Jaune and Courage the Cowardly Dog
Chap 85: The Gods Must be Goosey
Farmhouse
It was a typical day for Nowhere, including the Bagge farm. However, that changed when a vast mass of pink and sea-hued colored clouds converged on the farmhouse. Soon, however, the clouds suddenly stopped with a roar of thunder following afterward. Once the thunder died down, an opening opened from within the clouds to reveal two figures. But, what was striking about these two figures was that while one appeared human, the other was a muscular anthropomorphic goose wearing a toga. This was the Goose God. Yet, the other figure wasn't ordinary either. This was Triton in his human form. He appears as a young, tone male with long, surfer hair. But what was most distinct about him was the trident he held. These two gods were great friends and often hung out with each other and had a great time. However, this time was different, for if you looked closely, you would notice that they both seemed incredibly sad.
"Empty." Triton began while covering his eyes.
"Our hearts are empty." The Goose God continued. "My clouds are full."
"And my seas are downhearted." Triton finished as he blew on his horn while the Goose God summoned lightning and threw it at the ground while honking. Had they been paying attention, they would have realized the lightning struck the nearby windmill. Dejected, they returned deeper into the clouds where the Goose God's throne was and, next to it, a temporary sea stone throne for Triton.
"A goose, a gander, a godly goosey gander, without love is nothing but a fowl." The Goose God said as he sat down.
"I hear you, my long-time friend. A fish school with only one fish is not a school but prey for loneliness." Triton agreed with a sad smile as he sat down and started examining his horn.
"Without love, all of this is but fop and fluff and stuff." The Goose God said before letting out a lonely honk. Sighing, they preoccupied themselves with whatever they had to pass the time until the sad mood temporarily left again.
"The coming rain should do these flowers good." A voice from below said. However, both gods didn't bother checking and resumed whatever they were doing.
"I would hate for our flowers to wilt. Especially since Jaune put some much time and effort into ours." Another voice pleasantly added.
"Darn horn." A third voice complained. Giving in to their curiosity, both gods got up from the seats and went to see who was talking.
"Eustace! It'll be raining any minute now. You should come inside." The first voice shouted.
"And we won't drag you in if you get struck by lightning again." The second voice warned.
Getting to the edge, the two Gods looked down to the earth and froze in their tracks. They saw, in their minds, the most beautiful women in the world setting plants on a porch. Gasping, the Goose God let out a honk while Triton had to calm himself or risk summoning a tidal wave. As they continued to gaze upon the two women, the Goose God's eyes turned to hearts while one made out of water formed on Triton's chest. Unable to contain himself, the Goose God ran towards the very edge of the clouds and honked as loud as possible. On the other hand, Triton raised his trident to some water for the plants. Understanding what he was doing, the Goose God summoned lights for the plants as well. Unfortunately for Triton, the woman who caught his heart went inside before seeing the plants.
"Oh, sure and formless beauty." The Goose God said, smitten as a dog came and examined the plants. "Oh, light, oh, sky, oh, baby's breath. You have grown solid. You have grown real. You have grown fat. You have grown real fat."
"Oh, pure beauty. Hair burning bright like that of the sun over the seas. Eyes as blue as the purest of seas." Triton swooned, trying to keep his composure, unlike the Goose God, who had hearts in his eyes and heads of his lady floating around his.
"And their names are..." Both Gods began.
"MURIEL! MURIEL!" The third voice shouted. "TELL THAT KID AND IRIS NOT TO SIT ON MY CHAIR!"
"Muriel."
"Iris."
"If letters be in order..." The Goose God began, clasping his hands.
"Let them be in such order as to spell..." Triton continued.
"Muriel."
"Iris."
"MURIEL! WHERE'S MY PLIERS?!" The third voice shouted as the Gods returned to their thrones.
"We are filled, full, and dizzy." Triton said as he used his trident to stay upright while The Goose God used his throne.
"I am... a stuffed goose."
"And I, a fish lost in a maelstrom."
"If we gaze any longer, we shall be consumed." The Goose God said as he closed the clouds. "Has ever a Goose God gazed upon such unfeathered beauty, immortal flesh."
"Or a God of the Sea beheld such an enchantress on dry land."
"Do Gods pursue mortal women?"
"Would mortal women even consider gods?"
"Does one who calls the clouds home love one who must floss?"
"Can one who calls the seas home love one who must sleep?"
"Does a Goose God love a Muriel?"
"And does a Sea God love an Iris?"
