Chapter 2 – Living Normal Lives
Jaune
With his car parked, Jaune walked into one of the school's blocks. All the kids were still heading in for the day, so he still had time. He opened the door, walking past some teachers who were here for the day, alongside all the students rushing to their homerooms. The school was rather vacant today, with the big festival on and everything else. This day always was a fun day for the entire world, for no celebration was more important than today.
He walked through the hallway, passing by the medals won by the Academy, then walked into his classroom. Nobody was here yet, but he had a class to teach early today, a History Lesson. He sat down on his chair and exhaled, taking off his jacket and resting it over the back of his chair. He looked at the textbook and opened it, getting everything ready for the class, and then he landed on the page.
And even now… his blood would run cold every time he saw it.
Salem – The Queen of Darkness
Jaune stared at the picture of her, and closed his eyes, clenching his hands into fists as he sat in his chair, feeling the sweat beading from his kin. He exhaled shakily, and his eyes faintly glimmered purple, and then he opened them.
For a split second, he saw her stood in the corner of his eye.
And Salem… she seemed to real, almost like the last twenty-five years were all a dream. "Hey Jaune!" a pretty, young teacher beamed. He gasped, then rubbed his eyes.
"Oh… hey Judy… I'm sorry, I was totally spaced out there." He chuckled, closing the book up once more and turning on his chair to his fellow teacher.
"You okay?" She asked him.
"Oh yeah, totally. Like I said, I just completely zoned out there." He assured, but she smiled softly.
"Is it… because of this time of year? I know your wife was a Huntress and I know you guys probably lost some friends after… y'know." She said, walking in and sitting on the edge of his desk. He chuckled softly, then he sighed.
They have no idea… even after all these years, it still shocks me how many people don't know… who I am… and what I did.
I appreciate that Dutch buried it, but… it still feels like I'm a fraud.
But he swallowed that guilt and nodded his head. "Lost a lot of good friends… very close ones, too." Jaune admitted, then he sighed, taking his glasses off and setting them down on the table. "I'm not the only one who struggles, either."
"Yeah. Mrs Arylide hasn't come in today… she wanted to go and be with her daughter and son's graves. Such a terrible and tragic thing… the Inhumane Necessity." She said with a saddened expression. Even after all these years, those two words made him flinch. "Just so you know, we can get someone to fill in for you if you feel you need to take a day off." Judy assured.
"No, no… I'm fine. Trust me." Jaune assured, clearing his throat. "Doing stuff helps… take my mind off it."
They both heard the bell ring and Judy just smiled, gently squeezing his shoulder. "Just know if you ever need to talk."
"I know where to find you." He answered. She snapped her finger at him with a smile before walking away. Jaune exhaled, looking at his hands, and for a moment, he saw blood on them again. He looked away, squeezing his eyes shut and closing his fists tight.
It never goes away…
… even though Thaddeus is long gone…
… he still haunts me… what I did… haunts me…
He lifted his head, and saw his students entering the classroom, and the second he saw their bright eyes, happy to see he was in to teach them for the day, he smiled and all those fears washed away. He stood up and crossed his arms.
"Good morning everyone." He greeted.
"Good morning, sir!" the class all happily answered, and he smiled even more.
"So… on this fine historical day… who's ready for a fun morning of some rather… spooky history?" He asked them all, and they all happily cheered.
Oriana
On the other side of the History Lessons…
Oriana was bored to death.
She sat at her desk, her head supported by her hand and elbow against her table. She stared ahead with Misty sat in the exact same pose beside her. In fact, the entire class looked just as enthused as the teacher droned on. "Gods… why couldn't we just have your dad teach this? He actually engages the class…" Misty groaned.
"Tell me about it." Oriana groaned.
The teacher pointed at the screen projected on the whiteboard as he spoke. "Now, who here can tell me about what you know of – The Hunt?" Mr Gray asked, pointing at the words on the screen. Not a soul raised their hand in the classroom. He scanned the room, then pointed his stick at her. "Miss Nikos!" He called out. She yelped and bolted upright, acting like she was listening. "Are you awake?"
"Of course." Oriana answered.
"Really? Prove it. What did I just ask the class?" Mr Gray asked her, crossing his arms, but Oriana slightly smirked.
"I think it was specifically, Now, who here can tell me about what you know of – The Hunt?" she replied, making Mr Gray raise his eyebrow, and Misty giggled softly.
"Ooh, we got a smartass today." Mr Gray said grumpily. Oriana just shrugged her shoulders with that same confident smile. "Well? Can you tell us?"
"The Hunt was the name of the time when the Grimm were hunted to extinction a few years after Salem was defeated." Oriana answered.
"Correct." Mr Gray confirmed, showing old photographs of Grimm, and that got the attention of the kids. "None of you were around when the Grimm still existed, but I was. And believe me, these beasts were nothing less than monsters. They hunted Humans and Faunus alike, and were drawn to negativity like sharks to blood." Mr Gray explained as he walked around the front of his classroom. "And the Hunt was necessary, but with so few Huntsmen and Huntresses remaining after the Inhumane Necessity, or most likely uninterested in serving the people after the persecution against them? We faced a significant problem, with nobody skilled enough or too afraid to pursue the beasts. And what happens when Grimm are left for too long?" He asked the class.
