V3C13: Consequences
AN: Okay, let me take this opportunity for a very lengthy author's note to be honest with all of you.
I didn't want to write this.
I had fully intended on letting this story die. Because, and this is true, I hate this story. I hate this story. It's poorly written, has very little cohesiveness, the plot and background consistency is nonexistent, and all in all it reads like something you'd expect from an edgy twelve year old boy trying to look cool to his friends on 4chan. Every time I go back to re-reading this, I honestly can't get more than a couple chapters in without finding it borderline painful to keep reading.
Long story short, I'm not doing this for me right now. There are two reasons this chapter is coming out. Firstly, and most importantly, me leaving this unfinished is a massive, horrific disservice to you guys. You guys deserve better than me up and bailing because I don't like what I've written. But I must say, the second reason is my therapist (Yes, I'm seeing a therapist. No, it's not that big a deal) talked me into continuing on. That if I don't like it so much, then I need to make steps to fix it. So, that's what I'm doing.
Whether Mistral's Red Devils (the next story), The Black Talon (V4/V5), and Clear as KRYStal (V6/V7) are up next are by and large dependent on how I still feel when I get the epilogues written. But I owe it to you guys, and maybe I owe it to myself, to see this damn thing through to the end.
So, without further ado, and without further wall of text you guys didn't ask for, here's the last chapter (not counting epilogues) of Team Rookie.
The shrieking in the distance made Yang shoot her head up. Turned out to be just some kids on the other side of the park she was visiting. Used to not bother her in the past. Used to not be a problem. That changed last month. Like so many things changed. The breeze felt nice, the air crisp and cool. The sun felt warm, today being an unreasonably warm day for the last week of November. Yang wanted to say that she can't remember the last time she felt warm, but that'd just be hyperbole.
"Ready to move on, sis?" Ruby asked.
She merely nodded, not trusting words. Yang hated the question. She didn't hate Ruby, obviously; she didn't even hate that she asked it. Rubes and Dad thought it'd be good for her to get some fresh air. Decided to go to the park in Patch. She remembered when she and Rubes were just little girls, running around out there without a care in the world. Pretending that they were great and mighty Huntresses, going on awesome adventures. How she missed those days, Yang reflected, reminiscing as Ruby pushed her wheelchair along.
Yang could forget about being a Huntress, or about going on awesome adventures. She'd be lucky if she ever walked again.
As they made their way along the path, people almost universally glared at her, or moved to the other side of the path, and whispered behind her back. More than one person spat at her. The courts may have cleared her of any wrongdoing, but the Court of Public Opinion was not so forgiving. People needed someone to blame for the attack on Beacon, the damage that the kingdom had suffered. And now, people she'd once considered her friends for her entire life now openly despised her. Businesses closed their doors when she was pushed too near. Brian – the local butcher. Yang remembered spending her teenaged summers working for him, helping him in his shop while she saved up the money for Bumblebee. She could also remember how much it had hurt when he had slammed the door in her and Dad's face, openly refusing to do business with them. She could understand it to a degree, she supposed. Yang reminded them. She reminded them of what they lost.
When the casualty lists were publicly released, nobody could believe it. Every hunter fallen during the Battle of Beacon was listed by name – and it had been a long list. CVFY, CRDL, SSSN, ABRN, BRNZ, JYDE, OPUL, and more. So many students, all dead. Was it any wonder, then? Nobody wanted to talk about the Generation that Disappeared. Every single team of Hunters-in-training were all slaughtered.
All, except two. RWKY and JNPR. The only two teams to not be exterminated. And, incidentally, the only two teams with members being openly accused of helping the attack happen in the first place. Never mind that her spine was literally ground into gravel. Never mind that Pyrrha was nearly killed – six weeks later, and even with Aura healing she was still hobbling around on crutches. Never mind that…
No. Kassidy's going to wake up any day now. I'm sure of it! She's going to be –
"You're shaking again, Yang," Ruby said, voice too cold, too distant. "Here, let's stop."
