The world was turning in ways that nobody could wholly understand. But even as everything changed, some things remained permanent, and walking through the brilliant crimson and orange and yellow canopy of Forever Fall, illuminated by the early morning sun, Pyrrha felt like she was wrapped in a comforting reminder that there were things she could count on as permanent, even when the whole world seemed to be turning upside down.
With great trepidation, the five of them had returned to Vale. But from the looks of things at Beacon, you could hardly tell how much had changed in the past few months. With the Vytal passed, there were fewer tourists, no international students making a ruckus, but it felt that whenever the five of them were present, history was being made. And that meant the familiar crowds of security and curiosity surrounded them wherever they went, because their return was even bigger than the Vytal Festival. Because Vale would be the site of the first ever summit between the ruling powers of Remnant… and the Supreme King of the Grimm.
Jaune had wanted them all to share the title, coequally, having each taken a share of Salem's power, but… it just felt wrong for him not to be their King. His leadership had always been Pyrrha's rock of stability in the world. Same for her sisters. They had taken the title of "Princess" for themselves, though Pyrrha had no real passion for the… frilliness it implied. But it was a familial title, and now that they were bound together as family, aligned behind Jaune, they felt… they felt like there was a future for them in this world. He'd been the one fighting for peace, even when it seemed hopeless, and now, they turned to him to be the one who would finally bring his plans to fruition.
She was accompanying him now in this walk through Forever Fall as his "bodyguard," but everyone knew that was an obvious lie. There wasn't a force in Remnant that could meaningfully hurt him, nor anyone stupid enough to try. So she was with him to… even thinking it was difficult, but… she was with him to be with him. To be alone with him, to say the silent things she'd been trying to say since their date, what felt like two lifetimes ago. Things cut off by the assassination attempt and the chaos and then left unspoken until they finally found a quiet moment, which this wasn't, not really, but when else would she get a chance?
"It's beautiful here," she said, as though that was what she meant to say, "I wonder if students..."
Her voice trailed as she realized she had no idea what she was about to say.
Jaune nodded. "It is, and..." he glanced upward to a tree, its leaves a brilliant crimson, as red as Pyrrha's hair and- and she blushed to think that he agreed the leaves were beautiful, as though he'd said that she was beautiful.
He turned, the both of them looking each other in the eye, knowing what they meant to say, but being so unable to say it.
"Jaune," she said, marshaling her courage, which had once stood against Salem, as best she could, "We… we have to talk. About us and about… what that means… going forward."
He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it in indecision. Pyrrha appreciated it—she'd rather just be given the space to barrel forward and say her piece rather than have to discuss things.
"I don't know what the future holds for us. But… but whatever it is, I'll be there with you. I've always wanted to be… I've wanted to be yours, Jaune. Yours and no one else's."
"But that was because of the Queen's-"
"Salem didn't decide who I was," Pyrrha sharply interrupted, "Otherwise, maybe her plan would have worked. But it didn't. And it didn't because I can choose who I am and who I love and I love you, Jaune. And I know it's hard to say these things, I know the doubts you're feeling, because I have the same ones from Salem did to us. But... because I know what you're feeling, I know that you can overcome it, like I did. And say it too. Because… because I know you love me."
She let the words hang for a moment. She could see her emotions mirrored in Jaune's eyes, not unlike the last time they spoke about this, when he told her of his fear, the constant fear, that the other shoe would drop at any moment and he'd pay for this moment of happiness. And now he knew that that fear had been Queen Salem's most vicious tool of control, her means to turn Love into the yoke of their bondage. A power that lingered, even after her death. He was afraid, she was afraid, but...
But they could be brave. Could seek their happiness, could confront their feelings. As surely as they confronted the witch who'd tormented them all their lives, they could face their quiet fears, the legacy of Salem's cruelty! In silent communication, the bond between their souls, Pyrrha felt that she could show Jaune this, be his courage, and open her heart to his as she gave him a small, determined, and above all else hopeful smile.
Jaune looked to her, his red eyes, so gentle, so beautiful, as his voice rasped out, "I do. I… I do love you, Pyrrha. I love you and I… I-"
Something within him seized him, words failing as he just lunged forward, but this time, he did not catch Pyrrha by surprise. Her lips were waiting as his came in. That first kiss had been the happiest moment of Pyrrha's life, and yet… this blew it away.
