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Remnant-9012
(Cyclops World)

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Liars, no matter how seasoned they imagine themselves to be, always have a few signs that could give them away… if one is sharp enough to notice.

When a person tells a lie, there is always a sense of guilt. Most only feel it a little, while novices feel a great deal of it. Guilt breeds fear. Fear causes one's heart rate to escalate. Even those who lie for a living suffer from this side effect, even if only the most sensitive of instruments could detect any change.

A sense of uncertainty can also affect the voice, although this is much easier to control, and ultimately master, with enough practice. Novice liars often find themselves pausing to consider other ways to cover their stories, or they find their voices betraying them with warbles in pitch and volume.

Even sweat can give away nervousness, but this is the easiest sign to master for a practiced liar. It is said that if you believe a lie enough, then it becomes the truth.

Garnett knew better.

Two years ago he found a small settlement hidden away in a forest that had a problem – one of the children had turned up dead, a young girl. No one in the group of refugees admitted to any wrongdoing, and they even had a lie detector to confirm it. Garnett questioned everyone for about an hour and found the real criminal… the girl's own father. He had somehow defeated the lie detector, but he could not outsmart the senses of Garnett Rose. He confessed everything once he was revealed, and they left him behind to die.

Garnett hated liars. Almost as much as he hated the Cyclops.

But he would have been lying if he said he felt nothing for Henna Khan.

The uncertainty of Moon Wukong's voice when they arrived told him that all was not as it seemed. The man's increased heart rate every so often spoke of a fear that was hard to overcome. The hatred that emanated off the guards as they entered the city was a clear sign that things were not right.

Henna, however, was quite skilled at easing the man's nerves.

"I can understand your suspicions, but don't let it bother you. Moon Wukong is the most loyal man I've ever met. He's always been a bit paranoid when it comes to strangers that let themselves into our city," she calmly said as she sipped her tea. "Human bandits hurt his little brother, you know. Ripped off his tail for a trophy."

"And the guards?" Garnett tried not to snap as he stood a fair distance away, arms crossed.

He could hear her grin as she said, "Did you think I would surround the last sanctuary of our kind with gentlemen? They are paid to see all intruders as hostile and act accordingly."

Garnett nodded, satisfied with her answer. That did make more sense than assuming everyone was out to get him. Thing is, expecting everyone to be out to get him was what kept him alive this long.

His tea sat untouched across the coffee table from Henna. He didn't drink tea, anyway.

"And your little friend? How is he handling himself?"

"Fair enough, I suppose," Garnett shrugged. "Couldn't just let him starve out there on his own, right?"

Henna made a satisfied sound in her throat, musing, "Be careful that your compassion doesn't kill you someday…"

Were his eyes not closed all the time, they would have narrowed now. "I'll remember that."

Suspicion and contentment warred in the man's mind as Henna cleared the table off, making room for various papers and folders he had no chance of reading. Garnett wanted to trust everything she told him. He did trust her. If she asked, he probably would have stayed by her side in a heartbeat.

But that very mindset was wrong. All wrong. He never trusted anyone this quickly or completely… at least, not since his twin sister was eaten. He steeled his will to focus, to listen, to feel.

The sound of her faunus ears flicking contentedly pulled Garnett from his thoughts. She slapped a paper on the table and said, "Okay big man… here's my offer: You and I will begin hunting down those abominations in earnest. Right away. New Heaven can maintain itself without my direct leadership for about three months, and in that time I estimate we can eliminate several dozen of the creatures. Maybe more…"

Garnett said nothing. He leaned closer, listening intently.

"We then return here for a month, then out again for another three. Rinse and repeat until they're all gone. What do you think?"

"…What happens after that?"

"Same thing that'll happen just before… and during… many, many times…" she purred, her tone growing rather …hungry.

His own desire started to rise up to meet hers, but he bravely battered it back down, stuffed it in a sack, stomped on it a few times, then tossed it into the back of his mind to writhe. Now was not the time for that.

"What aren't you telling me…?"

