RWBYA: Volume 1: Vale. A RWBY AU/Fanfiction.

Chapter 12: Cardinal's Fall.

Within his office, Ozpin sighed as the events that transpired in the cafeteria that evening had finally reached his ear. To say that he was disappointed with Cardin Winchester and his team was an understatement. He then thought back to when he first took in Aoihi and brought him to Beacon Academy.

It was a rainy and cool night, much like the present one as Ozpin walked about the hallways of Beacon Tower with a bag from a local burger place in Vale. As he walked past a corner a voice spoke to him.

"Hmm... You aren't a big fan of fast food, Ozpin? What are you doing with that bag."

The voice, Glynda, had been noticing some odd behavior from Ozpin on that particular day. Ozpin, now caught red handed, sighed as he looked at the huntress.

"It's not for me, Glynda."

"Then who is it for?" Glynda asked accusingly with a raised eyebrow as Ozpin sighed.

"Alright! I suppose I might have to show you then, Glynda."

He gestured her to follow him and led her straight to his office. Upon entering, Glynda's eyes widen as a frightened 10 year old boy stood inside.

"Here you go." Ozpin said kindly to him as he handed him the bag with the burger in it. "Your father often says how much you enjoyed the burger from that place when you ate it during your trip to the Forever Fall Forest. I hope it makes things a little better."

A small smile crept on the boy's lips as he tentatively began to ate the burger. Ozpin then faced Glynda as he revealed the boy's name to her.

"Glynda, this is Aoihi Moeruhi. You SHOULD know who his parents are considering they were at Beacon as part of team WYJR."

This gave Glynda a gasp of surprise as she realized who this was.

"So Ryo... he actually..."

"Yes." Ozpin replied abruptly. "And unfortunately with how circumstances were, Ryo was forced to act as a single parent. As such, with Ryo dying to protect his son from the leader of the Human Purity, who wanted to kill Aoihi for just being autistic. I'm taking it upon myself to help Aoihi thrive and become the huntsman he wants to become."

Glynda looked at Ozpin, and then at Aoihi. She saw THE scare on his face and sighed with empathy.

"He's been through a lot, hasn't he?"

"Yes." Ozpin said with a solemn tone as Glynda nodded.

"Okay. I'll help him too, Ozpin."

As his mind returned to the present tense, a feminine voice from the shadows spoke.

"I guess I wouldn't be too surprised to see you brooding right now, Ozpin. You always seem to do so when it rains at night."

Ozpin let off a sigh, knowing the voice all too well.

"I know you're the one who sent Aoihi that dog, Black-Kite. The moment when I saw that note myself, I knew. Are you still too 'busy' to face him? Or are you that neglectful? Because regardless of being a friend or not, I won't call you by your actual name, all because of how you failed him."

Ozpin RARELY spoke coldly to anyone, but when he did, it would hurt, as the woman felt a twinge of pain and guilt.

"I never wanted him to suffer like he did. I truly mean it." Her ice blue eyes were filled with grief as her long black hair shined some against some of the dim lights. "Ozpin. As one of the few you trusted enough to protect the maidens, I couldn't bear the possibility of him or Ryo being harmed. I didn't think that the guards of the SDC would have harmed him."