Oh gosh, I had a weird phenomenon today… for some reason I couldn't stop writing in third person present tense, and it made this really hard! Like what the hell, I never use present tense, but I just couldn't stop.

I kept having to rethink things and try to force them into past, it was a real struggle. Things like "She nods, waiting for him to step up beside her before they both walk away." And my brain was just like "I don't actually know how to make that past tense." Except I do, but my brain just refuses to co-operate.

It's genuinely frustrating… I have no idea where it's come from.

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquill

Chapter 36

Blake woke up to the sound of Yang screaming. Instincts kicked in as she leapt from the bed, one hand slipping beneath the pillow for Gambol Shroud, before she coiled in the air. Bare feet padded silently onto the floor, ducking as an explosion of ice nearly took off her head.

"Calm down!" Ruby cried, voice echoing around the room, "Stop fighting!"

The very air in the tiny room seemed to still. Blake's breath came in ragged pants, a fine accompaniment to her wide golden eyes and shaking form. A sigh escaped her as she placed down the book she had been wielding. Of course they didn't have their weapons nearby… not when they were safe in their dorm.

"I'm so sorry," Weiss whispered, the proud girl's clothes were drenched with sweat, one arm outstretched with a little dust falling from her fingers. She looked horrified with what she'd nearly done.

"There's nothing to apologise for," Blake sat down on the edge of her mattress, wiping one hand across her brow. "Seriously, don't worry about it." She wouldn't begrudge her friend such jumpiness… though they would have to make sure any dust didn't find itself into their room. The last thing they needed was Weiss accidentally killing them all.

"It's my fault," Yang piped up, shoulders shaking as she wrapped her arms across her own body. "I guess it was just a nightmare… sorry for getting everyone so worked up."

"We've all done it," Weiss laughed, the sound a little hysterical – perhaps a sign of the adrenaline slowly beginning to bleed away. "At least you didn't destroy the bed like Blake." There was a little good-natured laughing at that, the faunus flushing slightly but letting them have what comfort they could. There was a reason the four of them now slept on beds arrayed across the floor. The bunk beds had been replaced after she had woken up during the night to see a dark shape above her. In her panic she'd kicked out one of the supports, collapsing it almost on top of her, and spilling Yang from it. They'd laughed at the time too, desperate to pretend nothing was wrong with them.

It had been two weeks since they had returned. And they were healing… slowly.

"Is your arm okay?" Ruby asked, nodding down to Blake's left arm. The reminder brought the broken limb back into focus, which throbbed painfully in its cast. Sometimes it was easy to forget about it, though she supposed jumping around in the morning wasn't exactly the best way to look after it.

"I'm fine. I'll take some painkillers before breakfast, don't worry." A quick glance at the digital clock on the desk showed her it was only 5:42. The red dial blinked slowly.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep after that," Yang pushed herself out of bed slowly, eyes narrowing as she noticed all three of them stand to help her. "Sit back down. I'm not crippled. You don't have to help me with every little thing."

"Does it still hurt?" Ruby sounded nervous, as though she were afraid to hear the answer.

"Like a bitch, but that's normal. I'm not going to be using aura for at least a few weeks though, so it won't be that bad. I'll get used to it. At least I'm not in a wheelchair like Qrow." The blonde grinned at that, shoulders shaking as she looked for some clothing to wear. "Really, this isn't anything special."

Blake wasn't sure how her partner could say that. She'd spent so much aura, forced it out of her body at such an extreme rate… Aura was supposed to remain inside you. There were some who could manifest it outside their body, but it was a rare skill. Even then, you weren't supposed to use it all like that. Not when it was the very substance keeping you alive.

And yet her partner had… all in an attempt to make sure the rest of them could be saved.

She could only watch as Yang gingerly pulled a loose shirt up her arms, wincing with gritted teeth the entire way. Aura scarring, or so the doctors said… Yang had forced the aura from every pore on her body, at such a rate that it had actually scarred the tissue there. It would heal in time, but that meant that until it did, the blonde's skin would suffer from hyper-sensitivity. It sounded terrible… to the point that even soft linen would feel like metal hooks being dragged across skin.

Most people would have been bedridden, or perhaps driven to insanity. Yang… she just soldiered on, refusing to let it stop her. Blake wasn't sure if she admired that, or if she wanted to cry and lock the girl in a padded room where she couldn't be hurt. No doubt Ruby and Weiss felt the same way, especially when she wouldn't let them help her. What must bathing have felt like? At least Miss Goodwitch had ordered that Yang not wear the school uniform, instead wearing baggy pants and loose shirts.