"Eh, let's give a shot." With that said, both gods descended from the clouds in a chariot carrying flowers and chocolate.
Inside the Farmhouse
Five Minutes Ago
"It certainly has been a while since we've been together." I said, smiling as Iris sat down next to me laid her head on my shoulder.
"It has been. We would have visited earlier, but classes, homework, Ozpin, and assignments kept us busy." Ren explained.
"BUT NOW WE CAN SPEND TIME TOGETHER!" Nora shouted, excited.
"And perhaps, if nothing shows up, we can head into town and watch a movie or eat at one of the new restaurants." Pyrrha suggested as she sipped some special chamomile tea. Ever since I left Beacon, Pyrrha took over the reins and became leader. And almost immediately, she became swamped with paperwork. Add on top the work and paperwork she must complete due to her status as an icon; she nearly had a mental breakdown. Luckily, Ren, Weiss, and Ruby offered to help significantly lower the paperwork. Unfortunately, her sponsors and Ozpin gave her paperwork that rivaled the council from out of nowhere. However, and to no one's surprise, Muriel knew a tea recipe that would help Pyrrha tremendously.
Currently, due to unforeseen circumstances, Ozpin and Ironwood, Beacon had to close down for the next two weeks. Deciding not to waste this opportunity, Ren, Pyrrha, and Nora decided to visit me. Not only that, they decided to stay here in Nowhere until Beacon reopens its doors, which is great. And add to that Iris had off and came to visit was the icing on the top. Although, admittingly, I am secretly hoping that Iris and I could get some alone time. It was our anniversary of when we first got together, and I planned on taking her to the new restaurant that had recently opened. Hopefully, there won't be any surprises today. But my hopes weren't high when we heard Courage gasp in shock and surprise.
"Everything alright, Courage?" I asked, turning to him.
"Even after all this time, I'm still shocked at what Courage can accomplish." Ren commented as we watched Courage take off his eyes and clean them with a cloth before putting them back on his face. However, we became concerned when he ran inside towards Muriel, who was in her rocking chair next to some beautiful flowers.
'AAAAHH! Goose. Cloud. Man. Thing. Help.' He said while bouncing up and down.
"Courage, what is it?" Muriel asked, curious. But we all became shocked and worried when Courage transformed into a weird, fire-breathing creature standing on something that had tentacles. And before we could ask any further questions, he then changed again into what appeared to be a young adult male with a trident.
'Help. Help. Outside. Help.' He said while pointing towards the door.
"Courage, you sound awful. How about a cup of hot tea with honey and a wee nap?" Muriel suggested.
'OH! FORGET THE TEA!' Courage said, frustrated while pulling on his ears.
"Why don't we check it out?" I asked, getting up. Nodding, everyone else got up, and we headed towards the door. Opening it, we exited the house and looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"You must have seen a bird, Courage." Muriel said before heading back inside.
"I doubt it was a bird as I did hear something or someone gasp right before we opened the door." Ren said, critically scanning our surroundings.
"More specifically, two." Pyrrha added while taking out her weapon and readying her shield.
"And why do I smell fish?" Nora asked, confused.
"And where are the clouds? Wasn't it cloudy seconds ago?" I asked, confused as I looked to the sky and saw no clouds for miles.
"Could they have been from another god?" Pyrrha asked.
'Hopefully not.' Courage said, worried.
"I doubt it. Not many reside anywhere near here. But that doesn't mean they can't travel across the world and end up here. Plus, while I know plenty of Gods and entities, I don't know every single one of them." Iris answered.
"Well, either way, God or not, they seem to be gone for now. Hopefully, they were only traveling." I said as the others relaxed and put away their weapons.
"IRIS! Can you come to help me in the kitchen?" Muriel called out.
"Be right there." Iris replied. She then smiled and kissed me on the lips before entering the house.
"You two do make a cute couple." Ren commented with a smile.
"I can't wait for your wedding, Jaune. And to think, you are marrying a goddess." Nora added, excited.
"Aren't you nervous or scared?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yes." I answered while nervously scratching the back of my head.
"Why?" Nora asked, curious.
"From what we know so far and from everything you told me, I don't think there is anything to be afraid of unless it's only wedding jitters." Ren said, thinking it over.
"Well, I am a bit jittery, but that's not the reason why I'm nervous." I answered.
"Then what is?" Pyrrha asked, worried and curious.
'On the day of his marriage, he's finally going to meet Iris's parents and the rest of her family.' Courage answered with a smirk.
