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Chapter 151: Home
The moment Ruby began to regain consciousness she was assaulted by a dull, deep thundering pain in her skull yet tried to remain optimistic by reminding herself that the fact she was alive to feel the pain must mean that New Vale had been saved and that Salem had been, at the very least pushed back. She tried to open her eyes and felt bile rise in her throat as memories came flooding back to her and she reached up gingerly to touch the mass of bandages wrapped around her head that covered what would certainly be a gruesome scar and the vacant space where her right eye used to be. As her remaining eye adjusted to the glaring lights and sterile surroundings of what could only be Halo Academies' medical wing Ruby saw that whilst she was surrounded by blurry figures who quickly came into focus and whilst her medicine-addled mind was disappointed to see that her wife and children were not here she was nevertheless relieved to be surrounded by familiar faces.
A reunion of all four members of Team RWBY had been a long time coming in all honesty, though for it to happen under such dire circumstances seemed almost deliberately cruel.
Yang's prosthetic arm was missing entirely, presumably destroyed in whatever battle she had been embroiled in whilst her flesh and blood arm was wrapped around Blake, whose face was a mess of ugly bruises with one of her feline ears appearing to be partially and painfully crumpled. Weiss's left arm was held close to her body in a sling and she kept casting furtive glances to the side, Ruby followed her gaze and found all of her fears and worries subsiding for a moment as she saw doctors tending to the unmistakable forms of Arctus and Eagle elsewhere in the crowded medical wing.
"They're back?" she breathed out "We won?"
"They're back at least" Felix murmured, the Lion Faunus announcing himself as he stepped into view from behind his mothers, head downcast and seemingly refusing to meet Ruby's gaze "Nickel's gone….The Omega Destroyer brought you here, Qrow had a few fighters keep the Grimm off of it but Nickel herself….she sacrificed herself but Salem just shrugged it off"
"Oh" Ruby murmured, mind racing despite the various cocktails of painkillers and Aura stimulants coursing through her until she finally nodded "I'll talk to Antonia Arc….let her know what happened" if Felix noticed anything odd about that statement he didn't notice it and in truth seemed far too exhausted to do anything more than simply remain upright, though Ruby found herself concerned by another notable absence
"Corey-"
"Is fine" Yang assured her
"She came in got cleared for duty and went back out there….there's still pockets of Grimm and it's gonna take weeks just to get a real idea of the scale of the damage" Blake let out a slow breath "I know she's going to push herself too hard but I can't pretend that there isn't work for every Hunter to do right now"
Felix seemed to want to say something, jaw working silently as he struggled for words and his deep blue eyes flitting towards where his team-mates were gathered until he felt both of his mothers' hands on his shoulders in silent reassurance and Weiss spoke up, gently touching his arm
"Go" she murmured "Your Aunt Ruby will be fine….tell Arctus that his father and I will be with him in a moment"
"Will do" the Lion Faunus replied before giving each of his aunts and mothers brief hugs in turn and trudging across the medical facility, taking care to avoid the nurses, doctors and students with medical training who'd been drafted in to help with massive influx of both older students and qualified Hunters who had been brought here as the hospitals and triages were beginning to overflow.
He was in a half dazed state, vision beginning to blur and swim as he scratched and picked absently at the dry and flaky skin that the overuse of his Semblance always left him with, unsure if Yang's voice telling him that he'd only irritate it more had come from behind him or was entirely in his head until he finally reached the beds that Arctus and Eagle had been given.
The doctors seemed determined to run every test they could conceive of on the newly returned pair just to glean even the vaguest ideas of what had happened to them as everything regarding their disappearance had suddenly been deemed 'Classified' though mercifully they seemed to relent and move away just as Felix reached them and sank into a seat between the two beds. Eagle was sat upright and alert whilst Arctus was laid on his back and bore the telltale signs of having used his Semblance until he was utterly spent He was conscious, though Felix made no attempt to try and get his attention for a moment, Diamond had bluntly refused to leave her fiancée's side and the doctors apparently had the common sense to not force the issue as she held onto the Bear Faunus and the two of them had eyes only for each other.
Team FADE were back together and for a moment they could almost pretend that things were as they should be.
"I missed you guys" Eagle's voice brought Felix from the brink of drifting off and he leaned over to hug his partner
"We missed you too" he suddenly found himself trying to ignore a lump in his throat and the sudden stinging of his eyes, giving a watery chuckle as he added "Hell I cleaned your car more times than I can count….Does Qrow know-"
"He knows we're back" Eagle assured him "I spoke to him on the Scroll, he wanted to be here but….Oum what happened here, half of New Vale looked like it was on fire when we flew here, the entire perimeter wall is gone"
"Salem" Felix answered simply
"It's been rough dude" Diamond chimed in, revealing that she and Arctus were following the conversation despite being utterly absorbed with one another "Salem had New Vale trapped…..she was in the middle of sinking the city into a black-hole or something until you did whatever you did to get back here"
"But she's still out there" Felix's tone suddenly became serious and deeply concerned as the tiredness melted away in an instant "Salem's still out there and still just as powerful….There's nothing stopping her from coming back here and finishing the job or attacking one of the other Kingdoms-"
"Then I should talk to Qrow as soon as possible" Arctus interrupted with an incomprehensible lack of concern for the situation
"Huh?"
"When Eagle and I were in the other Remnant we met that worlds' Wizard; that's how we got back, he was helping to stop Salem from the other side" the Bear Faunus's face morphed into a smile and his next words stunned his team-mates into silence "They beat Salem in that Remnant without a Silver Eyed Warrior….and he told me how to do it. We can stop her"
Every muscle in Carcharodon's body screamed and burned in protest as he climbed hand over hand with his goal in sight.
The Shark Faunus had awoken just as the sun was beginning to rise above the horizon, the pale pinks and blues that it painted the sky being smudged and marred by countless pillars of smoke. Whilst initially simply grateful to be alive he rapidly become confused as he looked around where he had fallen and saw that the Grimm Spires which had kept the people of New Vale prisoner were completely absent, with the only indication that they had ever been there at all being the deep trenches cut into the ground that they had erupted from and the foundations of the perimeter wall that they had destroyed upon their emergence. Realising that this meant that the battle had been won Carcharodon departed despite the overwhelming pain he was in and limped, trudged staggered and in several instances simply crawled or dragged himself through the streets of New Vale, finding the almost total absence of life in the lower reaches of the city deeply concerning; as though the inhabitants had been trapped in whatever darkness had consumed the Hive Towers even once the buildings were returned to the material plane. Eventually though, with the sun fully risen he had reached his destination.
