So this chapter brings us to the end of the Prelude to Destiny Arc!

Which is awesome because this is only the second major story Arc planned
so far of course.

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY

Chapter 20: The Choices We Make

"Polyamorous Relationship, eh?" Yang looked at her nails. "We share Jaune and each other?"

Pyrrha blushed and Blake simply nodded. "Yup. That way, there's no hierarchy and no chance for someone to ruin the relationship. Besides, if Jaune doesn't work out, even though I highly doubt he won't, you could have one of us and vice versa. No need to make a scene and cause drama since we'll all technically be dating each other."

"You've thought this through haven't you, kitty-cat?" Yang crossed her arms over her chest. "Seems the smut you read actually does help."

"Anything else I should know?" Yang asked.

"Well…" Blake took a deep breath. "It's not official that we're a harem. Jaune and I just recently became an item. He himself said that he won't accept relationships based on things that happened in the past. He agreed to this, if you both acted as if everything was normal again and didn't rely on the knowledge of the future to dictate your relationship. He wanted to build something new, new relationships, new memories, new bonds. Absolutely nothing connecting us to the future he remembers."

Yang nodded in understanding. "That's actually fair. So, we go on dates, act normal pretty much?"

"The simplest it can be translated to." Blake smiled. "That's how he and I got together. We saw each other whenever we were free, we trained together and we ate out together. Soon enough…"

"You slept together." Yang finished with a smirk. "Now how did that go, kitty-cat?"

Pyrrha let out a silent 'meep' while Blake repositioned herself. "We started off slow."

A hint of a blush grew on Yang's cheeks. "Go on…"

Blake tilted her head in thought. "His hands did this thing…almost made my body tingle from just touch alone…don't get me started on how rough he was for the first few hours…"

"Hours?" Yang's brow arched, the blush deepening.

"Yup. Hours." Blake smirked. "While in this timeline, he was a virgin before he and I did it, keep in mind, Yang. He was engaged to you."

"Saying I'm some sort of super-slut, Blake?" Yang's brow ticked.

"Of course not! What I am saying is that…you might have picked up some things along the many years the two of you were together. Besides with assets like those monstrosities hanging from your chest…Jaune must have had a field day."

Now, Yang's face was as crimson as her eyes when she activates her semblance. "Oh lord. Is it hot in here, or is it just me?"

"I think it's just you." Blake winked. "Anyway. We went on until dawn. Passed out for a few hours, woke up, had sex again. We woke up, showered, had sex there too. Cleaned up and watched a movie. Made out, had sex and fell asleep."

"Is that really all you did? For like, three fucking days?!" Yang asked with wide eyes, gulping at Jaune's stamina and her partners.

"Oh, then we went out and had dinner at a five-star restaurant down the street." Blake smiled victoriously.

"Then you had sex in the restaurant, right?" Yang wiggled her eyebrows. Pyrrha giggled at her question.

"No." Blake deadpanned. "We're not sex-starved nymphomaniacs. It was a nice date, one I've never had the pleasure of having. When we were done, we walked around the fancy side of Vale, just a few blocks from our hotel. It was calm, cool and I swear, some women were jealous of me and some men were jealous of Jaune."

"Where'd you get the clothes to get into a Five-star restaurant?" Pyrrha's attention was fully invested.

"You can thank Junior for that." Blake giggled. "For a guy who used to be a crime boss and now a general, he has a keen fashion sense. He designed the armor and clothing our army wears and even had a hand in designing our Mark VI power armor."

"Anyway, we came to a stop at a cliffside near the hotel that had a beautiful outlook over the city." Blake sighed wistfully. "That Yang, is where we had sex again. Under the stars, in the shadow of night, overlooking the megalopolis in all of its wondrous glory. It was a good thing Junior answered Jaune's request to have the whole place empty for the night."

Yang whistled loudly, leaning into her chair. "And all of us were worried sick, while you two were bumping uglies for practically three days straight."