"REALLY!" Nora exclaimed.
"Um, what did Courage say?" Ren asked, silently reminding us that he and Pyrrha still could not understand Courage.
"HE SAID THAT OUR FEARLESS LEADER WILL FINALLY BE MEETING IRIS'S FAMILY!" Nora shouted, barely able to contain her excitement. Even though I am no longer their leader, she refused to change the nickname and said that I would always be the team's true fearless leader.
"Wait, you haven't met them yet?" Pyrrha asked, surprised.
"No. They are very busy and rarely have time for themselves. But once they learned that we were getting married, they put everything on hold to meet with me on the wedding day." I explained before adding. "Oh, and Iris's parents are pretty big figures among their fellow Gods."
"I can see why that would make you nervous." Ren said, nodding his head in understanding.
"Yeah, but I still have time to prepare as the wedding is still at least a couple of months down the road." I said while trying to calm my nerves.
"Do you have your vows ready? If so, we can practice if you want." Pyrrha suggested.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." I agreed, smiling.
'Especially since you would probably become so nervous, you'd forget every-OOF.' Courage began only to be cut off when flowers and chocolate hit him.
"Where did those-OOF!" I began, curious, only to be stopped when more chocolates and flowers came from nowhere and hit me square in the chest.
'Huh?' Courage asked, confused as he looked between the flowers and chocolates.
"Where do you think they came from?" Ren asked, curious as he looked around again.
"I want to say that someone threw them away, but considering what we have seen, I wouldn't be surprised if they magically appeared." Pyrrha commented.
"That's most likely the case. But, either way, the flowers are beautiful, and who can say no to chocolate. These would make some nice gifts for Iris. I'll give them to her now." I said, admiring the plants and realizing that it was a bouquet of various flowers. And each flower represented some form of love. Smiling, we entered the house and closed the door. However, we did briefly stop when we heard something fall outside. Walking over to the window, we looked outside and saw that the barrel we used for dirt had fallen over.
"Did you guys find anything?" Iris asked, getting our attention.
"No, but I did get you these flowers and chocolate." I answered as I gave them to her.
"Ah, Jaune. You're always such a sweetheart." She said before pulling me into a deep passionate kiss. "Thanks, Jaune. The flowers are beautiful, and we can share the chocolates later. Right now, I want to put these flowers into a pot and water them before they start to wilt."
'What or where do you think these came from?' Courage asked as Iris returned to the kitchen.
"I have no idea. But honestly, after everything we'd been through, anything could be a reasonable possibility." I answered.
'Do you think-' Courage began but stopped when we heard Eustace shouting.
"WHERE'S MY PLIERS!?" He shouted as he entered the house while wiping his hands with a cloth. "Did either of you take my- EH!?"
"Why can't something just take him away permanently?" Ren, Pyrrha, and Nora muttered while glaring at Eustace as he stormed over to us.
"WHAT YOU GOT THERE, DOG!?" He asked while yanking the flowers and chocolates from Courage's paws. But before any of us could step in, we stopped when we heard Muriel enter the room.
"Why, Eustace, for me? What a sweet surprise." She said, happy and surprised, before running to embrace Eustace. "Eustace, you are a dear man."
'No! No! It was-' Courage began while trying to separate them, but I stopped him.
"I know you're worried. But let them be. This will probably never happen again." I told him. He hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Well, isn't this a sweet and once-in-a-lifetime moment." Iris said as she returned.
"And probably the last time we will ever see this." I added.
"Um, Iris?" Nora asked, getting her attention.
"Yes?"
"Can gods be animals or hybrids like Faunus?" Nora asked, curious and surprising us.
"Yes. Why?" Iris asked, confused. Instead of answering, Nora pointed behind her towards the door. Looking behind her, we became wide-eyed when we saw a humanoid goose and young male wielding a trident standing on the porch. Although, we did quickly realize the fish smell from earlier came from him, as evident by the seashells on his shoulders.
"Were they the ones you saw earlier, Courage?" I asked.
'Uh-huh.' He nervously answered after gulping.
"Now, everyone. Behave." Muriel warned as she walked towards the door. Concerned, we followed her.
"Can we help you two?" Pyrrha asked, worried as she kept her grip on her weapons. But instead of answering or even acknowledging us, the two figures turned their attention to Iris and Muriel.
"Mortal women. We are here to pronounce eternal love for you both." They simultaneously said, smiling.
