Part Two. I don't own RWBY or Hamilton, they belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 8: Story of Tonight Reprise and Wait For It.
"That…That was something." Ren said out loud after about an hour of relaxing from the previous video. Nora was on the brink of tears by the end and he would be lying if he said he didn't feel his heart clench at a few moments.
"It was too much." Scarlett said between breaths as he took a swig of water. "That was way too much I could handle."
"Huntsmen in training at their finest." Yang teased. Scarlett glared at the brawler.
"You wouldn't understand." he muttered as he curled up in his bean bag chair while the rest of his teammates chuckled at him.
"How's she doing, Jaune?" Nora asked as the blonde leader who sat still in his seat. He looked down to see Pyrrha sleeping peacefully and couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her drooling on his shoulder.
"Better." Jaune said quickly as they saw Pyrrha's eyebrows furrow before she opened her eyes. Emerald eyes met sapphire once more and with a yelp, Pyrrha sprung from the knight's warm embrace with a blush on her face.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." Nora said teasingly as she rested her right palm on her chin. She knew Pyrrha had nothing to be embarrassed about, but that never stopped her in the past. The bomber couldn't help but snicker at Pyrrha desperately trying to make herself look presentable.
"Hey, do we even know how many more we have left before we become subjected to the loading screen of death?" Neptune asked to no one in particular, given after that emotional rollercoaster, it wouldn't be uncommon to be caught up in the entirety of the movie.
"Only two more before that happens." Ozpin stated as he couldn't help but smile at the idle chatter of everyone around him. Needless to say, this was an unexpected, but needed break.
"Hm. I wonder where the show is going to go next?" Weiss said to Ruby, who had barely said a word for a long time. She simply nodded and shrugged her shoulders, confusing the heiress.
"Well, only one way to find out." Nora said as she pressed the play button, not giving anyone to prepare before the show continued. Nora liked it that way.
The scene opened up to a night sky along with a nice piano tune in the background. Due to them all knowing this was a reprise of Story of Tonight, they weren't surprised by the similar time of day.
Sun:
I may not live to see our glory!
Sage/Neptune/Jaune:
I may not live to see our glory!
"I need this." Sun said as he couldn't help but wipe a tear away from his sudden laughter at his drunken self.
"Ditto." Jaune, Neptune, and Sage said simultaneously. The rest of the students smiled at the drunken four, especially Jaune's character who was looking at them like they were insane, yet playing along with them.
Sun:
But I've seen wonders great and small.
Sage/Neptune/:
I've seen wonders great and small.
Sun's face along with Blakes turned beat red as the monkey faunus' eyebrows wriggled, implying risqué scenarios he partook in.
Sun:
Cuz if the tomcat can get married,
Sage/Neptune:
If Alexander can get married-
Sun:
There's hope for our ass, after all!
"There really is if Jaune can be with someone." Neptune said as he clenched his fist while tears comedically rolled down his face. Pyrrha and Weiss giggled at the sight while Jaune rolled his eyes and folded his arms.
Neptune:
Raise a glass to freedom.
Sun/Sage:
Hey!
Something you will never see again!
Sage:
No matter what she tells you.
Neptune:
Let's have another round tonight!
"That is very accurate." Ironwood mentioned as he couldn't help but agree with the three drunk characters nailing Jaune's predicament on the forehead.
"Indeed." Ozpin said, though the two of them could feel the temperature drop around Goodwitch.
"It works both ways, you know." she growled at the two headmasters. The silence from both of them proved to be satisfactory for Ozpins right hand woman.
Sun:
Raise a glass to the four of us!
Neptune/Jaune:
Ho!
Sage:
To the newly not poor of us!
Sun/Neptune/Jaune:
Woo!
Neptune:
We'll tell the story of tonight.
"That accent, man." Sun mentioned as he nudged his partner.
"You think it's too much?"
"Nah, it suits you." Sun wiggled his eyebrows up and behind Neptune. "I'm not the only one who thinks that." Neptune looked over his shoulder to see Weiss enjoying every word that came out of his character's mouth. He couldn't help but keep smiling after that revelation.
Sun:
Let's have another round-
Jaune:
Well, if it isn't Aaron Burr.
Ren:
Sir!
Jaune:
I didn't think you would make it.
Ren:
To be sure.
Sage/Neptune:
Burr!
"Renny's back!" Nora exclaimed with a smile and her partner couldn't help but grumble at the sight of himself. Jaune reached over Nora's shoulder and patted his teammates back.
Ren:
I came to say congratulations.
Sage:
Spit a verse, Burr!
Ren:
I see the whole gang is here.
