This is it. This is the chapter I've been wanting to write ever since I began on this story nearly six years ago. I'm pretty sure it will be a bit divisive, given how I handle a number of things. That's fine. I knew from the start that what I had in mind might not go over well with everyone.
But even though I wanted to write this chapter for years, actually doing it was pretty difficult. It was intended to be the penultimate chapter of the whole story, and while it's still the penultimate chapter of the fic, I've since decided that there is going to be a sequel.
That does change the whole dynamic a bit, making a chapter that was already going to be divisive by its very nature probably even more so because it doesn't really give any closure.
Truth is, I'm pretty nervous about this one. I like it, if nothing else, and I hope most of you will as well. If so, let me know. If not, also let me know.
As always, don't be afraid to be critical, or to hurt my feelings. I believe a writer should be able to take criticism, even on things they're proud of. With all of that said, enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Thorn of the White Rose
"What the hell?! That wasn't a Grimm attack," Yang said.
I just shook my head, my eyes still glued to the Atlesian airship that was now falling towards the city, smoke and debris trailing behind it.
More shocking than the fact the airship would cause massive devastation on impact, however, was the reason for its crash: it had been shot down by missiles from the airship closest to it, and the rogue airship was already turning around to face its next target.
As the ship continued to turn, the wreckage of the cruiser it had shot crashed down onto the city and exploded, sending a massive fireball into the sky. The shockwave of the explosion rattled our airship, and we had to brace ourselves to not be blown clear across the cockpit.
I clenched my fists in powerless anger. How many people had died just now? How many more were injured?
A red light began to blink on Auburn's dashboard. He frowned and pressed a button, and the radio crackled to life.
"Attention all vessels: Glacier Three has been compromised by the enemy. Do not attempt to engage. The Atlesian fleet will…"
The transmission dissolved into static, only to clear up again a few seconds later. "The fleet will do what, exactly?" a mocking voice said. "This crate's mine now, and I gotta tell you: I like it. It's got all kinds of nifty little toys on it, and I'm not done trying them all yet. So go ahead, give it your best shot. I know I will."
The radio snapped off.
"Torchwick!" Blake seethed.
She sounded about as angry as I felt. Of course Torchwick would have something to do with it. I had no clue how he'd gotten on board the airship, or how he'd managed to take it over, but none of that mattered right now. The fact was that he had, and someone was going to have to stop him.
But what could we do? There was no way the small airship of Nevermore's Feather could fight against an Atlesian warship, nor get close enough to board it. The hulls were lined with automatic gun turrets, missile bays were placed along both sides of the ships, and along the bottom of the hull ran the main weapon, a massive railgun, powerful enough to kill even the strongest Grimm in a single shot — or blast another airship out of the sky.
And so, even though it made me feel sick to my stomach, I said, "We can't go after him right now. If we get anywhere near that warship, we're dead. We have to let the Atlesian military handle this."
"If the Atlesian military hadn't been here Torchwick could never have stolen that warship in the first place!" Blake said angrily.
"And the city would be in even bigger trouble because of the Grimm," Yang pointed out before I could say anything.
"I know you're angry, Blake. So am I. So is everyone aboard this ship." She slammed her fist into her palm and when she looked up again, her eyes were fiery red. "And we will make them pay for it, too."
She took a deep breath, and her eyes regained their normal color. "But we can't go in recklessly. We did that in Vacuo and look where it got us. I'm pretty sure we're looking at a good couple of decades in prison if we get out of this alive. And this…"
She gestured at the city.
"This isn't an ordinary Grimm attack. Can't you feel how heavy the air is? It feels like Northern Star, and as far as I'm concerned that can only mean one thing: Cinder's used the Guide on Vale. Whatever we want to do now, whatever violent thoughts are going through our heads…we can't act on them."
She smiled wryly. "Never thought I'd be the one warning us away from a fight, but what we did in Vacuo…" She shuddered. "Yeah, that'll stay with me for a while."
"We can't just sit here and do nothing!" Blake said.
