So, it's been a while. Over half a year, and I uh, basically haven't gotten any writing done on this. And unfortunately unlike the other times I've gone on a massive hiatus, I don't feel the urge to write 5-10 more chapters before dropping off the face of the earth. Other projects have caught my attention, other interests are demanding my time.
RWBY has had its ups and downs throughout its run. Its future may be uncertain, and I know I've been soured to parts of it as time has gone on and the shine has faded from others. Some elements, I really didn't like how much focus they had (like Jaune and Cinder, which I can admit were part of why they were killed off in my story), but I've grown to appreciate them more as I saw what the writers did with them in later seasons… even if I don't think that entirely excuses some of the early season writing decisions.
Starting this out, there were a lot of ideas I wanted to see, potential I felt RWBY had missed. Pyrrha being underutilized, Ruby never getting to incorporate Penny's sword after season 3 (back when we thought she was dead for real, the first time), and Raven being a villain that felt much more interesting than Cinder. So I decided to put those ideas into my own story, and see how things would expand from there. Jaune dying instead of Pyrrha was the dramatic 'shift' that would pay out later in the story, leading to much greater ripple effects in time, culminating in Raven winning 'season 5' of the story (honestly don't know how Cinder could have survived what she did in canon).
Raven's 'victory' was the end of what I had sketched out as a loose plan before I started writing this. Her familial ties gave her a connection to half the cast, and the others had some interesting dynamics when juxtaposed with her due to their similar but differing natures (Blake's tendency to run away, Pyrrha being a Maiden and a native Mistralite as well, etc.). From there I had some very vague plans for the future, but I had a lot of different plot elements to cover in between those points, and this is where I started stalling out in my writing. Some of the earlier sections are very rough, but I can see where I had a much clearer plan on where and how things were going to go from there. Even after planning things out in more detail, I found plot elements that were fuzzy, that I didn't know what to do with, but were too big pivots to leave undecided. Others that I knew what I wanted, but not how to write it in a satisfying manner. There was also the fact that this was a clear pre-volume 7 fic, and as time went on and we got more information, certain elements started to clash with my own headcanons.
There were some bright spots too, as I explored things. When I started this story, I just thought of Ruby and Pyrrha as friends, and while they make great friends, I discovered how much I liked the idea of them together in a ship too (Milk & Cereal ftw!). I think it's criminal how little we got to see them together in the show. Maidens are very cool, but not super well explained in the show, so I had to come up with some headcanons there as for what made them different from just Aura, but I think it worked well within the confines of what we've been shown. I also had fun fleshing out some of the politics of Remnant, looking at how societies work with Aura enhanced humans, racism, and constant monster attacks. The ways they could function, the stumbling blocks, and the unique strengths and weaknesses they might have.
Despite how much I got ground down or frustrated with this in the past, I'm really glad I wrote it. Both because of how much I feel it's helped me improve as a writer, and also because of all the support you all have given me. It means the world to me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
As my final update, I'll leave you with the two chapters I did have mostly finished that were sitting around for ages, waiting for me to 'build up a backlog' again, and my outline of how I planned on the rest of the story to go, so you'll at least have some closure there. Thank you again so much for following me on this journey and I wish you the best.
Chapter 70
At the sight of the disaster, Ruby said "Send me in." Pyrrha put on as much speed as she could, while Ruby loosened her grip. It seemed odd, but it readied her for when the Maiden threw her forward with as much strength as she could manage. Ruby soared through the air, flying above the water and waiting until gravity began to take hold again just as she crossed over the docks.
Calling on her Semblance, Ruby zipped over the town and downward, landing in a three-point pose in the middle of the town square. The street lamps were broken, glass and shards of lightning dust lay scattered on the ground. An upturned wagon was burning to the side. It was already charred, as if it had been lit on fire once then put out, before being ignited again. From the flickering light it cast, the red caped Huntress could make out silhouettes on either side of the street, each bunkered behind barricades.
One side fired at her, but before the bullets could reach her, Mechanical Rose was swaying side-to-side in sword form, deflecting the shots. There was a slight pause of gunfire, and she heard the 'click' of a gun reloading. At least one of the shooters had miscounted (or hadn't bothered to count) and now they and their compatriots were taking a second to recalculate. A fatal mistake in a fight.
The instant she heard the click, she dropped to a low stance and shifted her weapon to it's scythe form, but still able to fire from the haft. Planting it in the ground, she fired a single laser strike off to where the main shooter had been firing from. The shot burst through the barricade, splintering the wooden rubble apart and sending the White Fang member flying back and into a battered brick wall, where he slumped down. It also illuminated his two allies for a split second, and while they were still shocked, Ruby used that knowledge to rush forward. Vaulting ahead with her scythe, she flipped ahead, landing between the other two White Fang members. A sweep of her scythe took those grunts out too.
A quick glance told her they were incapacitated, but not dead. Something she was glad for; while she wouldn't hold back or feel bad for the murders and terrorists attacking her friend's peaceful home, but that didn't mean she wanted to kill people if she could help it. "I took these three out. Anyone got something to restrain them?" She called out to the citizens on the other side. It took a moment for the faunus to shake their surprise and come over from their cover, grabbing some rope or chains from nearby to bind the grunts.
While two of them bound the grunts, one of them, an older teen Cheetah Faunus desperately asked her "Have reinforcements arrived?" He looked familiar and she thought she remembered him from the trek from Mistral to Argus but couldn't recall his name. He also looked a lot worse off than he had then, with an arm in a makeshift sling and shakily holding a pistol at his side.
"Yeah, my partner and I are here to help, don't worry." She tried to give a reassuring grin, but that didn't seem to work.
"That's it? Just the two of you? What can you two-" He was interrupted by a flash of lightning and then a resounding boom of thunder, coming from the shore. Turning, they all saw Pyrrha, floating in the air above and smiting down the Grimm that were invading from the water.
"We can do a fair bit." The red huntress said, with only a bit of cheek before softening her tone a bit. "Gather up any of the other citizens and make your way towards her. I'll help the others as I move farther in." She hadn't seen many White Fang members as she flew over, and thought that they would be safe enough with her partner and any fighters they could gather there. He nodded dumbly before refocusing and doing his best to comply with that.
