The REDS of war

Volume Five Chapter Five

Oscar Pine sits on a red armchair, nervously looking at the members of Team RRNJRS as some of them fawn over him.

"Did he age backwards?" Nora asks.

"He's possessed!" Jaune exclaims.

"Or reincarnated!"

"Oh! Isn't it weird?" Ruby asks.

Oscar looks down. "It is very weird, yes."

"Okay, okay." Qrow emerges from the kitchen holding a cup in his hand, Rei stands next to him with a mug of coffee. "Let's all just take a second and remember that this is very overwhelming for everyone."

Team RNJR all step back together and nervously chuckle.

Oscar smiles at the members of the war. "Thanks."

Qrow then takes a seat on the couch next to Oscar. Rei and Sky stand behind Qrow and Oscar. Ruby and Nora have taken a seat on the couch perpendicular to Qrow's, while Jaune and Ren remain standing. Oscar then shares a brief look with Ruby, who giggles, causing Oscar to blush.

"Ah, sorry!" Oscar briefly looks away. "It's just I've never really met Huntsmen and Huntresses before."

"Well, uh... we've never met a person with two souls! So, first times all around."

Oscar smiles and chuckles at Ruby before he hears Qrow clear his throat.

"Not to break up the whole 'getting-to-know-you' game, but we need to have a talk. Mind showing us your little parlor trick, kid?" Qrow orders.

Oscar groans. "Yeah, okay. Just so you know, I'll still be here." He says looking to all the others.

The members of Team RNJRS look at him in confusion. Oscar then lowers his head and closes his eyes. Suddenly, a green and white aura shines from his body for a moment, Oscar opens up his eyes, which are now glowing, and he smiles. When he speaks, they all hear a familiar voice overlapping with a bunch of other voices, including Oscar's.

"It is so very good to see you again, students." Ozpin speaks his voice distorted by Oscars.

All of Team RNJRS share brief looks of confusion.

"Wait, what just happened?" Jaune asks.

Ren leans forward. "Professor... Ozpin?"

"Correct. And though I may be the one speaking, Oscar is still present mentally. He's merely handed over the control, so to speak. I'm afraid this all must be very perplexing."

"And alarming, and bizarre, and just really kind of hard to believe overall!" Nora says with her usual energy.

"It's good to see you children still have your sense of humor." Ozpin starts to frown. "I know you've all been through tremendous hardship already. I'm sorry."

Ruby shrugs. "I mean, it's not your fault." Her response causes are to sigh.

"It's all my fault." Ozpin continues to speak, Qrow gets up and goes back to the kitchen to get something, Rei closes his eyes. "I told you once that I made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet, and I wasn't exaggerating. I'm... cursed. For thousands of years, I've walked the surface of Remnant, living, dying, and reincarnating in the body of a like-minded soul. The Professor Ozpin you all met was not my first form, and clearly wasn't my last. It's... an extraordinarily strenuous process on everyone involved."

"So who... what... are you?" Jaune asks.

"I am the combination of countless men who've spent their lives trying to protect the people of Remnant." Ozpin answers. Qrow walks back into the room and hands him a cup of tea. "With every rebirth, my soul is eventually merged with another and I am changed, but my memories stay with me. This curse was bestowed upon me by the Gods, because I failed to stop Salem in the past. But we must stop her now."