was causing a physical reaction, so her first response was to do what she did with her younger brother whenever he would have night terrors - she ran her fingers through my hair.
Apparently, the action runs deep enough through my being that it stopped my nightmare dead in its tracks, and I woke up feeling far more tranquil than that nightmare would've made me. So I stayed like that for 5 minutes before opening my eyes to see her in a meditative state.
I brought her out of it, but it seems I showed enough enjoyment from it that she kept doing it for the rest of our 5-minute conversation."
Though I tactfully kept some parts to myself, I noticed a slight solemn air at my mention of the nightmare. Though he most definitely noticed it as well, Qrow seemed to push past the subject and straight to what he seemed most interested in.
[Qrow] - "And this Celestia would be the blue-winged faunus on your team, correct?"
[Argento] - "The one and only."
[Qrow] - "So, not even a week in, and he's already got a girlfriend. Damn, even I would've had trouble with that during my Beacon years."
[Argento] - "Not my girlfriend, we're just friends. And I have trouble imagining any woman that would want to be around such a cranky crow for longer than a few minutes."
[Qrow] - "Hey, I may be like this now but fresh Beacon Initiate me was far more of a charmer! And yeah, I'm sure all 'just friends' casually run their fingers through another's hair."
[Glynda] - "I can't believe I'm going to say it, but I kind of agree with Qrow. Not the charmer part though, I don't know what hole he pulled that out of. You seemed far closer in class as you casually dozed off on her shoulder."
[Argento] - "I'd say that's because I had just fought 16 battles, the last of which was me against 15 other people."
[Qrow] - "Wait, seriously? No wonder you fell asleep. Even if you are the best in your class, these are still some of the best Huntsmen initiates around. That's almost as impressive as getting a girlfriend so fast."
As I glare at the shit-eating grin on his face, one of the things I wished to talk about comes to mind. Before I can push it aside as a problem for me to solve, Celestia's words about being more burden than a leader appear and cause me to make up my mind.
[Argento] - "She is simply a friend, and it won't have a chance to grow until I fix whatever is wrong with me."
Once the words leave my mouth, the joking air is rapidly replaced by a serious one.
[Oz] - "I'm assuming that whatever problem you're facing is something you think we can help with?"
[Argento] - "I hope, because it seems whatever I did over the years more or less just shoved it away to deal with later."
[Glynda] - "How about we begin with some context, so we know what we're working with."
And so I elaborated. Until now I hadn't actually talked to them about my past, it was simply a collection of stories I felt comfortable sharing and whatever they knew prior.
I told them about how I met Ivy and Trivia, how they were basically other parts of my very being. I briefly touched upon the training, which led me to the reward/birthday trip that was Prunus.
I shared the moment by the lake, and that gave me the exit I needed to wrap up what I thought was the context they would need for my problem. Telling them how the scenes from the windowsill and lake overlapped, causing heart-wrenching pain that I barely didn't succumb to then and there.
I only gave what I believed they needed, so I didn't expect the few tears that fell while remembering a past only I knew. Taking a second to wipe my tears and compose myself, I saw the concerned faces that I was being given.
[Argento] - "Sorry, I didn't think that would happen. As you can see, the problem seems to run deeper than I had previously thought."
[Oz] - "Yes, though I am unsure of how much we will be able to help you with this."
[Argento] - "I wasn't expecting for there to be much you could do, but may I ask why?"
[Glynda] - "A good portion of the recovery period for grief is coming to terms with the outcome and what that means for yourself. For this specific part of your past, which I will loosely dub the romantic fragment, you never had to come to terms with the outcome of losing what you had considered to be potentially lifelong partners and where that leaves your future romance.
This process is different for everyone and therefore takes varying lengths of time. All we can realistically do is point out where you need to go, but from there, it's up to you to find the end of the tunnel."
Taking a moment to absorb what Glynda was saying, it seems worth a shot if it can help me. Deciding that is good enough for now, I move us forward by asking what it was that the meeting was originally for. Though his reluctance could be seen, it seemed Ozpin felt it more prudent to let this go for now.
[Oz] - "There were three reasons; the first was to see how you were doing. From the Initiation, we know you have become strong enough, but that matters little in comparison to how you are doing.
The second was to talk about how we would get in contact should you need to. There are several methods, so I'll give you the ones to use and when to use them. For a meeting that can take place whenever, you should go through the normal method of asking the professors for a meeting.