The sound of a door sliding shut, echoed in their ears. All heads popped up, green, lilac and amber eyes watched the man walk into the room. Jaune froze for a moment, staring at each of them. "So…are you girls done planning on how you're going to cut me up?"

"I call dibs on the lower half." Yang licked her lips with a hungry look in her eyes.

"Take me out to dinner first." Jaune raised a finger. "Same goes for you, Pyrrha. Oh, don't give me that look. We may love each other, but we have to make this realistic. No one in their right minds would jump into a relationship after learning in the future they end up together. That just locks you in an uncomfortable position based on something that isn't even written in stone. Trust me. It's better this way."

"How do we know when we should enter a relationship then?" Yang asked, her eyes not even trying to hide her frustration.

"You'll know." Jaune smiled. "You're not being forced into anything; you decide when you're ready and I'll decide when I am. Remember, this isn't some kind of contract that needs signing or something that is so important that it needs to happen or else, I'll lose my power. This is because I love you and you all love me and each other."

Looking upon their blushing cheeks, the boy sighed. "Gods, that sounded so much better in my head. Look, I get it. None of this makes sense, but the next best option is letting two of you down. I'll be honest with you; my heart can't handle that. As much as I'd rather see you two happy, than sharing me, I want to make this work, if it means we can have both. Call me selfish if you want, but I do love you – if this is what all of you want, then who am I to deny you happiness. Jeez. That sounded so much better in my head."

"Y'know. When I told myself, I was thrill-seeker, I told myself when I was a child that I will accept any challenge that comes my way and face it head on." Yang began. "I've faced Grimm, murders, terrorists and now…well…this hot mess. Training, fighting and insanely helpful semblances don't do squat when it comes to love. But…I want you, Jaune. I'm not one to beat around the bush, either. I've been wanting you for a while now. P-Money's wanted you since the moment her eyes landed on you, I'm sure. Probably. I will do what I can to make this work. I'm not about to lose to kitty-cat over here."

"I'd also like to throw in, I call dips on P-Money when she's ready to give a lady a go." Yang smirked, licking her lips. Blake scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest in defeat. She turned to face the crimson faced spartan and winked seductively.

"I-I…" Pyrrha took a deep breath, shaking as her heart raced. "I agree with Yang. I have been gifted with such amazing talent and abilities, and no one has treated me as well as you have. Well, aside from Ren – but we're certain he's already married to Nora. Most people have only befriended me for my fame and money, never once caring for who I am. Even though, you knew me in the past and knew what I was looking for, you acted as normal as can be and stayed true to your heart. I could see it in your eyes – your eyes never betray your emotions, even if your words might. I am willing to make this work as well, Jaune, even if I must go on dates with you before making anything official."

"I'd also like to throw in…" Pyrrha looked to Blake and Yang. "If I ever decide to do any of that…I'd rather have both of you at once."

Jaune's cheeks burned up, almost like a fire was pressed against his skin. His eyes nearly sprang from his head. Choking on his spit, he repositioned himself and patted down his armor and body glove. It was a failed attempt, but he had somewhat recovered from the surprise. "O-Okay! Let's uh, well, uh, get a move on, shall we? Uh, yeah, mhmm, alright. T-The rest of our f-friends and classmates would like an explanation, right about now, don't you girls agree?"

The three girls giggled together, rising to their feet. "You nervous, Jaune-Jaune?"

"Blake…" The boy backed away slightly. "P-Please…n-not now…"

"Why not, playboy?" Yang leaned in.

Jaune scratched the back of his head, trying to find a good place to run to. "B-Because…"

Pyrrha walked up to him, doing her best to be seductive. A slight blush of embarrassment adorned her cheeks. She wasn't too sure of her actions but she followed suit. "It might be fun, honey~."

"OKAY!" He cheered, spinning on his heels. He walked around the girls, face practically steaming from how hot it was. "We are leaving this room so we can all cool down, alrighty?!"

