"Seeking. Hunting. Waiting."
For untold millenia, the Jabberwalker has spent its days seeking. Seeking for answers from the one who made it.
"Hey! Jabber!"
It hears a voice. A familiar voice coming from its antithesis that has managed to snuck up on him.
"You! Seek! Hunt!"
"Stop! I'm not here to fight!" The Curious Cat shouts, staying back to avoid being engaged by the much larger Afteran.
"No! Why?!" The Jabberwalker sounds out as its charges.
"Wait, don't you want to get out of here too?!" The Cat yells panickedly, leaping away.
"Seeking! Looking! Yes!"
"Then I have a plan! Listen first will you?!"
"Thinking. Waiting. Listening."
"Great! So here's what I know and here's what I think. Some time ago I..."
As the Curious Cat continues to tell a story to the Jabberwalker, a story of beings not from this world. Of the origins of the one who has opposed him for some time. The Jabberwalker comes to a conclusion.
"Yes! Go! Together!"
For the first time since creation, the firstborn child of the Light and the firstborn child of the Dark decides to work together.
"No, no, no, no! It wasn't supposed to be like this! You weren't supposed to Ascend!" The Curious Cat screams as it scratches the ground.
"Searching. Seeking. Wondering."
It took some time to get back to the new Genial Gem's Village with the Jabberwalker but the moment they got there they already knew what happened.
The ground looked normal except for the parts where the tree's roots began to take the Rusted Knight's form.
From there, it was only simple deduction to think that Rusty was taken by the tree.
"Wait!... There's still a chance!" The Cat says suddenly to themselves.
"If he's still there then all I have to do is cut him out!" They continue while pacing back and forth, ignoring the Jabberwalker's tilted head.
"It might take years but as long as he's still him then I could break him again and again before possessing him!" The Cat exclaims hysterically.
"Wondering. Pondering. How?"
"Just need to get to the Tree and hope Rusty pulls through. But how? How do I break him again?" The Cat mutters.
Just as they start to turn to the Great Tree, they hear some rustling and high-pitched sounds. Looking at something familiar, the Curious Cat grins maliciously.
"That could work."
Ascension.
For something the Afterans accepted as a natural process, it sure felt unnatural to go through. What else do you call flying through the void then subsequently punching through wood? Bizzare, that's what Jaune would call it.
The roots and branches holding him burst into light as he feels fresh air once again. Spitting out the taste of wood from his mouth, Jaune Arc puts his hands on his knees and breathes heavily as he tries to catch his breath.
The first thing he notices as he gets his bearings is he is still wearing his Rusted Knight armor, albeit cleaner and absent of rust. When he took his old arms, he expected everything to go back to what they were but this is just as good. Moving in a full set of armor has given him a lot more confidence and protection than his old half-set of armor ever did.
Taking the time to observe his surroundings, he finds himself in the middle of a forest with thick trees that is currently giving him shade with their leaves. While the exact location is unfamiliar to him, he's spent years looking at trees like these to hazard a guess.
He's somewhere below the Great Tree. The problem is that the leaves and branches are so thick that it barely lets the Ever After's two suns shine on him. Meaning he could walk towards a direction only to find out he's been walking away from the Tree hours later.
Large roots are spread around the area with other Afterans undergoing their own process of Ascension, trapped as a wooden statue.
Before today, he would have probably despaired over their current state and even done everything he could to get them out of there. Even resorting to violence and breaking their wooden shell, which might possibly just erase them forever.
Yet his own experience with Ascension has taught him greatly. Whatever it is, it is one's own choice to undergo it. While he is still sad that Afterans still feel the need to go through it and shed their former existence, it is still their choice and it is up to them whether they decide to be something else or be satisfied with their current form and do better just like he did.
Finally getting his self together, he stretches his back and instantly notices one thing. No cracks or popping of joints as his eyes go wide when he slowly stretches his body as much as he could. Moaning in pleasure at the sudden sensation, he twists his body this way and that and finds out that there is no pain.
"Oh Gods, thank you Alyx. As whiny as my voice sounds, I would take it over the back pain." He moans as he tests his muscles.
"Okay, so just walk through the door at the base of the Great Tree. Right, cool, cool, cool. Now where's the base of the Great Tree?"
Looking around him, all Jaune could see are roots, trees, and branches everywhere. Even when he tries to look upwards at the sky, all he could see are leaves blocking any hint of where the Great Tree could be.
Alright, he has hit his first obstacle. He expected this. He's been roughing it out for years, he knows how this goes. He might have gotten back his younger body but that doesn't mean it's smooth sailing from here.