They held that moment for an eternity before Pyrrha broke the kiss. Eternity. There was… that wasn't metaphor for them, not anymore. The five of them… really did have an eternity. And yet, that did not bring any fear or anxiety to Pyrrha. She had Jaune. It would be okay.
"You said..." he murmured, "Last time, you said you wanted to protect me… but I don't need to be protected anymore. So I… I just want to love you. And be loved by you. And that would be enough."
It would.
But… Pyrrha was a woman who always knew her obligations. To people other than herself. And one of them was making herself known.
"You… should know," Pyrrha whispered, "that Blake is watching us."
"Should I-"
She shook her head. "No, she'll… she'll make up her mind if she wants to show herself or not."
Pyrrha was perceptive, always on the alert for danger, but Blake was a ghost if she truly wished to go unseen. If Pyrrha could notice her at all, she was clearly struggling to make up her mind on whether she wanted to come forward. Letting herself be spotted was just Blake's way to force herself to come to a decision.
She heard the footsteps of her sister's arrival, her soft, careful tread hardly disturbing the leaves she stepped on. Turning, she saw Blake, her pale sister, looking… smaller and more fearful than Pyrrha had ever seen her before. She remembered, that first night at Beacon, Blake teasing her about her crush on Jaune… could she ever have imagined it would turn out like this?
"Hey Blake," Jaune said awkwardly, and yet, in that gentle way that was inescapably him, "What can… I think we should talk."
Blake's eyes darted from Jaune's to Pyrrha's. She nodded, giving her assent. There wasn't really room for jealousy anymore. There were four people in the world who understood what Pyrrha had gone through and she herself was one of four people who knew what Blake had gone through. They… they were all tied together regardless if their bonds were romantic or not.
"Jaune, I..." Blake began, her voice hoarse and hollow, "I know… I know you and Pyrrha have..." her voice broke, her confidence utterly shattered as she seemed to shrink away, half melting into the shadows of the tree cover.
Pyrrha was about to speak, to reassure her sister, but Jaune took the lead.
"Blake," he said, softly, "I know. And… and I want to say something. Something I should have said… should have said before, but now we can… we can actually live for ourselves. And I want… I want..." his feet seemed to grow unsteady, both Blake and Pyrrha quickly swept in to stabilize him, but he shook his head. "I've never really… thought about what I want, not when there was so much I had to do, but..." he cracked a wry grin, "I think I've always known. I do want you, the both of you, not just to keep you safe, not just to make you smile, but… I love you. Both of you."
His voice cracked with emotion as he admitted what Pyrrha had so utterly longed to hear. "We aren't like anyone else in the world. Whatever we make, it's because we choose it, and I know that I love the both of you… love you so much, and I want- I want to love you the way you love me. I want us to be happy together, I want- I want you, and for the first time in my life, I can say that. It's true, it's true, it's always been true, I love you, both of you… if you'd have me."
Pyrrha's throat was too choked with emotion to speak, her eyes dimmed with tears, so all she could do was a graceful nod of assent.
But… but as she turned to her sister, she saw that Blake was not as relieved to hear it as Pyrrha might have hoped.
"I- I-" she could see the tears in Blake's eyes, the utter collapse of her facade as she turned away from them, her last and most artless defense against their gaze. "I'm sorry, I c-can't-"
And like that, she was gone, her body breaking into a black mist as she fled. Pyrrha moved to spring forward to go after her sister, but-
"Wait." Jaune caught her arm. "I think… She knows what she needs. And… we'll be there for when she's ready to come back to us."
Slipping past the guards to ambush a head of state was not, strictly speaking, something one should do at a high stakes negotiation. Jaune… probably best that he didn't know about what his sister was doing, but Emerald had to face something that couldn't wait any longer.
She'd met up with Neo and Roman when they first arrived in Vale—well, more like she'd tracked them down, but Neo had been delighted to see her and Roman said he was impressed with her ability, which made Emerald feel very warm inside—he did think she was cool! He'd then pitched her on an import/export scam using her influence as a world leader that intrigued Emerald, but she figured Jaune wouldn't like it. Besides, she needed to talk with them about her plan.
Qrow and Amber had, of course, been there when Emerald and her siblings set foot on Valean soil, and they were wonderful, but what she was about to do… she needed to talk to the less upstanding part of society to get their opinion on what he was about to do. They'd agreed—it was risky, but Emerald had a right to this, and had gotten her some of the intel she needed to find her target. She was ready; all she had to do was execute the plan.