Darting through the town, Ruby kept an eye out for any more signs of violence. While it might have made more sense to have Ruby use her Silver-Eyes against the Grimm coming in from the ocean, it was risky and Pyrrha's powers could be utilized more effectively there without having to worry about holding back. Mechanical Rose could be used with precision and efficiency to take out the White Fang that were swarming the island, and she did just that.
Surprisingly, it seemed like most of them had trouble seeing her until it was too late. Part of it was her speed, but the rest had to do with the lighting. The flickering flames scattered about made it difficult for their night vision to work, a natural advantage they were likely used to exploiting. That and the slowly rising sun at her back as she pressed forward blinded them.
A full squadron of White Fangs marched through the streets, dragging a few civilians out of a house they broke into. Most of the faunus inside were children or elderly, those who hadn't been able to pick up a weapon and fight themselves. Not that that had stopped all such citizens - Ruby had seen too many bodies already of people just like them littering the streets.
Determined not to see that tragedy happen in front of her, Ruby jumped off the building she was perched on (one of the few that wasn't on fire), weaving around the fighters and taking them out with her sword. A few tried firing their guns at her, but those were easy enough to avoid. The only difficulty was in making sure that her dodging didn't put any of the civilians in harm's way. She had to move out of melee, but switching Mechanical Rose to sniper form, she made short work of them.
A few tried running away and were easily sniped down. "Go down that way," she pointed, directing all the people she saved to the others and where heavy rainfall was spreading to put out the fires. "My partner is there, she'll keep you safe." There was a sudden explosion from the mansion further in, drawing her attention.
One of the elderly faunus, a Rabbit woman said "Oh no, that's the chieftain's house. It was our last line of defense for the fighters."
"Blake!" Ruby's teammate and her family must be over there. "I'll save them." It was both a promise and a desperate hope, that she wasn't too late.
Having been carried all the way across a continent wasn't easy by any stretch of the word, but it wasn't aurically tiring for Ruby. She used those reserves she had saved now, pushing herself as fast as she could go, zipping over and around buildings, darting through the flames till she materialized, scythe interposed between Wilt and a prone Ghira.
"What!?" Adam exclaimed, a scowl forming behind his masked face. The surprise caught him off guard long enough for Ruby to fully take in the scene. Blake was crouched in the corner, clutching her arm, a thin trail of blood running down it. She could hear Kali shrieking in the next room over, furiously fighting in the next room over - given the louder shrieks of the grunts, she was winning.
Zipping behind him the moment he pulled his blade back, Ruby swung Mechanical Rose, looking to take him through the midsection. He wasn't fast enough to block with his blade, but Adam's reflexes were well-honed, and he stomped and shifted his hip, flipping Blush up to block the attack.
The scabbard absorbed the blow (in more ways than one), but with his footing shifted, he was still pushed back by the strike. The crimson huntress pressed the attack, trying to keep him off of Ghira, keenly aware that any strikes she tried to connect with would only be absorbed to make him stronger.
It only lasted a few seconds before Adam recognized her feints for what they were, pressing his own attack. Clearly, he was trying to bait her into a counterstrike, which he'd then absorb. Failing that, she'd be forced to give ground and let him take the advantage.
Ruby chose a third option, blurring around his blade as petals and reforming around the other side, aiming heavy blows at his back. When he moved to block, she'd reverse her momentum with the rifle fire, pushing her momentum the other way around and dancing back again. To someone from the outside, the battle might look odd, several key moments decided by small twitches, weapons shifted towards the other then retracted before blows were exchanged.
The distraction she gave served two key purposes however: Letting Ghira retreat freely, to Adam's snarled displeasure, and putting Blake in position to fire at Adam's back. With a howl as the bullets ripped into his Aura, he half-turned to slash a crimson slice across the room at her, but Ruby's scythe was already moving, hooking down and cutting at his ankle, sending the blow wide of her injured teammate.
Adam quickly pivoted, guarding against the two Huntress' attacks. Ruby knew Blake well, positioning herself perfectly to leave openings for her to take pot shots at her ex,… but Adam knew her quite intimately as well. Every attempt to do so had him blocking or evading and darting closer to the injured huntress.
Realizing this wasn't working, Ruby switched up the tempo, backing off and switching Mechanical Rose to rifle mode. Firing off shots with one hand, she used the other to throw out the hooked teether, not to move herself but to stick into bits of debris. Flicking her wrist, she tossed the broken pieces of wood and other such things at him while she strafed around with her shots.
Caught off guard, he fully focused on defense, trying to absorb as much as he could. It was a strong Semblance he had, but Ruby was used to fighting someone with a very similar ability. He could only absorb as much force as he was hit with, and Ruby's attacks, while annoying, weren't very powerful.
When Adam got tired of her antics and moved to attack her with a growl, Ruby struck first, blurring ahead and striking outside his range with the scythe blade extended out like a glaive. He gave out a harsh huff of air, as the shot winded him but wasn't enough to break his Aura. Her followup blows were blocked, and she backed off to try and pelt him at range again.
Adam's defense was incredible, and his offense overwhelming, but Ruby had seen the weakness to his fighting style: His switches were slow and telegraphed (at least to her well trained eyes). Putting him on the defensive again, Ruby waited for the switch in his stances as he blocked her attacks. When it came, however, she didn't expect such a quick adaptation. Abandoning all defense, he rushed forward at Blake, while using Wilt to slice the roof of the mansion in half. The blow was so sweeping, it even went down the walls and to some of the foundations.
Forced to dodge the falling rubble, Ruby moved around, just in time to see Adam kick Gambol Shroud out from Blake's hands. Adam brought the blade down, too fast for Ruby to intervene… but not too fast for Ilia, coming out of the shadows, her electro-rapier extended and jabbing painfully into his ribs.
"It's over Adam, you're finished. We're finished." Blake said, after rolling away and picking up her weapon. She stood with a wince, flourishing it.
