Alright, still adding to this story, I'll also be taking the lack of comments as a sign that I'm doing something right. Otherwise y'all would tell me, right? Right? Yeah of course y'all would. So anyway let's keep this thing going and see if we can pick up more followers and favorites. I appreciate you all.


[Sarge's Ranch]

Mercury Black lifts up her head, arms and legs in position for a fight as Sarge takes a swing at her with his left hand, but the young man easily blocks it with two arms, pushing his hand away from her. The interplay repeats with his right and Mercury's left, only this time the young teen used the momentum to turn and come back at his mentor with a roundhouse kick. Sarge hardens both arms up to block it, his legs in a lunge. He gives his student a solid punch, pushing him back a few feet.

The fight between the soldier and assassin ensues with grunts, deflects, blocks and hits as Sarge stands alone and moves forward, doing his own haymaker barrage. Mercury raises his knee to his chest to block Sarge's strike as his back foot slid against the dirt. With a loud cry, she pushed it up and back. Sarge rushes as Mercury waited for an opening and delivered a sliding kick using his better healed foot, she knocked him back with a single hit.

Holding onto his gut, Sarge slides through the dirt, his feet flat on the ground until he comes to a stop.

Sarge complimented the newly healed Merc, "Whoa, you sure ya ain't part mule faunus?!"

"We've been at this for weeks. I get it, you wanna make sure I can still fight." Mercury panted catching himself, "I think I can handle myself."

"You're close." He stands upright, no longer nursing his arm. Walking around his student in a circle, to assess the progress.

"Oh, really?"

"You're still fighting blind."

"What?! No I'm not!" Mercury argued making a joke out of it, "Last I checked I still see 20/20, are you sure you're not talking about yourself old timer."

Sarge comes in from the side, delivering a left hook right into his face. Mercury's upper body rears back both from impact and surprise. He is ready to catch his right hook, however, and uses the turning momentum to deliver an elbow jab. Grinning the entire time, Sarge blocks it and then dodges all the kicks he follows through with. Mercury goes for a final roundhouse, but Sarge is too experienced for him. While he uses his left hand to block an elbow thrust, Tai has grasped his leg and pulled it forward. The position puts Yang in the position of having her balance rely on the weight of the one leg in back, "I wasn't talking about your actual sight." He pushes Mercury backwards, sending her onto the ground on her back. He leaves her there and walks over to Zwei, who happily gets the top towel for him, "Although, we could use another checkup."

Sarge grabs his red shirt off and rubs his sweaty face down, meanwhile arms spread on the ground, Mercury takes a breath before speaking, "Can we not speak in riddles?"

While Sarge was toweling off his sweat he reviewed his student, "I saw your tournament fights. During the Vytal Festival."

"Let me guess, 'I was sloppy.'" Mercury used an impression of Sarge.

"No, no, you were unpredictable, which is good for enemies but bad for teammates. Also... cocky. And... maybe a little boneheaded." The judgement makes Merc sit up and spin to stare at his new teacher, "Do you realize that you left your teammates by themselves to handle one or two fighters by yourself?"

Mercury spun around correctly to have her back to him, "So what? How is me going up against more people a problem for me?"

Tossing the shirt on the post nearby Sarge moved toward Merc, "Because not everyone else's has past experience like you." He laughed as he crouched by his side, "I'm serious! Ya got more knowledge than most people do when it comes to fighting, including people my age! It's great when you're in a bind, but what happens if you miss? What happens if they're smarter? What then? Now you're just weak and tired! You've always been one to think before most of your actions, except at chess and keeping your mouth but we'll work on that later. But you gotta keep your head in check. Keep it level, and think before you act. Ya got skill but other's have semblances, you can't let yourself rely on skills and smarts. It won't always save you." He lowers his head, sadness creeping into his tone, "Obviously. You don't lack strength like Emerald."

Sarge faced the open field not looking back while Mercury spoke, "Oh, so now we can talk about her? Sarge, why'd you save Emerald? I know why you saved me but why her?"

"Let's just say I failed someone very close to me and Emerald reminds me so much of her that maybe I felt I might do right." He turned around, "I'm proud of how much of I've seen you both grow but, I'm scared of how've fast y'all have grown on your own."

"Why?"

"I had a kid once, and a wife... then the one time I chose to be smart and run my mouth. That cost me her. I lost my wife, I had to abandon my kin to make sure they were safe. I had to do everything, to disappear, now I wonder what would have happened if I kept a cool head. There's a time speak, time for anger, time for everything." He extended his hand to assist Mercury off the dirt, "Come on - one more before dinner."