Neptune:
You are the worst, Burr!
"Be grateful you didn't really say that to Ren's face." Jaune said with a bit of dread in his voice. Neptune looked over to his blonde friend with a raised eyebrow.
"Why?" Neptune asked after he laughed at how his character was draped over Jaune's with a glare toward Ren.
"Last time someone insulted Ren in Nora's presence, Pyrrha and I had to deal with a unconscious Ren and a senior with two broken legs." Neptune paled at the image.
"Why was Ren passed out?" Yang asked, not recalling the incident. Jaune simply sighed.
"He tried to defuse the situation. When Nora reeled her hammer back, she slammed him right in the forehead." Pyrrha stated. RWBY looked to Nora for confirmation and the bomber shrugged.
"I'm not apologizing." was all she said.
Jaune:
Ignore them. Congrats to you, Lieutenant Colonel.
I wish I had your command instead of manning George's journal.
Ren:
No, you don't.
Jaune:
Yes, I do.
Ren:
Now, be sensible.
From what I hear, you've made yourself indispensable.
"Hmm." Ironwood sounded out as he rubbed his chin at the exchange. There was no discussion after his visible reaction, but it clearly stuck with him.
"Quite the exchange." Weiss mentioned to Blake, to which the faunus nodded, bracing for something drastic to rise out of Ren and Jaune's characters.
Sun:
Well, well, I heard
You've got a special someone on the side, Burr.
Jaune:
Is that so?
"Oh dear." Jaune whispered and Pyrrha's eyes widened with sudden fear. The partners looked over to their teammates to see what they thought of the new revelation. Ren was calm, though they could see him raising his eyebrows at himself.
Nora on the other hand, looked as if she wanted to snap the remote in half. They all knew that the characters would most likely pair up in odd combinations, but if Nora saw Ren with someone else, none of them had no idea how she would react.
Sun:
What are you tryin' to hide, Burr?
Ren:
I should go.
Jaune:
No, these guys should go.
Neptune:
What?
Sun:
No!
Jaune:
Leave us alone.
Sage:
Man...
"I guess he was sober enough to not provoke anyone." Weiss claimed as she continued to watch Jaune's character shoo away his friends. "Who knew?" this remark made Pyrrha narrow her eyes at the heiress for a second, but she let it go.
Jaune:
It's alright, Burr.
I wish you'd brought this girl with you tonight, Burr.
Ren:
You're very kind, but I'm afraid it's unlawful, sir.
Jaune:
What do you mean?
Ren:
She's married.
Jaune:
I see.
Ren:
She's married to a British officer.
Jaune:
Oh shit...
"Oh shit indeed." Jaune said as he couldn't help but pale at the words coming out of his and Ren's character's mouths, all with a look on his face showing how much of a struggle the character's predicament was.
"Who knew Ren was such a player?" Yang chuckled, though her laughter died slowly in her throat as she saw Nora's eye twitch. In anger or insanity, they would never know. The rest of them fell back into stunned silence due to the knowledge of Ren's character and his affair. They all were wondering what would happen next when Ren's character stood up from his seat next to Jaune.
Ren:
Congrats again, Alexander. Smile more.
I'll see you on the other side of the war.
Jaune:
I will never understand you.
If you love this woman, go get her!
What are you waiting for?
Ren:
I'll see you on the other side of the war.
Jaune:
I'll see you on the other side of the war.
The audience was left in silence as Ren and Jaune's characters went their separate ways, though none were given time to say anything as they were all greeted with the camera focusing on Ren with Jaune to his back, all while another song began to soothe their ears. They continued with intrigued eyes as Ren's character took a breath and looked up to the night sky. A calm smile grew on his lips and he soon looked down and closed his eyes as if he was reminiscing.
Ren:
Theodosia writes me a letter ev'ry day.
Just with that one line, every student was taken aback by both his voice, and the outline of a woman wrapping around Ren's character. Her hand was placed on the side of his cheek and Ren's character couldn't help but embrace the gesture with closed, relaxed eyes.
"Holy-! Nora, it's you." Jaune whispered to his teammate. He looked to his friend who had her hands clamped over her mouth. They hadn't been into the song for over five seconds and they were once again speechless.
Ren
I'm keeping her bed warm while her husband is away.
He's on the British side of Georgia.
He's tryin' to keep the colonies in line.
He can keep all of Georgia.
Theodosia, she's mine.
"Ew." Ruby said as she saw the outline of what looked like one of the new students at Beacon appear behind Ren's character as he mentioned the husband, she recalled his name was Mercury. Still, it was kind of weird to believe Nora would be married to someone else.
