FYI: This chapter contains a fair few of my patent-pending dialogue scenes, for those who care about that. I am trying to polish them up as I go, so bear with me.
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Subject: 2525-Blake
Target: Remnant-1984 (World of Ruins)
Details: Civilization advanced to modern levels, Dust and Aura function as normal. Grimm absent, so no present need of Huntsman – cultural focus instead is on academics and archeology. Minor abnormality in ethereal energy detected.
Mission: Locate and identify 'card' emitting energy signature of Remnant-1802.
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The tiny campfire crackled and sparked, giving the shadows cause to dance around in the far corners. Her teammates all sat around the room in varying states of restlessness, but no one was quite ready to go to sleep yet. Mountain Glenn did not make for a good place to relax.
With scores of ruined buildings and the lingering memory of what could have been, it was a tomb the size of a city. Lots of people died here when the Grimm came.
And now they were here, hoping to learn more and maybe take out a few more Grimm in the process. Team RWBY was on their first real mission.
And yet… no one was thinking about the Grimm.
Profe-… er, Doctor Oobleck had asked them all pretty much the same question today, but none of the teenagers were prepared to answer, Blake most of all. Just one question… and he had shaken up nearly everyone's resolve.
Everyone except Ruby. Somehow that girl seemed completely fine. It was rare for Blake to become jealous of anyone, but right now…
Her reason for joining Beacon and becoming a Huntress? Of course it was to fight the injustices of a society that treated her kind like worthless animals, to right the wrongs of a history that was filled with hatred and racism.
But… was that all?
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Chapter 38:
Queen of Crows
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One of the first things Blake confirmed upon arriving in this new world was the map – thankfully the names and locations matched what she knew of the Remnant from back home. Her and the digging crew were currently deep in the heart of the Mistralian jungle, somewhere in the very center of the continent. Haven Academy wasn't too terribly far away, so Dr. Rose intended to use it as a base of sorts.
That was what this world's version of Ruby preferred to be called, by the way. Doctor Rose.
Now that Blake was the newest 'assistant' sent by the Academy, Dr. Rose made sure to catch her up on everything she needed to know. A lot of it was familiar – the rules for archeologists in the field were similar to those for a Huntress – but other things were new. She also didn't have to worry about Grimm, as those creatures were extinct. Supposedly.
And then there were the ruins themselves – those great stone doors led to a vast network of underground rooms and tunnels. More than once during the exploration, Blake found herself remembering her own team's brief look at the underground ruins of Mountain Glenn.
As for Dr. Rose, she divided her attention between studying the carvings, artifacts, and remnants of the ancient civilization and… picking apart Blake's brain.
…
"So… Blake… Where do you study? Haven? Shade? Maybe Beacon?"
"…Beacon, actually."
"So how'd you get all the way out here?"
"It's a long story."
"I imagine so. In that case… is this just community service hours, or… are you seriously studying for an archaeology degree?"
"Mmm… community service."
"*sigh* Well, that's disappointing. Far too few young people nowadays have any interest in the past. And as a result… we end up repeating it far too often for my tastes. Look around us, Blake… what do you see?"
"A lot of old rocks and dust."
"I see a society that couldn't survive. A people that failed to learn from their own past. A culture that vanished, leaving only ruins. I study things like this… because I want to help future generations avoid making those same mistakes."
"…"
"Sorry, I get into 'lecture mode' too easily. What about you? What do you want to do with your life? I doubt you're just going to follow other people around until you're old and gray…"
"… … …You know, one of my professors asked me almost that exact question not too long ago…"
"And…?"
"I didn't know then… and I still don't know now."
"Don't be too ashamed of that. There are scores of young people who haven't figured out what to do with their lives yet. You still have time, though. I was about your age when I decided to pursue archaeology, but my sister took another two years before she set her mind on her own path. She became a full-time writer if you can believe that."
"…Hmm…"
"C'mon… there's another room up ahead. Let's get there and set up camp for the night."
…
Dr. Rose's team consisted of 7 other professors, some students (like Blake was supposed to be) and almost two dozen laborers from nearby towns and villages. Rocks aren't going to clear themselves away, right?
A portion of the team stayed at the campsite outside the ruins while the rest went in, and another stayed at their first big room in a smaller camp. Blake and Dr. Rose were stopped about 2/3rds of the way into the ruins, along with a decent team of people and a few of the professors. The older Ruby look-alike was deep in discussion with them in the largest tent as Blake tried to get some rest among the students.
