RWBY is property of Roosterteeth! I only own my characters.

CHAPTER 47

Alex rolled over on the small spongy medical cot, slowly opening his eyes and allowing them to adjust to the darkness around him. The faint light of Remnant's shattered moon cast the Kingdom of Mistral in a pale blue hue. The blond soldier sighed, pushing himself up into a sitting position and reaching for the pair of crutches the doctors had provided him with. Until Ryland had time to help Alex construct a prosthetic limb, he'd have to make do with what was available to him.

Carefully, Alex propped himself up onto the crutches, taking a moment to make sure he was balanced correctly. He began to slowly and quietly pick his way towards the entrance, stumbling slightly against a small box of medical supplies that had been left at the foot of one of the cots. The blonde solider braced himself as he tripped forward, turning so he landed on his shoulder instead of flat on his nose.

"Alex! Are you okay?" Ruby's voice whispered urgently. The small student was sitting in a chair in the corner of the tent, where she had likely been sleeping before being awoken by the noise from Alex's fall. Ruby hopped off her seat and rushed over to help Alex stand, gently brushing dust off of him with her hand.

"Thanks, Ruby..." Alex smiled softly to assure her that he hadn't just injured himself further. "I'm fine, I was just trying to get some fresh air."

"Just take it easy," Ruby said softly, placing a hand gingerly on Alex's back. "Here, let me help you get outside."

"You don't have to-" Alex started, pausing as Ruby gently pushed him toward the entrance of the medical tent. "You can go back to sleep, if you want, Ruby. I can make it on my own."

"Nah, I'm awake now anyway," Ruby shrugged. "Plus, I think I could use some outside air too." Alex opened his mouth to reply, but promptly shut it as the small cloaked girl softly guided him out into the moonlight.

The Mistral Guard Force had set up their camp for processing wounded and refugees outside one of their decommissioned military bases. Apparently, Peleus had acquired the transport he had used to travel to Vale from here. Dim lights danced around the camp, as doctors rushed between a sea of tents housing their wounded patients. Residents of the Kingdom were scattered about the base, either actively searching for their missing family members or sitting still with haunted expressions frozen on their faces.

Farther away was the city itself, the once proud structures left crumbling and abandoned. Faint orange glows and thick black smoke rose from the Government District, where Agony's gateway device had started a large-scale fire that had yet to be fully controlled. Alex could pick out the distinct sounds of gunfire echoing in the distance as the local Mistral forces attempted to quell the endless tide of Grimm that had begun leaking into the city through holes in the wall. A particularly large breach had occurred at the South end of the city, where an Order Frigate had come crashing down directly on top of the Kingdom's protective boundary, creating a massive gap for the Grimm to flood through.

"Think this is a good spot?" Ruby asked as she helped Alex hobble to the edge of a grassy hill overlooking the Kingdom. They were still within the confines of the base, technically, as Alex noticed a metal perimeter fence curving around the bottom of the hill.

"This should be fine," Alex gently ruffled Ruby's hair, "I don't want to wear you out by having you drag me around everywhere." The cloaked girl simply nodded silently in response, helping the soldier take a seat in the slightly damp greenery. Ruby wrapped her crimson cloak tightly around her small form, placing the garment beneath herself as she sat down beside Alex. For several long moments, the pair simply stared out into the moonlit scenery before them. A soft breeze whispered across the grass in gentle waves. Alex took a deep breath before finally speaking. "Guess I can't treat you like a kid anymore after all that, huh?"

Ruby shifted uneasily for a moment, clutching her legs against her chest. "I... I don't know..." she answered. "I kind of... miss it... actually... but at the same time... after all the killing... all that... death..." Ruby shivered, causing Alex to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Ruby..." Alex muttered softly. "I never wanted to take that away from you..."

"Nah," Ruby sighed, "I think it would have happened no matter what you, me, or anyone else did. I just... realized that I can't be a kid anymore..." The small girl shrunk deeper into her cloak, and silently leaned to the side so her head was balanced against Alex's shoulder. The blonde soldier patted her hair gently. "Do you think it's finally over?"

"I think it might-" Alex began to reply, but Ruby pushed herself up so she was staring into his face. Her silver eyes held a serious light to them, an expression desperately searching for answers.

"I meant honestly," the cloaked girl stated. Alex paused and looked at his remaining foot.

"No, Ruby, I don't think it will ever be over," he sighed. "People can try to stomp out whatever evil or any other opposing ideals they want, but something else will always take its place." Alex picked up a small pebble he found in the grass and tossed it down the hill. "Any victory we achieve in a short period of time isn't one that will last. The best we can do is try to make changes that stay with others and improve the world for the better... I'd say we need more people like you, honestly, someone who still has a kind heart and a little bit of innocence."

"So, like you too?" Ruby inquired quietly.

"Not sure I'd lump myself into that category," Alex answered, turning his gaze back out towards the city.