"… No, it's not over. It will never be over until I make you pay for leaving m- us! She'll abandon you too," he suddenly said to Ilia, his words causing the Chameleon faunus to flinch. "She already abandoned the little girl, she won't stay back with you."
"Hey!" Ruby shouted but before she could argue against him, three Beringels flew into the now open roof. "What?"
Adam smirked as the tables turned and the heroines were the ones outnumbered and attacked. The Grimm seemingly ignored him, possibly even working in synchronization with his movements. Ruby didn't have time to panic about the turn of events, too busy trying to fight off one of the flying gorilla-like Grimm and cover for her friends as best she could.
If Adam wasn't already tired and lightly injured, it would have turned into a slaughter. As it was, he was still pushing them back, chipping away at their defenses. Ruby tried to call on her Silver Eyes - if she could just remove the Grimm they could beat him! Ilia's electric Dust was well suited to dealing damage to a person on contact even with a block, but particularly ill-suited against tougher Grimm.
But she couldn't do it. Despite knowing how desperate things were, how her friends needed her, she couldn't call on the power of her Eyes at will and she was failing her. The distraction only served to let the flying Grimm hit her with a haymaker that sent her spiraling to the ground. The Grimm leapt towards her with a roar… only to be intercepted by a bolt of lightning.
Looking up, Ruby saw her partner first, hovering above the opening in the house, eyes blazing with power. With a sweep of her hand, she pulled the raging flames up and into an orb above her. The Grimm turned as one, charging Pyrrha only to meet the ball of flame as she swung it at them, incinerating them instantly.
Ruby had to turn her eyes away from the bright flash of light the concentrated flames made. When she opened them again, she saw that Adam was gone.
Flipping herself up, Ruby raced to the kitchen where Kali and Ghira were cleaning up the rest of the White Fang grunts. "No sign of Adam!" She called out to her partner before heading back.
"I can't find him here either, he must have slipped away." Pyrrha says, letting out a breath as she drops down to the floor. "Is everyone ok?"
Ilia nodded and Blake gave a weak smile. "I'll live." When she sees Pyrrha getting ready to fly back and search around, she shakes her head. "Don't bother, he knows this island well. You won't find him unless he's making trouble, especially not at night."
"And despite his boasts, Adam knows enough to back away when he's outmatched," Ilia adds. Her words sound more self-depreciative than cutting towards their foe - like she's upset with herself for buying into his world view for so long. Blake gives her a smile that seems to perk her up a bit, however.
"Thank you, for saving me." Ghira says as he walks into the ruined living room. "You have our thanks for your speedy assistance. Is the rest of the city safe?"
"We're glad to help. I cleared out most of the streets of their fighters." Ruby said, looking to Pyrrha who nodded in turn.
"I've dealt with the invading Grimm from the water before coming here, leaving a few of the fighters on guard there. It should be safe now." As if to prove her wrong, a large piece of wood from the roof snapped off and landed heavily beside her. "Safe-ish," She amended. Then with a pulse of her power, the sky overhead darkened and rain started pouring down, none of it landing in the large hole, however. "The fire should be out soon."
Kali looked surprised - probably not at that power, but the level of control Pyrrha had gained of her magic since they last met. "Thank you again girls, I don't know what we would have done without your help. Is there anything we can do for you?"
"No, we couldn't impos-" Ruby began before being interrupted by a loud grumble from her belly. They all stopped for a moment before breaking out in laughter, that spark of levity breaking through the floodgates and unleashing the joy they all felt. They had won. For one more day at least, they were alive.
Chapter 71
The two Huntresses stayed for breakfast at least, scarfing down vast piles of food in the impromptu celebration feast. They couldn't fully relax, but when the scouts reported that they saw unmarked ships leaving the island, a sense of relief hit all of them. Adam and his White Fang had been driven off, for now at least.
Pyrrha watched her partner happily dig into her third serving. Just seeing the joy on the younger girl's face was enough to fill Pyrrha with the same. There would occasionally be times of doubt. Worry about their situation, what the future might bring, etc. Those were easy enough to push aside. The darker doubts were ones about her own feelings.
The champion had been infatuated with Jaune, but she couldn't truly claim to have been in love with him. Love had to be shared, experienced together. Would she have loved him like this? Would she let this, everything she had go, if she had a second chance to be with him?
Those feelings were harder to push away, making her feel guilty no matter what answer she could give to herself.
Luckily, she could push them away with her own heaping plates full of food. Despite how ragged everyone was, all the faunus were in good cheer, celebrating their victory. Tomorrow would be strenuous as the recovery effort began - Adam had torched sizable chunks of the city, and while everything had been put out now, there was still going to be quite a bit of work to fix things up.
It was horrifying, seeing Ruby in danger, the Grimm and Adam attacking them. The fear that coursed through Pyrrha upon arriving there was terrible. But seeing Blake and her family and Ilia, laughing and smiling in spite of everything, helped make things a bit better. Not enough to fully alleviate her worries, but enough that she couldn't find the words to try and convince her partner to hide away from the world, especially not in front of the younger girl's smiling face.
It did have her wondering about Ozpin's offer. To unlock the Relic of Choice. He had hidden it well enough that Cinder couldn't get it at Beacon, and had some way of knowing that the Relic of Creation 'likely hadn't been taken out of Atlas'. With that, Ozpin felt safe enough in retrieving the Crown of Choice to help better prepare against their enemies.
Pyrrha was tempted too. Knowing the future? Or possible futures at least could help so much. As she'd grown more, become a better Huntress, gained Maiden powers, her worries had changed. From wanting to be seen as just herself, to wanting to defend others, to being worried she couldn't protect herself, and now to being worried about making the wrong choices. She could take down almost any Grimm or singular assailant by herself, but she couldn't be everywhere at once. Couldn't know if endorsing the wrong politician or even Hunter would end up sending all of her fellows to an early grave.