"Look at them." Pyrrha whispered to Jaune as the two saw their teammate's characters lean their foreheads together. Ren's eyes were closed and in pure bliss while Nora had a serene feeling of happiness within her being.
"Ren is really killing it." Jaune said. He looked over to his teammate and noticed the small smile on his lips. The blonde knight rarely saw that amount of happiness within him.
Love doesn't discriminate
between the sinners
and the saints,
it takes and it takes and it takes
and we keep loving anyway.
We laugh and we cry
and we break
and we make our mistakes.
Ozpin's breath hitched at the sudden words that soothed all of their ears. Goodwitch looked at him for a few moments before he smiled at her and shrugged the moment off. Internally however, he didn't see the images of his student's characters embracing one another with each still frame to the word "take." He instead saw his past lives. All the good and the bad, especially involving a certain witch and their children. The headmaster looked down and saw his right hand was shaking feverishly.
"Not another emotional one." Scarlett whimpered out loud as the stills of Ren and Nora's characters in contrasting emotions flashed before all of them.
"We'll get through this man." Neptune said to the pirate with a shaky breath, also affected by what was happening.
Ren:
And if there's a reason I'm by her side
when so many have tried
then I'm willing to wait for it.
I'm willing to wait for it.
Jaune looked down with a bit of distain as the outline of Nora's character disappeared as Ren's character tried to grasp her hand. He noticed he wasn't the only one who felt this way as he saw Ren's hands tighten at the scene.
Ren:
My grandfather was a fire and brimstone preacher,
MEN (interjected):
Preacher
Preacher
Preacher
"Is that really your grandfather?" Pyrrha asked cautiously and Ren could only shrug. They all stared at the outline of a man in rather eccentric clothing with chains and pocketed shirts. His hair was somewhat spikey hair with a mismatch of tints and shades. Ren could swear he saw a resemblance between himself and the outline, but he would never be completely sure.
"I wouldn't like to have that type of grandfather." Jaune shuddered as he couldn't help but picture a stern and threatening role model. Ruby looked over and couldn't help but laugh at her fellow leader's dismay.
Ren:
But there are things that the homilies and hymns won't teach ya.
MEN (interjected):
Teach ya
Teach ya
Teach ya
Ozpin couldn't calm down the shaking in his hand as he saw Ren's character stroll by with the outlines of Nora's character and his uncertain grandfather follow him. wondering if his past selves did the exact same thing to him.
Ren:
My mother was a genius
WOMEN (interjected):
Genius
Ren:
My father commanded respect.
MEN (interjected):
Respect
Respect
Ren:
When they died they left no instructions.
Just a legacy to protect.
Everyone heard a sharp breath slash through the silence of the audience and they all turned their attention to Ren. His hands were burying themselves into his kneecaps and his eyes were wide with distraught. Every image flashed by as they all saw a woman with such a beautiful smile and a man with a stern but caring demeanor. No one said anything as it clicked in all of their minds that those two people were his real parents.
Jaune noticed the distraught immediately and got up from his seat. He walked over to Ren's right side and put a hand on his shoulder while Nora grasped his left hand. Tears welled up in all of their eyes as Pyrrha soon joined them by walking around the couch and standing right behind Ren with her hand on his left shoulder.
Ren/ENSEMBLE:
Death doesn't discriminate
Between the sinners and the saints,
it takes and it takes and it takes
A shaky breath escaped Ren as he continued to look on at his past and present singing along with his character. His mother and father comforting him, but he couldn't help that they had an aura of discipline to them.
Ren:
and we keep living anyway.
We rise and we fall
and we break
and we make our mistakes.
And if there's a reason I'm still alive
when everyone who loves me has died
I'm willing to wait for it.
I'm willing to wait for it.
Wait for it.
ENSEMBLE:
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it
Ren:
I am the one thing in life I can control
They all could only watch with wide eyes at the catharsis finally hitting them all. The spirits of Ren's character soared by him, almost mocking him with every word, yet he stood his ground.
Ren's heart pounded against his chest as the scene continued. The only thing he could really feel in those moments was the embrace of his team and especially his partner around him, his new and real family.
ENSEMBLE:
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it
Ren:
I am inimitable
I am an original
ENSEMBLE:
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it
Ren:
I'm not falling behind or running late
ENSEMBLE:
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it
Ren:
I'm not standing still,
I am lying in wait
"Woah." Sage could only mutter as Ren's parents and grandfather all were practically shouting at him before he cast them away. The rest of them were taken away by the music, almost allowing themselves to be engulfed by it.
