How are you guys doing so far? I hope you guys are staying safe out there and staying healthy. As a special treat to you all, I am going to finish wrapping up the Future Arc and go straight into Volumes 4-6. Now, I will explain more in the next chapter since it will explain a lot of things, but for now, enjoy this wholesome chapter. Let us begin!
Chapter 62
"I can't believe it!" Ruby said as she held onto Red's Scroll, "Even after everything, I get my Huntsmen license early!"
After everything settled down, everyone started to get things ready for the Thanksgiving dinner. Helping Summer and Taiyang in the kitchen, Ruby, Red, Yang and Blondie all helped them out. Even though Ruby and Yang were happy to help their parents, to Red and Blondie, it was like a dream they thought would never happen come true. For too long, they would spend the holidays without their mother since she passed away, but now, they have a once in a lifetime chance to spend time with her.
Red smiled and said "That's right, respect me!"
Summer giggled and said "Now young lady, just because you are a Huntress, doesn't mean you know everything. You still have a lot to learn."
As Red whined, Ruby bounced up and down and said "I can't wait! What if I get my license in this time?!"
"We don't know if that will happen or not," Taiyang said as he stuffed the turkey with the stuffing, "But, it might, so I guess we'll find out soon enough."
"I mean," Blondie said, "After all we've been through, at the time, we thought it was worth it. But when Atlas fell…I don't know…it felt…not that important."
Seeing Blondie sad, Summer turned to her and said "There is no shame for your actions. You did what you thought was right despite what was thrown at you."
"Yeah," Yang said to her counterpart, "I mean, when you guys get back, you'll have a plan to take Salem down for good."
"We just hope it works," Red said in a worried tone, "Because…at this point…we are out of ideas."
"I mean," Yang said, "I am sure there are other ways to stop her. We just need to be creative."
"Creative?" Blondie asked, "How?"
Instead of replying back, Yang just motioned her to follow her as she left the kitchen. When Blondie looked at everyone else, they just shrugged as she followed Yang. As they walked, the arrived back to the cafeteria where everyone was doing their own thing: Grif, Riku was talking to Blake and her counterpart; Arthur and Weiss was talking to Snow White; Cinder, Emerald and Mercury were talking among themselves; Team JNPR was talking among themselves; and Blackheart and Qrow were playing video games on the holo-screen with their Scrolls.
As Yang and Blondie were close to the group, they heard Grif said "Still can't believe it, there are two of Team RWBYs present."
Seeing a chance to tease Blake, Yang gave her a teasing smirk and said "Hey Blake, since there are two of you and one of Riku, maybe you can reenact some…'love' scenes from those books you two read."
When Yang said that, Riku, Blake and her counterpart all blushed while everyone around them chuckled. Blake then said "W-Well, what if I tease you about you and Grif?"
"Hey," Yang said, "If given the chance, I think it would be the one time I would approve of a three-way, right Grif?"
Instead of replying back, Grif stood there as he blushed a bit and said "Um…Your uncle is in the same room as us, and I don't like the death glare he is giving me right now. So…no comment…"
"Better," Qrow said as he resumed his match against Blackheart.
Weiss rolled her eyes as she said "Very immature of you to say that, Yang."
Yang looked at her and said "Oh really? I'm betting that Arthur there is thinking a lot of kinky thoughts now that there are two of you."
"As if!" Weiss said, "Arthur would never so such a thing, right?"
As she turned to him, she saw Arthur's face turned a bit red with embarrassment. He coughed a bit as he said "Uh…no comment?"
Weiss let out a soft gasp as she, and Snow White, smack the backside of his head. Snow White then said "Even though you are not my boyfriend, that is inappropriate."
"Exactly!" Weiss said.
Victor shook his head as he turned to Yang and asked "So, what brings you here, Goldie?"
Yang repleid "Well, I came to ask you guys of ways you would either kill or defeat Salem. Anything at all. Whatever crazy idea that pops up in your mind."
When Yang asked that, everyone began to think as Mercury spoke up "Can we include magic into the equation?"
Blondie replied "Considering that out enemy can use magic AND the relics are considered magic, knock yourself out."