"But Jaune~!" The three girls whined together.

"NOPE! NOT HAPPENING!" He hissed with a half-breath. It ended up coming out like a vicious cough. The girls weren't convinced and burst into laughter.

Airships trailed across the sky with cleanup crews scouring the docks and more police were seen floating into the bay with large craft. Unconscious members of the White Fang were fished out and immediately put into cuffs and the corpses were tossed into piles. Hundreds of thousands of Lien's worth of weaponry had sunk into the bay. Days like this, screamed normalcy. The sun was already fleeing against the horizon, causing the blue waters, azure and beautiful to glimmer like gemstones. Beyond that; the megalopolis continued as if everything was normal.

Street vendors would yell out prices, lowered or raised to face competition. Business went as usual for storefronts, setting up for the continued Vytal Festival. Mad drivers desperate to enjoy Vacuoan dishes and goods, honked and gave into their road rage, speeding, cutting off and douching up Vale's highways. Refugees from across Sanus continued flooding the Valean Projects and the rich continued toting around their money. Business was booming in the districts dedicated to capitalistic endeavors and children, large and small, stormed across school grounds, both combat and academic.

It was hard to believe for some of the people who'd witnessed the bloodbath at the docks, that life can just return so normally after the brimstone and fire they'd suffered. Across Vale, there were thousands, if not millions, of Businessmen and businesswomen with their fancy business suits and pretentious Bluetooth earpieces, yelling about stock prices and business deals. Then there was the everyday worker who raced across streets with backpacks hanging off their shoulders and grifball caps, heading to class or their minimum wage paying jobs. Some were just bums living at their parent's house, being a nuisance to everything.

But beyond the normal, everyday civilian, with their minor problems, like bills and taxes and when the next paycheck was coming, several floors off the ground, for a large gathering of huntsmen and huntresses, life had just become anything but.

Students, friends and comrades, watched one another in silence. Pyrrha, Blake and Yang stayed close to one another, finally coming to terms with the future that Jaune had suffered. While their flirting in the room seemed to be a spur of the moment kind of thing, the real weight of the truth, had slapped them across the face like a freight train. Around them, over the next course of a few hours, a student would rise and walk into that room and speak with Jaune alone. Once they left the room, it looked like their faces put on a few more years.

Ruby and Weiss more so. The young rose was so awestruck by what the boy said, she had fallen completely silent. Her mouth was practically taped shut. Not even a gasp, a quick cry, nothing. She looked as if her entire world was flipped upside down and destroyed within the same motion. All eyes trailed after the young teen, sympathy and worry across their faces and features. But like the other students who went into the room before her, she steeled her resolve and did her best to stand upright and show no fear or worry. Not for just her team, but for herself. She didn't want to afford looking weak.

Weiss was quiet as well, almost depressingly so. Her icy-blue eyes were glossed over, displaying her sadness for all to see. When she left the room, she clutched her left arm so tightly, some thought she'd pop her arm from the elbow-joint. Her heels clapped against the fancy wooden flooring, practically forcing all the attention to her, only making her more nervous. Weiss was never one for showing how she felt; especially if it was embarrassment. Yang and Blake looked to one another, worried for their teammate and friend. The girl did nothing to hide her emotions behind a façade of royalty. The real Weiss had surfaced; the one that was worried, scared and anxious.

After RWBY situated themselves, Ren and Nora were called in next. They were in that room for a long time, talking, laughing – probably – and most definitely crying. Ren was like a brother to him and Yang could only assume what happened to Ren in the future and how he died. Nora was like Ruby, just worse and more hyperactive with just about anything. The blonde smiled to herself, thinking of the journey RNJR must have had getting from Patch to Mistral – how close they must have been. When Ren and Nora left, tear stains painted their cheeks with the girl clutching Ren's coat sleeves.