"WHAT!?" Ren, Pyrrha, Nora, and Courage exclaimed. However, I stayed silent as I felt anger and jealously form in the pit of my stomach. And I didn't know where it came from and was slightly scared of what it could cause if I didn't get it under control. Luckily, Iris sensed this and gave me a quick squeeze on my shoulder.
"And you both pronounced it perfectly." Muriel said, unaware of what they meant.
"Yes, um, you both did." Iris added, unsure of how exactly to respond.
"Neither of you understand. We present to you our expression of love. These gifts." They explained before turning around. The goose raised hands and changed the landscape from sand to millions of flowers. Meanwhile, the male human raised a conch shell and blew into it while raising a trident with his other hand. And from it, a tidal wave appeared. But instead of crashing into the flowers or house, he made it turn into a magnificent spectacle that watered every single flower. Although, I did become slightly irritated when the water made a heart at one point with Iris and him in the center.
"Wow." The others said, amazed.
'That-that is going to be hard to beat.' I thought, worried. But I also became worried when the thought of Muriel leaving everything behind for the goose came to mind.
"Ah, that's sweet, but I'm spoken for." Muriel said, calming most worried I had.
'Mm-hmm.' Courage agreed, also sounding relieved.
"And so am I, plus, I'm not a mortal. I am a goddess of storms." Iris added before wrapping her arms around me. "And this is the one who has my heart."
"But we thank you. I've never had an endless field of flowers before. And I'm sure Iris was impressed by the waterworks. It's all very flattering." Muriel said before entering the house. Not giving the two a chance, we entered as well and quickly closed the door. However, instead of heading back to the couch, I went over to the window and looked outside. Honestly, I kind of felt sad at seeing them both downtrodden. The Goose God even took away the flowers while the other made the water disappear.
"That was something." Ren commented as he sat down on the couch.
"Do you know who they were?" Pyrrha asked, curious.
"Yes. The goose one is simply known as The Goose God. And the other is known as Triton of Greek mythology. He is the demigod of the sea." Iris answered.
"Why were they even here, then?" Nora asked.
"Not sure." Iris answered, shrugging.
"Who was that?" Eustace suddenly asked. Turning to him, we noticed that he had finally found his pliers.
"It was an admirer who offered me a field of flowers and his eternal love. And there was another who tried to do the same for Iris, but she turned him down as well." Muriel answered as she rocked back and forth in her chair with Courage on her lap.
"Oh." Eustace said, not caring at all. "You've seen my screwdriver?"
"Do you think they will try courting Muriel or you again?" Ren asked.
'That goose better not try to take Muriel away.' Courage said before growling with huge teeth. 'It's true.'
"Most likely. Gods who are not already in a relationship with others tend to get lonely as they are immortal." Iris answered as she led me to sit on the couch before sitting down next to me and wrapping her arms around me. "But it doesn't matter. Triton can try all he wants, but he will always fail as my heart belongs to Jaune."
"Thanks, Iris." I said, smiling as I held back some tears. She smiled before cupping my face and leaning in to kiss me. After a few seconds, we broke apart for air before leaning into each other. Unfortunately, the moment came to a halt when we heard the doorbell ring. Looking towards the door, we noticed that someone, probably the goose and Triton, had slipped a letter under the door.
"I got it." Nora said as she got up from her seat and picked up the letters. "Got one for Muriel and Iris."
"Thank you, dear." Muriel said as she took hers and passed the other to Iris. "Oh, it's a poem."
'Oh, no.' Courage said, worried.
Would that you ride
On feathered goosey wing
And be my Queen
And I, your Goosey King
Then all days be sunny
All days shall be spring
Ever... Ever...
Goosey, Goosey, Spring.
"He does have a way with words." Muriel said after reading the poem, somehow unaware that Courage was gagging all the while.
"I guess." We said, not that impressed.
"What did yours say, Iris?" Pyrrha asked.
"It was practically the same, with the only difference being sea and fish metaphors." She answered with a shrug.
"Either way, it would be rude to toss a letter as lovely as this out." Muriel said as she placed it on the table before walking to the kitchen.
'We gotta warn Eustace. Don't want Muriel to be upset.' Courage said before grabbing the paper and running outside.
"I doubt he would be much help or even notice." I said with a sigh. Eustace has been working on his truck for the past week and barely even acknowledged anything else.
"Actually, you might be surprised." Pyrrha said, surprising us. "Why not try, and if not, at least you can protect Courage if Eustace tries something."