Mercury then straightened up and said "She is immortal, right? Why don't we cut off her head, put her in like a magical trap box that will be impossible for her to escape, put her in like a concreate foundation and build something over it, like a shopping center or something. That way, she can live the rest of her life underground as people literally walk all over her!"
Everyone slowly turned their heads towards him as Qrow said "Wow kid, even for me, that's downright cruel."
"Hey," Mercury said, "If it works, it works."
"Oh!" Nora shouted, "What if we use magic and turn her into a sloth?!"
"Nora," Ren said, "That won't work."
Qrow then chuckled and said "You know, when I saw Johnny's brother own Leonidas like nothing, instead of taking the Relics to Atlas, we should take them to Menagerie and lure Salem there and have him humiliate her over and over again. Salem may be immortal, but after her fight against Alduin, she is going to wish she isn't anymore."
"As much as I can agree with you, uncle," Blackheart said, "We can't take that risk. No, if it was up to me, I would just chop her into little pieces then bury her parts all across Remnant."
Everyone stood quiet as Riku said "Mercury had the right idea."
"Thank you!" Mercury cried as Emerald rolled her eyes.
Cinder then said "There is one thing I don't understand. If Salem is such a threat, why is she getting rid of people with Silver Eyes? Like, since she is technically part Grimm, would it's power affect her like the Grimm do?"
Qrow said "Maybe. But considering that Summer was the best Huntress out there and the only one with silver eyes at the time, I don't think it was enough to defeat Salem…apparently…"
"Maybe it weakened her?" Arthur suggested.
"We don't know that for sure," Emerald said, "But it could be a possibility."
"Well, lucky for us, we have TWO silver eyed warriors," Victor said, "Which means, double the damage to old granny."
"Old granny?" Nightshade asked, "If she heard you call her that, she will kill you."
Victor replied "At least I'll have the last laugh."
"If you say so," Blondie said, "But…I have to warn you…she is…terrifying."
"Blondie," Grif said, "We just seen Johnny's brother eat a guy's soul like it was a snack. Pretty sure nothing else can scare us."
"He can what?!" Nightshade asked in shock, "Is he allowed to do that?!"
"Well," Blake said, "Considering it's the reason Leonidas and Adam are rendered harmless because of that, I say he is allowed to do so. And even if he isn't allowed to, I don't think anyone is going to stop him."
"I still can't believe that, not only does he own a Dust Company, but he is married to Sienna and they have a daughter together," Nightshade said.
"I know, right?!" Yang cried in excitement, "Not only me and Ruby are aunts, but Blake is our cousin!"
"Oh yeah," Blondie said, "Al and Sienna are Blake's godparents, and since Johnny is Al's brother, would that technically make Blake your cousin?"
From the kitchen, Ruby shouted "ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY!"
As Blake shook her head, Weiss said "I am thankful I am not part of that family."
"Awww, Ice Queen," Blondie said, "If you're so worked up about it, they can always adopt you."
"That is literally what I told her!" Yang said as she laughed.
Lopez, who's head was resting near Blackheart, said "[If this day couldn't get any weirder]."
Snow White looked at him and asked "Seriously, who is that? I don't remember a piece of junk like that before."
"[Well, fuck you too, you spoiled Atlas bitch]."
"Ok," Snow White said, "I don't know what you are saying, but I don't need a translator to know that you are talking bad about me."
Pyrrha then said "That is Lopez, he is a robot that my brother built."
"And that is another thing that confuses me," Snow White said, "You have a brother? I didn't know you had one."
"The other me didn't tell you?" Pyrrha asked, "Considering the other me might be different."
"Different how?" Nightshade asked, "You aren't that different from our other Pyrrha. The four of you are pretty much the same here."
"Oh wow," Jaune said sarcastically, "No surprise there."
As Nora laughed and Ren chuckled a bit, Pyrrha shook her head and asked "So…since the White Fang is different in your future…did the…Atlas Massacre happen?"
"That Atlas what?!" Snow White cried in shock.
"I'm guessing it didn't happen in your time," Qrow said as he drank from his flask, "To summarize it for you: When Leonidas took over the White Fang, he launched an attack on Mantle and ordered his troops to attack the people of Mantle. Ironwood ordered his soldiers to launch a counterattack while the students evacuated the city. While some of the citizens were evacuated, most of them, including Faunus, died in the crossfire and both sides suffered a lot of losses."
