Rider Time Zi-O: Roze from Remnant
Chapter 97 – Remnant's New Dawn
A white narrative void was the current location as Woz walked through it in a relaxed manner.
"As it is written in this book, Sougo Tokiwa embarks on a path which will lead him to become the overlord of time, Oma Zi-O," Woz said before slamming his book shut and spreading his arms out, "REJOICE! For thanks to the efforts of my Overlord and Miss Rose, Remnant was able to avert a disastrous fate!"
"Though that's not to say the aftermath has been easy," Jinn said as she floated into view, "There's a lot of cleanup involved when it comes to the aftermath of this battle."
"Indeed," Woz gave a nod, "Just because the battle was over, there was little time to rest as Atlas needed help to recover from its near destruction. Thankfully that was readily handled by several Legend Riders who stepped up to the plate. Not to mention with communications restored, Atlas now has the assistance of other Kingdoms once more."
"And as time passes and stability returns, I suppose it's time for you and your group to say farewell soon," Jinn said as she looked over to Woz.
"Yes," Woz said as he began to walk off, "Preparations have been made to return to Earth at our scheduled time there. Of course, it would be a boring story if we went back without anyone getting a chance to glimpse at what's been going on…"
"True, that would be a boring story," Jinn let out a chuckle, "And we don't do boring."
Three Weeks after the Battle for Atlas
Remnant – Atlas, Schnee Manor
While the Schnee Manor was mostly a glamorous place to live with what some considered too many rooms, some areas had their usefulness. One such area was the courtyard which had been used by Weiss and Winter many times while Weiss was training to become a Huntress. This same courtyard was currently being used again, an icy tornado forming as Beowolf Summons began to move towards the prey in the center.
They all leapt forward at different intervals, but were surprisingly countered with ease. A shield to block one's strike while stabbing through the other, using the edges of the shield to cut into a Summon while bashing it away. The supposed prey moved nimbly, using its sword, shield and size to easily cut through the Beowolf Summons. It had gotten struck once in the back only for it to shake off the Summon and spin, slashing through it.
The Beowolf Summon fell back as it dissipated, the wind dispersing and dying down to reveal that it was a Bossroach that was the opponent. Or rather a Bossroach Summon as both Weiss and Winter were watching the results.
"You know, for utilizing this particular one only recently…?" Winter asked before continuing, "You've managed to handle it quite well."
"Thankfully my training with the Arma Gigas helped out with its movements even if I've only just summoned it," Weiss admitted before giving a hum, "Though it's odd receiving a straightforward compliment from you."
"Though you could stand to work on it further," Winter added as her eye twitched from that remark, "You won't be facing Grimm after all when you head back to Earth."
"There it is," Weiss muttered with a smile before giving a nod, "I plan on continuing to hone my craft now that I have more variety in my Semblance."
"You've truly made it your own despite it being that of the Schnee family's," Winter admitted, "Never in all my years could I have imagined we'd be able to do something like this."
"Well you know, I think it's good to defy expectations," Weiss said as she dismissed the Bossroach Summon, "I appreciate you taking the time to help by the way."
"Robyn said I could use a break just for a bit," Winter admitted as she shifted her neck, rubbing it slightly, turning to head back inside, "Especially since you all are leaving tomorrow if I'm recalling correctly."
"You would be," Weiss nodded as she followed, "Speaking of Robyn, how is everything?"
"Manageable but very draining," Winter sighed, "The clean up for the first few days was the easy part, then was instituting the new Council which thankfully went over smoothly with the public and the other Kingdoms who began contacting us not even a day after the battle."
"That's good," Weiss admitted, "Though I suppose publicly denouncing Ironwood definitely helped in that regard."
"That and having Robyn and Camilla's backing, if they weren't vouching for us then neither I or Clover would have gotten the seats," Winter said, "There's still one seat remaining thanks to Sleet's death but we've got four split seats now."
"I'm still surprised he stepped up to become the Headmaster for the Academy," Weiss replied, "Especially since you and Robyn were fine with leaving an open seat so that she could take the Academy Seat."
"Yes, I'd rather not make the same mistake Ironwood did and hold two seats in my name now that I'm acting General of the Atlesian Military," Winter replied, "And even then General is a generous title since I plan on downsizing heavily."
"At the very least you had Gentoku to help out when it came to all the legality stuff," Weiss said, "As well as Alain."
"Yes, they've honestly been a great help in making everything an easier process," Winter agreed, "Not to mention Takatora Kureshima helping our mother and younger brother."
"That was a surprising bit of help, so hopefully it all works out," Weiss replied, "We owe him a lot all things considered."
"He did help save my life," Winter nodded, "I do need to thank him for temporarily loaning me that Driver."
"Well we're leaving soon so you'd better tell him soon," Weiss suggested, "Still, it feels weird heading back to Earth after spending so much time back home."
"Well with how everything is progressing, you can feel some ease," Winter replied, "It feels as though we've finally managed some stability."
"I will miss Remnant though," Weiss admitted, "Since I'm not sure how long we'll be on Earth again."
"At the very least when this Time Jacker business is all over you can come and visit," Winter replied, "Though I'm sure you won't be that lonely on Earth."
"Huh?" Weiss asked.
"I mean, there's that boy, correct?" Winter asked, recalling a few things that she had noticed after their major victory, "Sougo Tokiwa, Kamen Rider Zi-O."
"Winter… no, not now," Weiss said as she dreaded the way this conversation was going.
"I mean, I didn't see it at first…" Winter admitted as she thought on the situation, "But your constant mentions of him in particular and the fondness you seem to have for him. Not to mention him playing Ironwood the whole time alongside the power he wields… it's not a surprise to see why exactly you have your eye on him the way you do."
"We aren't doing this," Weiss said as she suddenly picked up the pace of her walk as blush started to form.
Winter could only smirk at this reaction, "Have you spoken to mother about-"
"We're done here!" Weiss called out, flustered out of her mind as she shifted into a power walk, walking faster and further into the manor.
Winter's smirk turned into a fond smile at this as she crossed her arms.
In Jacques former office, Whitley and Willow were currently sitting with Takatora as the three had been discussing the future of the Schnee Dust Company.
"Thank you for your assistance Mr. Kureshima," Willow said.
"When I heard about what happened with your company I figured I could help, having run a company before myself," Takatora admitted as he looked over the details in a Scroll he was given.
"It's honestly incredible," Whitley admitted, "I didn't even know much of this stuff before you mentioned it."
"Your Father was very… strict and restricting on how he wanted to run the company even if he was a well trained businessman," Willow explained, "He never really saw another way other than what benefited him the most. With this plan though, all parties involved will receive great benefits."
"So long as you stick to the outline, barring any unforeseen circumstances, you should be able to recover from the damage Jacques did," Takatora explained, "As well as get young Whitley here a head start on eventually taking control of the company."
"Right," Willow said.
The three shifted their heads suddenly when they heard what seemed to be running, the doors being slammed open as Weiss busted through before shutting them. Weiss began to breathe heavily as she let out a sigh of relief while leaning against the door before realizing something.
"How unexpected for you to join us, sister," Whitley remarked in a dry tone before giving a wry smile, "Though you could use a bit more tact in your entrance."
"Shut it," Weiss said as her breathing began to calm down, "I didn't think anyone would be in here so I came here first."
"It's good to see you Weiss," Takatora spoke up casually, "How are you?"
"Fine," Weiss said before giving a courteous bow.
"We were just about to finish up if you need some time for yourself," Willow mentioned.
"I'm surprised given that our older sister was visiting today, and it's not like you to avoid her," Whitley said before realizing something before his curious expression turned into a more a devious one, "She asked you about the boy you're with, didn't she?"
"Boy?" Willow asked before realizing something, "Weiss, who is he talking about?"
"Oh, did you never tell mother?" Whitley asked as he kept a mischievous grin.
"I uh…" Weiss got a bit nervous, "Listen, I've been so busy that I never really got to mention it except only in passing and…"
"Weiss…" Willow trailed though her tone conveyed she was more curious than concerned, "It wouldn't happen to be about that boy you're constantly very affectionate around?"