The docks.
The Nemesis Kharybdis had been there, just as it had been when Team GORE had last seen it and the Shark Faunus had almost wept with joy upon seeing that his peoples' home had been spared the predations of the Grimm; simply taking several moments to stare at the vessel as if enraptured before beginning to scale the vast chain of the ships' anchor.
With a final guttural growl of exertion Carcharodon completed the ordeal and clambered onto the deck of the Nemesis Kharybdis, taking in a long wavering breath and tasting the sea air before promptly collapsing, gasping for air and trembling faintly as he struggled to remove the helmet that served as the crown of his people. He had lost a lot of blood, was almost certain that he had suffered some internal injuries at the hands of the Chimera and was sure that the wounds she had left him with had already begun to fester but as he lay there with the world feeling as though it were spinning around him Carcharodon was simply content, if this was to be where he spent his final moments then he would treasure them; if the Shark Faunus had not been almost delirious however he might have remembered that Team GORE's own Bull-head had been abandoned somewhere in the city or noticed that the transport currently docked on the Nemesis Kharybdis sported a distinct, jarring paint scheme.
"You" he managed to rasp out as the crown of his people rolled across the deck before being halted by a booted foot, Corvid Xiao Long seemed to realise the significance of the item and so reached down and handled it with utmost care as she handed it to Onyx whom Carcharodon realised was stood beside her before simply striding over and hauling him to his feet.
"Me" she stated, standing clear as the sudden movement made Carcharodon look as though he might vomit and as his legs began to give way beneath him he felt Onyx catch him and sling one the Shark Faunus's arms around his own shoulders to keep him upright.
"We guessed that with the spires gone that you'd make your way here" Corvid noted "Provided you were still alive….Sweet Oum man you need a doctor, like right now"
"If I go, I go surrounded by friends" Carcharodon managed to answer, his voice as weak as his body felt, eyes widening as he realised that someone was absent "Hellion-"
"She's safe" Onyx assured him "Arctus and Eagle were returned to us, she's at the Academy….which is where we're taking you, You're not dying, not today" the towering Puma Faunus's voice made it clear that his words were final and Carcharodon's status or any order that he might give meant nothing at that moment, which to the pallid and grey-skinned Faunus simply felt as though a crushing weight were being removed from his shoulders.
"I killed her" he managed to whisper "The Chimera….her head and corpse lay beyond where the Spires were. Raffia is avenged and his spirit goes to the great beyond in peace"
Onyx heard this and his and Corvid's attempts to manoeuvrer Carcharodon towards Old Unreliable came to a halt, the Puma Faunus visibly wiping his eyes and taking a moment to steady himself with a slow wavering breath and a simple nod whilst Corvid draped Carcharodon's free arm over her shoulders and reached around to take Onyx's hand in hers.
"So what now?" Onyx asked, clearly forcing his words to sound light and jovial as if he were joking "What're we going to do now that there's no blood feuds to be settled, the Academy will probably be closed after this attack?" Carcharodon remained silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully before rasping out his answer
"I didn't truthfully expect to survive my battle with the Chimera….would you judge me if I told you that when I did I thought that if I could make it to this ship then I might just set sail, see what adventures await"
"You planned to sail into the horizon without us….and take our ship with you" Onyx chuckled "I think I might have judged you for that"
"I thought as much" Carcharodon mumbled, his grip on consciousness beginning to slip again despite his usual relentless determination; Corvid shook her head and let out a sigh, her cybernetic eye doing a fair impression of being rolled as she commented on the situation
"Can you two please save this whole bromance speech until we've at least gotten him onto the damn Bull-head?" she gestured are Carcharodon and Onyx promptly shouldered more of his team leaders' weight and helped her move him.
"What does come next for us Car?" he asked quietly, not really expecting an answer, much less a coherent one considering Carcharodon's current state
"The future I suppose" the Shark Faunus shrugged "Whatever it looks like" with that he finally drifted into unconsciousness again, which admittedly made him much easy to handle and get aboard Old Unreliable; Corvid began strapping his limp and prone form down so that he was secure whilst Onyx began starting the engines of Team CLIR's Bull-head, taking on the role of pilot whilst Lux, Rusty and Iris sought the members their respective families who had been in the city and found himself smiling to himself as he considered Carcharodon's words.
The future looked a little brighter than it had for quite some time after all.
Hellion had been kept from the medical facilities, a fact which had threatened to send her into an apoplectic rage when she had first been ordered to make way for the injured and their immediate families. She had relented however and simply stalked and paced the corridors and grounds of Halo Academy filled with nervous exhilaration, overjoyed beyond her ability to explain in words at the fact that Eagle had returned but nevertheless nervous. Finally she had found her way back to Team GORE's dormitory and tried to meditate to clear her mind and calm herself; she had been entirely unable to do so yet the overwhelming, excitable energy that had filled her was considerably lessened when she found herself holding a whetstone that had once been Raffia's, a glistening thing with flecks of minerals in countless different colours that had been taken from the bed of the Frost River itself on their final visit which the Axolotl Faunus had inscribed with countless glyphs hoping to make the weapons sharpened by the sword lucky in a display of his more superstitious side; Hellion had meant to sharpen her knives but instead found herself simply turning the thing over in her fingers absently until she heard a door open and slam closed elsewhere on the corridor.
She was on her feet in an instant, slipping passed Marauder who was roosting on his perch and out of Team GORE's dormitory before crossing the corridor and making her way towards Team FADE's; she didn't waste time asking for permission or knocking and simply forced the lock in a way that she had been taught so long ago that it felt as though she had always known it, reasoning that if the room were empty no harm would have been done and if it were anyone other than Eagle she would deal with the situation as it arose.
She opened the door and slipped inside, only for her heart to skip a beat as she saw that it was Eagle who had entered.
"Hey" the blonde half turned towards her and offered a weak smile that was utterly at odds with the sadness in her voice; Hellion took a moment to simply take in the sight before her, Eagle's armour and sleeveless leather jacker had been discarded and were strewn across her bunk, leaving the broad shoulders and powerfully muscled back that the Dragonfly Faunus had always admired on display, tattoos that Hellion had applied herself peaking below the edges of the taller woman's tank-top. Eagle sat hunched over her laptop which she had seemingly opened and started the moment she arrived in the dorm, it's screen bidding her to enter her password and Hellion couldn't keep her wings from buzzing in mild agitation and hurt at the idea that she was less important to the blonde than whatever work she intended to do until she realised that whilst she could see the sword she had made for Eagle laid close to her armour her shield was nowhere to be found and the situation suddenly made terrible, painful sense.