"Alright, but what about you three?" I asked as I got up.
"There is something we need to discuss with Iris." Nora answered.
"Okay, I'll be back in a bit." I said before kissing Iris on the cheek.
"Renny, why don't you go with our fearless leader." Nora said with a smile.
"Alright." He said with a smile before getting up. Yet, I could tell he was equally confused.
Shrugging, we exited the house and started to look for Courage and Eustace. Luckily, they were both by the truck parked next to the house. Walking over to them, we saw Eustace working on his vehicle while Courage was trying to get his attention. However, upon hearing Courage babbling, Eustace stopped working and exited his truck. Seeing the letter, Eustace snatched it and started to read it. But, and we weren't surprised he did this; instead of reading it, Eustace used it as a tissue to blow his nose.
'AIIEE!' Courage said, disgusted.
"That's just gross, Eustace." I said as we reached them.
"Blah, blah, blah." He said while returning to his work. "Have you seen my screwdriver?"
"Check your hat; you often leave things in there." Ren said, annoyed before turning to me. "No offense, Jaune. But, honestly, I think the Goose God would take better care of Muriel than Eustace ever could."
"Yeah." I said with a sigh as I often wondered why Muriel stayed with Eustace. "But she loves him, and I don't want to see her upset."
'Same.' Courage added as he wrapped the letter in some tissues.
"Boys." Muriel called out. Looking around, we saw her sticking out from the kitchen window.
"Yes." We said as we ran up to her.
"Can you three help me with the dishes?" She asked.
"Sure." We answered as we went around and used the back door to enter the kitchen. Walking up to her, we quickly established a routine. Muriel washed the dishes before passing them to me to dry them. I then gave them to Ren and Courage, who put them away in their respective cabinets. This went on for about ten minutes, and we only stopped when we heard someone playing the guitar while singing. Looking out the window, we realized that it was the Goose God again.
When a Goose God Loves a Woman
A Woman, Big and Round
When a Goose God Loves a Woman
A Goose God Makes This Sound
"Oh, how lovely." Muriel said as the Goose God finished his song by honking.
'Don't listen. Don't listen.' Courage repeated as he tugged on Muriel's apron.
"Well, that was nice. But I bet Eustace sang you many songs just as nice, Muriel." I said, trying to distract her as Ren closed the curtains so we could not see the Goose God.
"Ah, yes. Eustace did sing me a few songs here and there in our youth. But now, he can no longer play and gives up after a few seconds." She answered with a smile. "Well, thanks for the help, boys. Now, why don't you three go meet up with the rest of your friends."
"Okay." We said before exiting the kitchen. However, instead of heading back upstairs to my room where the others were, we decided to go and try to get Eustace to spend some time with Muriel.
"Do you hear that?" I asked when we heard someone singing nearby.
"Sounds like the Triton guy trying to seduce Iris again with a song as the Goose God did moments ago." Ren said as we began to hear the distinct sounds of someone playing the cello.
"I-I think we should go check on them." I nervously said as the ugly jealousy and anger feeling resurfaced in the pit of my stomach. "You know, just to be safe."
"Jaune." Ren said, stopping me with Courage moving to stand in front of me.
"Yes?" I asked impatiently as the music became louder.
"Calm down. You heard what Iris told you earlier. She loves you, and she would never leave you." He answered while placing his hand on my shoulder.
"I k-know. I'm-" I began, stuttering as the ugly feeling grew.
'We know, Jaune. But ask yourself this, do you love her?' Courage said.
"More than anything." I answered.
"And she loves you the same. And like you, we can tell she's excited about the wedding. So don't worry. She's not leaving you." Ren said with a soft, reassuring smile.
"Thanks." I said, smiling as I felt the ugly feeling leave me. And while I did feel a bit guilty, the sounds of Triton leaving dejected did help a bit.
"Anytime. Now, let's go check on Eustace." Ren said with a smile.
Nodding, we exited the house and spotted Eustace by his truck again. But as we walked over to him, we kept a lookout if the Goose God or Triton returned with another attempt to charm Iris or Muriel. Once we reached Eustace, Courage began trying to warn Eustace again. However, before Ren or I could say anything, Eustace popped up with his mask and scared Courage. Sighing, we watched Courage run in fear. But before Eustace could laugh, Ren and I swept him off his feet. He fell to the ground, hit his head hard, and fell unconscious.
"I'm getting tired of him." Ren said with an irritated sigh as we walked over to a panting Courage.
"We all are." I said with a sigh.