Pyrrha nodded and said "And…my brother…was the sole survivor from that incident. And…he blamed Ironwood for the deaths of his teammates…and attacked him. After that, he is now a mercenary on the run, wanted by the Atlas Kingdom."
Lopez then said "[Yeah, and it was around that time when he found my severed head and took me so I can be used to radio any messages Atlas sends so he knows where they are so he can either avoid them or know where their shipments are so he can raid them. But then again, none of you can understand what I am saying]."
"Oh Pyrrha…" Blondie said, "I'm…sorry…"
"[See? Like that]."
"It's alright…" Pyrrha said, "When it happened, I was told he died in action…but after the Breach…that is when I met him again, telling me he was alive after all this time."
"I still can't believe it," Nightshade said as she turned to Blake, "And you still remained in the White Fang?"
Blake replied "I was told that they were sent to free the Faunus working in the SDC mines who were treated harshly. Plus, I was still young back then, so I didn't know much."
"Still," Nightshade said, "Hearing what your White Fang had done in this time compare to our time…I guess…we were lucky that Sienna's tactics weren't THAT brutal."
"Well," Blake said, "I guess I am thankful that Sienna is different here than in yours. She promised that she will restore the White Fang to what it once was."
"To think," Nightshade said, "All it took for her to change was having a daughter. But…I thought…"
"She can't have any children?" Blackheart said, "Yeah, you can blame my brother for that. See, his company discovered the first ever Pink Dust. And the effects are…unusual."
"Pink Dust?" Snow White asked, "I didn't know it was a thing. What does it do?"
The moment she asked that, everyone blushed as Qrow coughed and replied "Well…um…you see…"
Grif then said "It basically makes you horny and makes you pregnant."
When he said that, Blondie, Nightshade and Snow White all blushed up as Riku said "That's one way of describing what it does."
"Seriously?!" Blondie asked.
"Oh yeah," Blackheart said, "And no matter what condition the woman is in, whether she can have children or not, the Pink Dust can still make you fertile enough to bear a child. Try telling your children that."
"Oh man," Blondie said as she laughed, "Can't wait for that talk."
"Wait, that reminds me," Arthur said as he looked at Blondie, Nightshade and Snow White, "Does Black Dust exist in your time?"
"Uh," Snow White said, "No. Why?"
Everyone let out a sigh of relief as Cinder said "Thank goodness for that."
"What?" Blondie asked, "What does it do?"
"Basically?" Blackheart said, "It turns you into a Grimm."
"WHAT?!" the three girls shouted.
"How is that possible?!" Snow White cried.
"I don't know," Blackheart said, "I've seen two of Elsa's members using them and turned into Grimm versions of themselves. They're both dead now."
"Still," Snow White said, "A Dust that can turn you into a Grimm? They're created to fight against the Grimm, not turn you into one."
Weiss then said "That is what I also said."
Nightshade used her Scroll and she typed in that piece of information as she said "We'll be sure to be on the lookout for that. And…since…well…since Jonathan's brother doesn't exist in our time…is it okay to know the locations of the Dust deposits in Menagerie?"
"Oh yeah, sure," Blackheart said, "I mean, I know some of their locations since they are the current ones known, but it's all that I can provide at the moment."
"That is find," Blake said, "But it still confuses me that the Faunus are willing to work in those mines since there are Grimm roaming everywhere."
"That part is taken care of," Blake said, "Since the Grimm fear my godfather, he created devices that he transfers his energy into it so that it can protect the workers from the Grimm. I mean, there are Huntsmen protecting the workers, but it's a precaution. Of course, he wouldn't hire those who use to work in the SDC mines for…reasons…"
"Yeah," Nightshade said as she sighed sadly, "I know. Has…there been any problems?"
"There was one time before I was born where the council decided to start a new mine with the locations he provided," Blake then said "But their actions cost the lives of many of the workers. Alduin forced the council to make a public apology, claiming that it was their fault and he paid the collateral damage that was done to the family. This was before he created the devices. But other than that, nothing. Even Ilia is in charge of the security for the mines."
"Wait…Ilia?" Nightshade asked in shock, "She isn't part of the White Fang?"
"She use to," Blake said, "Now she works as Alduin's right hand to make sure those mines are safe."