This only served to worry the rest of the students gathered. One by one, as the time clicked away, Sky, Dove, Russel, Coco, Velvet, Yatsu and the rest of them, entered and left the room changed. While not all of them cried, a good number of them did. Surprisingly, to everyone's duly noted surprise, Doré and Clair took the information and trip into the room as well as no one expected. They were calm, albeit quiet, but they were calm. Rosemary jumping in to give Jaune some back up against the Arc sisters, sure did help. But there wasn't even shouting, screaming, disbelief or any punching. The girls just took the information and understood the gravity of the situation. Honestly; the girls just didn't know what to say. After all, no one would know how to react to something like this.

Now, with all the essentials out of the way, it had been almost forty-five minutes since Cardin had entered the room and everyone was sitting anxiously, awaiting his return. Every person present was told Cardin was the last to stand by Jaune's side during the final battle. They were all told that the war lasted ten years. They were told glimpses of the whole story, getting snippets of his bravery, his heroism and most of all; how selfless he'd become. They were given the gist of how he was the first to join Jaune, despite how absolutely insufferable he was in Jaune's original timeline. But despite all of that, even with the girls of team RWBY, the flashy bombastic moves of CFVY and the other superfluous abilities of the other teams, Cardin still managed to outlive all of them in that room. If anything; Cardin was the one who experienced the most with Jaune.

But that also meant he saw some serious shit as a man.

The teens present were tense, unable to wait. The members of his team dared not to sit down, their feet tapping against the wooden boards of the room – they were given the very basic rundown of Cardin's future-past, much to Jaune's surprise about their lack of interest of their own futures and deaths. Velvet's ears tilted down showing her discomfort and worry. Blake and Pyrrha, stared at the door, and even with all their focus, the broad entrance seemed to be shrinking before their very eyes, disappearing into a single point. The things they were told that Cardin had done, the heroics he got off his ass to accomplish, he was far from the school bully they remember him to be. War changes people, they've been taught.

Suddenly, a loud click was heard and soon enough, the door swung open. Cardin was silent, his indigo eyes shut from the world. His arms were tense, shoulders tightened and chest actually lax for once. To the casual observer, he was hunched over. But to huntsmen and huntresses, they saw everything. He was never one to express emotions, and that got worse after the incident of his practical death in Forever Fall. He bottled everything within, ranting to Velvet when his emotions came to a tipping point, or taking his frustrations out on training drones in one of the many training rooms at Beacon. They watched with worry flooding their bodies as his knees began to shake uncontrollably. His left hand still held the door handle, shaking in doing so.

The room had fallen silent. Not a word, not even a breath. They stared at him, unknowing of what to do or even say. He didn't even want to move. Cardin simply stood there, as if frozen in time and space. Could they blame him? No. Absolutely not. For all they knew, his mind was spinning at a million miles a second, barely processing every second of information that had entered his ears. One by one, they began to reason with themselves, trying to understand his predicament. But all of them fell short. From what they understood, Cardin, was pretty much like Jaune. They were the last men standing against Salem, and they gave every ounce of their ability and both died, losing all of their family and friends in the process.

When given that information, Cardin was the closest thing to Jaune, if the past was anything to merit. But one thing was for certain, Ruby's eyes never left Cardin's frame – his eyes stayed shut, almost knowing of her gaze.

"Cardin?" Velvet asked, breaking the silence without a stutter or a crack in her voice.

He collapsed.

Cardin fell to the floor, breaking.

His eyes opened to reveal pain and suffering, so similar to that of Jaune's. He looked to everyone present, his team, Velvet's, JNPR and even NDGO, but his eyes would not meet Ruby's. He shook and held his face, as tears began to trickle uncontrollably. Slowly, the teens present rose from their seats, the boys kept a respectable distance but the girls – especially those close to him, didn't give a damn about personal space. A friend was hurting. Behind them, Jaune stood, frowning with his eyes shut. He leaned against the door frame taking slow breaths.