But before he could even pick a direction, he hears a voice that makes his whole body freeze.
"Rustyyyy! Rustyyy! Where are you?!" The Curious Cat shouts running across the forest floor.
Just like that, any positive thoughts Jaune has blows right out the window. For a moment his eyes narrow and all he sees is Alyx's smile just a few moments ago. To think she would have made right by him if it wasn't for the Cat.
His hand clenches as he takes a deep breath to calm his now rapidly beating heart. Rage threatening to burst through his chest but almost two decades of fighting and protecting the denizens of the Ever After from the Jabberwalker have thought him that he is prone to making mistakes when emotional.
"Rustyy, are you there?!" The voice sounds closer now and Jaune suddenly realizes something about the situation.
No, rage won't serve him well. But it could certainly help. Still, experience has thought him well and a plan forms in his head. He might not know where the base of the Great Tree is but reckonds the Cat does
He lets a smirk overtake his features for a moment before he hears the foliage shake near him and he drops his expression.
The Curious Cat bursts through the scene in a kaleidoscope of colors. The two stare at each other as the world slows down to a crawl before Jaune opens his mouth.
"Did that cat just talk?" A high-pitched voice speaks to it as the Cat bursts through the foliage.
The last thing the Curious Cat expected to see was a very young Rusted Knight facing it as it turns towards the voice. His armor is definitely still rusted but his hair is shorter and the lines on his face have disappeared.
"Why...Yes, yes I just did." The Cat replies frankly, caught flat-footed at Rusty's lack of hostility.
"Okayyy, this is getting stranger by the second." Young Rusty remarks as he, for all intents and purposes seems to study his surroundings.
"Well, sir knight. You look mighty strange yourself." The Cat speaks back, causing Rusty to wince at it's witty retort.
Curious. It has never observed...whatever this situation is happen before. It has never even seen one ascend into a form it used to take and forget its recent memories.
Though the Cat supposes that it could be perfectly possible for Rusty to turn into someone that could fulfill his purpose and that someone just turns out to be his younger self.
Regardless, this situation provides the Cat some opportunities. Perhaps, the original plan doesn't even need to happen, after all. Still, something about the situation is rubbing the Cat the wrong way. But before it could think more on it, the young Rusted Knight asks him a question.
"Soooo, where are we?" Rusty asks calmly. Too calmly.
"Why, we are in the Ever After. You seem to be taking this rather well, sir knight?" They reply with a cautious step back.
"Ha. Ha. Ha. Well when the Gods are apparently real and magic certainly is, strange things happening shouldnt be strange at all." The Rusted Knight answers logically, staring calmly straight at the Cat's eyes.
There it is. The Cat never saw Rusty this well-adjusted to problems thrown at him by magic. Sure he had developed a calmer demeanor when adventuring with Alyx and Lewis but the Cat thinks that is only due to a combination of trying to reassure the children and being desensitized through the passing of time.
Young Rusty would have probably raised his spirits with reckless optimism and while his reply just now tried to do that, it was tempered with a bit of logic.
The world pauses as two old friends lock eyes with each other. Both of them already knowing the jig is up.
'Schwing!'
Rusty's sword whistles through the air as it is unsheated in an instant. The same instant the Cat transports itself in a burst of blue light polygons travelling through the air.
"Rusty! I knew you could make it! And is that a new sword? Its high time you left the broken one behind and got a new one." They shout excitedly from atop a branch where their body reforms.
"Tsk. Where is the Tree?" Not even bothering to acknowledge the Cat's remark.
"Why, look around you, sir knight. There are trees everywhere." They answer mockingly.
"You know what I mean! The base of the Great Tree. The door to Remnant. Where is it?!"
"Ohhh? Not scared of it anymore, are you? Alright, I'll tell you."
"Then where is it?!"
"If you promise to take me with you. Take me with you back to Remnant."
The Cat could see Rusty grit his teeth before hissing out an answer.
"Fine! I promise to take you through the door with me. Happy?!"
"Yes! That will do. That will do nicely indeed."
"Just lead me to the Tree!" Rusty glares at them.
"Yes! Yes! Come on! Time's awasting!" The Cat replies exuberantly as they turn around.
Just as it turns around to drop down the forest floor and lead Rusty to the door, the Cat lets out a hidden grin.
The last time they agreed to guide someone from Remnant to the door, the Cat got betrayed and lied to. They know how these things work out now. Rusty is just using them to get to the Tree. No pretenses or doubts there, but it doesn't mean that they can't do something to ensure Rusty keeps his end of the bargain this time too. After all, they brought a friend for that reason.