"I never said we should," Yang countered. "I said we shouldn't rush in recklessly. Doesn't mean we can't get down on the ground and help out. After all, I'm sure no one will mind us killing Grimm in large quantities."
Blake didn't look happy, but she nodded her assent anyway.
Yang looked at me next. "Let's do it," I said immediately.
I relished the chance to fight Grimm, to do anything at all to help, even if I couldn't go after Torchwick or Cinder on my own.
I wondered where Ruby was at that moment. The uncertainty about her certainly didn't do my nerves any good, and I could feel that my anger threatened to swing into panic instead, my negativity fueled by the effects of the Guide.
With some effort, I managed to get my mind back on anger. If I was going to be forced to feel negative emotions, better to feel one I could actually use.
Auburn sent the airship into a steep dive, and through the abruptness of the motion I knew that he, too, was being affected by the atmosphere around us.
I looked at Vanta, whose face was expressionless. What did she want to do? Was she okay with simply killing Grimm? Did she want to do more? And what about the rest of Nevermore's Feather? None of them had said anything since we got here. Was this some kind of professional disinterest? Letting the client decide what to do? Or was there something else?
Vanta noticed me looking at her and cocked her head questioningly.
"What do you think about all of this?" I asked.
She shrugged. "I'd rather go after the people than the Grimm, personally. I told you back in Vacuo, people are the real monsters. The Grimm are just a symptom here. I prefer to fight the source."
"Not even you could take out a warship," I said.
She shook her head. "I know. But that White Fang transmission from earlier came from the city. The place has to be crawling with the bastards. They're the ones I want to get to."
She looked away and took a couple of deep breaths. "It's people like them who destroyed my village, who raped and killed my mother, and my older sister. Who executed my father after forcing him to witness it all. I didn't even know why they didn't kill me at the time, but of course I'd used my Semblance unconsciously to blind them to my presence."
She looked at me again, her eyes blazing. "I will not let people like that off the hook. And there is no doubt in my mind that right now, things like that are happening in this city, because who is going to stop them?"
I glanced at Blake and Yang, both of whom looked deathly pale. I imagine I didn't look much better.
I nodded slowly as I came to a decision. "Alright. Drop my teammates and me off near the crash site, then you and your team are free to do what you want."
I smiled wryly. "I doubt my prison sentence is going to get much higher at this point."
I looked at the Atlesian soldiers. "What about you?" I asked.
"Our mission is to help the people," Brick said. "I think we'd be of most use on the ground with you and your teammates. Besides, if we don't witness the illegal activities that are sure to take place, we can't be called to testify either, if it should come to that."
"Ignoring the fact that all of us have rap sheets the size of a novel at this point, I like your way of thinking," Yang said with a grin.
The airship lost speed and I glanced outside. We were now surrounded by buildings, all of which had shattered windows. I guessed we were only a few streets away from the crash site.
We finished our descent and Auburn opened the ramp.
I looked at the members of Nevermore's Feather before getting out of the airship. "Thanks for all the help. Just come find me after this is over and we'll settle the payment," I said.
Vanta nodded. "Oh don't worry, we always collect our pay, one way or another," she said menacingly. Then she grinned. "But seriously, Miss Schnee, take care of yourself. I would very much prefer to collect my pay from a living client."
"I'll do my best," I said, and then I turned around and jumped off the ramp, followed closely by my teammates and the soldiers.
As soon as we were out in the street, the ramp of the airship closed, and the ship ascended between the buildings, vanishing in the darkness of the night.
"So what do we do now?" Yang asked.
I looked around. The street we were standing in seemed deserted. The buildings around us were office buildings, rather than apartments, and they had probably been closed for the night anyway. Debris littered the street, mostly broken glass, but nothing moved other than the six of us. I tried to use my Aura to detect anything around us, but the heavy feeling of dread caused by the Guide seemed to constrict it.
I was still trying to get my bearings, when Blake said, "There are people about three streets from here. I can hear screaming. No gunfire from that direction, though."
"I guess your ears are good for other things than just looking cute, huh?" Yang said.
Blake didn't smile, and Yang winced. "Sorry, not the time…" she muttered.
