Chapter 34: Meanwhile Back at the…
While Team RWBYJNPRROSAQ were off having adventures, the world continued to turn and everyone else went on with their lives. This is a tale of what happened while they were off saving the universe. This tale begins back in… A very unhappy purple land where everything bad always happened.
In this land bathed in purple light, a green-haired girl and a somewhat moody boy got out of their Oobleck Rideshare vehicle and began to make their way up to the large H-shaped ruins of Hyperion's old orbital base. A long time ago, Hyperion had attempted to send their corporate headquarters into geo-stationary orbit. Unfortunately, dust didn't work in space and it came crashing down in this hellscape. The duo continued to walk up and into the lobby of the structure. They could hear voices inside.
"Ah, so… Aurum right? You're supposed to by the perky rebel girl, okay? And then Cobalt is the moody boy. Please don't get yourselves killed like my last two minions… Uhh… Gallium and Sapphire…", a voice noted.
"I believe they were called 'Mercury' and 'Emerald'.", a male voice corrected.
"Shut up, Watts! Adults are talking! Keep making chicken noises like a good little pet!", the first voice shouted.
Emerald walked into the main hall to see her Lord and Mistress, Salem, talking to their apparent replacements. Watts was dressed in a chicken suit for some reason.
"Ahem…", Emerald coughed.
"Oh! Hey… You other two, get out of here… I don't need you anymore. Go find Hazel and drag him out of whatever hole he's hiding in!", Salem commanded, Cobalt and Aurum left the room abruptly.
"So they're alive. Can I stop- I mean… Bawwk! Bawwk!", Watts announced as he pranced around like an idiot.
"Oh good! You're back. Did you find the relic in Vacuo? Did you find any Maidens?", Salem asked.
"Err… No, my lady. We got captured and thrown down a hole.", Emerald stammered.
"Also, Grimm:Lock is dead.", Mercury added.
"I know. That's why I needed a new pet Faunus. Meet Cockbite, my new Chicken Faunus!", Salem exclaimed as she pointed to Watts.
"Bawwk! Awwk!", Watts cawed.
"Uhhhmm… Hi?", Emerald said awkwardly.
"Oh don't mind him. He knows that he's failed me too many times. This is your second failure, Green girl. Do you want to know what happens on your third?", Salem asked.
"Uhh… What happens?", Emerald asked, she really didn't want to know.
"You get to have a pool party! You both go swimming in my Grimm Pools and whatever pops out afterwards does a better job than you are doing now! Doesn't that sound fun?", Salem noted.
"Yes… It does…", Emerald agreed hesitantly.
"Well, it isn't. Because you will die horribly in the Grimm Pools as you're dissolved into goo. But you haven't failed me a third time yet. How about you two head to Atlas and try to redeem yourselves? Go ahead and take Cockbite and Hazel, they're your minions now.", Salem noted.
"O-okay… Come on Dr. Cockbite, let's go find Hazel and head to Atlas…", Emerald stammered.
"Awwwk-kay.", Watts cawed.
Watts, still in his chicken suit, led Emerald and Mercury downstairs to the full-liquor-bar where Hazel was currently passed out. Hazel was wearing a crow costume and channeling his inner Qrow by drinking heavily and passing out. Emerald and Mercury collected the prone man and began to make their way to the exit. Mistress Salem was beginning to get a little weird, not that she'd been entirely normal to begin with.
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Meanwhile, back in Vale… Taiyang and his friends from Beacon Academy enjoyed some carrot stew in the Xiao-Long homestead. Peter Port, Bartholomew Oobleck, Glynda Goodwitch and Taiyang himself sat around a table. Several bowls of traditional Mistrali Carrot Stew sat in front of them. Things seemed normal for once.
"So! How's Beacon doing without Ozpin at the helm?", Taiyang asked.
"Good. Great, actually… We've changed the initiation ceremony into a more normal combat trial. No more flying students. Classes are organized and everyone knows what they're doing. There's no more obfuscating stupidity going on. I'm pleased.", Glynda noted.
Professor Goodwitch had become the headmistress in Ozpin's absence and had taken to running the school more formally. Beacon would always be the best place to train future Huntsmen, except now there were no more 'mysterious circumstances'. The Vytal Festival was coming at the end of the year and Beacon had built their own arena outside of the school in preparation.
"I am genuinely surprised how well it's been. Ever since that big Grimm was removed, we've had an influx of new students. Perhaps Miss Nikos' attendance inspired many to attend.", Oobleck noted.
"And classes are packed with capable Huntsmen. I have never seen so many willing and capable young men and women! I'm running out of Grimm Frogs to use as training dummies!", Port added.
"Ha! That's great. So… What's the weirdest Semblance you've seen?", Taiyang asked.
"Oh, that's this new kid. Jermy Farhtz. He has… intestinal issues… that can literally blow up his opponents. I'd say that's the weirdest so far…", Glynda noted.
"Okay… How's business Bart?", Taiyang asked.
"It is going well. Except most of my delivery drivers are going missing! My rideshare drivers are reporting massive tips, however!", Oobleck noted.
"Great! Well, good for you… Hey, soup's getting cold. Better eat up!", Taiyang concluded.