"Sentinel wasn't with you when you returned" Hellion murmured as she crossed the room and sat beside Eagle, lacing her fingers together and relishing the familiar touch
"He's gone" Eagle's voice threatened to crack as melted into Hellion, wrapping an arm around her "The Remnant I was in….it was hell, it really was, everyone I care about was either dead or had just never been born, the White Fang had won the war and controlled most of Remnant and one of their Generals….he….damn it there's nothing left of Sentinel to rebuild, he's just gone" Hellion listened and rested her forehead against Eagle's running her hands over her body gently before cupping her cheeks and stroking her hair, simply unable to stop herself after being deprived of Eagle's touch for so long, as she did so she considered Eagle's words; looking beyond the horror of a world ruled by the White Fang and focusing instead on what truly mattered to her girlfriend
"You can transfer….Sentinel" she faltered for a moment, learning to use a Scroll had been one thing but the intricacies of computers and robotics were another matter entirely "Everything that made Sentinel, Sentinel….you can put it in a new body, yes?"
"I can" Eagle nodded "But it's gonna take months, at least to build a new body….I spent years building and designing Sentinel, he was an idea I had as a kid that I wouldn't let go of and even if I do build another robot it won't be the same"
"I know it won't" Hellion murmured "That's why I was thinking you should take all of Sentinel and copy it onto a device that you can bury of cremate….he was no mere machine, he was a warrior and should be honoured as such in his passing"
Eagle all-but pounced on her.
"Oum I love you" the blonde whispered gently as she looked down at Hellion after accidentally bowling her over with the force of the hug she had tackled her with; colour rose in her cheeks as the Dragonfly Faunus looked up at her with half lidded eyes and Eagle, mind suddenly blank found herself leaning down to capture Hellion's lip in a slow tender kiss.
"I missed you so much" the words were almost desperate as she whispered them against Hellion's mouth
"I missed you too" the Faunus assured her, hands roaming over Eagle's body "But I knew you'd come back, I never stopped believing….I could feel you, even so far away"
"I could feel you too" Eagle replied "I thought I was going crazy at first but it was you" Hellion's face was a loving smile
"There is no magic that can keep me from you" she whispered into Eagle's ear, letting out a low purr of pleasure from somewhere in the back of her throat as she felt the taller woman press her body closer with a quiet whine as she sought out more of the physical closeness that she'd been denied for far too long; Hellion acted without thought and in an instant she had rolled and was now the one on top, Eagle's wrists pinned down as she straddled her and leaned down for a slow, passionate kiss that neither of them broke even as they moved from the floor to the bed.
Team FADE had been reluctant to separate after being apart for so long but had eventually, inevitably done so as they had been released from Halo Academies' medical facilities; Eagle and Arctus being deemed fit and well despite the nurses insistence and apparent determination to find something wrong with them and Felix and Diamond having nothing wrong with them that couldn't be cured with rest and a good meal; even if it seemed unlikely that they would get either of those things for several more hours. Eagle had departed first, which Felix understood and simply assumed that she wished to contact her mother in Atlas, find Qrow or Hellion or simply sleep; Arctus had joined Weiss and the pair of them had departed in search of Gangrel who was being treated for his own injuries elsewhere and Diamond had naturally gone with the Bear Faunus, the two of them clinging to each other as though they might vanish if they were to let go. Felix had hugged his mothers and Aunt Ruby before venturing off in search of Helios, only to be moved almost to tears upon seeing Nyanza stood beside him, the Feline Faunus sporting a new cybernetic leg and several thin, ropey scars from the lengthy procedure of excising the Grimm tissue he had been infected with covering much of his skin and the three of them sharing an emotional reunion, glad to simply find one another alive and well after the ordeal that the battle had been.
"This is the room" Helios breathed out quietly, the redheads' hand tightening its' grip on Felix's a fraction in subconscious response to what he feared he might find on the other side of the door.
Kataigida Nikos had been injured severely and bringing her to Halo Academy had been simply unfeasible, instead she had been taken to the nearest hospital and rushed into surgery in an effort to mitigate the damage that the Chimera had done; upon hearing that his mother was injured and elsewhere Helios had naturally wanted to depart immediately and whilst Olivine and Ether had set off into New Vale in search of their own parents Felix and Nyanza had offered to join him to provide moral support if it were needed, the journey having taken far longer than originally anticipated as all transport within the city was currently disabled and Felix's initial plan to borrow the Lightning Bug from Eagle was scuppered when the Lion Faunus had heard sounds from with Team FADE's dorm that made it clear that he should not enter.
Eventually they had found the hospital however and been given the room number, all that remained was to step inside.
"Thank you for being here" Helios murmured before knocking on the door
"Helios, I can tell that's you….come inside boy" Kataigida's voice seemed robust and as commanding as always, almost enough to assure Helios that his mother was well, though he was quickly disabused of that idea once he stepped into the private room she was fortunate enough to have been given; his face fell and the colour drained from it as he saw her, ashen and pale from the blood loss, sat upright but with her entire torso bound in bandages and several drips, tubes and sensors fitted to her body whilst the most concerning sight of all was the simple empty space beneath the bedsheets where her right leg simply ended.
"Between the food, this bed and what the Kingdoms call medicine I'm beginning to think I should have let the Chimera finish the job" Kataigida noted with a chuckle at her own grim joke before nodding towards Nyanza's prosthetic leg "And I suppose this is one of the contraptions they expect me to wear….I think I'll have a cane and wooden leg made"
"I see a brush with death only made you more fierce….the great beyond will have a white flag raised when you get there" Helios replied with a stern expression and his arms folded across his chest, only to collapse into watery chuckles, the traditional Nikosi humour seeming so out of place in such a sterile place; eventually he strode over to his mothers' side and Kataigida pulled him into a hug, eventually pulling back and giving her eldest son a warm smile
"I came across the sea to help bring down those spires because I thought you were in danger….you cannot know how happy I am to see you" she chuckled, the medication obviously having some effect on her as she stroked his cheek gently "And look at you, even bigger and stronger than you were before"
Nyanza couldn't quite stifle a small snort of laughter at seeing the usually indomitable Helios being mothered in such a way and as such both he and Felix found Kataigida's gaze on them a moment later.