"It's fine," Blake said. Now, she did smile faintly. "I know you're just trying to cheer us up. Thanks." She immediately grew serious again. "But there's no time to stand around talking. Let's go."
She set off, and the rest of us fell into line behind her. Despite the gravity of the situation, Yang seemed to have been buoyed a bit by Blake's reassurance.
I felt a pang of jealousy at their little moment, being unable to have something similar with Ruby, but I pushed it aside. The effects of the Guide were just making me twitchy. I had to remain focused, no matter how hard that might be.
We rounded a couple of corners, into the main thoroughfare of the district. Ahead of us, I could see a group of people being harassed by Beowolves, Ursai, and Boarbatusks. The people had taken refuge on the tops of clustered-together cars that had either been abandoned or simply broken down, but the Grimm were relentlessly tearing through the vehicles to get to their prey.
I quickly cycled to my Fire Dust and fired three balls of flame at the Grimm, taking care not to hit any of the people. While the flames didn't do much damages to the beasts, they at least succeeded in diverting their attention onto us.
The soldiers broke away from our group, taking up position on top of their own cars nearby in order to acquire angles from which they could hit the Grimm without endangering the civilians any further.
As I ran towards the Grimm, I allowed myself to be swept up in the fury that had been building up inside me ever since we'd gotten close to Vale. This negativity is meant to be a detriment, is it? I'll show you what I can do with it!
I summoned a speed glyph and cast it on Yang and Blake as well as on myself. The Grimm nearest to me never had a chance. The Ursa might as well have been a stationary target as I ran it through with ease, then blurred away to take care of a few Beowolves.
I didn't pay attention to what Yang and Blake were doing. I could only focus on the Grimm in front of me, who were so numerous it seemed like they were just spawning out of thin air like this was some kind of video game. There were even more here than there had been on our mission to Mountain Glenn, and each one just made me angrier.
I could feel my blood pounding in my ears, my chest felt tight, and I felt so hot I was half afraid I might suddenly catch fire. I was only snapped out of my murder frenzy by the panicked screams of the civilians, which had become increasingly louder in the past couple of seconds. I looked over my shoulder and felt my blood run cold.
A Goliath came barreling down the three-lane street, heading straight towards the civilians.
"Get off the cars!" I shouted as I dashed over.
There was nothing I could do against a Goliath, but if I could just distract it, the people might be able to get away.
"Weiss, the other street!" Yang shouted from somewhere to my right.
I whirled around…and saw a second Goliath coming over from the other direction, charging ahead when it spotted all the squishy humans. Were the Grimm deliberately performing a pincer maneuver, or had they just ended up on opposite ends of the thoroughfare coincidentally?
I didn't get any time to think about it. A strong impact rammed me off my feet and into the door of a nearby car. Stunned, I fell to the ground. My Aura was still intact, but I knew I wouldn't be able to take another hit like that.
I looked up and saw the Boarbatusk that rammed me in my side readying itself for another attack, but before it could launch it Yang jumped in and forcefully punched it in the flank.
"How do you like the feeling?" she quipped, then grinned at me.
Despite myself, I grinned back at her, then quickly climbed back to my feet.
"We have to get those civilians away from here," I said. "I can use my Ice Dust to distract one of those Goliaths, but the other one…"
"Blake and I will take care of it," Yang said.
We exchanged a glance, then she turned left, running towards the civilians, while I turned right. Before I could do something about the Goliath, I'd first have to take out the Boarbatusk that Yang had just punched away.
It was still alive, but Yang's attack had cracked its armor. Its angry eyes fixed on me and it scraped the asphalt with its hoof, ready to charge. I cast another speed glyph, allowing me to dodge to the side and ram Myrtenaster into the Boarbatusk's weakened side with a move that was more a punch than an elegant stab, but I felt the blade pierce the Grimm's body, and without slowing down I ran past to confront the Goliath, which was beginning to pick up speed.
Behind me, I heard bangs, screams, and the enraged noises of the other Goliath, but there was no time to look. I gathered up every bit of Aura I had left and summoned a row of glyphs on the road right in front of me, extending across it and even climbing up the walls on either side of the street.
