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It was over, they had won.
Somehow, miraculously they managed to find away to win. Salem was gone and what remained of her darkness and her Grimm faded away back into the Land of Darkness, then when all the Relics were brought together the Gods of Light and Darkness came back and somehow they managed to convince them that even though humanity still fought among themselves they still had the opportunity to change as long as there were people out there in the world who believed in equal peace.
But they all agree that the existence of the myth of the Gods remain simply that, a myth told by stories to young children. Because though the world could be better and had the option to change, there were still people out there in the world that would seek out the Gods and demands their desires be granted if their return was ever announced to the world.
So a secret they would remain and only to a select few; the very ones that were able to save their world from not only Salem's darkness but convinced the very Gods themselves spare the world of Remnant of their judgement, were be the only ones to know about their existence. So that's that; everything was okay, everything was peaceful and most importantly, everyone was safe and happy.
Well, happy isn't how Oscar would describe himself, not that he wasn't relieved they had managed to win and bring some form of peace the world, but even after a week of the world rebuilding itself from the massive damage of Salem's Grimm, Oscar felt like something was missing. It didn't take him long to realize what was wrong with him, with Salem's defeat and the God's return Ozpin had completed his task and was given peace, after years of reincarnation, his curse was finally broken and therefore his merge with Oscar was broken as well.
And as the Gods disappeared, so did Ozpin.
And ever since then, Oscar could no longer hear that voice in his head. No longer could he feel Ozpin's presence, their connection gone. He knew he should be happy that there was peace now, and he was. But he couldn't help feeling a little empty inside, Oz had been apart of him, had been his other half for so long that without him, without that presence consistently by his side.
As though a part of himself, apart of his soul was amputated.
The others knew something was wrong with him, it wasn't like he was being subtle about it, his aura just resonated that he just wasn't— well okay. He knew he shouldn't feel like this, they had just saved the world for gods sake, but he just couldn't help but have this ache in his heart, where Oz literally had been for months, and he knew that eventually it was fade, that he would be okay the more time that past by, but this felt different. It felt like when he had first lost his parents, but worse, it ached more, the hole in his chest felt bigger.
And if he was being completely honest, he didn't want it to fade, because he feared that if it did go away then that meant that he was forgetting Ozpin, and he didn't want that.
Oscar's eyes were fixated on the sun raise, having been a farmhand most of his life, he always found comfort and solace in the rays of the sun raising or setting in the sky as the breeze blew through his hair. He remembered back before everything had changed, a moment where he had been in the exact same position as he was currently, staring at the sun within the city of Haven, where Oz seemed to sense Oscar's apprehension and nervousness to be on his own.
"It is said that every sunrise is a gift and that every sunset is a new beginning."
Back then, he hadn't understood what those words meant, but with all that's happened, he has a better understanding; it meant to appreciate each day we live and that every rotate of the world is a chance to start from scratch and keep moving ahead. And he knew that if Ozpin were here, he'd repeat those words; to live and love each new day that arrives even if he was no longer there. But how could he when he felt like a piece of him was gone?
"Oscar?"
Oscar blinked, turning, his eyes landed on Ruby, standing a little ways away. "You've been really quiet lately, are you okay?" Ruby asked, the concern in both her voice and her eyes were palpable.
Oscar looked away, staring down at his hands. He honestly didn't know how to answer that so he decided to stay silent instead, all the while hoping that Ruby would leave and also wishing that she wouldn't, he noticed long ago that Ozpin wasn't the only one he found a comfort with, Ruby had always had that personality that seemed to make everyone around her feel better, and if he was honest that's one of the main reasons why he had such a crush on her. When Ruby didn't, in fact, leave, Oscar felt equal parts happy and despaired. Because now he had to talk about what was wrong, and on one hand Oscar didn't want to talk about how he felt, because he had never been good at expressing how he felt, but at the same time he wanted to, needed to tell someone because normally he would just tell Oz but he isn't here and it all felt so overwhelming...
"Oscar?" Ruby repeated and out of the corner of his eye, he saw her place a hand on his shoulder before he felt the comforting pressure of it.
Oscar open his mouth and said the first thing that popped into his head, "I miss him."