"Ah Nyanza….we will have to compare war stories before I leave, your scars tell a story I'm interested in hearing" her bright, if slightly unfocused green eyes shifted to Felix "And Felix, it was truly an honour to fight beside the famed Yang Xiao Long and I hope that you'll give her my regards….in the meantime however, I'd like to speak with my son. My Honour Guard will likely have already begun making their way here and I doubt I'll remain in New Vale for long; I can see that Helios is carrying a very familiar sword and shield, it seems that we have much to discuss"
"I'll pass the message on" Felix assured her, unable to keep himself from bowing ever so slightly as he led Nyanza out of the room; if Kataigida had recognised Milo and Akuo for what they were then it would likely be an emotional discussion between Helios and his mother.
"I've missed you, everybody has….even if you do dumb shit like laugh at Helios's mum" Felix noted with a sigh as he leaned against the wall of the corridor whilst Nyanza took a seat
"Yeah I saw all the cards, I'm assuming that's not your lipstick that was on the stasis tube they kept me in?" Nyanza shot back with a grin, yet his minty green eyes were just a touch too wide and bright, with a wild and panicked look to them that set Felix on edge
"Nyanza….it's just us and nobody else is gonna judge you anyway" he murmured, careful to keep his voice barely above a whisper "Are you okay man?" Nyanza stiffened a froze and Felix could almost see him weighing up the pros and cons of deflecting the attention away from himself with another joke before sagging in his chair and seeming to deflate.
"The last thing I remember is screaming my lungs out when Heely had to cut my leg off with his shield….I thought I was gonna die" his grip on the chair arm tightened until the frame threatened to shatter "The next thing I know I wake up and I'm getting a new leg slapped on and told that there's a battle going on and half the city is just gone….I'm covered in scars and I was just the test subject for something that could have killed me and I wasn't asked about, nothing feels right….You've got cybernetics you know what if feels like. It's just-It's just a lot man"
"Yeah I get that" Felix nodded "It's definitely a lot"
"So I missed some stuff then?" Nyanza asked, seeing the momentarily haunted and distant look on Felix's face. The Lion Faunus crossed the corridor and sat on the floor beside him, running his hands through his dirty blonde mane and allowing himself to truly feel the exhaustion he was carrying with him
"Yeah, some stuff definitely happened" he breathed "But we got through it, we can rebuild and keep going….just keep moving forwards right?" his eyes slowly closed, the effort of keeping them open growing too great and he barely heard Nyanza's next words as he considered his own statement. Salem would doubtlessly continue her war against the Kingdoms and seemingly against life itself until she could finally be defeated for good yet Felix knew that should it come down to it Team FADE would be ready and that their friends would be beside them.
He found that he couldn't ask for more than that.
The midday air was fresh despite the smoke that still rose in the distance from the countless wounds that had been inflicted upon New Vale and the sun was comfortably warm to someone native to the icy Kingdom of Atlas even if others might have found it cool; meaning that Arctus was utterly content as he carefully and gently adjusted Diamond's weight, the sniper having positioned herself on his lap and promptly begun drifting in and out of consciousness due to simple tiredness.
His parents were beside him, Arctus and Diamond had joined Weiss in looking for Gangrel who had been the one to take Kataigida to a hospital before making his way to the Academy for his own treatment; the towering and powerfully built Bear Faunus whose shaggy hair was largely greying had assured his wife and son that he was fine upon seeing them, his cybernetic left arm had been removed to repair the damage that the Chimera had done to it and whilst many of his ribs had been cracked or broken he had noted with a wry smile that it was hardly the first time and Aura would heal them soon enough. After a tearful and emotional initial reunion between Arctus and Gangrel, neither man entertaining ideas of stoic machismo for even a moment the four of them had made their way through Halo Academy and out onto the grounds, eventually coming to rest in the bleachers that surrounded the coliseum like outdoor training area.
"She okay?" Gangrel asked, nodding in Diamond's direction as his remaining hand tenderly caressed Weiss's hand which was not currently held in a sling
"Yeah" Arctus assured them as he ran his hands through Diamond's hair and listened to her soft, steady breathing; any embarrassment he might have felt at being in such a position in front of his parents utterly washed away by the simply relief of being home and able to hold Diamond like this again
"Oum I missed her" he breathed out "I missed all of you….I thought I might never see you again"
"Don't run off and get married right now just because you can" Gangrel warned, sensing his sons' shaken state and earning sputtering and choking sounds from both Weiss and Arctus "Rover tried to get married to Missy right before the battle for Menagerie, he says he would probably have regretted doing it that way if he had; just get a sense of normal back before you make any decisions"
"Thanks for telling us Dude" Diamond grumbled sleepily, revealing that Arctus had inadvertently woken her up; as she made herself comfortable against his chest Arctus frowned slightly and turned to his parents
"Uncle Rover and Aunt Missy, are they?"
"They're okay" Weiss nodded "We've heard from them….Rover dislocated his shoulder tackling Grimm over a bridge but other than that they're fine" Arctus found himself grinning at that, though the smile quickly flickered and faded as he leaned back and let out a slow breath; there were things that needed to be said and he found himself rapidly running out of reasons to delay the inevitable. Diamond was the first to notice that something was wrong, draping her mechanical arm around his shoulders and pulling her face level with his whilst stroking his cheek gently with her flesh and blood hand and murmuring softly
"Something's wrong, talk to me" Arctus paused, resting his forehead against hers and fighting the urge to simply nuzzle into her as he searched for the words, aware of his parents eyes now on him
"Not wrong….just complicated" he eventually began "Me and Eagle, we ended up in another Remnant, one where the White Fang won-"
"We met the Adam from that Remnant….he's dead" Gangrel noted, Arctus nodded silently before continuing
"Yeah well, it only got worse in his absence; it was bleak, really bleak….but it wasn't all bad" he paused, struggling to say the nest words until he finally screwed his eyes shut and simply powered through "Dad I met Neon and Uncle Squish, they were still alive there but you, Mum, everyone else-"
"It's okay, we're here" Weiss assured him
"You met Squish" Gangrel whispered "How was he?"
"As well as he could be considering he was living in hell on Remnant" Arctus answered "And he said thanks for everything….but that's not everything"
Arctus found himself unable to continue for a moment and finally buried his face in Diamond's neck, pulling her closer and allowing himself to become lost in her as he gathered the strength for what he knew would have a profound effect on his parents
"There was a girl that came through the portal with me and Eagle, a Reindeer Faunus" he finally said, watching comprehension beginning to dawn on the faces of both his parents and Diamond who knew enough of the Slate family history to understand "It's Jade, Jade Rangifer is here in this Remnant but she isn't the Jade you knew"
"That's…." Weiss trailed off, trying to find words to adequately convey the swirling tempest of emotions that the revelation had left her with "A lot to process" Gangrel was merely left in stunned silence, amber coloured eyes wide before Arctus saw them hone in on something as the older Faunus caught sight of movement in the corner of his eye.