Vacuan Huntsmen were tough. They were hardened by the land, trained to be naturally suspicious and attentive to threats. Vale was the land of heroes, Mistral trained their Huntsmen to be skilled artisans of combat, and Atlas drilled them to military precision. But Vacuan Huntsmen had ambush and surprise attacks in their blood, heightened by the needs of a paranoid royal family, and even Emerald's extraordinary, superhuman abilities were tested as she made her way past their security checkpoints and into the most secure quarters of the visiting delegation. Where the Royals stayed.
And not just the King and Queen.
Green hair, tied into a long regal braid. As she turned at the sound of Emerald's feet landing on the ground, Emerald could see her dusky skin, the same tone that set Emerald off from her unnaturally pale sisters and Valean brother. Hazel eyes that shone with inquisitive attention.
Emerald had to admit: she saw the resemblance.
And so did her double, whose eyes lit up in alarm at the first meeting between the Emeralds Vacuo and Sustrai, her hand moving, as if by reflex, to ready an attack against her as Emerald made her presence known.
"I'm not here to hurt you!" Emerald cried out, "I'm… I just… wanted to talk."
The girl shrank backwards, arms still raised protectively. All her life… all her life, she must have been preparing for this. For what would happen when Salem or someone else discovered the deception, and a vengeful party moved to "correct" what their parents had done so long ago. It was why she traveled with her parents, even to Vale—for fear what might happen if loyalties were divided, if the guards might get ideas if they were far from the King and Queen's supervision.
Emerald, however, was realizing that facing her double in person instead of just in her head was something she was not at all prepared for, her pre-prepared speech seeming so incredibly stupid as she looked at her doppelganger. Oh, she was going to ruin everything if she didn't find some way to be normal, quick.
But… she wasn't normal.
She was as far from normal as anyone could be, and yet... that was okay. She was okay, because it was okay to be herself, even if no one else was quite like her. And so... she could do this. Time for courage.
"I just want you to know… neither of us deserved what happened to us, and I don't-" her throat grew tight, "I don't blame… your parents. Or you. I've moved on, and I… I am who I am, no matter what I've been through. I've accepted that, and I… I want to make sure you're okay, too. That you can live freely, because..." she struggled to force the words out, the realization that maybe some people were a little bit like her, "Nobody should have to suffer the way we have. Because it's not right and it shouldn't have happened and it needs to stop."
The other Emerald, still wary of danger, looked Emerald up and down, searching her for any evidence of duplicity. Emerald… Emerald, who knew how to appear innocent, sincere, blameless, to fake any number of emotions, struggled to let her authentic feelings come to the surface, but her double, her fellow victim of a moment of needless cruelty, suddenly choked out, "I- Please don't take this the wrong way, but I've… been so afraid of you for so long, so afraid of what might happen if you… came to me, that I-"
"It's okay," Emerald said, softly, "I know. I… know what it's like to be ruled by fear. And I want you to know… it wasn't your fault. None of this was your fault, and I promise… You're going to be safe. What happened in the past is in the past, and we can't change it. But I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. Salem's reign is over, and that means… all of this is over, too."
Her face was a mix of panicked disbelief and nervous anticipation, but Emerald could see, buried deep, was a weak and fearful sense of hope. Inside her, Emerald knew there was a part of her that so desperately wanted to believe in the freedom she was terrified to hope for. And yet, Emerald could see as that hope burned brighter as a tired, exhausted girl just desperately wished to stop living her life ruled by fear.
"I- I've been so scared," she wept, "th-that I'd be found out and when I heard what happened to you I felt terrible, but I couldn't- couldn't stop hiding be-because-"
"I know, I know," Emerald said, putting a hand on her double's shoulder.
They embraced, mutual victims of a wicked witch's cruelty, bound together by the tragic consequences of parental love and a desperate need to escape the endless cycle of fear and loneliness they'd been cast into. Emerald didn't know what the other Emerald's life was like, but being hidden away for 15 years, kept in desperate anxiety awaiting the day she might be found and what horrible fate she might only being delaying... it was a torture of its own kind. And Emerald would not let it continue. Not with Salem dead. The evils and cruelties she'd been subjected to because of the King and Queen's actions… there was no way forward unless they could learn to forgive.
Breaking the hug, Emerald looked her doppelganger in the eyes, seeing herself mirrored back at her. She'd done something to… to make the world a better place. She hadn't hurt anyone. And she could be proud of it.
