Chapter Three
Ruby looked around at the void she was in. She thought she would arrive back on Remnant by going through the door, but this clearly wasn't Remnant.
"H-hello?" She called out nervously. "Where am I?"
I don't know, the Cat admitted. I've never been on this side of the door, before.
"I see you have made your choice," a metallic voice said. Turning around, Ruby found herself looking at a familiar face. It was the Blacksmith that she met in the Garden Marketplace. They were working on what seemed to be a collection of wooden sculptures, whittling away with a dagger.
"It's you," Ruby breathed, "you called out to me before, didn't you?"
The Blacksmith stopped carving and looked at Ruby with empty eye sockets. "It was you who called me. Your heart was heavy, and you were reaching out to anyone who would be willing to help you. Even when you didn't know it yourself."
"What... are you?" Ruby asked hesitantly. "Are you... the Tree?"
The Blacksmith smiled. "You could say that, but that is just a small part of the Tree and its purpose." Their expression softened slightly. "I can't help but notice the weight on your heart. Are you certain of your decision?"
"I would certainly think she is," the Curious Cat chimed in, their upper body appearing and resting on top of Ruby's head. "With me by her side, the weight will be much more bearable."
The Blacksmith looked at the Cat, and Ruby could sense a hint of disapproval. "And what about you?" They asked the young Huntress. "Is the union between the two of you what you wanted?"
Ruby looked down at her hands, watching the glowing blue energy flow through her. "I don't know what I want, anymore," she admitted, "but I do know this: what I need to do back home is just too much for me to do alone. Without their help, I would definitely fail to save anyone, or worse, I would only do more harm than good. What I was on my own... it just wasn't enough for the burden I have."
"And how would you measure enough?" The Blacksmith asked. Ruby opened her mouth to answer, then stopped. She didn't know. She couldn't think of anything or anyone that could be enough. Not alone.
"But you're not alone, little Huntress," the Cat told her soothingly. "And you never will be. Not anymore."
Ruby smiled, then approached the Blacksmith, unlimbering Crescent Rose and shedding her cloak before placing them on the table in front of her. "Here," she said softly, "I won't need these anymore. They're too heavy for me, anyway."
The Blacksmith picked up the items and examined them. "And what am I to do with them?"
"Keep them, give them to the others, make something else out of them... it doesn't matter. I just can't carry them."
The Blacksmith nodded. "If that is your decision." They then waved a hand, and a portal appeared behind Ruby.
"Come along, Ruby," the Cat said, "we have much to learn and much to do." They then disappeared back inside Ruby's body. With a deep breath, Ruby stepped through the portal to begin her new mission.
Meanwhile...
Everyone was picking themselves up, trying to process what just happened. Jaune was using his Semblance to heal Weiss's wounds, while Blake was trying to console a sobbing Yang.
Weiss was still trying to wrap her head around the brief fight against Ruby. Whatever the Cat did to her, it must have made her stronger and faster than before—she batted Yang away like it was nothing, and was able to stand in gravity 20 times stronger than on Remnant. Even her Semblance was different—normally Ruby would turn into a flurry of petals, but instead she created them to use as projectiles. It didn't take a genius to realize that Ruby was far more dangerous than anyone else expected.
"I don't understand," Weiss said quietly, "how could that have gone so wrong?"
Jaune looked away and didn't answer.
"You don't understand?" Yang repeated, menace in her voice. "It was your idea not to tell Ruby the whole truth about Penny! 'We can't tell her, look at her! She'll fall apart if she finds out now!'"
"You went along with it, Yang!" Weiss bit back. "We all agreed that it was for the best! We're all at fault!"
"I... tha..." Yang deflated miserably as Blake held her. "I just want her back..."
"Then you need to pick yourself up and get her back," Jaune said sternly. "The longer we stand here moping, the further she's going to get. Ruby needs us, now more than ever. Even if she thinks she doesn't." He looked down at his hands, covered in rusted gauntlets. "Just once, I want to actually save someone who needs saving."
Yang took several deep breaths, steadying herself, then stood up with Blake's help. "Alright," she said shakily, "I'm ready. Let's go get my sister back."
Their resolve restored, the four got to their feet, turned to face the door, and stepped through.
Ruby looked around at her surroundings. She had expected to see the vast sandy desert of Vacuo, but she was instead surrounded by lush green trees.
"This... isn't where we should be," Ruby said as the Cat's front half appeared out of her body to rest on top of her head.
"No worries," the Cat replied, studying the surrounding forest with great intrigue. "I'm sure we will find our way there eventually."
"Eventually?" Ruby repeated?
"Of course," the Cat said jovially, "there's no need to be all business! This is my first time in a new world! There's too much I don't know!"
"No!" Ruby said desperately. "We have to hurry to Vacuo! Salem's out there planning her next move, and the only person who knows where she might be is over there!"