Jade herself had entered the coliseum.
By some grand coincidence the Faunus teen had wandered in through an entrance on the opposite side of the training area to where Arctus and his family sat and her ragged and dishevelled appearance seemed to be magnified here as it was juxtaposed starkly against the ornate architecture and cutting edge technology of the academy; she looked tired and frightened with bags under bloodshot eyes that darted around frantically until Arctus looked from her to his parents and made a quick decision, whistling to get her attention and waiting with baited breath and his heart hammering as she crossed the training area then began making her way through the stands until she reached them.
"I thought you said your Remnant was in a better state than mine" she noted by way of greeting, waving vaguely at the ruination in the distance
"Yeah we always get a world-ending attack at this time of year, you picked a bad time; you'll probably love it in the winter" Diamond replied with all of her usual deadpan bluntness, the remark truthfully intended to cut through any awkwardness before it could take route and it seemed to work as the girl let out a quiet, if shaky laugh as she replied
"You really do have giant floating platforms as well….that's crazy and this academy, I've never seen anything like it" she stopped and caught sight of Gangrel and Weiss, it took her only the briefest glance at them to realise that they were Arctus's parents, his features seemingly taken evenly from the two of them and from there she quickly deduced the reason for the expressions they wore
"I'm not her" she said simply, her words having the air of a warning even as she grew visibly anxious "I'm not-"
"We know" Weiss nodded
"But still" Gangrel added, seemingly wanting to say more but unable to find the words. Arctus looked between them and saw that Jade was clearly struggling with something that was going unsaid; having been in an identical predicament only moments earlier he recognised the expression well
"Are you okay?"
"I think I messed up. My powers….they don't work here, they're gone and I'm not the Spring Maiden any more" Jade's voice cracked with the admission and Arctus was utterly floored, it was something he had never even considered
"So I guess if Oscar was right about the way they work and get passed on them Neon will be the new Maiden" she continued, voice trembling "But what do I do now? That's all I've ever been, I'm not a Hunter, I don't know what else to be and I don't even know where to start with getting by in this Remnant….I didn't think this through, I've got nowhere to stay-"
"Stay with us" Gangrel offered without hesitation "I understand if you think it's weird, but Schnee Manor is huge; we've got rooms to spare and if you want to avoid us to not make things awkward then you'll be able to and we won't be offended" Jade looked ready to decline the offer, the idea of taking anything from the couple who had all but adopted her deceased counterpart feeling too much like taking advantage in addition to the utter strangeness of the situation, but eventually she relented; realising that it was likely the kindest offer she would receive
"Thank you" she murmured with a weak smile.
Arctus for his part simply melted into Diamond again with a sigh of relief
"I love you" he whispered softly
"I love you too" she assured him, clinging to him as though he might slip away the two of them staring lovingly at each other until Jade spoke up again
"So they're even more cuddly than they are in their pictures then?" Diamond couldn't help but laugh at this, chuckling even as she leaned close and captured Arctus's lips in a kiss; the Bear Faunus smiling against her and noting that he had the love of his life with him and one of his sisters teasing him about it.
A sense of normality hadn't been as hard to find as he had feared.
The world came into existence as a distorted and grainy image, coloured entirely in shades of green and with litanies of indecipherable text scrolling before her eyes until finally the world seemed to snap suddenly into focus, colours returning and the image sharpening into perfect clarity; prompting her to collapse forward as legs that had never been used before refused to support her.
For Nickel Polendina the feeling of striking a hard floor face first had never been so welcome, she had not expected to feel anything ever again after all.
"Where?" she began, trailing off as she pulled herself into a sitting position and cast her eyes around the room she had found herself in and understood "Atlas"
She took a moment to gather her bearings and slowly pulled herself to her feet, using the several gleaming and reflective surfaces around her to see that there was something different about her appearance even if she couldn't quite explain it, her face was the same and her proportions were almost identical yet there was something odd she couldn't place; putting the matter aside for a moment she glanced around and deduced from the gleaming whites and chrome of the laboratory that she had found herself in along with just how futuristic, even by Atlesian standards that there was only one place she could be. She was back where she had begun her life, though this time she was in Poly-Tech proper rather than one of its' basements where she'd been kept and hidden away like a dirty secret for so long.
"I see the reactivation process was a success" Nickel whirled around, sudden urge to defend herself firmly pushed aside as she saw that the speaker was a stern faced middle-aged woman whose blonde hair sported thin streaks of white and grey; the android focused on her and pointedly ignored the heavy duty shotgun kept just within reach, or that one of the woman's hands rested on a panic button.
"We were unsure of whether we'd be able to salvage all of your memories and personality….not that I'd complain if we couldn't" Antonia noted dispassionately "But your idea of networking yourself to the battle-suit you built was clever; Qrow was able to transfer all of the files from the suit over and I managed to overlay everything over an Aura Generator we keep spare in case Penny is ever critically injured….in total you've lost less than a day"
Nickel processed that information with little difficulty; she hadn't intended her modifications to the Omega Destroyer to be used in such a way but was thankful that it had worked, overall she was less surprised by the fact that she was able to return from her apparent death and more by the idea that anyone had bothered to make the effort. Her lip trembled in an all too human way and she quickly clamped down on the emotion, reacting with all the aloof scorn and vitriol she could muster
"What about you chief, you don't seem happy to see me? Prodigal robot returns and all-"
"Let me make this as clear as humanly possible" Antonia snapped harshly, hand reaching towards the shotgun as Nickel bristled at her tone
"Penny used to consider me a sister….Your existence and the fact that I kept it from her very nearly destroyed that relationship and I will do anything to repair it because, as bad as I am at showing it I love my family dearly; Penny wants you to have a life and for that reason alone I restored you. You killed people I know when you came online and you can save Remnant a thousand more times and you will be no closer to earning my forgiveness. Now, my Daughter is safe and sound and I would very much like to speak to her rather than be dealing with you, you'll be escorted out of here when you're ready" with nothing more to say and nothing other than her contempt to offer Antonia turned and left, taking that shotgun but withdrawing a Scroll from her pocket and placing it on a nearby workbench as she exited the laboratory.
It was exactly the sort of return to the living that Nickel had been prepared for, which only made it even more depressing.
"So….just me then" she muttered to herself as she realised that she was alone in this place and help or even company would not be coming and anything approaching a 'Thank you' for her efforts was a laughable idea, she was merely tolerated. Pulling herself onto the workbench she slouched as she sat and ran her hands through hair that was once again its' natural coppery colour and realised as she did so that the difference in herself that she had noticed was her skin, rather than the endoskeletal armour she had been fitted with before she now had synthetic skin replete with blood and nerves much like Penny possessed; curious at this Nickel began an internal diagnostic to see what changes had been made only to find a deep panic setting.