'Well, since he's out, we'll have to find a way to keep Muriel here.' Courage said before running to grab Eustace's hat. Curious, we followed him to the bathroom window, where we heard Muriel humming to herself. We figured that she was taking a bubble bath, considering the time.
"What are you doing, Courage?" I asked as he put Eustace's hat on a wooden stick.
'Trying to keep Muriel here.' He answered.
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Another voice asked. Looking up, we saw Iris, Nora, and Pyrrha running up to us.
"Is everything alright, Jaune?" Iris asked, kneeling next to me.
"Y-yes." I lied.
"He's nervous about Triton stealing you away." Ren explained.
"Jaune, you don't need to worry about him. I will never leave you. Believe me." Iris said, pulling me into a hug.
"Thanks, Iris." I said as I wrapped my arms around her.
"Aw, isn't this sweet?" Nora asked, smiling as she pulled Ren into a hug.
"It is." He answered.
"As much as I don't want to break up this sweet moment, while we don't need to worry about Triton, we still need to keep Muriel here." Pyrrha interjected.
"Right." I said before turning to Courage. I also let go of Iris but moved to grab her hand. "What's your plan, Courage?"
'Make Muriel think Eustace is serenading her.' He answered as he pulled a harp from his pocket and began to play.
"OH, Eustace. That's lovely." We heard Muriel say.
"It's working. Keep going-why did it get so cold?" I began before asking as we felt a sudden, drastic change in the temperature. Parts of the harp and Courage even froze with ice forming on them.
"Seems like the Goose God is back." Ren said, pointing behind him. Looking past him, we saw the Goose God blowing fierce, cold winds towards us in an attempt to stop Courage. We started to shiver from the cold; however, Nora had a solution.
"I got it." She shouted as she pulled out her weapon in grenade form and launched a grenade at the goose. Although, she aimed it at the ground with the grenade not exploding on impact. The Goose God became confused while stopping the winds. But as soon as he looked down, the grenade exploded.
"Oh, my." He said with a puff of smoke coming from his bill. His feathers were now black and grey instead of white. Seeing that he was defeated for the moment, he started wobbly walking away.
"Nice work, Nora." Ren said as the cold left our bodies.
"Thanks, Renny." She said as he kissed him on his cheek.
"Well, at least he is gone for the moment, and Muriel thinks Eustace just played her a song. So we have some time now." I said as we stood up.
"We should probably head inside and prepare as he'll return in a bit to try again." Pyrrha said, sighing in relief as the last of the cold left her.
"Right." We said as we headed inside so we could rest. And so I can make us some warm drinks.
Ten Minutes Later
"Here they come again." Iris said when we heard storm clouds approaching, followed by some knocking.
"Oh, visitors." Muriel said as she walked to the door. Sighing, we got up and walked up behind her with Iris holding my hand all the while.
Goose God and Muriel, Goose God and Muriel, Goose God and Muriel Forever "Thank You." The Goose God sang before bowing and leaving on his clouds.
"That was... something." Pyrrha said, unsure of what was the Goose God's plan.
"Yeah." We agreed. Although, we became worried when Muriel sighed in admiration.
'That goose.' Courage growled before pushing Muriel back inside the house.
"Well, let's head back inside and-" I began but was cut off when we heard Triton singing. Looking towards the sky, we saw him rapidly approaching us while riding a giant wave.
Triton and Iris. Triton and Iris. King and Queen of the Mighty Seas. FOREVER. "Thank You." He said before bowing and leaving. Not knowing what to say, we just entered the house and closed the door as we knew we had to counter the Goose God's singing attempt.
Ten Minutes Later
"You think Muriel will believe this?" Pyrrha asked as Muriel went to open the door.
"Hopefully." I answered as we watched Muriel open the door and became surprised when she saw Courage wearing a suit and holding a picture of her and Eustace.
Eustace and Muriel. Eustace and Muriel. Eustace and Murie-
"That's going to leave a mark." Iris said when The Goose God appeared and slammed Courage with a cart filled with food, sending him flying away.
"Oh, I'm famished." Muriel said as she started eating some of the food.
"I'm going to check on Courage." I said as I got up and exited the house. Looking to the side while also glaring at the goose, I saw that Courage had landed in the garbage cans. "You okay, Courage?"
'Fine. But that goose has got to go.' He answered as I helped him out of it.
"Agreed." I said as I placed him on the ground and removed any pieces of trash.
