Gamer4 in. After the better part of a year, this story finally draws to a close- the final chapter is here. I have plenty to say in the end-notes, but until then, one final time- I hope you enjoy. Let's dive in.
Disclaimer: Don't you worry about the dark, I will light up the night with the love in my heart! I will burn like the sun that will keep you safe and warm! Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day, I will be there to take all your fears away- with a touch of my hand I will turn your life to gold! With a touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to gold!
Chapter XLIX
Yang Xiao Long Beats the Devil (Part II)
As time passed, the winds tearing through Vale only increased in velocity. Inside an hour, they were approaching the hundreds, and showing no signs of slowing. Rain was flying vertically through the streets in sheets thicker than anything witnessed by the township in over a hundred years. It didn't take long for a flood warning to start broadcasting, far more urgent than what had been issued the day Ruby Rose had gone out to play in the rain.
A roll of thunder heralded worse things to come, soaring over the Emerald Forest, where trees were struggling to stay upright- some of the weaker ones had already been uprooted. The sun that had been shining above had been completely obscured by dark clouds, shrouding the town in an eery twilight. Soon enough, people throughout the town were hurrying to the nearest shelters available.
It was approaching noon when Ilia Amitola arrived at the Vale airport, eager to board the first flight out of this city- human and faunus instincts alike were screaming at her to abandon her search for answers. It came as no surprise, however, when an announcement rang over the loudspeakers that there would be no further flights until the weather cleared- any planes that took off in these conditions would be risking their lives. Instead, Ilia turned her gaze back towards Vale- from this distance, she could vaguely make out the skyscrapers that made up the skeleton of Mountain Glenn...
And her eyes widened in horrified awe as the buildings began to buckle, then collapse altogether.
Perhaps it wasn't as surprising as it might have been- Mountain Glenn was a portion of Vale that had been largely unattended to for over a century now, after all. But it formed a pit in Ilia's heart- this was only the beginning.
The beginning of Vale's destruction.
XXXX
"It's... it's dead!" Nora gasped, backing away from the corpse of the beast beneath them, sounding very much as if even she couldn't believe it. "It's over... it's done!"
"Not yet," Pyrrha muttered grimly, casting her gaze around at all the eggs dotted about the chamber. "We can't leave any of these alive. If... if they grow... and hatch..."
"We'll take care of it!" Jaune spoke up immediately. "Yang, Nora- you go look for Scarlet. You said he's down here, right?"
Yang nodded firmly. Pyrrha stepped up, hoisting her spear. "Right. Leave the eggs to us- find him."
Yang and Nora turned and dashed back into the chamber's center, leaving Jaune and Pyrrha to follow a trail of eggs lying around in an unholy ring. Jaune had to fight bile rising in his throat with every sack he drove his knife into, cringing at the squealing and screeching that ensued. Pyrrha looked somewhat green herself, but neither of them faltered, tracking down one unborn creature after another, attacking its cocoon reducing it to fetid slime upon the floor.
It didn't take long for Yang and Nora to locate Scarlet's unconscious form- much like twenty-seven years earlier, Its victims had been pasted to the walls in that bizarre, gelatinous membrane- a membrane that was beginning to falter as they watched. Scarlet's limp form slid down the wall alongside another- a dark-skinned woman, though making out any real features was made difficult by the lack of a head. Yang rushed forward, pulling Scarlet away from the membrane.
"Scarlet! Are you okay?! Scarlet!"
She could feel a heartbeat- that was good. He was alive. But his eyes... his eyes were empty, staring vacantly up at the ceiling. A single streak of white hair ran through his bangs, not at all dissimilar to Ren's single pink lock.
"We have to get him out of here," Yang grunted, rising back to her feet and slinging Scarlet over her shoulder in a fireman's carry.
"What about Weiss?" Nora asked, looking back towards the chamber's center, where she could just make out the crumped form of their fallen friend.
Yang bit her lip. "If... if you think you can carry her all the way..."
"I can," Nora nodded firmly, rushing over and bending down to pick her up, lifting her into the same carry Yang had Scarlet in.
"Pyrrha!" she called out. "Jaune! You got all the eggs!"
The two reappeared over a nearby hill, nodding. "As far as we can tell, that's all of them!" Jaune announced.
"You're sure?!" Yang asked urgently. "If there's even one of those things behind-"
"We know," Pyrrha nodded. "Don't worry- we wouldn't leave if we weren't certain."
Yang looked around, and took the lead once more, guiding them up the short hill towards the door that had allowed them entrance into this chamber of nightmares. "Come on- time to go!"