For a meeting you need to happen as soon as possible, but can wait a short period of time, go straight to Glynda. If the situation is dire enough to be addressed as soon as it comes up, then I give you full permission to barge into my office regardless of what is happening in here. And lastly - "
As he talks, he takes out a device that looks oddly familiar.
[Oz] - "If there is ever a time where you are put into a situation so dire you believe there is no way out, all you must do is send your aura through this for 5 seconds. This will power it and allow you to write a short message that will reach me no matter where I am on this planet.
Should you ever use this, I will drop whatever I am doing, no matter how important, and go straight to you. This is a one-time use device because the power output completely fries the whole thing."
Taking the object from his outstretched palm, I finally remember where I saw this before, and a lone tear falls as my parents' final moments come back to me. Ozpin sees my recognition, and looking to either side finds Qrow and Glynda looking as confused as concerned.
[Oz] - "I can see you recognize this particular transceiver. I know how painful these types of memories can be, so do not feel pressured to talk about it, but what do you remember of your parents' final moments of life?"
As I gently rolled the device in my hand, not once taking my eyes off it, a few more tears fell as I fully delved back into the memory. Finally looking back up, I shake the pain off temporarily while I recount what happened.
[Argento] - "I'm sure you wouldn't have been able to tell very well when you got there, but we won. We had seemingly killed everyone, so our exhaustion began setting in. None of us moved as we tried to recover, but we began to relax too soon.
Hidden among the piles of bodies and puddles of blood, there was a single survivor. I didn't get a good look at them, but since they were still alive I'd assume they only acted dead. Without aura, I was in no position to even still be standing, so add that with my lack of capabilities at that time, and before I could blink a lance had skewered through my lower left abdomen."
I placed my hand exactly where I was stabbed, and a phantom pain came over me as I delved into the memory. I could see the solemn and concerned looks Qrow and Glynda were giving, but what caught me slightly off guard was how much pain I could see in Ozpin's eyes as I retold the story, as if he could see the memory himself.
[Argento] - "The only reason I am standing here today was that I was where the lance ended; it had too much trouble going through both my parent's bodies to hit anything vital. It was at this point that they knew they wouldn't make it, but if I didn't get help soon I would end up joining them.
So they began burning their life force, and while I barely held onto my life they began using their powers in tandem to create a stasis field of sorts - though I only think this because now that I have my Semblance it makes sense. Just before my father joined in the creation of the field he used this very device, and it now makes sense why you were there when I woke up.
I don't know if I should be more grateful or in pain over this, but I was awake long enough to hear their final words and watch them fall onto the ground, dead. They said nothing to each other and focused solely on me, so it hurts to think that they never got to say their final goodbyes."
[Oz] - "Do not worry Argento, they did."
Having looked back down as I ended, trying to hold in some of the tears, my head shot back up, with the teary-eyed Ozpin now being the center of attention for the three of us.
[Argento] - "But they were dead. Assuming you were in this office and came as fast as possible, they would've been dead for close to an hour."
[Oz] - "And they were, at least in body. When they burned their life force, and then drained both that and their aura straight into you, they were able to leave an imprint of their souls for a short period of time.
After I broke the stasis field, those very souls came out for their final moments. I got to see what I would call the last of my family one final time, and then they had enough power left to give each other one final parting moment."
As I listened to Ozpin, a minor weight I didn't know I had was lifted. Knowing my parents, I had always assumed they didn't need those final goodbyes to know how much they loved each other, but it didn't alleviate all of those feelings.
Learning they did get their final goodbyes, and even got to say goodbye to Oz as a result, made more tears come out than I would like to admit. Through bleary eyes I could see a few tears falling from Ozpin's eyes as well, so we took a few moments to stabilize ourselves.
Finally getting it all under control, I give Oz a heartfelt smile.
[Argento] - "Thanks Oz, I didn't know I needed that."
[Oz] - "I'm happy to help. Which brings me to the third thing I brought you here for, and that is to ask if there is anything you want."
Tilting my head to think about this question, not many desires popped out that I couldn't easily get any other way. That was until my personal improvement came to mind.
[Argento] - "Well I'm unsure how feasible this is, but I would greatly appreciate having access to my own training room, preferably one where I also have access to a laboratory."
[Oz] - "Oh? Anything special in mind that would make it particularly different from the training rooms we have available?"
[Argento] - "Yes, actually. To put it simply, I want to recreate the training room that was at my parents' house. I'm unsure if you've seen it, but as long as no one has shown up and tried to ransack it then as similar to that as possible would be nice… is that asking for too much?"