ENSEMBLE:
Wait
Wait
Wait
Ren:
Hamilton faces an endless uphill climb
ENSEMBLE:
Climb
Climb
Climb
JNPR looked on with hitched breaths and shaky demeanors as the spirits of Ren's family morphed into one of Jaune with that same confident smile he had, yet his eyes were shrouded by his hair.
"He looks so smug." Weiss whispered to Ruby.
"I guess that's how Ren sees him in this." Ruby replied.
Ren:
He has something to prove
He has nothing to lose
ENSEMBLE:
Lose
Lose
Lose
Lose
"They're circling around each other." Pyrrha said shakily as her hand unconsciously met Jaune's behind the couch. Jaune could tell how much she was shaking and looked at her with concern.
Ren:
Hamilton's pace is relentless
he wastes no time
ENSEMBLE:
Time
Time
Time
Ren:
What is it like in his shoes?
"I'm not liking where this is going." Ironwood said with folded arms as he stared on. His cold persona shook a bit at the impact of the song, but he didn't have the nerve to expressively show it.
Ren:
Hamilton doesn't hesitate.
He exhibits no restraint.
He takes and he takes and he takes
and he keeps winning anyway.
He changes the game.
He plays and he raises the stakes.
And if there's a reason
he seems to thrive when so few survive,
then God dammit
I'm willing to wait for it.
I'm willing to wait for it...
Everyone braced at the build up of Ren's voice and with almost closed eyes, they saw Jaune and Ren's character standing off. Jaune was by himself while Ren had the outlines of his family by his side. Ren continued to stare at them as if they were ready to pounce on not just Jaune's character, but himself too as he sat there on the couch, surrounded by his team.
Ren and company:
Life doesn't discriminate
between the sinners and the saints
it takes and it takes and it takes
We rise.
We fall
And if there's a reason I'm still alive
When so many others have died,
then I'm willin' to-
The bombardment of the cathartic chorus was almost deafening as the students and teachers saw Ren's character set the spirits on Jaune's outline. There was ferocity in Ren's eyes as Jaune continued to brace the onslaught.
"Was that you Sun?" Scarlett asked as a sudden image of the back of a certain blonde's head was looking up at a shooting star.
"I wouldn't know." Sun said stunned as he continued to watch.
"What is he doing?" Pyrrha whispered as they soon saw Jaune's character pointing his arm out at Ren. Nora couldn't answer as she was captivated at herself, trying to comfort Ren's character almost as much as she was doing now. Everyone waited with baited breaths as Ren's character nearly caved in at the end of his chorus, only for him to look up with confusion.
"What is he seeing?" Ruby asked almost impatiently.
Ren:
Wait for it...
WOMEN
Wait for it...
MEN
Wait for it...
Everyone's voice was snatched away from them as they only saw Jaune's character raising a glass like he did in the beginning of the show. There was no threat, no competition, just Jaune standing before him with a smile that contrasted his smug, confident one. It was a smile that welcomed Ren, that embraced him and loved him. A smile only a true friend would have.
Ren:
Wait for it...
WOMEN
Wait for it...
MEN
Wait for it...
WOMEN
Wait for it...
MEN
Wait for it...
WOMEN
Wait for it...
MEN
Wait for it...
WOMEN
Wait for it...
MEN
Wait...
Ren's character composed himself as the outline of Jaune's character disappeared without a second beat. Both Ren and his character took a breath at the same time, but before Ren could say anything on the matter, he was met with the image of himself walking away with his family behind him. His mother and father, who didn't look any different from the day he last saw him, were watching over him with loving smiles, contrasting to the ones they had previously.
That was it for Ren. He wasn't able to initiate his semblance to calm himself down as the tears began to flow down his cheeks. His shoulders buckled intensely as he did his best not to make a sound. Though he didn't look up, he could feel his team tighten their embrace around him. The normally stoic ninja broke down even further as he felt the warmth from them. He didn't care if everyone was staring, he didn't care if the loading screen was back, all that mattered to Ren in those moments was his family that made sure they were there for him.
Well I finally got through that quintuple feature. All I have to say is this…. AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH! As much as I love this story, as much as I love RWBY, as much as I love Hamilton. I AM NEVER DOING A QUINTUPLE FEATURE AGAIN! Okay. Mental breakdown out of the way, I'm glad I can finally get this out to you all. A lot has happened in over a year. Jobs, school, dealing with people on Wattpad plagiarizing my stories, usual shit. But I finally did it. Like it, hate it, leave a comment, review, or a PM if you like. I hope you all enjoy. Be fierce everyone. I am going to pass out now.
SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 SIGNING OFF!