Not to say there wasn't fears on the other hand. That it wouldn't be her in control - Ozma may have been making a strong effort to mend bridges after the reveal of his deceptions, but the people in power still wanted to hold him at arms length, in Argus. In Vale however, fresh off the victory of retaking Beacon? He was seen as a hero once more, people were looking to him to leadership again. In such a position, with his knowledge and broader scope, it would make sense for him to be the one to wear the Crown. Honestly, Pyrrha couldn't really come up with an argument against it, beyond not wanting to be his puppet again.
A nudge to her side jolted her out of her thoughts. Ruby just gave her a quiet glance, conveying a question of what had Pyrrha so out of sorts on this joyous occasion. She gave Ruby a smile back, letting her girlfriend know she'd be fine. And she would, so long as she had Ruby by her side.
As the celebrations wound down and the huntresses had finished eating their fill, Ghira called everyone together for an announcement. Immediately, Pyrrha and Ruby could sense this was going to be more than a standard 'congratulations and thanks for fighting hard' speech. The stiffness of his shoulders, the brittleness in Kali's smile by his side, the way Ilia slumped as she walked by Blake… little things, but very noticeable to them.
"First off, I want to thank everyone for their hard work in defending our home, and offer my condolences to those we have lost. I left the White Fang because I knew they were taking a direction I could not follow, but even I never anticipated they would take such drastic actions."
"Earlier in the year, they attacked my home, looking to overthrow me. We fought back, and managed to show others that we would not be pushed around. That we can reach out and help the world while still protecting faunuskind." There's some awkward shuffling in the crowd, and Pyrrha's reminded of the fact that some of the people here were White Fang members. Some of them only defected very recently, after having been a part of or knowing about the attempt on Ghira's life.
Reflecting on it, Pyrrha didn't think she'd seen him hold a grudge against any of those people, nor even of his daughter dating someone who had tried to kill him (or at least no more than he held against Sun, which she wasn't sure said more about Ghira, Sun, or Ilia).
"I could never forget what Adam's faction tried to do to my family, but I have never been one to promote the cycle of violence. However his attack on all of Menagerie, consorting with the Grimm no less, has proven he has gone too far! We will take out that splinter cell of the White Fang and defend our home from them and the witch that now supports them!" A loud cheer rose up. He waited a minute for it to die down before continuing.
"The world is changing, very rapidly at that. I'm sure many of you heard the news before the attack. Atlas has fallen to the witch, Salem, that supports Adam in his mad crusade." A few cheers go up at that before being quieted by a glare. "That was not a good day," he says sternly. "No matter how some people in Atlas may have treated faunus, the fall of a Kingdom to a creature of Grimm and dark magic is ill-tidings for us all. Do not forget that she now controls Adam and it is no coincidence that his attack on us coincided with hers on Atlas." That shuts up any of the dark murmurs and whispered threats against Atlesians amongst the crowd.
"She sought to attack us when didn't expect it, when our allies would have trouble protecting us, but even in the darkest times, we stood strong. Both on our own, and with help from allies who rushed in to help us drive out Adam and his ilk," He said with a gesture towards the two human huntresses. There were even a good deal of cheers for them, praising Pyrrha and Ruby. The younger girl blushed, still somewhat unused to this adoration, while Pyrrha put on her best 'Champion smile' and waved back.
"Now, we need to rebuild, and chart a new course. Times are changing all-around the world. Grimm have become more active, bandits are on the rise, and immortal witches attack Atlas. We must change with those times, and so I am proposing to open Menagerie up to refugees, of any race." That sparks a massive amount of discourse from the crowd. Anger, worry, and confusion spread like wildfire, and Pyrrha can't help but turn her head to the ocean, wondering if more Grimm will be drawn in.
Thankfully, it seems like Adam's call has depleted any nearby Grimm, as nothing made a move in the darkness. Unfortunately the crowd rose into near pandemonium before Kali shouted out "QUIET!" Everyone stops at her shout, to which she demurely clears her throat and gestures for everyone to listen to Ghira once more.
"People, faunus and humans, have been displaced by her conquest. We cannot afford to be divided in these dark times. I will always put the needs of our people first and foremost," he stressed, trying to alleviate the concerns of the crowd. "Right now, that will come by making sure we are open to helping others. So that the other nations can see us for who we are; a proud, kind people, looking to stand as equals with any other."
"Unity is our only option forward, to avoid being swallowed up and consumed by the Queen of the Grimm. By opening our hands in aid now, others will return it in the future. Together we can fight any warlord or witch that dares to attack us, and build Menagerie to a new era of peace and prosperity. For the future!"
He ended his speech with a rallying cry the crowd took up. "For the future! For the future!" They shouted and a small smile rested on his lips. He looked tired, but hopeful. In his eyes, Pyrrha could practically see the visions reflected there, of a prosperous Menagerie, with its own Huntsman Academy, business enterprises and skyscrapers. A nation that could match any other Kingdom.
The people were tired from the fighting the night prior, and the cleanup that was still ongoing, but there was an excited buzz in the air from the crowd after the feast ended, wondering what inviting Atleasian refugees would mean. Some of the people were more fearful however, as was definitely the case with Ilia, as Pyrrha and her partner found the chameleon girl arguing heatedly in hushed tones with Blake.
"...Just saying, we need to codify ways to make sure they don't- oh, hi Pyrrha, Ruby." Ilia said, turning to the two of them.
"Not a fan of the chieftain's decision?" Pyrrha asked wryly. Ilia grumbled, but Blake answered for her.
"I think she's more upset about the fact that I'll be going back to Argus." She said wryly.
"So soon?" Ruby asked, and her old teammate nodded.
"We need someone out there to help coordinate things and keep relations solid with the other nations. How is Vale doing? If it's in better shape, I might head back there too."
"It's doing great! We managed to retake Beacon! With Glynda and the others they may even be able to get classes running again in a few months." Then Ruby's smile dimmed. "At least, that was the plan. Not sure how it'll go with Salem and Atlas. Or what Raven will do in response."
"People like Raven are exactly why I'm worried about letting humans into Menagerie." Pyrrha bit her tongue, not saying anything, but simply raising an eyebrow. Ilia had the decency to at least blush, her scales turning red. "Not you guys, you two are great. It's just… you don't always realize someone's true colors, until it's too late."