Misty raised her hand, and he pointed his stick at her. "They evolve, become more powerful and intelligent."
"Precisely. And if thousands of Grimm reached the point of becoming Ancient, we would have a much more terrifying problem on our hands. We needed to exterminate the monsters before it was too late. And that was when… the Deacon appeared." He said, switching to the next slide.
Oriana looked at the picture of him, the first ever photograph of the Deacon before he became an international hero. He was honestly… terrifying… a dark faceless figure who left nothing but devastation in his wake. "The Deacon was once believed to be a wraith. Some even referred to him as the anger of Fallen Huntsmen. He hunted Grimm, Salem's Followers and Feral Ones alike. And he viciously slew them all, any who sought to harm the innocents of the new world and wanted Salem's rule to continue. And even though he was feared, he always helped the good… and that made people want to follow him. Inspired by his actions. And what did this lead to?"
Another student raised his hand. "The Legion."
"Yes. As we all know, the Deacon was the man who founded the Deacon. And even though to this day his identity is unknown, he built what was once just a private military sworn to hunting down Grimm and anyone who spouted Salem's Doctrine… and now… it is our Military Might that protects us all, and is tied to the Cross Continental Council. They even report directly to President Amara as well… but none of this would have been possible if not for the Hunt. This long endeavour lasted many years, and many lives were lost against the Grimm. But now… the Grimm are extinguished, not a single Grimm has been spotted in over seventeen years." Mr Gray explained.
A boy raised his hand, and he turned to him. "Yes?"
"Is it true that there were once Grimm that were… massive? Like bigger than buildings?" He asked out of curiosity. Mr Gray was quiet for a moment, and then he answered.
"There were. I lived in Argus, back when Salem was in control of Remnant, and I was there when a certain heroic Huntress battled against one such giant. A Leviathan… a beast that used to lurk in our oceans. Ruby Rose was the Huntress I saw fell the beast, herself. Took it down in seconds… never seen someone fight as well as she did." Mr Gray explained with a chuckle. Oriana squeaked.
That's my Auntie!
"Be thankful, young ones. The world you live in now was not earned without difficulty or sacrifice… the Grimm took many, many lives. As the ruins of the Academies can prove." Mr Gray explained, then he stood tall and cleared his throat. "Anyway, before I end up going on another tangent."
He continued his lesson and Oriana sighed, resting her head on her hand again, then glancing out the window at the ruins of Beacon Academy in the distance. She smiled, her mind filled with so much curiosity about the past. There was so much she felt like she never knew, and just wanted to explore the world, find out more about its history.
After the class ended, she and Misty both walked out of the classroom, with Misty hanging her head. "Uuuugh. I thought that class would never end."
"Just… guh… why can't he just try to make the lesson interesting? I love history! But gods, he just makes it so exhaustingly boring." Oriana groaned as she walked with Misty to the cafeteria. The two of them sat down together and had their lunches, seeing some students leaving already to go down to the Festival in Vale.
"Man, I can't wait 'til we're done with our classes today, so we go do some stuff down there." Misty said.
"You excited to see one of the fights?" Oriana asked.
"Oh hell yeah, you think they sell popcorn?" She asked.
"Oh definitely, they did last time we went." Oriana bet.
"I could kill for popcorn right now." Misty sighed, biting her lip. They continued to eat their lunch, and then Misty sat forward. "Hey… by the way… how are you feeling?"
"Hmm?" Oriana asked.
"Y'know? The nightmares? You haven't had any lately?" Misty asked. Oriana put her food down and she shook her head.
"No… Haven't been to see Dr Dutch in a while. He said they were most likely just night terrors, and sometimes they just come and go." Oriana said, shrugging her shoulders. Misty nodded her head, clutching her sandwich tighter.
"Just… that was frightening when that happened to you, is all. I was really worried." Misty said, making Ori smile. "Just… I've never heard you sound that scared."
Misty then reached across the table and cushioned the top of Ori's hand, making her eyes widen and glisten, her cheeks blushing slightly. "You'll tell me if they happen again, though?" She asked.
"I don't think I could lie to you if I tried. You'd see straight through it." Oriana giggled, but Misty stayed serious about this. Oriana sighed, closing her eyes, and then nodding. "Okay. I promise."
Oriana raised her pinky finger, and then Misty smiled, locking her pinky with hers. "Cross my heart and hope to die."
"And?"
She sighed. "Because if I lie to Misty, death would be preferable to what she would do to me."
Misty chuckled. "That's right."
Oriana laughed back at her and they both continued with their lunch, and got ready for their last two classes before heading out to the Festival together.
Pyrrha
Vale was packed with people, celebrating St. Fall Day, but of course one of the busiest attractions stood nearby in the Centre, the Coliseum. This place was built as a memorial to the Academies, which were destroyed.