The Scroll vibrating loudly beside her was a welcome distraction, even more so once she saw the identity of the caller.
"Salutations" Penny waved as her face flickered into view "And thank you….thank you so much for what you did" upon hearing the open gratitude and realising that someone had cared enough to look for her the human emotions she had no idea how to process welled up again and Nickel screwed her eyes shut for a moment before focusing on the practical
"Is she, I mean Ruby is she-"
"She lost an eye, but she's awake and aware and sensational" Penny assured her "The twins are talking to her now, I'm sure they'll want to speak with you once they learn that you're operational"
"Don't tell them I lost the damn friendship bracelet, it was on my other body" Nickel grimaced at how inhuman that statement sounded before turning her attention to the more pressing matter, which she was certain that Penny would know something about "And I'm operational, but not combat ready….Where are my wings? Where are my Photon Accelerators? What the hell have they done to me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry" Penny mouthed, the words far more genuine than the biting and sarcastic tone that Nickel would have used "The frame that was used….the parts were all intended for me and well, I don't have wings or internal weapons; I used to have a photon accelerator but hidden compartments are a hindrance when you have real skin, you'd drain Aura healing every time you deployed something and tore a hole in yourself"
"I guess" Nickel murmured, admitting to herself that the mental image was not one she found particularly appealing; Penny sensed her continued glumness and quickly responded with her ever-present cheery optimism
"But look at it this way….It's a lot harder for anyone to tell that you're a robot now; you could live a normal life now" Nickel cocked her head in confusion and Penny explained "You wanted a life of your own and to be your own person, you can have that now. You could apply to one of the Hunter Academies, you have a weapon of your own and you'll meet people; or if that's not what you want to do then you could go to college, Ruby and I will happily pay for it….you can do whatever you want now" Nickel soaked the information in and found herself shaking, lip trembling more than she could control and finally gave into silent sobs that were no less emotional for her inability to physically cry; she was utterly overwhelmed and she realised that there was only one thing she truly wanted at that moment
"Can I come home?" Penny nodded and smiled softly
"That would be sensational"
The sun had already passed its' zenith and could be seen beginning to set in the distance by the time Qrow entered Glynda Goodwitch's office, the pistons of his chairs' many-jointed mechanical legs hissing as he came to an abrupt halt upon seeing that the office was already occupied.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here" the grizzled and grey-haired veteran Hunter murmured in his usual gruff drawl "It is yours now after all"
"As much as I wish it wasn't" Ren answered quietly, head hanging low as he sighed and seemed to take in the enormity of the task that lay before him "I never wanted to inherit the Academy like this"
"But here we are" Qrow grunted, shrugging as he delivered the undeniable truth; Professor Lie Ren was now the Headmaster of Halo Academy of New Vale succeeding Professor Glynda Goodwitch effective immediately. "I assume you're gonna want to make some changes to how things work, I know you had some disagreements about how certain things were done even if you weren't as vocal as Neptune can be" Qrow continued with a sigh
"It's gonna be strange y'know, even when Ozpin was Headmaster it was Glynda that really ran the show, he was too busy fighting Salem in the shadows. Glynda shaped entire generations of Hunters, she was one of the best of us"
"That she was" Ren nodded in agreement "And you're right, I'm going to be closing the academy the moment flights for the exchange students can be arranged; once they leave I'm going to rework the curriculum….it's going to be a fresh start for everyone" Qrow's deep crimson eyes narrowed a fraction at that, there was a lot going unsaid and neither of them seemed willing to speak plainly and the retired Hunter was beginning to grow irritable with the tiptoeing around matters that were of utmost importance yet made no effort to force the issue, he was grieving, they both were and Qrow was reluctant to cause a situation where one of them said things in anger that could not be taken back, so instead he continued the game they were seemingly playing
"You handle whatever you need to, I'll still be here as a Professor and for anything else you need when things return to normal….I can handle funeral arrangements if it's easier for you?" he offered, noting the way Ren's knuckles clenched at the mention of normality before continuing "Where's Nora, I assumed she'd be here?"
"Redshank Bronzewing is a Second Year student" if Ren's eyes had been downcast before it was nothing compared to this latest display as he seemed determine to look anywhere but at Qrow
"He wasn't allowed to join the battle and someone had to break the news that his father died whilst he was here being protected….Nora offered to be the one to inform the Bronzewing family; whatever issues she had with Dove his family deserve better than a letter written by someone who never met him. Besides Nora and I are both orphans" the implication that Nora thought she might be able to console Redshank went unspoken and Qrow nodded gloomily, his own concerns forgotten for a moment as he replied
"That's rough, it's the life we chose to lead but no family should have to hear that news….I suppose that's part of why you and Nora never had kids?" Ren glowered slightly, visibly irked by the intrusion into his private life and choosing not to reply, instead changing the subject to one that both he and Qrow could find common ground on
"Eagle returned safe….after being trapped in an alternate Remnant. Have you seen her?"
"Briefly" Qrow nodded "And I'll be catching up with her properly once we're done here….there's a hell of a lot to talk about but they haven't invented the words. I suppose she'll be glad of something norm-"
Ren's knuckles cracked the surface of the desk that was now rightfully his as he struck it and Qrow couldn't help but give a small, quickly hidden grin as he breached the younger mans' obfuscations and misdirections; it was time to see exactly what kind of ally he intended to be.
"If you think I'm going to allow things to go back to normal then I will have your resignation now, effective immediately" Ren growled out, his words forceful and furious even as his Semblance washed out everything around him in sepia tones in an attempt to curb his own emotions.
"Oh?" Qrow said simply, arching an eyebrow and gesturing for him to continue.
"THOUSANDS ARE DEAD QROW! THOUSANDS!" the gesture was enough for Ren's rage to boil over and once it began it would not stop
"The entirety of everyone that lived in the bottom levels of the Hive-Towers are gone! They didn't come back when the city was dredged from whatever fell Salem sent it to and do you know what the Council's unofficial, private position on that is? 'Well now we have somewhere to bring the refugees from Arcadia' our Kingdom has been getting ravaged by Salem and her forces and we're being led by accountants trying to balance the books whilst you and Glynda, along with your little cabal were happy to play in the shadows-"
"So what do you suggest?" Qrow demanded
"We take those shadows away" Ren answered coldly and bluntly "I'm going address New Vale and Remnant as a whole, alone if I have to. No more secrets, we can't afford it….I'm going to tell the truth about Salem and the Grimm and the war we're fighting. Whatever happens from here on out Qrow I can promise you this, what we called normal before this is over"
Qrow remained silent for a moment and pondered Ren's declaration and the choice that he would have to make with his next words, there was a time when the man before him would simply have been silenced out of necessity and he found himself thankful that such times were over; in an instant everything that had been sacrificed seemed to flash before his eyes, all of the lives lost and friends that he had mourned, the settlements torn apart and the time watching Eagle grow up that had been denied to him because of his commitments; finally he remembered Eagle's own commitment for the truth to be revealed to the public, albeit in a much less dramatic fashion. Finally he smiled and met Ren's gaze.