Mercury takes his hand and he helps her up. They circle each other, arms at the ready. Sarge makes the first move with a left hook, followed immediately by a right cross and a kick. Mercury blocks and dodges, continuing to avoid being hit even when Sarge jumped in the air for a smash. Merc cartwheeled, avoiding him and he lands across from Mercury. They face off again, Sarge used a single punch and kick. Veering to avoid it, Merc rolled a few feet away before turning and rushing at him. They meet in the middle, each with their left hand on the other's right elbow, pushing against each other. "Heh. See? Alright! Now you're using your head instead of your—"

Mercy kicks his leg out from underneath him but catches him as he falls back. They pause in that pose, grasping hands and smiling together.


[On The Road Again]

Qrow was being carried in gurney made by Tucker and Jaune while Jaune with Donut carried said gurney as everyone else had their weapons ready. Even Tucker with his broken sword, he was still determined to use it as an effective blade for stabbing and making slices and cuts. Everyone had their guard up while hurrying to take Qrow to the Haven Academy in Mistral, as the oldest among kept struggling to stay conscious while he was knocked out. Caboose had stayed in the back as he kept his hands folded to avoid getting angry, with the twins and Emerald by his side.

The old Qrow kept tossing and turning in the gurney as the wound kept getting worse and eventually effecting him even greater than before. Ruby kept her head down trying to think of what to do next or trying to cope with what was happening by blaming herself. A swordless samurai in her party decided to fix that.

Tucker lept back and walked beside her with his hands interlocked behind his head, "Hey Ruby how ya doing?"

"I'm... fine..." Ruby awkwardly lied as she changed her thought to something else.

Tucker wasn't too convinced so he tried to help out more, "Y'know I never thought I'd see you again... I have to admit you're looking great. Leading your new team, man I bet everyone would be so proud to see you again."

"Thanks..."

"So... uh... new outfits huh? I have to admit I do like the new corset you're rocking, very... uhh... fitting, I guess. I honestly don't know how to talk to you after everything that happe-"

"Why did you leave Yang?" Ruby questioned.

Everyone heard the word leave her mouth as they remained silent for a moment before quietly walking forward waiting for that conversation grenade to be defused or explode. Tucker actually shut up for a moment before answering as he admitted the truth.

Tucker put his arm down, "Ruby, I didn't leave Yang, she kicked me out."

"What? But why? I thought you and her... What?" Ruby wondered.

Tucker sighed as he stepped forward, "When Blake left and Yang woke up it seemed like she was disappointed... Like I wasn't good enough. It's clearly obvious who she was wanting to be there." He looked down at the dirt on his shoes drawing what could be assumed was a fire before brushing it out, "I tried to comfort her but nothing was working... No use in trying to dig for water in a desert. After a while I asked Tai if he was good and left for Haven, but the school sent me out here to handle some business."

"But Yang wouldn't just use you like that, she's better than that." Ruby defended.

Tucker waved his hands frantically, "No she didn't use me, I'm sure... I just... I think she wanted to be alone. It's fine... I just hope that I gave her some good memories along the ride." Tucker realized he was bringing her down, "Besides, I bounce back and knowing Yang I bet she'll be on her feet soon."

"Yeah you're right. Everyone gets back on their feet." Ruby admitted.

Tucker smiled back at her, "Y'know I wasn't gonna say anything but did you wear that corset to make your boo-"

"Stop it." Ruby jokingly threatened slugging his arm.

Tucker shut up then smiled back, "We should catch... don't want to worry the others."


[Menagerie]

"Keep up Grif!" Sun shouted back at the larger faunus.

Grif kept panting as he struggled to keep running, "Fuck... me..."

"C'mon bro... hurry up..." Kaikaina went on ahead of him. Grif sucked it up and chased after everyone.

Blake Belladonna and the masked White Fang member leap from tree to tree, Blake in pursuit of the other Faunus. They both pause for a moment, gripping different trees. A noise above the spy makes her gasp and Sun Wukong appears, dropping down.

"Gotcha!" Sun shouted before she leaps on, out of his path. Blake pursues while Sun lands on a branch, "Hey, wait up!"

"Don't let her out of your sight!" ordered leaping after her

The spy emerged from the trees and onto a roof, continuing to run across the buildings, Blake right behind her. Sliding under some arching pipes, she finally turns and stops. Using her weapon in whip form, she slices the pipe, releasing steam to block Blake. It doesn't work; Blake moves right under the pipes through the steam, "Why are you watching me?"