Blake quickly marched up to him. Her amber eyes filled with worry. "What happened to him?!"

"Remember how I explained everything you and Rosemary?" Jaune asked. When given a nod, he bit his lip before continuing. "Cardin demanded to see the future-past from my memories."

"You can do that?" Blake asked with a brow.

"I mean, there's a spectre of future-me that hangs around every once in a while, so yeah." The Arc sighed. "Replaying a memory isn't hard to do. Cardin was adamant that I show him the pain; that I show him what he did, the future he fought for. This…is just a side effect."

"There were side effects and you, still did it?!" Blake responded with a harsh whisper.

"You damn right I did." Jaune glared. "He was adamant, Blake. Cardin is just…coming to terms with some memory blending."

"What's that?"

"Well…" Jaune frowned again. "Memory blending is…well…imagine throwing blue food coloring into water."

"The water turns blue."

"Correct. Now throw yellow food coloring into a separate cup of water."

"The water turns yellow. I don't get your point."

"See, the cups of water, are still cups of water." Jaune began. "Two separate entities, but exactly the same – just now, different colors. Now, say…pour both colors together, what happens?"

"The water turns…green." Blake's face paled and a mortified expressed had morphed. "You're saying…Cardin's memories…"

"Yes." The answer was simple and straight to the point. "Though nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. He's dead set on one set of specific memories – to me, it's the past, to him – it's a nightmare become reality."

"Cardin…please…what's wrong…?" Velvet, rested a hand on his shoulder.

The boy didn't hear and simply kept his head tilted down. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fail you…I wasn't strong enough…I wasn't strong. I didn't mean to…I didn't…"

"Can you help him, at least?" Blake gave Jaune a quizzical look. "Look at him!"

The boy shook his head. "No. Memory blending is dangerous and quite a deadly process to fix. This can only be done if those who are involved with the memories comfort him and bring him back to his present day memories. He wanted to know my struggle and he wanted…Blake, he was desperate. He wanted to know if he was still a hateful person in the future. He wanted so dearly to see if he actually changed."

"But…" The girl's mouth hung. "But how will those involved know…?"

Turning on her heels, a soft shuffle of clothing and fabric was heard. A little girl with a red cloak and hood was kneeling in front of Cardin. His sobs had turned into whimpering. The once proud indigo eyes of Cardin Winchester of the House of Winchester, were wide with paralyzing fear. His hands had moved to cup his cheeks, fingers spread just enough for his eyes to be seen, peering between. The shaking actually increased, scaring a few of the student's present but the girl in front of him paid no heed to the terror he felt. Instead, she reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Cardin." Ruby said with a crooked smile. "Please, calm down…"

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" He whimpered under his breath. His eyes seemed almost dazed by her words. "I was too weak…I…I let you die…I'm so sorry…"

Once more, the girl was undeterred. "Cardin…I'm still alive. Look at me…I'm still smiling."

His shaking stopped for just a moment. There was a second where his head twitched, but in the end, he devolved to his weeping state. "I was supposed to protect you while you r-recovered…keep you…alive…R-Ruby…"

He shuddered as her hands guided his head up. Indigo eyes met silver. For a moment, his breathing stopped, held within his chest. Slowly, his hands began to fall, sliding against his tearstained skin and slapped against the wooden floorboards. Beside him, a hand rested on his shoulder, making him jump in surprise. Whipping his head, he faced none other than Velvet Scarlatina, his former victim of worse actions than he ever did this time. Flashes of her screaming and begging for him to stop echoed in his rampaging mind. But the flashes stopped when her hand glided from his shoulder to cup his face.

"Cardin…" She smiled, reassuringly. "What you're seeing, isn't real. Not anymore. I am alive, so is Ruby. You didn't fail us. You didn't let us down. You're here, Cardin. So is your team – alive, all of us. You are here, Cardin – in Vale; at Beacon, making a new name for yourself."