"That is…good for her," Nightshade said, "It took Ilia from my time a while for her to see what the White fang was doing before she left. She is helping out my family back in Menagerie."
As Blake smiled, knowing her friend was doing alright in another time, Red entered along with Ruby as she said "Well, mom is cooking up the food. There is one thing that is bothering me."
As everyone looked at her, Red turned to Ruby and asked "You said Penny was rebuilt in your time and led the attack on the CCT. What…happened?"
Blackheart replied "Elsa and her group managed to gather her spare parts from the Vytal Festival, replaced her missing limbs with lethal parts and was sent to destroy the CCT."
"Yeah," Qrow said, "From what the reports said, Magnus took Penny from the scene after he dismantled her. We don't know where they are now."
As Red sadly sighed, thinking her friend is long gone once again, Ruby poke her fingers together and said "We…may have forgotten to mention that he was hired to take Penny to Mantle."
"Wait…what?" Qrow asked in surprised, "How do you know that?"
Ruby replied "We may, or may not have been taken by him. But, it was because he was protecting Pyrrha when Penny first attacked! He told us that the person who created her hired him to get Penny and take her to him in Mantle!"
Qrow sighed as he said "Sometimes, I don't know what you kids think about. But…I think that was the right decision. And even if you told Glynda about Magnus, it won't do any good since communication is down."
Ruby then turned to Red and said "I still can't believe she is a Maiden!"
"I know, right?!" Red cheered.
However, Snow White looked a bit concerned and said "But that doesn't add up. How did Elsa become the Winter Maiden? If anything, Freya should still be secured back in Atlas."
"Why?" Weiss asked, "Why would she…"
Qrow then said "Freya…wasn't a spring chicken. She was old, like ready to pass at any moment."
Snow White nodded and said "And if she did, Winter should have been the Winter Maiden if that was the case."
"Wait…" Weiss said as she looked at her counterpart, "Winter…was chosen to be the next in line for the power?"
Snow White nodded and replied "Why else would she be where she is at? Ironwood chose her to become the next Winter Maiden. But…since Freya is dead in this time…Winter should have been the Maiden, not this Elsa."
Everyone was confused by that as Snow White looked at Qrow and asked "What exactly happened? And how long ago did she die?"
Qrow replied "She…passed away in her sleep. Reason we don't know yet, even Ironwood was confused when it happened. As for how long, she…she passed away…10 years ago I believe. I remember about it when Ozpin told about it after…"
When he paused, everyone felt uneasy as Ruby asked "After what?"
Qrow replied "After Summer was released from the hospital after her encounter with the Beowolves."
"That's…oddly specific," Blondie said.
"Yeah," Qrow said, "Wasn't thinking about it too much at the time since we were concerned with Summer's health. But yeah, it was after when we were told that Freya passed away in her sleep."
"Any clues as to what happened?" Snow White asked.
Qrow thought about and replied "You know, there was one thing. When they were removing her stuff from her old room, they came about a message that she written on a piece of paper. See, Freya's Sembalance allowed her to see certain events that will happen. But due to her age, her mind was getting…rusty, so she wouldn't be able to focus on it so much. But on the message, she just wrote one sentence."
"And?" Cinder asked, "What did it say?"
Qrow replied "It just said: 'Born from a barren wasteland, our messiah has arrived'. I didn't know what she meant by that, her messages were always cryptic."
As everyone was also confused by that single sentence, Blackheart himself was in deep shock as he knew at the message was directed to him! He was born in the Capital Wasteland before his father moved them into Vault 101 and he was sometimes called a messiah for helping those in need during his travels. And for Freya to die around the same time he arrived in Remnant, it couldn't be a coincidence!
"That message was referring to me!" Blackheart thought, "She must of saw me in her vision before she died. She…She knew that I was going to save Remnant in the future."
"And…that's it?" Emerald asked, "No tampering? No poison? No nothing? Just died in her sleep?"
"Yeah," Qrow said, "Though the way Ironwood said it, it seemed that she went peacefully, like whatever she saw, it literally brought a smile to her face."
When Blackheart heard that, he smiled and thought "I guess, our plan to stop Salem will work. We just need to make sure it works. I promise, I will stop Salem, no matter what."