For an instant, I stared down the attacking Goliath…and then I rammed Myrtenaster down into the glyph right in front of my feet. A massive wall of ice erupted from the ground and the walls. It was the strongest wall by far I'd ever made.
Ordinarily, I'd never have been able to do it. But now, fueled by hate and desperation, I did. Surely a wall of this size could stop a Goliath charge, slow it down for long enough that the people would be able to get away. Surely…
With a horrible crunching noise, the wall exploded and I was blown backwards. I slammed into the road and flipped end over end, ending up prone on the road.
Everything hurt. My Aura was broken, there was no doubt about it. It had lasted long enough to keep me from breaking any bones, but I was covered in bruises and cuts. I struggled to get to my knees, at least, and it felt like the worst ordeal I'd ever faced.
Ahead of me, there was a cloud of dust, and a street strewn with blocks of ice and crumpled cars. The Goliath stood a surprisingly large distance away, entirely unharmed and unfazed by the literal wall it had just rammed down. Of course it would be. I'd seen a Goliath bring down a building with ease back in Northern Star. A bit of ice wasn't going to do more than so many sheets of tissue paper would have.
I lowered my head and my vision blurred. This was the end. I had nothing left, and the Goliath was unharmed. It would kill me without a second thought, then kill the people I'd tried to rescue. My final act would be to die as a complete failure.
I heard soft footsteps approaching me, but I didn't look up. No one would be able to save me this time. I didn't even care about facing my death with dignity. What dignity was there in this, anyway? Dying in the rubble of the city that had become my home after failing miserably to protect it, what a way to die.
And to think that, in the end, I'd never even reunited with Ruby. The last time I'd seen her was when she ran away after my argument with Yang. Well, at least my regrets wouldn't last much longer now.
"Weiss."
Nothing but the sound of that voice could have made me look up.
"R-Ruby?" I said softly.
I couldn't believe my eyes, and I quickly rubbed them to clear out the tears. There was no way this could be real, but there she was, just as I remembered her, only lacking her cloak.
She smiled, and there was an indescribable warmth in her silver eyes. There almost seemed to be a glow around her entire body.
"Ruby…" I said stupidly. There was so much I wanted to tell her, so much I wanted to say, but I could hardly find the words. "Ruby…I-I'm so sorry about everything, about Atlas, about Vacuo, about…"
"It's going to be okay, Weiss," Ruby interrupted me softly. She held out her hand. "I love you."
Everything went white. For a brief moment, I thought I'd passed out, but the immense warmth and joy I suddenly felt convinced me otherwise.
I reached out, still blinded by this inexplicable light, and when I felt Ruby's hand in mine my vision finally returned.
Ruby was glowing. I hadn't imagined it earlier, only now the glow was much, much brighter. She lit up the dark street all by herself.
And, to my great shock, I was glowing as well. I blinked stupidly at Ruby, who smiled widely at me. What was going on?! All of the fear, all of the anger, all of the despair I'd been feeling just moments ago, that I had been feeling for the past days ever since our separation…all of it was just gone, and replaced by the unwavering conviction that now, everything would be okay. Ruby loved me, and I loved her. Nothing else mattered, did it?
A loud trumpeting drew my attention back to the present, but unlike before I didn't feel any fear. The Goliath didn't worry me anymore.
Judging by Ruby's confident smirk, she wasn't worried either.
She looked at me. "I'll be right back," she said.
She let go of my hand, and some of the amazing warmth I'd been feeling faded. More than enough of it remained, however.
I watched Ruby calmly walk up to the Goliath, and to my great surprise the Goliath seemed to recoil in fear. It nervously swung its head, even taking steps backwards as Ruby got closer. It was a comical sight to see a Grimm the size of a building cowering before this short, glowing girl, but there it was.
Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose and gracefully leapt up into the air. The Goliath followed her movement, but made no attempt to stop her. At the top of her arc, Ruby fired Crescent Rose, launching herself downwards as she swung her scythe.