"H-How do you even know that?!" Weiss stammered out in a near yell before realizing that Willow had cameras all over the manor and that they had still been active up until after the final battle. She covered her face in her hands as she needed some kind of reprieve.
"Miss Schnee!" Klein called out as he opened the door to peak in, "You have a guest."
"Oh?" Weiss' eyes lit up as she went to compose herself, clearing her throat as she was thankful for the save, "Who is it?"
Klein opened up the door to fully reveal Tsukuyomi, who gave a bow.
"Sorry for the interruption," Tsukuyomi said.
"Tsukuyomi its fine, perfect timing really," Weiss smiled before waving it off as this was just the distraction she needed, "How are things down in Mantle?"
"Going well," Tsukuyomi said, "I thought I'd take a break for today though, because we need to talk. It's about Sougo."
"What about Sougo?" Weiss asked.
Remnant – Mantle Streets
Blake alongside Robyn, Nitoh and Kanon were currently loading a truck with supplies, a few Atlesian Soldiers overseeing the process.
"That should be the last of them," Blake said as she loaded the last box in.
"Yep," Robyn gave a nod before turning to an Atlesian Soldier as the rest began heading into the vehicle, "Make sure these get there in one piece, alright?"
"You can count on us ma'am," The Soldier said before heading inside the back of the truck and closing up the back doors, the truck starting up before taking off.
"That last round of medical supplies should help your Rider Doctor friends and Doctor Mikado for the rest of today," Robyn mentioned.
"That's good to hear," Blake said.
"Oh boy I'm beat," Nitoh sighed in relief as he began to pace around, "I could use some lunch!"
"Do you mean for you or for Chimera?" Kanon asked as she walked over.
"Both if I'm being honest," Nitoh said, "As great as a peaceful city is, the lack of Grimm is making Chimera a bit antsy."
"You should check in on Kouta then," Blake suggested, "Ruby mentioned something about him giving you Chimera's food?"
"Oh right," Nitoh called out as he stood up before rushing off, "I totally forgot he was here!"
"And there he goes…" Robyn trailed before shaking her head, "Anyway thanks for the help you guys. I think we're good for today."
"Of course," Blake nodded before putting a hand to her chin, "Speaking of food, I could use a bite."
"Well Godai and Shoichi have that popup kitchen near here," Kanon reminded, "Why not grab something there."
"Sounds like a good idea," Robyn admitted as she began to shift her arms around, "I could use a good hot meal from those two."
"You're not busy?" Blake asked.
"Nah, I made sure to clear at least today out so I could get some hands on work done," Robyn admitted, "Plus I've got Joanna handling anything that might pop up."
"You sure that's a good idea?" Blake asked with a nervous look, "I've barely seen her but she seems…"
"Aggressive, down to business, yep," Robyn said without hesitation, "May would be too bored out of her mind, and I love Fiona but she is not the kind of person I need to temp for me."
"Fair," Blake said.
"Then let's get going," Kanon smiled before leading the way she then gave a thoughtful look, "You know Blake, I'm surprised you aren't with Yang today."
Blake began to cough a bit as she gave a blush, "H-Hey… what's that supposed to mean?"
"It's just that you two are usually together," Kanon said in an innocent tone while Robyn had to stop from laughing. She continued, "So it's weird seeing you not with her."
"Oh… she had business to take care of with Ruby," Blake admitted, "Family related business now that the CCT is back up."
"Oh I see, I take it everyone in your group has also had to deal with that kind of stuff," Kanon mentioned.
"Yeah, Mom and Dad called me as soon as they could," Blake said before smiling, "It's taking a bit of getting used to but I'm honestly glad that Global Communications is back."
"It'll definitely make rebuilding easier," Robyn said as she followed after the two.
Woz was currently stalking the alleyways of Mantle before stopping midway through. He glanced back before giving a smile.
"Good," he spoke up as he turned to see Kagen and Jogen, "I was hoping to run into one of you."
"You weren't that discreet," Kagen remarked.
"What did you want?" Jogen asked, "If this is about your mission…"
"I simply wish to know what exactly you two are doing exactly," Woz interrupted, "The Time Jackers gaining equipment of Rider enemies, and other Rider related entities showing up and causing trouble."
"That's not us," Kagen shook his head, "Do you really think we'd jeopardize our mission by getting too involved?"
"Exactly," Jogen agreed, "The most involvement we've had is through you and your other iteration after all."
"Of course," Woz said as he shook his head, realizing his suspicions were silly, "Then who?"
"There is a third party in play between Zi-O and the Time Jackers," Jogen confirmed, "However that won't matter in the long run."
"Just keep leading Zi-O on the path he's on," Kagen said, "Though that won't be too hard seeing how close you are to him."
"Right…" Woz said before turning away, a small conflicted look on his face as he admittedly was starting to feel bad about this ruse, "I appreciate the information."
"Of course, keep carrying on your mission," Jogen said before he and Kagen began to back away.
By the time Woz turned to look at them they had both vanished. He bit his lip slightly and clasped his book, shaking his head before walking off.
Remnant – Atlas Pietro Polendina's Office
"Alright…" Pietro said as he looked over several heavy duty suitcases with Maria and Penny, "That should have everything you need."
"Jeez, that's a lot," Maria remarked.
"Thank you dad," Penny said as she hugged her father before taking his hand, "I really appreciate you doing this for me."
"Well, I suppose you and the others were right," Pietro admitted as he gently held his daughter's hand, "You should do what you really want to do. And if truly living your life means going with Ruby and the others, then I'll more than accommodate for it."
"Plus you've got a Genius Physicist helping her out."
"And there's the egoist," Maria shook her head as if rolling her eyes.
It didn't take long for the doors to open as Sento and Ryuga walked through, the two having been called to the office by Pietro.
"So why am I here again?" Ryuga asked as he picked at his ear.
"To help carry stuff, duh," Sento remarked before looking over at Pietro and holding a reassuring smile, "You needn't worry about your daughter. I'll take care of anything regarding her while she's on Earth."
"Thank you Sento," Penny gave a bow.
"Thanks again for helping out," Pietro said.
"It's no issue but thank you for giving me the rundown the other day," Sento replied, "Having an understanding of Penny will help out a lot even with all the schematics you gave me."
"I'm just glad you managed to pick up on everything rather fast," Pietro admitted, "Having an expert like you should help with repairs and I've provided all the supplies you need. And if you ever need extra help, feel free to stop by for a short while."
"Of course," Sento replied before looking over at the suitcases, "Let's get these loaded up into the Time Mazines."
"Of course," Penny said as she grabbed two of the suitcases while Ryuga went to grab the rest before heading out of the room.
"Ah kids," Maria smiled, "They grow up so fast."
"They sure do," Pietro shed a small tear of joy before wiping it away.
Remnant – Atlas Docking Bays
"How much longer…?" Ruby groaned out, currently having her hood on with her cape covering her body.
"Not too much longer," Yang said as she looked at her Scroll, "He said they were just approaching."
"I just hope he was able to come alone," Ruby admitted, "Being the Huntress who basically let out all the secrets of the world as the first message to everyone in how long comes with its downsides…"
"Yeah the Networks in Atlas and Mantle have been annoying," Qrow gave a sigh as he was with them, next to him being Tsukasa.
"I don't know, I adore the attention," Tsukasa chuckled, recalling a few interviews he obliged to before glancing back, "So how long are you going to hide like that?"
"Listen I'm sorry," Summer sighed as she had her hood over her head, covering her body with her cloak like Ruby did, "But this whole thing is just nerve-wracking you know?"
"Wow you're really nervous this time," Yang admitted, "I mean it is dad so I get it."
"Honestly I think part of it is the fact that we don't have a world-ending threat above our heads anymore," Qrow guessed.
"Why couldn't Natsumi or Daiki be here?" Summer whined.
"Well Daiki dipped as soon as possible," Tsukasa held out a finger before bringing out another, "And Natsumi wanted to get back to her grandpa."
