Welcome to Atlas
Flying over the Northern Oceans was an Atlesian Bullhead. It was fairly normal as Bullheads went, until a blonde boy was suddenly pitched out of the door with a still rather girlish scream.
"Jaune!" Ruby and Weiss both cried as they ran over to the open door, as Pyrrha had to actively hold Yang back.
"IF HE COMES BACK, I'M GONNA RIP HIS GUTS OUT THROUGH HIS…."
"Yang!" Pyrrha scolded, as she held onto her partner. Fortunately, Jaune was able to assume this dragon form, and flutter back up to the Bullhead.
"You knocked up my little sister?!" Yang shouted at Jaune.
"No, I didn't!" Jaune insisted, holding up his hands, "None of us have even done anymore than kiss and cuddle!"
"Please don't hurt him, Yang!" Ruby pleaded.
"I promise you, we have not done anything so intimate yet," Weiss said.
"Then how could you be expecting?" Blake asked.
"I don't know," Weiss answered, "but I can promise you, I'd remember such a thing."
"I don't care!" Yang said, "I swear to…" She couldn't finish, as she was pinned against the wall of the airship by Shade's telekinesis.
"Hey!" Yang said, "What're…" She again couldn't finish as Shade closed her mouth for her.
"Can you breath through your nose?" he asked, and after Yang nodded, he continued, "Then allow me to interject."
"Can you tell us what the hell is going on here?" Qrow shouted, not at all pleased to find his younger niece suddenly pregnant.
"'Pregnant' might not be the right word, if I am being completely truthful," Shade said, "I am not necessarily sensing a child growing in either of them."
"Well, that clears everything up!" Nora said, throwing up her arms.
"So what is it then?" Qrow demanded.
"It is more like I sense a new life within them. And I may just have a theory about this as well."
"Biology may conceive a child physically, but life is breathed into them when their Aura is formed from the Auras of their parents coming together," the doctor explained, "It is not at all impossible that when the three of them fused together, Jaune's Aura mingled with those of Ruby and Weiss, creating new Auras. Those new Auras are now within them, growing." Weiss and Ruby both put their hands on their stomachs, and looked at each other, then at Jaune.
"I'm… I'm going to be a dad?" Jaune asked. Being a father had been a long time dream of his; to be able to have a family of his own, to be able to have a legacy of his own, and children to carry on that legacy. Similarly, both Weiss and Ruby dreamt of being mothers; Weiss in particularly looked forward to being able to raise her children right, to give them the love and attention her own parents never could show. But none of them thought they would find that dream fulfilled by some sort of pseudo-mating as dragons.
"The exact nature of what is happening is somewhat…. unprecedented," Shade said, "Even I cannot say for certain what will happen with these young ones."
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
"I will take this matter under consideration," Shade said, "There may be something I can do to assist. But for now…" He then levitated off the ground, sitting cross-legged in midair as Yang dropped to the ground. Ruby, probably wisely, positioned herself in between her sister and her boyfriend.
"I would recommend you all rest," he said, "A great challenge awaits you in this kingdom in the North."
"What does that mean?" Ilia asked.
"There is still much you do not yet know," Shade said, "Things I myself did not know for certain until recently."
"Like what?" Weiss asked, knowing that kind of information was never good.
"I will tell you when we arrive, but know this, I sense something in the wind," Shade said, as his eyes closed, "Something awaits us there, in Atlas. Of what exactly, I am unsure. Irregardless, be ready." If there was one thing the group had learned in their time with him, is that when the avatar of the God of Darkness told them to rest, they needed to rest.
(sometime later)
It had taken a couple more hours to get to Atlas, most of it was spent with Jaune mulling over becoming an 18 year old dad because of him literally merging with his two girlfriends into a three headed dragon. Now there was a thought no one with a decent life should be pondering. He tried to offer both Ruby and Weiss some comfort, but when he went over to sit with them, while they would normally curl up next to him, they would actually sit away from him, averting their eyes. He knew it shouldn't have bothered him, especially with the recent revelation. But it still didn't feel good to have his girlfriends sitting away from it like this.
Despite everything, though, they eventually did make it to Atlas. Of the thirteen people present (counting Oz), five had actually spent time in Atlas. That meant they were somewhat used to the sight of the massive, floating island the city sat atop of. The others were all staring in awe at the massive marvel of a city.
