Jaune and Courage the Cowardly Dog
Chap 99: Remembrance of Courage's Past
*Warning: Slightly darker themes in this chapter*
"Are there wolves in deserts, Weiss?" Ruby asked, curious when we heard a wolf howling.
"Wolves can live in a variety of habitats, including a desert. But I doubt there are any wolves in Nowhere desert." Weiss answered.
"Quiet." Yang shouted, never taking her eyes off the dumplings Muriel was making.
"I now know why you love dumplings, Jaune." Ren said, occasionally sniffing the air and sighing in bliss from the heavenly scent of the dumplings.
"They remind me of back home." Pyrrha said, smiling. "Honestly, if they taste even half as good as they smell, they'll become my new favorite food."
"While I'm not particularly one who enjoys greasy food, I'm excited to try some if by the scent alone." Weiss said as we placed some plates on the table.
"Wait until you actually try them." Iris said, chuckling.
"I bet they'll taste better than fish." Blake said, drooling a bit.
"Or strawberry cookies."
"Or even pancakes." Nora said, startling Ren.
'Come on, cook faster.' Courage said, staring at the dumplings while drooling. Unable to control himself any longer, Courage started eating the chair.
"Yes, Courage. The chicken dumplings are just about done. I know they are your favorite." Muriel said, smiling.
'YES!' Courage cheered while jumping up and down. Only to fall a moment later due to him slipping on his drool.
"Careful, Courage." I said as I caught him.
"EUSTACE! Dinner is ready." Muriel shouted as she turned off the flames on the stove. "Jaune, help me pass out everyone's food."
"Sure." Grabbing the bowl, I served everyone their food as they sat in their chairs. "Enjoy."
'MMM! MMM! MMM!' Courage moaned as he took a spoonful of dumplings and shoved them into his mouth.
"They're delicious." Pyrrha said as she took a bite out of a dumpling.
"Better than anything I had ever tasted." Yang said, with Ruby, Nora, and Blake agreeing.
"The taste is exquisite, and the meat is savory. It's better than anything the chefs at Atlas could hope to achieve." Weiss added.
"Muriel. May you teach us how to make this?" Ren asked, trying his best to eat correctly but failing.
"Of course. Oh, I'm so glad everyone is enjoying my chicken dumplings." Muriel answered.
"Pass the milk, Jaune." Iris said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
"Sure. Here you go." I said as I grabbed the milk carton and poured her a glass of milk.
"Can you pour us some?" Pyrrha asked.
"Sure." I said before pouring Nora, Pyrrha, and Ruby a glass before the carton ran out. "Courage, can you grab the other one in the fridge?"
'Sure.' He said before getting up and heading to the fridge. He then opened it and grabbed the milk carton before closing it, returning to the table, and pouring everyone a glass.
"Thanks." They said as they resumed eating their new favorite food.
'Huh?' Courage suddenly asked.
"You said something... Courage." I began before trailing off when I noticed the ad on the milk carton that Courage got out of the fridge. Typically, the ads aren't worth paying attention to as they are generally scams. However, this one was different as I personally relate to it.
It was an ad about child abuse.
'If only I knew about these beforehand. Maybe things would have turned out differently.' I thought as memories came back to me.
Flashback
"Why did I have to give birth to such a disgrace?" Mrs. Arc said, disgusted as the Arc Family and I headed toward the graveyard. However, it was no ordinary graveyard. For starters, it was not a public graveyard but rather the Arc Family private cemetery.
"You disgrace the family bloodline. Generations upon generations of noble warriors, and we end up with this trash." Mr. Arc shouted, furious.
"I seriously think Oum created this piece of crap to punish us." My eldest sister said, disgusted.
"Unjustly, might I add." My youngest sister added.
"Why are we even doing this?! It's not like he will amount to anything." My second oldest sister shouted.
"As much as I would love to leave this turd here, this will be good for him." Mr. Arc answered before shoving me onto the grave of one of my ancestors.
"We'll come back for you when you're not a failure." Mrs. Arc said before turning to leave with the others.
"Why?" I muttered under my breath. I never understood why they treated me like this. I always tried my hardest, but it was never enough. Feeling it start to rain, I pulled myself and tried to find any cover to protect me from the elements. The Arc Family never spent any money on me as they said only worthy people get to know comfort. The only time they ever sent me to the doctor was when I was on the brink of death for an injury or sickness. Yet, despite my efforts, I could not find any shelter.