"Fair…" Summer sighed.
"There's no need to really be worried," Ruby said, "I mean, you just haven't seen him in forever and like… he thought you were dead… I mean so did all of us but…"
"Oh I know," Summer sighed as she stepped out from behind Tsukasa and Qrow as she looked over at her daughters, "Part of it is that, but also nearly dying and accepting the end alongside trying to truly live a life after that doesn't help. Especially since I assumed you all would've mostly moved on, let alone still be around since I was unsure how much time would pass…"
"Yeah, yeah I get it…" Yang admitted, "But, hey you're back now right?"
"Well… I mean… yeah but, like…" Summer sighed, "How am I going to explain that our old relationship is a lot more complicated now thanks to certain factors?"
"Wait… what?" Yang asked.
"Huh?" Ruby tilted her head.
"When I say I tried to live a life, that meant moving on," Summer said and sighed as she began to ramble, "Granted it's only been recently… like only just in September of 2017 so it's not like I immediately jumped in, it was like close to two years at that point…"
"Wait, wait, hold up," Yang interrupted, needing to stop her mother's ramble due to the surprise of this development, "You're what?!"
"Oh… oh…" Ruby trailed in realization as she recalled the flashback she had seen, looking over to Tsukasa who had a wide smile, "Oh no…"
"Huh?" Qrow noticed Tsukasa's look and gave a groan of what seemed like relief, "Oh wow, you finally did it huh? Aside from getting together with Tai given the circumstances, did you ever get serious about dating at all during our time at Beacon?"
"Eh… not really, you know how I was back then," Summer admitted with a shrug, "Though of course I don't regret the time I spent with Tai. Sure it started with me acting as a surrogate mother to Yang but then everything else happened, we had Ruby… and I don't regret it one bit. But… when you mentally try to throw away your old life due to the circumstances presented… things kind of happen…"
"Wait, wait, wait," Yang said as she hurried over, "Then, then who exactly are you together with?"
"Um…" Summer trailed nervously.
"It's not obvious?" Tsukasa asked, his smile widening when he saw Yang look at him in what seemed like horror.
"Now sweetheart," Summer tried to reassure her daughter, "I know he hasn't made the best first impressions…"
"He ate Sougo's dinner and beat me up," Ruby said in near deadpan.
"The dinner thing was him just being… weird," Summer sighed, "Honestly I keep telling him to go over and apologize to Sougo's Uncle…"
"I'll get around to it eventually," Tsukasa replied in an automatic fashion, as if had said this exact wording before.
"As for the beating you up thing," Summer said, "While I don't agree with him going that far it was a needed test since he wasn't just going to hand over an upgrade like that for free."
Ruby could only cross her arms underneath her cloak and grumble while Yang was stuck in place, trying to parse the information she had been given.
"You know I figured they'd react like this," Tsukasa admitted.
"Yeah… yeah you did…" Summer sighed as she realized her partner was right, "But still…"
"Will you stop worrying," Tsukasa groaned out as he put a hand to his head, "We've had this exact same conversation once we found out Ruby was Roze. About the potentiality of you meeting up with everyone again… and we came up with a solution."
"Wait," Ruby paused at this, "What?"
"If you want to add Tai into the mix, or if we want to get technical… add me into the mix then I'm totally down for it," Tsukasa continued as he looked over at Summer while crossing his arms, "From what you mentioned I'm sure he'd be cool with it."
"You know given how Summer was with most of all of Team STRQ during Beacon I don't think he'll mind," Qrow agreed.
"I feel as if we're getting way too many details here…" Yang admitted as she began to calm down.
"Yeah, yeah, how about you all save that conversation for when Yang and I are not here," Ruby suggested quickly before hearing the sound of an airship.
Everyone looked to see it descend on the pad they were near, Summer quickly hiding behind Qrow and Tsukasa, the former sighing at his teammates antics. Ruby and Yang quickly perked up when they saw the Airship land, the two watching as the doors opened to reveal their dad, Taiyang Xiao Long.
He gave a smile when he saw them, running out of it and over to the group, "Ruby! Yang!"
"Dad!"
Ruby and Yang called out as they hurried over, Ruby removing her hood and letting her cape flow as she hugged him alongside Yang. The three exchanged a long hug before breaking apart, the three smiling.
"I'm glad to see you two are okay," Taiyang said as he ruffled their hair, "I mean I know we talked online, wow is that weird to say…"
"Yeah I know, it feels so weird to have the net back," Ruby admitted, "I'm just glad you had a safe trip."
"I hope there weren't a bunch of nosey paparazzi trying to sneak a ride with you to get to Ruby," Yang said.
"Oh trust me, I've had to deal with my fair share," Taiyang admitted, "I nearly brought a whole gaggle of them with me but thankfully I managed to outmaneuver them before they could even get close."
"Thank goodness…" Ruby sighed in relief.
"Sounds just like you," Yang smirked, "Even now you're still pretty clever."
"Hey," Taiyang laughed, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just saying," Yang shrugged with a smirk, "You aren't exactly as spry as the other adults."
"I think I'll ignore that," Taiyang chuckled, "I just wanted the Big Hero of Remnant all to myself."
"Oh no, anything but that title," Ruby said as she covered her face with her hood again, absolutely hating her newfound popularity, "Why did Winter and the others report that Team RWBY specifically beat Salem?!"
"Because we needed a way to calm people down," Yang shrugged, "Couldn't exactly tell them the whole story."
"So it's not true then?" Taiyang asked.
"It's complicated," Ruby admitted, "But the way I see it, Salem's gone for a good while and even when we have to deal with her again, we'll deal with her for good."
"Well that's good to hear, I think," Taiyang said, "Still, it's good to see you both safe and sound."
"Well it's not just us," Ruby said.
"I mean, Qrow can take care of himself," Taiyang remarked, "But it is good to see he's been in good shape."
"Thanks but she wasn't just talking about me," Qrow replied with a smile.
"We have a bit of a surprise for you," Yang told her father before glancing back, "You can come out now!"
"Oh, do you have a new friend or something?" Taiyang asked.
"Uh…" Ruby chuckled nervously before looking over, "Well…?"
"Do I have to?" Summer whispered to Qrow and Tsukasa.
"I'd get this over with," Qrow said.
"I kind of want sort of group photo, so I'd suggest you get over yourself and tell them," Tsukasa said.
Summer huffed before standing up fully behind the two and pushing her way through them, both males parting away as Summer fully emerged into view. Taiyang froze in place as he saw the familiar white cloak of his thought to be dead teammate and wife. Summer meekly went to remove her hood, her nervous expression clear as she managed a weak smile.
"Hey there…" She said as she tried to think of something else to say, "Uh… I'm not dead…?"
Taiyang could only let out a light groan as he began moving in and out of consciousness from the shock and fell back, Yang and Ruby yelping as they went to catch their dad.
"Figured he'd react like this," Summer sighed before putting her hands on her hips, "That being said… I'm surprised a little birdie didn't tag along."
"She's probably doing her own thing," Qrow remarked, "She'll probably come around eventually."
"Either that or I'll have to hunt her down," Summer remarked, "Shouldn't be too hard since she's a well known Bandit and my Aurora Curtains make Kindred Link look like a chew toy."
"I'm not sure if I should be impressed or scared that you're going to be this dedicated to finding her," Tsukasa mused.
"Considering she had a perfect opportunity to potentially step back into the picture when I went poof and didn't…" Summer said with a slight hardened look that made Tsukasa and even Qrow back away slightly, "You should be scared."
Ruby and Yang meanwhile had set Taiyang down who had just barely regained consciousness.
"Is… is she here?" Taiyang muttered, "Is that… really her?"
"Yeah, yeah it is," Yang gave a smile, "I doubt things can ever go back to normal but…"
"I'm just glad she's okay," Taiyang admitted.
"And I'm just glad to see that you're doing alright," Summer said as she walked over and squatted down to make it easier, "I've got a lengthy story for you… and Yang too if she wants to hear it."