"You have those qualities too, you know," the student replied, "even if you don't see it. You, Dimitri, Marcia, and even Ryland. You all make lasting effects on the people and places around you." Ruby smiled gently. "I'm glad that we all met..."

"Me too, Ruby..." Alex nodded, a small curl gracing his lips as well. "Me too..."

The next morning, Ruby rolled around on top of one of the medical cots. Her eyes blinked open, confused as to how she had gotten there. Her answer came in the form of Alex's hunched over form in a chair beside the spongy bed. The soldier's head and arms lay on the side of the cot near Ruby's feet. Quickly, the girl pieced together that she must have fallen asleep while she and Alex had been talking, and somehow, against all apparent odds, he had managed to carry her back to the tent containing all their friends.

Ruby quietly excused herself from the cot, planting her feet firmly onto the canvas floor. She very quickly noticed several beds within the tent, and after a quick headcount, determined that Marcia and the Bloodlines that had come to Remnant with her were missing from their number. Silently, Ruby looked around, wondering where the EDC General and her companions had disappeared to. Upon sticking her head out of the tent and still finding no signs of their missing friends, Ruby resolved to shake Alex and Luna gently in order to conscript their help.

"Hmm? Ruby?" Luna stirred groggily. "What is it?"

"Marcia and a bunch of the others are missing," Ruby answered. "I don't think it's anything bad, but I can't find them anywhere."

"Marcia wouldn't leave without saying anything," Alex yawned. "Did you check with D or-" The soldier stopped short as Peleus entered the medical tent alongside a man wearing a crisp EDC Naval uniform.

"Major Alex Greene," the man greeted, extending a hand, "Admiral Harold Dietrich. It's a pleasure to find you alive and finally meet in person." The Naval Officer's arrival had stirred the rest of the residents of the medical tent.

"Uh... Nice to meet you as well," Alex dazedly took the Admiral's hand, staring intently at his face. "Sorry, I feel like I've heard your name before, Admiral, but I can't place your face."

"You might have caught my name offhand twelve years ago," Dietrich nodded, "I was Captain of one of the vessels participating in the battle where you and Sergeant Averin both vanished."

"Do you know where Marcia and the others are?" Ruby inquired.

"General Evans and the Guardians are currently preparing for our departure back through the gateway," Dietrich answered. "They asked to speak with all of you before we get underway."

"Why?" Ruby demanded heatedly. "How come you're leaving when there are still people here that need help?" Alex reached out to place a gentle, calming hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Believe me, if the decision were at my discretion, I would remain here to assist the people of Mistral," Dietrich replied, flinching almost imperceptibly at Ruby's displeasure. "But, EDC High Command has demanded that we return to Earth as soon as possible to continue our task of eliminating the Order once and for all. My apologies, young lady, but I cannot disobey the directives given to me in this case." Ruby's fist clenched.

"Ruby," Alex warned, "calm down. The Admiral's not the one responsible for making this decision."

"But-" Ruby sputtered in a mix of anger and confusion, "I thought the EDC was supposed to protect people!"

"You have my deepest personal sympathies," the Admiral bowed his head, "but those wielding greater influence wish to defend our own boundaries instead of extending our hand to others. I cannot apologize enough for abandoning these people in their time of need."

"It's fine," Peleus interrupted. "I'm certain the politicians of your home are no less frightened of the Order than the people of Remnant. I can understand their reasoning."

"You said something about Marcia and the others wanting to talk to us?" Cinder yawned, placing a hand over her mouth.

"Right, of course," Dietrich nodded. "If you would all please follow me..."

Alex hobbled along near the back of the group that followed the Admiral towards the military base's airstrip. A trio of angular Dragonfly dropships sat parked in the middle of the runway. The aircraft appeared significantly newer than Alex was used to. EDC soldiers worked to offload many large crates, which they were stacking in the back of a nearby truck belonging to the Mistral Guard Force. Replacing the storage boxes were Marcia and the others, finding themselves seats for their impending return trip.

"What are all those crates for?" Blake spoke up, her cat ears giving a small twitch underneath her bow as the metal cubes caught her eye.

"I requested that our ship's cargo hold be emptied of anything we could spare," Dietrich answered. "Resupplying will be trivial once we cross back through the gateway, so this is the least we can do." Ruby opened her mouth to utter an apology, but the Admiral raised his hand. "Your frustration was well-justified, young lady. I share many of your concerns myself, and it would be wrong of us to do nothing."

Alex quickly counted off the people waiting to depart for Earth in his head. Marcia, Jerloh, Lex, Alyia, Eve, and Ryan The two Bloodlines that had assisted them during the battle, as well as Elise and Enigma, were nowhere in sight, presumably already back aboard the EDC Dreadnaught hovering in the sky overhead. Marcia met her old friends' eyes as they approached.

"Hey..." the General greeted sadly.

"So this is it," Dimitri spoke somberly as he reached the short woman. Marcia hugged the Russian around the chest. "I guess this is where we part ways once more."