"Why, Oum? Why?" I cried as the simple rain turned out to be a thunderstorm.
Present
"Jaune. Jaune."
"Jaune."
"JAUNE!" Iris shouted, snapping me from my memories.
"Huh, what?" I asked, blinking my eyes several times. It was then that I noticed all my friends gathered around Courage and me. "What happened?"
"Are you alright, Jaune? You spaced out for about ten minutes." Iris said, worried.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I lied.
"What happened?" Pyrrha asked.
"Just some memories came to mind, and I must have gotten lost in them." I half-lied.
"I doubt that. It was your family, wasn't it." Yang said, causing me to nod.
"How did you figure that out, Yang?" Ruby asked.
"While Jaune never told us much about his family, he occasionally told us how terrible and borderline abusive it was." Yang answered before showing everyone the milk carton. "And this as for child abuse must have triggered a flashback."
"I think the same thing happened to Courage." Nora said, getting my attention. Turning to him, we saw Courage giving the same blank, far-off look I must have had moments ago.
"I'm not too sure. But then again, we don't know much about this past." Weiss said, picking up the other milk carton and showing us the missing dogs ad.
"Jaune. Look at me." Iris said, forcing me to look at her.
"Yes."
"Please. Jaune. Whenever something like this happens, tell me. Don't hide it. Hiding it will not only hurt you but hurt me as well. And I don't want to see you hurting. Whatever happens, we can work it out together. Please, tell me." She said with tears streaming down her face. Smiling, I nodded with her pulling me into a hug.
"And don't forget, Jaune. We're here for you as well." The other said, smiling.
"Thanks, guys." I said, smiling. Even though the memories are still fresh in my mind, they sting a little less with my friends, family, and the love of my life around me. However, the moment was ruined when Eustace barged into the kitchen.
"WHERE'S MY DINNER!?" He shouted.
"Here you are, Eustace. Some nice, hot chicken dumplings." Muriel said, setting the bowl on the table as Eustace sat in his chair.
"What's with the stupid dog? And what's he doing sitting at the table?" Eustace asked.
"Courage. You haven't finished your dumplings. Is something wrong with them?" Muriel asked, worried and surprised. She then grabbed the bowl and sniffed them.
"DUMPLING HOGGING DOG! Human food is too good for you." Eustace said, taking the bowl from Muriel and pouring the dumplings onto his plate. "Muriel! From now on, it's dog food for the dog."
"And you get a bashing." Yang growled, catching the bowl Eustace threw at Courage and using it to smash Eustace on the head.
"Oh, my." Muriel said, surprised. However, it was not because of Yang knocking out Eustace, surprisingly. "Look at the time. Everyone, clean up when you're done and head to bed."
"Okay, Muriel. Good night." We said as she exited the room. We then finished our food before heading to our rooms. Although, before I could fall asleep, Iris gave me another lecture about hiding what was troubling me from her. But I didn't mind it as I knew it was because she was worried for me. Plus, it did get into my mind that if I was to move forward and genuinely get over my past, I needed to be open with her and tell her everything. With that in mind, we kissed before getting into bed and falling asleep while cuddling with each other.
Next Day
"How are you feeling, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked as we all met in the living room.
"A bit better." I answered, holding Iris's hand while leaning into her.
"But remember Jaune. We're also here for you. No matter what is happening or what you're feeling, tell us. We won't judge you and will do whatever we can to help." Ren said.
"Thanks, guys. Now, how about I make everyone some breakfast?" I asked before smirking as I knew what they were going to say.
"Can you make some more of those delicious chicken dumplings?" Ruby asked, drooling a bit.
"Sure." I answered, chuckling. However, the mood became tense when we entered the kitchen and saw Courage still sitting in his seat from the previous night.
"Courage? Are you okay?" I asked, worried while running toward him. However, I got no response aside from a small whine.
"Oh, my." We heard Muriel say from behind us. "Courage, you're still here. You haven't moved since last night."
"WHY IS THE DOG-OOF!" Eustace began, but Nora interrupted him by swinging her hammer and hitting him in the face.
"I'm beginning to worry about you, Courage. I don't think he is well." Muriel said, placing her hand on his head and kneeling next to him.
"Have you seen him like this before, Jaune?" Weiss asked.
"No, I haven't."
"Maybe we should take him to the vet?" Blake asked.
"I think that would be a good idea." Muriel agreed, causing Courage to gasp. "Let me grab my purse, and we can head to the vet."