"Aren't you going to look at it?" Weiss asked.
"It does not interest me," Shade answered plainly.
"Really?" Ruby asked, "I mean, it's a floating city."
"I made this entire planet with my own two claws," Shade said, not opening his eyes, "I was there when the first human came into existence. I watched the mountains of this world rise and fall. I…."
"Okay," Weiss interjected, "You made your point." Shade chuckled at that slightly.
"What I can tell you, though," he said, as he finally opened his eyes, "Is that that rock is suspended in the air through the power of the Relic of Creation."
"It is?" Weiss asked, surprised by that. She was always told it was due to the gravity Dust.
"It is," Oz confirmed, "After the Great War, Atlas was to be a fortress, a bastion against Salem. Of course, we couldn't have foreseen things proceeding they way they are now."
"That's a way of putting it," Jaune said, as he and the other's kept staring at the sight. Ilia, however, was more focused on the massive crater that lay in the center. She briefly turned red, then blue, before moving away towards the back of the airship which didn't go unnoticed by Blake. She went over to console her, but Shade beat her to the proverbial punch.
"What troubles you, little one?" he inquired.
"I… I never thought I'd come back here," Ilia muttered sadly, "Last time I was here…" She trailed off, as she turned a light blue. Shade looked at her time, before he waved his hand slightly, gently turning Ilia to face him.
"You cannot change the past," he said, "But you can affect the future. You have a chance to do good in this land, for everyone. Will you take it?" Ilia was silent, as she looked at the ground, and for once, Shade didn't press for an answer, as he floated to the floor.
"Look ahead!" Ren said, pointing out the window. Everyone followed his finger, as they saw what he was referring to. Looming in the air was the entire Atlesian air fleet, over a dozen airships floating in the sky, as if they were expecting an invasion.
"Something tells me this is gonna be a problem," Nora said, stating the obvious.
"That's probably an understatement," Weiss said nervously, "I've never seen the fleet postured so aggressively. If we try and land a stolen ship in the airfield, at best they'll lock us up. At worst… they might take me to my father." The implied threat of that sent a chill through the Bullhead. Nora put a hand on her partner's shoulder, and Jaune tried to take Weiss' hand, but she retracted from him slightly, to his surprise.
The ship floated into Mantle, which was a comparatively…. uglier city than. It was darker, and more rundown, with a numerous screens that showed the face of one General James Ironwood. He was making some grandiose speech about the importance of obeying the word of the military, and listening to authority. The sight was not pleasing to either Qrow or Oz.
"Oh James," Oz said softly, shaking his head slightly. He knew the general needed his advice now more than ever.
"Does anyone have any plan?" Maria inquired, "Something tells me we're on the clock here." Nobody had much in the way of any real ideas, as they instinctively looked to Shade.
"I am afraid I cannot give you the solution you want. There is a matter I must attend to, and some questions I need answers to," Shade said, before he shifted into his divine form, "I will return shortly. Be on guard, this place is not one you should dwell in."
"Any ideas on what to do?" Ruby asked.
"You are all intelligent individuals," Darkness answered, "I am sure you will figure out a solution." Leaving it at that, he faded away. The group stared at the empty space he once was, before Jaune laughed slightly.
"Oh, I missed that," he muttered.
(in the streets of Mantle)
Eventually, the group managed to find a secluded lot somewhere in downtown Mantle. They were now making their way down the streets to find one of Maria's friends who worked in Mantle. It was a bit of a walk, one which Ilia spent constantly shifting colors, and keeping her head down. Blake tried to console her when she could, but the chameleon wasn't really in the mood to do so.
"This whole place," Ruby said, looking around, "It feels so…. beaten."
"Because it is," Oz said, "When conceiving Atlas, our hope was it would be something Mantle could look up to for hope, and protection. Instead, it became Atlas' footstool."
"This whole city, it's just….," Blake trailed off. There wasn't a word she could think of that was apt enough to describe what was happening.
"Here we are," Maria suddenly said, gesturing to a small shop not far ahead of them that had a glowing green plus symbol above its door. As they approached the door a young Faunus woman exited with a prosthetic arm.
"Thanks again!" she said, waving the prosthetic.