"Good" he ran a hand through his hair in a familiar gesture and added "Normal is over, let's make something better"
Pantheon lived.
The amazingly well-placed gunshot that had torn away a portion of their armoured skull and shredded three of their six eyes had done enough damage to the monstrous creatures' brain to, at least for the moment, release them from the throttling and unshakeable grasp that Salem had held over their entire consciousness yet that same damage had left them utterly unable to relish or take advantage of their newly regained freedom.
They had fallen countless stories, plummeting towards the mass of formless, protean Grimm that Salem had transformed into a portal into the yawning, endless abyss that existed between realities until what little predatory instinct to hunt and conquer had compelled their wings to move and from there, almost of their own accord the vast leathery pinions had carried the wounded beast to the relative safety of some darkened ruins of a building that had barely avoided being swallowed whole by the darkness. From there Pantheon had begun the process of healing, with the heart of solid, condensed and refined darkness and fossilised Grimm tissue that they had once possessed now residing within Salem and allowing her manipulate the swathes of the Grimm Hive-Mind that had once been under Pantheon's own sway the process had been long and agonising; the sentient Grimm was still able to regenerate and recover at a rate that few, if any of their fellow monsters could hope to match but it was no longer the near instant thing that it had once been and by the time they were able to leave the confines of the wreckage that they had hidden and cowered in the battle was over.
It had been plain to see that Salem and thus, by extension the Creatures of Grimm had been defeated yet Pantheon was left wondering if that was necessarily a bad thing considering the circumstances.
In an effort to avoid detection they had flown to the lowest levels of the Hive-City and found it by and large abandoned, those who had called it home vanished entirely along with the Grimm that had stalked them; the countless points where the ground had been split open and torn asunder to allow Salem's tide of darkness to flow outwards and upwards served as an entry point to the sewer system and power grid which Pantheon readily slithered their hulking and massive frame into only to find that the network of proto-Spawning pits with their mass of sickening, pulpy tendrils and the swarms of Grimm that had stalked the tunnels had been destroyed entirely, leaving nothing of themselves behind save for corroded metal and damaged or displaced pipes and cables.
"This is not the way things should be" the sentient horror snarled as they trudged onwards, their distorted and chorusing voice echoing off of the walls as their taloned claws clanged against the metallic surface of the grated floor beneath them as they contemplated their own nature in a way that no other Creature of Grimm could and realised that, terrifyingly Salem, the rightful Queen of all Grimm was wrong.
The Grimm were death and destruction made manifest, they were an embodiment of a force that was a vital and eternal part of the natural world; the Grimm destroyed and that which survived the destruction grew strong, learned and prospered, the Kingdoms had been born of a need to keep the monsters at bay and keep the endless cycle of creation and destruction at work. What Salem intended, a single, final death that destroyed the Grimm themselves along with their prey was simply antithetical to this.
Pantheon realised, with a shudder and an icy sense of dread clawing its' way up from their gut as understanding dawned on them that Salem needed to deposed.
Almost the moment the realisation came to them Pantheon sank to their knees, shrieking in agony as a feeling like fingers tipped with jagged claws reaching directly into their mind washed over them; the monster realised exactly what was happening even before their limbs began to move in lurching, shuddering motions against Pantheon's will.
Salem was attempting to reassert her control over them.
Struggling was immediately proven fruitless, Pantheon lumbered through the subterranean power grid with the directives being sent to them informing them that they were looking for a way to climb above ground again, their wings trembling in anticipation. Instead Pantheon simply reached deep into the recesses of their own psyche and anchored themselves there, allowing Salem to use them a glorified puppet. They burst from the tunnels and sewers a moment later, letting out a primal roar that rang through the empty streets around them before spreading their wings and taking to the air, flying low until they were beyond the limits of New Vale to avoid the wrath of the airships that patrolled its' skies as they raced towards Salem's side.
"I'm coming home mother" Pantheon's thoughts coiled and raced in their own mind, growing steadily more murderous "And we will have a reckoning when I arrive"
Salem had abandoned her physical form, allowing to be consumed by the last vestiges of her Grimm tendrils moments before they were destroyed entirely; from there she had travelled across the Grimm Hive mind in a purely psychic and incorporeal form and continued the task that she had initially intended for Pantheon to undertake.
Reconnecting lost sections of the fragmented and broken network that all Creatures of Grimm and Spawning Pools had once shared.
She had begun with shoals of aquatic horrors which she had directed towards a Spawning Pit far out at sea that she had quickly, using the bodies of the Grimm at her command in tandem with the powers of the Wizard brought into the fold, a lone bastion for her to retreat to far from the main bulk of her, now heavily depleted forces across the continent of Vytal. Salem had swayed and staggered as she emerged from a Spawning Pit and reconstituted her physical form, exhausted, disoriented and not entirely sure of where exactly she was; she had found her self on an island, far enough from the Kingdoms that there was nothing but open sea on the horizon as far as the eye could sea whose only denizens were small groupings of skeletal and emaciated Grimm, amphibian in overall appearance that had likely once fed on stranded sailors whose vessels had run aground on the island.
Taking a moment to focus the Queen of the Grimm centred herself and with a purely mental gesture that was not unlike the flexing of a sore joint she caused her wings to dissolve into contrails of darkness, she had no further use for them after all; from there she took stock of her surroundings, the island was large enough for her to amass her power once more and had been untouched for quite some time whilst its' Spawning Pit provided her with all that she would need to continue her endeavours and so, reaching out into the greater Grimm consciousness and tapping into her powers she began to build and create.
'The war would continue' she assured herself, it would continue until nothing but darkness and silence remained.
Authors' Notes:
And that, ladies, gentleman and others is the end of Vol.11
I'm probably gonna take a week off of this story to plan
If I really wanted to leave things as a cliffhanger I feel like I could actually end the story here and it would be a pretty decent, if not entirely satisfactory wrap up….but don't worry; we've got one last volume and the epilogue left.