"I'm..." she murmured, "I'm going to go on a tour of Vale with- with some friends. I want to see the world I missed, and… I think you missed out on this world just as much as I did, so… if you were under my protection, I mean, we could..." her voice was tight, uncertain and babbling, but Emerald pushed forward, and snapped out, "Would you like to come with?"
And the other Emerald, the girl whose shadow Emerald had been living in all her life, gave her a hesitant, gentle, but true smile that told Emerald that her answer was yes.
So this was the way it came down.
After her humiliating breakdown in front of Jaune and Pyrrha, Blake had found a dark and quiet place, away from anyone, where she could cry. Just cry and cry and let her emotions pour out. So many years, she'd taught herself that "feeling bad" was a weakness that had to be suppressed and hidden to maintain advantage, but now Blake had seen where that road led and all she wanted to do was cry until she couldn't cry anymore.
So with crying no longer an option, she went back to what always made her feel better: double checking what her siblings were up to and making sure they were safe.
Emerald, she knew, was speaking with her double. An unwise move, but… Blake trusted Emerald. Trusted that she knew what she was doing, and that things would be okay for what she had to say. And, more importantly, that Emerald would be doing better for having said it. Jaune and Pyrrha were in a meeting with various Huntsman representatives of the Kingdoms, discussing the realities of the Grimm presence in Remnant. There were… limitations to their power to command the Grimm on such a scale, and the simple truth was that they were a natural part of this world, a part that long predated Salem. Weiss was with Ruby, and Blake was considerably relieved to have her with them. They looked out for each other, but in this… they were stretched thin. They could easily have done more to prevent this, to ensure that they were all together, all supporting each other at all times, but Blake knew that they had to show the world that they were more than frightened children. Everything stood on the edge of a knife, and being able to move on their own gave them the appearance of strength that helped keep things stable.
Especially when one of them didn't have any strength at all.
Slipping through unwatched paths and beneath the notice of security, Blake made her way, for the second time, to the one thing she had told herself she would never resort to. Passing guards and security cameras with no more difficulty than just walking down a hallway, Blake felt the old familiar feeling of dominance rise up within her, how easy it was to move her way through what the Valeans thought was theirs.
But she forced it down. Those feelings… they only ever caused her pain. What she had to do went against her nature, but Blake knew it was the only way she could be happy. Slipping into a modestly appointed room, she looked to the occupant, unaware of her entrance.
"Mrs. Rose?" she asked, her voice feeling so… weak as the security chief turned in surprise.
She was alert, alarmed even, but as soon as she saw Blake, a look crossed her face that made Blake want to start crying all over again, right then and there. Summer Rose, as Chief of Security for their visit, had, of course, been a priority figure for Blake's advance prep before they came to Vale. Even now, in the back of her mind, Blake played out her Vytal performance from her student days, what they knew of her career as Ozpin's elite Silver-Eyed Warrior, and yet, in all of her preparation, Blake had hardly paid any attention to the role she held that had been the one that mattered so much more than anything else.
"I'm… sorry to bother you, but… can we talk?" she asked.
"Oh," the tired woman put on a faint smile for Blake's sake, "Of course, Blake. Let me get some tea going and you can tell me whatever you need."
She was about to turn to get the kettle going, but Blake couldn't- couldn't bear even that much of a departure. Grabbing the older woman's hand, Blake cast her eyes to the floor and pleaded, "I… I need a mom. Right now."
In an instant, Summer had guided Blake to a couch, snapping up a box of tissues to press into her hand. Not more than a second from when she felt the small, cardboard box pressed into her hand than the waterworks started. The tears flowed freely, without even a pretense that she might have control of them. She had no control, had lost everything she had once thought she controlled.
Once, she had thought of herself as the only one of her siblings to break from the path Salem had set for them. She refused to be the Hawk, the unnoticed spy, instead, throwing herself into books and studying global politics. She would be the one to craft her own identity. She pursued her own agendas, was the first to overcome what she thought was her programming as she plotted a coup against the Queen… and played right into her hands. She coveted what Salem had, the control, the power, and she craved to replace her. To become like her. To make Jaune like her.
And she still wanted it.
Deep down, even as Mrs. Rose comforted her and told her that she could tell her anything, that she could just cry it out, Blake knew that she still felt the pull of the vision Salem showed her while she tormented Jaune. That vision of paradise, her at Jaune's side, her mighty King subjugating all who opposed them as the whole world knelt before their unstoppable might. To be drunk on power, to be loved by a man as wicked and black-hearted as she was as they-
"Blake! Blake!"