The girl smiles and lowers her weapon. Sun lands on the roof behind her, causing her to turn around.

"Give it up! I'm not above hitting a girl, you—" He gets cut off when the spy's whip comes at him in an attack, which he falls back to avoid. Blake takes advantage of the distraction to kick the Scroll out of the spy's hand. The girl is surprised, avoids Blake's next attack, responds with a kick of her own and attempts to retrieve the Scroll but is put in headlock by Grif.

"Grab the damn thing! You made me RUN! You are despicable." Grif declared.

"Get off!" The whacked Grif in the funsack as she threw him over the shoulder at Sun. She made another run but didn't count on Kai slugging her in the face, cracking off the part of the mask covering her left eye, as she stumbled she tries to race Blake to the Scroll. Instead, first one and then a total of four clones tackle her. Sun is holding his pose to control his Semblance and Blake pauses.

"Quit staring and grab it!" Sun demanded as Grif got up clutching his balls.

Blake listened, and Sun finally released his Semblance, which he had been struggling to maintain, and falls to his knees. The clones disappear from atop the girl as she rises and aims her weapon at Blake.

Sun called out from his weakened state, "Blake, watch out!"

Blake turned, rising with the Scroll in her hand. She sees the broken Grimm mask crumble from the spy's face, "Ilia."

Sun got to his feet, "Wait, you know her?! But she doesn't even look like a f—aagh!"

He gets cut off when the color-changing Ilia strikes an electric hit near his shoulder with her weapon. Sun cries out and falls.

"Sun!" Blake called out.

Ilia demanded as she aimed her weapon at Blake, "Give it to me."

"How 'bout FUCK... You..." Grif rushed her but got the end of her whip as well.

Blake was about to reach out but Kai stopped her, "Don't worry, remember my brother is part wolverine. Which means a little pain never don't bring him down."

Like a feral beast he began to swing at Ilia, as she kept whipping at him with her electric strikes. One took Sun down, but all of those ones were just making Grif mad as he rushed at her like a mad bull. He missed all of his hits but kept charging until Ilia hit him with a cheap shot and kicked him square in the nuts from behind. That hit knocked him out of his berserker state and made him fall over clutching his manhood.

"Give it to me." Ilia demanded.

Blake moved from behind Kaikaina and stood with her arms open, ready to defend, "No."

Ilia changed color again to a sad blue with purple spots, "You shouldn't have come back."

She used her weapon to create a rush of dust, which allowed her to escape. Blake briefly acknowledges that Ilia has disappeared before rushing over to her friend, "Sun! Sun!"

"I'm fine too... augh... my balls." Grif groaned from the floor.

Blake and Kai ignored Grif and kept trying to wake and care for Sun, "Just hold on okay... just hold on...


[Back in Anima]

The landscape is looking dreary as Ruby Rose can be heard breathing heavily. As Ruby leans in on the side to speak to her uncle, "Just hold on, Uncle Qrow."

Caboose and Jaune Arc carry Qrow on a makeshift stretcher. Lie Ren and Tucker are before them on the path, leading the way while Nora Valkyrie and Emerald's team bring up the rear. Qrow is groaning in pain and is a touch delirious.

"Tai. She's not... coming..." Qrow grunted in pain as he called out for his brother in law who wasn't there, "Tai."

Qrow coughs repeatedly bringing attention from Jaune, "He's getting worse."

"How much farther?" Ruby asked.

Nora had no clue herself, "We've gotta be close."

"Without the map, there's no way of knowing. But I feel like we're close to something." Ren holstered StormFlower.

"What is it?" Emerald called from the back. Directly ahead is a fork in the road with a signpost. They are coming from the direction of Higanbana. Kuchinashi and Mistral are to the right, where the land is mountainous. To the left is a place with it's name crossed out. The path that way remains low ground.

Nora was excited for a moment, "Hey, hey! Mistral! We're on the right path! Oh..."

"Does it say how close?!" Militia asked.

"No. And it looks like the path takes us up the mountains." Ren admitted looking to the mountains.

Jaune and Caboose set Qrow down, as Jaune looked down, "Guys, I don't know if all of us can make that climb."

Ruby looked at Qrow, concerned, before rushing forward to the signpost, "Okay. Well, what about this place? Kuro... Kuroyuri? Can we get help there?"

"That village was destroyed years ago." Ren answered.

Jaune looked at his teammate with a bit of optimism, "But if it takes us around the mountains, it's the best bet we've got."

Ren sternly replied, "It will take too long."