Whilst the Academies still were being shot down for reinstatement, even after everything that has happened, previously instated Huntsmen and Huntresses were given new licenses if they wished to have them, and they were instrumental in the days of the Hunt. But now, with Grimm extinct and the other threats like Salem's Followers and the Feral Ones being on their last legs, a shadow of the threat they once were?
They now have very little purpose. Most crime could be handled by the Police or even by the Legion itself. So that left Huntsmen and Huntresses with three options: enlist in the Legion for work, leave the life of a warrior behind and live a more peaceful and normal life… or…
… join the Coliseum Tournaments.
These Tournaments were funded by the Legion to give warriors a new career in this time of peace, in the form of entertainment, and essentially becoming celebrities. Battles were fair and had many rules, and were always made to be for fun, and not for actually hurting each other. Five Coliseums existed across Remnant, one in Vale, one in Mistral, another in Argus, another in Atlas, and one built in the remains of Vacuo after its evacuation.
Pyrrha exited her car and walked past fans who screamed as they tried to get a picture with her. And she couldn't help but please them, turning and smiling. "Okay, I have some time, c'mon." Some young teen girls giggled with glee to get a picture with their idol, snapping pics with their scrolls. But once she was done interacting with her adoring fans, she had to go after her watch started beeping.
In truth, hanging out with the fans was one of her favourite parts of this job. Seeing the joy it gave them always made her smile.
She continued to walk through the building and passed by a poster on the wall.
Remember Vacuo
She sighed sadly, closing her eyes. "Crazy to think Vacuo fell twenty years ago, isn't it?" A familiar voice asked. Pyrrha turned and smiled when she saw Coco leant against the wall behind her. Even after twenty-five years, her hair was still the same as it was, but due to how vibrant the colour was, it was no doubt dye to hide some grey hairs.
"I know… that was a sad time. At least it wasn't a Beacon though and nobody died… we all knew it was gonna happen, eventually." Pyrrha said.
"If only the U.G.R back then actually gave a shit about the Kingdom and worked with Atlas' scientists to come up with a solution to the drought problem. But… nope. They just saw it as a lost cause." Coco remembered as she walked over. "So many had to move away to Kingdoms they didn't know and adapt…"
"Good thing the ones that stayed in the Desert had Fox, though." Pyrrha remarked. Coco smiled and nodded her head.
"He's been doing good work over there. Managed to repurpose the old Coliseum in Shade to take part in our Tournaments. The Nomads really are turning what's left of Vacuo into something new. Heard Penny is working on a fund for them to try to hydrate the land again." Coco said with hope in her voice.
"Well, if anyone can do it, it's the daughter of Pietro Polendina. May he rest in peace." Pyrrha said. Pyrrha flicked her red hair from her eye, then turned to Coco as they walked together. "How's Velvet doing?"
"She's doing well." Coco answered.
"Still working at the Legion?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yeah, she's been working hard in the Rehabilitation and Charity side of the company. Helping Ex-Stockholm Troopers recover from their experiences in the Black Cells, getting the indoctrination of the Black Gallows out of their heads. She's been working wonders on them. Those people have been smiling a lot more lately." Coco said with a proud smile as she looked at her wedding ring.
"That's good… if Velvet would fit in anywhere, it'd be somewhere she could help people. She's always been such a kind soul." Pyrrha stated. The two of them walked over to the coffee machine, pouring some out. Above the Cafeteria was a large Photograph of Beacon Academy, with a plaque written underneath it.
Never Forget all those that were lost
Many pictures of familiar faces were on there, and one that Coco lingered on was the one of Yatsuhashi. He deserved better than what happened to him, being brutally killed by Jackdaw Branwen. But there were many more faces.
Jaymes Ickford, killed by Salem on that dark day.
Peony, also murdered by Jackdaw.
Glynda Goodwitch and James Ironwood, both murdered by Jackdaw's bomb attack.
Ciel Soleil, Reese Chloris and Brawnz Ni, massacred by Jackdaw alongside Yatsuhashi on that day.
Bartholomew Oobleck and Peter Port, and Professor Ozpin, Oobleck murdered by the Praetorian Knight in the Black Smog, Port and Ozpin slain by Salem.
And the ones that haunted Pyrrha the most.
Sun Wukong, Scarlet David, Sage Ayana, Neptune Vasillias.
Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark.
The ones that they couldn't save… but they were so close. She closed her eyes and clenched her hand into a fist before looking at the names again. Thanks to Dutch, they buried the fact that Jaune and Pyrrha did also die there, but that trauma of both their deaths still lingered on their minds.
Very few people could actually know what it was like to die…
And they had to carry that knowledge to when their final end would eventually arrive. Coco leant against the counter as she swirled her coffee in her hand. Then she sighed. "It feels weird, even now…" Coco admitted.
"What does?" Pyrrha asked.
"The Grimm being gone… we lived half our lives fighting them, running from them… they were our enemy, something we always had to fight. In a way… they gave us our livelihoods… and now there's people growing up in a world where they're already gone." Coco explained, shaking her head and sighing. "I swear if I hear one more youth say I wish the Grimm were still around, they looked so cool… I'm gonna scream." Coco chuckled, drinking her coffee.