Her eyes fluttered open, realizing that she had lost track of place. Mrs. Rose had her hands on her shoulders as Blake realized she must have… been having another panic attack.
"It's alright. It's alright," the only motherly figure Blake had had in over a decade soothed, "Just breathe. Breathe. In and out. Okay?"
Sniffling, Blake did just. Long, deep breaths, and they did… they made her feel a little better. But still, she was a wreck. As bad as she was when she'd attempted to… when she almost did something she could never take back. And with that thought, the memories came rushing back, the shame of knowing that Pyrrha had to hold her back from violating her-
She felt the hand on her shoulder, something to ground her before she went right back to hyperventilating.
"Are you sure you don't want that tea?" she asked, giving Blake a careful, concerned smile.
"O-Ok," she said, following Mrs. Rose as she led her to the kitchenette where an electric kettle was quickly activated, the water heating up as Blake regained her footing.
"This was my suite during your last visit," she said offhandedly, as she packed tea into a cheap infuser. "I hope you don't mind Valean tea—I really don't get many guests."
"It's fine..." Blake murmured, finding the faint brrrrr of the water coming to a boil to be a soothing distraction from her feelings.
Watching the kettle, the once-daughter of the Chieftain of Menagerie, now-Princess of the Grimmlands, was struck by how much kindness she was receiving in this one moment. She didn't have many memories of the time before Salem, but she wondered… was this what life was like for Yang? Did Mrs. Rose seem so sure of what to do because she had experience with this before, helping a teenage girl struggling with her feelings and the unfairness of the world?
And… what about her own mother? The one who Blake could still picture with her face smeared with Jaune's blood… what would it be if they had never been parted? If her mother had never been hurt so cruelly, if Blake had grown up a girl in Menagerie, nervously asking her mother for advice about a boy and the woman she worried she was becoming… what sort of charmed life would she lead?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the high whistle of the tea kettle. Mrs. Rose quickly prepared the tea before guiding Blake back to the couch. A sip of tea, the hot liquid forcing her to take things slowly, honestly helped her quite a bit. She gave Mrs. Rose a look of humbled gratitude as she took another sip.
"Alright then..." she said, powerful sympathies obvious in her voice, "Tell me what's wrong."
Everything.
But Blake had to make a better answer than that.
"I'm just… scared. Scared that I'm going to make everything worse. Because I've always made everything worse—no, it's true. I thought… I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was doing..." her voice grew hoarse, "I was doing Salem's thing. I was becoming like her, and now I know… I have her memories now, I know how close I got, I understand her, and I… I'm scared."
She looked to Mrs. Rose, pleading for help.
"Blake..." she began softly, "I… I can't imagine the life you've lived, the hardships you've endured. But… I know you well enough I can say that…" she looked up, meeting Blake in the eyes, her piercing silver suddenly backed by a certainty that Blake clung to like a drowning sailor. "You're brave, Blake. You are. Qrow told me… he told me when you fought, you couldn't bring yourself to hurt him. Even when it was hard, when you were… you did the right thing. The brave thing. You are not a monster and you are nothing like that… like that witch."
She could feel the tears in her eyes already making a damp path down her cheeks. But there was an insistence in Mrs. Rose's voice that carried forward, ineluctably, even through all of Blake's crushing self doubts. She took Blake's hand and spoke with a confidence the young Princess off the Grimmlands so desperately needed.
"I know who your siblings are. And… and Yang knows who they are even better than I do. They're not like that. If you ask them for help, they'll give it. And… I think, I think you all want to ask each other for help. You're all in the same boat, and you're all just waiting for someone to be the first to ask for help, so they can ask for help, too."
Blake held her hand tightly, almost afraid to let go, and yet… she understood what Mrs. Rose meant. It was… it was scary, thinking of making the jump, thinking of admitting her weakness to her siblings, but…
Mrs. Rose gave her hand a squeeze. "You're such brave kids," she said softly, "All of you… you faced what no one should ever have to face and you could face it because… because you had each other. You'll face this with each other, too. And you'll see… you'll see that your siblings only want their sister to be safe and happy."
"Thank you," she mumbled, knowing she had to say something but reeling from the emotional journey this whole conversation had put her through. From the depths of her self doubts to the catharsis of finally acknowledging them and feeling the incredible grace of Mrs. Rose's words… it put her through a lot.