"You could come with Blake, if you're worried about the kind of people we'd send your way."
"No, if I'm going to protect Menagerie, it has to be from here. We're light on fighters even before Blake leaves. Adam may have slunk off, but he'll be back. Besides, I can help suggest some laws that will make sure humans don't get the wrong idea about pushing us around." Pyrrha shared a glance with Ruby before they both looked at Blake giving a 'what can you do?' Brittle smile.
It was clear the situation would be tough all around, but the island was shifting towards taking it head on. The world may have been in chaos, but the people of Menagerie were resilient, and they wouldn't break from just this.
Soon after that, Pyrrha and Ruby were back in the air, flying off towards Vale again. This time they were traveling at a far more sedate pace, which gave the chance for some conversation.
"I was shocked by Ghira's declaration there. To open up Menagerie…" Pyrrha's voice trailed off as she was hit by a realization.
"Hmm?" Ruby inquired, but Pyrrha just shook her head.
"It's fine, I just… realized what my answer will be."
"No," She said to Ozpin. After getting back to Vale, they flew straight to the command center Ozpin had set up.
Beacon was being repaired rapidly (thanks mostly in part to Glynda), but they still needed a command center set up to deal with the immediate crises. It was in the main courtyard of Beacon, giving easy access for any Hunters coming to or fro in guarding the school from any attempted incursions. There were many computers and screens set up within a large tent. Some to contact councilors of Vale as they made a hundred different decisions on what to do, for Beacon, Vale, and the other Kingdoms beyond. Other screens listed out information on which districts were covered, movements of ships and much more.
It was a hub of activity when they arrived, and yet everyone still stopped to look at Pyrrha when she descended down and stepped inside. Ozpin quickly called for some privacy, sending the other Hunters and aides out and blocking off the screens as he awaited her answer. Ruby already knew, so she elected to wait outside and call Nora, Ren, and the others to keep them updated on what had happened to them and Menagerie.
If Ozpin was upset or surprised by her answer, he didn't show it, simply quirking one of Oscar's eyebrows and asking "Why?" Merely curious, very much like a teacher asking an explanation from one of his students. She wondered briefly if she ever wouldn't feel that way around him, no matter how much she had outgrown that role and he had the body of a kid.
Pushing that frivolous thought aside, she said "A lot of reasons. The Crown can show you many potential futures, but it isn't perfect, right?"
"That's correct. There are limits, on how far it can see, how much it can predict, based on your own knowledge. When I created the Huntsman Academies, when I made Beacon, I never foresaw the day it would fall."
"Or the day it would rise again," Pyrrha pointed out. "After the attack, Chieftain Ghira Belladonna decided to open up Menagerie's borders to refugees. Including non-faunus ones."
That does actually get Ozpin to blink in surprise. "That is… very generous of him." 'Very dangerous too,' went unsaid but not unheard.
"I thought so too. But after hearing his speech on the matter, on the unity we'll need going forward, I find myself hopeful of a better future with that option. And I wonder if I would have felt that hope beforehand. If I'd known ahead of time, would I try to dissuade him?" 'Would you?' Is again unsaid, but she suspects that Ozpin hears it, given his soft sigh.
"There are other reasons too," Pyrrha continues. "The danger of letting another Artifact out of its vault. Salem is on the move, and right now the only Artifact that she could reach is in Raven's grasp." If it wasn't for how much she hated and still slightly feared the Bandit Queen, Pyrrha might have felt some guilt at that, in effectively offering Raven on a platter to Salem. As it was, she just hoped that the immortal witch would take the bait. "To say nothing of the last question Raven has. If she finds out about the Crown, she might make a move on us herself."
Oz nods his head. "Especially if a spy or informant lets her know of it independent of the Lamp. Knowledge and Choice are always a potent combination." Pyrrha suppressed a shiver at the idea of Raven gaining that much power.
"Right. I'm not saying 'never', but for now I want to see where things go on their own. Maybe hope is all we have for the future, but I think that will do, for now."
"Very well. I respect your decision-"
"Do you agree with it?" Pyrrha blurted out before adding "Sorry. I just… don't want there to be anything unsaid between us."
He smiled kindly. "Don't fret, I'm not upset. It doesn't matter if I agreed with it or not, it was your choice. I set the vaults up the way I did for a reason. They were meant to be unlocked by the Maidens, not myself. And so I determined that however you decided, would be the right call."
He let out a soft sigh, and Pyrrha felt like a huge weight had somehow been lifted off his shoulders as well. It was comforting, in a way, to see that even he was uncomfortable with this burden. His experience had him quickly straightening himself out, however. "If that's settled the only other thing I need to hear is what happened at Menagerie."
Pyrrha nodded sharply. It was the cover for their quiet debrief and the other political figures and Hunters would want to know how things were going. "Right. We got to the island and it was already under siege…" She explained all of what happened to him, including going into detail about Ghira's speech at the end.
"The other councilors will be pleased to hear about that. We're accepting as many refugees as we can, but the numbers are still pouring in. We'd like to get them settled in as soon as possible, so we can turn our attention to what Salem might be doing from here."
"You mean who is she going to attack next, right?" He shifted his head a little; neither a nod nor a shake.
"It's hard to say. She's moved the game out into the open," Pyrrha did her best not to angrily grit her teeth at that - it could just be him using a saying, but she greatly disliked hearing Oz refer to a war that cost countless mortal lives as a 'game'.
"But she also had no choice in the matter, Raven's actions forcing her hand. I'm unsure how much of this was prepared for and how much of this is her just trying to seize the initiative. We'll know more in time." That made her feel a bit guilty, like that lack of knowledge was her fault for not wanting to take the Crown out.
"Alright, if that's everything, I should get back to Ruby. She's informing the others at Argus about everything and we'll be back there in the morning."
"Excellent. I think we've given the others enough of a break, I'll call them back." At the tilt of her head, he explained with a soft chuckle. "This tent has been going pretty much non-stop. Part of why no one questioned a private meeting here; they were all too thankful for a break."
"And what of yourself? And Oscar?" Pyrrha asked.