Rubes pulled her to the side of the path, where there happened to be a bench. Fortunately, there was nobody else here. Nobody to judge her for what she did and didn't do. Nobody to judge for her failures. Here, for a little while, she could just try and buckle up, try and get her composure together, try and help Rubes. Gods, she hasn't been giving Rubes the support she needs. Gets her damn boyfriend skewered, everyone she knows killed, and she's the one that has to look after her good-for-nothing big sis. For a little while, they could hug it out, and for a little while Yang could be the big sis she's supposed to have been these past weeks.
It gave her something else to think about. Something to try and distract her from her own girlfriend. From a partner – combat, romantic, and more – that's now been six weeks comatose, with no end in sight. Yang couldn't visit her, though. Not for lack of trying. Council's orders, they said. They always said council's orders. They always said that it was for a pending investigation. It was for a pending investigation that they had four androids posted outside her room at the hospital at all times, why the one, singular visitor Kassidy was allowed to have was a kingdom-vetted doctor, someone whose loyalties weren't in question.
"Hey! Ruby, Yang! Is that you?"
The familiar voice got both of them to look up, and Yang's eyes widened. It seemed that Team JNPR had the same idea that they did, visiting this park in Patch. She didn't know why they were in Patch, but it didn't matter.
"Guys!" Ruby yelled, and for the first time in six weeks she'd activated her Semblance in a mad dash to latch onto her fellow team leader. Yang smiled at the sight, what felt like the first smile she'd had in weeks. The smile faded, though, when she tried to push herself up to greet them too. Even after all this time, and occasionally she'd still forget that she couldn't walk anymore. Grimacing at the reminder, Yang had to settle for wheeling herself along the path towards them. Fortunately, they all made their way over so she didn't have to go as far.
Look at you, making your friends go out of their way to accommodate you. What a disgrace…
"How's things… y'know, going?" Jaune asked lamely.
"Good, I guess," Yang sighed. She looked at Pyrrha, and only just now noticed that she was without crutches. "Leg doing better?"
Pyrrha nodded, shifting her weight off her leg in the walking boot. "Had an appointment this morning. Doctor Narud said that the boot would be good for now, as long as I don't strain myself."
"He's the only one willing to treat you too, huh?" Yang asked somberly. She sighed, again. These long and awkward pauses were getting ridiculous, far too many of them these days. "What brought you guys all the way out here?"
The fact that all four of them were opening and closing their mouths for a few seconds, each trying and failing to start talking, should have been the first clue. It was eventually Ren that managed to form words. "Your dad told us we could find you here."
"Huh?" Rubes asked, finally speaking up. "You were looking for us? Why?"
"Because," Jaune began. He choked back a sob, and tried again, "Because."
"Because why?" Yang prompted.
"I'm sorry," Jaune whispered. Finally, he got down and knelt in front of Yang. The fact that he grabbed her hands, while also being unable to meet her eyes, should've been the second clue. It took him a good few seconds to finally force it out.
"Kassidy's dead."
Yang's world fell out around her. There was… it couldn't… there had to be…
"What?" she whispered. It was all she could bear to say.
"When we left my appointment," Pyrrha began, tears spilling through and sobs forcing their way out, "we overheard a commotion, an-and we went to s-see what it was. T-The androids, they-they were in the middle of pulling out a sheet-covered gu-gurney from her room. I-Inside, it was em-empty. All the machinery was unplugged. Kassidy wasn't there anymore."
"No," Yang whispered. "No. You're… wrong. You're wrong. You're lying." Ruby had started hugging her almost immediately, but Yang didn't even notice through the tears. "Kassidy… Kassidy wouldn't just die like that. She – she can't die, right? Not from that. No, not from that at all. She's had worse. She's – you're lying to me. Why would you lie to me?"
"I'm sorry, Yang," Jaune whispered. "It's all… it's all my fault."
Lavender eyes snapped up, and for the first time in six weeks Yang could feel the fire in her – the rage that oh so desperately wanted a release. "What did you just say?"
Jaune must not have heard her tone or looked up to see what had to have been a murderous glint in her eye. "Pyr was in trouble. When Kass woke up, she – she said she could sense Pyr, that she could use her Semblance to bring her back." Jaune stopped to wipe some tears on his sleeve, then brokenly started again, "I… I was desperate. I begged her to bring Pyr back. And she did. And…"
"You…" Yang seethed. Hands smashing down into the armrests of her wheelchair, she nearly sent Jaune flying back just with the tone of her voice. "You got her killed! You murdered my K!"