"Stop looking so agonised Blake," the blonde sighed. "It doesn't hurt as much as it did the other day and I'm still alive. You lot act like I'm the only one who got hurt. It's damn weird."

"Well our injuries were fairly common," Weiss replied, pointing both to Blake's cast and her own head. The fall from the dragon had fractured the heiress' skull, though luckily there hadn't been any complications beyond a few headaches. Blake had also suffered from damaged ribs to go along with her nice broken arm. Ruby had come out the best, though even she wasn't fit for duty right now, recovering from a few dislocated bones of her own. On top of that, they'd each had a myriad amount of bruises, strains and niggling injuries.

The physical injuries were easy to deal with, however. It was the night terrors and nerves that they truly suffered from. Along with the lingering effects of what they'd gone through. She could still remember the tests they had all been through. Blood tests, urine, measurements… the public weighing, the dietary supplements the strict rehabilitation regimes. They were all still on-going, with lessons pushed into the background. Beacon honestly felt like a zoo at the moment, especially with just how many medical staff were there.

"Let's just grab some breakfast," Ruby pulled on her own uniform, as did the others. Blake's was a bit of a pain with the cast, but she was able to get it sorted with some small help from her young leader. Hopefully it would come off in the next week or so. "At least you let me help," the girl muttered, getting quick thanks from Blake as well as a sympathetic look. Looked like she wasn't the only frustrated with the blonde's stubborn strength.

The cafeteria was full when they arrived, despite that it hadn't even reached six in the morning. It was a stark reminder that they were all going through similar things. Even in the hallways people moved like coiled springs, ready to react to an attack at the shortest notice. It was still so soon, so fresh in their minds… that people even turned to talk to friends, only to find them no longer there.

It wasn't unusual to find people just standing there, staring off into the distance. She wondered if they were looking back to Magnis, and the people who had been left behind. The Festival had been cancelled… international students returning home to be with their families. Sun and Neptune had sworn to keep in touch, their parting more emotional than any had expected. Technically the two had only been a part of their teams for a few weeks… yet it now felt like they were missing key members.

"Ugh," Blake looked down at the tray that had been placed before her, and then back up at the chef who smiled apologetically. It was heaped with fruit and vegetables, with more chicken and beef than she knew what to do with. Alongside it laid a piece of paper with her dietary requirements for the day. "I don't know how they expect me to consume 3,000 calories per day."

"We've all lost weight," Weiss sighed, poking at her own gargantuan meal with her fork. "This is to stave off the malnutrition we suffered at Magnis, hence all the fruit."

I know that, Blake sighed as she picked up a piece of pineapple, biting into it with a grimace. They all knew they needed it… it was just that, after surviving for so long on so little, it was difficult to get back into eating proper meals. In the early days they had found themselves skipping lunch or dinner, or ending up feeling full on tiny portions of food – their stomachs aching if they tried to eat anything even resembling a proper meal. It was strange how at Magnis they had all looked so normal, yet in the safety of Beacon it hadn't taken long for them to all notice how sunken and sallow they were. How their skin was paler or their eyes always had bags beneath, how they staggered and slouched around, devoid of energy. Without the adrenaline to fuel them, they were all diminished.

"This sucks," Yang helpfully summarised for them all. As though to punctuate it, she stabbed into a grapefruit with her fork, the juice squirting up into her face. Ruby dug in with robotic motions, barely paying attention to them at all. Blake wanted to pat the girl's head in sympathy. No cookies and no sweets, healthy food only… the poor girl had looked like she'd been told the rescue from Magnis was a cruel joke. `Not like this` she'd heard the girl whisper.

"Hey everyone," Blake looked up just in time to see Pyrrha waving to them, settling herself down at their table. It galled Blake that she had come out the best from their time, with no serious injuries to her name bar exhaustion, a few fractures and enough bruises for three people. The rest of Team JNPR came up behind, Jaune drawing out a seat for Ren as Nora helped manoeuvre the young man into it.

"How's our resident cyborg?" Yang teased, getting a groan from the dark-haired teen. Blake's eyes met those of Jaune across the table, his smile causing her to smother one of her own.