She made a tsk sound with her teeth before answering, "Mood killer. Accepting my offer also means you will be my right-hand man from this day on. You will have the highest authority in the city after me. You will be a hero, known the world over. Good pay, too."

Underneath his blindfold, Garnett grew pale.

"Of course, that also means… well… if you wanted me to… wear your ring…"

His desire suddenly burst out of that sack, helped by an unhealthy amount of pure joy. It was all he could do to keep himself from dancing around the room like an idiot.

"I'll… have to… think about it…" he managed to wheeze under the strain of controlling himself.

His reaction didn't seem to faze the faunus woman at all. "Very well… I understand Moon has shown you and your friend your quarters, yes? I will wait… but not for long. I expect an answer before the week is out."

Somehow he managed to walk out of the room on steady legs. He even made it past Moon without flinching, despite getting a glare that someone in the next room would have felt.

Garnett wanted Henna. He wanted to be with Henna Khan for the rest of his life. He wanted Henna to bear his children.

But was he lying to himself? Did he really want her, or was that just his animal instincts? Was he just losing his mind?

Could he trust anything in this world if he began to doubt himself?

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"I was wondering how long you'd be…"

"I hope you have some good news, Cardin."

"I don't know if I'd call it good, but… here goes. First off, I saw a butt-load of kids running around out there…"

"Henna mentioned the birth rate was on the rise these last several years. That's good to know."

"They're all faunus, though. That kinda sucked."

"… … …All? No human children?"

"None that I could see. Every damn one of 'em had extra ears or horns. One false alarm had a tail sticking out of their pants. Made me look twice, let me tell ya…"

"Hmm… anything else?"

"Well, I asked where I could find other human settlers…"

"Cardin, I told you to just look around. Asking questions will only draw more attention our way."

"It was just casual conversation, relax. I found out that most of them are being kept in a housing project near those fields we saw on the way in."

"… … …Good work."

"Such glowing praise…"

"I charge extra for sarcasm."

"Whatever. I assume we'll be looking into those projects tomorrow?"

"That's my plan. Henna's trying to make me her right hand man, and she won't rest until I give her an answer. We won't have much time to move around without maximum attention."

"Henna, you said her name was? You know, if not for those ugly-ass ears, she would be kinda hot. Almost exactly my type, too."

"Hmm… this may sound odd, but could you give me your… description of her?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, blindfold. Sometimes I forget you can't see, you know that? I think her ears are supposed to be tiger ears, but I'm not sure. She's got… dark brown hair with reddish streaks running through it… uh, it looked like she was covered in fur or some shit, had a striped pattern all over her."

"What about her eyes?"

"Oh… They were like a reddish-yellow. Reminded me of burning coals, actually."

"…"

"What? No more questions?"

"Get some sleep, Cardin. I still need you for awhile yet."

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There were actually a few crickets out tonight, surprising given the state of the outside world. He hadn't heard any for several months. Their night song drifted through their open window as Cardin snored lightly on his mattress. Garnett stood in the center of the room, glaring sightlessly out the window at the night sky.

Garnett hated liars. And he could usually spot one any day of the week.

Henna had lied to him. To his very face. But he believed her.

Why?

Her words held no trace of uncertainty. None. Her heart rate never shifted… except those few times she turned on the charm to appeal to Garnett's baser instincts. She never smelled as though she were nervous about anything.

Her words held no trace of uncertainty. She was a woman who knew what she wanted, and usually got it.

No trace of uncertainty.

No trace.

That was impossible.

Other ideas began to swim through Garnett's mind, rapidly darting back and forth before fading away. Then one came and burrowed itself into his brain, planting roots and sprouting to form a deep, unbreakable bond with his soul.

He would not trust anything Henna Khan said, not anymore. He could not trust her words… because he trusted her. He would have given his life for her.

Which meant he would probably have to kill her.

"You know… for a guy as quiet as you… you think loudly," Cardin suddenly said from his bed.

"How so?"

"I sleep light when I'm surrounded by faunus, and now you're up pacing and muttering to yourself. Either find another room to haunt or go to bed."