"The town would have had a doctor, right? Maybe we could scavenge for medicine!" Ruby suggested.

Tucker joined forward as he offered his take, "Right! Me and Donut can scout ahead and check out both sides and be back quick."

Ren closed his eyes, lowering his head and shaking it, "We're not going to find anything! We just have to press on!"

There is just a brief moment of silence. Ruby watches him, clutching her hands before her chest.

"Ren, why are you acting like a—" Emerald was about to go off.

Nora had cut Emerald off before she continued and coming up beside Ren, "We can split up."

"What? But..." Caboose sounded heartbroken.

Nora put her hand on Ren's shoulder, "Ren and I can cut through the mountains while you all go take Qrow around through the village."

"No, we're supposed to stick together! We keep each other safe!" Jaune argued with that not wanting to lose them in case anything bad happens.

Nora wasn't budging on the matter, "We don't have time for safe! If we make it to Mistral, we'll bring back help! If we don't, at least we'll have a better view of the land! Up there, we can see if there's somewhere else we can go!"

Ren turns and looks at Nora, exchanging small, affectionate smiles, still holding his gaze, Nora drops her hand from his shoulder. All party members remain silent, feeling the weight of the choice before them. Qrow coughs, making them all turn in concern and giving the motive to continue.

Jaune looks at Ruby before turning to Nora and Ren, "OK. but I'm coming with you." Tucker answered putting his foot down.

Jaune stepped forward and he and Ren hug each other, "Just take care of each other."

Nora smiled at Ren after hugging Emerald and Ruby, "We always have."

"Watch over them okay?" Jaune pleaded to Tucker.

Tucker nodded, "Of course."

On the path to Kuroyuri, Jaune and Caboose lift Qrow, while everyone had their weapons drawn, Donut and a Kunai attached to a rope. They turn to Nora, Ren and Tucker, who are on the path through the mountains to Mistral. They nod and Nora waves. Ren starts to turn, looks back one more time, and then runs as Nora follows, with Tucker leading them.

Ruby confidently, offered comfort, "They're gonna be fine, Jaune."

"You don't know that." Jaune turned her down.

Emerald came up next to Ruby and leaned in to speak to her, "Don't worry Ruby, he's just down. We'll be fine."

Ruby turns forward, her feelings restored as the began moving forward, her step leaves an imprint on the ground, shortly after overlapped by Jaune's own. Caboose looked back to see that their footsteps tread over another, larger mark—the same one discovered in Shion, "Huh... neat."


[In Kuroyuri, a few minutes later]

A cracked signed bearing the name Kuroyuri rests against the ruins of a spot in the village. Ruby Rose takes point with Emerald Sustrai, as Caboose and Jaune walk down the road, carrying Qrow Branwen on a stretcher. The twins and Donut behind knuckled up and ready for a fight as they pause and look unhappily around.

"Oh, man." Jaune looked at the sight around them.

Ruby urged everyone to go forward, "Come on." They continue forward as Ruby looked around, "Any of these places look like a pharmacy?"

"It's... honestly hard to tell." Donut admitted, "Maybe we can ask around... oh... right..."

Among the ruins is an abandoned bicycle.

"Ren really didn't want to come here, did he?" Emerald pointed out at the sad sight.

"Uh... didn't seem so." Caboose recalled.

"Do you know... why?" Ruby turned to Jaune.

Jaune sighed, "I think I have a pretty good idea..." Jaune walks up to Ruby in the ruins of Kuroyuri, as Donut ans the twins get back from scouting.

"Nothing." Donut answered looking to the floor in shame.

Emerald takes Jaune's spot and picks up the stretcher with Caboose as they move Qrow Branwen to lean against a dead sakura tree, groaning. Though not conscious, he holds a hand over his wound. Ruby crouched near his legs as everyone stood over them both.

A creature makes a loud noise from off in the distance, causing both all of them to turn. Jaune's hand immediately goes to his sword and looks around for the source of the noise.

"It's far off." Ruby calmed everyone down.

Jaune release his blade, "I know, but Ren and Nora are still out there."

Ruby looks at Qrow before standing and approaching Jaune, "I'm sorry."

"Huh?" The group turns around to face her, though she is not looking up.

Ruby was nearing the point where her tears would leak, "This is all my fault. I should have never dragged you guys into this."

"You didn't drag us in. We wanted to come." Jaune argued.

