Chapter 87
Chrome and Neo continued towards the tree together while Ruby, Blake and Yang argued amongst themselves.
"Why won't you chase after him?" Blake shouted.
"We can't just leave him!" Yang added.
"Screw him." Ruby angrily shouted as she continued forward.
"Ruby!"
But while Neo and Chrome trekked, the Cat appeared beside them.
"You know, you two aren't far from a shortcut."
"What?"
"Follow me." The Cat said before floating off towards a tree. Following, the two saw what appeared to be an endless hole. "Down the Rabbit Hole."
"You're kidding."
"I am not."
Before Chrome could argue, Neo already hopped down with him on her shoulder.
Once the two found the exit, Neo stumbled forward a bit, only for a resized Chrome to bump into her, causing the duo to fall. Landing atop Neo, Chrome slowly got back to his feet as he apologized.
Looking down at himself, Chrome turned to the Cat for an explanation.
"The shortcut has an anti-enchantment charm on it, purging all enchantments on whoever takes the shortcut." The Cat then turned and began heading for a specific hut. "Come with me. I know someone who could help. The Herbalist."
"The who-"
"Sh!" Suddenly, the Cat rushed off after hearing something.
"Hey!" Chrome shouted after it but his voice fell on deaf ears. Turning to Neo, Chrome shrugged. "Herbalist, then?"
As the two searched around for this "Herbalist" they saw a multitude of different denizens walking about their day-to-day.
"What the hell?" Chrome couldn't help but ask as he looked around.
Walking from building to building, Neo and Chrome finally found the "Herbalist" which turned out to be a massive talking caterpillar.
Before they could ask it anything, voices interrupted them.
"Ruby." Chrome growled.
Neo grabbed Chrome's wrist and pulled him off to the side, leaving behind illusions of the two of them which shattered soon after.
As the duo spectated from the brush, they saw Ruby and the others enter the same building as the Herbalist.
Some time later
After watching for what felt like forever, Neo finally got up with a silent sigh.
Activating her semblance, Neo sent forth a Jabberwalker to terrorize the area.
"What are you doing?" Chrome asked.
Neo brushed off his question as she made the creature fight his friends. Soon, the trio were helped by the Rusted Knight from the story.
The four made quick work of the creature, which annoyed Neo. Sending forth more forced the team to retreat.
Alone once more, Neo and Chrome regrouped.
"What was that for?" Chrome asked.
Neo shrugged before turning around and following the group from a distance.
"Alright..?"
Chrome began to follow.
Remnant
Liam stood at the front of a massive Atlas carrier. He looked out over the vast wasteland of Vacuo, surrounded by countless other ships from all over Remnant.
"Daddy?"
Turning back, Liam saw Wulfrun, now a healthy six year old, standing hand in hand with her three year old brother, Wixin.
"What're you doing here?" Liam asked, happily surprised by his family showing.
"Dada!" The three year old charged head first to give a hug to Liam.
"Mom brought us." Wulf explained.
"Your mother's here?" Liam repeated before seeing her for himself. "Weiss."
"Liam." The two greeted each other as military officials. "What brings you here?"
"Large groups of Grimm in the Northwest." Weiss replied. "Came to report."
"You're not on duty." Liam reminded her. "Supposed to be on maternity leave."
"Is that even a thing anymore?" Weiss asked, rubbing her visibly bulging belly.
Liam answered with a shrug before embracing Weiss. Raising her left hand, Liam gave the ring on her finger a kiss.
"Oh. Cool seeing you here." Sun said as he joined the family on the ship. "You guys come up on these things for the view, too?"
"Something like that." Liam answered with a shrug.
Sun hopped up and perched on the railing directly behind Weiss and Liam.
"So, any activity or still radio silence?" Sun asked.
"Mainly radio silence." Liam answered. "Though Weiss was just telling me about multiple groups of Grimm." Liam gestured to Sun. "You wanna take your team and CFVY for a little Search and Destroy?"
"You think it's that big'a threat?" Sun asked.
"No. CFVY, mainly Velvet, has been itching to go on missions. It'll give 'em something to do."
"Sure thing, boss." Sun gave a two fingered wave before heading back the way he came.
Standing by his wife, the family looked out across the desert.
EverAfter
As the duo set up camp, which was just Neo using her newfound semblance ability to create them a place to rest, Chrome kept glancing back at Neo.
"Hm."
"I know you have a question to ask, kiddo." Roman popped up beside Chrome, casually tipping his hat in greeting. "What is it?"
Chrome turned to address Neo, not her illusion.
"I understand your hate for Ruby." Chrome admitted. "She got someone close to me killed."
Neo finally looked Chrome in the eye.