"Yang, please!" A new voice. A new person. A new target. Nora flinched when Yang looked at her, and gods if she wasn't lucky that Yang couldn't walk anymore. Quickly, voice uncharacteristically quiet, Nora continued, "We tried talking her out of it. She volunteered to go get Pyrrha back. We didn't force her to do anything, you've gotta believe me!"
And just like that, her anger winked out. What had once been a roaring flame, now so small it just went out like a candle. Drowned in the river of tears she cried. She didn't know how long she was like that. Didn't want to know. What she did know was that when she could bear to open her eyes again, it was only because Ren was holding onto her shoulder, Semblance flowing to cut her off from her emotions. Her eyes narrowed, she opened her mouth to say something, but just like that Ren took his hand off her shoulder while also shaking his head.
"So…" a tiny squeak of a voice started. As one, the five of them turned to Rubes. "What do we do now?" They all spent far too long looking at each other, staring like deer caught in headlights, nobody willing to say anything. Gods know how long they would've stood like that if Ruby's Scroll hadn't started ringing. An unknown number, but she'd answered anyway, apparently as desperate as them for a distraction of any kind.
"Ruby? Ruby, are you there?"
"Weiss!" Ruby screeched. "Oh Dust, it's been weeks! Where are you? Are you alright? How's –"
"Shh!" Weiss hissed. "Keep it down!"
"Weiss?" Yang asked, hoping against hope that was, indeed, Weiss. Her teammate that basically got kidnapped by her father and shuttled back to Atlas. Her teammate that Yang was growing certain that she'd never hear from again. "What's going on?"
"Nothing good," Weiss whispered. "Look, things are horrible, I don't have a lot of time."
Jaune opened his mouth to say something, but Yang cut him off with a choked sob. "She's dead, Weiss. K's dead."
From what she could see of the Scroll's screen, Weiss' jaw dropped. "But, no… actually, that explains far too much."
"What do you mean, that explains too much?" Jaune blurted out.
Weiss took a breath, before beginning, "Things are moving fast here, and they're probably moving faster over there. Look, guys, you're all in danger."
"What kind of danger?" Ruby pressed.
"Public opinion's starting to turn against the Kingdoms," Weiss explained. "They need… they need a scapegoat. Kassidy's been getting drug through the mud at every opportunity; it seemed like you couldn't go an hour without something about the attack being blamed on her."
"How could they do that?" Yang asked.
"It doesn't matter," Weiss urged. "What matters is that she's dead now. They can't blame a corpse, so now they're blaming us."
With no small amount of uncertainty, Pyrrha asked, "What do you mean, blaming us?"
"I've…" Weiss began, having to stop as she gave a sob of her own. "I've been stripped of my position. I'm no longer the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."
"WHAT?!" Everyone yelled.
Weiss' eyes flew wide, panic etched into every muscle. "Quiet, guys! General Ironwood's going mad, and my father's going mad right along with him! They've got me under house arrest – I have guards outside to make sure I can't leave my bedroom."
"How – how can he do that?" Ruby cried.
"I don't know," Weiss admitted. "I had to steal this Scroll from the servant who brought my breakfast – it's only a matter of time before he realizes it's missing." Shaking her head, Weiss seemed to try and bring herself back to focus. "Look, that's not important. They're blaming me, and now they're starting to come after you guys too. Especially you, Pyrrha." Locking eyes with her through the Scroll's screen, Weiss began, "They're even –"
She was interrupted by a knocking sound. "Miss Schnee? What are you doing in there? Who are you talking to?" Weiss' face drained of all color in less than a second.
Ruby asked, "Weiss?"
"I've got to go! Stay safe, all of you!" Weiss said, instantly cutting the connection.
For the longest time, they all just stood there, staring at Ruby's Scroll. Yang was pretty sure she was hyperventilating, but with as little attention she was paying it could've been anything, really. After how many minutes, it was finally Jaune that spoke up, "If she says that they're blaming us, then…"
"There they are!"