[Oz] - "Not at all. In fact, it slipped my mind to mention this since your parents were very aware of it, but you technically own a majority of Beacon."
It takes a few seconds, but his words slowly sink in for the three of us who didn't know this fun fact. Through my confusion, I try to study Ozpin for the slight chance that he's joking, but lo-and-behold he is not.
[Qrow] - "I'm sorry, but how is that possible? I was under the impression that Beacon was a Vale-owned thing."
[Oz] - "Oh sorry, I guess I should specify. You see, Vale owns only about 40% of Beacon, while I own about 15% due to how the Headmastership works. Leaving 15% for investors, sponsors, and more, this leaves 30% ownership to the Chrono family.
Since Argento is the sole survivor of the whole of the Chrono family, anything the Chrono family owns is something he holds full ownership of. This includes all of the properties and companies that they are affiliated with, though if there was anything off-record then it would probably be hidden away on Vytal Island."
[Glynda] - "Wait wait wait, Vytal Island? You're telling me that there's something there?"
[Oz] - "Well of course. Vytal Island was chosen as the place for the peace talks after the Great War only because it's where the main Chrono manor is. All peace talks have to have a mediator of sorts, right?"
[Argento] - "But how were they mediators if they fought in the war?"
[Qrow] - "And what makes you believe your predecessors fought in the war?"
[Argento] - "Because my mother told me. She didn't elaborate a whole lot, but I know I had a Great Uncle who fought in the war, and according to her the Chronos fought for the King of Vale."
[Oz] - "They did fight, but as the deciding factor and the most neutral of the groups present, their land was chosen as the peaceful middle ground. Granted they've always hidden in the shadows, keeping their influence specific to the ones in charge or those who needed to know, so it's not surprising it's so hidden despite being such an important part of it all."
[Argento] - "Interesting method. Would you happen to have a copy of said list that I could have?"
[Oz] - "Of course, would you like a permanent copy for yourself?"
[Argento] - "Yeah, so that I can take my time reading it. Since my memory is perfect, there is little chance that I will forget anything on that list, but just in case it won't hurt to have it."
[Oz] - "Alright, and I'll go ahead and put together anything else Chrono-related while I'm at it. Even though we got off topic, I can acquire your training room and laboratory. How secure would you like these rooms to be?"
[Argento] - "The training room I would like to be accessible for my teammates and your trustworthy staff members, Beacon-related or not. If possible, I would like the Laboratory to only be accessible from the training room, and hidden behind a lock that would only allow me access. Something like the barrier that is around the Chrono manors."
[Oz] - "Ah yes, I remember the first time I saw one of those barriers. Truly a masterpiece of safety. Unfortunately, we are unable to make something as powerful as the real thing, but I can use what little we were able to recreate from it. Is there anything in particular you would like in your laboratory?"
[Argento] - "Well, I would appreciate a lot of unbuilt machines for various things. Like weapon modifying, cloth weaving, and enhancing - all sorts of stuff. And by unbuilt I mean in as many pieces as possible, with a directory that explains what each part does or what it is responsible for, and with the blueprints to put them together."
[Oz] - "That's easily doable, and I should be able to pull it all together here in the next few weeks. Though do be careful with how you spend your time; I doubt you need me to remind you, but as a team leader you can't just be holed up in there all the time outside of classes."
[Qrow] - "Don't even begin to worry Oz, the kid has so much skill in micromanaging his time and multitasking that it is frankly scary."
[Glynda] - "I'm sure you're just over-exaggerating, seeing as you are particularly bad at both of those skills."
[Argento] - "Heh, I actually have to agree with Qrow on this one. When you can forcefully wake yourself up at any time without trouble, perfectly tell the time even while sleeping, and have a Semblance that dabbles in the bending of time itself, it becomes easy to do many things at once and stick perfectly to a schedule."
[Oz] - "Especially when a Chrono sets their mind on something. The sheer level of focus they have can be pretty chilling at times."
Seeing THE Ozpin so readily agree to the terrifying nature of Chrono-Bravery, I can only help but repeatedly nod while the other two adults look like a pair of fish. As minor banter continues to be thrown about, showing a side to Ozpin that is rarely ever seen, I feel the time hit 20:00 just as the conversation settles.
[Argento] - "Well seeing as it's 20:00, I think it's about time I went and changed, ate, and reconvened with my team before sleeping. So if there's nothing else, I'll be going."