"Nicci. My teammate." Chrome told her. "Ruby's whole plan to come to Atlas, her hunt for Salem, all of it. If it weren't for her, she'd-" Chrome cut himself off with a frustrated grunt.
"You know, my demise sounds no different." Roman said, sliding up next to Chrome and tapping his cat ear with his cane, causing it to twitch. "Cinder's plan went to shit, and I died because of it."
"Yet you have no beef with Cinder?"
"She made a good argument." Roman replied as he walked around and stood next to Neo.
"Right."
"I'm curious about you, though, kid." Roman said. "What's with the sudden team change?"
"Team change?" Chrome repeated as if insulted. "I'd still like to stop Salem."
"Real convincing."
"Shut up."
Land of Darkness
Salem sat at the head of her table in the dining hall. Her head was tilted back, her eyes completely shaded over by blackness. She had a blank look on her face.
"Mother." Shadow said as he walked in.
Salem blinked and her eyes returned to normal.
"Shadow."
"I've found more." Shadow stated as seven people and Faunus walked in.
Salem only smiled as she looked over the row of new recruits.
"Good work."
EverAfter
As the two watched from the brush, it was revealed that the Rusted Knight was, in fact, Jaune. The two overheard his story about how this was even remotely possible, come to find out he picked a magical time fruit off a tree and was sent back decades.
Afterwards, they continued to tail the group.
"So… Where're we going again?" Yang asked.
"My village. Heh." Jaune answered. "I still can't believe you made it all the way from the Crimson Keep on your own."
"Not on our own." Blake said. "We had help. The Cat."
Jaune stopped in his tracks.
"What Cat?"
Blake and Yang turn to each other, confused.
"Oh! Woo! I found you."
Neon abruptly shattered as Chrome stumbled out of the brush in surprise as the Cat jumped them from behind.
"Why is it you always find the thing you're looking for in the very last place you look, hah!" The Cat stated.
The Cat then noticed Jaune with Team RWBY.
"Jaune! Oho-my! It has been an indeterminant amount of time hasn't it?" The Cat said beatly. "So, how've you been?"
"Wait. You two know each other?" Blake asked.
"Well, they'd have to. From the story." Ruby stated.
Jaune angrily unsheathes his broken rusted Crocea Mors sword. Blake and Yang stop him.
"Whoa, Jaune!" Yang held her hands out in front of her.
"I think there's a misunderstanding. The Cat can get us all out of here." Blake said.
The thunder returns, louder.
"We don't have time for this! We've got to get to my village! Don't worry, we don't need a guide." Jaune told them.
"But your friends wanted to go to the tree." The Cat stated.
While they talked, or argued, Chrome looked around to see if he could maybe sneak away. Yeah, as if they'd let him wander off.
"That's where you're letting them take you?" Jaune asked.
"Well, yeah. That's... that's how... Alyx got out. Right?" Blake asked, looking to the others for conforming.
Jaune looked to the Cat. "You didn't tell them anything."
"No, that's simply not true. I told them plenty of things. A few any things and lots of somethings." The Cat answered with a smile.
"Can somebody please make sense?" Chrome asked, getting more exhausted by the second.
"That tree is death." Jaune stated.
Ruby and Yang turn to Jaune.
"It absorbs you, takes your memories, and turns you into something else. If you go there, it's going to erase you!" Jaune exaplined. "They call it "Ascension" here. That's really what it is."
"Wait. The tree is what causes the Ascension?" Ruby asked.
"That's what got the Herbalist. The roots of the tree." Blake stated.
"Pretty curious that you neglected to mention that..." Yang said.
The Cat let out a chuckle. "Excellent pun-manship. But, you are not from here. It won't do that to you guys!"
"Oh yeah? Then what happened to Lewis?"
Chrome glanced at Jaune.
"Who?"
"Alyx's brother."
Team RWBY looked at the Cat in disbelief over the shocking revelation.
"That… That can't be right." Blake said softly.
"She had a brother? Why didn't you mention him?" Yang stepped forward.
"Well, you never asked, silly. It was always "Alyx this" and "Alyx that"." The Cat said, swaying his head back and forth.
"We've been following the story the whole time, and it's not even true?" Ruby asked.
The thunder returns the third time, louder than the previous as the wind begins to pick up.
"Let's go. I've got a plan." Jaune said.
The Cat scoffed. "A lot of good that's done after... what? How many years?"
"Can everyone please stop! This is a lot to take in…" Blake begged.
"Huh. Looks like we're stuck at a crossroads then…" the Cat smirked.
"No!!" Jaune shouted.
There's a sudden flash of light and everything goes black.
End of Chapter 87