Snow White then said "Though, I am surprised that Winter is still a Specialist in this time. I would assume Ironwood was grooming her so that, when the time was right, she would be the next Winter Maiden. I guess, she really did prove herself in this time."
"Though wouldn't that sound weird?" Grif asked, "Winter the Winter Maiden? What kind of dumb thing would that sound?"
"Hey!" both Weiss and Snow White whined.
"Yeah," Qrow said as he chuckled, "That does sound dumb."
As both Snow White and Weiss glared at him, Emerald then said "So…I suppose we are done comparing notes then?"
Blondie then said "Well, since Cinder is your good guy, I suppose Neo won't be able to steal the lamp since she met her in her travels."
"And also," Yang said, "Our Neo is partners with Magnus in our time. So, she won't be able to steal the lamp if given the chance."
"Wait," Red said, "So…Roman is dead in this time?"
"Yup," Ruby said.
"I am surprised she didn't try to kill you," Red said.
Ruby nervously laughed and replied "Well, I mean, the intention was there, but…I don't know…I feel like…she didn't want to. I can't explain it."
Qrow then said "Yeah, well, be thankful that she isn't out to get you. And besides, Magnus will be sure to keep her behaved."
Curious, Pyrrha looked at him and asked "And how would you know that?"
When Pyrrha asked that, Qrow sighed and said "Since you guys are trusting us with secrets, might as well tell you. Thing is, I've been working with Magnus a few times in the past."
"Wait…" Yang said, "You knew about him?"
Qrow nodded and replied "Yeah, well, kinda. I heard about his…'reputation' through some of my contacts and figured that his skills would be useful in our kind of work. So, when something involving Salem would pop up, or if I needed out of a jam, I would call him."
"Does…he know about Salem?" Pyrrha asked.
Qrow shook his head and said "No, and I don't plan to tell him either. Don't want information like that to slip up because of him."
Lopez then said "[I'm sure if he hears about this, he will be pissed and will murder you]."
Pyrrha sighed sadly and said "I wonder what he is going through when he heard about my death."
Red then said "If your brother exists in our time, then we'll find him and get his help."
"And a lot nicer too," Yang said as she rolled her arm, "He packs a hell of a right hook."
Qrow then said "He would be a lot…tamed in the other timeline, but his Sembalance is useful, so I'd keep an eye out for him. That is, if he didn't go down with Atlas."
After talking to each other for a few minutes, Summer stepped out of the kitchen and said "Alright, folks! Dinner is finished! Anyone, except for Qrow, help us set up the table!"
While Qrow grumbled, Blackheart, Arthur, Ruby and Yang helped bring out the food as they set the food on the table. Once they were all set, that is when Taiyang, Summer and Jonathan brought out the turkeys and ham and set them on the table. After the food was set, everyone took their seats, Red and Blondie sat close to their mother, gave their thanks and dug right on into the feast. Even though this will be a normal Thanksgiving for Blackheart and the others, for the future Team RWBY, especially for Red and Blondie, this was a nice turn of events for them as they enjoy their moment of peace before returning to their future. They hope their plan to use the staff works.
"[Well ain't this fucking wholesome]."
Magnus' Hideout…
Neo was jumping in joy as she was preparing a banana split ice cream sundae for herself and for Magnus. It has been taking a while for Magnus to gather supplies for them to make the trip to Mantle, but afterwards? It will be tough since the CCT is down. But Neo has a few contacts that Roman use to have and made a few calls to gather a few things before making their way to Mantle. Once placed a scope of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream between the sliced bananas on both plates, she grabbed both plates as she skipped towards the armory. Once she got there, she saw Magnus, wearing casual clothes, as he was rubbing his eyes as his Scroll was laying in front of him.
As Neo placed both banana sundaes on the table, she took out her Scroll typed it as she showed it to him as it read 'You busy?'
Magnus looked at her, read the text and said "Well…I am…coming to terms of things."
Confused, Neo wrote 'What does that mean?'
Instead of replying back, Magnus pushed a button on his Scroll and a holo-screen appeared as it showed Ruby's face in front of it. Neo raised an eyebrow and wrote 'It's the red-haired girl, so what?'
"Now," Magnus said, "Watch this."