"You're not the bully." Ruby added. "You're not the failure. You're not the dropout. You're not the coward. You're not weak. You're Cardin Winchester, leader of team CRDL, training under Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos – the best fighters of Beacon's first years."

"But…Ruby…" Cardin whimpered once again. "Velvet…the things I did to you…the things I failed to do to protect you…"

"You did everything you could do, Cardin." Ruby smiled again. "Promises you made to my sister before she died in Solitas means nothing now. The failures you had, mean nothing now. The terrible things you did to Faunus and Velvet there, mean nothing here. You are Cardin Winchester, leader of team CRDL, training under Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos. You aren't the bully you see in those harsh memories – you aren't the weakling you think you are because you failed to protect Velvet or myself."

"But…"

"No!" Velvet shouted. "That happened in a future that Jaune is trying to erase, Cardin. The things you did to me…to people like me…it doesn't matter anymore. You are not that man. You are Cardin Winchester, leader of team CRDL, training…under Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos. You are a student of Beacon Academy, slowly making your way up to the top. You are not a bully, you are not a racist. You are a comrade…" Her hand left his face and pressed against his chest. "You are a friend."

"The memories you have, aren't yours Cardin." Ruby smiled brightly, tears trickling slightly from her own eyes. "Because look at me; look at Velvet. We are both, sitting here in front of you, breathing, smiling and crying – for you. Pull yourself together…I know you can."

Cardin was silent, watching the two girls in front of him. Flashes of memories he'd gotten zoomed by with a burning sensation. Clenching his teeth, he shut his eyes, trying to stop the memories from surfacing. Their words echoed in his mind, seemingly holding back the onslaught of vicious flashes and sounds of their screaming. Their words called to him, reminding him, as images of his useless figure, watching helplessly as enemies that have declared war and death upon all he valued and treasured, skewered the two girls – innocent girls that didn't deserve any of the punishment given to them.

His fists clenched as well, tightening until they turned pale. Liquid seeped between his fingers, pooling onto his knees. While it wasn't a lot, it was enough to make the message loud and clear. Like Jaune suspected, no one had a clue what they were talking about. But his pain and the memories he must have been suffering from, were taking this much of a toll on him. He struggled with himself, reasoning with his beating mind that the memories were not his. The memories belonged to a future he will have no part of. Cardin scowled, finally, gasping for air as he did so.

"I…" He coughed out. "I am…C-Cardin Winchester, leader of team CRDL. Student of Beacon, trained by Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos. I…I am…not a bully. Not anymore…I am not a coward…I am not a dropout. I am not a failure. My friends are still alive…the future I remember…is not real. The future I remember is not real. Yang…you're alive…Ruby…Weiss…Velvet…guys, my team…we're all alive…"

Yatsuhashi and Sky walked up to him, throwing his arms over their shoulders and helping him to his rather wobbly feet. Cardin was still dizzy, but the shadow a smile on his face was only growing. He'd lost himself, only to regain it back. His indigo eyes were no longer glazed over and were already regaining light. Staring at people he'd befriended, the memories of the pain and annoyance he caused them disappeared. All he saw were the laughs, the training nights and the fun they had together, now. The flashes of their fates had subsided as well, the memories either gone or repressed – he didn't care either way. His friends were safe.

"Jaune…" He turned on his feet.

The boy in question coughed into his hand, walking to the front of the room to get everyone's attention. He was stern with his walk, but he wasn't angry. He was worried, evident in the looks he was giving the very worn out Cardin, being supported by the two tallest teens in the room. Jaune looked among them, seeing flashes similar to that of his Winchester counterpart – just tamer than the bird's. Their faces, older, more mature, smiling at him, watching him with pride. They were the same people, unprepared then. They knew what they were getting into – they knew they wouldn't get out alive.

"I understand that everything I told you must have really messed with your life, but trust me." Jaune said. "It is better that you find out the truth – and the whole truth, rather than some rumor built on half-truths and lathered in lies. I know it's hard to believe but after everything I've said, shown and done…I appreciate that all of you here, decided to listen to what I had to say."