Jaune is still pissed his plan didn't work.
He pretended he lost years worth of memories to lull the Curious Cat into a false sense of security. He wanted the Cat to lead him to the door peacefully and at the last moment he wanted to betray it. Making it feel the sort of betrayal Alyx would have felt before she died.
Now he had to promise to bring the Cat through the door. Enemy or not, an Arc keeps their word. He now has to take the Cat through the door. Joke's on them though because Jaune knows what's other side of the door...or he has an idea of what is exactly on the other side.
Look, he's not sure if he's gonna crash straight into Remnant or land back to Blacksmith Tree Lady. The point is wherever this door takes them, the Cat isn't gonna stay long. He's gonna have justice. Justice for Alyx.
The Gods or maybe Lady Blacksmith must have been watching him because the moment he thought of getting justice, the door appeared right in front of them.
"Ta-da! And there it is, one door to Remnant right in front of you." The Cat flourishes its arms forward to point at the door after finally trekking a bit through a rough jungle.
"So what do we do?" Jaune asks calmly as he sees a huge closed stobe door with no way of knowing how to open it.
"Well...from the last time I was here, you just put your hand on it and then if you really want to go back to Remnant it will open up. You still want to go back to Remnant, right?"
If the Cat expected a reply then they would sorely be disappointed as Jaune opts to continue silently with a stoic demeanor.
The only evidence of him being affected is the clenching of his fist and the small twitch in his eye. The last time the Curious Cat was here, someone died.
Tension racks up as he silently walks up to the door. He has spent almost two decades in this place and he hasn't survived all that time by not listening to his instincts. His instincts and experience pays off just when he's about the reach the large door.
"Now!"
He expected this of course, he already knew he couldn't trust the Cat and the only reason he showed his back to them was to bait them into an action he knew they would take.
So when the Cat shouted, Jaune was ready. Crocea Mors sings through the air from his scabbard in a deadly arc to intercept the Cat. The problem was there was nothing to intercept. The Cat didn't move from their position. Instead, a blur streaks towards him from the treeline.
Two decades of practice and experience has Jaune smoothly raising his shield up just on time to block the charge.
Clang!
He grunts as he holds his ground against his foe. The Jabberwalker.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
"Seeking, searching, waiting."
"Ha! Did you think you can pull one over me?! I know how you people from Remnant work now! The last time I was here, someone broke their promise to me." The Cat shouts menacingly as it manuevers itself around Jaune and the Jabberwalker.
"Alyx...and you killed her for it." Jaune growls angrily as he tries his best to push the Jabberwalker off his shield.
"Oh? You know? It doesn't matter. Admit it, you'd have taken advantage of me then go back on your word!"
"I was already going to take you through the door, you asshole! An Arc never goes back on their word!" Jaune takes offense to that, unable to face the Cat due to the Jabberwalker engaging him again.
Yes, he did mean to betray the Cat but just because he planned to do that doesn't mean the Cat could imply he would break his word.
"Really, now? Regardless, I brought insurance just to make sure." The Cat transports itself in a flash of blue light, tackling the back of Jaune's legs and causing him to falter just as the Jabberwalker takes the opportunity to push forward again..
In a tangle of limbs, Jaune falls backward with a grunt. Instead of finding the door to brace himself with however, Jaune falls into the same void he just rose out of less than an hour ago. The light of the Ever After disappears as it is replaced by the void and green orbs once again.
"It worked! I can't believe it actually worked! I didn't even have to break you this time!" The Cat yells hysterically as it wraps itself across Jaune's knees as much as it can.
Grunting in annoyance, Jaune could see the doorframe disappear into the void above the Jabberwalker. This works just as well for him.
Without the door to brace him, Jaune instead takes advantage of the free space to flip them around using their whole momentum in a feat of atheleticism Pyrrha would have been proud of.
He would never have thought of doing something like this in his older body but with him currently being physically 19 years old, Jaune now has the capacity to do movements he only thought of when he was older but didn't have the flexibility or agility to actually do.
"No! Stop!" The Jabberwalker screams out in it's usual quick jittery voice.
Green orbs fly past them as Jaune pushes the Jabberwalker downward with his shield. He would have stabbed it with his sword as well if it wasn't for the Curious Cat climbing his back to choke him from behind.
"Remnant, here we come!" The Cat yells out gleefully as they all tumble down in a mixture of screams and yells.