Muttering? He could hear that? This guy's eyes may not be all Garnett could use…

"This is the only room we get, and I'm not tired. Tough luck, kid."

Cardin sighed and sat up, causing the mattress to creak and moan. "Then I guess I'm up for the night. Can't sleep with you doing that."

Garnett considered for a moment, then said, "I never told you about my sisters, did I?"

"I recall you telling me that you would explain later, but that's all I got. But hey, if you're willing to put me to sleep with your boring stories, knock yourself out! Just knock me out first, okay?"

Garnett sat down on his own mattress, the frame nearly collapsing under his bulk. He took a deep breath and began.

"It all started eight years ago. I was 16 at the time…"

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Remnant-9929
(Future-Forest World)

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To be honest, Jaune would have enjoyed staying in this world a bit longer. Now that it wasn't so dead, it was pretty nice.

But according to Meril, translated through Penny, they had to leave soon. The Emel'menel had spoken to her in the night. It was time to move on.

If only he knew where they were going…

Jaune himself carried the pack they had filled with several dozen packages of emergency rations, preserved for gods only knew how long by the technology of this world. Other than that, his weapons and the armor he wore, he had little else.

His companions were equally light. Penny carried nothing, though she offered to take all of their burdens. She had displayed her strength once to move a large boulder, so he didn't doubt she could… but he refused anyway.

Adam had finally agreed to a temporary truce after they'd all woken up, so he was given his sword back (under Penny's watchful eyes).

Meriliel, the elf version of Ruby Rose, had finally found the right way to strap that crossbow to her back. She hadn't had any chance to practice with it, but she seemed to feel that it was hers, so she refused to let anyone else carry it.

Ever since she'd been told where this forest came from, Meril had been more determined than ever. In Jaune's opinion, she seemed more pensive. Almost …scared, really. She didn't seem to remember causing the growth in the first place.

The memory of the Emel stone glowing brightly from her neck remained in Jaune's mind. There was something about it that bothered him a bit…

"Adam Taurus, you're too far out. She says you need to step closer or it won't work," Penny instructed the faunus. The four travelers were gathered in a clearing between the trees, waiting on the elf to get things started.

The blindfolded man glared at the android (at least, Jaune guessed it was a glare), then took a grudging step forward. The Emel instantly lit up like a torch, surrounding the group with a dome of silvery light.

"Incredible," Penny cooed. "This light is on a spectrum I can't even begin to scan. An unknown energy. Fantastic!"

Adam said nothing, only grabbed the handle of his sword more tightly. At least he wasn't focusing on Jaune with that killing intent.

Meril stared forward, seemingly concentrating on her commune with the glowing stone.

Jaune just gulped.

Here we go again…

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Where once there was a dense forest of giant trees and endless grassy fields, Jaune now stared at a nearly empty valley surrounded by a ring of hills. In the center of this region, just next to where they arrived, was a small house. Other than a few pieces of outdoor furniture, the building looked abandoned.

But then a few people came out to see what had happened… and Jaune could only stare in awe at what he saw.

Professor Ozpin was the first one he noticed, but why the headmaster of Beacon was out in the country like this was anybody's guess. The man looked more aged than normal, but otherwise healthy. The second man Jaune only knew by reputation, but few people who have ever laid eyes on Qrow Branwen could mistake him for anybody else.

The third person, however, was the most shocking. It was a woman who stood a bit taller than himself, with long-ish deep red hair and silver eyes. She wore a white cloak rather than a red one, but the resemblance to Ruby Rose was almost uncanny. She could have been Ruby's mother for all he knew…

"Qrow, you got any of that booze left?" the woman in white asked the black-haired man tiredly. "I think I may need some…"

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Chapter 14:
Who to Trust

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Author's Note: And so they arrive at the end of chapter 9… ish… Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, amirite?

Cardin and Garnett still have a ways to go to solve their mystery, but Jaune and co. aren't out of the proverbial woods either. Tune in next time as both groups discover a few lingering shadows…

=^w^=