He pressed play as the video started to play as Ruby said "Oh wow! He looks so cool! Too bad he is a head."
Just then, ANOTHER Ruby appeared and said "Yeah, I tried to have him fixed, but Professor Goodwitch took away all the spare part, so…yeah…sorry Lopez."
Seeing two Rubys, Neo's eyes widen in shock as she rubbed her eyes and looked back to the screen and still see two Rubys. She then wrote 'What is this? A trick? Some sort of glitch your robot has?'
"I wish," Magnus said, "But no…this is sometime else…"
He gripped his fists together and said "Neo…when you and Roman were working for…the person behind the attack, what else to you know about her?"
Neo thought about it and wrote 'Not much really. Why?'
Magnus rubbed his eyes and said "Then…things are a whole lot complicated now…"
'How?' Neo wrote.
Magnus then said "Because…the reason why there are two Rubys…is because one of them…is from the future?"
As Neo gave him a 'are you serious' look, Magnus said "I know that sounds crazy, even I am having trouble processing this. But Qrow, one of the people who I work with, is there and, not only is he not bothered by this…development, but he is agreeing with the things they are talking about."
Now curious, Neo wrote 'What did they talk about?'
"In short? The future," Magnus said, "And, god damn it, it's bad…"
He begins to tell Neo about everything the future Team RWBY told their counterparts and the others. After he finished, Neo sat there in silence…as she ate her sundae.
"I know," Magnus said as he ate his sundae, "This…This is big…"
He then slammed his fists on the table, making Neo jump a bit, as he said "Damn it! If things go the same way as the one in the future, then Ironwood will abandon Mantle and leave people to die. And his actions will cost the lives of both Atlas and Mantle."
Neo then wrote 'I thought you don't care for Atlas.'
"I want Atlas to suffer," Magnus said, "But I don't want them to die, especially if this…Salem is involved. And besides, it's the people of Mantle that are worth saving more than those racist bastards up in Atlas."
Neo thought for a moment before she wrote 'So…what are you thinking?'
After Magnus read what Neo wrote, he thought for a moment and said "If what they say is true…then Ironwood will create that embargo soon. We don't know WHEN he'll start that embargo, but we need to move now in case it already happened."
He then gave her a serious look and said "And if turns out to be the same as the one in the future…I want to be there to put him down."
Neo then wrote 'To think, all the headmasters are all part of this secret.'
"I know," Magnus said, "I should be mad at Qrow for not telling me, but really, I should be mad at Ozpin. He's the one pulling the strings around here. And…it's because of him…that my sister…the one in the future…is dead."
Seeing the rage in Magnus' eyes, Neo walked up to him and gently placed her hand on his. Magnus saw this and gently squeezed her hand and said "If we plan to head to Atlas, we need to head out as soon as possible. So, we'll head out tomorrow."
Neo nodded and wrote 'Alright, we can get things ready in the morning.'
Magnus raised an eyebrow and said "We can start packing up now."
Neo then wrote 'But who will help me lick up this whip cream.'
That line confused him as he looked up and saw Neo holding a can of whip cream in her free hand. He looked back at the sundaes that she made that they already finished and said "Uh, Neo? We already finished the sundaes."
Neo grinned as she wrote on her Scroll and laid it on the table as she walked away. Confused, Magnus looked at her Scroll and read "Who says it's going on the sundaes?"
Looking back up, Magnus' eyes widen as he saw Neo using her Sembalance to change her appearance so that she was practically naked and certain parts of her body were covered with whip cream. She then gave him a seductive smile and a flirtatious wink as she slowly walked away. Knowing the implications of what Neo meant, Magnus groaned as he slammed his fists on the table, he got up and followed Neo to the bedroom. Throughout the night, the only sounds that were being made were the sounds of moans and the bed creaking.
Enjoyed this chapter? I am SO thankful that the Winter Maiden in the show was an old woman, because if it was a younger woman, then that would have complicated a few things with Elsa in this story. And I gave Freya the Sembalance to see into the future, or more like visions of the future like Mama Murphy from Fallout 4. And, because Freya was getting old, her Sembalance was getting rusty due to her mind forgetting things (according to the show), so it worked out for me in the end.
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and see you all in the last chapter of the Future Arc. Until then, please review!