Blinking away her tears, Blake tried to steady herself. She had been right to go to Mrs. Rose—like her daughter, she was a lot more than Blake had given her credit for, and her gratitude for the both of them went deep. She felt a tug in her heart, an urge to pay them back for all they'd done for her and her family, but what could-
Oh! That was it!
"If… If you need… I can- I can get you the location of Raven Branwen!" she eagerly offered, "She'd be easy to track down and deliver to-"
"That's- that's alright," Mrs. Rose quickly cut in, "I… All I need to know is that my daughter's friends are doing well. And that includes you, Blake."
She blushed, partially from realizing how she misread the situation, but partially… because she knew that Mrs. Rose really did want her to be happy.
It seemed to always come back to this room. The gears turning, the clock ticking, time flying like an arrow loosed. The Emerald Forest and Vale were laid out below them, a thousand, a million miles away. Peaceful and quiet, nothing at all like how the world actually was, but… it was nice to think of it that way.
This time, Jaune accepted the coffee the Headmaster offered him, sipping the bitter drink carefully. Odd that he couldn't be hurt in any meaningful way, and yet, he was careful not to burn himself.
Well…
That thought reminded him that while he couldn't be hurt physically, there were very many things he was still vulnerable to. He could still feel in his heart the fear and hope that all might be well with Blake after what happened this morning, that he could help her as he so desperately wished to do. He hadn't seen or heard from her all day, and his hope that she'd come to them when she was ready felt... less certain now. And in that uncertainty… he could feel the trace of Salem, that cruelty and spite, her mocking explanation of how she'd broken him, the residual fear he felt even as Pyrrha pronounced her love. Salem's reach had been long when she was alive, and even diminished by death, her presence was still felt. But if there was even one person in the world who understood that, he was sitting across from Jaune right now.
He was the Chairman of the Commission Representing the People of Remnant to Promote Global Peace. Word from Blake was that the outcome of these negotiations would likely restructure all of global politics—the old era was ending, and a new one was coming in, a world more unified than ever before. And Ozpin of Vale was favored to pick up a new title: Secretary-General, the first "leader" of all Remnant in history.
Well, recorded history. Jaune now had memories of an earlier age and a much earlier incarnation of Ozma who had sought to unify the world. But this time would be different. No sorcerer kings or tyrant queens reigning over all—but something more equitable. Something better.
Or, at least, Jaune hoped so.
"I want you to know," Ozpin began, as slow and measured as his speech always was, "before we discuss any matters of business… never, in all my many, many lifetimes, did I ever believe that… that what you five have done could be achieved. For all the hardship you've endured, all the doubts I can see you carry, I want you to know that there are millions who are alive today, and many millions more who will be alive in the future, because of your courage, your strength, and… yes, your heroism. I'm proud of you, Jaune. All of Remnant owes you and your sisters a debt of gratitude."
Jaune could only nod in acknowledgement. After a lifetime starved of parental care and filled with self doubts, he still didn't know how to take genuine praise and kindness. To hear someone say, I'm proud of you, Jaune was... a hard thing to bear. "I… thank you, sir," he said, trying not to seem so stiff, so utterly affected by this display of kindness and care.
"There's no need to call me 'sir,' Jaune," he warmly replied, "We are peers in the truest sense… not just as leaders on the global stage, but as the inheritors of an old and… needless conflict." He peered at Jaune from down his spectacles, broaching the question they both knew was coming. "I… do have to ask, what all… did you inherit from her?"
"It's complicated," an answer understated to the extreme and also the best answer possible, "We… we all have a... I don't know, a piece of her? Not like her soul, she's actually dead, and she can't come back, but... well, I know what happened, have so many of her thoughts and memories, but they're not… not like memories, really? Not exactly, it's hard to explain, but I… I know her experiences, her thoughts, her feelings..."
"I… can't imagine that's an easy burden to bear," Ozpin cautiously replied.
Jaune shook his head. "It's not like she's still there, but..."
"When you have all her memories," Ozpin concluded, "It's hard to think of her perspective as gone."
It was true. The memories weren't theirs, it felt like… like a movie they had watched, but they were there, and there were so many of them. Salem had lived a very long time, and her memories were full of cruelty and spite and… and most painful of all, there were little glimpses of kindness and humanity in her. She loved her husband. She grieved her daughters. She…
Jaune could even feel the fragments of compassion she had for them. Crushed, suppressed, and not acted on, always so brief and quick to flicker away, but… it made everything about their relationship so much more painful. To know that she had felt that maternal urge to relent and abandon her plans made every wound open up again. As she had told him, love was the most powerful force in the world, and Jaune could feel how deep its bite went.