It takes only a moment after that for them to unexpectedly crash onto something.
"Hmmm...Perhaps they would be suited to-" The Blacksmith mutters absently as she gazes upward before being interrupted by a voice.
"-ere we come!" The voice echoes as screams and yells follow after it.
Turning towards the noise, she sees Jaune Arc crash in a tangle of limbs, flesh, and armor together with two other beings.
"Remnant sucks, Jau-oof!" The same voice groans out before the source is thrown away by Jaune who twists around to stand up.
"This isn't Remnant, you idiot." Jaune Arc glares angrily at what is now apparently the Curious Cat.
The Blacksmith sighs to herself. Never has her abode ever been this noisy. Regardless, if she actually wants to accomplish her goal she'd have to bear with shenanigans such as this.
"Children, beha-" She starts only to be interrupted by the Jabberwalker sweeping Jaune's legs off with its tail from its downed position.
The Blacksmith sees the Jabberwalker rise up and pounce on the downed knight with a roar. Jaune Arc, however takes offense to this as he blocks the attack with his shield and blasts his foe away with a burst of gravity Dust.
It is at that moment of respite that Jaune Arc locks eyes with her and notices the situation. In one fluid movement, he rolls his body around to rapidly stand up in front of her.
"Get behind me, My Lady. This is dangerous." Jaune Arc states protectively with his back in front of her to her own amusement and exasperation.
And just like that, the fight is on...
If she let it happen that is. As it is, with all of them inside her domain, it only takes her a snap of her fingers for them to freeze.
Snap!
Never has Jaune felt something like this in his life.
He has felt paralyzing fear enough to freeze his body. He has experienced mind-numbing shock enough to stop him in his tracks. Even horrifying pain strong enough to leave him without strength was familiar to him. But this? This was the power of a god.
His mind is clear but no matter what he does or how he tries to push nothing happens. And its not the nothing happens where he's pushing and putting in the effort. Its more of he is trying to put in the effort and nothing is going through. His body just refuses to move.
He is not the only one because he can see both the Curious Cat and the Jabberwalker frozen midstance similar to him.
"Good, finally ready to listen?" The melodic voice comes from behind and signals the return of their freedom.
Jaune almost falls to his knees but he manages to catch himself before putting himself in a state of vulnerablity with both the Curious Cat and Jabberwalker around.
Panting deeply, he turns to the Lady Blacksmith.
"Why?"
"Because none of you were listening."
Jaune's eyebrows furrow at that and he waves his sword towards the Curious Cat beside a panting Jabberwalker.
"That thing killed Alyx!" He yells in anger.
"Because she betrayed me!"
Silence fills the air as the Curious Cat's pained scream echoes across the void.
"...She betrayed me...just like she betrayed you."
Jaune couldn't help the flinch that ran through his body as the Cat glares at him.
It's true. Alyx did betray him. She poisoned and abandoned him. He could have died if the Jabberwalker ran into him during that time of weakness. Before his thoughts turn darker though, the Curious Cat continues their monologue.
"Do you know what it feels like?! To have what you need the most be in reach only to have it ripped away right in front of you?! Alyx did that to me!"
He knows. He knows how it feels everytime he thinks about his first kiss. Green eyes apologizing to him as he is suddenly pushed into a rocket locker.
Taking a deep breath to center himself, Jaune returns the Cat's glare in full.
"I understand but it still wasn't right."
"Not right?! Wgat do you mean not right?! You saw how she was. She was cruel. She was m-"
"She was just a child!" Righteous fury seeping into his voice.
Because no matter how badly Alyx betrayed him, no matter how cruel or manipulative she was to the Afterans, she was just a child.
She deserved to be punished, disciplined, that is true. But she did not deserve to be killed just like that.
But how could the Curious Cat know that when for all its life other than its time with Jaune, Lewis, and Alyx, it has only ever known Afterans. Afterans who have no concept of what is right or wrong other than fulfilling their purpose.
Before the Cat could answer back however, a voice cuts through their discussion.
"Peace."
Power sweeps across all of them as the Blacksmith reminds them who is in control again. Her interruption gets the Cat hissing at her however.
"What are you?"
"Don't be afraid. You know what I am."
"...The Tree. You are the Tree." The Cat replies in wonder.
"We finally meet each other." The Blacksmith responds with a small smile on her face.
"Seeking. Answer. Ascension?"
Of all the things the just happened, hearing the Jabberwalker ask Ascension with a hopeful voice might have been the most surprising thing for Jaune.