It was a nice little afternoon lunch for Taiyang Xiao-Long and his friends. Nothing bad was happening and everything was in order. He was somewhat concerned about his children, but they could handle the Grimm. He thought for a moment, perhaps he should take the offer Glynda had proposed; they needed a new combat teacher, and he wasn't doing anything right now…
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Meanwhile, back in… Argus… Team RWBY, JNPR, and friends began to board their airship. It was time to finally leave Argus and head for Atlas. It had been a long time coming, battles, fun, and meeting new and old friends. Jaune and Pyrrha were both silent for some reason. Ren and Nora embraced and loaded their luggage onto the airship. Yang and Blake loaded the inebriated Weiss and Oscar into the luggage compartment.
Sun Wukong stood aside, he wasn't going with them. He had decided to stay with Ilia and the Ivory Fang. Adam Branwen said his goodbyes as well. Although he was still Adam Taurus to Ilia, he knew his battle tactics. Ilia had asked him to stay as well, since the Ivory Fang needed a second opinion to its new operations. He wasn't in charge, per se, but was to be an advisor. Rhames bid him farewell and promised to keep in touch. Adam had done what he'd needed to do with Yang and her family, now he needed to truly redeem himself to the Faunus of the world.
Rhames went through the motions of packing his weapons, although they were figments of his Semblance. He loaded incorporeal box after box of weapons into the luggage compartment. He was doing this more or less to humor his friends. The only real piece of luggage he had was the weird blue bong he'd gotten from his mother. He really didn't need much else.
Little Old Maria slowly walked up the gangway onto the airship. She had a tin of cashew cookies heartwarmingly baked by her old nemesis, Caroline Cordovin. The other small woman had run off to file her retirement papers and left Pandora Nikos in charge of the battlestation. Several Nubuck guards were running the incredibly confused red-haired woman through their daily tasks. Pandora had no idea how to run a military base. Bronze Pyrrha stood at a permanent salute at the entrance to the base.
Qrow and Ozcar Pin walked side by side into the ship. Qrow was skeptical, but Ozpin had never led him wrong until recently. Qrow knew how to play this out; keep his best cards close and his worst out in the open. Play the game and bet on the loser. He wasn't entirely sure anymore, but he wouldn't let Ozcar know that. He still needed him until he didn't.
Jaune and Pyrrha boarded the ship last. They knew something the others didn't. Jaune knew the extent of his own abilities and that Pyrrha was the only one who could enhance them. He knew what they could both do. He knew that it had been confirmed the day they had met. He knew that fate was in their control. And destiny was whatever they made it. Pyrrha knew her own fate. She knew what she needed to do. And she took glee in it. She knew that everything had happened because of one man. One incredible person. She knew that the future hadn't been set in stone and they could change anything. They could really do anything.
The airship took off at last. It flew off, taking off from the small Atlas base and headed for Atlas. General Ironwood and his army awaited them. Jaune's uncle and his teammates waited for them to land at the Academy. Another relic was within their grasp. The Grimm could take their loved ones, take their land, and take them where they couldn't stand. They knew the risks but didn't care; they were still free. The Grimm could never take their skies from them. They all knew the risks, but pressed onwards. They only thing they could do now was keep moving forwards. Forever and always.
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Meanwhile… Somewhere else… Something awoke… It was pain embodied. It was rage embodied. It was unadulterated rage and spite for all that had come to it. It hated the world an what had happened recently. Burning hatred and death. It arose again from presume death. The beast, now even less human and something more… Something worse and something incredible stood up again.
A Faunus, having survived a fall that would've killed a normal one climbed up a cliff and saw this new creature. Not human, not Grimm, but something greater. Always something greater. The Faunus knelt down, bending the knee to its new god; its new godstaring upon it.
"Arise, my champion. We are not of this world anymore. We are something far greater… Something more than has ever been percieved. I died twice… Now…", the creature noted.
The new beast spit out five bullets as it retched and spasmed inhumanly.
"Now, we are immortal. Once cursed, now blessed. I was both. Human; Maiden; Grimm. I am so much more now. I understand our Mistress… We are now equal.", the creature noted.
"I understand as well… Cinder…", the Faunus, Fjord Taurus, noted.
"I'm glad you do. I've lived and died… And now I live again...", Cinder Something noted.
The villain formerly known as Cinder Fall was no longer fully Grimm and not entirely human either. She was something of a hybrid. Untouchable from the light of the Silver Eyed Warriors and now nearly impervious to physical damage. She was something greater and something horrible. She knew he new abilities; for once a thief told her that he'd survived by lying, cheating and adapting to situations. She had certainly learned how to adapt… And now she could adapt to anything. She was more than human and more than Grimm.
Cinder looked to the horizon as an airship took to the skies. She traced it, sensing the strong Aura within. She knew where she had to go and what she had to do now. Her body was changed, her humanity strained, and her rage inflamed, but by the gods she liked it. She'd never know the full extent of her power unless she followed her instincts. And she knew exactly what she was going to do.
Chapter End. Probably a shorter one. Need to try to corrupt Volume 7. Make it make sense, sorta… Enjoy.