"I really heard some people claiming they never existed. Just spooky bedtime stories." Pyrrha scoffed, shaking her head.
The two stood together, then Coco started laughing. "Gods… look at us. A pair of old people just complaining about the world."
"Oh no… we're turning into our parents." Pyrrha groaned, chuckling as well as she shook her head.
"At least things are better now than they were before. Both when Salem was in charge and before that…" Coco stated.
"Yeah…" Pyrrha agreed.
They both finished their coffee, feeling energised for the day. "Alrighty then, you do look very pretty today, my dear." Coco began, and Pyrrha just stared at her, then Coco smirked. "But."
"There it is." Pyrrha chuckled.
"Come on, lemme use my makeup on ya." Coco said as she walked ahead of her.
"I still don't know what you do differently. I buy your stuff all the time, yet you seem to make me look completely different every time." Pyrrha said as she followed Coco into the Makeup Room, then Coco turned and held out her hands, gesturing to all the crazy dresses she had in here, mostly for the cheerleaders who were due to be here any minute.
"Welcome to the world of Coco Adel – Remnant's Most Glamorous Fashionista!" Coco announced, making Pyrrha laugh.
"Okay, let's do this. Guess I owe my husband five lien when I get home." Pyrrha said as she sat down, taking off her jacket. As Coco started wiping off the makeup that Pyrrha put on this morning, she started talking again.
"Y'know, I'm curious… why haven't you done any matches? I just know your sponsors would go nuts to have you fighting again." Coco asked.
"Because I'm now a married middle-aged woman with a daughter, not so much appeal for me in that way, these days." Pyrrha answered.
"Pfft, I know for a fact that's not true. Did you see the latest Style Magazines? You were either number one or in the top five of the Sexiest Women on Remnant." Coco said with a smirk, making Pyrrha blush.
"I didn't see that…" Pyrrha admitted. "But… I'm just done with the fights. After everything we went through… everything I did? I'd rather not spend the rest of my days fighting, but narrating and judging other skilled fighters and talented people? Getting to make the day of people who look up to me? That suits me just fine." Pyrrha said, her hand clenching as she remembered having to fight the body of her husband, controlled by Thaddeus.
The fact it wasn't completely him helped… but it was still enough to put her off being a Huntress.
Killing your husband definitely would change one's view on things.
"Well, I'm always happy being a judge with you. Although we could always have some extra faces. Was thinking of asking Weiss if she'd wanna join. Or Nora." Coco suggested.
"Oh gods, we'd never get a word in if we get Nora in." Pyrrha laughed, making Coco laugh as well. "Speaking of which, I heard they were coming to visit Vale in a few days."
"Oh? I'll definitely have to see them, need to hear about how Kuroyuri is doing. The Summit's Claim too… Ren's dad really saved us during those dark days." Coco said, smiling softly as she remembered. Pyrrha looked at the table where Coco's Bag was sitting, and she saw Coco had a beautiful Altum Eagle Feather adoring her handbag, a constant reminder of the safety the Summit's Claim gave her.
None of them would ever forget what Li did for them all.
"I can't wait to see those two again. I hope we get to see Thrud and Mushu, too. I miss my little niece and nephew." Pyrrha said with a bright and proud smile.
"Isn't Thrud twenty five this year?" Coco asked.
"Oh, by the gods, she is…" Pyrrha grumbled.
"We're getting old…"
The two laughed as they both got ready for the show, continuing to share old stories with each other.
Oriana
The Belfry stood tall, a silent but watchful guardian of Vale.
Now that their classes were done, Oriana and Misty walked together into Vale. "Man… always amazes me how big the Belfry is." Oriana said with a chuckle.
"Those things were designed to ring if the Grimm wake up, right?" Misty asked.
"Basically, yeah. If the Tar Pits give off signs of them being active again, they'll start ringing to warn us that a possible Grimm attack is coming. But they've never rung, never in the whole time that they've been built." Oriana explained as they walked into the markets outside of the Coliseum.
"Even though they've never been used, they still kinda make me feel safe. Just knowing we have a warning system in place." Misty said as she walked with Oriana into the Markets. The second they entered, they both gasped, holding each other with wide eyes at all the cool things in here. They both shot inside, bouncing from stand to stand to see everything being shown off.
"WHOA LOOK AT THIS!" Misty squeaked, holding a keychain that was allegedly made from the tooth of a Beowulf, definitely fake of course, considering Creatures of Grimm never left any body parts behind.
"Misty!" Oriana called, gesturing excitedly at a Stone Boarbatusk. "IT WAS FROZEN BY A SILVER EYED WARRIOR!"
"IT'S SO FAT!" Misty squeaked as they both bounced in front of the Boarbatusk.
"Well, well… I see we have some Grimm Fans." The Merchant chuckled.
"Well, I dunno if fan is accurate, but… LOOK HOW COOL THEY LOOK!" Oriana squeaked again, both of them with big smiles on their faces. "Do you know the name of the Silver Eyed Warrior who froze this one?"
"Well, who else? None other than the Great Ruby Rose herself!" The Merchant laughed, thrusting his fist in the air. She gasped, and Misty's eyes bulged.