She and Nora huffed as they bore their loads up the hill, Pyrrha and Jaune not far behind. The moment they passed across the threshold, Nora turned back and kicked the door shut with all her might. "Eat that, bitch!" she snarled.
Yang shook her head, turning back to the tunnel, but faltered when she heard Pyrrha's voice behind. "Yang..."
"What is it?" Yang asked, turning back. "We have to... hurry..." She trailed off when she saw what Pyrrha had- a blank stretch of wood that now stood between them and It.
"The symbol on the door... it's gone."
XXXX
The first building of Vale to fall was the grand mansion that had once belonged to the Schnees. The house had since been purchased by another family- the Marigolds. The current owner, Henry, had attended the same college as Weiss, and had attempted to get into her good graces more than once, only to surrender around the same time he realized that she had forfeited her claim to the Schnee Dust Company's throne. Whether he ever knew the house he'd purchased in the intervening years had once been hers... it is difficult to say.
Nevertheless, he was still asleep when the winds picked up that day- by the time he had awoken and realized the incoming danger, the house was far past saving- the nearby trees crashed into it, ripping it apart, the ripping winds and tearing rain taking care of what was left. Henry had just been descending the steps towards the basement when a beam collapsed from above and crushed him beneath its massive weight. He was killed instantly.
In downtown Vale, it didn't take long for the prison to be evacuated, all those incarcerated there being herded into busses for transfer to a more secure facility. Cowed by the sudden change of weather, most prisoners followed along with this plan- the exception was Cinder Fall, previous murderer of Roman Torchwick and would-be lantern thief. She seized her opportunity to slip away undetected, managing to conceal herself in Vale's commercial district. Considering it the safest place, she barricaded herself within From Dust 'Til Dawn- the largest building she would likely be able to get to in this storm.
And still, the speed of the wind kept climbing.
XXXX
"My Gods..." Holly Peach whispered as she gazed out at the carnage unfolding outside the hospital.
James was gripping his shoulder tightly enough to turn his knuckle white. "Holly... prepare to evacuate the patients. I don't plan on losing anyone to this storm."
Holly nodded slowly.
Far up above, Ren had closed his eyes, entering a state of meditation. We must remain calm... no matter how terrible the storm is, this, too, shall pass. Even should we fall, we have already done our greatest duty- It is dead.
XXXX
The remainder of Team Loser had made it as far as the cavern with the tall cliff when they felt water falling down on them. "Is that rain?" Nora wondered out loud. "I thought we were still in the tunnels!"
"No... no!" Pyrrha gasped. "The tunnels are flooding!"
"How? It was a sunny day when we came down here!" Jaune objected.
Yang grunted as she hoisted Scarlet into a more comfortable position. "Flood or now, the plan's the same- get the hell out of here!"
She started off on the zigzagging trail up the cliff, and the rest of Team Loser obediently followed behind.
XXXX
Far above, Bartholomew Oobleck was tearing through downtown Vale, assisting as many others as he could in escaping from the raging storm. His semblance- very much on par with the one Ruby Rose had so recently discovered before her disappearance- lent itself well to grabbing one person, bearing them to safety, then rushing back for another.
He practically kicked down the door to From Dust 'Til Dawn, calling his orders of evacuation. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he announced rapid-fire. "I am afraid downtown Vale will soon be lost to us- we must make our way to higher ground!"
He tore through the aisles of the store, large enough in the old days, and had grown only larger as the years went on. At last, he found a single woman with long black hair falling over bright amber eyes. His own eyes were immediately drawn to her garb. "Excuse me, Miss, but we are evacuating downtown! If you would be so good as to come with me-"
"You think I'm coming with you?" the woman asked, a condescending note in her voice even in this situation. "You've already seen- if I go with you, you'll take me right back to prison."
"Ma'am, I assure you that saving your life is of higher priority at the moment," Oobleck attempted to reason.
"Of course," the woman nodded, raising a hand filled with fire. "I feel the same way."
Oobleck moved to dodge the fireball, but it never came- just before she could throw it, the building began to collapse. The woman was thrown off balance as the floor beneath them suddenly slanted. Oobleck moved swiftly, rushing back towards the entrance, regretfully turning his back on her. On the outside, he watched with horrified fascination as the store he'd just left began to crumble down into the ground, leaving a large chasm in its wake.
XXXX
Team Loser had nearly summitted the cliff when a series of loud crashings and rumblings slammed into their ears. They looked above, eyes widening as the ceiling seemed to collapse, and an entire building came crashing down into the chamber below. Listening closely, they thought they heard a loud cry that was suddenly silenced as the debris landed on the floor below.