There was a white flash when the blade hit the Goliath's neck, and second later Ruby stood on the road, next to the decapitated Goliath.
The monstrous hulk collapsed, already smoking and disintegrating. Where the black smoke touched the light around Ruby's body, it immediately dissipated.
She looked at me and smiled, and then she looked past me, raising her left fist high.
I turned to see what she was looking at, and I was just in time to see the same kind of white glow that was around Ruby and me appearing around Yang and Blake.
It was much fainter than Ruby's, even fainter than mine, but it was there all the same and I could tell that they were feeling the same effects I was.
The Grimm that were still in the streets now looked confused and scared, and ran around in circles rather than attacking anyone.
The other Goliath was nowhere to be seen. I had no idea how Ruby had chased it off without the powerful light she used on this one, but I was sure I'd hear it at some point.
Yang and Blake, meanwhile, gave each other a grin and stepped forwards to face the disoriented Grimm. As soon as Yang punched the nearest Beowolf, it began to disintegrate. Blake threw Gambol Shroud at an Ursa, and the blade cut through it with ease.
I looked around and spotted an Ursa of my own. Feeling reinvigorated, I engaged it and thrust Myrtenaster at its throat.
It didn't even attempt to deflect the blow, and there was almost no resistance when the blade hit it. It was like stabbing a cloud.
There was an immense satisfaction in watching the monster's red eyes widen in surprise just before its head began to disintegrate.
All my injuries seemed to have been healed, and my Aura felt even more powerful than it normally did. It took us only a minute or two to clear out the street, after which we reunited with the civilians and the soldiers, who'd been huddled behind one of the cars while we were taking care of the Grimm. Unlike before, they now seemed remarkably calm.
"We should get these people north a bit," Ruby said. "Airships are taking everyone to Beacon; Velvet told me when I ran into her earlier, just after the crash. Team CFVY and Team JNPR are helping with the evacuation."
"Are they all okay?" Blake asked.
Ruby nodded. "I think so. Velvet said she only came out here to see if there were people in immediate need of help near the crash site. She didn't mention anything about any of us getting hurt."
I was happy to hear that, and to my surprise the white glow around me intensified a bit in response to the positive emotion.
"Rubes, what is this power, anyway?" Yang asked. "I've never felt anything like it. It's like I can take on the world."
"I don't know," Ruby said cheerfully. "I just know that I was feeling pretty good after chasing off a Goliath and then running into Velvet first, and then you guys just now."
She grinned widely and then looked at me intensely, even more intensely than she'd done that one night in Northern Star. I'm felt my face heat up, and again the glow around my body became stronger.
"And when I saw Weiss again, looking so hopeless and defeated I just…wanted to help her. To show her that I was there for her. That there was no way we were going to lose this fight if we all fought together as a team again."
Yang blinked a couple of times. "That's it?" she asked.
She sounded as incredulous as I felt. Surely there had to be more to it than that, right?
Ruby shrugged. "Yep. Now let's go, there are people who need our help."
She turned to the civilians. "Okay, everyone. My teammates and I are going to get you all to safety. I think it's best if you stay in the center, and we'll protect you from the Grimm. Don't worry, everyone is going to be alright. I promise I won't let any of you get hurt."
Just ten minutes ago, I would've thought that statement was incredibly naïve. Now, though, I completely shared Ruby's conviction. Whatever kind of power she'd awakened in all of us gave me more than enough confidence to feel like we could take on any Grimm we ran into. After all, Ruby had just single-handedly cut the head off a Goliath. What could possibly threaten us now?
We set out, following the now deserted throughfare for a while before Ruby turned into a side street. I recognized the street as the one that led towards one of the largest malls in Vale. I guessed that its parking lot would have been repurposed as a landing pad for the airships that could take people to Beacon.
I heard gunfire and panicked voices from a street to our left and exchanged a glance with my teammates.
"Yang, Blake, you guys take the people to the mall. Weiss and I will see what's going on there," Ruby said.
Yang nodded. "Right." She smirked. "Don't get distracted by the eye candy, though," she added with a quick glance at me.