And Ruby, bless her, knew exactly who he was talking about, "Ozpin?" And despite the fact that she said her old Professor's name in the form of a inquire, it wasn't a question.
"Yes." Saying it aloud make his heart ache, immediate tear well in his eyes and he furiously wiped them away. "It's just— it's like a part of me is gone and it hurts, and I don't know what to do!" God, this was all so overwhelming and embarrassing. "I'm sorry, this must sound so ridiculous..."
Ruby took one of his hands, and clinched it tightly between hers, and smiled at him. "Not at all. I mean I know I can't understand exactly how you're feeling, but I do know what it's like to loose someone, to miss them."
Oscar nodded, "Right, Penny and Pyrrha."
"Not just them, I mean, Penny's back but I also mean my mom." Ruby explained, her hands squeezed his ever so gently, "I missed her, for years and so did Yang, my dad and Qrow. We all missed her, so much."
"But you got her back." Oscar stated, his eyes down cast, looking at their locked hands, "Her and Penny." He blinked, stiffening because God that sounded so offending and it hadn't meant it to be. He opened his mouth, an apology ready on his lips. but Ruby beat him too it—
And to Oscar's surprise, she held no resentment or hurt from his words, but simply smiled at him sadly, "True, I did get them back, I know that you and the Professor had a different relationship then most but I like to think that you miss him in the same way that I missed my mother."
Meaning parental, meaning family.
Meaning that he viewed Ozpin as more then just a voice in his head. Having the words being said aloud and by Ruby made Oscar realize that she was right of course. His parents had meant the world to him, he treasured and cherished the time he spent with them even if it was so short, but Ozpin became a more surrogate parent without either of them realizing it. But at the same time, he felt like he was replacing them, by missing Oz more. "I'm such an awful person, because I miss him more then I miss them but I do. I miss him more because he was apart of me and there for me and I–I'm... I just—" He was cut off when he felt Ruby wrap her arms around him and embraced him, in another time he would have blushed from embarrassment, feeling awkward, but now he just leaned into her, his throat closing so tight it was hard to swallow.
"You're not a bad person, Oscar, just because you miss the Professor doesn’t mean you miss your parents any less." Ruby soothed out gently, her voice always so gentle, always so willing to help and comfort others, it was one of the things he liked about her. She sounded so sure of it, but Oscar still felt guilty, he loved his parents, missed them every single day. But when he compared how much he missed them to how much he missed Ozpin? He missed that damn wizard more then the two people who brought him into this world. Apparently he must have said all that out loud for Ruby only hugged hugged him tighter. "That doesn't make you bad, Oscar, that's showing that you cared."
And he did.
Gods, he did. Didn't he?
His heart felt constricted in his chest, "I know he's probably happy, wherever he is, at peace somewhere, but I can't help but want him around... And gods, that makes me sound even more selfish." A lump formed in his throat as he struggled to get his next words out as he stood from where he sat and began to pace. "And what's worse, it all happened so fast and I didn't— I didn't get a chance to say anything to him." He ran a hand through his hair as he continued to pace, "Just nothing, there just was no time I just—"
"Oscar..."
"I just feel lost, like something's missing and I know what that something is but I know he's happy wherever he is and that makes me feel awful that I want him back and I... I need him, but I don't at the same time but..."
"Oscar!" Ruby's voice carried over his rambling and he turned back to her, caught off guard by her sudden exclaim.
"What?" He shied back, thinking he'd done something to upset her, his heart beat faster because the last thing he wanted was to upset her, not when she's gone out of her way to comfort him. "Did I say something wrong?"
But to his surprise once again, Ruby didn't look upset, in fact, she had a warm smile on her face. "No, nothing like that. Just—" She paused for a second or two as the smile grew even warmer and Oscar felt his cheek burning with embarrassment. "Turn around."
He blinked a few times, clearly confused before he turned around towards the sun raise, and froze. At first he thought he was hallucinating, because what he was seeing couldn't really be there, not really, it was impossible. But as he looked and looked, the clearer the image was getting, and soon he realized, that within the rays of the sun raise, was Ozpin; solid and real, and standing a mere few feet from Oscar.