"That sounds good," Taiyang admitted in a slight daze.
"Yeah, I think I can spare some time now," Yang smiled.
Ruby could only smile at this before hearing footsteps, and to her surprise she saw Tsukuyomi and Weiss walking over.
"Oh, Tsuki, Weiss," Ruby said as she hurried over, "What's up?"
"Sorry if we're interrupting something," Weiss apologized, "But Tsukuyomi wanted to talk to you."
"It's about Sougo," Tsukuyomi said.
"Oh," Ruby said before turning towards Yang who responded with a thumbs-up. She nodded and looked back over at her two friends, "Yeah I can go with you all for a bit."
Remnant – Atlas Academy, Headmaster's Office
The Headmaster's Office was oddly busy, mostly due to Clover having just taken up position and needing everything back in working order. Especially for the changes that was being implemented thanks to some important suggestions from the rest of the Council. He had called Geiz, Gentoku and Alain up to review them before he and the Council made the final decision.
"I'm surprised," Geiz admitted as he crossed his arms, "You're really doing it?"
"Given everything that's happened, yeah," Clover admitted as he looked over the paperwork, "The Military held too much sway and power. And when Ironwood became compromised that meant no one could do a thing about it."
"Splitting the Military and Huntsman Academy should be fine," Gentoku replied, "As is having Winter still head the Military while you do the same for Atlas Academy."
"I am surprised though, you're resigning from the military?" Alain asked.
"I figured we could use complete separation," Clover said, "I'll still have my Huntsman Qualifications but I'd rather keep the Military and Academy as separate from each other as possible."
"Given how stubborn Qrow said you were on the night things went to hell I'm still surprised," Geiz admitted.
"Yeah well Qrow made some good points that night alongside the days after we detained Ironwood," Clover admitted, "I also had a long time to think on everything without any interruptions thanks to Sougo saving me. Figured it would be best is all."
"I can only imagine Ironwood spiraling didn't help things," Gentoku admitted, "I know plenty of people who were worried for me when a similar thing happened."
"Speaking of Ironwood," Geiz said, "What is our prisoner situation?"
"Well we were unable to find Emerald or Mercury," Clover admitted, "The two kind of vanished after everything but given their roles with what Ruby and the others have said we've yet to really put out a warrant for them yet. Though this is also due to trying to get everything with our actual detainees settled."
"I see," Geiz said, "What about the others?"
"Hazel, Tyrian, and Watts are all in varying levels of detainment," Clover said, "They're all serving life sentences and Tyrian's been placed in the highest detainment possible. The same goes for Ironwood."
"And what about the Ace-Ops other than Marrow," Geiz asked, figuring that was a likely sore spot.
"Disbanded," Clover said, "They'll be detained until further notice though from what you've said, Elm and Vine may be getting out sooner than say Harriet. If they are let out they might get probation for a while. But it's a shame honestly."
"Do you blame yourself?" Geiz asked.
"A bit," Clover admitted, "Not being there for them because of my own recklessness and them choosing to side with Ironwood thinking it was the right thing to do."
"What about that one man, the one Sougo kept snickering about?" Alain asked, "Something about a clip-on tie or something? I'm unsure if I get what is funny."
"Oh yeah, Jacques," Geiz said, instantly knowing who Alain was talking about, "Well?"
"While he isn't as harshly sentenced as some of the others mentioned, he isn't getting out anytime soon thanks to his involvement with Watts," Clover said, "And by the time he does get out he won't have any leg in the SDC."
"Good," Geiz crossed his arms before hearing a ringing from his pocket, reaching in he pulled out and answered his Faizphone X, "Hello?"
"Hey Geiz," Ruby said over the line, "Think you could meet us at the entrance to the Academy? Tsukuyomi wanted to get some of us together."
"Yeah, I'm about done here," Geiz said, "I'll see you down there."
Clover saw Geiz hang up and was ready to speak when he saw he had a call from Marrow, soon pressing the interface on his desk, "Hello?"
"Sir, the Headmistress of Beacon Academy is here to see you," Marrow said, "Shall I send her up?"
"No need Marrow, I'll greet her myself," Clover replied.
"Alright, I'll tell her to wait by the elevators," Marrow said before hanging up.
"Another meeting already," Geiz noted, "You're not taking any time off, huh?"
"I figured I'd pick up the slack so the others can do what they need to," Clover admitted before stepping out from behind the desk, "Was there anything else we needed to discuss?"
"Just one thing since we haven't finished yet," Geiz spoke up, "You're sure there's been no sighting of either Cinder Fall or Neopolitan?"
"No," Clover shook his head, "Your guess about Cinder going with the Time Jackers is a likely one especially since they haven't popped up to cause trouble… as for Neopolitan, we haven't seen a glimpse of her in the slightest."
"I see…" Geiz muttered, wondering if Neopolitan was also a Time Jacker recruit, "Then I think that's all that needs to be discussed."
"I'll lead you downstairs then," Clover said.
"Oh hey, it's you kids," Marrow was at the entrance of Atlas Academy and watched as Ruby, Tsukuyomi and Weiss had just entered, "Figured you all would be somewhere else today."
"We're just picking up a friend," Ruby admitted.
"How have you been?" Weiss asked.
"Getting used to my new job as head of security here," Marrow admitted.
"Well you're doing a good job," Tsukuyomi reassured.
"Thanks," Marrow said before stepping aside, "I'll be out of your way."
Ruby, Tsukuyomi and Weiss gave nods and walked over towards where the elevators were, it having a small lounge in the center for people to sit at. Ruby and Weiss however were surprised to see Oscar there, or rather Ozpin because of his mannerisms, and with him was someone who they hadn't seen in the longest time. It was the now Headmistress of Beacon Academy, Glynda Goodwitch. She was currently talking with Ozpin, the two seemingly discussing details about Beacon and the cleanup still needed in Vale.
"Miss Goodwitch?" Weiss spoke up.
"Hmm," Glynda turned before seeing two of her former students and giving a smile, walking over, "Well, well, it's been a while since I've seen you two."
"Yeah, it has been, hasn't it?" Ruby asked.
Glynda suddenly drew out her weapon, a riding crop known as the Disciplinarian, slapping it against one of the chairs to make a loud snapping noise. Ruby yelped and leapt into Weiss' arms, the Schnee nearly falling over as she just barely managed to hold Ruby.
"R-Really…?" Weiss asked as she struggled to hold Ruby.
Tsukuyomi pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh.
"And I see your time away from Beacon and out in the real world hasn't made you any less reckless Miss Rose," Glynda remarked with a stern expression.
"I-I uh… yeah I am still kind of reckless…" Ruby sighed as she got back on her feet with Weiss' help, "B-But, there's been so much stuff happening and playing by the rules a lot of the time would mean I couldn't really help people. And well there's also just the whole thing of-"
"You don't need to explain anything. Ozpin's done most of it," Glynda spoke up before giving a smile, "Though I am glad to see your new celebrity status hasn't gone to your head."
"To be honest I'd rather not be all popular…" Ruby slumped forward before feeling a hand on her shoulder, looking up to see that it was Glynda.
"Still, to think the girl who stopped a robbery one night and skipped two grades would grow so much in so little time," Glynda said with a hint of pride before giving a sigh, "And I realize now what Ozpin meant about wanting you kids to be kids for just a little while longer."
"Y-Yeah… we had to grow up fast," Ruby admitted with a nod.
"But even so," Weiss spoke up, "We've forged so many meaningful connections that I'd never want to take back what's happened."
Glynda smiled at those words before hearing the elevator ring.
"Ah Headmistress Goodwitch, Ozpin," Clover said as he walked out of a nearby elevator, Geiz, Gentoku, and Alain exiting as Clover himself walked over to Glynda, "It's a pleasure to have you here today."
"The pleasure is all mine," Glynda said as she held out her hand, Clover shaking it, "Shall we get started? We have a lot to discuss."
"That we do," Clover said.
Geiz meanwhile walked over to his friends, "So what's up?"