"Are you okay, Courage?" Iris asked but got no response. Now really worried, I picked up Courage and headed to the truck with the others following behind. However, I wondered who the vet was here in Nowhere as I had never seen the Vet building before.
One Hour Later
'Pets of Tomorrow. Why does that name sound so familiar?' I wondered as Eustace began looking for a parking spot.
"Are you okay, Jaune?" Ruby asked, noticing my sad expression.
"Not really." I answered.
"What's wrong?" Iris asked.
"I have never been fond of vets." I answered with a sigh.
"Why?" Nora asked, inadvertently causing more unpleasant memories to surface. However, instead of keeping it to myself, I did what Iris advised me to do and told her and the others.
Flashback
"Please, no. He's only injured." I begged the Arc parents.
"QUIET!" Mr. Arc said as he held my best friend.
After being left at the graveyard, I made a friend in the form of a Jack Russell Terrier, who I named Luna. We instantly became inseparable and did everything together, even though I had to hide her from the rest of my family. Thankfully, Saphron and her then-girlfriend, Terra, agreed to help me hide her. Unfortunately, some of the neighborhood kids decided to beat up again. Luna tried to get them to back off, but they attacked her too and left her in a severely injured state. We would have died had a passing huntsman not intervened. While thankful, I was too injured to tell him not to take us back home. But he did, and my birth parents were furious. And instead of letting me explain what happened or being worried for me, they decided to take us to the vet so he could euthanize Luna.
"If we didn't have a disgrace of a son who wasn't such a failure, this wouldn't have happened, and we wouldn't need to waste our precious money." Mrs. Arc added, dragging me to the vet.
"Please. No." I said through sobs. But that only got me a slap in return.
"Quiet! Don't cry over something so trivial. It's just pathetic. If you truly love this dog, you would have beaten those kids up." Mr. Arc scolded me despite knowing those kids were twice my size, outnumbered me, and had weapons.
"And we would have to waste our hard-earned money. Now sit down and don't say another word." Mrs. Arc said, forcing me into a chair before she and Mr. Arc went into another room with the vet. And as I heard the pained whimpering of my best friend, I could no longer hold back my tears and became a sobbing mess.
Present
"And that's why I'm not fond of vets because of the memories and events I had to go through years ago." I finished retelling how I lost my first and best friend.
"Oh my, Oum." Everyone said, shocked and devastated.
"That's just-." Iris began but went quiet and pulled me into a deep hug.
"I can't believe any family would do that." Pyrrha said, still trying to process everything she had just heard.
"It's just downright cruel." Blake said.
"I'm glad you are no longer associated with them, and they don't know that you're here." Ren said.
"Yeah. No one deserves that kind of life." Ruby agreed.
"But maybe we should teach them a lesson." Yang growled while activating her gauntlets.
"Yeah." Nora agreed with no trace of her usual cheeriness in her voice as she armed her hammer.
"Or we could bring up abuse charges on them. It would be easier to tarnish their name, which they seem to hold above all else." Weiss suggested.
"As much as I would like that and as tempting as it is, don't. It's not worth it." I said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay. But if you change your mind, just tell me." Weiss said, putting away her scroll.
"And sorry for bringing those memories up." Blake said.
"It's fine. And it feels somewhat good to get it off my chest and tell it to the people I trust." I said with Iris pulling me tighter.
"Okay. We're here." Eustace said as he put the car into park.
"You can stay here if you want, Jaune." Pyrrha said as we got out of the truck. "You don't have to come if you don't feel comfortable."
"And I can stay with you." Iris offered.
"I know. But I want to be by Courage's side." I answered, worried as Courage hadn't said a word since yesterday outside a few gasps.
"Okay. But tell is if you feel uncomfortable or need a moment." Weiss said.
"Alright." I said before picking up Courage. "Come on, Courage. Let's get this over with."
'Okay.' He answered with a shiver, causing me to hug him tighter to assure him that everything would be alright.
'And hopefully, no other flashbacks come to mind.' I thought as we walked to the vet.
Inside the Pets of Tomorrow
Ten Minutes Ago
'Is everything going according to plan?' A mysterious voice asked. But what was more bizarre was that the voice came from a seer Grimm.
"Almost, master Salem." An older man with greying hair wearing a veterinarian uniform answered.
'What happened?' The voice asked, sounding none too pleased.