"Oh... someone was in that?" Nora cringed. "Man, I hope they were a jerk, at least!"
"Beep beep, Nora," Jaune muttered. "Come on- we can't stop!"
At long last, they arrived at the top of the cavern, and rushed into the tunnels ahead- never had Yang been so glad to feel the splash of sewer water beneath her feet.
She was significantly less glad when she realized the water was rising, consuming her ankles, then her lower legs... her knees...
"Move faster!" she called, doing her best to follow her own advice- but the water was slowing them down as well, forcing them to slog through it as they desperately hoped to find an exit before they drowned in the town's refuse.
"Wait!" Pyrrha shouted, darting ahead. "I think... I can feel a sewer lid! If I can find it... yes! Follow me!"
The others did so, following Pyrrha as she forced her way through the water, even as it consumed their hips, their waists...
"Pyrrha, whatever you're gonna do, do it fast!" Nora called.
"Just... a... second... got it!"
Up ahead, Pyrrha thrust her hand at the ceiling, sending the manhole cover above up into the sky.
"On my shoulders!" she shouted, beckoning to Jaune. Jaune nodded, climbing up and using her as a boost to ascend into the world outside.
"Scarlet!" Yang called.
"Right- hook his hands around your shoulders!"
Yang followed Pyrrha's advice, moving Scarlet to her back and wrapping his arms around her neck. Despite his state of seeming unconsciousness, his hands clenched together when guided. He was like a particularly heavy backpack.
"Up you go!" Pyrrha called. Yang stepped into her waiting hands, before reaching out and accepting Jaune's help back up onto the streets of Vale.
Nora blinked. "I... I don't think I can do that with Weiss..."
Pyrrha turned her gaze towards Nora, sorrow written thoroughly into her emerald eyes. "Nora... let her go."
Nora cringed at the suggestion. "I can't! I can't do that to her!"
"At least she won't be left in that... that room. That's all she would have wanted- and she definitely wouldn't want us killing herself just to give her a better burial. Let her go."
Nora bit her lip, fighting against tears as she dropped Weiss's body into the water surrounding them before dashing forward, allowing Pyrrha to hoist her up as well. From there, they all turned back around and reached down to pull their final companion up out of the sewers.
Looking around at their new surroundings, Yang took in a great deal of breath all at once. "Holy Dust..."
Around them, buildings were being flattened one by one, razed aside in winds that had reached nearly two hundred miles an hour.
"Hey you! You over there!" came a call- loud, but faint in the roaring wind. "This way- you must find your way to shelter!"
Squinting, Yang made out the man calling to them, and, without thinking, obeyed, making their way towards his waving hands.
"Oobleck?!" Yang gasped when she could finally make out his features.
"Sorry? Do I know you?" the man asked, eyes widening behind his thick, round glasses. He then cut himself off, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter! Follow me! I will guide you to shelter- we have to get to higher ground!"
They nodded and followed, Yang still keeping a tight hold on Scarlet around her shoulders.
As they marched against the wind, something odd happened- as suddenly as it had begun, the wind began to slow, the rain following suit. Only a few minutes after pulling themselves out of the sewers, the storm had gone from hurricane-like conditions to a more standard rainstorm- and it kept shrinking from there.
By the time an hour had passed, there were no traces of the storm at all- the clouds had all vanished, the air was still, and the sun shone above.
In the end, it was just Yang, Nora, Pyrrha, and Jaune walking through the abandoned streets of Vale with one of their old teachers at their head.
"This is... rather peculiar," the man commented, looking around. "I have never seen anything like this... for such a storm to come from nowhere, then vanish just as quickly... truly unprecedented..."
He then spun around towards his old students. "If... if I may ask, what exactly were all of you doing in the sewers?"
Yang glanced back at the others before turning to face the good doctor. "My friend... he went m-missing, and w-we went looking for him..."
Oobleck looked closer, seeing the state that Scarlet was in. "I see... well, I must recommend then that you take him to the hospital, posthaste! I am certain Doctor Peach will take good care of him!"
"Well, we were heading that way anyways," Nora shrugged, smiling slightly.
"Wonderful, wonderful... now, if you'll excuse me, I have some friends of my own to check up on!"
With that, Oobleck dashed away. In the years to come, his actions that day would go down in legend, almost as much as the man in green who had saved so many lives during the destruction of Menagerie Grill and Bar.
For their part, Team Loser followed through on their promise, advancing towards the hospital.
XXXX
"Your friends are back again," a gruff voice said, prompting Ren to open his eyes and turn his attention towards the door, where James Peach stood.
