Disclaimer: Still don't own it

I've been sick as well as been busy with work as of late; thus why there have been some delays with the updates to my two stories; as well as why this chapter might seem short. I can't promise when this will be updated but it will never be abandoned. This chapter will feature some pretty heavy AU since we don't really know much about the relationship between the two major characters mentioned/seen in this chapter so please indulge me a little. I am also still looking for a Beta so feel free to message me if you are interested!

The old wizard opened his eyes.

As he lay in his bed, he could see that the morning light of the sun shining through the window above where his head lay.

As much as he knew he should get up, desiring a cup of coffee, he really didn't want to in all honesty. Though he had healed from his injuries a few months ago, his body still felt stiff and was unable to move properly; even when he tried to do simple chores around the small cabin where he currently lived. As he lay there on the simple straw bed and single quilt over his ancient form, his stomach growled; reminding him that his body still needed sustenance despite his powers maintaining his body. Sighing, the old man got up and yawned as he tried to stretch his old bones; they creaking as he did so. After another minute of sitting in bed, he stood up and walked barefoot over to the simple bathroom to do his routine; inside the old real modern furnishings in the entire place. After he was done, he moved slowly out and headed to get something to eat.

Other than the bathroom, the rest of the cabin was really just one old shack to anyone viewing from the outside. The kitchen, sleeping area, and dwelling area shared one space thus everything was interconnected; thus he never had to walk far. The wooden floors were dirty but smooth as were the walls and the ceiling never leaked; though it would seem like it given its condition which appeared less than stellar. There was a fireplace that lie in front of an old wooden rocking chair that had seen better days but still sturdy; heat still emanating from the night before. In the kitchen area was an old metal stove and the sink was made of cast iron; a pump required to bring water from the well below the house. There was an old icebox full of food as well as numerous cupboards well stocked for his use; one of which he opened to get the already grounded coffee for him to make. There was a brown medium sized table with a few empty dishes on it as well as three chairs pushed in; though only one was really used.

The window in front of the sink area showed nothing but trees as he pumped some water into a simple coffee pot; which he then placed on the stove. Opening the metal door, he grabbed a log from the container in front of it and placed it inside; lighting the fire with a match. While he could have lit it using a little of his power, he really had no desire to; instead relying on more primitive means. With the fire lit, he waited for the water to boil while retrieving a cup from the cupboard next to the ice box. While there, he grabbed some bread and cheese from it and snacked on them as he waited for the liquid to finish. After a few minutes, the old man was pouring it into the cup and he then went over to the chair to sit down; sitting there in the darkened room while sipping his coffee. While there was a candle stick sitting on the table that could have given him more light, he rather preferred the darkness at the moment. He planned to light the candle so that he could read later.

Once he was done eating, he had a tingling in his body and there was an urge to walk over to the window next to the front door; which gave him a view of the outside of the cabin and the rest of his property. Not understanding why, the old man did so and got up from the table, leaving his empty dishes and looking outside; his eyes widening at what he saw. He stood there at the window as he saw that there was a person standing in front of his abandoned garden; a female with her back to him. For a second, she didn't look real and he thought he was imagining things; especially since this place could not be found by anyone unless he let them. The old man went to a lot of trouble to make sure this place was secluded from the outside world; having created it so that he could be left isolated from the troubles that plagued Remnant. A few months ago, he had retreated to this safe haven after a battle that left him injured for some time; allowing him time to heal and reflect. For someone to breach his enclave was a remarkable feat, not since the four sisters centuries ago, and he was more than astounded at the moment. Thus he went against his better judgment to venture outside; which he hadn't done in months.

The door was a little hard to open and it squeaked as it did so; the hinges needing oil and not had been used in some time. Stepping outside for the first time in a while, he felt the warmth of the sun onto his body as the fresh air hit his senses. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his walking stick and moved slowly from the old wooden porch and closer to his guest; who had a familiarity to her. Wearing a long white gown that went to her feet, her skin was pale and had long golden hair; as if it were made of the precious metal. Turning to face the old man as she had long sensed his approach, her gentle smile touch his heart and she almost seemed like she was something out of legend; also radiating a power greater than his. It took only a few seconds for the old man to know who this person was and he sighed as he now knew what was to come; hoping that it would never since it meant that he could no longer hide here. When one was a servant of the Light, there was no running from your duties.