Ruby blushed slightly.
"Yang!" I said warningly, though I guess the effect was ruined a bit by my no doubt embarrassed expression, not helped by the immediate brightening of the white auras around Ruby and me.
Yang chuckled. "Just kidding. Get going, Blake and I will take care of the rest."
With a last dirty glance at Yang — who still looked highly amused — Ruby and I set off into a narrow alley that led into a parallel street.
When we emerged, we immediately spotted the source of the gunfire and the screaming: several White Fang members were cornered by a Deathstalker and several Ursai.
My first instinct was to just leave them there, and briefly my white aura faded a little bit. But it still seemed to be more powerful than my anger and distaste at the White Fang, because the second I felt the urge to abandon them to their fates, I also felt a much stronger inclination to save as many lives as I could. Right now, all that mattered was dealing with the Grimm with as few casualties as possible.
Ruby, of course, had already charged in while I had my moment of hesitation, and I quickly summoned a speed glyph to catch up to her, noting with delight that it felt as easy as breathing, without even the light strain on my Aura I'd usually feel. It was as if I was being fueled by something else altogether.
I had no time to dwell on it now, so I instead focused my attention on the Ursai, knowing instinctively that Ruby would go straight for the Deathstalker.
Just like before, Myrtenaster cut through the Grimm as if they weren't even there.
Seconds later, all of the Grimm had been dealt with and we stared down the White Fang. There were seven of them, two of whom seemed to be injured. The others eyed us warily, their guns ready but their fingers not quite on the triggers.
"How…how did you do that?" one of them asked.
I couldn't see his eyes behind his mask, but I imagined them being wide and shocked.
"We're Huntresses," Ruby said simply. "Saving people is what we do. And even though you caused all of this, you're still people. I won't let you die if I can help it."
The White Fang members fidgeted uncomfortably, clearly not used to being scolded by a teenage Huntress, but Ruby wasn't done yet.
"Throw away your weapons and come with us," she said. "We'll keep you safe from the Grimm, but we'll hand you over to the General as soon as we can."
"And you think he won't simply execute us?" one of the other White Fang members said.
Ruby shook her head. "No. There's been enough killing. I won't let him execute anyone."
I had no idea how Ruby was going to convince Ironwood not to execute terrorists who had literally destroyed Vale, but just like before, the warm confidence the white aura gave me made me believe her.
I guess she had the same effect on the White Fang, because to my great surprise, they all put down their weapons and stepped forwards with their hands up. They meekly followed us back through the alley.
As we walked towards the mall, Ruby in front of the group, followed by the White Fang, with me closing the line to keep an eye on them, I couldn't help but gaze at Ruby. What had she been through in the few days we'd been separated? What had happened to her that she suddenly knew how to fight Goliaths, and how had she gotten to Vale in the first place?
She didn't seem any stronger or faster than before, but something about her was different all the same, even aside from her mysterious Grimm-slaying power, that she seemed to have given to Yang, Blake, and me as well.
The power, of course, had me curious as well. I still saw the devastation the Grimm and the White Fang had caused in Vale. I still heard the sounds of the battle overhead, of the Atlesian airships shooting at the Grimm and the hijacked cruiser alike.
But even though I knew, rationally, that the situation was still dire and that we were a long way from safety even if we did get everyone to Beacon, I wasn't worried at all. Everything would be okay, one way or another. It wasn't something vague that I was just telling myself to feel better, either. This was something I truly believed in, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary. It was just so…comforting. When all of this was over, I really wanted to look into it.
But for now, we still had a job to do. We arrived at the mall's parking lot, which had indeed been transformed into a landing pad. Small airships, some belonging to Beacon, and some privately owned ones, were loading up people who were being brought in from all over town.
I spotted Yang and Blake right away by the white glow that still surrounded them, and Ruby and I quickly headed in their direction, with the White Fang members still between us.
Blake looked expressionless when she saw the White Fang members, while Yang just looked confused.
"You're bringing them?" she asked.
"Yes," Ruby said simply. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go and find the right person to take them to Beacon," she said.