"Having metal plates in my leg does not a cyborg make," Ren spared a baleful look for Nora as she helped him down. His right leg was still in what appeared to be a rather complicated contraption, like a ringed frame made of metal, with occasional spikes actually going into his leg. Apparently it was to keep his bones in position while they healed, along with the metal plates and joints that kept them together.

It was a miracle he hadn't lost it altogether, and was a sign of the investment Atlas and Vale were making into helping them all recover. That hadn't stopped Nora from proclaiming that her best friend was now also a robot, and thus was the coolest person ever.

"I've told you Renny, you have to call me Captain!" The ginger girl grinned, teeth shining white. It was incredible how she could look so damned happy, even with a thick, black patch across her left eye. "I'm a pirate now, and you're me first mate. First mate bleep-bloop!"

"It's good to see someone adapting well," Blake said as her… she wasn't sure what he was, boyfriend – lover – sat opposite her. His eyes roved up and down her briefly, and she had to suppress a warm feeling as he categorised each and every injury, making sure she was safe. She'd found herself doing much the same with him, when she knew he wasn't looking. He looked tired, tense and frustrated all in one. It would have taken a fool not to notice the way he sat, one hand ready to reach for a sword that wasn't there, or how he would flinch at even the smallest of sounds.

She never once commented on it. Likely because she, and the rest of her team, were no better.

"Nora's stronger than the walls of any fortress," his smile to her was a little more natural than the one he'd been wearing, an unmistakable sense genuine happiness in it. "Something like this is just sweating the small stuff to her. She's even been shopping online for different eye-patches for occasions. I think she wants to wear a new one every day just to keep it exciting."

"It's a fashion accessory," the girl in question butted in, flicking a grape against Jaune's nose. His eyes crossed as he tried to figure out what had hit him. "I think it gives me this roguish, dangerous appeal. Plus if I ever need to pull off a super angsty look then I can scrunch my face up and it makes me cry blood. It's so edgy!"

"Nora!" Pyrrha's rebuke had the girl cringing, "I thought we told you not to do that! Don't play with your injury… at least until the doctor says you can prod and poke at it."

"Yes mum," the girl whined.

"And don't think I didn't notice you throwing that fruit away. I know it's hard to eat so much but we all need to put on some weight."

"Yeah," Yang grinned, poking Weiss with her fork. "Maybe if you're lucky it'll all go to your chest."

"I see even third degree malnutrition isn't enough to do anything about those oversized balloons you call breasts." Yang and Weiss growled at one another across the table, lightning spitting between their eyes.

"Some things never change," Blake whispered once more, getting an amused nod from him. He didn't look much different from how he normally did, but for the guarded look on his face, and the bones in his cheeks being a little more defined. She knew that beneath his uniform, however, there was fresh bandaging over criss-crossing scars. They had also had to break and reset one of his bones, something he had apparently been forced to set mid-battle. "Pyrrha's good at the mother hen routine."

"Someone has to make sure we all recover properly. I take it Ruby is doing the same for you guys?"

"I'd prefer Pyrrha's methods." Blake sighed. "Ruby gives us this disappointed expression, like she's so ashamed at herself for not knowing how to make us take our health seriously. We end up giving in just to stop it." She was sure the girl was doing it on purpose too… it was too practiced, too quick to appear for it to be accidental.

Not to mention Blake had seen the sneaky girl practicing in the mirror. She still needed to find a way to weaponize that cuteness.

"Two weeks have passed since the Victory at Magnis and already some are calling for the day to be marked a national holiday," as one their table became silent, heads turning to listen to the news report coming from a neighbouring table's scroll. "The Council of Vale have taken the time to thank the brave Hunters and soldiers of both Vale and Atlas for their courage, and continue to assure citizens that they stand ready to stem any incursion by the Grimm once more. In a speech given by Councillor Sims last night, it was proclaimed that; `The great victory at Magnis represents the strength and unity of the people of Vale, and their continuing drive and determination to fight. Along with our close allies Atlas, the combined forces were able to push back and ultimately defeat the Grimm incursion, further proving the dominance of humanity over the creatures of Grimm.` At this time Headmaster of Beacon Academy, Ozpin, has refused any comment – and the campus grounds are off-limits to any members of the press. What such infringement of free-speech hopes to achieve is unknown, but we at Vale Free Radio will ensure that our heroes receive the recognition they des-" The recording cut off as a hand slammed down, pushing the device into the wood. Blake watched as Cardin, frame shaking slightly, shook his head.