"I've given Oscar control to handle some of the less complicated decisions, it's good training for him. As for me… well, I've grown accustomed to the burdens of crises. Good day, Miss Nikos."
With that dismissal, he turned back to the screens and called others back in while Pyrrha left the tent. She spotted Ruby instantly, standing a hundred meters away talking animatedly to Ren and Nora on her Scroll. "Hello everyone." She called out to them as she approached, quickly engulfed in a hug by Ruby, her girlfriend holding her Scroll carefully out so Ren and Nora could get a good look at her too.
"Pyrrha!" Three voices cried out from the screen, the third quickly being revealed to be an over anxious Sun, pushing his way to the front of the screen, atop both Ren and Nora's heads.
"How's Blake and her family?" He asked anxiously, before Nora grumpily pushed him back.
"Ruby already said they were fine!" The orange-haired girl shouted at him.
Pyrrha nodded. "Yes, they're safe and sound. Adam won't be coming back for a while at least given the beating he took." Sun let out a sigh of relief at that, before being tossed into the background by an irate Nora. "How are things going over there?"
That gets the three of them to sober up a bit. "It's all pretty crazy right now. Refugees are still pouring in, despite the reports that Grimm have mostly cut off air space towards Atlas," Ren begins. "Many military personnel have landed in Argus, but Ironwood is MIA. There's been… friction, between them and the Council."
"And the military and the civilians of Argus. And them and the other refugees. And them and themselves!" Nora's voice has a slightly bitter edge to it as it mocks the Atlesian forces.
Sun added (slightly meeker than before and not pushing past the pair this time). "The construction teams have temporarily halted construction of the new school, but we still have nowhere near enough living quarters for everyone. Not really sure how we're going to deal with getting the civillains stable and keeping the military ready for any sudden invasions… from either side." Looking at him closer, Pyrrha can see just how tired he looks, the deep bags under his eyes.
She hasn't known the young man as well as her partner, but she can tell the stress is getting to him. Getting to all of them, really. Given the lightning fast frown that appeared on her face, Ruby likely noticed it all too. It was quickly replaced with a grin however as she said: "Thanks for the updates everyone. We'll be heading back in the morning tomorrow, so hopefully we'll be back in Argus by the afternoon."
There's a noticeable weight lifted from the three of them at that announcement. In all honesty, it can't be much - as skilled fighters as Pyrrha and her partner are, they can't solve all of the issues plaguing her home. But apparently just the idea that they'll be back is enough to set even her friends at ease.
The former champion had been told about the importance of her 'image' many times in her career, to not let her fans down and to intimidate her opponents. She never realized how much it could be used to bolster spirits as well.
"Alright, we'll see you guys soon! Bye!" Ruby said before abruptly cutting off the call. "Alright, let's go home and… get some rest." She seemed to have a bit of nervous energy about her, but Pyrrha couldn't say for what.
"Ok." She picked Ruby up for the second time today, holding her bride style as she flew them back to her partner's house. It was tiring, but she was getting used to it. Plus, Pyrrha was starting to come up with tricks to use her magic to help alleviate part of that load while not going all out speed-wise.
"It really is beautiful." She commented, looking down at the city below. All the lights from the various shops and clubs open through the night. There were still signs of celebrations from a few nights before. No one was feeling very joyous after Salem's declaration, but there was still an air of victory to the city.
"Yeah, it is." Ruby responded, looking at Pyrrha before darting her gaze back down.
Passing by the city, they touched down on the small island of Patch. Pyrrha let her partner down then knocked on the front door. "We've returned from Menagerie!" She called out, but there was no answer.
"Oh, Dad and Zwei are out, helping hold things down in Beacon," Ruby said, just a touch too casually.
"Ah, alright then-" Pyrrha began before Ruby dragged her upstairs. Then towards her room. "Uhh, Ruby?" Pyrrha questioned before the smaller girl stopped just inside her doorway.
"So umm, you asked me before, if I was ready. And I wasn't. But now?" She looked into the girl's silver eyes and saw a gaze that was as determined as it had ever been. Nervous too, but she was set on this.
"Are you sure?" The words slipped out of her mouth and Pyrrha felt like kicking herself. Still, the words were said, so she had to add something. "I mean, I understand if you want to wait- mmph." Ruby had pulled her close and locked her lips to Pyrrha's in a hungry embrace.
"Yeah, I'm sure. It's uh, my first time. So I hope I do alright…"
"Me too. And I'm sure it'll be perfect. I'm with you, afterall." Pyrrha said and closed the door behind her.
Outline for the future:
To start, anything past v6 is open game for canonicity. Some things, like the Ace-ops, are pretty easy to slot in. I'd always planned on there being some surviving Atleasian elites, so this just gives them a name. Likewise, I had planned on having a giant flying fortress for Doctor Merlot to use when Salem attacked Atlas, but the Grimm Whale just served so much better. However, some things just didn't fit. While I thought it was really cool that they brought Penny back (even if her time was too short) in my story I hadn't thought they would. There were a lot of themes of similarity between Ruby's loss of Penny and Pyrrha's loss of Jaune, and so I wouldn't have been bringing her back.
The world is in a state of unrest, all the players trying to shore up their defenses and set up treaties. But there is a constant state of distrust between the nations; Vacuo and elements of Vale are torn between Argus and Raven's Mistral
During this time Pyrrha is faced with the fact that there are few enemies that can threaten her, but little she can do to force whole nations to heel. Offers are thrown about by her father of her succeeding him on the council but she turns it down. Her newfound fame has turned to outright worship at this point, making her uneasy. She also feels the need to remain 'fighting fit' if Raven makes a move.
I'd probably have a small scene where Nora and Ren explore their newfound fame a bit, and discuss how much their fortunes have changed. From orphans who lost their families and home to Hunters that bandits run away from on sight and citizens ask for their blessings on their children.
People are questioning whether Avery and Maria have turned on them, since they didn't get word of Salem's attack. Avery tells them that this was due to Salem keeping a lid on things and not telling the new people anything. The communication gets Salem's attention, but they don't know what was said, just that Avery talked to Lily. Avery claims that he was just trying to get her to join Salem's side. Salem seemingly accepts this, but sends him on a mission with Tyrian to 'prove his loyalty'. Avery is sickened by what he witnesses, but Maria comforts him, telling him about her story of how she lost her eyes and how they need to be patient.