Strap in, it's gonna get bumpy.
Also, this might sound like a reach because it's such a generic sounding title but it as actually a nod to one of the songs from the soundtrack (I forget which volume) but seriously, Caleb Hyles's cover of Home emotionally breaks me every time and is a big part of why I was happy for him to be on the Vol.7 soundtrack (He sings 'Hero', Ironwood's theme)
But anyway, let's summarise shall we:
Remember, if your feel like you just died….it's proof that you didn't.
Seriously eleven volumes and we haven't actually had all four members of Team RWBY in one place before now, so this seemed like a great place to do it.
I'm sure you could guess that we hadn't seen the last of Nickel from the moment Ruby mentioned Antonia.
Can you blame those doctors at all? Arctus and Eagle have been missing, presumed dead after vanishing in the same place Salem's attack came from.
Arctus and Diamond are gonna be inseperable for a while, deal with it.
Oh there's a lot of catching up to do.
And Arctus came back with the goods, Oscar told him about Salem's Grimm-Heart that keeps her alive and reconnected her to the hive mind.
The fact that New Vale seemed to be empty should have bee a give away that it wasn't as convincing of a win as we would have liked, I wanted to hint at it before it was outright stated.
Of course he went for his boat.
Writing Car was honestly kinda depressing, he's run out of people he needs to kill and he's just ready to go….luckily he's got friends looking out for him.
Car sailing off into the sunset like the Elves at the end of the Lord of the Rings has a certain appeal to it, but I have other plans for him.
Reminder that Iris's parents are separated and her mum lives in New Vale, Lux's family lives in New Vale but their well off so lived nowhere near the ground floor; Rusty hasn't spoken to his mum in years at this point and she lives in Vaccuo.
One last jab in the feelings on Raffia's behalf.
And now for a proper Cyberpet reunion.
Yes Sentinel gets a proper funeral, because he deserves one…..Also, a Sentinel Mark Two is certainly possible and I have plans for the epilogue, but it won't be happening in Vol.12.
And the psychic link between them has been addressed, if briefly.
Felix has got his boyfriend and his old childhood friend back in one peace; but yeah Nyanza has permanent scars along with his new leg.
Felix knows when not to knock, be like Felix.
Yeah Kataigida lost a leg just above the knee, when the Chimera stabbed her through the thigh and then ripped the blade out through the side of her leg she left it hanging on by a few stringy tendons and a bit of skin.
The Nikosi banter was genuinely fun to write, along with everything about loopy mama Nikos….also yeah Kataigida isn't gonna bother with cybernetics.
Oof, Nyanza is gonna need a lot of therapy as soon as possible.
Just keep moving forwards.
Gangrel is and always will be a tank….Even if I genuinely did consider having him die in the fight against the Chimera; I really did but I just couldn't.
Fuck embarrassment, let 'em snuggle.
I mean Gang kinda has a point, some things you just don't rush….Also it's a callback to Downward Spiral.
Arctus and Eagle could probably do with therapy as well….hell everyone needs therapy.
Lucky thing that Arctus warned Weiss and Gang about Jade not being 'their' Jade before she showed up.
"Yeah we always get a world-ending attack at this time of year" I'm bringing back the 'Diamond almost breaks the fourth wall' thing.
Salem couldn't gather up the Maidens from other timelines because the Powers will stay in the universe they're from, with the Chimera being the closest thing she could bring; by the same token Jade couldn't bring her own powers through….And yes, Neon Katt is now the Spring Maiden in that timeline (Which is an entire story on its' own that I will almost certainly never write).
Schnee, or Taurus Manor as she knew it is where Jade spent a good chunk of her life….so in a way she's still going home; and now Arctus, AJ and Coral have all got a new sister and Athena-Jade is gonna meet the person she was named after.
I'm just gonna come out and say this, I was very undecided about this scene until it was literally the next scene to write; I was 50/50 about bringing Nickel back or letting her die until the very last moment and I did for two reasons, one because I honestly don't think that a heroic sacrifice is a satisfactory end for a character that has always been just a tool or a weapon and secondly because the mechanism by which she returned is actually foreshadowing….but that's a spoiler.
Antonia is definitely not a fan and I can't find it in myself to blame her.
The autopilot trick with the Omega Destroyer created a mental link between her and her battle-suit, meaning that unless they're both destroyed Nickel can come back….And she didn't even plan it.
Not gonna lie, getting into Nickel's head-space was kinda depressing.
She's a real girl, much like Mk2 Penny.
I think I used all of Penny's signature phrases.
So Nickel's been kinda downgraded but it makes sense.
"Can I come home?" and now we see Nickel with her guard well and truly down for the first time, any other time she's allowed herself to get emotional it was just anger.
Ren runs the Academy now.
Pour one out for Goodwitch.
Yes Qrow was talking about normality specifically to get a rise out of Ren.
Oof, that's gonna be a hard conversation for Nora.
Yeah the death toll from the battle is a fucking huge one and entire areas of the city are now ghost towns, fortunately though we do have plenty of settlements in New Vale's territory that are overcrowded after Arcadia was destroyed in Third Year; so repopulating won't be hard….Also worth noting that it's a good think the whole turf war storyline is over, because Torchwick and Malachite would have both lost their entire crews.
And now, for the final volume we have a paradigm shift; all of Remnant is going to know everything….Well, not quite everything, but enough.
Of course Pantheon is still alive.
Salem's influence is New Vale is completely gone.
And there's the difference between Salem and Pantheon and even the way the Grimm are 'supposed' to be.
Oh you know we're gonna get a straight up defection at some point.
So, Salem has a new island base to start work on and will certainly have another cataclysmic plan lined up in short order…..Trust me, this one's gonna be great.
Thank you to SumoSnipe and MajorBrony95 for their reviews on the last chapter.
The whole "Reforming inside the Chimera" option would have been gruesome and visually impressive but it wasn't really where I wanted to go with the story, Raffia has met his end.
She had a copy, just not where you thought it was.
Nope, the folks sent to the void are gone, no bodies, no nothing; luckily most if not all of the population were in shelters, so it's just the lowest to the ground shelters that were lost.
Spires are gone entirely, although so is the wall so New Vale is effectively completely unguarded at this point.
It was always gonna be Ren, Yang will be head of Signal when Taiyang finally calls it quits but Ren was Glynda's deputy.
I actually stayed away from Weiss and Gang getting super emotional with Jade straight away, they wanted to and it shows but it would have been awkward for everyone.
Yeah the lucky kitty is back.
The fight between Car and the Chimera was honestly a pleasure to write.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review