Chapter 88

Remnant

Liam stood atop a recently built tower. With him was Oscar, as well as Liam's youngest son, Sparrow.

"Os."

"Mr. Branwen." Oscar, now sounding much more like Ozpin, replied. "Your army is turning out to be quite impressive."

"My army?" Liam repeated his words.

"It was you who began rallying more and more people to our cause." Oscar explained. "And you who stepped up when Ruby and the others fell."

Liam glanced down at the mention of those events.

"If anyone deserves to lead this army, it's you." Oscar added.

"Right." Liam looked at Sparrow.

"How's your family?" Oscar asked, changing the subject.

"Good." Liam answered honestly. "Summer and this lil guy-" Liam nodded to Sparrow. "Have been giving us more trouble than any of the others."

"Twins often do that." Oscar commented, referring to Liam's father and aunt.

"I'm beginning to notice." Liam teased as he gently rocked Ethan from side to side.

"How's your oldest? She's nine, now?" Oscar asked.

"Yeah." Liam nodded. "And she's doing rather good. Her skills with her rapier are improving every day."

"She takes after her mother."

"Scary how true that is." Liam agreed. "Not even double digits yet and her fighting style almost mirrors her mother's."

Unbeknownst to the two, Wulf was idling just outside the room, listening in on the conversation.

"You gonna head inside or…"

Wulf jumped as she spun around.

Standing behind her, with a hand on his hip, foot tapping impatiently, was a Faunus boy, a monkey tail slowly swaying back and forth behind him.

"Jeez, Sol." Wulf gasped in relief. "Scared me."

Sol was the son of both Velvet and Sun. Most of his features resembled Sun, but he did have Velvet's eyes. And her accent from long conversations with her.

"Sorry." Wulf apologized.

"Don't be." Sol replied. "I don't need you to move. You just looked funny with your ear pressed against-"

The door suddenly opened, with Liam looking down at his eldest.

"Eavesdropping, now?" He asked.

Wulf chuckled nervously as she stared up at her father.

EverAfter

Chrome raised his arm to block the wind as it suddenly picked up, threatening to blow him over. Once it finally subsided, Chrome lowered his arm to show he was now standing on a very, very rickety bridge.

Opposite him was Yang, who was standing on a bridge that mirrored him. And directly between them was a platform with grass on it.

"Oh, what the fuck?" Chrome asked as his bridge swayed back and forth.

"Chrome!" Yang shouted over the howling wind.

"Yang? Wh- what the hell?" Chrome shouted. "What is this?"

"I don't know!" Yang shouted back. "I- it might be a test."

"A test of what?" Chrome looked down, but all he saw were clouds. "Fuck, me…"

As the two looked for a way off, Yang looked to Chrome.

"Any ideas?"

Chrome shrugged and shook his head.

"No." He shouted back. "At least not any good ones."

"Well, I'm sure something will come to you." Yang assured him. "You're able to find the difficult answers."

Suddenly, two planks appeared on Yang's bridge.

"Huh?"

"Something happen?" Chrome asked.

"I can move forward!" Yang shouted back, progressing the two planks forward.

"What'd you do?"

"I… I'm not sure." Yang answered.

As the two struggled, Jaune, Ruby and Blake were busy walking through a crazy maze of bridges and pathways that defied the laws of gravity.

"What?" Blake's ears folded back in confusion.

Jaune let out a sigh. "Come on."

"Wait." Ruby looked around, noticing Yang and Chrome's absence. "Where's Yang?"

"And my brother?" Blake added.

"They probably had bigger issues to solve." Jaune replied. "Now, come on."

Back on the bridge, Chrome and Yang had to brace themselves against a particularly rough gust of wind.

"Oh, what the hell is this?" Chrome shouted.

"Chrome, I think we just have to make it to that center platform."

"I figured that, but how?"

"I'll let you know as soon as I figure that out." Yang replied.

"Ugh!" Chrome groaned in frustration. "We don't have time for this!"

While the two struggled, Jaune guided Blake and Ruby through their "Crossroad".

"What do you think the others' challenge is like?" Blake asked, curiously.

"Who cares?" Ruby snapped.

"Jeez." Blake hesitated. "What's with everyone?"

Ruby glared back at her teammate.

"Care to elaborate?"

"You and my brother both have been acting aggressive." Blake replied.

"Jeez, wonder why."

Jaune's impatience only grew as he listened to his friends bicker and complain.

"Just focus on getting out of here!" Jaune finally snapped. "I thought I'd be relieved seeing you all again, but you're stressing me the hell out!"

Groaning, the trio finally managed to make it out.

Both parties struggled, getting more and more frustrated with the situation and each other. After what felt like an eternity, Jaune, Ruby and Blake managed to finally get out while Yang and Chrome only further increased in their struggle.

"Finally." Blake said with a satisfied stretch. "Glad we got-"

She was suddenly interrupted by Yang pushing by her.

"Excuse me."

"Yang?" Blake said, worriedly.

Glancing back, Chrome stood with his arms crossed.

"What happ-?"

"Nothing." Chrome snapped. "Nothing happened, alright."

"Alright, jeez." Blake backed off.

It was clear Chrome was fuming and Yang was clearly both pissed and upset. Heading over to the blonde, Blake tried to get her side.

"Yang?"

"I'm good." Yang snapped.

"Okay." Blake backed off once more, knowing not to pry.

"Oh how odd." The Cat dropped down. "This time you were in the first place I looked, rather than the last!"

Ruby and Blake angrily step towards the cat.

"Jaune told us." Ruby growled.

The Cat scoffed.

"Now, I thought there was more to the story." The Cat shrugged. "You're accusing me of something. Same page now."

"You're the one who gives Afterans to the tree. Why haven't you been telling the truth?" Ruby asked.

"When Afterans get all higgledy-piggledy, I help them return to the Ever After, yes... but you're, not, Afterans!" The Cat explained. "I'm not taking you there to ascend! I'm taking you there because you all have such delightful information for me!"

"You pretended like you'd never heard of the story when you met us. But Jaune had already told you." Ruby shouted.

"I think ol' Jaune's... maybe a few sand berries short of a picnic these days... Wouldn't you say?" The Cat smiled tauntingly.

Jaune growls at Cat with his reflection of his past self on the water mirror.

"What happened when you took Alyx and Lewis to the tree?" Blake questioned.

"I… I don't know." The Cat answered. "She had told me she'd take me with her through the door to Remnant, but… she tricked me. Just… Just like all of you."

Blake looked down.

"You only want to use me, in the same way I've only seen others as sources for knowledge and entertainment." The Cat added. "Well... at least now I know what not, to do."

The Cat walks away from everyone.

"We… We just want to get home." Ruby said.

"Thank you for this lesson, Ruby. Rose. Huntress. I'll be on my way now. Stay with your friend."

As the Cat disappears, the watery mirrors turn into ice and shatter in pieces.

"Fuck him." Chrome waved the Cat off.

Everyone sighed as Jaune beckoned them to follow him back to his village. Once there, everyone winded down and it was revealed Jaune had Ruby's weapon this whole time.

Chrome didn't care as he laid down and finally shut his eyes.

End of Chapter 88