He glanced out the window. "The storm is over."
"Damn lucky, too," James grunted. "Never seen anything like it. I'm sure the news will be all over it for the next few weeks... do you want to see your friends?"
"Very much," Ren nodded.
He broke into a grin when they entered- Pyrrha first, then Jaune, Nora, and finally Yang. They were all beaming- all except Yang.
"You've done it," he smiled.
"I broke her legs for you, Renny," Nora smiled, darting forward and taking her place right beside him. "She didn't stand a chance with us on the case!"
Ren looked around. "Glad to hear it, but... where's Weiss?"
The smiles faltered. Pyrrha coughed slightly. "Weiss... she..."
Ren felt his heart sink. "I see. There's... there's no need to go into detail."
"It's thanks to her that we managed it," Jaune assured him. "She... she subdued it long enough for us to get the killing blow. It's just... she put herself into danger to give us that chance."
"Then I'm sure she wouldn't have had it any other way," Ren said mournfully, closing his eyes.
They all fell silent, looking around at one another, allowing themselves to witness the grief on each others' faces.
"So... what do we do now?" Nora wondered aloud.
"Now?" Jaune asked, allowing himself- not a laugh, exactly, but more of a scoff. "Now we head to the nearest hotel without a dead body in it and sleep for the rest of the week."
"I... can second that," Pyrrha smiled softly.
"I... I'll stick around here a while longer," Yang shook her head. "Scarlet..."
"Scarlet?" Ren asked, perking up slightly. "Your boyfriend? What about him?"
"It had him," Yang muttered. "He's still alive, but..."
"Catatonic?" Ren guessed.
Yang nodded slowly.
Ren bit his lip. "I... I don't know what to say. I wish I could tell you how to fix it, but... the only other case I have to work with is Cardin, and... well, you know."
"We know, alright," Yang nodded. "We know."
They fell back into silence. After a long while, Ren raised his hands invitingly. Nora smiled, the first to take one, extending her other hand out. Jaune took her opposite hand, Pyrrha taking his, and Yang completed the chain.
Yang took a deep breath. It's over... it's over. After everything... it's finally over.
She found her eyes rising to the window, where she could make out a faint reflection of everyone in the room- or...
Her eyes widened. In the window, she wasn't just seeing the five people within the room. There were three additional figures reflected there- a short woman with white hair and a scar over one eye, a taller woman with black hair falling over crystal amber, cat ears protruding from her head, and a girl with short black hair, fading to red at the tips, gazing at her with silver eyes. All three of the additional figures seemed to smile at her through the window, before she blinked, and they were gone.
Yang lowered her head, struggling to fight back tears. It had cost so much, but here they were- all of them, at the very end.
There were never just seven members of Team Loser, were there? she thought to herself. Never seven... but eight.
Finally, they broke apart. Pyrrha smiled meekly as she backed up. "I... I'll go find a hotel for us to rent."
"I'll go with you," Jaune said, leaping quickly to his feet.
"I have to go see what's happening with Scarlet," Yang muttered, rising to her own.
"And I have to-" Nora started, but stopped when Yang held out her arms, stopping her from leaving.
"You have to nothing," she said firmly. "Stay back here and have a talk with Ren, why don't you?" Her lilac eyes gleamed. "I'm sure you have a lot to tell him."
Nora gulped, glancing behind herself at her bedridden friend, looking somewhat confused as he watched. "Yeah... I guess I do."
XXXX
In the days that followed, time began to slip by in a blur. The remnants of Team Loser made sure to visit Ren every day, bringing him news of the goings-on around town.
The chasm created when From Dust 'Til Dawn had been swallowed by the earth was spreading, growing larger and larger by the day. One by one, the buildings surrounding it were consumed, leaving many to abandon the commercial district and much of downtown Vale as a lost cause. Experts couldn't seem to piece together why it was happening, but they, of course, understood- after hundreds of years, the tunnels and caverns beneath Vale were taking their toll.
Several companies and organizations that had been planning on investing in the town and its expansion were pulling out, suddenly finding the proposition far less tantalizing than it had been before. Where a bidding war had once been taking place between the two largest companies in Remnant- Black Plateau and the Schnee Dust Company- they were quick to pull out when news of what had transpired reached their ears. It was hardly any skin off of Black Plateau's back, but for the Schnee Dust Company, who was struggling to stay afloat as was, this was something signaling their death knell.
It was three days after the event rapidly coming to be known in Vale as 'Hurricane Ella' that Pyrrha and Jaune announced their intention to leave.