The moment they made eye contact, time seemed to stop.
Ozpin stared at Oscar
And Oscar stared right back, completely frozen.
Then Oz smiled a warm smile and Oscar's eyes burned suddenly, because he just realized that this was the first time he'd seen the man smile, because he's never actually known what he looked like, and that made everything so much worse and better all at the same time. A choked, emotional wail tore itself from his throat and he bolted forward, never in his life has be remembered running so fast.
Through blurred vision, he saw Oz also running forward, meeting him half way like he always did. Oscar practically leaped himself at Ozpin's waiting arms, and Oz caught him instantly, twirling them both around before falling backward to the ground. And the moment they connected physically, Oscar felt whole again. Even though Oz wasn't physically apart of him anymore he felt that part of him filled now
And Oscar, having kept everything concealed for weeks, finally broke down. Tears cascaded down his cheeks as he cried into Oz's shoulder, clinging to the man like a child. His bodied trembled at the force of his sobs, his nails dug into the fabric of Oz's clothing, which he now realized was just as solid as the rest of him, proving more to Oscar that this was real and not some wishful illusion. He let out a laugh that turned into another sob a seconds later.
And Oz—
Ozpin was in no better shape, he trembled just bad much as Oscar was and the tears that fell from his eyes and dripped down his cheeks were ones of happiness, of joy and love and he clung to Oscar just as much, all the while soothing Oscar, rubbing small circles on the boy's back and rocking them back and forth.
"Shhh..." He murmured softly, and even though he was no longer apart of him, he could still somehow sense Oscar's sadness, his fear and joy. If he wasn't careful, the boy wasn't bound to have some type of emotional attack due to all the emotions hitting him at once. "I'm here,"
Oscar let out another laugh, "How are you here? The Gods—“
"I know." Oz confirmed with those two words just how bizarre this whole thing was. "I don't remember much of where I was, but i remember that all our selves, all of them, were there with me and I felt your pain, your loneliness and I wanted to aid in anyway I could, I asked the Gods if they would allow that and it appears they did but... I never comprehended it would be like this."
Oscar breathed hitched in his throat as he with great difficulty pulled away from Oz just enough to look at the old wizards face. "You mean like a second chance?"
Oz chuckled fondly at him, nodding once. "It would appear so, surprisingly so."
Oscar smiled too, but the realization of everything hit him and his lip trembled as those same emotions from before hit full force yet again, "I missed you.. You were there and then suddenly you weren't after so long of being apart of me, and I felt lost and it felt like apart of myself, what made me whole was gone..."
Ozpin's eyes held so much sympathy and understanding for him, “I know, that's why I asked the Gods for their assistance," Gently Oz cupped Oscar's cheek and smiled. "And I have nor will never try to replace your parents, Oscar. But if you need me to be as such, then I'm here in whatever capacity you need me to be." Oscar didn't and probably would never truly understand why the Gods brought Ozpin back to life, but right now that didn't matter to him. Nothing else mattered to him right this second other then Ozpin.
Leaning forward, he clung to Oz again, nodding his head. "Thank you..." He said his voice muffled by Oz's coat, "Thank you, thank you... I love you..."
And Ozpin, unbeknownst to Oscar, smiled so brightly, tears fell from his eyes as he held his boy close to him and pressed a chaste kiss to his temple, "I love you too, more then you'll ever know."
Ozpin himself never had children, memories of Ozma's first incarnation Omar reminded him that having children with such innocence and joy living within such dark times could be dangerous and heartbreaking. Centuries later however, when his own soul merged with Oscar's and he got to know the boy a little at a time, and grown to genuinely care about him, to love him like his own, Ozpin realized that this instant could be like the memories of Ostin and Orion, where that children can be a blessing in the deepest darkness, despite the dangers. And now, here he was, alive once again through means he didn't know the Gods would ever give him, loving this boy he wasn't related to him at all but still saw him as his own precious son.
Here they both were, alive but no longer merged together but still so very much connected like it should be. Here they were, at the end of it all, where they and all their friends could finally live and be at peace.
Together, holding the other, loving each other as a family.
They were finally free