"Yes. I am that which gives Ascension to Afterans but sadly, I cannot give it to either of you." The Blacksmith answers with a sad voice, looking at both the Curious Cat and the Jabberwalker.
"What?! Why not?!" The Curious Cat pleads as the Jabberwalker backs down piteously.
Jaune gasps at the implication. To think that either beings would want to Ascend, it could only go better if they turn into gentler forms or worse if they double down and evolve into better killing and cruel creatures.
Perhaps it is best that the path of Ascension is unavailable to either of them if that is the case.
"Because you are both completely under the purview and authority of the Brother Gods. The Tree has no hold on either of you. If it was up to me, I would give you the chance to Ascend just to heal both of your brokenness." The Blacksmith smiles sadly at the Jabberwalker and the Curious Cat devastated forms.
Something about that reply gets Jaune's attention.
"Wait, does that mean us humans aren't under the purview and authority of the Brother Gods if I could Ascend?" Jaune asks wonderingly.
"But you didn't Ascend, did you?" The Blacksmith answers knowingly.
"I'm confused, so I never would have Ascended even if I chose a different weapon? It was all a test?" Jaune tilts his head at her.
"I guess you'd never know." The Blacksmith nods back with a smirk on her face.
"But..."
"...What good are you? You can't Ascend us! You don't even answer his questions! What even are you here for?!" The Cat interrupts Jaune with an angry yell aimed at the Blacksmith.
"Why, to guide you to your original destination of course."
That gets all of them to freeze with the first to respond being the most unlilely one among them.
"Remnant."
"You...plan to guide us to Rem-" The Curious Cat continues the Jabberwalker's words in wonder only to be interrupted.
"Absolutely not!" Jaune shouts in anger.
The thought of the two Afterans running around free in Remnant sends dread racing through his spine.
While the Jabberwalker's brand of danger is no different than that of the Grimms', it is still an unfamiliar creature for the unsuspecting. It is fast, strong, and durable and would take down a hunstman expecting easy pickings.
And who knows how many people can the Curious Cat lead astray before being noticed. They could lead hundreds or thousands to destabalize a region before being stopped.
The chaos they could inflict together could be catastrophic to a kingdom. Jaune could not let them set foot in Remnant.
"I will not have them be released in Remnant." Jaune says resolutely towards the Blacksmith who stands stoically.
"You have no choice. You need them." The Blacksmith replies matter-of-factly to Jaune's confusion.
"W-what do you mean?"
"Did you think your means to travel to the past would be so easy? You are basically breaking a law of the universe. To do that successfully, you need godly powers to stand against it."
"Can't your power suffice? And why does this make the two of them important? They are not gods."
"The Tree could send you the future easily, you won't be breaking any universal law there, but you aren't going to the future are you? And what are the two creatures you've brought into my realm but beings made from the divine power of the Brother Gods."
"Wait, you mean to tell me I needed them in the first place and you didn't let me know?! What would have happened if I didn't bring the both of them with me?!"
"I had faith that you would do what is needed and lo and behold, you delivered." The Blacksmith just smiles at him, unaffected by his outburst.
It was at that moment that Jaune remembered, he was talking to a God. A kinder God perhaps than the Brothers but the Tree or the Blacksmith still does not completely understand mortals and heap unreasonable expectations upon them.
With that said, the Tree is still sending him to the past. Where all the tragedies didn't happen yet. To a time he can save everyone. If he has to work with the Curious Cat and the Jabberwalker to get there then so be it.
He just needs to make sure than the moment they set foot in Remnant, both the Curious Cat and the Jabberwalker won't be there any longer. Not that different to what he originally planned to do with the Curious Cat. He clenches his sword tighter as he looks the Blacksmith in the eyes and nods.
"Fine. Let's do this. How do we get to Remnant now?"
"Wait just a moment! I haven't agreed to anything just yet! Why should we go through with this deal that apparently needs us but we don't need to. We don't need to go the past afterall, just Remnant." The Curious Cat interrupts abruptly.
"Because you need the Tree's power to get there." The Blacksmith replies calmly without missing a beat.
"Yes, but what if we don't want to go to the past. You could take us to the Remnant of the present or even of the future."
Jaune glares at the Curious Cat angrily at that. Just how petty could someone be that they'd refuse to come with you to the same place you both are gonna go just to stop from helping you.
Luckily for Jaune though is that it seems like Lady Blacksmith is still on his side.
"I could do that yes, but I could also freeze you here eternally."
Such a terrifying threat delivered with such casual ease. It wasn't even that long ago when she freezed them. It was only for a moment but Jaune could still remember his mind starting to panic as his body refused to move.