"I hate to abandon you all so soon," Pyrrha whispered apologetically, "but I have another promise to keep, now that this is all over. I have some friends to meet up with, in southern Vytal."
"I understand," Ren nodded. "We have finished our job here, after all."
"I hate to leave the town in such a state," Pyrrha continued, "but I'm sure we'll rebuild."
Ren refrained from commenting, but based on the rumors he'd heard, that was... far from the truth. The hurricane had struck a deadly blow to the town, one that it seemed unlikely to recover from. Residents were pulling out, companies and corporations who could've proved beneficial were turning their backs...
Vale was unquestionably dying.
"Jaune," Pyrrha continued. "I would be... delighted if you would come with me."
Jaune looked to her, momentarily surprised, but warmth swiftly overcame his eyes. "Of course... Pyrrha, I'd love to go with you."
Nora squealed in joy as she looked at them. "Oh, this is great! When's the wedding, you two? I gotta be there!"
"Beep beep, Nora!" the two cried in unison, before immediately blushing and looking away. Nora smirked- she may have been beeped, but she was unquestionably the victor of that exchange.
"We'll have to set something up to see you off," Ren smiled. "But if that's all for today... I'd like to talk to Yang alone, if it's okay."
"You aren't seeing her behind my back, are you, Renny?" Nora asked suspiciously- in a tone of voice that suggested she was anything but suspicious.
"We're planning on eloping as soon as my leg heals," Ren commented dryly. "I was planning on bribing you with pancakes."
"Sounds fair!" Nora nodded cheerfully. "Come on, lovebirds! Let's give them some space!"
She turned and ushered the others out, leaving Yang behind.
"What is it?" Yang asked.
"Your stutter... it's gone again," Ren noted.
"It is," Yang nodded. "What of it?"
Ren hesitated. "Is anything... else gone?"
"What do you mean?"
Ren fixed her gaze with his. "Are you starting to forget again?"
Yang tensed. "Yes... yes, I am. Just a few details right now... things are starting to get a little fuzzy..."
Ren nodded. "For me as well. It's... frightening, but it also gives me hope."
"Hope?" Yang asked, confused.
"I... I don't think we'd be forgetting before leaving town... unless we really did it this time. Unless It was really dead."
"That's one hell of a price," Yang commented, crossing her arms as she took a seat in a bed across from Ren's.
"Indeed. On a similar note, how's Scarlet?"
Yang blinked. "Scarlet is... exactly as before. They're keeping him in the hospital for now, but there's not much they can do. He can be led to do things- give him food, he'll eat, guide him around by the hand, he'll follow, but him on the toilet, he'll... use it, but aside from that... nothing."
Ren closed his eyes. "I'm very sorry, Yang. I didn't mean for anyone else to get caught up in all this."
"It's my fault," Yang shook her head. "I should never have let slip where I was going in the first place."
Ren opened his eyes again. "Do you have any ideas on what to do?"
"James offered to send him to Graham's," Yang recalled. "I... turned him down."
"Vehemently, I'd imagine," Ren nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. "So I ask again- what do you intend to do?"
Yang sighed. "I'd like to get him out of the hospital, but I don't really have anywhere to take him other than the hotel."
"Take my house," Ren volunteered immediately.
"Take... what?"
"Talk to James- he'll give you my key. You can stay in my house with him until you come up with a way to get through to him."
Yang stared for a moment. "What makes you so sure I'll find a way to get through to him?"
"Because you're the leader of Team Loser," Ren smiled. "And you burn."
Yang smiled faintly. "Hotter than the sun in the middle of July."
Ren nodded, then considered something for a moment. "Yang... when you get to my house... check in my bedroom closet. You'll find something there for you."
"What is it?"
Ren hesitated a moment longer. "The truth is... it wasn't just Torchwick that tipped me off to what was going on. I came home that night to find something on my coathanger- something I knew shouldn't be there. Something that shouldn't be anywhere, really. I should have shown you earlier, but... so much happened in so little time."
"What is it?" Yang asked, more forcefully.
Ren met her eyes. "You'll understand when you see it."
And she did.
She had spoken to James Peach, who had double-checked with Ren himself before giving Yang the key to his home. A few papers were signed, and he also transferred custody of Scarlet over to her, allowing her to drive him to Ren's house in his car. She sat him on the sofa in the living room before heading upstairs to the bedroom.
She opened up the closet and gasped at the sight of a perfect length of red cloth- a cloak in as perfect condition as it had been the day her younger sister had worn it out into the rain.