"No more heavy lifting," an elderly voice called. As the group entered, they were greeted by an elderly man with dark skin, and bling white hair and a white beard. He had a green cap and oval-glasses, with a pink bow tie.
"Ah, Pietro Polendina," Maria greeted with a smile, "Good to see you again."
"Forgive me, but have we met?" Pietro answered, not really looking up from his scattered papers.
"Maria Calavera," Maria answered, tapping her prosthetics, "The one who lost her eyes in the line of duty." At that, Pietro actually looked up, to see Maria.
"Ah, Maria!" he greeted, as he came around the desk, revealing himself to be in a walking chair, "Wonderful to see you again. Here for your tune up, I imagine?"
"Indeed I am," Maria answered, before turning to the group, "Allow me to introduce Pietro Polendina, possibly the greatest mind in the State of Atlas."
"You can call me Pietro," the doctor answered, as he smiled at the group, "Teams RYPJ and BRWN, I presume."
"You know us?" Ruby asked.
"Of course, my daughter could barely stop talking about you once she go home," Pietro explained.
"Your daughter?" Pyrrha asked, cocking her head.
"Indeed, a wonderful young girl," Pietro answered, "She'll be happy to see you." Oz was about to ask about the state of the city.
"Oh great," Jaune grumbled, "Never fails."
"Let's go!" Ruby declared.
"Wait!" Pietro tried to say, "That won't be…" However, the group was already gone by then. When they got outside, they saw numerous Sabyrs charging down the streets. Mechs were trying to shoot them down, but without much luck.
"Let's fry them!" Nora declared, as she charged up her Aura to use her magic.
"Wait!" Ren said, grabbing her shoulder, "We shouldn't go changing in the open like this!"
"Ren's right," Jaune said, "We have to use our powers conservatively here."
"So what do we do then?" Nora asked.
"We fight the old fashioned way," Yang said, as she held her gauntlets at the ready.
"I'm good with that too," Nora said, as she readied Magnhild. With that, the group got ready to fight. But before they could, numerous green beams descended from the sky, incinerating numerous Sabyrs almost instantaneously.
"What the…," a few people said at once.
"Where'd that come from?" Blake asked.
"I told you," Pietro said, "You don't need do anything right now." Before anyone could ask them, their gaze was drawn to the sky. They then looked up to see a green form dancing through the sky, before slowly descending to the ground. Everyone gasped at the sight of who it was. It was a face that no one, especially Pyrrha, ever thought they'd see again.
The girl was of average height, with long orange hair that was rounded at the tips. She had big green eyes, and freckles, with a black bow behind her head, and was wearing a green dress with a silver blouse. Around her neck was a choker that had what almost looked like a power button. It took the group a moment to recognize her, but once they did it, there was no mistaking who it was, seeing as last time they saw her, she had been a smoking skeleton.
"Penny," Ruby and Pyrrha murmured together. While she looked somewhat different, no one could question who that was.
"Darling," Pietro said with a smile, "Why don't you say hello to your friends?" The android glanced over in their direction, before her face lit up like the sun. Ruby just slowly smiled at the sight of her lost friend standing before her, while Pyrrha's eyes widened at the sight of the girl she "killed".
"Sal…," Penny said, as she braced herself. Ruby blinked at that, not liking where this was going.
"…u…"
"Uh oh," Ruby muttered in realization.
"…ations!" With that, Penny literally rocketed forward towards Ruby (creating a sonic boom) as she did so. Ruby cried out as she held up her arms in a vain attempt to defend herself as Penny tackle hugged her. The rest of the group gathered around together as Penny let Ruby go.
"It is such a pleasure to see you all again!" Penny declared happily.
"Penny," Ruby said softly, "I thought you were…"
"Dead?" Pietro interjected as he came up, "I suppose in a manner of speaking she was. But her core was intact, and we were remake her."
"And now I'm as good as new! Penny declared as she looked over the group. That was when she and Pyrrha made eye contact. Pyrrha immediately put her eyes on the ground. The last time she and Penny engaged, Pyrrha nearly turned her into a puddle of molten slag. Pyrrha wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to….
"Hello, friend Pyrrha!" Penny suddenly said happily, giving another one of her massive smiles, "It is wonderful to see you again as well!" That Pyrrha hd not been expecting from the girl she nearly killed.
