The Knights of Grimm - Act 5 - The Oncoming Shadow

Chapter 11 - Maria Calavera

Ozpin

It was so peaceful here...

After everything they had just seen in Vale... it felt... unnerving to be here, in a place so full of life. Maria Calavera's home was simple yet ornate, with gorgeous flowers of so many colours. All the colours in the rainbow and beyond.

Ozpin walked past her flowers as he approached her, gorgeous butterflies adorned with blue and silver markings across their fluttering wings. Glynda held out her finger and one of the beautiful little creatures landed there, gently flexing its wings. It made her smile to just see such a beautiful example of life.

It helped remind her of what they were fighting to protect sometimes... to see the most innocent and simple life forms just trying to get by. But Glynda turned her gaze once more to Maria Calavera.

"It's been a long time, Ozpin. Twenty years?" She asked him. She walked right up to him.

"I believe so, roughly."

"Twenty-Seven Years?" Glynda inquired.

"Hmm." Maria hummed.

Suddenly she punched him in the face, with a cold scowl on her face, he stumbled a step. Glynda already looked ready to attack Maria. She said nothing and just walked past him as he massaged his aching jaw. "Yes... I deserve that. I'm sorry things went the way they did for you." Ozpin explained. Glynda looked at Ozpin with confusion.

"I knew the names of all the students we taught. Why is Maria not striking a cord? And... what the hell happened?" Glynda questioned.

"This was before I appointed you to be my Vice Headmistress. I believe you were that important mission in Vacuo for a few years." Ozpin explained, planting his cane down against the cobblestones, his palm over the pommel.

"Oh, yes... I remember that excursion." Glynda sighed.

"Maria was... well... I guess you could call her one of the earlier students I saw to stand where Ruby is now." Ozpin explained.

"Ruby Rose... I've seen her face all over the news in the past few years. For good and bad reasons. You teach her to cut other Huntresses up like she did in Vacuo?" Maria asked, carrying the carcass of the deer she head over her shoulder to the barn, opening the door with her free hand.

"It wasn't that simple. You of all people should understand that." Ozpin explained as he followed her. Glynda let the Butterfly roam free before following them. As she approached the table inside, she let the deer fall on the table. She had the equipment available to skin the animal, ready to cook. Glynda could quickly tell that she wanted to live a life free from the problems of society, of the Kingdoms and anybody else. Yet she still kept her eye on things...

... but she did not even seem to be aware of the calamity happening all over the world right now.

She was alone, living in peace. They could see the smoke from Vale in the sky, but down here on the ground? It was admittedly a lot harder to notice. It all seemed so peaceful here.

She was in for one hell of a surprise when they told her.

Ozpin stood on the other side of the table, and he couldn't just stand there and not explain what happened with Ruby at Vacuo. "Team N.D.G.O betrayed what they stood for, took money for any job and joined the Acolytes of Lien. You've heard of them?"

"Of course I have. Had more than my fair share of run-ins with their Mercs and Bounty Hunters who tried to kill me because of these." Maria commented, gesturing to her eyes.

"Well, Dew Gayl? The Huntress that Miss Rose slew? She was one of them..." Ozpin explained. She scoffed and stabbed the knife down into the table, staring at him.