"HOW MUCH?" Misty beeped.
The Merchant's face changed. Then he cleared his throat. "Two Hundred Thousand Lien."
It was like a mirror shattered due to how fast their faces dropped to disbelief, then disappointment. "Aww." Misty groaned.
"I take it ten lien would work?" Oriana asked.
It didn't.
"C'mon!" Oriana grumbled as they both walked away from the stand. "Overpriced garbage. It's probably not even real."
"It was so chonky, too." Misty sighed as she hung her head, but then immediately Oriana gasped, dashing away from Misty. "ORI?!"
She looked around for her BFF, only to spot her now by another stand. "Look at this!"
Misty ran over to her side, panting, but then her eyes almost became hearts like Oriana's at the things on show. Even little Smee floated up between them with literal heart eyes on his digitised screen. "A real Black Gallows rifle!" Oriana squeaked. "How did you find one of these?"
The man selling these relics chuckled, and he rested his arms on the table. "Old ruins from the war, old things don't work, just scrap. But they're cool things to own, aren't they?"
"Why don't they work?" Misty asked.
"Ah, ever heard of The Hanging? It was during the Battle of Evernight, a virus was uploaded into their uncrackable network which destroyed all their technology. It's what defeated the Black Gallows in the end." He explained.
"Oooh yeah, that's right. Their stuff just got scavenged and repurposed… but not all the ships were broken down, were they?" Misty asked.
"Nope, which leaves it open for curious Delvers like myself to root around and see what interesting treasures we can find." He explained to the two girls.
"That's so cool. Aww I wish we had more money. We really should get a job at one of those restaurants to afford cool stuff like this. I'd love to take these apart." Oriana said, almost maniacally, with her love for tinkering.
"Little engineer, huh?" The Delver inquired.
"Yep! My little bot, Smee? I made him! I love him so much!" She squeaked, giving him a loving hug. He beeped and the words I love you appeared on his face.
"That's some impressive work, kiddo. You interested in robotics?" He asked her.
"Oh definitely! Robotics, engineering… I love making stuff! We both do!" Oriana said as she looked at Misty, who smiled.
"Well, if there's somewhere you should check out? I heard Penny Polendina is running a talk about that kind of thing down the street. Might be worth asking her some questions." He kindly suggested. Oriana gasped, her eyes widening.
"Oh really? Thank you!" Oriana squeaked. "Thank you for showing us that!"
"When you end up becoming the world's greatest Robotics Scientist, don't forget about me!" He joked. The two of them walked away, and they both gasped.
"I didn't know your Aunt was gonna be here today!" Misty squeaked.
"Neither did I! But I guess it makes sense. We should go see her, would be nice to see her. I love Auntie Penny. She's so sweet." Oriana said with a smile.
"You think… your Auntie Ruby will be here?" Misty asked, poking her fingers nervously.
"You really want that autograph, huh?" Oriana asked.
"SHE'S MY HERO!" Misty cried out with joy. "Apart from you, of course. And your mom… and Penny… and literally your entire awesome family."
"C'mon they're not that cool." Oriana said. Misty stared at her with wide eyes.
"THEY SAVED THE WORLD!" Misty was so close to freaking out that it made Oriana laugh. "I wish my family was as cool and nice as yours. Or if they were actually there."
Oriana smiled and clasped her hand. "Y'know… if you're not doing anything tonight… you wanna stay over for a sleepover? My parents… well… they're pretty much never there. It'd be nice if…"
"Yes. Done." Oriana answered. Misty turned with blushed cheeks.
"U-Uh… shouldn't you clear it with your parents first?" Misty inquired.
"Sure, but I know they'll say yes. You're pretty much family." Oriana said with a bright smile as she walked ahead of her. Misty froze when she said that, her eyes widening. Oriana stopped and looked back at her. Oriana couldn't help but smile at her, adoring that look on Misty's face.
"You have… no idea how much that means to me, Ori." Misty softly said. Oriana walked over to her and held her hands, smiling at her. Misty immediately wrapped her arms around Oriana, closing her eyes as she clung to her.
As they embraced, though, they both heard the ringing bell and the sound of the Mad Crier. They both turned, still holding hands as they looked at him. He was clad in messy clothing, with long unkempt grey hair. "All of you! Heretics! You betray the will of your divine saviour! And when she is reborn, and the Grimm march these lands once more, you will all be begging for her mercy!" The Mad Crier yelled.
But nobody was listening to him. They just ignored the man as he shambled in the streets, drunk by the looks of it.
Oriana sighed, furrowing her brow and shaking her head. "I heard about that man…" Misty said. Oriana looked at her as she spoke. "His name was Aaron Cassidy…"
Oriana didn't realise it, but her Auntie Saphron met this man a long time ago when aboard a Luxury Airship with the Happy Huntresses, Eryka, Winter and Terra. He was the man who preached about the glory of the Inhumane Necessity, and that their extinction was a good thing.
But what even Saphron and the others didn't know… was what Misty was about to tell her.