Forced to watch the empty avoid as your own body refuses to listen to you. He shudders at the thought of enduring that for even a day what more for eternity.
"...okay. Point taken. We'll help you."
Seems like he's not the only one who thought that because the Curious Cat just answered shakily with the Jabberwalker nodding its head up and down almost comically that causes Jaune to snicker to himself.
"Good. Now about your way to Remnant." The Blacksmith replies almost cheerily in Jaune's own opinion.
Snap!
Another snap of her fingers and a large door rises up from the void beside them while covered in yellow lights.
"This portal here will take you to the past of your choosing. Think very hard on the moment you want to go back to. However, before you could even step foot past the portal, you must pass through the lights."
Just as she finished saying that, Jaune lays hands on the light after a short walk. It feels solid, similar to hardlight but he has an idea on what this is.
"This is the law of the universe, isn't it." He turns back to the Blacksmith.
"It is one of them yes."
"What happens when we break it."
"The timeline you came from comes undone and everything returns to the point of time you choose to return to."
Penny. The Fall of Atlas. Haven. Beacon. Pyrrha. Everything will go back to the time he chooses. The question is which time. He gives it only a moment before he arrives on an answer.
"Alright, let's get to it then." Smiling to himself at the answer he arrived to, Jaune sheathes Crocea Mors before grabbing it's grip with both hands.
Putting it in front of him, he can't help his thoughts turning to the years of visualization he has done in the Ever After. With his sword broken back then, he couldn't actually transform it into its greatsword form but now it is different.
Just because he couldn't use it back then however doesn't mean he didn't think of ways of using it. Appreciating the thing in front of him, Jaune takes a few steps back before doing some experimental swings. Crocea Mors sings through the air devastatingly. Its now heavier weight combined with his two-handed grip gives it a deadly air. Mass times acceleration birthing destructive force.
He knows now that perhaps it would have been better to invest in a gun or even a crossbow just to give him long range options. However there's just something about the classics that pulls him into this direction. The image of an armored knight wielding his greatsword and devastating his enemies comes to mind and Jaune can't help but think thats reason enough not to regret his decision.
The Blacksmith must have been thinking of the same thing because she is extending out a helmet towards him from the side with a knowing smile. Taking it with one hand, Jaune could see it having an effect with the Jabberwalker unconciously stepping backward. Turning to his audience, he gives the Curious Cat and Jabberwalker a grin with too much teeth in it before wearing his helmet.
"Ready?"
"Led by...Jaune Arc!"
"Huh? L-led by?"
"Congratulations, young man."
Ozpin has just introduced another one of his new teams when he suddenly feels something very familiar in the air. His mind pauses. The hairs on the back of his neck rises. His heart quickens rapidly. His body heats up instantly. The smell of ozone invades his nostrils. Magic is in the air. Lots of magic is in the air actually. A very worrying amount actually.
He tries to shout out a warning.
And then the world broke.
She lied.
Sending Jaune Arc to the past would be easy for the Tree, but just sending him to the past of Remnant wasn't the Tree's goal in the first place. Going with him to Remnant was.
If the Ever After was like an island floating above the River of Time with only the Tree's roots coming into contact with the River, then what the Tree wanted to do was to plop that whole damn island into the River.
To do that, She needed to break that which holds the island up. She couldn't do it on Her own what with being part of the thing Herself, thus She needed a champion. She couldn't say all of this to Jaune however without inviting any unwelcome questions, better to let him think it just a way to the past.
That made it easier to have Jaune break that certain thing however, just say it was the one thing stopping him from going back to the past and he'd do everything to overcome it. And do everything to overcome it he did.
As She looks at Her champion however, everything freezes to a standstill the moment that very important something broke. She felt it in her very core, a stretched out part of herself snapping back.
Jaune Arc stands there mid-swing and roaring his heart out while glowing brightly like a star in the middle of two equally bright beings. He shared his Semblance with his two former enemies using lessons from the time he shared his Aura with his mount. He did all that just to return to the past. She certainly did not regret her choice in champion.
""WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!""
Ahhhh. Speaking of champions. These are the ones with their own champions at first. Turning to the two presences trying to push against Hers, She thinks of a response borne out of the memories of Jaune Arc.
"Boys behave, mama wants to play too." She lets out a smile similar to what mama Arc used with her own daughters, Jaune's own sisters.
Mischief. She has never known such human concept but now She wants to play some mischief on Her own Sons.
""WHY?!""