"Yeah..." Marcia sighed, "I guess it is." She walked over to Alex and embraced him as well, then moved onto Ryland. "I can't convince any of you to come home with me, can I?" A pair of tears rolled down her cheeks. "Because... this might be the last chance we get..." The Bloodlines waited behind the General, waiting for her to finish before they said their goodbyes.

"Marcia," Alex balanced himself on one crutch, reaching out his free hand to place it on his friend's shoulder. "Back home, we've been dead for over a decade... As much as I'd like to return to finish everything we all started together, I can't leave all the people we've met and grown to love here..."

"There are people here that need help just as much as Earth," Dimitri added, offering his own hand for Marcia to take. "And people that I have promised to protect." The Russian made a subtle nod towards Firo and Blake, who had kept their distance to allow the old EDC squad to speak in relative privacy.

"Sorry, Marcie," Ryland smiled sadly, "but I think we've all found reasons to stay. Hey, you'll do great even without us though, and no one said you can't... come back... and... visit..." The engineer sniffed and quickly wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

"It was worth a try," Marcia replied between choked sobs, hastily trying to wipe away the unending flood of water from her eyes. "You all just can't stop being heroes, huh?" She began to make a sound halfway between laughing and crying. "I understand... You all had better stay alive until I come back for a visit, then... or I'm kicking all of your asses..."

"That's the Marcia we know and love," Alex stated with a sad smile as his old squadmate continued to hug and sob against each of them. His own heart felt divided. Eventually, Marcia calmed her nerves, putting on a strong face once more.

"Hey, Ruby," Marcia gave the student a casual smile and incline of her head, "take care of my idiots for me, okay? That goes for Luna, Firo, Yang, and Blake too. Keep these three from getting themselves killed again."

"Sure thing," Ruby stated firmly.

"Of course," Firo smiled softly and nodded.

"I'll keep Ry out of too much trouble," Yang winked good-naturedly. Marcia bobbed her head in approval as the girls voiced their various acknowledgments. The General took a step back to allow the others to speak.

"Peleus," Eve said, "Thank you for believing in me all this time... for trusting me." The Bloodline of Sorrow extended a slender hand to the Senator's daughter. "Pyrrha, I know our time together was brief, but I would be honored to consider you a friend for the same reasons as your father."

"Thank you, Eve," Pyrrha replied with a smile, "for keeping Father safe and helping him make it this far."

"Weiss," Jerloh grinned, "you'd have made Dad proud. If you ever find yourself on Earth sometime in the future, make sure to drop by. We've always got room for family."

"Bye, Weiss!" Lex hugged the young Schnee around the waist. "Make sure you beat up all the bad guys so you can come visit!" The small girl retreated as Alyia placed a gentle hand on her head.

"Thank you for taking care of our Dad for so long," Charles' daughter said. "I think seeing you grow up would have made him proud. Make sure to take care of Winter and Anise, alright?"

"I don't plan on doing anything less," Weiss replied. "I'll keep trying to live up to Charles' teachings."

"You know," Jerloh said, "you can call him 'Dad' as well, if you want. If anybody has earned that right, it's you."

"Alright," Weiss smiled broadly, "then I will keep living up to Dad's legacy."

"Felstrand," Ryan nodded as he walked over, "I will be sure to deliver your message to your father for you. In exchange... I would like you to pass on a message for me."

"To your Maiden lover?" Ryland smirked. Yang made an effort to stifle a snort of laughter.

"Stop that," the Bloodline of Flame stated. He held out a small envelope. "But, yes, I would like you to deliver this to Cherri. Our talk about split loyalties made me realize that I had to at least thank her properly."

"No problem," the orange-haired engineer grinned, gingerly taking the paper from Ryan, "I'll get this to your girlfriend in no time."

"Hey," Yang spoke up, "you stay safe. Don't make Cherri cry if you die."

"I don't plan on dying anytime soon," Ryan replied, smiling despite himself.

"Our deadline is approaching," Dietrich spoke up. "I apologize for making you all cut this short, but we must be on our way."

"Right," Marcia sniffed, "then we'd better get going..." The departing friends exchanged their final farewells as the EDC General and the Bloodlines boarded the trio of dropships. The hatches hissed closed, separating the two groups from each others' gazes. Alex watched the aircraft pull into the sky, becoming nothing more than tiny specks as the boarded the Dreadnaught. Slowly, the massive ship turned itself towards the floating portal in the sky, cruising through the spherical gateway back into its own world. A final loud noise signaled the opening's collapse, as it shrunk and gradually faded into nothingness. Alex was left staring at a blank sky, devoid of even clouds.

"So," Ruby said, "What now?"

"I don't know about all of you," Yang responded, "but I wanna go home."

A/N:Well, so as it turns out, this is the chapter I decided to split. So, Chapter 47 is now Chapters 47 and 48. 48 will cover what's in store for Chess and the Maidens. After that, all that's left is the epilogue.

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