"Funding and weather are the two main problems. The price of fuel and most materials jumped by ten percent in the past week, and I expect them to continue to rise for the foreseeable future."
'Funding isn't a problem. I can move more funds around so you can buy whatever is necessary. But what about the weather?'
"The weather had been too unpredictable as of late. Clear skies are optimal for sending the rockets and keeping track of them."
'Can't you send them regardless of the weather?'
"Not unless you want many civilians killed and for the law to have an easy way to shut me down and for you to lose all the progress we made." The man said. While most wouldn't dare speak freely to the mysterious person, the man wasn't like most people. He knew everything and how valuable his research was to the figure. Plus, he could easily pull the strings on anything if he desired. Basically, he was in complete control, and the figure near it couldn't lose such a valuable asset.
'Very well. The funds will be moved shortly. But what about Cinder?'
"She's in the bathroom vomiting. The parasite you gave her is taking a tow on her body. And with her aura constantly fighting against it, I wouldn't be surprised if she passes out or dies within the week."
'Hmm. I thought I molded the parasite to merge with her aura without any trouble or, at the very least, be undetectable.'
"You probably did. But no matter how prepared one is, the strangeness of Nowhere will blindside and leave speechless even the most prepared of individuals. Even your enemies Ozpin and Ironwood."
'I doubt that-'
"There was a fox and weremole enjoying Cajun Beef Po'boy Sandwiches with Red Eye Gravy in an aquarium yesterday."
'Still-'
"Yesterday, there was a baseball game, and the players were frogs capable of speaking English. And the half-time show were two ducks with red and greens eyes playing the guitar."
'Point taken. But let's move on to more pressing matters. What of the mysterious maiden? Any reports of her whereabouts?'
"No reports yet. But also, whoever she is, is not a maiden. As tempting as it might be to call her a maiden, she is not one. She is from this world, not yours. That means she is a goddess and not a maiden." The man said, annoyed at having to repeat himself.
'Regardless of her title, she must still be found. She can either be beneficial to our plans or detrimental. And as soon as you have any information about her, report back to me.'
"Yes, Salem." The man said with the seer Grimm flying out a window to return to its master.
"Did the seer Grimm leave?" Cinder asked as she exited the bathroom.
"Yes. It left."
"Good. How much longer before you are ready to send the next rocket? I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."
*Ding Ding*
"If these subjects have a dog, then you can leave within a few hours. But you must act like another concerned owner dropping off their pet not to arouse suspicion or my apprentice depending on what the people want." The man answered as he put on a stethoscope before leaving the room.
"Fine. But I'm the owner of a hawk if it comes down to that." Cinder growled as she followed after the man.
With Jaune
"HELLO!" Eustace shouted as he continued ringing the bell.
"Yes. Yes. I'm here." The vet said, sounding annoyed as he grabbed the bell. "Do you have an appointment?"
"A-are you the vet?" Ruby nervously asked as the man looked creepy and insane.
"Yes. I am."
"Sorry, Mr. Vet. We don't have an appointment. It was an emergency. We're worried for Courage." Muriel answered, pointing at Courage, who seemed scared at the vet.
"Very well. Sign in, please." A lady wearing a dark red, off-the-shoulders V-neck mini dress with yellow designs said, pushing a clipboard toward us.
"Who are you?" Weiss asked, curious.
"She is Cinder. She's my apprentice." The vet answered.
"Why does she look familiar?" Weiss asked.
"Maybe I remind you of some childhood trauma." Cinder suggested with a sadistic-looking smirk. "Or possible future trauma and extreme pain."
"No. Wait. I think I saw you on the news about an-." Blake began but stopped when the vet interjected, sounding shocked.
"Mr. Arc?" He asked, looking at me.
"Uh, do I know you?" I asked before adding. "Also, I'm no longer an Arc."
"Once an Arc, always an Arc. You have their blood, so you're still tied to them." The vet said, gaining a creepy smile.
"Answer the question. How do you know, Jaune?" Yang asked, growling.
"I used to be the town vet where the Arc family lived and used to be good friends with them. But I had to move due to financial constraints and other factors."
"Move behind us, Jaune." Iris whispered with her and the others, pulling me back before moving in front of me.
"Now, can you all sign in? We don't have all day." Cinder growled, annoyed.
"Very well." Muriel said, signing all our names onto the paper.
"Okay. Follow me into the room." The vet said before going into the room behind him.
'NO!' Courage shouted.