The muffled voices provided a nice distraction from the death-like stillness of their environment, but the Faunus was unable to sleep. Her mind had been racing all day.
What did she want to do with her life?
If Blake had been asked that question one week earlier, she would have said that she wanted nothing more than to wake up in Rose's well-toned arms every morning for the rest of her life. She still missed that woman, but… things were different now. She was different.
(You've changed, you know…)
Rose was simply the first part of that change, but… then came Rosey. Blake soon realized that, when she let her mind drift, those toned muscles were no longer the first things that popped into her mind – instead she remembered two floppy dog ears beneath a red hood. Where once Blake wanted strong arms to hold her close… now she wanted to be the strong arms that held someone else.
But there was also Yang…
If she was being completely honest with herself, Yang was probably sitting at the top of Blake's list of priorities at the moment. Rose was beyond her reach and Rosey could take care of herself if needed, but Yang was in bad shape. Blake wanted nothing more at this point in timethan to return to her partner's side. Obviously she couldn't do anything to stifle the virus, but she wanted to at least be there for moral support.
And when that was over, …she needed to make some decisions. Hard decisions.
But not yet.
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"So… did you sleep well?"
"Not really; a lot on my mind."
"I hear ya. I could never sleep in these old tombs, either. Too much to see, too much to learn… too much to think about and study…"
"…Actually, I was mostly thinking about my friends back home. One of 'em is… sick with a bug."
"Ouch. How bad?"
"Knocked-out-with-sedatives-in-a-hospital-bed bad."
"Wow. I hope they're gonna be alright. I know how bad it can be to catch something nasty, believe me. If you knew half of the stuff I've fought off in my time, you'd probably lose your lunch."
"Sounds lovely."
"Are they back in Vale? Which doctor are they with? Zech? Eberle? Maybe Haddock?"
"I'm… not sure. I think she was transferred recently, so…"
"Could be anybody, then. Well, if they're with Dr. Zech then there's no problem. She can handle anything."
"Good to know."
"So… does that mean you're out in the field… working to raise money to help pay for their treatment?"
"In a manner of speaking… yeah."
"That's wonderful, Blake. I'm sure they're lucky to have you as a friend. Now… have you thought about the other thing we discussed?"
"…That was the other thing that was on my mind."
"Oh, wait, wait… let me guess… you're trying to decide between your chosen field of study, a possible love interest, and the people who need you to take care of them, right?"
"…!"
"Really? I got it right?"
"…Exactly right."
"Holy crap! I'm never that lucky! Hah!"
"…"
"*ahem*…Well, in that case… I would urge you to carefully weigh your options. Depending on what field you're trying to study for, I would personally say that it's a lower priority compared to the other two. I believe that you should put those who are depending on you as a much higher priority than nearly anything."
"And the… 'possible love interest' …?"
"…I can't speak from personal experience, but… I would say that you should have a long and serious discussion with him regarding your future. Let him know what you want to do, once you've decided."
"…Her, actually."
"Oh! Sorry… I, uh… I didn't know…"
"It's fine."
"My point is, if…, well, she… loves you the way you love her, she should be willing to let you live your own life and give you the support you need. My sister had to break it off with her boyfriend because he wasn't willing to let her do her own thing. He was a bit more… controlling than either of us would've believed at the time."
"How many times did she punch him?"
"Just once, but she broke his jaw! It was so… wait, how'd you know she punched him?"
"Uh… lucky guess?"
"…If you say so."
…
The team finally reached the main burial chamber about a week into the dig. Dr. Rose certainly had a lot of things to study along the way, but this final room commanded most of her attention. Her team of professor-type colleagues busied themselves detailing and documenting the structures around the space. The laborers set about sorting their equipment.
Blake was just looking for the source of the 1802 energy signal. Hopefully, it wasn't coming from that big sarcophagus in the middle of the room.
To be honest, the trip had been a little disappointing for Blake. After the talk of possible curses when she got here, she had hoped for at least a few booby traps – but there was nothing. The laborers had to clear out a few caved-in passageways, but other than that the place was as boring as could be. Not even any skeletons. Sad, really.
As the rest of the team put out a few torches to light up the area, Blake asked one of the many questions that had bugged her since she arrived, "So what is this place, anyway?"
Dr. Rose had to pry herself away from the wall carvings before she could answer, "According to old records, this is the tomb of an ancient queen from Mistral's past. We don't know her true name, but most of the texts refer to her as the 'Queen of Crows.'"