Without offering any further explanation, she set off into the camp, turning a fair number of heads with the glow around her.
One of the White Fang members, a man with tanned skin and deer-like antlers, glanced curiously at Blake, who noticed him looking at her.
"Blake Belladonna?" the man said. Blake nodded.
"Yes," she said stiffly.
The man sighed. "I…I'm sorry for what I've become," he said.
Blake said nothing, though a bit of the hardness disappeared from her eyes. "I know it's too late to apologize, after everything I've done both today and before that," the man went on. "I will not ask you to forgive me, but I will ask you this: if you talk to Ghira, bring him Verdant's apologies. Tell him that he was right, all those years ago."
Blake blinked once. "Verdant? You…were one of the first members?" she asked.
Verdant nodded slowly. "Yes. If, by some miracle, I'm not executed, and Ghira is willing, I hope you can ask him to visit me in prison. There are many things I'd like to tell him."
Blake gave a single, slow nod. "I'll tell him," she said.
Verdant inclined his head. "Thank you."
At that moment, Ruby returned with a man wearing White Fang clothes, but no mask. He had blond hair and what looked like cat ears, just a bit rounder.
"Sand?" one of the other White Fang members, a pale woman with a long fox tail, asked in surprise.
The man next to Ruby nodded. "Surprise," he said sourly. He looked angry and conflicted about something.
"Sand and Coral will take you to Beacon," Ruby said to the group of White Fang. "They and the others from Perditus will keep an eye on you until the General or Professor Ozpin can come to deal with you."
I blinked stupidly. Perditus? Was that where Ruby had been? But then Sand and Coral had to be…White Fang members? What?!
Ruby must have noticed my bewilderment, because she smiled and said, "It's a long story. I'll tell you all later." She turned to Sand. "Thanks," she said. "I know this can't be easy for you. You're doing the right thing, I promise."
Sand just nodded. "I know. Now come on, you lot. We're moving."
The White Fang members slowly followed Sand, some of them casting what seemed to be frightened looks at Ruby as they fell into line.
"So what about us?" I asked, once the White Fang had walked away.
"You guys can hitch a ride with us," a familiar voice next to me said.
I whirled around and found myself staring into the smiling faces of Team JNPR. They looked a bit scruffy, but all of them seemed healthy, and happy to see us.
"Hello, Snow Angel," Jaune said, quickly followed by a sheepish glance at Ruby and, "Whoops, sorry, Ruby. Old habits and all, heh."
Ruby chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Jaune. She was never into you anyway," she said.
Yang burst out laughing and I curiously eyed Ruby. Did she burn Jaune on purpose, or was that just a coincidence. She was smiling innocently, but when she shifted her eyes to meet mine, I could swear her smile widened just a little bit.
"It's good to see you all again," Ren said. "When we heard what happened in Vacuo…"
"We just couldn't believe it!" Nora cut in. "I just kept saying 'no way' over and over and over and…"
"Yes, Nora, I think they get the idea," Pyrrha interjected. She smiled at us. "But it really is great to see you all again. And with this…new look, too."
She extended her hand towards Blake, as if she were trying to warm her hands by some kind of fire. Considering how warm I felt, I wouldn't be surprised if the glow actually did give off heat.
"I always knew we were Beacon's brightest personalities," Yang said.
When everyone spectacularly failed to react, she said, "Get it? Brightest? Because we glow? Huh? Huh?"
"Let's…let's just get back to Beacon," Pyrrha said with a wooden smile.
"Y-yeah. There's a lot of work to do there, as well," Jaune said, with one eye on the now crestfallen Yang. He gestured at the airship behind him, then looked at us. "Ready to go home?"
And so ends the penultimate chapter. Again, I'm not too sure how this powerup will go over. There will be an explanation, for those who haven't immediately figured it out, it just…might not be in this fic, but rather in the sequel. Anyway, there's only one more chapter to go now. I'm going to try to have it up a bit sooner than this one turned out to be. I hope you'll join me for that one, and until then: please let me know your thoughts, good or bad. See you next time!