"Don't worry, Courage. It will be over before you know it." Muriel told him as we placed him on the operating table. However, we did not leave his side or go to sit in the nearby chairs.
"MM-HMM. Ooh. I know just what to do with the dog, but I'd like to have a moment with him alone." The vet said before smiling creepily.
"Of course, doctor." Muriel said.
'NO!' Courage whined.
"Yeah, no. Whatever you're going to say, you can say it with us present." I said, moving closer to Courage.
"No, need to be afraid, Courage. We'll be right outside." Muriel assured Courage.
"While it is touching that you want to be with your dog." Cinder said, sounding disgusted and annoyed. "You all must leave due to the HIPAA compliance."
"Okay, you're definitely not a vet apprentice. The HIPAA compliance is basic knowledge and is the first thing teachers teach their students. It means that doctors cannot divulge their patient's information to anyone outside the immediate family and trusted individuals. But most importantly, the HIPAA compliance only applies to people and faunus, not animals or pets." Weiss said through narrow eyes.
"Augh. Just leave so I can do what I must with the dog." The vet growled before moving to grab Courage.
'EEEH!' Courage shrieked before jumping off the table and running out of the room.
"COURAGE!" I shouted, worried.
"Come on." Pyrrha said. We were about to give chase after Courage, but as soon as we reached the door, we had to dive to the side to avoid getting blown up.
"What's-huh?" Eustace asked.
"Oh, my." Muriel said.
"What just happened?" Ren asked.
"I did." Cinder answered while holding her hand to reveal dust-infused glass.
"I knew you looked familiar. You're the one who attacked us in Vale." Ruby said as everyone pulled out their weapons.
"And you are that annoying child that's been a thorn in my side for far too long." Cinder growled but became surprised when violent winds started to appear. However, she soon smirked when she realized it was coming from Iris. "So it seems we finally found the mysterious maiden."
"How many times do I have to tell you, people? She's obviously not from your world; thus, she is not a maiden. She is a goddess." The vet said, sounding exasperated.
"It doesn't matter. You will-" Cinder began, but Yang stopped her by punching Cinder in the face, sending her flying across the room.
"You guys go get, Courage. We'll handle Cinder." Weiss said, arming Myrtenaster.
"Right." I said, only to be pushed to the side by the vet.
"Not if I get that dog first." He said, cackling before running down the halls after Courage.
"You okay, Jaune?" Iris asked, helping me up.
"I'm fine. But we have to hurry. We can't let that vet get Courage." I answered.
"Right." She said as we ran out of the room.
"Wait for us!" Muriel shouted as she and Eustace ran after us.
'Damn these halls.' I thought as we continued running in the direction we thought Courage had taken.
Unfortunately, it was difficult to tell as all the halls looked the same and the doors were identical as well. After a couple of minutes, the vet turned right and went down a different hallway. However, we decided to go in another direction. Yet, we quickly realized we were now lost as we no longer knew which way to take to get out of here. Nevertheless, we didn't give up. Taking a chance, we started opening every day in hopes of finding Courage behind one. Luckily, after the fifth try, we found him.
"Courage." I said, relieved. We then ran to him and pulled him into a hug. "Don't scare us like that again."
'Okay.' He said, nodding.
"Why did you run away?" Iris asked, worried.
'Okay. Before I lived with Muriel, I lived with my parents. But after an incident, I got my head stuck between the bars of a gate. They took me to this very vet to free me. At first, everything seemed fine. But that changed when he asked to speak with my parents alone. After ripping off my tongue, I tried to find my parents but couldn't. Eventually, I found them being forced into a rocket by the vet. Unfortunately, before I could save them, the vet launched them into space. I barely managed to escape by going into the trash chute, where I then watched the rocket take my parents into space. I never saw them again.' He explained with tears running down his face.
"Come here, Courage. I'm sorry you had to go through that." I said, pulling him into a hug.
"No one deserves to be separated from their caring parents." Iris added.
'Thanks.'
"Come on. Let's leave this place before the vet finds us." I said, standing up.
"But your friends are fighting against that lady. Shouldn't we help them?" Iris asked.
"You're right. But we should find Muriel and Eustace and get them to safety." I answered.
'Right. But we should probably come up with a plan, so we don't get others hurt.'
"Good idea. But first, let's get out of this room. I don't like dark, claustrophobic rooms." I said, feeling my anxiety rise.
"How come? Natural fear, or did something happen?" Iris asked, worried.