"I assume, then… that the big thing in the middle is…"
"Yep!" Dr. Rose popped the 'p' sound just like the normal Ruby. "That's where she's supposed to be buried. According to the lore of the region, she was a well-loved queen and highly respected in the ancient world… but something happened to her about three years before her death and burial. Something… drove her mad."
"Sounds pleasant."
"I'm hoping we can find a few more pieces of evidence to support that story," the older woman nodded to the wall carvings. "The ancient people were persistent about keeping visual records, so maybe…"
Blake glanced at the image. In the dim light of the torches, there wasn't much detail, but she could make out scenes of people bowing down in worship of something… or someone… but that part of the wall was crumbling away. Other walls showed the likeness of a woman that seemed to be at the center of everything. Swirls and wavy lines emanated off of her and into the far reaches.
If that was the so-called Queen of Crows, then she was quite pretty. It almost seemed like they considered her some kind of goddess.
A beeping noise pulled Blake's attention down to her scroll. The energy signal was close enough now to be tracked… but it was coming from behind a far wall. Blake could see no doors that led any further. Dead end.
"It might be a secret room," Dr. Rose mentioned when Blake brought up the problem. "Tombs like this usually have hidden rooms to keep certain valuables safe from looters."
Her expertise turned out to be just what was needed. A few taps with a hammer was enough for Dr. Rose to quickly work out which part of the wall was thinner, and a few diggers quickly opened a passageway into a pitch-black space beyond. Blake followed the older woman in, both bearing a torch.
The vast room was filled with gold – coins, small statues, cups, plates, bars, chairs, and other various decorations. All gold. The light from their torches glittering brightly on the precious metal.
"As I thought. She was supposed to be the richest Queen of her time. These will make excellent museum pieces! Great job, Blake!" Dr. Rose looked around with a cheeky grin that did not carry the slightest hint of greed.
As the woman walked out to organize a few of the men to start carrying the treasure outside for proper documentation, Blake was left alone for a blessed few minutes. Acting fast, she whipped out her scroll and started looking. Tracking.
A small box sat at one end of the room, and the scroll led her right to it. The gold decorations let it blend right into the scenery. She carefully walked over to it, avoiding the ornaments all around her as they seemed quite fragile.
When she opened the box, Blake felt her eyes grow wide. She'd found another card, alright.
But… it wasn't just one card… there were two. And one was brand new.
The first card was more than a little familiar to Blake, as it was the first one she ever picked up. It portrayed two people in a passionate embrace, one cut off on the edge, with a field of purple in the background. It read The Lover along the bottom.
The Faunus was not surprised to find Rose's card first, as her thoughts had frequently returned to the woman during her stay here. The other card, though… there was no way to tell what, or who, it represented.
Blake beheld the image of a large humanoid creature that looked a bit like a stone or metal golem with a large cavity in the chest area. A smaller person stood in that opening. Both the golem and the person inside were standing in the exact same pose. And there was one other, very small detail – a tiny third person, also in the same pose, sitting in the center of the middle figure. This card bore the words The Pilot along the bottom, in the same style as all the others.
But she'd never seen it before in her life. What in the world…?
A commotion from outside. Dr. Rose was coming back. Blake quickly tucked both cards into her pouch and quietly shut the lid of the box before anyone came in.
It would not do to have the good doctor catch her stealing 'artifacts,' now would it?
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"While it's a bummer there wasn't a curse, I'm still happy with what we found. And I hope you had a good time while you were here, Blake."
"Well… it wasn't the most exciting thing I've ever done, but it was nice."
"Good to be back outside, isn't it?"
"Yeah… thought I was gonna start sprouting moss in there."
"Nah… you'd start growing mushrooms before then. Little buggers can be a real pain sometimes."
"I… don't wanna know."
"No, you don't. Anyway, remember that sarcophagus? The one that was locked up tighter than a safe? My guys got it open and I took a look at the body inside…"
"It didn't sit up, did it?"
"No, but it was in remarkable shape. The stone must have kept it preserved. It still had flesh on its bones! No worms or anything!"
"Lovely…"
"But I saw one detail that gives me a clue about the Queen's history of insanity – two very clear holes on her neck, like puncture wounds, just over an inch apart."
"You mean… like she was bitten by a vampire or something?"
"I don't want to go into the supernatural to explain it, but that was my first thought. I believe she might have been bitten by something, which likely caused her to contract some kind of mind-altering disease. Possibly something like Rabies. I'd like to know how she lived with it for so long before she died, though… If I'm lucky, I might be able to find some intact DNA on her."