"But..." Jaune search for something else to talk about, "We have her curse. Immortality, I mean. All five of us. I think it's because we all have a share of her... whatever, and… well, I guess that means we count as her? For the Brothers, I mean."
"Immortality," Ozpin sighed, "Not an easy burden to bear, either."
Another sip of coffee. "We're managing," he said, but… well, hard as it was to believe, they were. The issues facing them were so huge and would take so long to unpack that it was kind of a relief to know they had all the time in the world. And… he had his sisters. They had each other.
Ozpin studied his face for a moment, making Jaune wonder if, perhaps, he had some arcane art for reading minds, before speaking up.
"I've always wondered if it was easier to live as an immortal in my way," he admitted, "Starting over every few decades… it's always a struggle, but that struggle means meeting new people, encountering the world all over again, but… I think now that the difference between Salem and I wasn't in the nature of our immortalities, but in how we spent them. If you spend your life with the ones you love, seeking to find the good and inspiring in humanity's infinite variance… no matter how long your life ends up taking, you'll never run out of new things to encounter, new tasks to take up, and new ways to fall in love. And if you can do that, your life, even if it's endless, will be a good one."
Jaune nodded. "I hope so, at least..." he cracked a weak smile, "Well… we both know our immortality isn't forever."
"When the Brothers return," Ozpin deduced. Jaune nodded.
"But I… I think..." Jaune thought back to the fight, back to the feeling of perfect harmony and balance within his soul and the whisper in the Darkness, guiding him to Salem's weakness, "I think we might have some… some good will, if not help, from, well, the Brothers. I think they… or one of them... helped me. Against Salem."
Ozpin's eyebrow raised a fraction of a millimeter, and yet that reaction felt like he'd practically fallen out of his chair. "I… must admit," he said, "I myself haven't heard anything from those two since they… parted. Didn't think I'd hear anything until the end of the world, but… well, perhaps… perhaps I might indulge myself and imagine that they have some sympathy for the people they left behind. Perhaps we could ask Jinn when she next returns, but… that will be a while."
He sipped his coffee, clearly contemplating the meaning of what had happened. Even Jaune wasn't sure—there was something more to the Darkness that he didn't understand, something that guided him in the battle and understood Salem well enough to know how she could be defeated, but even with what he now knew from Salem's memories, her knowledge from the Age of Magic… he couldn't do much more than draw a blank. The Brothers alone knew how Salem's curse worked, or, perhaps, even they didn't foresee this possibility. He... didn't relish the thought of asking them.
"But in spending thousands of years contemplating the minds of gods," Ozpin finally said, "I have learned that grand theology is far less useful than learning the perspective of even the lowliest mortal. Whether or not we ever learn their motives or what lessons they meant to impart on us… we have plenty of work to do here."
The rest of their conversation moved from there to more pragmatic affairs—discussing the logistics of cooperation between their worlds, advice on what to expect from other world leaders (confirming much of what Blake had briefed him on… which brought a new pang of anguish to Jaune's heart), and, with a sly grin, a brief recommendation for a Valean seafood restaurant to check out. He might be the immortal King of the greatest power in the world, but Jaune's stomach was still as vulnerable ever to the promise of food as it grumbled its urgent demands.
There would be more meetings. Many, many more, but Jaune was beginning to feel his limits. Ozpin, too, seemed to recognize it, bringing their meeting to a close. But not before imparting one last gift of his wisdom.
"Never forget," he said to Jaune as he led him to the elevator, "You have achieved something the whole world, myself included, thought impossible. No matter what you and your sisters face… I believe in you and your ability to overcome it. I'm proud of you, Jaune. All of Remnant is proud of you."
Blinking the tears from his eyes, Jaune took his hand in a firm handshake, a feeling of mutual respect burning within him that he'd never felt before, and stepped to the elevator, exchanging a goodbye with the only other man in the world who understood immortality. As the doors shut, Jaune saw in their polished brass his reflection, the face of the King of the Grimm. The title felt heavy, too heavy to bear, but… if Ozpin believed in him, if he had so many supporting him, he felt he just might be able to bear it.