"My family." I answered.
'Are you willing to tell us what happened, or is it too painful?'
"It is painful, but it's for the best that I share it. I did promise to be open about what's been bothering me."
"What happened?" Iris asked, grabbing my hand as we sat down on some chairs.
"Okay. It happened when I was ten."
Flashback
'I hate the dark. I HATE IT! I HATE IT! I HATE IT!' I mentally shouted.
I was currently inside a small room no larger than four feet by four feet. Aside from me, there was nothing else in here. There wasn't even a light bulb as Mr. Arc took it away. You might be wondering why I was in such a small room. The answer is simple but also cruel. The Arc parents throw me into this small space every time we have guests over. They didn't want anyone else to know they had such a disgraceful son. And they wouldn't let me out until everyone had left. But I knew they would try to extend the visits as long as they could so they could keep me locked up longer.
'Please let me out. Please let me out.' I mentally begged, knowing full well what would happen if I made any noise that could potentially attract the guests' attention. It has happened before. I tried to get someone to let me out, which only infuriated Mr. and Mrs. Arc. They then shoved me into a cardboard box, taped it so I couldn't escape, and left me in it for a full day.
'Why, Oum? Why?' I thought, feeling tears stream down my face. Knowing it would be at least another five hours before I was let out, I decided to get some sleep.
Present
"And ever since then, I hated being alone in dark, cramped spaces." I finished.
'Jaune.' Courage said, leaning into me.
"I can't believe you had to go through all this." Iris said, pulling me into another hug. "You didn't deserve to go through that."
"Thanks, guys." I said, leaning into Iris. "But, as traumatic as all the experiences were, there is a silver lining."
"What is that?"
"Had I not had a terrible upbringing, I would have never met my brother, Courage, nor you, Iris. The love of my life." I answered, smiling. They smiled as well, with Courage grabbing my hand and Iris kissing me on the lips. But we were brought back to reality when the building shook for a few seconds. "We better get out of here quickly."
"Right." Iris said as we stood up. However, before we could leave, a net came over us with someone pulling us into another room right after.
"Ow. What the?" I asked when the person who grabbed us threw us to the floor.
"None of you are leaving so soon." The voice of the vet announced. And looking toward him, Iris and I noticed that he had Courage in a net. "Ready for the trip, doggy? You remember, don't you? It's your turn now, after all."
"What are you going to do with him?" I asked as we stood up.
"YES! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH MY COURAGE!?" The voice of Muriel shouted. Looking at the entrance, we noticed that she and Eustace had found us.
"YOU'VE SEEN TOO MUCH!" The vet shouted before grabbing another net. He then tried to charge at Muriel, but Iris stopped him by sending a bolt of lightning at his feet.
"Not another step." She warned.
"Now, tell us. What are you going to do with Courage, and why do you have a rocket?" I asked.
"Very well. If you must know, I am part of a study that's conducting research by sending our experiments into space. The experiments in question are dogs."
"Why would you send dogs into space?" I asked, curious.
"The answer is quite simple. Breeding dogs in space is the future." The vet said, pointing to two posters on the wall. One had a normal dog with the words earth dog above it. The second paster had a dog that was muscular, green, buff, and had the words space dog above it.
"But I have a feeling that's not it. There's something else, isn't there?" I asked.
"There is." The voice of Cinder answered. Turning to where it came from, we noticed that she was in a severely injured state and seemed to be struggling just to keep upright.
"What happened to the other kids you claim you can defeat so easily?" The vet asked.
"They'll be here soon. I only managed to give them the slip by using the last of my dust-infused glass and ice dust."
"I thought you would be able to handle them, considering you have these so-called maiden powers due to this parasite your master gave you."
"I have no idea. Something's happened with it. I'm slowly losing the maiden powers; I can feel it." Cinder answered before turning to us. "Now. I will only say this once. You're coming with me."
"What makes you think we'll ever come with you?" Iris asked, summoning a strong storm with even stronger winds.
"This might persuade you." The vet answered, getting out attention.
"No." I muttered. While Iris and I were focused on Cinder, the vet took the chance to grab Muriel and Eustace and threw them into the rocket before closing the door. And in his hand was Courage.
"So, will you come quietly, or will we have to-." Cinder began but stopped when Courage did something that always left me impressed and with a slight headache.
'AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!' He screamed into the vet's stethoscope, resulting in his eardrums rupturing. And even though she was only standing next to the vet, Cinder felt the full force of Courage's scream and fell to her knees while clutching her head.