"Nobody wants to hear that trash."

"Sorry…" Muffled conversation started up once more, slowly spreading through the hall. Yet it somehow felt muted still, all of them sitting a little more hunched as they picked at their plates.

Was that what the people outside were being told? Victory, heroes, glory…? Blake's knuckles turned white, the cool metal of the fork biting into skin. What right did they have to talk like they were the ones who had sacrificed anything? The determination of the people of Vale, the courage of those blasted councillors?

Two fingers settled atop her hand, soft warmth making her blink away such furious thoughts. Jaune didn't offer any words. No condemnation, no comfort or excuses. Instead he just smiled, the pinched look in his eyes saying he knew full well what she was experiencing. It was enough to force a sigh from her, as she more gently speared some cabbage.

"Politics," Pyrrha shrugged, unable to find the words to break the silence but determined to try nonetheless.

"It is a good decision. Negativity draws the attention of Grimm, so a speech like that serves to protect the city against any further attacks." Despite the logic in the words she spoke, Weiss didn't seem pleased. "It's the right choice to make in the circumstances."

That didn't mean any of them liked it. Six in the morning… a hall full of struggling teenagers, cowed into silence by the happiness taking place in the city nearby. It was almost laughable… except not a single person could find the humour in it.

"I'm going for a walk," Blake sighed, pushing her seat back and standing up. From the corner of her vision she caught Ruby glance towards her plate. Her hand snatched out to grab an apple, before her leader can turn and ask her to force more down. "I'll eat this, I promise."

"Mind if I come with?" Blake nodded to Jaune's question, ignoring her partner's teasing look as Jaune did what he could to finish the remainder of his plate before stepping up to stand beside her. Their eyes met, for a brief moment, a nod passing between them as they made their way from the hall. Outside, the breeze from the ocean swept by, blowing her raven locks to the side as she savoured the scent. Somehow it was easier to relax when they were outside… the trees, flowers and grass something that was just so unabashedly different to the grey stone they had gotten so used to.

"I hate hearing the news from outside," Blake admitted, shaking her head as she walked away from the cafeteria. "Weiss is right; they're doing the correct thing. But it still annoys me how everyone just buys into it like that."

"I suppose they accept it because they want to," Jaune shrugged. "You remember those lumberjacks before Magnis? It sort of reminds me of that to be honest." Blake frowned, recalling the way those fools had run around like headless chickens, getting themselves killed because they couldn't follow orders. And that they had then turned on their protectors, blaming them for what was their own fault.

"I try not to remember them," she scoffed, "so thanks for reminding me." Jaune laughed, the sound soft and lilting in the cool air. It was enough to force the tiniest of smiles to her own lips, barely perceptible – but she knew he noticed.

"The Council is trying to foster stronger ties between Atlas and Vale," he continued once his laughter had come to an end. "I guess with how we all fought and bled together, things should be pretty good between the two kingdoms for a while."

"One of the few good things to come out of this mess." Funny how she'd once hated Atlas, looking at them as though they were nothing more than an extension of the Schnee hatred towards the faunus. Now here she stood, with one Schnee her best friend, and the Atlas military something she had come to truly respect. It was hard not to, when so many soldiers had stood on the walls alongside them. Without aura, without semblances or incredible weapons – they had stood and died to help them survive.

And they had held up their end of the bargain with the Armada as well… as late as it had been. The Council had barred any information on that mission being revealed, even to those stationed at Magnis. They cited security, state secrets and other such pathetic things. With the approval of the Headmaster, Doctor Oobleck had coincidentally started holding optional history classes, however. All of which were curiously focused on recent history.

Very recent history. While they had fought and died to hold Magnis, the battle in the air had been no less gruesome. By the estimates of the teachers, only a third of the monsters had actually made it to the ruined city… the rest having been intercepted by the Armada.

Really, the name ought to have given it away… for where there was now one capital ship and thirty or so smaller ones, there had originally been four big and one hundred small. Apparently all protocol had said they should back out, retreat back to Atlas for munitions and repairs. But for the decision of General Ironwood to push on, to keep the promise they had made to make it to Magnis.

Which had been made possible thanks to emergency dust supplies shuttled over by none other than the Schnee Dust Company… strange how old enemies had become such close friends. It was almost enough to make her head spin.