"Well, I'll leave you to that. I've got to be going."
"Aw… done already? I was just starting to enjoy our conversations…" *pout*
"Yeah, sorry… but I've gotta get back to my friend. I'm worried about her."
"Well, then… I wish you luck with whatever comes next. Take care of your friend, and take care of yourself, Blake. And don't forget what I said about your future."
"I won't."
"And remember… if 'she' truly loves you…"
"…I know."
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Remnant-5815
(Carmine's World)
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[Around the time Blake transported away…]
Rosey wasn't quite sure if she was still dreaming or not. Sure this place seemed real, but… it was all too impossible to be true.
She could still remember what Beacon Academy looked like while she stayed with Blake and the others a year ago, but it paled in comparison to this new, much more shiny version of the place. Big, sparkly buildings and long train-car-looking vehicles were everywhere. Rosey made a point to ask Blake about it all when she got back.
Assuming, of course, it was real. By this point she wouldn't have been surprised to wake up any minute and find herself still lying on the dusty floor of her little cabin.
The Faunus girl closed her book (she hadn't really been paying attention to it anyway) and stood up from her seat, shaking her legs a bit to wake them up. She needed a walk. Placing the weathered tome next to her only other possession in this world (which she was debating whether or not to re-read), Rosey stretched her arms over her head and grunted as her back popped in several places. She then flipped her hood over her head and walked out into the hallway.
It was still so unreal… the few people she met as she walked greeted her with kind smiles, and most of them were humans. One faunus wearing a students uniform even waved at her.
Nobody chased her away. No one looked angry.
She really didn't want this to be a dream.
(… …! …)
Rosey's ears suddenly perked up under her hood – it sounded like someone was shouting, but far away. And they sounded… familiar.
She looked around and discovered that she had somehow made it to the front of the campus, right next to the big statue of a pair of Huntsman. The shouting was coming from up ahead… from a place she remembered well.
The airship docks.
The last place she saw her Blake.
Strange thing was, the docks were empty of any people. There were a few of the big machines sitting idly to the sides, but…
(…! …where-… you…?)
There it was again. Shouting that seemed to come out of nowhere. Faint, almost like it was echoing from deep within a cave.
Rosey's ears perked up high enough to lift her hood as she listened, and soon she realized that the strange shouting was coming from a spot a few feet off the ground, right at the center of the tarmac.
The very spot where Ruvys' crystal sat. She would never forget that detail.
(…-dam Taur-… …ake my ha-…)
(…-ever catch yo-… …kick yo-…)
(…-eril! Hold o-…)
Rosey could almost feel an odd pulsing coming from the spot where the sounds were echoing from… almost like the air was growing thin. Like something was about to burst through from the other side.
She also thought she saw a shimmering… like the distortion of heat in the desert, coming from that exact spot.
The Faunus girl stood back a few feet from the center of the tarmac, then squatted on her heels and watched.
And she listened.
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Remnant-2799
(Dragon World)
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"Morning, Blake! How are you and little Gambol doing?"
"She's getting bigger and stronger every day! And she's so cute… every morning she's curled up in a ball right under my chin."
"Aw, that's adorable. It's been, what… two weeks? How long until I can see her?"
"I think the impreg-… no, the imprompt-… what's the word?… the imprinting is almost done. Once the bond is fully formed I'll officially bring her out to meet everybody."
"Ooh… I can't wait. I made you some eggs, honey."
"Thanks, Mom!"
"Did you ever figure out what breed she is? I know you were confused at first…"
"Oh yeah. Best I can tell, she's a mix of… Atlesian Spinetail and Mistralian Blackhorn. Those are the two biggest breeds, anyway, but I keep finding little bits and pieces of other breeds mixed in. Almost like she's a mix of… all the breeds. She even has a splotch of white under her chin like one of those… whaddya call 'em… Ice-Eaters, I think."
"Now that's interesting. Your father will like the Blackhorn part – he always says Blackhorns are the best breed. You know how proud he is of Khan…"
"He won't let us forget."
"How true."
"I also think she might be a runt. According to the charts I looked up, dragons at her age should be about two feet long from nose to tail. Gambol is only about 15 inches."
"Do you think she'll be strong enough by the time you apply for Signal?"
"She should be. And we don't start Riding until we reach the Academies anyway, remember?"
"True… but she still needs to be able to fly first."