The air in Her domain shakes but it takes a wave of Her hand for it to stabilize once again.
"Well, when My Sons do not want to come home, Mama will bring home to Them." She says with a motherly smile.
Its true though...the main reason however is to be in contact with more of what caused Her to change.
Before Her contact with mortals, the Tree was content to create and Ascend Afterans indefinitely. After first contact with mortals though...well the Tree has found Its favorite.
Such delicate creatures yet they make such wonderful stories in their race to chase their own destinies. Yes, mortals who have found their way into the Ever After, unknowingly changed something in the Great Tree as It continued to observe them. One could say they made the Tree Itself Ascend as ludicrous as it sounds.
Regardless, She has changed from something that just creates to something that enjoys their own creation as well as their own created.
""YOU CAN'T DO THAT!""
"Oh? Are you going to stop me?"
She knows that They know what the result of such a confrontation would be. They might be the Brother Gods but she is the Great Tree. The One where everything comes from. The One who Created Light and Dark. The One who now also Forges Life. They are but children to the concepts and domain She holds over.
""HOW ABOUT A WAGER? CHAMPION AGAINST CHAMPION.""
...Okay. So whatever She expected to happen? That was not it. It seems Her own children do learn something. If They didn't, They would have just confronted Her like They did with each other all those millenia ago in the Ever After.
Pride fills Her to the core. Another human emotion She did not use to feel. This just keeps getting better and better.
"Alright, I am listening."
As Her children explains the rules to Their Mother, She can't help but feel more and more excited. And so a bet between Godly beings have been set once again.
Just as Her children pull away from Her domain however, the Great Tree feels the presence of...More. Turning to these presences and looking past the Great Void, the Blacksmith sees Them.
A Lonely God looking from inside a Tree as great as Herself made up of the green slivers of their own timelines.
A Face carved in another Great Tree having white bark and countless red leaves, each leaf containing a world of their own.
A large planet containing a Great Eye with the symbol of a bird glowing through it.
She even sees another face. An old face seated below a large Tower that pierces the Heavens.
Countless worlds, universes watch as She has someone break a very important thing in her own universe. However, Her view of these beings brings to Her attention something she almost forgot. Turning Her gaze back to the Great Void, She puts a hand under Her chin and ponders.
"Hmmmm. That could work."
Taking inspiration from the basic knowledge She just got about Their audience, She stretches Her hand to the colors streaking across the Great Void.
Ruby Rose was not having a good day. Scratch that. She hasn't been having a good thing for a time even longer than that. What with falling into the void and having Neo beat her black and blue, Ruby Rose is entitled to having thoughts of not having a good anything.
Smack!
Another smack from Neo and finally blessed darkness overtakes her. Is she dead? Did Neo actually kill her? Is it actually over? Can she finally rest and meet her mom? She'd be proud of her right? She did her best after all.
"...by...uby...ke up! Wake up, Ruby!"
Her silver eyes snap open in surprise to meet teary lilac eyes.
"Thank the Gods you're okay!"
Yang...it was Yang waking her up. Her wonderful, beautiful, and worried sister was trying to wake her up. Tears fills her eyes before she could help it and she surges upwards to hug her sister. She tries to form words but before she could, sobs tear their way out of her throat.
"It's okay sis. It's okay, I've got you." Yang says through tears of her own and Ruby can't help but cry more. She can't help it, with the stress of everything happening and just having her sister here worrying for her is making her cry her heart out.
"Ruby! Yang! Over here!"
Blake! That was Blake! She remembers Blake trying to catch her before they both fell at the same time.
Turning their heads, Ruby and Yang sees her running towards them from the...void? What?
"Blake! You're okay!" Yang rushes towards her partner, leaving Ruby alone in the floor of the void?
Confusion fills Ruby's heart. Rubbing the tears away from her eyes, she stands up and takes note of their surroundings. The void. It was nothing but the dark void filled with smatterings of light from the distancen
"Rubyyyyyyyyyy" A voice. A familiar voice screams out from above her.
Turning her head upward she sees Weiss falling towards her. Wait what?
"Weiss?!" Her silver eyes open wide in surprise as she instinctively brings her hands out to break her fall.
White crashes into red in a tangle of limbs, dresses, and hair.
"Ruby!"
"Weiss!"
The partners greet each other with tears in their eyes. As confusing as where they currently might be, at least they are all together.
"Ruby! Weiss!" Blake runs towards them, dragging Yang by the hand.
"Yang! Blake!" Weiss cries out from above her.