She pulled it off the hook and held it close- whether in her imagination or not, she thought she could smell the faint scent of roses and strawberries, the very scent that so often hung around her younger sibling. She had no idea how it had come to be here, nor did she care- from here on, it was hers, and hers alone.
XXXX
It was a full week later that Yang and Nora returned to Ren's room to find him talking to someone on his scroll. He smiled as they entered. "Hold on, let me put you on speaker," he said before tapping the screen. "Alright, you should be able to hear each other, now!"
"Hey, guys!" came the unmistakable voice of Jaune Arc. Yang and Nora smiled- true to their word, Pyrrha and Jaune had taken off three days after their announcement.
"What's going on, you two?!" Nora asked eagerly. "Pyrrha, you keep your promise?!"
"Yes, my friends were very glad to see me," Pyrrha's soft voice responded. "They still don't really understand why I had to leave so quickly, but of course, I'd never have passed up the opportunity for a reunion with all of you."
"A reunion... right," Nora nodded. "That's... all."
"Of course that's all," Jaune agreed. "What else was there?"
"Oh, you know- taking down the embodiment of all evil? That good stuff?" Nora suggested.
Pyrrha laughed. "Oh, right- that game we used to play when we were kids. Yes, I remember that- barely."
The smile slid off of Nora's face. "Game? Are you... are you serious?"
"Yeah," Jaune agreed. "We'd meet up all the time and head into the Forest, pretending we were hunting wolves... or something. I can't remember all the details, it was so long ago..."
Nora's jaw was on the ground, and it was against Ren's frantically shaking head that she asked, "And what about Weiss?!"
The tone immediately turned somber. "Yes, that was unfortunate," Pyrrha agreed. "None of us could have guessed the White Fang was still operating in Vale."
"The White Fang?!" Nora asked, clearly struggling to accept what she was hearing.
"Yeah," Jaune agreed. "Especially since she left the company anyways..."
Ren cleared his throat. "We all mourn for Weiss, but I think she'd want us to look forward- how are you two doing?"
"Well, Sage was glad to see me safe," Jaune commented. "Something about Emerald coming after me- no idea what happened to her. He seems glad to see me with Pyrrha, though- or maybe just to see me with someone other than her."
"I'd imagine so," Yang nodded, stepping forward before Nora could interject again. "Now, about those wedding plans?"
Jaune groaned. "We'll see what happens, guys- we don't want to rush into anything, okay?"
The call continued for a while, Ren and Yang struggling to keep the topic away from the elephant in the room until Ren finally ended it.
The moment the scroll beeped, though, Nora could no longer be restrained. "Okay, the heck was all that about?"
"They've forgotten," Ren whispered. "Just as we thought... having left the boundaries of Vale, they've forgotten."
Nora choked, her conversation with Weiss echoing through her mind. "You mean... when we leave... we'll forget again? All of us?"
Ren shook his head mournfully. "I have reason to believe we're forgetting already."
"But I... I still remember everything just fine!"
"What was Blake's last name?" Ren asked sharply.
Nora looked taken aback, but smiled. "Easy! She was Blake Bel... er..."
Her face changed to horror as she struggled to recall. "Bell... uh... Belmont! Of course- Blake Belmont!"
"Belladonna," Ren corrected.
Nora bit her lip, but then brightened. "Ah- but you remember!"
"Not on my own," Ren shook his head. "I have all your names written down in a notebook- I was flipping through it before I got their call."
Nora's eyes widened, shining with unshed tears. "But... but... I don't want to forget! Not again!"
Ren looked at her sadly. "I'm sure none of us do. But... they still remembered us. They didn't have any problems remembering me when they picked up their scroll- I think we can take comfort in that, at least."
Nora met his eyes. "Ren... when I leave... will you come with me?" She looked away. "Jaune and Pyrrha... they remembered each other when they went together, so... could we...?"
Ren blinked, then smiled. "Of course, Nora. I'm sure we can work something out."
Nora beamed as she bent down to pull him into a surprisingly gentle hug. Yang watched, smiling on her own, fighting back the fear that she'd never be able to share a similar moment with her own boyfriend again.
XXXX
It was three days later that Ren was finally discharged from the hospital- though he was issued a cane with strict instructions to keep weight off his bad leg for as long as possible. Yang and Nora arrived and helped him back to his house, where he and Nora began laying plans for a flight back to Atlas- Nora, after all, had obligations of her own.
"Make sure to keep in touch," Ren said to Yang as Nora made a call to the airport. "I think that's the only way that we'll manage to remember each other."
"Of course," Yang nodded.
Ren looked away for a moment, nerves crossing his face. At last, he asked, "Yang... what was Weiss's affliction? Was it a chronic migraine, or..."