"He taxed the families of Huntsmen and Huntresses who were murdered in the Inhumane Necessity. Took so much money from them as payment for the crimes of their traitorous family members." Misty explained with a scowl on her face, Oriana's face changed from a slight bit of sympathy for Aaron to the same scowl that Misty had. "Even parents who lost their children… they were put into debts that were nearly impossible to pay off."
"… and now look at him…" Oriana scoffed.
"Yeah. When the Legion helped build the world we live in now, they tracked down these Grief Taxers and forced them to give all the money they took from those families back to them. And if they didn't have the money, then they'd give up their pricey possessions to them. And now all he has left… is his blind loyalty to a dead tyrant." Misty explained.
He laughed madly as he stumbled, people pushing past him as he tried to call out to them. Oriana just sighed, then she turned away from Aaron Cassidy. "Come on… let's go find Auntie Penny." She said, still holding Misty's hand as they walked away.
Aaron laughed with joy as he stumbled, calling out to ghosts.
"The Last Child of Salem walks among us! Watch for the signs!" He cried.
After walking away from what remained of Salem's Followers, just Mad Criers screaming in the streets, the two of them smiled as they found Penny's stand. They saw her stood with Emerald and Mercury, who were on stage. "Would anyone like to check out some awesome cybernetics?" Mercury asked, jumping into the air and sticking his leg out on a desk. "WABAM! Lay your eyes on this!"
The crowd cheered when they saw his new cybernetic leg with polished steel and looking far more advanced now. "We have been making great advancements in Cybernetics over the years, and we know many people are looking for improvements, especially survivors from Salem's Rule who lost limbs to her tyranny. And we are all thrilled to announce that we are going to be selling these cybernetics at the end of the year, with prices that will be half that of the originals you currently sport." Penny promised as she walked with Emerald on the stage.
"So? Anyone wanna check these out?" Emerald asked with a bright smile on her face. Emerald and Mercury got down from the stage to speak with the people, but Penny instantly spotted her niece, and her eyes widened and she smiled.
"Auntie Penny!" Ori called out.
"Oriana!" she squeaked, zooming off the stage and hugging her immediately, lifting her off the floor.
"Too. Tight." Oriana winced. Penny may have a new body that was made purely from Nanotechnology that allowed her to age alongside Ruby, and feel just like a human being would, but that didn't mean her strength disappeared.
If anything, she was even stronger now than compared to before.
She released her, then turned to Misty. "Misty!" She squeaked, hugging her as well. Misty's Chameleon Skin turned blue as she tried to breathe until Penny freed her. "Are you both shopping?"
"Trying to. Everything's so expensive for our blood." Oriana admitted, making Penny giggle.
"Come on, let me get you two something to eat." Penny said, taking them to a little café nearby. She sat down with them and got them some snacks to enjoy. "So, how have your studies been?"
"Going well, a bit boring today, but… okay." Oriana said.
"How about you, Misty?" Penny asked.
"Eh, about the same." Misty admitted.
"We wanted to see you, saw all the cool stuff you've been working on. Those cybernetics look so cool!" Oriana squeaked, nearly leaping out of her chair, making Penny laugh.
"I'm very proud of the work we've done. Emerald and Mercury have been a big help, getting permission to explore some of the ruins to find old Black Gallows technology. Repurposing it hasn't been easy, but… it's nice turning the technology of bad people into something good." Penny explained. "Plus, Emerald used to be a Master Thief. She has a nose for sniffing out valuable stuff, way better than mine." Penny stated, prodding her own nose and smiling.
"Um… can I ask you something?" Misty asked.
"Of course you can." Penny answered, smiling sweetly with her eyes closed.
"Is it true your new body can… turn into anything you want?" Misty asked, and Penny smirked playfully, suddenly forming Crescent Rose in her hand out of the Nanotechnology. Misty gasped, her eyes widening at the beautiful scythe.
"Just as we've been repurposing Black Gallows technology, we have been exploring the uses of Grave Dust. Instead of designing it for weaponisation, we want to explore more, returning to its original concept, which was for medical purposes. And this was a personal idea of mine… creating a new body, one that would allow me to age alongside Ruby. After all, it would probably look weird when Ruby is fifty and my body still looks nineteen." Penny explained, shrugging her shoulders.
"That's a very good point, actually." Oriana muttered with a slight chuckle.
"Speaking of which, Ruby should be back soon. Hopefully, we can get that drawing of yours signed by her when she's comfortable." Penny said with a smile, and Misty blushed.
"You… You remembered?" Misty asked.
"Of course! I'd never forget what my niece's best friend says she wants." Penny teased as she playfully pinched Oriana's cheeks, stretching them.
"Waah, Auntie Pennyyyyy!" Oriana complained. Penny giggled, and she drank some of her juice, smiling.
"Even after all these years of this body… it is still so sensational being able to taste things." She chuckled, for her nanites created artificial organs as well, meaning she was practically human. She even felt human as well… it was truly incredible technology. "So, where you two heading next?"
"Hoping we can snag a seat at the Coliseum. Wanna try to watch a match." Oriana said, and Penny chuckled.