Jaune was right. Where the two kingdoms had once been awkward allies, they were now the closest of friends. There would be a whole raft of diplomatic agreements as a result of this; alliances, trade agreements, collaborative research efforts… the two Kingdoms had held the line together. Those kinds of experiences tended to last a lifetime.

Golden eyes strayed over to a group of Atlas soldiers on the campus. Robots and workers were already busy trying to repair it, though she expected it would take quite some time. Even then, there were a few students mingling and chatting with them. But of the CCT, the very device that had causes their scrolls to lose functionality there was nothing but assorted rubble and rock.

She had only the news they had all been given. That during the preparation for the siege, before the Atlas Armada had set off, someone had attempted to breach the CCT. The teachers had noticed, of course… since Beacon was supposed to be almost abandoned. If they knew who it was or what they wanted then they were keeping quiet about it. The only information they had was that the Headmaster, Miss Goodwitch, Professor Port and Oobleck had all fought the intruder. And that the entire tower had been destroyed in the ensuing battle. The intruder had apparently been dispatched during it, their body picked out of the rubble.

Good riddance, Blake nearly snarled. To imagine that even during the horrors they were experiencing, someone out there had been trying to take advantage? That had her hands tightening into fists. The Grimm had been about to crush Vale… how dare someone try to actually use that.

Already they were building statues in Vale… great, monstrous things that sought to glorify the cruelty of what they had seen. Beacon was going to construct its own monument. Nothing more than a block of stone, engraved with the names of all who had given their lives… hunter, soldier or student. So many names she knew would be on that list. Along with hundreds more she didn't.

Nicholas, Russell, Coco, Fox, Yatsuhashi, Velvet, the list went ever-on. It would need to be a large plaque. She would come and lay flowers by it, once it was complete. She had a feeling they all would.

"How are your family?" Blake asked, more to break the silence growing between them than anything else. She noticed him grimace and half-wished she could take it back.

"I've been speaking to them every day. Mum… she hasn't taken it well. None of them have, but they're starting to open up a little more. It's going to be tough, but they will be okay. I'll make sure of it."

"They miss him?"

"They'll never stop," he sighed. "They want us all to be together to hold a funeral for him. But since I'm injured and stuck here, they're going to bring the family to me. I wanted to know if you would come with me."

"Isn't it…" Blake glanced away, as an uncomfortable emotion settled in her stomach. "It's a little soon to be introducing me to them, isn't it?" They were together in a sense… she would call it official too, but it was still too soon. What if things didn't work out, what if they argued or didn't get along now that the common enemy was gone?

"Not like that." He shook his head, "We don't have to tell them we're together like that. I just mean… I'm scared I might not be able to be strong for them when they need it. I'm worried I'll break down. Will you… help me, please?"

Blake felt her panic recede, breathing coming back under control. Of course he wouldn't force that upon her. Sometimes it felt like he knew her better than she knew herself. Even so, her uninjured hand reached out to touch his, fingers intertwining.

"If you need me, I'll be there."

"Thank you," he breathed, shoulders sagging. "I should be okay, it's just… it's going to hurt, but I want to put on a strong face for them. You make me feel stronger than I am."

And you make me feel more innocent than I am. She glanced away so he couldn't see the pleased look on her face, or the heat suffusing her cheeks. Why couldn't he be a stereotypical idiot like most other men, and compliment her eyes or hair - Something that she could roll her eyes at, but accept with an easy smile? Instead he managed to find and surprise her with little things like that, things that had her feeling warmer than she ought to.

You're a dangerous man, she considered, as the two continued their walk. Dangerous with his accidental romance and obliviously sweet words. She had always been a fool who fell for dangerous men… first with Adam, and now with Jaune. It was odd how they could be so alike and yet so different - dangerous in different ways.

She much preferred Jaune's threat. Even if it sometimes left her weak-kneed and uncertain.

"When will they arrive?"

"Day after tomorrow." Blake nodded, making a note to order some fresh clothes for herself. It wouldn't do to make a bad first impression after all. She might even consider going without her bow… it seemed so trite now, to be worried over what people might think of such an insignificant thing. "Thank you for this, by the way… I know it's a pain."

"It's not," she gripped his hand a little tighter. "It's not a pain for me at all. Make no mistake; I'm not the kind of woman to put up with something I don't like. If you do something that annoys me I'll let you know."

He seemed to lighten up a little, "I'm glad. I'll probably make all sorts of mistakes."