"Good point. The only thing I can't figure out is… her eyes. I checked every known breed on the CCT and not one has ever produced a silver eye color."
"Well, Lisa at work is a walking dragon encyclopedia, so maybe she knows something the CCT doesn't. I'll ask her about it during my lunch break. I gotta get going soon. Don't forget to feed Gambol before you go to school. And take your scarf, it's freezing out there!"
"O-kay Mom!"
"Love you, kitten."
"Love you too, Mom. Have a good day!"
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What About Roman and Neo…?
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Roman Torchwick rarely ever saw his partner angry. Truly angry. But whatever happened in their previous world had somehow set the little woman off, and all that rage was aimed squarely at him.
But he remembered exactly squat.
Not that she didn't try and remind him – one of the pages of her pad bore a very angry letter to him, detailing how much of a pile of shit he was for making her drop her umbrella back there. She used other words, but he couldn't read all of them due to her hand shaking from rage as she wrote. They weren't nice anyway.
"I was drunk! You said so yourself!" Roman pleaded as the little woman stalked away down the street. "How many times do I have to say 'sorry?'"
Neo marched on, acting like she didn't hear him.
"Can't we just… go back and pick it up?"
Neo stopped, whipped her head around to glare two angry pink eyes at him, then resumed her march at a faster pace.
Oh yeah… part of her letter mentioned that Neo had no idea which world that was. Damn. And now she's getting away.
"Look… how about we just, I dunno… steal you a new one?"
Her steps began to slow.
"I know we keep running into That Damned Kid, but we occasionally see… ourselves… wandering around, right?"
Neo stopped, head slightly turned.
"So… we just take one from them… problem solved!"
Neo's look was still hostile, but Roman could see that she was far less angry than before. She quickly pulled her pad out and scribbled one word: 'Fine.'
Roman breathed a huge sigh of relief. The danger of being left behind by his partner had dropped considerably. Maybe they'd be alright…
But then, all at once, something felt… wrong.
Neo felt it too, and the little woman darted back over to Roman, her previous issues forgotten. It was similar to the chill he'd felt back home while he was going about with that Plan B shit… only worse.
There was also this… buzzing noise. Very quiet, like white noise from a TV on low volume. It seemed to be coming from around the corner.
All at once, Roman recognized where they were. This was the same part of Vale where he'd robbed that Dust shop back when he first met… That Damned Kid.
Was that happening now? Around the corner?
Moving carefully and quietly, Roman and Neo both hid behind the corner of the building and peeked around to see what was going on.
And neither of them would forget what they saw.
Roman beheld a scene that was almost the same as the night from back then, except for a few glaring differences – That Damned Kid was not kicking the collective asses of his hired men, Roman himself was not trying very hard to get away… and That Damned Kid was not fighting like she used to. This one looked to be trying for a killing blow with every movement. In fact...it almost looked like she was playing with him. Her tattered cloak certainly added to the creepiness of the scene.
The idea of watching himself from the sidelines was still odd, but Roman had seen a few other moments like this on their journey and was slowly getting used to it.
Then the wind changed, and Roman caught the coppery smell of blood wafting from the scene before him. Probably from the building with the door open and the lights off. The Dust shop.
That smell was most definitely not there on that night.
Other than the clear feeling of unease coming from the deepest parts of his soul, Roman felt no need to leave… but Neo was almost trembling right next to him. Something about this version of That Damned Kid was… damn near terrifying to her.
"Maybe… we should go. You weren't around for this fight anyway, so we can't grab a new umbrella here…"
Neo nodded vehemently and almost dragged Roman down the street and away from the fight.
They took a moment to make sure they had everything they needed before Neo input another number and hit the button. They vanished once again, leaving this world's version of Roman Torchwick to his fate… whatever that may be.
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Author's Note: I'm not dead!
These past few weeks have found me updating my other stories, but now I'm getting back to this one (and Concurrence). I really shouldn't sidetrack myself like that anyway, since I still have such a long way to go. Lots of love to everyone who's stuck around this far, you guys rock!
Also a shout-out to The Layman for coming onboard as a beta reader, thank you so much for helping. An extra pair of eyes is always a good thing on a big project like this.
Anywho, Blake found a new card (and I hope you guys figured out who it was), Rosey found some new weirdness, and we got a peek at little Gambol in the early years. Yay!
Next time: Snow explores a magic-based futuristic world.
(Credits: The Madness of Death written by metaldragon868)
=^w^=