The door opened with a ding as Jaune stepped through the anteroom. It was… odd that there was no security here. It made some sense—Ozpin called the shots here and he clearly wanted to put Jaune at ease, but… the last time he was at Beacon, there were very few places he could even be without having some form of escort. Strange to see places like this so… empty.
But the school wasn't empty, even if this one room was. He heard Yang before he saw her, idly chatting with Pyrrha.
"...but what I'm not getting is why I can't get a title. Not a big one, I'd be good with being a Duchess, or whatever a Viscountess is."
Opening the door, Jaune smiled at the both of them, saying, "Well, there happens to be an opening for an Ambassador..."
"Deal!" Yang laughed, "Hey man, how was your chat with Oz?"
And he couldn't help himself. He grinned. "It was… it was good," he said, unable to hold back the warmth he felt in his breast. "And he recommended a good seafood place, Verde's?"
Pyrrha clearly felt the same pull from her stomach as Jaune had when Ozpin recommended it. Yang, however...
"Pffffft, that's the fancy stuff. You want a good broil, you've gotta go to… actually," her face suddenly turned serious, "We can talk this over later. Good seeing you guys, but you've got a lot on your plate, so- later!"
Jaune was about to protest, only for Yang to gesture for him to follow her eyes. Glancing behind himself, in the door frame he'd entered from, was Blake, draped in shadows and nervously biting her lip as she waited for them.
Yang departed. Pyrrha gave a sympathetic smile. "I'll just let you two talk, I can-"
"No." Blake shook her head, "I want… you should be here, Pyrrha."
She looked tired. Exhausted. But there was a determination in her eyes as she looked to Jaune and Pyrrha, a blaze of willfulness that seemed all the more potent for how worn her body was.
It was undeniably the look of his sister.
"Jaune, from what you said this morning… I do want you. I want you badly, I've been in love with you… for as long as I can remember, even if I didn't realize it. You're our King because we love you, but I… I want you, Jaune. And that scares me."
"I know-" he began to say, but Blake cut him off.
"I- I have more," she said, "Whether I'm right or wrong to fear what I want, that's not what's important. What matters is… I'm scared, Jaune. I'm scared all the time and I'm not the confident sister you might have thought I was. Who you think I am, who I've been… that was a lie. And… I need help. You're caught up in so much, and I can't help you because… because I need help. I've… I've made so many mistakes, and I don't… I don't deserve anything from you, but I..."
Her words dissolved into tears, but Jaune was there for her. Wrapping his arms around her, Jaune held Blake close to his chest. She clung to him, fearfully, desperately… but he knew this was Blake. This was the woman who'd been there for him ever since they were children, up to the point where he felt her soul, her inner strength, weaken Salem and save his life. He would never turn his back on her. Not for any reason, not ever.
"Blake," he whispered, "I will always support you and protect you, like I always have. And even if you have doubts… you've always been there for me. In all our mistakes and our hardships… you and I… we've been there for each other. And that isn't going to change. I love you, just as you love me, and we… we can face the world together."
Pyrrha spoke up. "No one else in the world's been through what we've been through. Nobody but us could ever understand it." She took Jaune and Blake's hands in her own. "If the three of us can find happiness together… I say we take it. Into the unknown, I know… I know if you're there… we'll be alright."
Jaune squeezed Blake and Pyrrha's hands and felt them squeeze back. There were… more unknowns than anyone could possibly know, but he remembered Ozpin's words. No matter what… they could overcome it. He'd see to it. With them. Together.
Pulling Blake and Pyrrha into his arms, he kissed Blake first, feeling her lips tremble and quail against his, but when he did not pull away, he felt her lips grow firm and confident, returning his affection with her own love. Then he kissed Pyrrha, sealing, for the three of them, the relationship they would have to face the rest of history together.
Thanks to Renarde for feedback on this chapter!
In a story so concerned about threes and triads, you can't blame me for putting a menage a trois within it :)
Though to talk about other relationships, in many ways, Emerald, being the character who, feeling the least connected to the family and the most insecure about her identity, was, ironically, the one best equipped to have a life outside of it. I really do hate that I could only tag four characters for the story, because Emerald had to be the one cut and her story's one I really liked writing. As to why her and her doppelganger had the same name... let's just chalk that up to incredible coincidence to make the fiction work.
Next update, this story comes to a close, and I have to admit... it's hard to believe it's almost over. This has been a journey, and, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who's read this far. We're almost there.