"Asthma," Yang corrected. "She had asthma- or at least, that's what her father wanted her to believe. Don't you remember her saving us with her inhaler?"
"Ah, yes," Ren smiled faintly. "Of course."
He turned and glanced at Scarlet, still sitting complacently on the sofa. "Any more ideas...?"
"I... I have something in mind," Yang admitted. "It's... it's crazy, but..."
"Crazy's worked for us so far," Ren pointed out. "Whatever you intend, do it fast. There was a magic in this town, but it's fading quickly. It might already be gone. There's no time for hesitation."
"I'll keep that in mind," Yang nodded.
Ren rose to pull her into a hug, cane still clutched in his hand.
"Even if... if we forget," he whispered. "If we never meet again, I want you to remember... I love you. I love all of you so much."
"And I you," Yang agreed, holding him tightly, slapping him on the back a couple times.
They stayed like that for several minutes before Nora got their attention by clearing her throat. They turned to see her in a nearby doorway, a sad smile on her face.
"They have a flight to get us out of here tonight," she announced. "Yang... good luck."
Yang nodded as Nora moved forward, not breaking up their hug but joining in.
XXXX
The next day dawned- Nora and Ren were both gone. Yang remained behind in Ren's house- he had assured her she had his permission to use it as long as she needed.
At the moment, she was in his bedroom, pulling on clothing the likes of which she hadn't worn in twenty-seven years.
She had never thought it would happen, back then- she had envisaged herself as the eternal rebel without a cause, riding atop a bike, sunglasses on, telling figures of authority that they could eat her dust.
But, of course, grow up she had- the woman she saw when she looked in the mirror was not at all unlike images her father and uncle had kept of her mother- similar lines on her face, hair that no longer retained its old shine. Were she to dye her hair black, she'd be nearly indistinguishable. There was one thing that separated them, however- Yang refused to turn her back on those she loved.
She slipped on a brown leather jacket- she hadn't worn one of these in two decades, to her own surprise. She had retained more of herself than she'd thought as she'd aged, but changes had come nonetheless- she couldn't even remember the last time she'd worn shorts like these, or these long boots and fingerless gloves.
She turned and headed downstairs, where she found Scarlet, already outfitted in a pair of ripped-up jeans and a Pumpkin Pete's hoody uncannily similar to the one Jaune had worn in those early days. Yang could only imagine how ridiculous they'd look to others- but she was past the point of caring. As long as Scarlet came back to her, it was irrelevant.
She reached out, taking his hand in hers. "Scarlet," she whispered. "Come on... we're going for a ride."
Scarlet said nothing, rising to his feet and following listlessly behind her as she led him to the front yard, where her noble steed sat before her once more.
She ran her hands over the handlebars- Bumblebee, the finest bike that ever was. How many times had it saved her in her youth? She honestly couldn't remember- her memory of the past few weeks were growing fuzzy. She remembered still that Team Loser had come together to do It... but what, exactly It was was a mystery. She knew she was forgetting- all the more reason not to delay any longer.
She slid into Bumblebee's seat- no, her saddle. She pulled Scarlet on behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Under her breath, she whispered, "Come on, Bumblebee... let's roll."
She began pedaling. Just as she remembered, it was a fight to build up speed, but she knew that once she got some momentum, she'd ride faster than any other bike in this town.
"Come on, Bumblebee, one last ride! Come on, Bumblebee, let's roll!"
The wheels were turning faster and faster, and sure enough, she was drawing some odd looks from passers-by on the sidewalk- a grown woman dressed like she was still seventeen, riding an old, battered bike with a similarly oddly-dressed man wrapped around her. Let them gawk- she wouldn't have cared as a child, why should she care now?
"COME ON, BUMBLEBEE, LET'S ROLL!"
They were moving, now. She felt wind rushing by her hair, sending it out behind her. Her stomach leapt as she swung around the first corner, hardly losing any speed as she continued her rush through Vale.
She could remember that moment, back when she and Ren met up for the first time after all those years... riding around on Bumblebee, years had fallen away from their faces. That was the magic she sought to recapture now.
She struggled to imagine that she was not Yang Xiao Long, world-renowned actress and screenwriter, but a student at Beacon High School once more, hopping aboard her bike in a mad dash to campus- she was late, but she'd finally managed to complete that assignment that had been hanging over her head for weeks now.
Or maybe it was after school, and she was taking off on her bike to escape such problems- indeed, when she was astride Bumblebee, all her problems were left behind.
When she was on Bumblebee, she could even beat the Devil.