"But I…," Pyrrha said slowly, "I…"
"Oh it was nothing," Penny said, waving her hand, "I am sure it was just an accident!" Pyrrha was surprised, but supremely thankful to hear that Penny held no grudge against her. Most people wouldn't be so kind. But then Pyrrha's memory went back to Talos, Penny's brother, and her brow furrowed somewhat.
"What is wrong?" Penny asked, cocking her head slightly.
"I… I'll tell you later," Pyrrha said.
"Well, I cannot wait to hear it!" Penny declared, as she grabbed Pyrrha's shoulder, only for the alarm to sound again, "I have to wait for it!" With that, she rocketed into the air.
"IAMSOHAPPYTOSEEALLYOUAGAIN!" she sputtered out as she zoomed into the sky, "ICANNOTWAITTOHEARALLABOUTYOURADVENTURES!"
"That was… strangely heartwarming," Blake commented.
"That sounds like Penny to me," Jaune said. Though he couldn't help but think back to what Darkness said about her, and the disdain he seemed to have. He had to wonder if he would still feel like that even after all the time has passed.
"Now that we're all done here," Maria said, "Perhaps we can get to business."
"Alright," Oz said, "Now what we need is…" He couldn't finish, as suddenly several bolases seemed to descend out of nowhere, and ensnare just about everyone except for Maria and Pietro. As Ruby fell, the Relic of Knowledge got unhooked, and tumbled to the ground. From the shadows descended five individuals in Atlesian military uniforms.
"Well, that was easy," a guy with short brown hair and a sleeveless uniform, as he grinned, "Good work team."
"What in the Brothers' names is going on here?" Pietro demanded as he came back over.
"Official Ace-Ops business," a tall, muscular woman with a hammer named Elm Ederne commented, waving her hand slightly, "Move along." While neither seniors were happy to do so, they weren't in a position to try and stop them.
"Come on," a man with pale skin and a shaved head named Vine Zeki said, "Let's get them on the ship." However, when they tried to do so, they noticed that none of the group looked that concerned. If anything, they all looked rather jaded by what was going on.
"What's with you?" a short girl with spiky hair named Harriet Bree asked, glaring at them, "You do realize what's happening, right?"
"Look," Jaune said, as he looked up at them, "You really don't want do this."
"We don't?" a Faunus named Marrow Amin said, "What're you talking about?"
"You just don't," Jaune said.
"We're just here to talk to General Ironwood," Weiss said, "Contact Major Schnee."
"I'm sure," Clover Ebi, the leader of the Ace-Ops said, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Come on, we have a job to do." Before his subordinates could agree on that, they were all suddenly sent tumbling away, a couple of them slamming into the building.
"What the hell?" Elm said, as she looked around. That was when their attention was seized by a tall figure in a dark suit approaching them with his arms clasped behind his back.
"Oh, ho, ho," Nora laughed, as a pair of black shoes walked by her, "You guys are so in for it now." The Ace Operatives all got up, and got ready to fight, as the figure approached them.
"Who the hell are you?" Harriet demanded.
"I do not approve of what you are doing to my students," Shade said, as he held up one hand.
(on the outskirts of Mantle)
Red mist slithered up and across the walls surrounding the city, and around a communications tower. The mist then solidified into the figure of the High Spirit of Order, Thoth.
"Atlas," the Lord of the Spirits muttered to himself, as he perched atop the tower, looking up at the floating island, "Both the best and worst of the mortal races dwell in this city. A city with a tenuous order." He then grinned at it slightly.
"Perhaps we can alleviate that," Thoth muttered, with that he stepped off the tower, and turned back into mist.
Note: Working on this chapter wasn't easy to devise, since there was a lot I wanted to get done, it was a matter of deciding what to and not to include. My policy with adapting scenes from canon is to cut what I can if there isn't much I can add to; that's why numerous scenes from the episode are adapted out. At any rate, Vol. 7 is a volume I've been looking forward to doing for a while. I have a lot of ideas for advancing the story in my own direction this volume.
Hopefully this chapter gives a little more context to the matter of the unexplained pregnancies. More will be revealed as the volume progresses.
Be sure to review. Also, I just released a crossover fanfic called "Balancing the Multiverse"; the premise is that Thanos (MCU version) goes around various settings, to bring balance to all realities.