The Ace-ops are in town and there's some feathers ruffled between them and the Hunters as to jurisdiction. Mostly it just gets channeled into attempts to one up or snub each other, but Winter is getting quite aggressive. Ren uses his evolved semblance to realize how much she's feeling and eventually she confesses she's lost about Weiss being a bandit, and her father openly collaborating with Salem, gleefully engaging in slave labor and selling out his country for power. Ren helps her realize all is not lost with Weiss and Winter gets the Ace-ops and Atleasian military to calm down a tad.
Oscar eventually pins down Mary's killer, realizing it was Umber, and that he's deeply obsessed with Pyrrha. They fight, and Oscar wins, defeating him and slaying him. As he dies though, he points out that Oscar is the same, caring too much for a Maiden who doesn't love him. This pushes Oscar to have a talk with Ozma, and he resolves to tell Pyrrha the truth about Umber, not sweeping it under the rug like the tournament fighter did, even if he won't tell her about his feelings.
Eventually Ruby convinces Pyrrha to use her influence (and promises to chip in with her own support - the Silver Eyed Reaper is gaining some renown too) to help ease tensions between Atlas refugees, Argus humans, and the faunus.
While this is going on, everyone has been worried about Raven making a move on Argus. We'd spend a few chapters looking into life in the horde, seeing the steps the Branwen tribe has been taking to secure their hold over Mistral and keep the citizens in line. There's a small mobilization, and some fear it is for war, or an alliance with Salem. The people are nervous because Raven plays her hand very close to her chest, recognizing that the city is too porous and afraid to avoid spies. She tries to calm them down however, often hinting at the knowledge the Lamp could give her.
Instead, she reaches out to Dr. Merlot, seeking to use him against Salem. The mad doctor eagerly agrees, and together, they use his green ooze to turn Salem's giant Grimm Whale against her, catching her off guard while they use the pretext of Raven coming for a treaty.
The attack actually catches Salem off guard, and Merlot's tricks seem like they might have her trapped a few times. She breaks out however and causes significant damage even to the buffed up massive Grimm, but then stops, fleeing. They think she's afraid and has run off, when in reality, she recognizes Merlot is reaching too far. Emerald is enraged that Salem would run off like that (and that she was willing to accept Raven's 'treaty terms' in the first place), but Salem calms her down by saying she has plans that will make use of his foolishness.
She's correct, as Merlot immediately turns on Raven, trying to capture her, hoping to experiment on her and discover more about the nature of her Maiden powers. Raven is paranoid enough that she isn't caught off guard and manages to escape, but Yang (who was part of her 'honor guard/surprise attack force') is caught and held hostage.
The world turns to face this new threat of a power mad doctor. Whispers of his twisted experiments spread like wildfire, making people wonder if Atlas was under better control with Salem. Ozma quickly deduces that this is likely Salem's work, and that she's planning on making herself look better once she eventually reassumes control.
That was going to be a massive change from canon. For me, her silence and secret war was a result of her wanting to rule Remnant, not destroy it (at least, not consciously. I headcanoned that her dip in the Grimm pool always gave her a destructive tint to her thoughts, even if she didn't realize it).
Still, there isn't anything they can do about that, and Merlot has grown into a massive threat that needs to be stopped. He had some lab space on the whale before but has turned large chunks of it into a massive Grimm factory/laboratory and is making claims of godhood, experimenting with his monsters.
Merlot makes an offer, to trade Yang for Raven, but Raven refuses. She gives a lot of excuses, about Merlot not keeping his word, having to look strong for the tribe, etc. But Qrow is pissed, calling her out as a coward. Raven fires back and says that it was his bad luck that doomed Yang, and it sends him into a downward spiral.
Weiss takes the opportunity to literally slap him out of his funk and tells him off, pointing out who he can turn to for help, if he doesn't let his fear hold him back. They chat for a bit, and she admits that it was easier to be 'one of the tribe' than she would have ever imagined and she can even feel some regret for leaving them. Ultimately though, her place is by her friend's side, so it isn't really even a decision. Qrow agrees and they go to Argus
With Qrow joining them (and there's a good deal of doubt and suspicion on him, particularly from Ruby who was quite hurt by his leaving; it takes Pyrrha reminding her of the good he's done to give him another chance), they stage a daring rescue operation, moving to take Yang back. It's a brutal fight, with all manner of Grimm, machines, and traps standing in their way, but eventually the heroes prevail, rescuing Yang and defeating Merlot once and for all.
Salem uses the opportunity to attack, releasing the forces she had in hiding all this time to retake Atlas. The heroes are very tired and it looks like they might be destroyed before Raven swoops in and saves them. Says she was waiting for the right time to save Yang, but her daughter is no longer buying it. She leaves the Branwen tribe, and when Raven tries to stop her by force, Yang calls her mother out and points out if they die, Argus won't have the strength to shield Mistral from Salem's wrath. Raven is forced to concede and lets them go. Pyrrha promises that next time they meet, she'll kill the other Maiden.
Salem is rebuilding in Atlas while Raven turns her eyes on Vacuo. Attempting to use her connections with her former fellow council members there, she tries to pull them away from working with the Argus/Vale/Menagerie alliance (would probably have a clever name alluding to Pyrrha in some way).
At some point in here, Blake, Ilia, and Sun confront and finally wipe out Adam's White Fang, pointing out how he's nothing more than a twisted mockery of the ideals he once held dear.
Oscar is noted to be getting more detached and he starts to wonder if the merge is nearing completion, or if he should even try to stop it, given the state of things.
Mistral lost some support after word of Yang's and Qrow's departure got out, but Raven's iron fist still grips it tightly, and with Vacuo on her side, she'd become the strongest force in the world. The heroes move to counter Raven's moves, but they can't launch all their forces again; Salem threatens things from the North and Vacuo will not appreciate an invading force.