"I've watched all of you, knowing what would happen to each of you." Jaune continued. "I knew the future that falls to each of us – but I just could not risk letting any of you know. There was no need for the risk to be taken, no need for the truth to be known. Until two idiot subordinates of mind, got Blake caught up in the mix. One by one, things fell into place and now – I had no choice but to let all of you in on the scoop. I was going to tell most of you the truth regardless – at least the ones who are essential to knowing when I was ready."

"I know that sounded incredibly selfish, but if that's what I'll have to be to get the point across, then so be it." He closed his eyes, waiting for a remark. Anything would be good enough. Even Sun and Nora were silent. "I lost all of you once because we were unprepared. Most of you here died in my arms, some within the same week of each other. My hands are stained with more blood than any of you can imagine. I was not going to have another situation where my friends and comrades would be put in danger before they had any real training."

"But now for the full explanation of me and my army." Jaune sighed. "I am Jaune Arc of the House of Arc of Vale. As such, it is my rightful place on the Throne of Vale to become the first monarch in over eighty years. This army was created to strike back at those who would hinder Vale's growth and to find members of certain organizations like the White Fang that were privy to information. Salem, the worst of our enemies has a pawn named Cinder Fall that will be a direct leading cause to the Fall of Beacon the first time around."

"When Vale fell, the rest of the Four Kingdoms fell like dominoes." Jaune shook his head of resurfacing memories. "I will not allow this to happen again. Cinder Fall killed some of you personally; I won't allow that to happen. So…I'm giving you all a choice."

"A choice?" Coco's brow raised.

Teams RWBY, JNPR and CRDL looked to one another with confused looks on their faces. "A choice?" Yang managed to pipe.

"Yes, a choice." Jaune nodded. "Join me."

The teenagers went red with confusion and excitement as the two words left his lips. It was almost too good to be true. "W-What?!"

"Join me." Jaune repeated. "Become Knights of Vale, warriors who fight for the Kingdom we all know and love. Join the King's Fist, my personal army and help lead my forces to victory. Help us prepare for the war to come – one that we will fight eventually regardless of how ready we are. If not, you are more than welcome to get up and leave and go back to Beacon to sleep this off like a bad dream."

"I know it's a lot to ask of you; of any of you." Jaune sighed exasperatedly. Blake and Rosemary rose to stand on either side of him. Soon enough, Pyrrha and Yang had joined the two women. Nora cried something out and Ren was too busy trying to find a way to relieve some stress but the two rose to their feet and followed after their leader as well. The rest of the students were skeptical, looking at the Arc, there was something different about him.

"But if any of you are willing…don't be afraid to stand and join me."

So if you remember reading up some chapters back
it's revealed that Cardin's mace was bent when Tyrian
came to kill Ruby. Tyrian killed her with Crescent Rose while he
himself, was trampled by Grimm and of course, Tyrian reking him to kingdom come

So, I felt that all this memory jumbling couldn't just be left at sharing memories
I always felt just speaking and sharing memories verbally, gets bland. Let the person
see those ancient memories if possible - that creates a deeper understanding on such an
intimate level - it becomes hard to discern what's true and what's not, y'know
(Call it, lingering trauma maybe. Similar to Jaune's phantom pains from before he and Blake fucked)

But hot damn man, that whole part of the chapter was emotional to write.
Kinda wrote the whole speech that Ruby and Velvet said,
several years ago in a letter to myself to help cope with my depression
(Minus the obvious parts about RWBY characters and from the future crap and other things)

Either way! Who's excited for the next Arc?!
The King's Rise Arc xD
(Of course, there will be a few sub-arcs involved)
And the introduction to the Brotherhood and a few
of Vale's other Houses!

Anyway! Review, Follow and Favorite!

Ja ne!

gottahavekyuubi