"Damn dog." Cinder muttered, covering her ears with the vet doing the same.
"Good job, Courage." I said as we raced over to him and grabbed the key from the vet before opening the rocket.
"Oh, thank you, dears." Muriel said as we helped her and Eustace out of the rocket.
"Not-not so fast. I'm-I'm not done yet." Cinder said, struggling to stand up. She then pulled out two weapons that appeared to be made of glass. Knowing we could not avoid this confrontation, Courage grabbed Eustace and Muriel and tossed them into a nearby laundry cart.
"You're really getting on my nerves." Iris growled with her storm returning.
Cinder growled and rushed Iris, only to be sent flying into a wall when Iris increased the wind strength. Undeterred, Cinder got up and attempted to throw some fire dust at us. But due to the winds, it harmlessly flew away. However, this was only to give her some to use some wind dust to counter Iris's winds. Yet she was unable to use it as she had to avoid the lightning bolt Iris sent her way.
"Give up yet?" Iris mocked as her storm continued attacking Cinder with lightning, forcing her to dodge continuously.
"NO!" Cinder growled before raising her swords. However, before she could do anything else, the room's door suddenly flew off its hinges.
"There you are." Yang growled as she and the others raced into the room.
"Great. As if I didn't have enough to deal with today." Cinder snarled.
"Are you guys okay?" Ren asked, never taking his eyes off Cinder.
"We're fine." I answered.
"Did you forget about me?" The vet asked, grabbing onto Iris and my ankles. However, he let go when Courage slammed the rocket's door into his face.
'That felt good.' Courage said, smiling but also glaring at the vet.
"I bet." I said, chuckling.
"Are you going to give up, Cinder?" Ruby asked, aiming her scythe at Cinder. However, before Cinder could say anything, we all went silent when alarms started blaring.
"What's happening?" Weiss asked.
"You really didn't think I would have a backup plan?" The vet answered, holding up a button. And judging by the buzzing sound, we knew that the vet had started the countdown for the rocket.
'Shit.' I thought, knowing we had less than a minute to get out.
"I take it that's our queue to leave." Iris said.
"You can try. All of you ruined everything. Well, If I'm going down, I'm taking you and this maiden with me." Cinder growled, standing up on shaky legs.
"Do I have to-?" The vet began annoyed as he stood up. However, his annoyance gave Pyrrha the chance she needed to use her semblance on the rocket's door and slam it on the vet's face. She then used the door to send him into the rocket.
"Well, that takes care of that. But now we just have one problem." I said as we turned back to Cinder. Luckily, we did not have to worry about her as Nora had a plan.
"DUCK!" She shouted before firing a few grenades at Cinder's feet. And the resulting explosion sent her flying over our heads and into the rocket.
"Watch out." Weiss shouted, causing us to duck again. She then fired some ice dust at the door, sealing it shut and preventing Cinder from escaping.
"Let's go." Iris said as we stood back. "We don't have much time."
"Just need to lock it first. GO!" I told Iris as I grabbed the key that fell out of the vet's pocket and used it to lock the rocket's door. Even though the ice dust was already preventing them from escaping, another layer of certainty wouldn't hurt.
"HURRY, YOU TWO!" Blake shouted.
"Coming." I shouted as I threw the key away. Courage and I then ran as fast as possible to the door. However, before we could leave the room, a metal wall cut us off from them. "SHIT!"
"Oh, no. JAUNE! COURAGE!" Muriel said, worried.
"WE GOT IT!" Yang shouted as she and Nora began pounding against it with their weapons. However, the door was more resilient than we thought.
"JAUNE!" Iris shouted, worried. However, her face changed as she remembered something. "WAIT! HOW DID COURAGE ESCAPE LAST TIME?"
'Last time? I-THE CHUTE!' He said, remembering.
"Where is it?" I asked, trying not to panic.
'This way.' He said as he pulled me to where the chute was.
"WE'LL MEET YOU GUYS OUTSIDE!" I shouted as we reached the chute.
"BE CAREFUL, YOU GUYS!" Ruby shouted before she and the others ran out of the room.
'10...'
'9...'
"You first, Courage." I said, picking him up and putting him in the chute. I then quickly followed suit. Thankfully, the chute was big enough for me to fit in without any problem. Although, we did scream our lungs out as the drop was far longer than we expected. Luckily, we exited the pipe and fell onto some garbage safely. "Ow."