More voices, more interruptions, more demands. Yang was going tired of them – an emotion that very quickly turned to pure and utter terror when turning around showed three full squads of Valean police, completely in riot gear, move up and began squaring off with them. Some aimed their rifles at them, others moved around and surrounded them. Jaune went for his sword, but for Pyrrha holding his arm back.
Another officer walked up, past the solid wall of bodies, past the solid wall of rifles staring them down. He looked at all of them, before yelling out, "Pyrrha Nikos! For the crimes of murder, treason, and conspiracy against the Four Kingdoms, in addition to miscellaneous other crimes, you are hereby under arrest! Surrender peacefully, or we are authorized to use deadly force!"
"What?! That's insane!" Ruby yelled. Yang saw, with horror, that her arm went to her back. It was only sheer luck that Ruby didn't think to bring Crescent Rose with her. "She didn't do anything wrong – she was tricked! She nearly got killed trying to stop the attack!"
"Stand aside, girl!" the lead officer shouted at her. "If you continue to interfere, you will be charged as an accomplice to Miss Nikos' crimes, in addition to obstructing justice!"
Jaune, Yang could see with wide and tearful eyes, was liberally fighting back against Pyrrha trying to keep him from drawing his weapon. "This is ridiculous!" he cried out. "She nearly gets murdered for you people, and you repay her by arresting her!"
"Miss Nikos, this is your last chance! Surrender to the law, or we will use force!"
Yang broke down. She couldn't. She just couldn't. How many more friends did she have to lose? How many more have to be taken away from her? And here she was, so weak, so useless, such dead weight that she couldn't do anything but sit and bawl like a baby when her friends needed her most.
"Enough!" Pyrrha cried out, and only when the chatter died down did Yang realize that everyone had been yelling. She took a wobbly step forward and asked, "If I go with you, will you leave my friends alone?"
That was the wrong question to ask, if some of the sneer sent her way were any indication. Some person behind them asked, "What, trying to protect your traitor friends, you damn coward?" A few more voices added their opinions to the choir.
"Silence!" the lead officer yelled out. Turning back to Pyrrha, he answered, "You're the only person on this warrant. Do you surrender?"
"No, Pyr!" Jaune yelled out. He grabbed Pyrrha's arm and tried to drag her back. "Don't do this Pyr. Don't you dare do this. I almost lost you once – like hell I'm losing you again!"
A few tears dropped down Pyrrha's cheek. She gave him a light kiss, before saying, "I'm sorry. But it'll keep you guys safe. And you know I'm innocent – I'm sure it won't take any time at all to set the record straight." Finally pushing Jaune back, she shambled out and called back, "Yes, I'll go with you."
"No," Yang whispered, once more breaking down as she watched three different people tackle Pyrrha to the ground, uncaring – no, outright relishing – at how she cried out as they broke her already injured leg. She couldn't see anything, anymore, not through the tears. She felt someone hug her. She guessed it was Ruby. Either way, she hugged back and buried her face in their hair, holding on for dear life.
This wasn't happening.
This isn't real.
Right?
… right?
AN 2: And with that, a-bleep a-bleep a-bleep, that's all folks! The main story of Team Rookie (RWKY) has drawn to a close. What a ride. I… I don't even know where to start. Took damn near three years to get here. Should've taken half that time, but I suck at schedules. And, at a finaly tally…
102 chapters. 600 reviews – by the way, big shout-out to AndJrew76, who could've guessed my first ever follower/favoriter giving us the big six-double-oh. 306 follows. 250 favorites. As of this moment, 144,436 views. 465,162 words. Um… we got added to three communities! Including, and this is hilarious, it's in a community for RWBY No Yuri, and Lesbian Fanfictions at the same time. I dunno, you try explaining that to me.
It took me far too long to get here. This isn't the kind of story I'm proud of. It's not what you guys deserve after you stuck with me all this time. But, regardless, thank you. Thank each and every one of you for joining on this journey with me. Words don't do this justice. It doesn't do justice for my apology and regret, nor for my pride and gratitude.
Sorry guys, but no Reviewer Responses this time. I'm tired. I've got work in the morning. I've still got homework to do. And… really, I'm not sure what kind of justice I can give them after this point. There's really only one way I can end this. One thing to leave everyone reading this.
A boot to the head.
And another for Jenny and the wimp.