"And we may need to hurry." Nora said, startling us. Turning around, we saw them walking up to us while also glaring behind them. Looking past them, Courage let out a small growl when we noticed the Goose God laying on Muriel's lap as she fed him grapes.
"Where's Iris?" I asked, curious when I didn't see her.
"She's inside making a call." Pyrrha answered with a mysterious smirk.
Confused, I turned to the others and saw that Ren was equally confused while Nora had a mysterious smile as well. But before we could question it, we heard music playing nearby. Even Muriel had stopped to see where the music was coming from. Looking around, we saw a crudely made cardboard cutout of Eustace dancing next to a record player. Unfortunately, Courage lost his balance and fell through the Eustace cutout, revealing that it was paper mache and not cardboard.
'OOF! OOF.' Courage grunted as the music stopped, and the Eustace cut out fell to the ground. Smirking, the Goose God turned to Muriel and smiled.
"Come with me, fleshy Muriel. Come with me on goosey wind and wing to Valhalla, where you shall be my fleshy queen." He declared, surprising her.
"Oh, no." We all said, worried.
"You make an old woman feel young again." Muriel said as the Goose God sat next to her, grabbed her hand, and smiled.
'Come on. Think.' I thought, desperately trying to think of a way to stop the Goose God or convince Muriel to stay with us. Luckily, I didn't need to from what Muriel said next.
"But my place is here, with the man I love, my precious Courage, my lovely son, Jaune, and my future daughter-in-law, Iris." She said, surprising the Goose God.
"That was close." We said with a sigh of relief.
'YAY!' Courage cheered before pulling out a horn to play while throwing confetti to celebrate.
"I think it's best if you find another." Muriel told him before entering the house and closing the door.
"You know, in a way, I feel sorry for the goose." I said, feeling sad.
"How come?" Ren asked, curious.
"Rejection is hard, but as Iris said earlier, being immortal can be lonely." I explained.
"Makes sense when you put it like that." The other said, feeling sad now for the goose. And we felt a bit worse when Courage gave the goose a suitcase with the tag Albany on it.
'EEE!' Courage shouted, scared when the Goose God summoned lightning and destroyed the suitcase.
"Oh, this can't be good." I said, worried as Ren, Pyrrha, and Nora readied their weapons.
"If I cannot win Muriel with my love, then I shall take her." He declared before entering the house and coming back out a second later with Muriel on his shoulder.
"OH! OOH! HOO! HOO! HOO!" Muriel said, panicking and worried as the Goose God summoned a chariot.
"HOLD IT!" We shouted as we raced to stand in his way.
"Step aside, fleshy mortals. We are-" He began before stopping when lightning struck near his feet.
"Stop right there." Iris warned as a violent storm appeared above her.
'Where's Courage?' I thought, looking around as The Goose God and Iris locked eyes. I quickly spotted him by the truck, trying to wake Eustace up but failing. Knowing it was a long shot, I quickly ran over to the truck, got in, and pressed the horn. While it didn't wake Eustace up, it did get the Goose God's attention. Now seemingly having an idea, Courage got in and honked again.
"That-that sound. What is that glorious sound?" He asked, almost in disbelief.
"You mean the truck?" We heard Iris ask, confused. Seeing this as our last chance, I activated the car's horn a few more times. Spotting us, the Goose God careless tossed Muriel to the side. Luckily, Nora managed to catch her before she hit the ground.
"Well, I never." Muriel said, annoyed as Nora and Iris helped her up.
"OH, I HAVE FOUND YOU! I HAVE FOUND MY TRUE LOVE! I HAVE FOUND MY QUEEN!" The Goose God said as he rapidly approached us.
'N-N-N-N-N-N-NO. We are not your queen.' Courage nervously said as the Goose God landed on the truck.
"Keep calm. We have to see this through." I told him.
"Oh, speak to me again, my queen. Make your sounds of love and longing." The Goose God dreamily said. Unsure of what to do, yet happy that the Goose God is smiling again, we activated the horn, which caused the Goose God to honk afterward. This continued back and forth for the next couple of moments.
'Not at all what I was expecting to happen today.' Courage said, smiling.
"Me neither." I said as I activated the horn one last time.
"COME, MY QUEEN! ASCEND WITH ME! THE HEAVENS AWAIT OUR HARMONY OF HONK!" The Goose God declared as clouds formed beneath the truck and slowly ascended to the heavens.
"QUICK!" I shouted, grabbing Courage's paw and jumping from Eustace's truck.
"Are you guys okay?" Pyrrha asked as we landed with a sharp grunt.
"We're fine." I answered. Hearing some groaning, we turned around and saw Eustace finally waking up.
"Heh?" He asked, confused while rubbing his head. It was then he realized his truck was being taken away. "MY TRUCK! COME BACK!"
"He truly loves his truck more than anything else." Ren said, annoyed as Eustace gave chase after his truck.
"Well, it's nice to see someone else in love. Excuse me, but I could use a cup of tea right about now." Muriel said before heading to the house.
"It is. Good luck, friend." A different voice said behind us. Turning around, we saw Triton smiling after his friend.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, worried. But I did calm down a bit when Iris grabbed my hand.
"Don't worry, mortal child; I am no longer after the beautiful maiden after learning she is in love with you. Unlike my uncle, I have no desire to steal women from their lovers." He explained.
"Um, what?" We asked, confused.
"I'll explain later." Iris said.
"Sorry about that. Anyway, what do you plan on doing now?" Ren asked.
"Probably return to the seas and wallow in solitude." He answered with a sigh.
"Well, you don't have to worry about that." Nora said, confusing us. But before any of us could begin to question what she meant, a familiar voice caught our attention.
"Iris, I'm here. What did you want to show me?" The voice asked. Turning around, we saw the Queen of the Black Puddle walking towards us.
"Um, what's happening?" I asked, confused. But instead of answering, Iris smiled before turning back to the Queen of the Black Puddle.
"Queenie, meet Triton. Demigod of the Sea." Iris answered while stepping to the side. Both the Queen of the Black Puddle and Triton seemed to freeze upon seeing each other. Yet, it seemed not out of shock, but more for falling in love.
"In all my eyes, I never thought I'd see a more beautiful creature than a certain Goddess." Triton said, walking up to her.
"And I never thought I'd see such a handsome Demigod." The Queen said with a light blush on her face.
"I can tell you two a match destined to happen." Pyrrha commented.
"While I'm not certain about that, it would be nice to finally go on a date with someone as handsome as him." The Queen said, smiling.
"Would you like to try, as the mortals say, a date to see if this relationship can stand to last?" Triton asked while extending his hand.
"Worth a shot." The Queen said, grabbing his hand. Smiling, Triton blew on his conch to summon a wave. They then climbed onto the wave and rode off, presumably, to the seas.
"This certainly has been an interesting day. But right now, I think it's time we head in and get some rest." Pyrrha said as Nora let out a yawn. Taking out my scroll, I saw that it was already nearing six p.m. Nodding, we headed inside the house, but not before looking back in the direction the others went and let out a smile.
One Hour and a Half Later
"Look, we've all been invited to a wedding." Muriel said as she opened the letter. Currently, we were all in the living room. Iris and I were getting ready to go out on a date in town to one of the new restaurants. Meanwhile, Nora, Pyrrha, Ren, Courage, and Muriel will stay and have a movie marathon with snacks and drinks.
"Who's getting married?" I asked as I finished getting ready.
"The Goose and Eustace's truck are going to get married." Muriel answered happily.
"We better not tell Eustace yet." Ren said as we still heard Eustace crying outside.
"I'M NOTHING WITHOUT MY TRUCK! COME BACK TO ME, TRUCK!" We heard him shout outside. "COME BACK!"
'HONK HONK!' Courage said, imitating the Goose God.
"Well, Iris and I are heading out now. Be back later." I said, smiling as I grabbed Iris's hand.
"Take care, you two." Pyrrha said with the other smiling. Nodding, we exited the house and closed the door.
"Jaune." Iris said, getting my attention.
"Yes?" I asked, turning to her. But I was briefly caught off guard when she captured my lips in a sweet passionate kiss. After a few seconds, we separated with smiles gracing our faces.
"Remember, I love you and will never leave you, okay." She told me with a radiant smile.
"I will. And I love you too, Iris." I said, smiling. She nodded before pulling me into another kiss. Letting go, we grabbed hands and hands and headed into town for our date.
Notes:
The Next Chapters: (1) Courageous Cure with Yang and Nora. (2) The Hunchback of Nowhere with Blake and Velvet (3) The Precious, Wonderful, Adorable, Loveable Duckling with Pyrrha, Ruby, and Zwei. (Still deciding if the rest of Team Rwby should be included in this episode.)
Also, I know in Greek Mythology that Triton is a merman with the lower half of his body being a fish. I only changed it to fit the story.