"Well, well… aren't you the lucky niece?" Penny said, making Oriana raise her brow curiously. "Because as luck turns out… Ruby and I were supposed to go to the next match, but Dutch snagged her last second for a job. Soooo… why don't you take our tickets, since I only enjoy the matches when I'm with my wife, anyway?" Penny said, offering them both the tickets.
Their eyes widened.
"HUH?" they both gasped.
"Go ahead, take them." Penny laughed, but Oriana and Misty both jumped and hugged Penny, making her laugh even more.
"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!" Oriana repeated, kissing her auntie on the cheek.
"How touching." Mercury chuckled, crossing his arms. The two turned and stood up swiftly, awkwardly laughing.
"Sorry, saw my niece and I just had to see her, and her cute cheeks. You have no idea how cute she was as a baby." Penny said as she stood up, pinching Oriana's cheek again.
"Aaaah, you're as bad as Auntie Nora!" Oriana grumbled, crossing her arms as she blushed awkwardly, Misty giggling as well.
"As much as we hate breaking this up, Penny, we're gonna need you over here with your next speech." Emerald said. Penny groaned, rolling her eyes, then standing tall and walking away.
"Duty calls! Have fun you two!" Penny called before walking away.
"Bye Auntie Pennyyy!" Oriana sung.
Misty and Oriana looked at their tickets and smiled. "Well… that went better than I ever expected."
"Come on, let's go!" Misty cheered, grabbing Oriana's hand and running ahead.
The two sprinted towards the Coliseum, but Ori accidentally bumped into a man in a brown hooded trench coat. "Sorry!" Before running ahead.
The Deacon
After the big speech, the Deacon sat down beside Amber, who was still wiping tears from her eyes, and a big smile was constantly adorning her face. "She'd be proud of you, so proud. You've done something that so many thought was impossible, you know?" The Deacon kindly said to her.
"I really didn't think it could be done… the disease was so… hard to find a cure for… but thanks to Penny, and the late Pietro… we somehow did it. It's the least I could do… after everything Cinder did for me…" Amber said, wiping the tears from her face. She exhaled shakily. "Hearing everyone cheer though… that's the thing that made all that worth it. I just wish Cinder could have seen it."
The Deacon gently held her hand in his metal one. "She knows." He promised.
"Thank you." She sniffled, looking ahead to see her boyfriend with their baby girl, who she fittingly named after her mother. The name of a hero.
"Go on, you've had quite the day." The Deacon said.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Of course, go get some rest. You have more than earned it." He assured, she smiled and stood up, walking away with her boyfriend, holding his hand and resting her head on his shoulder. The Deacon stood tall, and he exhaled through his helmet, walking down the hallway.
In the next room, Dutch stood with some of the security teams. "No other signs of danger? Just that Mad Crier?" Dutch asked.
"No sir, just him. Everything looks fine. Hopefully, the days of Salem's Followers are over." The security guard said.
"It's not just that which worries me… we still have a killer on the loose, and we know who she is. She could be anywhere." Dutch said with a sigh.
"Still looking for clues on Neo?" The Deacon asked, getting Dutch's attention.
"Of course, girl's slippery like an eel, I swear." Dutch stated as he rubbed his face. His scar from being shot in the head by Killian had healed remarkably well, considering the damage, but his eye had been permanently scarred and clouded. But not only that, it looked like it had another side effect in his right hand, requiring him to often have to keep it moving with a stress ball. Something he had simply grown used to having on him these days, stopping his hand from locking up.
"Need me to head out there? See what I can find?" The Deacon asked.
"No, no… you've done so much lately, you've earned the fun of being a celebrity for today. No need for actual heroic actions." He assured.
"Honestly, I'd rather the action… this kind of stuff is somehow more stressful than battling a giant Grimm or a crazy Follower of Salem." The Deacon chuckled, crossing his metal arms.
"Oh believe me, I know what you mean. Politics, Business… it's a whole other animal. The battlefield is so much simpler." Dutch chuckled. "So, what's next on your timetable?"
"That fight, gotta show my… was about to say face, I guess mask… there. Honestly, that one I don't mind, it's fun seeing old Hunters or other skilled fighters battling it out under controlled conditions like that. Reminds me of the Vytal Festival." The Deacon explained, and Dutch agreed, nodding his head.
"One day… one day we'll get Academies running again. Just gotta keep pressing Amara and the Council. Eventually they'll get it." Dutch stated.
"I hope so." The Deacon said. "Alright, I better go to the Coliseum. Lemme know if you find anything on Neo."
"Oh yeah, I just remembered to tell you. The C.C.T Network is scheduled to be shut down over the weekend for an upgrade to its systems." Dutch informed.
"Don't worry, the Legion will be ready." The Deacon promised, and Dutch smiled, giving the Deacon a thumbs up.
He walked away, then felt his scroll vibrate as he walked, and pulled it out. He slowed down as he walked, seeing a message from an anonymous user. It was simply titled:
What are you going to do about THIS?
And it was a video recording, from the same high school Oriana was going to, showing Jaune and Oriana going to school together, and then more footage showing the family having a happy picnic. It was just a compilation of Jaune, Pyrrha and Oriana being a happy family. He glared down at the video, and his grip tightened, only for him to look away, shakily exhaling and closing the scroll.
