Chapter 150: The Clockroom

Feeling as if they were being dragged through the halls of Beacon by their ears, the two girls soon found themselves stood within an elevator within the main tower of the campus. The lift raising up and up and up, never once stopping as there was only one place for it to stop. And that was right at the top, right at the room where the man, the myth, the legend that was Professor Ozpin resided.

Or at least where his office was.

There was a tense silence within the lift. Ferry and Lili settled right at the forefront of the lift, sweat trickling down their backs as they could just feel Glynda Goodwitch's analytical glare running across them. Probing them with her eyes to figure out if they were a danger or not.

"Lili," Ferry leaned to the side, having to crouch a little to get close by to the barely four-foot faunuses ear. "I'm scared, are you scared?" to her voice a light tremble as another shiver assailed her from the glare Glynda was sending her way.

"I'm trying not to be!" Lili hissed back, "I feel like I'm back to staring down those two bastards again!" Keeping her teeth clenched tightly, Lili's expression soured and her left hand came to squeeze along her right upper arm. Apart from her mother selling her away, that was likely to be the most terrifying event in her entire life. The powerlessness it wrought her as her clothing was ripped off and her body was sullied.

Then came the hate. The unfettered derision she felt for them even long before they were done. She hated them, she hated fear and how weak it made her feel. With her vision narrowing to slits, Lili turned on point and returned a glare Glynda's way.

"Do you mind not looking at us like that?" her eyes flicking to Glynda's hand where she tensly clasped her ridding crop tighter. Clearly ready to send it and her semblance lashing out against the minute girl.

Glynda only glowered and turned her eyes to slits in return.

"We're not here to cause trouble." Lili huffed and turned back around to stare at the indicator which was still flickering indecisively.

"Hmph, after what you nearly blurted to the world? I sorely doubt that." Something was telling Lili that, icey derisiveness was this woman's resting bitch voice.

Lili so wanted to retort but the energy to continue a bickering with this woman was not making itself known to her.

Meanwhile, Ferry's lips had practically been sucked into her mouth as she dodged her gaze between Lili and Glynda. Her hands puled nervously against her chest. She didn't like the tenseness in the room. It was like those days when the shamblers were abundant and she and Summer were left trapped in their radio station just pleading to themselves that they wouldn't clamber over the moat and eat them alive.

"Uh-um, ma-am. I'm sorry about what we-or well, Lili said, back there. We didn't know it was such a bad thing." Ferry trying to act the intermediary between the two said.

"Hah!" Lili was the first to utter a noise, interrupting Glynda right as her lips parted about to speak. "Maybe you didn't, but I did. No way in hell something like 'the queen of the Grimm' wouldn't be a taboo subject around here." Chuckling to herself, Lili rolled her shoulder feeling a stiffness from how her messenger bag was laying over it.

Once again Glynda's expression narrowed, turning even more austere, "indeed. She, is not something to be talked about lightly. She, isn't even meant to be known of by the general populace. So that raises questions I'm sure you two will be willing to answer. Now come, we have arrived."

Just like that, a ding announced the elevators arrival at the top floor. The doors slid open and sunlight peered in, the rays coming in from the walls of glass reminiscent of the back of a clock face with the ceiling being filled with grinding gears churning and turning but silent. At the far end of the regal room was a single office table where a middle-aged man with tousled silver hair was sitting. In his hand a mug filled with the stench Lili could only call a dark, Vacuan blend of roasted coffee beans. His dress overwhelmingly green with a dark green coat, lighter shade vest and an even lighter hued scarf around his neck. On his nose glass spectacles behind which two brown orbs peered analytically between Lili and Ferry, ultimately coming to rest on Glynda who was practically pushing them in with a forceful, energy push.

"Good evening Glynda. I do believe these two were meant to be taken to the staff rooms to await the next Bullhead." Ozpin, the man before them said as he took a loud sip of coffee from his mug.

"That was the plan Professor. But these two had something unnerving to say. Apparently, someone has divulged to them the existence of her."

In a split second Ozpin's eyes widened and narrowed, now firmly locking on the two. "I see…" he mumbled and laid his mug down, "exactly what do you know about her. Do you know her name?"

"Salem?" Lili crossed her arms and unashamedly said, simultaneously attracting Ozpins full attention to her. "Yeah, we know about her. Crazy, grimm making lady. Queen of the creatures grimm. Yadda, yadda yadda, basically immortal, lived for thousands of years. That's about it. Ferry, did she tell you anything else about her?" another thing Parc had requested of them. Not to divulge to Ozpin about Summer being alive. When they asked why all he said was that he wanted to surprise Ozpin and see his reaction in person.

"She?" Ozpin question.

"O-oh, my-my mom," Ferry quickly answered, a faint flush to her cheeks as she had never called Summer her 'mother' before. "All she really told me was that Salem was a dangerous person wanting to destroy the world. She even sent someone to hunt my mom down a long time ago."

