Interlude 2
"WHAT!?" Glynda screeched out. This broke everyone out of their trance, and an explosion of activity occurred.
"How is he the Rusted Knight?!"
"This story's been around for centuries!"
"It's impossible?!"
"Ha! Ren, I told you our leader was destined for greatness!"
"Nora, there's no way you could've known this!"
"Never said I did!"
"Everyone, CALM DOWN!" Ghira roared, prompting everyone into silence, "Look, We have a lot to discuss, not just with…recent discoveries. Like we agreed to, this would be a good time to take a break."
Everyone began to get up, and file back to the waiting room. However, Saphron was still sitting in her seat. Kali, the last one to leave, saw this, and approached her. She placed a hand on Saphron's shoulder, and she jumped.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah, just…processing."
"I know what you mean. Blake had a childhood crush on the Rusted Knight. How do you think she might feel realizing her crush turned out to be her friend."
"It's not that. I said I had a soft spot for the Knight. That didn't mean I had a crush on…Jaune," Saphron felt like the word was almost foreign to her, "I said that some of my sisters had crushes on them. Well, I wouldn't have minded having the Knight as a brother-in-law. Not only that, but Adrian always loved the Knight, and the Cat. It's…comforting to know that he's such a wonderful influence on him, even if Jaune doesn't know it-or, better yet, couldn't have known it, but it's going to be really awkward reading the story to him, not to mention if his other sisters find out."
Kali nodded, "I can get that."
"My only real question now is: How could Jaune have been the Rusted Knight? I know this place messes with time, but how could he be a part of something before he was even born? More importantly, how long has Jaune been waiting for them?"
A brief flame appeared above her, producing a parchment. Kali grabbed it, and read it aloud.
"Jaune has been in the Ever After for nearly twenty years."
"Twenty-" Saphron wheezed, "Oh gods, Jaune. Alone, waiting for the others to arrive." Saphron got a determined face, "He's going to need immediate help once they get back. That long, alone, would drive anyone insane."
Kali agreed before she started giggling, "I must admit, I imagine that, if Blake didn't have a crush on Yang, she'd be blushing madly at Jaune."
Saphron raised an eyebrow.
"What, you didn't notice how Blake reacted to the 'Knight'? It seemed pretty obvious."
"No, it's not that. I just thought your daughter wouldn't be into older men."
Kali rolled her eyes, "Come on. The others are waiting."
Qrow, Tai and Pietro got into a group. They saw Kali and Saphron leave the theatre, and Ghira approaching them. They saw the younger members also in a group, while Glynda and Raven were who knows where. Qrow didn't really care, as he was too focused on making sure Tai doesn't have a panic attack.
"She'll be okay, Tai. They both will."
"I…want to believe that, Qrow, but, you saw what the Herbalist did. Ruby's already doubting herself, and that DAMNEDworld-" Tai calmed himself, "Is going out of its way to target her. I just-"
"Ruby will be fine, Tai. Alright. That world wants to change her, not kill her."
"From our perspective, there isn't that much of a difference. What if Ruby is completely different if she ascends. I…I've already lost Summer, Qrow. I can't bear to…" Tai either couldn't, or wouldn't say the next words. Ghira placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I admit, I don't know much about your family life. However, if what might happen to Ruby happened to Blake…I'd be devastated. However, to honor Blake, I'd support whatever new form she took. Do you intend to do the same?"
Tai didn't respond, because he didn't know how to respond. Would he accept Ruby's new form? Would Yang, who practically raised Ruby in his stead? For now, he decided to push down answering that question, and just keep hoping that Ruby was strong enough to hold off, long enough to get back home, and they can all have a family talk. Not just the Rose/Xiao Longs, everyone. Ruby saw Weiss and Blake as family, so he would too.
He could only hope that 'Ruby' will be able to appreciate it. Because, if she ascended, he had a fear that 'Ruby 2' wouldn't.
Raven opened the door to the bedroom, just in time to hear the bathroom of said room slam shut. Raven smirked as she approached it, hearing a vomiting sound. She put her back next to the door, smiling like a hyena.
"So…Jaune Arc."
"Shut…up." Glynda's voice retched out.
"So all those moments you had, you were thinking of-"
"I don't care if you're pregnant, I will pile drive you through the walls."
Raven had a look of mock curiosity. "Typically, pile drivers are downward, so how would you do it through the walls?
"Fuck off!"
Raven snickered. It was rare to get Glynda to lose her shit, and Raven was going to milk this for all she could.