"It's about Sougo, but first we need to find out where he is," Tsukuyomi said.
"Oh, you don't know?" Alain asked as he walked over with Gentoku, "He's running a festival."
Everyone stared at Alain for a while before uttering a single noise.
"Eh?"
Remnant – Atlas Academy
Alain's statement was surprisingly right on the money. Sougo had somehow managed to gather the supplies needed to run a one room Japanese styled festival. He had commandeered one of the teaching rooms for this, having set up the furniture in such a way to where there was enough room for everything. There was a large bucket bowl with various tubes running into it filled with water, goldfish swimming all around. There was a ring toss board with rings off to the side. He had even managed to construct a makeshift sharp shooting range out of various supplies and small objects but with actual cork styled rifles to use.
That wasn't even counting the aesthetics, various signs and curtains draped all over that helped scream the word 'festival' out. It was to the point that he had even discarded his usual coat from his Huntsmen attire, wearing a blue Happi coat over his shirt alongside waving a fan in front of his face. Sougo had wanted to let some of the students relax and have fun since classes wouldn't be starting up for a while. And to his surprise he managed to wrangle in a good amount of students who were willing to just come in, have fun and then go on with their day.
Of course that didn't mean they were the only patrons.
"This is kind of difficult," Shinji admitted as he was sitting on one of the stools near the pool of water that held the gold fish. He was currently trying to catch some fish with Sougo who was sitting next to him. Both had a small bowl in their hands, using fragile nets to try and catch as many goldfish as they could.
"Yeah," Sougo nodded, "But once you get it down you can catch so many."
"Huh…" Shinji nodded instinctively before realizing soemthing, "How did you even get this stuff anyway?"
"Tsukasa helped," Hajime said, having been there most of the time as he took pictures of the various students playing games, "Right?"
"Yep," Sougo said, "I was surprised when he agreed."
"He definitely doesn't seem like the guy I met before," Takumi admitted as he was at the shooting range, trying to hit the makeshift targets, "I think he's softened up."
"Hmm," Sougo thought back to Tsukasa and recalled that he didn't seem as bad he was when he first met him. He then figured the more aggressive personality was needed back then, since he didn't seem that bad, especially whenever Summer around.
Sougo's thoughts were interrupted when Geiz, Ruby, Tsukuyomi, and Weiss entered. The group paused at the entrance and all sharing a dumbstruck expression.
"He wasn't kidding…" Weiss trailed.
"Okay, but why?" Ruby asked.
"Oh hey guys," Sougo waved, "You want to relax with some fun festival activities before we head back?"
"…where did you even get this?" Geiz asked.
"Tsukasa," Sougo answered without missing a beat.
"Of course it was…" Tsukuyomi hung her head.
"Sougo," Weiss spoke up, "There's something important we need to talk to you about. Do you think we could talk somewhere private?"
"Uh sure," Sougo said as he stood up and set his bowl and fishing net aside, "Is everyone here?"
"Woz being here would also be good," Tsukuyomi admitted, "But I'm not sure where he might be."
"There is no need to search for me," Woz said as he walked into the festival room, "What is it we need to discuss?"
Team Zi-O alongside Ruby and Weiss had gone over to Team RWBY's dorm, everyone sitting down in various spots except for Woz. The discussion in question however was something that Tsukuyomi and Weiss had agreed was necessary when the latter was first sought out.
They had decided that now was the right time to tell Sougo about what happened in 2009 alongside 2017. Swartz's kidnapping of the children in April of 2009 and tampering with Sougo's power alongside giving out the strange dream the young and future King of Time would occasionally have ever since that day. Not only that but they had also informed him of what happened in 2017 and Tsukasa's theory of all the worlds colliding into a cataclysmic event that was seemingly mitigated thanks to Sougo gaining an Aura and that also mixing with his power.
Sougo was currently staring at the desk, it holding all the current Main Ridewatches they had collected in order of when they had met the Rider. Build, Ex-Aid, Faiz, Wizard, OOO, Ryuki, W, Kuuga, Ghost, Decade, Gaim, Blade, and Agito.
"We're sorry for not telling you this earlier," Weiss apologized as she stood up and walked over, "It's just, you had only recently gotten your dream of being a King back. And we didn't want to crush that by saying you had been set up by Swartz all this time."
"No, I get it," Sougo admitted, his voice surprisingly normal in tone despite the girth of news given to him, "And I appreciate it too. I figured you decided to tell me now because things are probably going to get rougher, right?"
"And we figured a strong victory would help offset the news," Tsukuyomi spoke up, "Which, given how well you seem to be taking this… seemed to be the right choice."
"Actually… it's not just our victory…" Sougo said as he drew out his Zi-O Ridewatch, smiling at it, "It's hard trying to remember my parents… especially with how Swartz messed with my memory and the trauma of it all, but… there's one memory that's clear as day involving them."
"There is?" Ruby asked.
"We were playing in a bright sunny park, I was riding a tricycle and they were so proud at how well I was handling myself," Sougo gave a smile as he thought back, "It's one of the few memories I can still recall of them. We paused for a bit… and then…"
"What do you want to be when you grow up, Sougo?"
"I wanna be a king! No matter what!"
"I… I think I've always had that dream to be a king when I was little…" Sougo admitted as he kept smiling, "Ever since Oma Zi-O repeated the dream Swartz gave me, it always felt more foreboding. It felt even more oppressive than it already was to where I didn't want to think about it anymore. But then, I remembered that time with my parents and everything felt right."
"I see…" Tsukuyomi nodded in understanding with Ruby.
"Sougo…" Weiss muttered before she recalled an old memory of hers back when she was still a child. She moved closer to him, "You don't have to be scared."
"Huh?" Sougo looked over in surprise.
"I also remembered something," Weiss admitted, "A conversation with my grandfather actually."
"Wait, Grandfather…" Tsukuyomi trailed before recalling what she had looked up regarding Weiss since the Schnee family history was something of interest in her research on getting to know more about Remnant, "You mean Nicholas Schnee?"
"Yes, he wasn't always around because he always pushed himself, but whenever he was I remember being really happy despite being fairly young," Weiss gave a nod, "He was always so grand to me when I was little, something I still want to aspire to be. I treated him like a King of sorts honestly."
"Eh?" Sougo looked in surprise, "Really?"
"Yep," Weiss said before shaking her head, "But he told me how his joy never came from becoming a 'King'. He was happy just serving others, just like you, right?"
"Right…" Sougo muttered in surprise.
"Maybe that's also why I warmed up to you so fast," Weiss admitted with her hands behind her back, "You have a kind heart that allows you to become a castle that protects others, one that could only be built because of you and your friends."
"Weiss," Ruby smiled at her friend's words.
"It's why I think that despite him still existing in 2068… you'll never become Oma Zi-O," Weiss said confidently.
"Weiss…" Sougo said before smiling and hugging Weiss, "Thank you!"
"A-Ah… really, right where everyone is watching?!" Weiss asked as she squirmed in Sougo's grip a bit.
"Oh come on it's fine," Sougo said, "Everyone knows already."
"You all weren't subtle about it in the slightest," Tsukuyomi said.
"That's for sure," Ruby sighed.
"Whatever," Weiss scoffed as she gave Sougo a hug back before the two broke away from each other.
"Zi-O," Geiz spoke up, wanting to get the conversation back on track, "What are you going to do now?"
Sougo turned to face everyone, resolve strong and eyes hardened, "I'm going to collect all the remaining Watches."
"Wonderful," Woz smiled, "Then you have clearly chosen to march the path towards domination, correct?"
"You're really going to do what Oma Zi-O said?" Geiz asked, "He may have gotten rid of Salem for us, but why should we trust him?"
"The way things are, right now…" Sougo trailed as he set the Zi-O Ridewatch down near the others, "I need the power of All Riders. Because this trip has given us one important fact… we aren't just fighting the Time Jackers anymore."