"Hmm," Ozpin hummed, soon letting out a tired sigh. "Then I take it you two are here to blackmail us for something so that you won't be unveiling your knowledge to the world?" crossing his fingers his expression turned to that of a dragon eyeing petty mortal threatening to take it horde from beneath its wings.

"Why the hell would we tell anyone about this crap? How many people do you think would believe us about some ultra evil queen of the Grimm from a fairy tail being a real thing? We don't exactly have physical evidence, now do we? Maybe some conspiracy groups would believe us but then we'd only be called conspiracists and anything we'd say would hold nothing." Lili argued.

"Yes, that does make sense. But that is still something I cannot allow."

"Yeah, yeah," Lili waved his back talk away and dug out Parc's envelope from her bag and began walking towards the desk. Slapping it down atop it before returning to her place besides Ferry. "Anyways, we were told you'd let us attend Beacon this year after reading that."

A single brow quirked on Ozpin's face and he turned to meet Glynda's gaze, one as equally unconvinced that simply allowing them to attend the academy would be what they would want.

"You… were told I would allow you into the academy?" Ozpin reached one hand out to the stark white envelope, feeling barely any weight from it and seeing no markings or scribbles bar a few marks it had accrued in transit. "By miss…?"

"Oh, uh, Ferry… Orchard?" it took a moment for her to recall her own surname from just how little she had made use of it. When she did utter it, Glynda began to click something into a tablet she had pulled from her waist.

"By miss Orchards mother?" he quizzed.

"Nope," Lili responded, "Parc told us, Evan's if you want his surname. He also told us that you shouldn't bother searching for his name anywhere because you wouldn't find it."

While she said that, Glynda began scrolling through an article she had found, her eyes bolting open. Though not saying anything as Ozpin tore open the sealed envelope and pulled out the piece of paper within. Quickly scanning through its contents, his expression paling with every word he read until he turned into a near ghostly form. His hand trembling, he laid the paper down, the writing hidden from view of anyone in the room.

"Have… have either of you read this?" he questioned, trepidation to his voice. Calming slightly when both shook their heads and shrugged. "I-I see, that is good. Glynda," he didn't look up to her as he continued speaking, "prepare these two a dorm room. They will be joining us this year. I will be requiring you two to take the initiation test as well but as… as requested, you two will remain as partners for your stay here."

"Wha-!? But Ozpin these two-"

"Glynda. Shush. Just… just listen to me. Just, lead these two to the hall. I'll be down to give the introductory in… in a bit."

Glynda obviously wanted to say something to retort. These two were clearly invading the school. Forcing themselves in through blackmail. Not that Ozpin wasn't averse to bending the rules for a select few students but these two were an entirely different argument. But the way Ozpin's voice trembled, how he was practically shivering in his boots with blank, almost dead eyes silenced her.

Recomposing herself, Glynda pushed up her glasses and straightened out her back. Laying her tablet down with the article about a cruise liner in Vacuo sinking and the images and names listed out on it. One being a younger Ferry and the other being much more familiar to the two.

"Understood," skirting around the desk, Glynda called out to the two, "follow me. The induction speech will be happening soon and you are not to miss it. I will personally be coming to you in the coming days to collect you information and prepare your transcripts." Leading the two to the elevator, it soon shut leaving only Ozpin sitting still within the tower office.

His breath came out harsh and ragged as he tremblingly reached for the paper and flipped it over. Reading through its contents once again as if hoping they had changed in the moments since the three's leaving him.

***

It must have been hard watching them die. You're daughters. The original maidens. It must have been even harder to watch the woman you loved be overcome with the very power that killed them.

I know about your and Salem's relationship Ozpin. I know about your four daughters. I know about the truth of the world. I know about the silver eyed warriors. I know about the Relics. I know everything about you Ozpin. I even know who your next reincarnation will be. Even when that may be.

So, do me a favour Ozzy. Those two, Ferry and Liliruca. Accept them into Beacon. Keep them together. And I will be in touch with you in the coming days. In person.

Kindly,

The guy who's going to be killing you permanently.

PS. I thank you for accepting me as Beacon's newest teacher. I can't wait to begin my lessons.

PPS. You'll likely be seeing some activity around the forest in the next few days. Things that aren't grimm. Kindly keep your staff away until I come and meet you. If you really can't do that, feel free to send Glynda my way. She seems like she'll be fun.

***

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Right, so, yeah. Plan is now to do the modern Danmachi as a world as well as a Fate world. What I'm going to do for a Fate world I have no idea. All I know is there's a war for a grail and maguses summon 7 servants to fight for it. Considering who I am and the sheer amount of girls who can be servants there are in the series, I doubt that will happen. So I need to figure out what I'm going to do then, and who (toss suggestions. I'll be working out a poll either later today or tomorrow i'll toss up.)

For now though. My question is which one do you want me to do first? Danmachi (Parc's homeworld) or Fate?

Polls in the comments.