"For Brothers' sake, he's my student?!"
"I'll admit, it would look bad. But I highly doubt-"
CRASH
Raven ducked her head to the side as a hole, made by Glynda's fist, appeared next to her. Raven was cackling like a mad woman. The normally most stern and rule abiding person giving into emotions like this.
'Best meltdown EVER. Though I do know when I'm pushing too far.' "Alright, I'll stop. But, you shouldn't think too much about it. You don't still fantasize about the RK, do you?"
"...No, I don't. Working with Ozpin has broken that fantasy."
"And do you plan on returning to it."
"Of course not."
"Then I don't see a problem."
"The problem is that I was fantasizing over one of my students!"
"And do you think you aren't the first teacher in history to do that? Or to do that successfully? I mean, I'm the only one who knows about your…adoration."
"Shut it." Glynda responded through clenched teeth.
"My point is, before we saw his face, I was only going to tell the others that you had possibly the biggest crush on the RK back in our Beacon days. Now, though, your reaction alone is far better than I could've imagined, and ousting you would be more trouble than it's worth."
The door opened, and a haggard Glynda walked out. If looks could kill, she could've killed everyone in this theatre a dozen times over.
And Raven once or twice.
"No one must know."
Raven merely smirked. "You knowing that I know will be its own pleasure."
'If it didn't mean killing a child, I would END you.' Glynda thought. "Let's…change the subject. Do you think Ruby will accept ascension?"
Raven turned her head to the side. "It's…possible. It'll all come down to if her team can realize her issues before it's too late."
"And, if Ruby's attitude is any clue, she's not going to show any signs until she explodes. And, call me paranoid, but I think that Cat has something to do about it."
"You and Emerald seem to distrust the cat."
"Coming from a bandit and a thief, there's just something off about him. There's something he isn't tell us about Alyx, and I have a feeling he WON'T say what it is until AFTER the danger has passed."
"This is nuts!" Sun exclaimed, "I mean, one of the biggest heroes in all of Remnant's fairy tales is Jaune!"
"I knew our leader was destined for greatness." Nora triumphed, to which Ren merely smiled and rolled his eyes.
"It's kinda crazy," Ilia stated, "How much the Rusted Knight has influenced our lives.
"Almost everyone on Remnant," Oscar added, "Sees the Knight as a pillar of chivalry. Pretty sure most Huntsmen want to embody the Knight's goals."
'Wait, Ozpin, did you know? I mean, Jaune did-'
'No, I did not. As I said before, I had little interaction with Alyx's family, and so, the explicit details of her journey weren't known to me. When I saw Jaune, I instantly knew his transcripts were faked. However, he was bold enough to do it, so I decided to let Initiation be his trial. If he proved himself capable, I'd allow him in, with a careful eye, of course.'
"I must admit," Whitley said as his family approached the group, "It's uncanny how much he looks like my grandfather."
"How do you think Weiss will react?"
"I have no doubt that Weiss will act respectfully in this situation, Lie Ren." Winter answered.
Meanwhile, as the others were discussing what they saw, they slowly started hearing…snickering. They realized it was coming from-
"Emerald?" Ren. Emerald was doing her hardest to try to keep her laughter in.
"Uh," Sun pondered nervously, "You okay, Em?"
"I'm sorry, but it's just something that I found completely ironic. Sorry for bringing up bad memories, but do you remember when we fought at Haven."
Nora brow furrowed, while Ren nodded.
Emerald continued, "When Jaune gave his little tirade, Cinder simply said 'Who are you again?'. He wasn't even a blip on Cinder's rader. And, despite how much I owed Cinder, I find it so…funny."
Most of them smiled, understand what she meant.
"I mean, Cinder always wanted more power, but I think it was for validation. She wanted to be feared, respected, remembered. And now, some little nobody, who Cinder didn't even consider an ant, will be remembered far more than she'll EVER by."
Nora cackled, "Now I want to tell Cinder that, and see how destroyed she'd be."
"Even if she somehow killed him," Ilia added, "She'd live on knowing that, no matter how much she tried, she'd never get to be as remembered as Jaune."
And everyone, even Emerald, found comfort in that idea.
However, as they were continuing to talk about Jaune, Emerald's thoughts were on Ruby.
'You better not give up. I'd be pissed if, after everything Cinder and Salem put you through, that now you decide to break.'
Author's Notes: A far shorter interlude, though there isn't too much to discuss, at least compared to the first interlude.
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