Ryder sat in his dorm room in thought as he held the two Dragon Balls that were collected thus far. Everything he learned about the Fall Maiden is troubling. He's concerned for Pyrrha as he knows now that she's been tagged in all of this chaos. Ryder looked to the standby his bed and saw the Dragon radar. Ironwood had given it to him since he's the one who knows the most about the Dragon Balls. He decided that once the Vytal Festival is over, he's going to put his efforts into locating the Dragon Balls. He knows it'll be a hard endeavor, but it'll be worth it. He hears the door open and looks to see that Kairos entered the dorm.
"Still caught up about the Fall Maiden?" Kairos asks.
"Yeah. I don't like it one bit." Ryder said. "Transferring someone's aura to another person is wrong. It's inhumane. It's like ripping someone's soul out of their body."
"Believe it or not, I don't approve either. But it's not like we have many options either." Kairos said. "Sometimes we need to make tough decisions, even when others reject it."
"I hate the whole ends justify the means mentality. It's not right no matter how you look at it." Ryder argued.
"I see where your coming from and that's not what i was trying to say." Kairos said.
"Then what were you trying to say?" Ryder challenged.
Kairos didn't say anything back. After a moment of tense silence, Kairos sighs and sits down on his bed. Ryder looked back to the Dragon Balls he held but his attention was once more secured by Kairos when he said something.
"The Tournament had a mishap." Kairos said.
Ryder looked up at him.
"What kind?" Ryder asks.
"Yang attacked Mercury after their match was over. She's currently in her dorm being scolded by Ironwood." Kairos said.
Ryder's eyes widen. He placed the Dragon Balls on his bed and stood up.
"Why the heck didn't you say that first!?" Ryder asks.
Kairos just shrugs. Ryder sighed quickly before rushing out the door. Kairos didn't bother to stop him. Ryder rushed to Team RWBY's dorm and when he got there, he saw Qrow leave the room. Qrow took notice of Ryder and decided to talk to the guy.
"Take it your here for Yang?" Qrow asks.
"I am. Kairos just told me what happened. Late i know." Ryder said.
"She's in the dorm, but I'd knock first. Don't want to startle her." Qrow said.
Qrow then walks off but not before giving Ryder a pat on the shoulder for good luck. Once he left down the hall, Ryder knocks on the door to get Yang's attention.
"Yang, it's me." Ryder said.
He waits a few seconds before the door opens to reveal Yang. She didn't look happy at all. She looked bummed out and somewhat guilty. It was painful to see.
"Mind if I come in?" Ryder asks.
Yang nods and lets him into the room. Once he gets inside the room, Yang closes the door after him. Yang then walks over to one of the beds and sits down on it. She then proceeds to look at the floor. Ryder felt bad for her.
"So, can you explain what exactly happened?" Ryder asked.
Yang hesitated but spoke.
"After I finished the fight with Mercury, I swore he charged me, so I retaliated. But when I looked up at the feed, it looked like I attacked him without being provoked." Yang said.
"Kairos did say you attacked him." Ryder acknowledged. "Just know, I haven't seen the footage yet. My mind has just been consumed by other things."
"Do you at least believe me?" Yang asks.
Ryder walked over and sat down next to her. Yang put her gaze onto her friend, her best friend she could say. Her eyes pleading for an answer.
"I know you're not the type of person who would do that. Attack and innocent person and all." Ryder said. "You most likely had some kind of reason. While I haven't seen the footage of the incident, I'm sure I will. But when I do, I look at it with skepticism."
"So, you believe me?" Yang asks, a slight hopeful look came to her eyes.
"Yes." Ryder said with a nod. "You're my friend Yang. I will never turn against you."
Yang smiles hearing this. Ryder held up his fist.
"I'll be here if you need me Yang." Ryder said.
Yang bumps his fist with hers. After this, Ryder stands up from his spot on the bed and walks to the door. He grabs the handle and pauses. He looked over his shoulder at Yang.
"Keeping being yourself. It's good to know who you will be, then forget who you were." Ryder said.
Yang nods. Ryder opens the door and walks out of the room. Closing the door, he walks back to his dorm room. But he decides on a different destination. Ozpin's Office. He wants to talk to Ozpin about the Fall Maiden mess. So, as he walked there, he began to think about the Tournament. He's curious if Pyrrha would win one for Beacon. He hopes the Fall Maiden information won't impact her too heavily. He reaches the tower and enters the elevator before he presses a button and heads up the tower. He doesn't think about much on the way up. When he arrives, he walks out of the elevator after the doors open. Ozpin was sitting at his desk looking at a hologram screen. Ozpin takes notice of Ryder and presses a button that turns off the hologram screen.
"Ryder, can I help you?" Ozpin asks.
"Yeah, It's all this Fall Maiden stuff. It's been bothering me." Ryder said as he reached Ozpin's desk.
"I understand your situation." Ozpin said.
"It's just.... the whole process of moving one's Aura to another person just seems way to messed up." Ryder said.
"I don't like it either. But I wasn't left with many options." Ozpin said, visible sadness on his face showing that he didn't like it either.
"There has to be another way." Ryder said.
"If there was, I would've explored it. But unfortunately, all other paths I've walked have yielded little to no results." Ozpin.
"What if Pyrrha says no?" Ryder asked.
"Then we will need to seek out another candidate." Ozpin said.
Ryder then thought of something.
"If i can use Magic, could I open the vaults?" Ryder asks.
"No. The vaults can only be opened by the Maiden's. Believe me, it's been tried and tested." Ozpin said.
Ryder was bummed out that his idea was already proven to be a failure. But then he thought of something once more. How did Ozpin know all of this?
"Hey... how do you know everything about all of this?" Ryder asks.
Ozpin was quiet for a moment. He then gestures to Ryder to sit down, and he does.
"I've lived on this world far longer than anyone." Ozpin said.
"What does that mean?" Ryder asks.
"I can reincarnate. Whenever I die, my soul will enter the body of a like-minded soul. Due to this, i have lived many lives and made many mistakes." Ozpin informed.
Ryder was surprised to hear this. Reincarnation was always a concept back on Earth but was never proven to be true. There are cultures that believe in it, but Ryder never subscribed to it. So, hearing that it exists in another world is interesting to say the least.
"Can anyone else reincarnate?" Ryder asks.
"No. I am the only one with that ability." Ozpin informs.
Ryder nods, now understanding this information.
"I know I'm not bringing ease to your mind about our current situation. But I insist that your focus be on locating the Dragon Balls and you're training. You have a long way to go if you hope to stand up to Salem." Ozpin said.
"Figured as much. But once this Festival is done with, i think i want to devote my time to locating the Dragon Balls." Ryder said.
"You do know your studies won't be paused right?" Ozpin asked.
"I'll study along the way. Multitasking is a thing I do, though, I'm not that good at it." Ryder said.
Ozpin just looked at him before thinking about it. If they gather the Dragon Balls sooner rather than later, it could help them greatly.
"Very well. After the Festival, i will organize a case for you to venture off and search for the Dragon Balls." Ozpin said.
Ryder smiles.
"Thank you, Ozpin." Ryder said.
But little did anyone know; fate would be against them.
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Author's Note: who's ready for the Fall of Beacon to happen?