No… you're better than this…
… it's been Twenty-Five years, Dutch has helped you so much… don't let it be for nothing…
You're better than this…
He walked further until he froze again… but this time… it was something else. He could hear a familiar documentary being played in the next room, which some people were watching. He stared through the window at it, where there were photographs of Salem.
"Salem, the Dark Queen. She was ruled with an iron fist over Remnant, with her subordinates she named the Children of Salem. Her second in command was Doctor Arthur Watts, and her closest was the Serial Killer – Tyrian Callows."
The second he saw his face on the screen, he gasped, recoiling away, and suddenly he was back… back in that cell, shaking in the corner. Naked and covered in scars, unable to tell who he was anymore, with blood everywhere.
"Look at me…" Tyrian's voice whispered as he emerged from the shadows, his eyes glowing purple as he stared down at him. His long cybernetic Scorpion Tail arched over his shoulder. "Look. At. Me."
"Deacon?" Dutch's voice snapped him out of the terrifying memory. "You okay?"
The Deacon looked back at where he saw Tyrian standing, and he was shaking, staring at his metal hands. "You got out… you got out… you got out." He panted, repeating that to himself over and over.
"Hey… come over here, take a seat." Dutch said, gently holding the Deacon's shoulder and guiding him over to the chair. The Deacon sat down and clasped his hands together. Dutch looked at the room where that documentary was playing, and he sighed. "Ah crap, I'm sorry. Gimme a second." He said, going into the room and quickly closing the blinds.
Dutch returned to the Deacon's side and sat down in front of him, resting his hands on the back of the chair. "You had another flashback… didn't you?" He asked.
"… yeah." He shakily answered, hanging his head and controlling his breathing.
"Good old Anniversary Events…" He said with a sad sigh, all too familiar with the term.
"After all these years, I hoped it would get easier… but… it still comes back. It's not as constant… or as scary as it used to be… constantly afraid that Tyrian would come back for me after he… let me go." The Deacon stammered.
"Well… I know you've heard me say it so many times, but… Tyrian is gone. Salem is gone, Thaddeus is gone. All of it… all that's left is Adam, and he's still locked up tight in Menagerie. And the Feral Ones may as well be gone. All that's left of the old regime are dusts and echoes. And soon they'll be gone too." Dutch reassured, and the Deacon nodded his head, wringing his metal fingers.
"The nightmares are starting again too…"
"Of Tyrian?" Dutch asked.
"Not just him… of…"
"… Jaune?"
The Deacon just nodded. "I'm trying. I really am… but sometimes I… I know what you've been telling me, about… Thaddeus… but it's hard to believe, it really is." The Deacon admitted.
"I understand… believe me, I do. When I saw the way Jaune was fighting, it was shocking… but it was Thaddeus, not him. He was trapped in there, and Thaddeus was the one pulling the strings. But Thaddeus is dead." Dutch assured.
"Are we sure about that?" The Deacon asked.
"Yes. It's been twenty-five years and the closest thing to Thaddeus still existing is Jaune's body being similar to when he was the Salem Knight and his enhanced strength. But outside of that? Thaddeus is dead… gone…" Dutch promised, and the Deacon nodded his head.
"Thanks… for not telling me where he's been living over these years. If I knew… I don't think I'd be able to stop myself from making a big mistake." The Deacon confessed, and Dutch nodded.
"Well, I didn't hide it just for his and Pyrrha's sake. I knew you wanted to be good… you are a hero, after all." He said. He then opened his scroll and checked the time. "Y'know what? I'm free tonight. Why don't you come over to my place? We can have a session. Help you talk through this like old times?" Dutch asked him with a kind smile.
The Deacon chuckled, then nodded.
"Thanks, Dutch. I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for you." The Deacon said, standing up from his seat and shaking Dutch's hand. Then he rolled his shoulders, then smashed his fists together. "Alright, Deacon. Shake it off… you gotta look pretty for the cameras." The Deacon chuckled, making Dutch smile.
"That's the spirit." Dutch said as he watched the Deacon leave.
As he left, he heard his scroll ring, so he quickly pulled it out and answered it. "Dutch here."
"Sir? We have a situation." The voice of Marrow Amin spoke.
"Neo?" Dutch assumed, expecting another murder scene.
"No, sir… this is different. It's a Tar Pit. I think you need to see this." Marrow informed. Dutch's eyes widened with fear.
"I'm on my way."
Author Note - This was quite enjoyable, showing the ways things have changed and getting to show some of the smaller characters and what they've been doing.
I think Coco was my favourite of the smaller characters, felt it was very fitting that she would become a Fashion Idol but also be a Judge for the Tournaments like Pyrrha.
And it was fun showing what's left of the people who worshipped Salem, they're just Mad Criers roaming the streets now, ignored and seen as people to be forgotten. Plus Aaron Cassidy 100% deserves this fate after how much of a piece of shit he was, if you remember him back in Act 3 XD
And the poor Deacon... he's been through so much. And we shall learn more of what Tyrian put them through...
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter!
- Matt