Everyone went silent at that, all of them exchanging knowing looks as they realized that Sougo was right on the money. The Time Jackers being able to obtain Pseudo-Rider and monster creation technology all of a sudden, Sylphi's appearance and schemes and then Evolt showing up twice via The Hound and Briar Rose. Everyone hated to admit it, but the battle wasn't as simple as they thought anymore. And it was likely to pick up once they got closer to obtaining the last Primary Rider's Ridewatch.
"But to get the rest, where do we even start?" Weiss asked.
"Good question," Geiz said, "We got these, but we weren't really trying. In fact we ran into most Riders naturally even before the Rider Hotline."
"It does feel like a coincidence…" Sougo admitted.
"Coincidence or not, I think we just need to keep going as we are now," Ruby said, "The Time Jackers are getting more proactive with the Riders they target. So it'll be easier to keep track of."
"Indeed," Woz agreed, "It is inevitable. So you need only continue on, as you have been until now. The Ridewatches will come in time."
"Well, if that's the case…" Sougo said as he clasped his hands giving a smile, "How about we have some fun festival times before we leave?"
Weiss could only give an exasperated sigh before smiling, "Only you would think of a silly festival in a time like this."
"That's Sougo for you," Tsukuyomi smiled.
"Fine, but I'm beating you all at every game," Geiz remarked.
"No way," Ruby shook her head, "You're definitely not beating me at the shooting range!"
Woz could only smirk before deciding to exit the room. Despite the revelation, Sougo had managed to stay strong and now had a new sense of purpose. He knew now that whatever force was acting as a third party in this battle would not be able to easily get the drop on them.
"Hey Woz…."
Woz looked up to see Jaune and his team approaching, "Yes Sir Arc?"
"Is Sougo around?" Jaune asked, "Ren wanted to talk to him."
"He is in Team RWBY's dorm, they are just about to leave however so please do hurry," Woz gestured down the hall.
"Thanks," Ren said as he walked forward, Jaune and Nora following him. After the three had seen Oma Zi-O alongside Penny, it meant that Ruby and the others had to come clean about the whole situation to them. Needless to say it was a heavy subject, one that Team JNR in particular had to process for a while. But Ren finally wanted to talk to Sougo, because of one thing in particular.
Sougo walked out of the room, leading his friends before seeing Team JNR, "Oh hey guys, we were going a mini festival I set up, want to join?"
"Ooh that sounds like fun," Nora admitted.
"Yeah," Jaune nodded, "But there's something we… or rather Ren wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh?" Sougo asked.
"Sougo, did I ever tell you my Semblance evolved?" Ren asked.
"It did?!" Sougo asked in excitement, "That's super cool! What did it evolve into?"
"Yeah," Ren chuckled at Sougo's excitable nature, closing his eyes and opening them to see Sougo. He saw someone who was happy, someone who had found true companionship. There were hints at a lonely and sad nature alongside anxiety at the future, but those were mostly smothered out by the new emotions, "I'm able to see other people's emotions and you've got a lot of positivity going at the moment."
"Wait, really?" Sougo asked with a light grin, "Okay yeah that's super cool."
"I suppose," Ren said before clearing his throat, "When we got up to the roof and saw Oma Zi-O… despite how he clearly wasn't there. I was still able to see his emotions."
"You did…?" Weiss asked as Sougo went silent, "What were they like?"
"Behind the boisterous words and extravagant armor, I saw a bitter and lonely man, one who potentially regrets the path he walked but is resigned to continue walking it despite it all," Ren said as he recalled what he saw, "He's a man who's seemingly suffered forever and has a lot of hatred in his heart, worn down throughout time. And yet I saw it… glimmers of hope."
"Glimmers of hope…?" Sougo asked.
"Probably from all of our meddling," Geiz said, "Remember, where we are right now was never supposed to happen."
"But why would Oma Zi-O be hopeful about that?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"In his own way, he wants something to change," Ruby spoke up, "That's why he sought out my mom but still took his chance with me."
"Then I suppose I'm glad I heard it then," Sougo admitted, "How my future self feels…"
"Sougo…" Weiss muttered.
"That was all I had to say," Ren admitted, "The emotions I see with you and the ones I saw with him, they may be half a century apart, but I can tell that you won't become him."
"Thanks Ren," Sougo smiled before letting out a sheepish chuckle, "Admittedly I was worried how you all were going to take this… no offense."
"Given our prior reactions to issues, no offense taken," Ren replied as he held up a hand while Nora simply nodded.
"I'm kind of annoyed about it all," Jaune admitted, "But given how we reacted to Ozpin alongside you all mentioning how people in general treat you if Oma Zi-O was one of the first things they found out about… I get it."
"Yeah, again, sorry about that," Ruby apologized, performing a quick bow as she clasped her hands forward, "But I'm glad you understand."
"Aside from Ren though, there is one thing," Jaune admitted as he took the lead, "What kind of future are you looking for, Sougo?"
"Well… I want to be a King and a Kamen Rider," Sougo explained simply, "Because I want to protect whoever I can with the great power I'll eventually wield."
"Then there's no issues here," Jaune smiled.
"You're taking this rather well," Weiss pointed out.
"Well, if what Ren says is true… then Sougo will do just fine," Jaune said as he held out his fist as he looked at the future King of Time, "Right?"
"Thanks," Sougo smiled as he bumped fists with Jaune before raising his fist, "Now then, let's party it up! It's festival time!"
Everyone gathered couldn't help but smile at Sougo's focus at wanting to have some festival fun before the end of the day, all of them following after him back to the room he had set up shop him.
Remnant – Atlas Relic Vault
As they day continued on, nothing much really happened as everyone either relaxed or caught up with one another. It was rather mundane, but it was a good kind of mundane. Of course once night began to fall, there was one thing that needed to be done before everyone started getting ready to sleep.
Penny was currently staring at the Atlas Relic Vault, Ruby beside her as she was holding the real Relic of Knowledge. She had asked Woz to grab it for her since she knew that there was now a place it could stay truly safe at.
Overseeing everything were Clover, Glynda, Oscar and Winter, the four having agreed to the decision that Ruby had suggested. The six were currently watching as the floating planks began to spiral towards the gap between the main platform and the vault door, creating a pathway of hovering stairs up to the door.
"Alright Penny," Ruby said as she held out the Relic of Knowledge, "It's time."
"Right," Penny gave a nod, taking the Relic of Knowledge and holding it with one hand. She walked up the steps and placed a hand on the door.
Upon placing her hand on it, blue lights began running through the darkened indentions on the door, the layered door shifting and sliding downwards to reveal a serene and lush open meadow. Yellow, blue and white flowers littered the meadow alongside three stone circles that led from the door to a larger stone circle that held two stone pillars with the Relic of Creation in the center of them.
The Relic of Creation itself was a gold staff with a glowing blue crystal point. Penny walked carefully inside, moving along the path before setting the Relic of Knowledge down near the base of The Staff. The Lamp began to float upwards off the ground, floating just above it as it stayed where it was.
Penny smiled before returning back outside the vault and holding a hand out, the door reacting before closing up once more with both Relics of Knowledge and Creation now sealed inside. Penny then turned and used her boosters on her armored legs to fly towards the group before landing near them.
"Mission Accomplished," Penny gave a salute.
"Good job Penny," Winter replied.
"Thanks for allowing us to do this," Ruby said as she turned towards the others.
"Personally I would have been fine with it regardless," Glynda said, "After all, that Relic belonged to Mistral, not Vale."
"I know, but given you are in the know about this and were here already," Ruby said, "I figured it was only fair."
"We'll make sure it's kept safe," Clover reassured, "Though you all are inadvertently helping as a result."
"Yeah," Ruby said, "Without Penny on Remnant there's no danger of the Atlas Vault being opened."
"Speaking of," Oscar said, "I know it's not that late but you all are planning on leaving early tomorrow."
"True," Ruby yawned before stretching a bit, "I am getting a bit tired after all that excitement today…"
"You will not be going back with us?" Penny asked, noticing Oscar's wording.