"Hello Ozpin," the woman said, her voice full of life and purity that filled his old heart with warmth. He struggled to contain his emotions has he felt her power; most of them being regret and slight shame.

Professor Ozpin's appearance had changed a great deal over the course of time since the Battle of Beacon; to the point where he would not be recognized at first glance. His clothing was grimy and disheveled; a mix of patched up grey trousers and a long blue shirt that was completely out of character when he had been Headmaster; also sporting a pair of brown boots that had seen better days though they were intact. Instead of walking around with his cane that had become a part of his trademark attire, having been left back at Beacon after escaping from Cinder, and he walked around with an old wooden stick; which could technically be used as a weapon. It was his facial features that made him look just as old as he really was; right down to the scraggly beard and long hair that went down past his shoulders; slightly unwashed. His glasses were practically antiques and showed the casual observer on how tired his eyes really were; which matched the rest of his demeanor. All in all, Ozpin was the pure representation of an old hermit shacking it up in his cabin out in the middle of nowhere.

"I was hoping that I had been forgotten," Ozpin admitted as he sighed sadly and looked around the area; seeing no one else but them. He preferred that there were no other living things in this place since it would only remind him of what he was hiding from.

"My dear Wizard, you could never be forgotten given all the great work you have done; though the Light is troubled by what you are doing presently," she stated; both in a loving but convicting way. He winced at her words since there was truth to them; he was indeed hiding.

"I am recuperating; it was everything I had just to escape here after facing Cinder and her stolen powers," Ozpin argued as he leaned heavily on his walking stick; remembering how he almost died at Beacon Tower. He had underestimated on how fast Cinder learned her new-found as well as stolen powers.

"You healed some time ago Wizard; you are now where you were when you started on this path for the Light. What you are really doing is hiding and by doing so, you are turning your back on those who willingly followed you in try to protect the people of Remnant. Even now, they continue to fight in your name; thinking that you have fallen," chastised the Celestial Being in a firm tone; speaking the brutal truth to the man. Her pure white eyes gazed at him and almost seemed to stare into his very soul; causing Ozpin to feel greatly intimidated.

"Fine, you are right; I am physically alright. I just don't see how I can help anyone since it is obvious that every time I try, I end up failing. Maybe I should just let Qrow, Glynda, and Ironwood handle it from now on," stated the Ex-Headmaster in a defeated tone of voice; feeling the weight of things upon him.

"You were defeated; that is true. But you are also part of a war that has gone on for a long time and against an enemy who is your equal; thus losses are to be expected. What is important is that you keep fighting to protect those who need it and not hide while letting others do what is needed," countered the woman though one could hear the sympathy in her voice as well as understanding. It was hard for Ozpin to meet her eyes since he knew her words to be truthful in every regard; a voice in the back of his mind saying the exact same things the last couple of months.

"But I have failed so many times now that I just can't stand seeing any more people die for my bad decisions. Summer Rose, Amber, Pyrrha Nikos, and so many are now dead because I underestimated Salem; and now she is the one who has the upper hand. I've made so many mistakes that I don't think I can stand to lose any more people," Ozpin told the Celestial Being and the defeat in his voice was more than evident.

"The fact that you took those deaths seriously and regret their losses in precisely why you are still a great man Ozpin; even if you don't see it. You understand that their lives were precious and were not just throwing them away in this war. It is time you recognize that and go back to those who see you as their leader; this is the command of the Light," ordered the woman and she seemed to glow; radiating a power that brought life to everything around them.

"I don't know how much longer I can fight; I feel so old," admitted the Wizard as he felt some of his power returning. The last time an agent of the Light came to him, she had provided some of his powers back after giving it away to the original maidens.

"I know and the Light understands; but things are now more serious and thus you have no choice. The Darkness has physically manifested on Remnant and is now directly participating in events there," informed the being and that caused Ozpin to do a double take; his mouth almost gaping.

"It can't do that; there are rules," Ozpin said as his mind worked through what was just said to him. As someone who was a few centuries old, he knew all about the beings that ran the universe and the powers they exhibited.

"The rules put forth by the Creator states that the Darkness cannot use the powers of the Abyss to directly interfere unless someone foolishly attacks it; which it is following. What it is doing is corrupting one of your students so that she can be a new servant while deceiving another into using a power that is destroying her very Soul. Salem has defied her Master for too long and it is now decided to act; thus you are now needed more than ever since only you know what is at stake. Those who follow you need to know what has entered the battlefield and those two girls need to be saved from the corrupting influence of the Abyss; or their souls will be lost forever," the Celestial Being told the Wizard; stressing how dire the situation was.