'That took longer than I remembered.' Courage said as we got up. But as soon as he said that, we heard and saw the rocket taking off for space. And we could faintly hear the furious screams from Cinder and the terrified shrieks of the vet.
"Good riddance." I said, relieved that we no longer have to see that cruel man. And while we didn't know Cinder, we were equally glad that she no longer posed a threat. However, as I looked around at our surroundings, I realized something. "Well, Courage. It looks like we're back to where we started."
'What do you mean?' He asked, confused.
"Well, you said Muriel found you in an alleyway after a traumatic event, right?"
'Yeah.'
"The same thing happened to me. Muriel found me after a devastating event."
'I still don't get what you're talking about.'
"What I'm saying is that both our lives took a turn for the better after being found by a caring person in an alleyway. And now, it looks like our lives will take another turn soon."
'Huh. I guess you're right.' He said as we watched the rocket until we could no longer see it.
"JAUNE! COURAGE! ARE YOU TWO ALRIGHT!?" We heard Ren ask. Looking toward the end of the alleyway, we saw everyone running toward us with worried expressions.
"We're fine." I answered.
"That's good. But don't scare me like that again." Iris said as she pulled me into a hug which I gladly returned.
"Well, that was certainly an interesting visit to the vets. But how about we go home, and I can whip us up chicken dumplings." Muriel suggested, causing most of us to drool.
"That sounds good." I said as we got up and headed to the truck.
Two Hours Later
"Isn't it grand being together?" Muriel asked as she rocked in her rocking chair with Courage on her lap.
"It sure is." I answered, leaning into Iris.
"It's the little moments that are the greatest." Ren said as he and the others ate their servings of chicken dumplings.
"But I do wonder what became of the cruel, old veterinarian?" Muriel asked, causing Courage to growl.
"I'm not sure. But wherever he is, let's be glad he won't be harming or experimenting on any other animals." Pyrrha answered, but it was a bit hard to understand her as her mouth was full.
"Though, I'm curious. Who was that lady?" Iris asked.
"Her name was Cinder. She was supposedly one of the leaders of the White Fang or the leader of a group that was working with the White Fang. Honestly, not much is known about her outside of that and the few crimes she committed." Weiss answered.
"But those crimes alone are more than enough for her to be sent to life in prison." Blake added.
"But as the very least now, we no longer have to worry about her." Yang said as she finished her food. But she then gained a mischievous smirk. "You ready for your wedding, Jaune?"
"Yes." I answered, smiling before kissing Iris. But, because I know Yang, I turned back to her and added. "And no. We won't be discussing what will be happening after the ceremony."
"OH, COME ON! YOU HAVE TO TELL ME ALL THE JUICY DETAILS! HOW ELSE AMI I GOING TO TEASE YOU BOTH!?" She pouted, causing us to chuckle. Smiling, I turned back to Iris and continued to kiss her while trying to contain my excitement at the fact that our wedding was only a few days away.
Moon
"Ugh. That was hell." Cinder said as she and the vet finally managed to open the rocket's door.
"And the landing was worse." The vet agreed as they got out.
However, as soon as they stepped out, they heard a menacing growling coming from behind them. They turned around and saw all the experiments/dogs that the vet used to further his research. And the ones that stood out were Courage's parents, who had been waiting for this moment for ages. Yet, the dogs were not the only ones present, as various types of Grimm were also there.
"Oh, no." The vet muttered before the dogs grabbed him and started brutalizing him while ignoring his desperate pleas for them to stop.
"Okay. While-." Cinder began, hoping to get away. However, the Grimm prevented that as they remembered she helped the vet send them to the desolate place.
Notes:
Next Chapters: (1) Wedding Chapter with everyone appearing. And a 'surprise' visit from Ironwood, Ozpin, and the Arc Family. (2) Epilogue.
The next two chapters will be uploaded at the same time. With that said, they might be delayed a bit but hopefully I will be able to upload them within the week.
The wedding will have everyone appear, including Iris's parents. Also, thank you Gamerman22 for writing down Iris's parents in the reviews. I appreciate it.
How should the Arc Family show up? And by this, I mean how should they have learned about the wedding between Jaune and Iris? Through the rumors like others, through Ironwoods and Ozpin, or by Eustace somehow reaching out to them?
A random thought that came but should Lisa Lavender appear and broadcast it?
Lastly, any other ideas/suggestions that I should implement into the wedding?