30Whilst working for Ozpin, and teaching in Beacon Academy as a whole, Glynda Goodwitch had been subject to many a strange thing.
She had witnessed magic of legendary proportions heard of only in fairy tales and the stories they inspired, learned of an enemy who was the source of at least half of the problems currently plaguing both the Kingdoms and Remnant as a whole, had borne witness to the beginnings of the world's first Aura transfer, and had broken up more fights between students and cleaned up more Semblance-related messes than she could count.
All those things experienced over the years that she could call herself knowledgeable in, but this?
This is- I don't even know anymore. What is this, Ozpin?
The event Glynda was referring to was less an actual event and more like the- well, what appeared to be a literal, living, breathing fairy right out of a book laying seemingly unconscious on a patch of odd grass. A Brothers-damned fae, as if it had sprung right out of the page of a fairytale, dressed in what might have been the skimpiest outfit she had ever seen.
By the gods, just looking at her makes me want to slam a rulebook on her head. Look at those clothes, they're practically see-through! Although, admittedly, that was in no way a priority at all
"I must admit, It's nice to know some things don't change with you, Glynda."
The aforementioned Headmistress of Beacon blinked momentarily, before turning her head to the side to look at Ozpin, who stood next to her. "...Did I say that out loud?" Damn, I thought I left that habit behind years ago.
Ozpin chuckled slightly. "You did indeed, not that I blame you. To discover, well… whoever this is..." his small smile faded into his normal examining frown, "I'd imagine it would make anyone forget themselves, at least for a moment."
Turning her gaze back to the mysterious fairy-lady, Glynda studied the sleeping fae with a cautious eye. "And you say you've never seen anyone like her before. Truly, despite everything?"
"Never. During all my time alive, the only intelligent life I've come across was humanity, the Faunus, and, to a lower extent, the Grimm. But she… she's not any of them. Never before has such a Faunus been recorded anywhere on Remnant, and Grimm wouldn't attack one of their own so recklessly."
"And she's most definitely not human or Faunus," Glynda added, and Ozpin nodded. "Whoever, or whatever she is, we need to know, and we must ensure that word of this does not reach our enemies, especially her. Who knows what she would do should she discover that we have this woman in our custody?" Though, that brought her to a second point. "Ozpin… what if this woman is working for her? To just appear out of no where, and in vicinity of the Relic? This close to Beacon? This can't be a coincidence." She grimaced at the thought of bringing a possible enemy into the school, and the danger it would bring. "Can we afford the risk, bringing her back?"
Ozpin frowned, once again looking at the fairy-woman, lips pursed into a thin line. "I am… not entirely sure. What you say may be true, Glynda, but…" Here, the Headmaster of Beacon paused, as if recalling something. "I've only met one being whose skin glowed like this, and if this woman is the same as he was, then to leave her out here would be folly, more than you could ever know. All that beside, I will not leave a potential innovent out here to succumb to easily healed wounds"
Nodding at, the Headmistress pulled out her riding crop. "Then we're taking her back with us. I hope you know what you're doing, Ozpin."
"So do I, Glynda. So do I."
Striding forward and bringing for his cane, he began to systematically crater parts of the ground surround the strange patch of grass beneath the fae. Once he was done, Glynda herself stepped forward, and with the wave of her riding crop, picked it up with her Semblance.
"Do you-"
"I have it, Ozpin, don't worry." Maneuvering the hovering chunks of earth behind her, Glynda nodded her head in Ozpin's direction. "Ready when you are."
Ozpin nodded back. "Let's not keep anyone waiting, shall we? I imagine this woman would like a bed to awake from."
With that, they headed back to Beacon, the fae trailing behind them. Entering the school through one of the lesser-known entrances and carefully making their way through the halls and avoiding staff and students alike, the Headmaster and Headmistress of Beacon headed up to Ozpin's office and the medical supplies that lay within.
Just to be sure, when they laid the fairy-woman on the med cot, they strapped her to it with the experimental semblance-restraining cuffs James had gifted them some time ago, and Ozpin was thankful for it.
Because, if this woman was related to who he thought she was, then he was running out of time.
Ozpin had not been lying to Glynda when he said that he had only met someone with a similar tone of skin once before. He very much remembered how the God of Light glowed, just like the fae they had found, and that frightened him almost as much as losing to Salem did- why did this fairy bear such a likeness to the Brother God? Was she a herald? A messenger? An angel come to prophecy humanity's doom?
Ozpin was not ready. Mankind as a whole was not ready. He needed more time if he was to unite them all and prepare them for the return of the Brother Gods, and the Headmaster of Beacon could only pray that he managed to convince this fae of that fact.
"Ozpin. She's waking, " Glynda called from besides the cot, and Ozpin nodded, standing from his seat.
I suppose this shall be the chance to plead my case.
Only, he had not taken two steps toward Glynda when the boom of an explosion reached the tower, and the klaxons in the city below began to wail.
The Empress of Light woke to find herself in yet another unfamiliar environment.
Were she not confident in her own abilities to fend off any threats to her person, and had she sensed the Corruption, she might have attempted a violent escape, but neither of those things were true, so she worried not. Though the fact that she appeared strapped to a bed (is this what a bed was? The Empress was unsure of this) somewhat concerned her, she shrugged before abruptly ripping herself out of her bindings.
The Empress would have let herself fall back into slumber (not because she needed to, because she wanted to sleep and the surface she lay upon was soft) had her sensitive ears not caught the screams of alarms echoing from the distance.
And then she felt the corruption growing from where the screams came, and the Empress of Light awoke fully.
Ignoring the two humans who had turned to her weapons drawn when she had freed herself, the fae goddess stretched her wings, hovering off the ground slightly. Glancing at the humans again, her eyes were drawn to the elder one, whose soul was far older than the woman beside him. The man stared at the Empress for a moment, before silently stepping aside.
"...Do as you will."
Though she needed no permission from the man and most likely would never heed a command uttered, the Empress nodded to the weary soul before shooting from her spot and out the glass window, and she began her decent to the city below.
The air was cool and crisp, though awash with the scent of smoke. The evening, while calm in the sky she flew, did nothing to hide the growth of impurity she felt below.
That was unacceptable.
…
This was not her world, the Empress knew. She knew not how she had come to be here, and knew not how to return. The Hallow and all its creatures would forever be lost to her.
But, despite all that, the Empress did not despair, for she knew her purpose. She might not know how she had been brought to this world, but she knew why.
She had been brought her to cleanse.
And that was what she would do.
So, above the City of Vale, the Empress of Light spread her wings, summoned the Hallow's Light, and lit up like a second sun in the sky.
And then the sky fell.