A Simple Bet Between Friends

Chapter 33

Magic was real. That sounded like such a crazy thing to understand, such an impossible thing that only existed in fairy tales, and yet she was being told it was real. Not only that but that the Grimm were guided by something, someone. That there was a secret war being waged against a foe as old as humanity itself.

She thought she should have felt scared, or frightened, or maybe in disbelief in what she was being told. Instead, she felt numb. She didn't feel anything at that moment. There was a girl that lay dying under Beacon with a power somebody was apparently ready to kill for.

"I... I don't know what to say." Yang stammered. "I... it's hard to believe."

"I am aware of how absurd it sounds, Miss Xiao Long." Ozpin leaned back in his chair. "But everything I have told you is the truth."

Despite a lack of immediate proof, Yang was inclined to believe him. She liked to think she wasn't an idiot and that she was a reasonable person.

The point of a lie was to mislead somebody or to trick them, in order to do that the lie had to be believable. Nobody would believe in magic and an evil group waging a war against humanity and that somehow made it more believable.

She had respect for the Headmaster, from what she knew he was a good man and her uncle spoke well of him, but she had never met the man personally. Miss Goodwitch stood a little off to the side of him and had made no effort to speak since she entered. Yang had immense respect for her, maybe it was due to the constant presence or the way she carried herself but she felt that she could trust her.

And she seemed to believe what Ozpin was saying, at least enough to not speak up. It was difficult for her to imagine Miss Goodwitch trying to pull a prank on anyone, let alone a student. She was too professional for that.

Yang swallowed hard. That only made her feel worse. By all accounts what they were saying should have been a joke or some kind of stupid thing they did to every student but it wasn't.

"I... why tell me this?" Her voice was weak, a whisper only audible due to the silence. Despite the fact she asked the question she felt she already knew the answer. It was obvious what they wanted. A power that only young females could receive.

"We need to transfer the Fall Maiden powers to somebody to keep them from whoever attacked Amber." Ozpin explained. "You are the best candidate."

Despite that she saw it coming it still knocked the air from her lungs.

"We will not force your hand of course, there are others but none with the same chance of success. You may deny us if you so wish."

And knowingly force the problem onto somebody else? Who would the next person be? Pyrrha was the obvious choice.

"Why me?" Yang asked.

"You are a talented huntress with a powerful semblance," Ozpin said. "But that alone isn't enough. You are skilled, but there are better." Pyrrha he meant. "Beyond you is your team. Team RWBY is the best of its year and one of the best Beacon has to offer, and then there is your ties to team JNPR." Ozpin sighed. "We believed that anonymity would aid Amber in staying hidden but... it merely made her all the easier to be stricken down. With two teams of talented hunters at your back I believe you would be protected beyond what we ourselves could guarantee."

"When you say ties to-"

"Your relationship with Mr. Arc, yes."

Yang felt like she should have been embarrassed, the teachers, and even the headmaster, had apparently been talking about her relationship. In the end she wasn't however. Mostly she felt cold.