"Oh, don't worry your pure little heart, Ruby," the Cat chided her. "You weren't in a hurry to get to Remnant without telling your 'friends,' now were you?"
"But... but that was different," Ruby argued, but she wasn't sure if even she believed that. "I thought I needed them. I thought they would understand."
"And they didn't," the Cat reminded her. "Now, like you said about Remnant, Salem isn't going anywhere. So why don't you take the time to show me the sights, and in exchange, I will teach you how to use our new powers."
Ruby was torn. On one hand, she was desperate to find Salem and end her crusade before she gets any more Relics. On the other, she knew she had to appease the Cat if she was ever going to get her heart repaired. If they got bored of her, they might just leave her alone with her heartache.
"Alright," she relented, "I guess it couldn't hurt to look around and ask for directions. But we can't take too long—you still want answers from the Brothers, right?"
"More than anything," the Cat admitted. "But I can wait a little longer." Hopping off Ruby's shoulder, they started to explore the surrounding area with great intrigue, leaving Ruby to chase after them.
"Wait up! What if you go too far!?"
"Oh, don't worry. I once lost my posterior in a different acre. We were separated for days until I found it, but I always find it."
Ruby didn't feel comfortable with that, so she simply followed the Cat.
Yang looked up at the Blacksmith, her head spinning as she tried to take in everything she heard. Beside her, the others were equally shocked at the truth. The Blacksmith had told them everything about the Brother Gods, the nature of the Ever After and the Great Tree, and the true fate of Alyx and Lewis. Jaune took the information particularly badly, even after his youth was restored by Alyx's dagger.
"But why," Yang asked. "If you knew what the Cat did, why didn't you do anything to stop them? Couldn't you have separated them?"
"It is not my place to interfere with the choices of others," the Blacksmith explained calmly. "Every living thing deserves the chance to decide for themselves. I could not refuse to let her leave, just as I cannot force you to take these."
Reaching under the table, they pulled out an object wrapped in black cloth and placed it on top. Gingerly, Yang approached the object and unwrapped it, already fearing what it was.
It was Crescent Rose, wrapped in Ruby's red cloak.
Fresh tears started falling down Yang's face as she held both tight to her chest.
"She may be under the Cat's influence, but the choice was ultimately hers to make. And now you are faced with a different choice."
"What choice?" Jaune asked.
"Ruby is on a dangerous path," the Blacksmith explained. "Her thoughts and feelings are being twisted by the corrupted nature of the Curious Cat. She believes that she can undo the damage done and summon the Brothers, but she doesn't realize that the Brothers want Remnant to unite of its own free will. Her actions will ultimately mean the end of your world if left unchecked. As such, you may be faced with the choice between your world, or your friend."
"What!?" Yang screeched. "What kind of choice is that!? No, I won't be forced to choose between my sister and everyone else! I'm going to save her, and I'm going to save Remnant! I don't care what I have to do!"
"I couldn't agree more," Weiss said firmly. "If we have to choose, then we'll just have to choose both. I won't let Ruby down again, no matter what!"
"Ruby deserves better than what's happening to her," Blake agreed. "I've already seen someone change, and I ran instead of trying to help them. I won't do that again. I never want to lose someone like that, ever again."
The Blacksmith smiled, satisfied. "I expected nothing less, young Huntresses." With a wave of their hand, a portal appeared behind the group.
"Where does this go?" Jaune asked.
"Not where," the Blacksmith answered, "but when you are needed most."
One by one, the group filed through the portal until only Blake and Yang were left.
"Before you go," the Blacksmith called, "I have one more thing." As the two turned to look, they saw a rainbow colored leaf in the Blacksmith's hand. "Even if you separate Ruby from the Cat's influence, there is no guarantee that she will be of sound mind and spirit afterwards. If that happens, you can use this to send her here, and I will do what I can for her."
Yang stared at the leaf, more scared than she's ever been before. "Are you really telling me there's no hope for my sister?" She asked quietly.
The Blacksmith tilted their head. "Am I?"
Yang gritted her teeth, her hands trembling by her side. She hated that this was happening to her sister. She hated that she didn't have any answers. She was confused and angry about everything. Then Blake stepped forward, and took the leaf from the Blacksmith's hand.
"Blake, what are you doing?" Yang asked, her eyes wide.
Blake looked her lover in the eyes, hurt but determined. "I hope we never have to use this," she admitted gently. "I want to believe that when all this is over, and Ruby's free, that we can just throw it away and never talk about it. But if we're really not willing to do anything and everything for her when she needs us the most, then we don't deserve to call ourselves her friends or family. At least with this, there's a chance she can begin again, right?"
Yang desperately fought back tears. She knew Blake was right, but the idea of losing her sister forever was too much for her to think about. Pulling Blake in for a hug, she sobbed into her shoulder as Blake gingerly stroked her back.
"We're going to save her," the cat Faunus said reassuringly. "No matter what happens, we will get Ruby back. We have to."