"No," Oscar shook his head, "Considering how things are now on Remnant, it would probably be best for us, well him, to stick close."
"You're sure about this?" Ruby asked.
"There are still some things we need to talk out and work through on our own," Oscar nodded, "And as much fun as Earth was, I'd rather leave it in your hands."
"We will do our best!" Penny gave a salute.
"I'm sure you will," Winter reassured.
"Geiz told me about how he wants to help you two find a way around the merge," Ruby said as she put a hand on Oscar's shoulder for reassurance, "We'll see what we can do."
"Thankfully it's not as bad as it could be," Oscar admitted, "But I and Ozpin both appreciate it."
'Indeed, without wasting unnecessary amounts of magic we're still at a steady pace,' Ozpin agreed within Oscar's mind.
"If all our pleasantries are said and done, I'd suggest getting a good night's rest," Glynda spoke up, "Even if you aren't dealing with classes anymore, a rested mind and body is still a helpful tool to have."
"Right," Clover nodded before gesturing and heading back to the elevator with everyone else following, "We shouldn't keep you any longer."
The Next Day…
Remnant – Atlas Academy
The Zi-O, Geiz, and Woz Time Mazines were all in their robot mode, all three standing at one of the docking platforms of the Academy. It had taken most of the morning, but Team RWBY and Zi-O alongside Penny had managed to get everything in order for the trip. With them were Sento and Ryuga who would also take the trip with them in order to drop off the supplies they had for Penny.
All the Kamen Riders that helped them out were off to the side with Tsukasa and Summer, that group taking their own way. Seeing the group off were Team JNR, Oscar, Qrow, Maria, Taiyang, Clover, Marrow, Pietro, Robyn, May, and Winter. Despite the semi-large group, everyone was split off and saying their own brief goodbyes to each other.
"I still don't really get what's going on," Taiyang rubbed the back of his neck, "But given everything that's happened I know you all can handle yourselves. Okay, but seriously though… 18 already?"
"Yeah don't worry," Ruby chuckled, "It took Yang a while to get over that."
"Hey," Yang huffed.
"It is a hard thing to get used to," Summer admitted.
"Pretty sure I'm not even over it," Qrow added, "So no need to worry firecracker."
"Fair," Yang agreed before looking over at her dad, "Anyway, you don't need to worry dad, we managed this long, right?"
"That is true," Taiyang sighed before going to hug his daughters, "Just make sure you have a safe trip alright?"
"We will," Ruby and Yang hugged back, the two deciding not to tell their dad that the last time they had a Time Mazine trip back from Remnant, it didn't go as planned.
"So I take it they were busy?" Weiss asked.
"Yes, though they do send their regards," Winter said, "Even I'm about to get back to work after this."
"Well restructuring a Kingdom can't be easy," Weiss mentioned, "Good luck."
"The same to you, in more ways than one," Winter gave an honest but mischievous smile.
Weiss huffed and turned away while crossing her arms, a blush crossing her face, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Sure," Winter chuckled.
"So what are your guys' plans?" Blake asked as she was currently talking with Oscar and Team JNR.
"We're probably going to stick around, help in Atlas and Mantle before maybe heading back to Argus," Jaune admitted, "Figured we could stick to the area for a while before figuring out where to go next."
"Sounds nice," Blake said.
"That being said, I still haven't forgotten you didn't bring back any souvenirs," Nora eyed Blake suspiciously, "So try and bring back something next time you visit, alright?"
"Nora…" Ren sighed.
"Alright, alright," Blake laughed as she held her hands up.
"Now remember, if there's anything you all need don't feel like strangers and hop over," Pietro insisted as he was seeing Penny off with Maria, Sento and Ryuga being nearby as well.
"Of course," Sento said as he went to shake Pietro's hand, "It was nice getting to talk to you though."
"Likewise, I can't thank you enough for helping with the repairs and modifications for Amity during these past three weeks," Pietro agreed as he shook Sento's hand.
"Now stay safe alright?" Maria said as she looked up at Penny, "Your dad's going to be really worried about you."
"Do not worry," Penny said, "I am Earth ready!"
"Wait, aren't people going to think she's weird with the legs?" Ryuga pointed out.
"Oh, Ruby already told me that we can use the excuse of prosthetics," Penny mentioned as she shook her legs, "Though she did say she'd take me shopping for more Earth appropriate attire."
"It's as simple as that," Sento chuckled.
Geiz and Tsukuyomi meanwhile were currently being seen off by Clover, Marrow, Robyn and May.
"Thanks for all your help," Clover said as he shook hands with Geiz.
"It took a lot of beating it into your heads, but I'm glad it worked out in the end," Geiz nodded as he gave a firm shake before gripping Clover's hand tightly, "Just don't get complacent alright?"
"No worries there," Clover chuckled sheepishly, "I have quite a few people to help keep everything in check."
"That's what Robyn's there for," May agreed.
"Yep," Robyn flashed a smile.
"I'm sure things will turn out better," Tsukuyomi reassured as she managed to pry Geiz's hand off of Clover who shook his freed hand a bit.
"Only thanks to you all," Robyn said, "You really came in clutch."
"And you all fought your hardest too," Geiz said, "Remember that."
Sougo meanwhile was meeting with the other Riders alongside Woz.
"Thank you for helping us out," Sougo said as he bowed towards his seniors.
"Come on, there's no need for that," Takumi said, "We're friends and allies, right?"
"You've helped us so much that we figured we could do so in return," Takatora said.
"It was really cool seeing another world," Nitoh admitted, "I might have to look into coming here permanently though. Those Grimm were really tasty…"
"It's still weird that I remember all of this," Shinji admitted as he rubbed the back of his head, "I gave the Watch back, right?"
"Yeah, but I think it's because you just took on the powers," Sougo replied, "I mean you didn't get any memories back, right?"
"I just felt the instinct to fight and protect," Shinji said as he scratched his head a bit, "Like I had done it before. Other than that, nothing else..."
"And really, that was all that was needed," Woz mentioned.
"Says the one who was skeptical," Tsukasa reminded much to the retainer's chagrin.
As everyone finished saying their goodbyes, Tsukasa and Summer opened up an Aurora Curtain, the Riders with them heading through. The team's heading in the Time Mazines meanwhile began to load up inside of them.
Sougo, Weiss, Ruby, and Penny were in the Zi-O Unit, with Geiz, Tsukuyomi, Blake and Yang in the Geiz Unit. That left Woz with Sento and Ryuga in the Woz Unit. The Units lifted up off the ground before transforming into their vehicle modes and launching out into the sky, a time gateway opening up with all three entering inside of it.
Earth – Tokyo, Late April 2019
Junichiro was currently waiting at Sento's warehouse, wondering where the Genius Physicist and his friend were. He had brought several duffel bags that were made in advance. They had been filled with clothes for the group to change back into alongside a few extra for anything else. He looked at his watch as it was only a few seconds till the time that Sougo had mentioned. Once it hit the correct time he heard a loud noise as he watched a time gateway open up. He could only smile as he watched the Time Mazines return before landing.
His smile widened as he watched as his nephew and friends began to walk out, noticing that Oscar was no longer there but Penny was now with the group. He figured that Oscar had decided to stay while they had picked up a new friend to tag along. His smile held firm as relief filled him, glad to see that Sougo was alright.
Sougo also smiled as he walked up, "I'm back."
"Welcome back," Junichiro smiled before growing a bit more serious, "Well?"
"Mission Success," Sougo saluted while still smiling.
"Well if it's a successful mission I'm sure you all are hungry!" Junichiro called out, "So let's head back to the shop and I'll give you all a good hearty victory meal!"
"That sounds delightful sir," Penny spoke up with a smile, "Though please note that I do not require sustenance."
"Ah right," Ruby said as she looked over, "Mr. Junichiro, this is Penny, she's not your average girl if you haven't noticed by now," she said, mostly gesturing towards Penny's legs to which she saw Sougo's uncle giving an understanding nod. She then spoke up again, "And Penny, this is Junichiro Tokiwa, he took care of me for around a year after I was stuck on Earth."