Ruby admitted, "But you didn't know about Tyrian, about—"

Caboose cut her off with a hug and embraced her face in his chest, "We lost... We lost Pyrrha. You lost her, too. And Penny, and your team, and in a way... your sister. But you're still here, despite everything you've lost, everything you could still lose, you chose to come out here." Everyone looked at Caboose and looked down as they started to become emotional as he continues, "Because you felt like you could make a difference." They lift their heads as a break of sunlight shines on Caboose from behind, while rain began starting to drizzle down, "You didn't drag us along. You gave us the courage to follow you."

He puts his hand on her shoulder. They all smile at him, grateful, and he smiles back to his friends who remembered who he is truly is.


[In the Mountains]

Wind blows with the whistling note of high altitude as present-day Ren walks a stony ledge. Before him is more of the mountain, with a cave just ahead. He turned to Nora, as she comes up behind him, Tucker in front of him, "We never get the easy path, do we?"

"Easy's no fun anyway." She drops her hands from her head and turns to him, "You OK?"

Ren turned with a nod, "Mmm. And you?"

"I've got you here, don't I?" Nora sassed back at him.

Tucker rolled his eyes, "Awww aren't you guys adorable. Hurry up and kiss or I'm leaving you all."

Ren looks at her as if he does not know what to make of Tucker's response.

Nora gestured with her hand as she moved forward, "Come on. There's more than one way up a mountain."

Ren watched her for a beat before smiling, thunder rumbles and Ren loses the smile, turning to look up at the sky.

"Hey! There's wind blowing out of this cave!" Nora pointed showing them the mouth of the cave, Ren catches up to Nora as leaves blow outward toward them, "Think it might lead to the peak?"

"I suppose there's only one way to find ou—ah!" Ren cuts off as a large piece of fabric abruptly blows out from the cave and covers his face. Nora giggles, as Tucker smiled and looked to the side, covering his mouth with one hand, as Ren frees himself, "Yes, yes. Very funny."

He looks down at the marked fabric in his hands and goes still. Nora lowers her hands and steps closer, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Ren held the piece of cloth in his hands to examining it further, "This is the symbol for Shion Village."

"Shion? But that's... we lost communication with that village. When I went to investigate it, the place was ghost town. It's weeks away from here!" Tucker realized.

Ren drops the fabric and runs into the cave, forcing Nora to call out as Tucker chased them down, "Ren! Wait!"

Ren stopped once he was far enough into the cave to have a good look at what's there. Nora and Tucker catch up to him and becomes alarmed at what they see, "Oh my gosh..."

In the spacious area, weapons speckle every place one can look: swords, axes and staffs are all either propped up or on the ground. Ren moves in and picks up an arrow and studies it while Nora approaches just behind him. As she looks she also sees what's on the ground... the largest hoofprint, from one of the world's most dangerous creatures. It is pointed toward another opening on the opposite end of the cave.

"Oh...fuUUUUUCK!" Tucker fell into a pit that was covered with cloth and weak wood.

Nora and Ren look down to see if he was hurt, because of the thud that followed after he fell. Nora called out from above as she couldn't see, "Tucker! Are you Okay!?"

"I'm fine... just fell into a hole head first, like I always do... Bow Chika Ow Ow." He flirted with despite his pain.

Ren called down to him, "Hang on we'll get you out in a sec. Don't worry, I can fly... besides, I really don't think you guys wanna come down here."

"Why?" Nora and Ren questioned.

Tucker pulled out his scroll to act as a flashlight to view the area around him, "Well let's just say, I'm gonna have nightmares about pits and skeletons for years." Stepping over and trying to pretend the crunching he was hearing was just branches he spotted something interesting on the floor, "Hello there, what are you doing here?"

"Tucker we need to move!" Nora advised.

Tucker looked up and shouted back, "Just go, I'll catch up... chances are I'll beat you there."

Ren and Nora run to the other mouth of the cave, there several trees are outside this opening, just below. One at a time, moving away from the cave Ren is looking out, as the trees begin to shake.

Ren shook his head knowing full well what it was, "No..."

Before the two of them are the shaking trees and the abandoned village of Kuroyuri. Nora takes his hand and he returns the grip before going forward. As a monster roars.

[End of Chapter]


Okay like I had originally promised I'm gonna finish off this story then complete it and start a new continuation called WAWSH, (Why Are We Still Here) The Friendship of the Rose. Also I realized what I'm messing up. This story is too much like the actual RWBY, yeah I change things around but it's still the same. Well don't worry because that's gonna change.

Also WAWSH: The Friendship of The Rose is gonna contain chapters from Volume 5 through 8.

Until next time, Churchisalive signing off for now.