"COME ON, BUMBLEBEE, LET'S ROLL!"
They were atop a hill, now- a hill dipping down towards the chasm that was all that remained of the commercial district. Heedless to the danger- smiling at it- laughing at it- she took off down the hill.
It wasn't the incoming danger that caused her heart to leap- rather, it was the arms tightening around her waist, the slight moan behind her.
The moan swiftly turned into a scream.
"YANG! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU'RE GONNA GET US KILLED!"
"FUCK THAT!" Yang screamed in glee as she used her brakes to take a sharp turn, practically at the last second, adjusting her course to follow along the chasm's edge. "NOT TODAY! NOT ON BUMBLEBEE!"
"Bumblebee..."
It was Scarlet's voice- delightfully, unquestionably Scarlet's voice.
"Yang- where are we?! I remember getting off the plane at the airport, and-"
"Don't worry about it!" Yang called back. "Everything's gonna be fine!"
"Says you!"
"What's the matter, scared?!"
"Terrified! Don't stop!"
Yang cackled madly as she continued pedaling, allowing Bumblebee to take them where it would.
At long last, she allowed it to slow to a stop near a grassy field- she stepped off and practically collapsed into the turf.
Scarlet followed quickly behind. "Yang... Seriously, what's going on?"
Yang rolled over, slapping an arm over him and pulling him close. "You were gone... you were gone for a while, but now you're back."
Scarlet's eyes widened slightly. "Your stutter... it's gone again!"
Yang nodded, grinning as she pressed her forehead into his. "You bet your ass. Gone, and never coming back."
She could feel it- the last of her memories slipping away. But she no longer cared. She had Scarlet, and that was all that mattered.
XXXX
Yang's eyes opened to reveal a dark ceiling- she turned over to watch her husband as he continued to gently sleep.
As if aware of what happened, however, he awoke. He turned to meet her gaze. "Yang?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "What's... what's going on? We need to sleep- we're meeting up with your friends later, aren't we?"
"Right, of course," Yang nodded. "I was just... dreaming."
"About what?"
"My childhood. I was thinking... it's a magic time, but the magic doesn't really die when we grow up... it just changed."
Scarlet blinked. "If only you were this thoughtful all the time."
"Hey, I'm plenty thoughtful," Yang whispered reproachfully, flicking his forehead. Scarlet smiled even as the finger made contact.
"That's why you want to show off to Nora?"
"Hey- I told her there was no way she and Ren were beating us!"
Scarlet chuckled lightly. "Leave it to you two to turn something like this into a competition. Besides, Jaune and Pyrrha beat you both already."
"Yeah, but that's Pyrrha," Yang countered. "Victory's in her destiny."
"I suppose," Scarlet nodded. "But you're hardly a slouch yourself."
He leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. "I love you." Almost absentmindedly, he ran a hand across Yang's stomach, which had been steadily expanding for the past few weeks. "Both of you."
Yang grinned. "I love you, too."
Scarlet was beaming as he leaned back into bed, closing his eyes and breathing deeply once again.
Yang couldn't help but feel warmer than usual as she lay back down, closing her own eyes against the outside world. As the cool embrace of sleep claimed her, her final thoughts lingered just a little longer upon her childhood, and the friends with whom she'd spent it.
XXXX
At long last... it is over. Before we wrap things up for good, I have two dedications and some thanks to give out.
First, I want to dedicate the RWBY side of this story to Monty Oum. I know I'm about five years late to this party, but I wasn't even aware of RWBY at the time the greatest mind behind it passed away, so consider this my tribute to him- as it is.
As for the It side of the story, I want to dedicate that to the man who told it to me first- my beloved Uncle Steve. He wasn't related to me by blood, nor to his dozen other nephews and nieces, but he will always be our uncle nonetheless. It is he who first spun the story of a group of friends banding together against an unfathomable evil, and while he mixed up some details, I can hardly forget to acknowledge what got me set on this story in the first place. Rest in Peace, Uncle Steve, wherever you are.
Additionally, I'd like to thank GeorgeKYST, who served as my beta reader for the final act of this story- there are quite a few chapters that wouldn't be the same without his invaluable input. On a similar note, I want to thank Breenut for providing every version of the cover art, and SpiderShadow5 for being a rather consistent reviewer throughout. Every one of you is awesome, and I couldn't appreciate your support any more than I do.
It's hard to say where we go from here- I have other RWBY stories to focus on, of course, and I really need to refocus attention towards Mario Mario at some point... but we'll see what the future holds. Until that great tomorrow, I say, one final time- please R&R, constructive criticism embraced, Gamer4 out.