The next thing Ruby knows she is being pulled in a group hug. Silence. They might have all agreed with it in their minds because nobody talks as they all suddenly find themselves together again.
She closes her eyes and lets the warmth of her team, the tightness of her family hold her.
"I love you girls."
That was all that was needed to be said as Ruby feels nods from all around her. Regardless, the group hug must have an end. As they begin to pull away from each other, Ruby opens her eyes and sees teary eyes all around.
"Team RWBY back together again." Weiss says with a wet chuckle as she daintily wipes her eyes.
Chuckles float all around because of that and Ruby feels a light feeling begin to fill her again.
"So where are we?" She hears Blake say as they all rub the tears away.
Before any of them can answer however, a small wave of green sweeps through the floor changing their landscape.
"I can answer that."
Two weapons swing out to point at the unfamiliar voice. With Gambol Shroud and Crescent Rose lost to the void, only Yang and Weiss are armed to meet any unwelcome foe.
The next thing Ruby knows however is that they aren't in the void anymore. They are in the clouds. Her heart leaps to her throat at the thought of falling again and she seeks out anyone close to her to hold.
"Do not fear, you are safe here." The voice chuckles at them.
"Where are you?! Show yourself!" Yang screams out in a challenge.
"As you wish."
A bright light flashes in front of them as a metal lady appears out of nowhere.
"W-what are you?" Blake asks out nervously.
"You may call me the Blacksmith, and to answer your previous question, you my dearies are in the Ever After."
Their eyes blow wide open at that and they look at their surroundings seeing nothing but clouds.
"Look below you."
Gasps fill the air when they follow the instruction. Below them is a great island divided into zones with a huge tree in the middle of it.
"Wait what's that?" Ruby points to a pink streak about to crash into the island.
"Ah. Excuse me. Nothing to be concerned. Let me just...there." The Blacksmith lets out a small smile as it looks towards the streak before seemingly strectching its hand out and adjusting its course.
Amazingly, the streak does change course.
"Wait, wait, wait! You expect me to believe that we are in a fairy tale land right now?!" Weiss waves her hand frantically.
Ruby doesn't understand, if metal lady says they are in the Ever After then they are in the Ever After. What with the Gods being real and all the weird stuff they've been in, Weiss should already know to expect the weird.
"Hmm. I guess it would be hard for you to believe. Lucky for you, I just have the way."
Snap!
Just like that, they find themselves seated in a movie theatre complete with popcorn and drinks.
"What? How? Where are we now?!" Weiss screams out hysterically to her left.
"Woah, nice seats." Yang says to Blake's left who is in turn on Weiss' left.
Yang is right. These are nice comfy seats.
"The drinks are nice too." Blake is already drinking from her cup and Ruby can't blame her. All this crying and the fighting that they did would make a girl thirsty.
Taking a sip of her own drink from a straw, Ruby tastes the strawberry milkshake. Blake is also right these are nice drinks. She could already feel her soul and body being soothed, the only thing she needs now is for a nice movie to play to heal her mind and give her some rest.
Just as she thinks that, the Blackmith flashes in front of them in a burst of light and smoke like a magician.
"Welcome to my Theatre Ever After, and for our first showing I am going to show you what would have happened if I did not catch you from your fall. Now please lean back, take part of our snacks and drinks, and please enjoy the show."
And just like that, the lights darken, a projector from behind flares out, lighting the screen in front of them.
The words it shows them first confuses all of them.
RWBY Volume 9
A/N: Apologies for posting late, got too busy back in early December and I had sickness for my Christmas so I only just got back to writing right now.
Did I just use this to make a foundation for future crossovers? Yes. Did I just make a RWBY multiverse? Yes, its gonna be connected to Pineapple Jam. Did I just write the beginnings of a reaction fic? Yes. Not gonna write the reaction for each chapter of V9 however.
What's my plan? Where am I going with this? Everywhere and nowhere all at once. The reaction fic will be done separately and only through requests. How can you requests? Patrons of course will have top priority, especially the early birds and contributors. Someone already requested me to write a rwby reacts to the Pineapple Jam smut chapter so there's that. Once the react fics drops just post a comment there or if you want you could donate to me via or kofi to get priority as well and talk to me there.
And what else? Nothing else comes to mind right now. Any concerns or questions about the story just shoot them in the comments. Also tell me whether you liked it or not.
P.S. I finished this while on meds in the hospital and habing a fever so forgive me for the wildness and chaos of my thoughts.
If you wish to support me and have early access to any chapters or stories, you can find me over at:
pa tre on (.com)/MrLightbringer0