"You're doing well so far." Better than she'd ever thought he would…

"Beginner's luck, I'm sure. Now that we're away from Magnis I honestly feel a little lost… it was cruel and disgusting, but I always knew what I was supposed to do." He sighed and looked away, out over the cliffs of Beacon. "Now I find myself with all the time in the world… and I've got no idea what I'm meant to do with it."

"A most horrible problem." He nudged her side, pouting slightly at her teasing. "I guess we'll figure it out… give it a week or so and we'll actually have lessons again. Imagine that, attending class and worrying about grades and homework. Ruby and Yang will be back to doing theirs last minute and panicking all night, Weiss will go back to shouting at them to be more responsible. And I'll be stuck in the middle, trying to read my books with a pillow squashed over my ears."

"Sounds idyllic." he looked up towards the bright sky, "If it ever gets too loud you're welcome to come rest with me."

Blake spared him a suspicious look, "I don't think I would get much reading done in that case."

"Why read those books when you can have the real thing?"

"They're not all smut!"

"I never said they were," he grinned. "I meant romance, but if you can only think of sex in relation to me then… well, I won't complain."

"Idiot." She huffed, taking their locked hands and using his own fist to strike his shoulder. There was no real anger in it, however, her conceding the point to him for his clever little trap. "I'm going to make you read my books as well, just so you know. You will love them or you'll be out the door."

"You-" he paused, coughing to mask his nerves, "you still want to… try this, then?"

"Us?" She waited for his nod before continuing. "I do. Like I said before, I can't promise it will lead to something. I might not be your happily ever after. But I'm willing to try. I have to ask though, is that enough for you?" Something like that, a relationship, it couldn't just be about the one party. Pyrrha would give him all of herself at a moment's notice. And if he wasn't content with what little Blake could offer… then she would let him go.

She would hate herself for it, but he deserved all the happiness he could have.

"I'm not content with just that." Her shoulders stilled, eyes locked to the floor. "I want everything you can give. I guess that just means I'll have to work hard to change your mind."

"Dangerous indeed," she whispered to herself as she felt the fear disappear. He was hers... he had as good as said it, and there was no going back now. She wouldn't let him. "Well, if you're so confident, then prove it." He didn't need any further invitation. And it was with a smile that she allowed her eyes to close, to better savour the feeling of his lips on hers. So soft and warm, as electric as it had been the first time. Unlike that time, however, she leaned closer, happy to let him have his way with her.

"I love you." he whispered, and her heart caught in her chest as his breath mingled with hers.

"I might love you," his face lit up, "might," she hissed, "I don't know for certain yet."

"Then I'll keep doing this until you're certain," he laughed, taking her face between his hands and drawing her in once more. She couldn't find it within herself to complain. Instead, she pushed against him, almost knocking him back but for his body pressing back. Her muscles relaxed, tension easing away as she opened her mouth and welcomed him into her.

There would be no running away anymore. Not from Jaune, not from her team – and not from her past, either. They were all of them hurt, in their own little way; broken, damaged and uncertain.

But they would heal.

And more than that, they would do it together.

Not the final chapter, that would be next time. I made the decision not to pad out the emotional recovery of each team, not when that could have been 5-6 chapters in its own right. There's something to be said for dragging out misery too far. They're hurt, but recovering.

The thing about Cinder and the CCT? The simple answer to that is that when this fic began, and when I made the decision to have them go off to Elgard and take this story arc, there was no Cinder and CCT. The episodes just hadn't gotten that far, so I had to write them in but didn't have an angle for it.

So this is what I went for… Cinder's plan to fracture Atlas and Vale in ruins, because the incursion actually strengthened them. And without the dance, all the teachers were ready and easily noticed an intruder. (Hard not to when most people are meant to be at Magnis). Four vs one, they were able to triumph where Ozpin failed… though we all know it was mostly Peter who did all the fighting. True manly hero that he is.

Sun and Neptune for the same in a sense. They were in the story at the point of divergence… but I didn't have details as to their other teammates, and so left the out of it. It's all kinda weird, but I don't think the story suffered for it.

In the original plan by the way, Pyrrha died and Jaune lost an arm. Then the last episode came out and I was like "maaaaybe not." Maybe it's a little idealistic that the main cast all survived here. Blame it on sentimentality from me. My first ever fanfiction. I kinda wanted it to end on a happy note.

Final Chapter: 11th July

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur