Ruby fell to her knees, the snow swallowing her up. Tears ran down her cheeks, the only warmth she could feel.
Jinn pressed a finger against her chin, giving Ruby a coy look. "Not many people think to make demands of me, such a clever way to get what you need without using up one of my questions."
"You're lying!" Blake shouted. Jinn's smile faded as she looked over at Blake, cocking an eyebrow. Tears ran down Blake's face, her nostrils flaring. "Mother Devi! The holy pantheon! They are the ones who made Remnant! My Gods love me! That-that Legion is a monster!"
Jinn chuckled, knitting her fingers together and resting her chin on her fingers. "Mother Devi and the Ishvara pantheon, an ethno-religion founded by the Faunus following their enslavement, based around the misidentification of Legion based off their animalistic head and shape shifting body. Similar to the other main religions of Remnant in that sense, taking an element of Legion and basing a false faith around it." Jinn smirked. "Your god is not real, child. Your god is dead."
Blake screamed, drawing Gambol Shroud and firing at Jinn, the bullets passing through her. Jinn yawned and turned away from Blake as she continued to fire. Jinn looked at Ruby.
"Is there anything else you would like to know, Seeker?" she asked.
Ruby couldn't speak, her throat squeezed shut, her stomach in knots. She opened her mouth, a pitiful choked sob all that she could muster.
Jinn pursed her lips. "I'm going to take that as a no. Remember, Seeker, you still have two questions left." She said.
Jinn's body faded away, a trail of blue smoke snaking its way back into the Lamp.
"Bring her back out! Bring her out!" Blake screamed. Blake stormed toward the Lamp, grunting as Yang grabbed her, holding her back. Oscar, or Ozpin, scurried away from Yang. Blake thrashed against Yang's grip, snarling, aiming her gun at the Lamp. "She's a fucking liar!"
Yang pulled Blake back, embracing her. Gambol Shroud trembled in her hand as her cries turned to sobs. Ruby turned her head, looking over at Weiss.
Weiss' eyes were dull and glazed over as she stared at where Jinn had been. Her legs gave out beneath her, falling to the snow, still staring at where Jinn once was.
"I… I'm not human-?" she asked quietly. "I… my family… we're…" her fingers slowly traced over the Dustist gem at her throat. "Dust… isn't real?"
"Now do you see what I meant?" Ozpin said. He stood near the Lamp, scowling, his arms crossed. "Humanity is not ready to know such things, none of yo-"
Qrow's fist slammed into Ozpin's cheek, hurling him into the snow. Qrow grabbed Ozpin by the collar, yanking him from the snow, snarling. "You! You let her go after Salem! You knew she wouldn't win!" Spittle sprayed from Qrow's mouth as he screamed. "After everything I've scarified for you! After every life I've trampled and ruined!"
Ruby struggled to her feet, going to the Lamp, and picking it up, listening to Qrow's screams and Blake's sobs. "Stop." She hiccupped. Qrow and Ozpin looked over at her. "Please, stop."
Qrow looked back at Ozpin before dropping him. His lip trembled, his hands curling and recurling into fists before walking away, pulling out his flask and drinking deeply from it.
"Professor Ozpin?" Ruby asked, her voice quiet. He looked at her, wiping Qrow's spit from his face. "What was your plan? What are we supposed to do?"
Ozpin said nothing, turning away. His eyes flashed hazel, and Oscar gasped, clutching his head. Oscar looked at Ruby, tears starting to run down. "Why is this happening to me, Ruby? I never wanted to be a part of this, why do I have to lose who I am so he can live on?"
Ruby gripped the Lamp, sniffling. "That won't happen, you'll still be Oscar."
Oscar laughed, shaking his head. "Don't lie to me just to make me feel better."
Ruby looked away from Oscar as Maria beat her scythe against a piece of metal.
"I know that this is all extremely hard to process information, but we need to get moving."
"Lady, listen-" Yang started to say.
Maria pointed her scythe at her. "I've lived too damn long to end up getting killed by a Grimm in the middle of some god forsaken forest. Now we are all going to bottle this up for right now and grab what supplies we can and find shelter, somewhere that we can defend ourselves from when we get a chance to process all this."
"How can you expect us to bottle this up! Everything we've ever known is a lie!" Blake yelled.
Maria sighed. "We're Hunters, all of us, and masking our emotions after hearing bad news is required to stay alive. I'm not saying don't deal with this, I'm saying deal with it when we aren't running the risk of freezing to death or becoming Grimm food."
Ruby sniffled and wiped at her eyes before nodding. She hooked the Lamp to her belt, going to Weiss and helping her to her feet. Weiss' face was blank, her eyes staring out vacantly as Ruby led her to the train wreckage. Ruby took a breath, trying to force positive thoughts to her head while she sorted through the wreck.
Mom's cookies.
mom is dead
Penny's smile
i'll never see her again
Beacon Academy, all the fun classes.
it's gone, it's all gone
Pyrrha stood next to the train door, watching the rest of the passengers leave. Ren and Nora stood next to her. She could hear the train conductor talking to someone, explaining what had happened.
She heard Nora sigh, and she looked over at them. Ren's hand rested on her shoulder, a pink glow emanating from it. Pyrrha shifted her bag and spear. "They'll be fine," she said.
Nora looked at her, her brow furrowed. "How can you be sure?"
"Because Ruby's with them. She led us across Mistral and through hordes of Grimm, I don't think a train crash or the Argusian forests are enough to stop her." She said.
Nora sighed again, shrugging off Ren's hand. She grabbed her duffle bag, yanking it up over her shoulder. Ren picked up his suitcase. "You grew up here, right Pyrrha? Why don't you show us around?"
Pyrrha chuckled, leading them out of the train station. "I grew up in Mistral City, I only lived in Argus while I trained at Sanctum." She said.
She stopped outside the station, inhaling the sharp, cold air. Snow coated the roofs of the buildings, a sugary blanket over the colorful homes and shops. Sanctum Academy rested on a hill off in the distance, the sight of its domed roof and towering spires bringing a smile to her lips. The Argus Coliseum rested further down the hill, not as large as the one she fought in in Mistral City, but still one of the most popular fighting arenas in Remnant.
She started to walk, keeping to the sidewalks; red and white trams snaked there way through the stone streets. People crowded the sidewalk, wearing thick jackets as they passed her by. Her mouth watered, her stomach growling as they started to pass the various food vendors that littered the city. Flavorful smoke drifted from the various gyro, suppli, kebab, and souvlakis stands.
Pyrrha looked back at Ren and Nora, laughing at the hungry look in their eyes. She stopped at a vendor, Ren and Nora stopping behind her as she ordered them gyros.
Nora pushed past Pyrrha, watching the vendor as he pulled the steaming meat from the spit and wrapped it in bread, filling it with layers of grilled vegetables. The vendor wrapped them up and set them out, chuckling as Nora snatched hers up and started devouring it. Ren took his calmly before starting to eat, nodding appreciatively. Pyrrha took hers and paid the vendor.
She continued down the street, chewing on her gyro as they walked down the busy streets.
"So, are there any hotels or anything here? Unless Ruby's got another long-lost relative we can bum with." Nora asked.
Pyrrha nodded. "They have a number of hotels near the theatre and coliseum, it's where most of the tourists like to hang out."
"Hope the people running them are nicer than the ones we ran into in Mistral," Nora said.
Pyrrha led them through the various streets, finishing off her food as they walked. Streetlights started to light up as the skies darkened, casting a warm yellow glow over everything. Pyrrha took a turn, heading for the hotel her mother would stay at when visiting to watch one of her matches. She stopped, her lips parting as a yellow moth flew by. It rested on the side of a building, its antennae pointing down the street. The street leading toward the theatre.
She started heading down that street, following the yellow moth. She could hear the crowd filling the theatre the closer they came, lights illuminating the hill where it sat. The moth came to a stop, resting on a light pole in front of the theatre.
The theatre was built into the side of the hill, the seats leading down to the large stage. A crowd stood on the sidewalk before the theatre, some climbing onto the passing trolleys and trams. The yellow moth flew away from the lamp, leading her into the crowd.
"Pyrrha? Where are we going? This isn't a hotel." Nora asked.
The yellow moth fluttered onto the shoulder of a light skinned and blonde-haired woman, a dark-skinned woman with short black hair stood next to her. The blonde woman looked at the moth, trying to brush it off.
"Pyrrha? Did you hear me?" Nora asked.
"Pyrrha?" The blond woman said. She turned, gasping. Her eyes were sky blue, the same shade of blue that Jaune's had been. The woman grabbed the arm of the short haired woman next to her, causing her to turn and look at them, her jaw dropping. "Y-you're his old team," she said.
"His?" Ren asked.
The blonde woman looked them over. "Team JNPR, you're the team my brother led when he was…" Her face darkened, and the short haired woman rested a hand on her shoulder.
"You're one of his sisters." Pyrrha said.
The woman nodded. "My name's Saphron."
Emerald stepped off the airship, Mercury at her side. Hazel appeared a moment later, giving her a look before heading for the entrance of Evernight Castle. Mercury stepped past her, and she followed the two of them, keeping her hands close to her chest.
We failed, we failed, Cinder and Adam are dead, Salem is-is-
"Welcome back!" Tyrian exclaimed, throwing bits of confetti into the air, a kazoo hanging from her lips. She blew the kazoo as Hazel and Mercury passed her, her tail swishing behind her, the robotic stinger catching the light. The stinger shot out in front of Emerald, causing her to yelp, stepping back. Tyrian's tail curled around her, forcing Emerald to face her. Tyrian looked her over and then back at the airship. "Hmmm, wherever is our dear Cinder? You always follow her around like a stray kitten." Tyrian's lips curled into a smile, Emerald's stomach churning at the sight. "Did something happen to her, little kitten?"
"Tyrian." Hazel said. Tyrian looked over at the larger woman. "Leave her be."
Tyrian growled in annoyance before sighing, her tail slithering off Emerald, the stinger trailing against Emerald's face.
Emerald swallowed, hurrying up the steps, passing Hazel and Mercury, and entering the castle.
Hazel and Mercury entered a moment later, Hazel leading them toward Salem's meeting hall. She shot a look over her shoulder when she heard Tyrian enter the castle. Tyrian grinned, waving at her as she started to follow them.
Hazel opened the door, holding it open for them as they entered, only entering after them.
Salem sat at the head of her table, Watt's sat in her seat, busy with her scroll. Tyrian slinked past them, taking her spot at the table. Emerald hung by the door as Hazel bowed. Salem was quiet, watching them with her blood red eyes.
"You failed." Emerald flinched, watching as Salem calmly stood up. "Haven still stands, Adam is dead, and the White Fang have been ripped from my grasp." Salem smiled sweetly; her eyes cold. "Do enlighten me on why this happened."
None of them answered. Salem's lip twitched, her smile tugging down.
"I take responsibility fo-"
Salem raised her hand, a black and red glyph forming beneath Hazel, skeletal hands springing out and latching onto her, dragging her to the floor.
"I did not ask you to take the blame." She said. Salem looked at her and Mercury. "One of you must know the reason."
Emerald swallowed; her throat dry as Salem's eyes bore into her.
"Raven Branwen wouldn't give up the Spring Maiden unless Cinder set it up for Ruby and her friends to be there so we could kill them." Mercury said. Salem looked at him. "We were busy fighting Ruby's group, and Raven, Cinder, and the Maiden went down to the Vault. Adam and the White Fang got attacked by a militia group of Faunus and Adam was killed in the fighting. Lionheart betrayed us and brought the police as well. One of Ruby's friends went down after Cinder, and she was the only one to come back out from the Vault. Raven, Cinder, and the Maiden are all dead, and Ruby has the Relic. The entire thing ended up a lot messier and more drawn out than we anticipated."
Salem lowered her hand, the glyph vanishing, the skeletal arms fading away. Hazel remained on the floor; her head bowed.
"Oh no, how horrible, Cinder died." Watts said without looking up from her scroll. Salem shot her a look, a glyph forming next to Watts. Watts looked up from her scroll and sat up straighter in her chair. The glyph faded.
Salem exhaled, and rested her hand on the table, drumming her fingers slowly against the petrified wood.
"If Cinder is truly dead, then this is indeed a heavy blow against us. We will need to find the new Fall Maiden if we are to acquire the Relic resting beneath Beacon." Salem stopped drumming her fingers. "But this is not a total loss, the Relic is out of Haven vault, and the Spring Maiden is gone as well. With it out of the Vault we need only pluck it from the Rose."
Salem looked at Tyrian. "Find Lionheart. Have some fun with him. And once you are done, make your way to Vacuo to look for the Summer Maiden."
Tyrian bowed her head. "As you wish, my Goddess," she said. She got up from the table, a smirk on her lips as she passed Emerald.
Salem looked back at them. "Do we know where the Rose is going?" she asked.
"Atlas is the rumor I heard when I asked around Mistral." Hazel said. "Though how they will make it into the Kingdom, I know not."
Salem nodded, looking to Watts. "I need you to go to Atlas and help Mother Sable."
Watts nodded. "Understood, ma'am." She got up, pocketing her scroll, straightening out her suit as she left.
Salem rested her hands together, smiling. "You three did the best that you could in the situation that you found yourselves in. The defeat we suffered at Haven is a misstep, but one that we can easily recover from." She waved her hand. "Now go, get some rest, we still have a long fight ahead of us."
Hazel got to her feet, bowing her head before turning and going to the door, holding it open for her and Mercury. Emerald gave an appreciative nod to Hazel as she passed by.
She stood in the dark hallway, the candlelight dim, casting flickering shadows in every direction. Mercury said nothing as he shoved past her. Emerald looked back at Hazel, watching the large woman lumber away, disappearing into the darkness. Emerald sighed, and started down the long, dark hallway.
Ruby wrapped her cloak around her, her hood pulled over her face. The wind cut through her, tugging at her with its icy claws as they marched through the snow. None of them spoke the only sound the wind and the crunching of the snow beneath them.
She glanced behind her. Yang's hair was ablaze as she pushed Bumblebee through the snow, most of their supplies lashed down onto the back. Maria sat in the seat, holding her hands near Yang's flaming hair. Weiss stared ahead vacantly, not even appearing to be bothered by the cold, her scarf wrapped tightly around her throat and chin. Blake was huddled next to Weiss, her teeth chattering, and her arms wrapped around her body. Qrow was drinking as he walked. Oscar trailed the rest of them at the end, his gaze on the snow, using Ozpin's cane as a walking stick.
Ruby sighed and looked ahead.
Mom's cookies, Penny's smile, the fun at Beacon.
The trees grew thicker, pushing in around them, a wall of wood and snow that funneled them ever forward. The gray haze that was the sky began to darken, the snow coming down heavier.
Mom's cookies, Penny's smile, the fun at Beacon.
Ruby paused, straining her ears. Beyond the wind and snow, something was squeaking. The others stopped behind her.
"What's wrong?" Yang asked.
"Do you hear that?"
The squeaking continued, a metallic sound, like the hinges of a rusty door being opened.
"Sounds like shelter to me," Maria said.
Ruby nodded, leading the group through the forest, following the sound.
The squeaking grew louder after a while, and the outline of several buildings came into view through the gloom. A barn and several greenhouses dotted a stretch of land, a large manor standing before them. The plastic surrounding the greenhouses were ripped and torn, the paint on the barn and manor were peeling and faded. A rusted gate swung with the wind. A sign was connected to the metal gates. BRUNSWICK FARMS was carved into the wood, faded and barely readable through the rotten snow-covered wood.
Ruby went to the rusted gate, swinging it open, and letting her team and the others walk by. She glanced behind her, at the darkening forest.
At least we won't have to worry about the Grimm for right now, just… all of this.
She sighed, her breath misting out as she turned and closed the gate, following the others.
I wanted to make Argus a bit more Mediterranean given its name and the names of characters from that location, so pulled from Athens, Rome, and Istanbul for it instead of making it like California like the show did.