As I nod him goodbye, with Qrow and Glynda both giving their farewells, I can't help but see a little bit of Maxwell in the way he confidently strides into the elevator. It's as if he easily shoulders the weight of the world, despite the pain I know he holds inside.
As the doors close a bittersweet smile graces my lips unknowingly.
[Qrow] - "You know Oz, I can't say I've ever seen you express as much emotion as you do whenever it comes to Argento."
Taking a second to ponder the input of one of my closest comrades, the bittersweet smile changes into one of fondness.
[Oz] - "Have I ever told either of you that I've often wondered what it would be like to have children?"
Though I've had children, that's from a long gone past. The pain I had from losing them was near-unbearable, but the love I had in my life when they were alive was impossibly vast.
So it would often come to mind, though briefly, what it would be like to have more children. There are as many risks as there are rewards, but the biggest one I've never wanted to burden the children themselves with is the target they would have painted on their backs.
It just so happens that Argento already has a target about the same size as mine, and in some cases even larger, simply due to his heritage. As I pull myself back, I can see the surprised faces with hints of confusion on both of them, which causes me to lightly chuckle.
[Oz] - "Argento may not be my child, but he is the final piece remaining of the family I have lost. The feelings a parent has for their children, there is no doubt in my mind this is how they feel."
It was 2 and a half weeks later that I was notified that my training room and laboratory were complete, and it perfectly lined up with the beginning of our weekend. My excitement was palpable, and most definitely annoying my teammates who I was planning to surprise.
[Eugene] - "Argento, there are very few things in this world that I have found to annoy me, but if you keep this up it may very well be added as one of them."
[Argento] - "Oh come on, it'll be completely worth the wait. Besides, I've known about this since its inception, so if you're annoyed just think how I feel. Especially when my power tends to extend the amount of time I perceive, so it's definitely felt longer than it's been."
[Dawn] - "I'm sure what Eugene meant was that, even if you have kept us completely in the dark, we are happy to see you so excited about this. Right, Celestia?"
[Celestia] - "...You know full well this is annoying you just as much since I've not seen your eyebrow twitch so much yet. I mean, what kind of surprise could even be worth this much excitement in the first place?!"
As the back and forth continues, we finally arrive at a relatively isolated portion of the more staff-related area. Waiting for us at a double-door entrance, which holds a style I have only seen in one particular place, was Ozpin and Glynda.
Seeing the complete contrast between my mood and the rest of my team's mood, the duo gave a small chuckle, knowing I definitely didn't tell them what was behind this door.
[Glynda] - "Since it looks like your teammates aren't very happy right now, I should assume it would be best to just start immediately. Otherwise, I fear they may very well try to stab you."
Not hiding my very obvious excitement, I nod my head several times per second, even subconsciously speeding it up a bit with my Semblance, which causes Celestia to smack me in the back of my head.
[Oz] - "Very well, let us begin the short tour of your personal training facility."
Hearing what Oz just said, the others give me a look, now mostly with surprise, and the double doors are opened. As we walk forward, Ozpin and Glynda respectfully take off their shoes before stepping up onto the tatami flooring.
Excitedly doing the same thing, the others follow our example despite the minor confusion. Walking through the very short hallway, it opens up into a room I can only describe as being a near-perfect replica of my home's training hall.
The training dummies look much sturdier and are made of different materials, which matches the fact that all of the weapons hanging on the wall have been replaced with metal replicas. Except for the more whip-like weapons, which simply seem to have been given an upgrade.
The door leading off to the changing rooms no doubt has enough booths for all of us and a matching hakama custom-made. I assume the same can be said for the hallway that has a showerhead drawing above it, leading to the hot and cold baths for both genders.
As I compare the sheer level of detail to the one from my memories, I find that other than the changes in the material used everything is the exact same. And with a shaky breath that draws the gazes of the others, my reminiscing eyes and thankful smile aren't trying to hide any of the emotions I am feeling at this moment.
[Argento] - "Thanks Oz, it's perfect."
[Oz] - "I'm glad you like it Argento, but I assumed you would have a question about where the Laboratory's entrance is."
Taking one more deep breath to fully stabilize myself, I give a knowing smile in Ozpin's direction.
[Argento] - "Well if I didn't know you as I do, then I would've been asking that. But I assume you decided to make it hidden, to help in the security I asked for."
Instead of answering me, he gestures to the far left wall that was behind the training dummies. As we made our way over, I could feel my aura begin to act up just enough to gain my attention, and temporarily focusing on it I could feel it pulling me toward a specific spot in the decorations, which were also exact replicas.
Seeing me focus the way I did, Ozpin's smile grows even more.
[Oz] - "It seems I have to do very little in my explanation. Simply allow a small portion of your aura to follow the current path it wishes to travel."
As my friends look on confused, I raise my hand to give myself an easier time conducting my aura outward. This turned out to be mostly unnecessary as when I allowed a sliver of my aura freedom, it automatically flew straight to a small picture that would escape most people's vision.
The small frame seemed to be slightly aged, if I had to guess then about 7 years old. The picture itself seemed to be perfectly preserved, and on it held my parents, holding me, Ivy, and Trivia while we were all in our hakama.
I remember this day very well because it was the day that my parents gifted each of us our official weapon. In the picture Ivy was loosely holding her new whip, Trivia had her hand resting on the hilt of her rapier, and I had my katana sheathed and pressing into the ground in front of me.
I was about to follow the aura flow even more when I noticed small details about the picture that wouldn't have been able to be copied in normal circumstances. With the frame seeming about as old as when the picture was taken, and the uniqueness this portrayed…
With a shaky breath, I move forward and lift the frame off its spot, giving away a slightly discolored wall that would already be hard to notice. Seeing my focus change again, my team sees a picture of a young me, with what they guess are my parents, and the shakiness of my voice, as I speak, catches them a little off guard.
[Argento] - "Oz, is this…?"
[Oz] - "Yes Argento, it is the original. I hope you don't mind that I brought it here, but I thought it would mean much more than a simple replica ever could."
In response, I don't reply, as any words that come out will cause the building tears to fall. So instead I forgo my inhibitions for a moment and hugged Ozpin instead.
Though he hesitated for a moment, almost like it's been forever since the last time he was hugged, he didn't stay motionless for long and hugged me back.
If some people saw what was happening, even knowing the context, they might think this would be overreacting. But for the past almost 5 years I've had nothing but my memories to see such living, happy versions of my family.
The last I saw of the girls, we were all terrified we wouldn't see each other again as we were under threat of death, and the last I saw my parents was when they died and once again when they were buried. This picture is something so simple, yet so meaningful because it is solid, living proof of the life and family I had before it was all taken away.
So almost a minute passed as I brought my emotions back under control, acutely aware that my team would now have concerns and questions I was not ready to answer, at least not fully. Finally under control again, I broke the hug with Ozpin, who seemed to be happy I was willing to hug him and move back over to the spot where the picture was hung.
Resting my hand on the glass cover once it is hung again, I smile warmly as I allow my aura to go back to doing what it wants to do. A few seconds later the wall, which had no tells that it was movable, effortlessly slides back just enough for the decorations to be past the other end of the wall, and they part ways for another set of double doors to show itself.
Once again feeling the pull, I walk to the doors and put my hands on the handles, allowing my aura to flow through the silver handles. Hearing a series of small clicks, and then one final large click, I push it open to find a rather large, cube-shaped room.
Along all the walls were horizontal gridlines on a light grey wall, and at regular intervals there were white pillars slightly coming out of the walls that held a vertical line of light, helping light up the room.
The floor and ceiling were both pure white, which had a reflective sheen on both of them and a solid white line connecting opposing pillars that held short lines of light along them.
[Inset reference image here]
Across the floor were large boxes with various machines showing on them, and in the very center of all of the boxes was a waist-height white cube with black along the edges. On the cube was a small USB that I could guess to be the directory I asked for.
Walking forward, and pulling out my scroll, I plug the USB into it and find my assumptions correct, though when I press the download the sheer size of the data transfer makes my smile strain.
[Argento] - "I guess I requested this, but damn is this a lot that I'll have to read over."
[Glynda] - "We never doubted your capabilities for a second, which is why we went all out. But don't you dare forget about what we talked about."
[Oz] - "Now, now Glynda, we both know how serious he is about this. We can rest assured he will stick to his word."
Now with Oz turning and walking away, we all follow him out. Once we are all out of the Laboratory I channel my aura through the picture again and the sequence to enter the room is perfectly reversed, locking it up very tight.
Standing in the hallway ready to leave, Ozpin stops and looks our way.
[Oz] - "Though I do not know the three of you very well, I fully trust Argento's judgment. So I look forward to what you all achieve in the future."
And with those very Ozpin-esque, vague words, he turns and leaves with Glynda following soon after she smiles one last time at me. I wait a few seconds after they leave, and thankfully my team looks at me by this point.
[Argento] - "Well, who wants to get some training done?"