"It is a pleasure to meet you sir," Penny smiled as she walked over and held her hand out.
"The pleasure is all mine," Junichiro smiled as he shook Penny's hand, his face widening in surprise when he felt the strength behind Penny's shake, "Now that's a good firm shake!"
"I'll still gladly have you over even if you can't eat though," Junichiro explained, "After all you are a friend of everyone here."
"If we're done we should probably start preparing to wind down," Geiz spoke up as he looked around, noticing that everyone was agreeing with him, "We may be back on Earth, but we've still got to settle back in."
As Sento and Ryuga went to get to work loading the suitcases they got from Pietro into their warehouse, everyone else gathered up what they needed to start getting settled into Earth again.
The Time Jackers were currently in a park, having chosen to not stick to any true hideout this time around.
Uhr was currently enjoying an ice cream cone, "So what now?"
"Yeah, we lost all of our supplies," Ora groaned as she was sitting next to him.
"Indeed," Swartz was leaning against a tree, hiding under its shade, "We still had plenty left but lost access to them suddenly. I can only imagine our backer wasn't satisfied with what we did and decided to be stingy. And now that we're back on Earth we can't go back to Remnant."
"While annoying, I don't think that does matter," Finis said as they walked forward, Cinder following after her.
Cinder was now wearing black jeans ripped at the knees with brown boots, along with a red shirt and a brown jacket on top with single black glove over her prosthetic. She still had her usual hairstyle though her eyepatch was slightly downsized, still covering her scarred eye but not standing out as much.
"True, we did get our future Queen after all," Uhr nodded.
"I must admit, this place is rather boring," Cinder admitted as she looked around, "This is where that brat got stronger?"
"You'd be surprised at how strange this place gets compared to Remnant," Ora remarked.
"I look forward to seeing that then," Cinder gave a smirk.
Unknown Location
Narutaki hummed as he walked through the halls of an unknown location, pushing through various doors and entering a room that had various screens of Riders fighting different monsters. Each screen seemed to have a separate Rider however. Something interesting was not only were there more than 20 unique Riders, some of the screens were dimmed, the word Complete, on the bottom corner.
The ones that were left undimmed were a few unknown Riders in particular, but six stuck out instantly. They were Hibiki, Kabuto, Den-O, Kiva, Fourze, and Drive.
"It's nearly here," Narutaki said before glancing to the side.
Neopolitan was also in the room, staring at one screen in particular that was showcasing Ruby as Kamen Rider Roze and all of her forms, even up to Roze RWBY. Neopolitan could only glare further when the footage had switched to the fight between Roze and Hi-Roze.
"Don't worry, you'll get your revenge soon enough," Narutaki reassured as he looked over, "But we will need to begin preparations."
Earth – Tokyo, Late April 2019
Despite the scheming of two different forces, it was relatively peaceful for everyone's first day back at Earth. Ruby had gone with Penny to get her some Earth appropriate attire while everyone went to 9-5-DO or Team RWBY's apartment to put away their Huntsmen Gear and weapons. After everything was settled, they had met back up at 9-5-DO to eat. Everyone was surprised by the amount of food that Junichiro had managed to prepare alongside the variety of what he was able to make. It turned out he was stocking up quite a lot when it came to making a congratulatory feast.
While the prior three weeks after the Battle of Atlas had definitely allowed time to unwind, there had still been work that needed to be done. So getting to just eat together in a small cozy home in a world that wasn't on the brink of collapse was relieving for all of them. There were a lot of laughs, teasing, and fun times being had as they had managed to clear through most of the food. And anything left was put as leftovers that Ruby chose to take back to her apartment.
She was currently on her way back with Blake, Yang and Penny, the four going through the usual route in order to allow Penny to familiarize herself with the layout of Tokyo.
"Got to say though," Yang spoke up as she looked over at Penny, "You managed to get a good look going."
Penny herself had managed to adopt a more casual attire as well. She had a loose bottom grey skirt that went slightly further down than the one she wore in Atlas, though it held enough movement for her to easily fight in. With it she had a light green puffy long sleeve button up with black cuffs and a collar, the collar having her bow with the power symbol on it. She also had white suspenders, and kept her usual bow on the back of her hair as well.
"You really think so?" Penny asked, "I was only going with what Ruby suggested."
"Figured I'd go for something familiar," Ruby admitted, "Casual but still combat oriented enough."
"Well you definitely did a good job," Blake agreed with Yang, "But I have a question, is Weiss joining us later?"
"Yeah, I mean, you know how her and Sougo are…" Ruby trailed as she tried not to immediately say it. Both Blake and Yang realized what Ruby was referring to though and both gave nods of realization.
At 9-5-DO, Geiz, Tsukuyomi and Woz were currently helping clean up while Sougo had brought Junichiro to the front to talk. Weiss was there as well though she looked a bit nervous.
"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Junichiro asked.
"Well," Sougo said as he looked down and put his hands behind his back as he tried to find the words. He took a deep breath before stepping to the side and gesturing to Weiss, "Uncle I-I'd like to introduce you to my girlfriend, W-Weiss Schnee."
"Hello there," Weiss meekly waved before giving a bow.
Junichiro heard this and it took a second to register before he had the biggest smile he could currently muster, "It's very nice to meet you."
Sougo and Weiss were surprised, the two looking at each other and then back at Junichiro.
"Wait, that's it?" Weiss asked.
"You're fine with it?" Sougo asked.
"Of course I am, of course I am," Junichiro laughed as he walked closer, "I could already tell how close you two were by the time you left. So I'm so glad to see that you two finally decided to take the next step."
"Oh," Sougo said as he breathed in relief, "That's good to hear."
"Yes, it is…" Weiss admitted as she relaxed a bit, "I figured that…"
"Come on now, I'm not that prude," Junichiro gave a smile as he walked forward before going to hug Weiss, "Welcome to the family."
Weiss was caught by surprise before hugging back, "Thank you so much."
Sougo smiled at this, Geiz and Tsukuyomi were also currently watching from the doorway that led to the dining room. The two couldn't help but give small smiles at this interaction, though currently missing was Woz who had somehow managed to make his way outside.
"And thus, we end our adventures in Remnant," Woz smiled as he walked out of 9-5-DO, seemingly addressing no one in particular, "And of course, we now have a new ally in our fight against the Time Jackers via Miss Polendina. With our spirits renewed and a major victory under our belts, it is time to commence preparations to collect the remaining six Ridewatches."
Ringing and the beat of drums could be heard as he said this, the chronicler smiling as it was finally time to truly get back on track.
To Be Continued…
A New Age for Remnant Saga – END
"The legacy of the Heisei Kamen Riders has carried on throughout the era. As the King and Huntress Riders return from Remnant with heads held high, the remaining Riders will pass their powers to them. And once that is done, a new era shall begin… Rejoice, for the birth of the King of Kamen Riders is at hand!"
The Grand Rider World Saga – START
Next Time:
"I'm sorry, it's what?!"
"You're Kamen Rider Hibiki, right?"
"Did they come to protect it?"
"Jackpot…"
"I'm Kyousuke Kiriya, Hibiki."
Chapter 98: 2005: Echoes of Failed Oni
Author's Notes: Well we've done it folks, we've finished another Saga. Very much the second longest Saga I've done due to it encompassing both V7 and V8. Of course that means we're hitting Saga 5 of 7 next and while these next Sagas aren't as long as 3 and 4 were, they've still got a fair amount of chapters in them.
Of course we've got the latest status quo which is Penny joining and taking the slot at the 9th member of the group now since Oscar's staying on Remnant. Of course Neopolitan is now working with Narutaki and we've got Cinder with the Time Jackers, so changes on all sides here.
As I said in prior Author Notes though, Roze from Remnant will be taking a short break till the first Saturday of August. Not too big of a break, but a bit of a breather after a Saga comes to an end is always appreciated. Of course thanks for reading, and see you for the next update which puts us back on track with Legend Rider shenanigans via Hibiki and a certain special date in late April as well.