Only Ozpin knew, having kept certain things from his most loyal followers, that he and Salem were merely solders in a very old war; one that has spanned the universe for eons. At one time, both he and the Queen of the Grimm had been merely spectators as well as oblivious to the whole thing; with Salem just an ordinary Witch who loved to practice magic such as he. They had been friends and even lovers at one time; both focusing their futures on studying the mystic arts while ignoring the rising spark of humanity on Remnant. However, while Ozpin grew enthralled with humans and their potential, especially after becoming a slight disciple of the light, Salem grew to despise them because of various reasons; their threats to magic as well as the fact that they posed a risk to the planet itself. While this had led to many arguments between the two, they still remained friends though the distance between the two continued to grow with the Witch beginning to focus on darker forms of magic.

When Salem decided that Humanity needed to be exterminated, she committed a universal sin and managed to wipe the race out in a spell that shattered the moon and left its mark on Remnant; the Grimm being a direct result of that very spell. It was Ozpin who brought both Humans and Faunus forth as well as left the gift of Dust to them to fight the newly created Grimm; which was the result of the evil spell. This broke his bond with Salem and created her hatred of him; which the Darkness used to bind her to the Abyss. It was then that the Old Wizard became a full servant of the Light and fought a secret war with his former friend through the years; spending his great powers to give the people of Remnant tools to fight the Grimm. He wasn't the only one to provide those tools however; those who bore Silver Eyes were ancient warriors of the Light; seeded in humans by Celestial Beings to not only fight the Grimm but other forces of the Abyss. Summer and Ruby Rose were part of that ancient lineage thus were key to protecting Remnant; though Ruby had yet to fully master her potential.

"Salem has always let her hatred of humanity be her first priority over serving anyone; it's always been her problem. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the Darkness would want to replace her though it is disturbing that one of my students is being groomed towards taking her place," the Wizards stated and one could hear the gravity in his tone of voice; even the sorrow since he had always considered his students like his children.

"Which is why you can no longer hide here in this sacred place; you are needed now Ozpin more than ever and the Light commands you to rise up to fight once again," ordered the Celestial Being with an authority that no one could turn down.

"I feel so tired but I will try; I think I got some fight left in me," the old wizard stated though he had to admit that the battle with Cinder still left him winded. Fighting the Fallen Maiden was far more complex that dealing with one of Salem's creatures.

"That is good but you will need the strength of the Light for this coming battle; thus I am here to present a gift," said the woman, holding out a white orb for him to take that glowed and radiated great power.

"I've never felt worthy of such power; I don't think I should take it," Ozpin said with some resolute in his voice. Though he used and wielded power in order to protect those who needed it, the old man never felt comfortable using it unlike Salem; having the full belief that it can corrupt even those with the purest of intentions.

"You must; the Darkness has provided his victims with powers that have not been used on Remnant in eons. Auras, Dust, and Semblances are not enough to face the Old Magic that is now making a reappearance so it is up to those who are wielders of the strength of the Light to come forth to be its champions. You have a good heart Ozpin so do not be afraid," the being said in a gentle voice as she handed the Headmaster the orb; which he took. Power surged through his body and a great light surged through the enclave; encompassing everything.

When it vanished, the old wizard found himself facing the broken tower of Beacon; crawling with Grimm. It was night out and the ruptured moon was high in the sky; shining down upon the fallen campus. Regaining his wits, he was surprised that the Representative of the Light, possibly even being the manifestation of it, dumped him in this place without him first getting used to the power surging through his body. While he was still weary of using it, he did feel a warmth and purity that came with the gift so he felt a little better; though he knew he needed to be careful since those who abused it found themselves being abandoned by it. All around him, he was haunted by what used to be a beautiful school for potential hunters; now empty except for the beasts that roamed it. He had built this school from scratch and had been brought joy by the students that he had presided over; especially those who went on to be the very best at protecting the people from the Grimm. Standing in the middle of the quad, the beasts had sensed his presence and moved towards him; probably communicating with their Queen about his intrusion to their gain.

With a determined look on his face and the walking stick in hand; Ozpin moved to take back his school.

Please Read and Review!