There's some politicking going around here, from Pyrrha + Ruby and co., Raven and Vernal, and from Hazel and the scattered Salem cultists. Pyrrha soon comes to the conclusion that they're at a deadlock because the Vacuoan council is purposefully playing them against each other. They can't make a move that would weaken their position though.
Raven however is under no such restrictions, since the Council was never her goal. Making a deal with the Summer Maiden, they move to attack the huntsman academy. Ruby offers to make a deal with Hazel to work with them, however Emerald betrays them, killing half the council and making it look to the other half like Pyrrha did it. She hopes it will turn them against Pyrrha, but instead the warlords fall into infighting, betraying and attacking each other as they sense blood in the water.
Pyrrha and Ruby confront Raven and the summer maiden at Shade Academy. Raven and Pyrrha are evenly matched this time, neither side gaining the . Ruby is pushed back by the Summer Maiden and injured before using her Silver Eyes to briefly incapacitate and then slay the Summer Maiden. The magic actually doesn't transfer to Ruby however, as her Silver Eyes disoriented her so much she wasn't able to think about anyone.
She also wasn't able to kill her before the vault could be opened. Raven leaves her battle to take the Relic of Destruction, using it to destroy Shade Academy before fleeing back to Mistral. Ruby and Pyrrha are trapped under rubble until Sun and the others save them.
Vernal is worried about Raven's situation; Mistral has lost more and more people and Salem's strength is growing. They may have stopped the alliance from getting Vacuo on their side, but they've lost any chance of getting aid from them either. Raven reveals that the Relic is all she needs for her plans…
Avery and Maria are finally positioned high enough to make their moves on Atlas, as Salem is displeased with the performance Emerald and Hazel gave in Vacuo. Utilizing all they know, the heroes launch a lightning strike called R-day (Remnant day).
Weiss gets the chance to pay back her father for all he's done, and Winter can rescue Willow and Whitley from the manor.
The heroes take out critical military supplies, hijacking the remaining robots with Pietro's help. Many Grimm are destroyed and the people are freed to leave.
Salem was busy, unable to intervene with this mission, and thus Atlas is left with only a few diehard supporters. She's angry about this, and the knowledge of who Maria was, but is happy to have claimed the Winter maiden under her wing. With the young girl's help, she opens the Vault and takes the Staff of Creation.
Raven enacts a raid on Argus, not for military purposes, but to attack Oscar and kidnap him. She takes him to Salem, offering another deal - 100 years of peace on her nation in exchange for Ozma's permanent demise. Emerald doesn't like this, but Salem is too intrigued to pass it up. Pyrrha and Ruby rush to his aid.
Raven claims that while nothing could destroy Salem permanently (as revealed by Ozma's question in the vision granted by her first question on the lamp), Ozma's immortality works differently. She says she used the Lamp to ask about how to kill Ozma forever, and it gave her the answer; to use the Relic of Destruction.
Salem agrees to the deal, hopeful to see her former lover finally dead. Raven uses the Relic and kills him, then chats with the immortal witch for a few minutes, about his death, and how relieving it must be. Salem agrees before Emerald catches on and interrupts - this was Raven's true plan: To have Salem acknowledge the value of death, the escape clause put into the curse the gods laid upon her. Raven never looked up if the Relic would kill Ozma forever, just wording it so she would know how to use and obtain it.
Emerald, Vernal and the Relic of Destruction end up getting sent through a portal before Salem turns her attention to Raven. Salem scoffs, pointing out her plan failed, but Raven wonders if it's true. There might not have been a big lightshow or anything, but how does Salem know that she is still immortal? She had been starting to accept Raven's words before Emerald figured it out. Salem calls her out though, pointing out that even if it's true, she isn't a coward like Raven - she's going to make her burn.
They clash, the battle is epic, pitting all of Raven's skill and magic against the far greater magic of Salem. The immortal is longer lived, but has little fighting experience against a peer like Raven, and though she is hurt dearly in the process, Raven manages to kill Salem… only for her to reform almost instantly. Maybe the clause didn't work without the gods there, maybe she didn't appreciate death enough. Whatever the case, Salem is still immortal.
She gloats for a moment, but before she can kill Raven, Ruby and Pyrrha rush onto the scene. They look around for Oscar, but learn he's dead. Raven uses the opportunity to flee through a portal and they follow before Salem can destroy them.
Raven and Pyrrha fight almost immediately afterwards, and this time Pyrrha trashes Raven. She's stronger than ever before and Raven is exhausted. Pyrrha has the bandit at her mercy, but chooses not to end her life; not out of mercy, but to let everyone know she's been defeated and see everything she'd built fall apart. Ruby steps in though, and offers Raven a chance to try and redeem herself, saying she has a plan to end this all.
Pyrrha takes out the Crown from the vault, and then uses it to find a way to bring the fighting in Vacuo to a heel, while Ruby gathers Vernal, the Relics of Destruction and Knowledge, and the forces from Mistral. Together with their allies, they lead an assault on Salem.
After a pitched battle, they meet with Salem, and everything stops as the four relics have been brought together. Salem calls them out as fools before laughing at how they'll destroy everything. The gods arrive, and the god of darkness agrees, stating that Ozma's mission has failed and the world is divided.
From there they debate, Ruby pointing out how the world has come together to fight Salem. The god of light points out the people working for Salem. Ruby counters that they're doing so out of fear, they don't really want to do so. Then the god of darkness says that the people of the world might only be united out of fear. Emerald chimes in and says that she'll hate Ruby and Pyrrha till her dying breath for ending Cinder, even if Salem was gone. The gods agree that mankind will ultimately always be divided and flawed.
At this point Pyrrha calls them out on their bullshit directly, saying how the task was impossible and a horrendous punishment for one woman's mistake, taking it out on everyone else who has ever lived. She admits that they are flawed, and they do fight, but they are made in the gods image, and don't the brothers squabble too? She says how she has disagreed and argued with her love in the past, but also been able to move past that and how their bond has grown stronger.
Eventually, the gods agree that they were too harsh, removing Salem from existence and saying that Ozma's soul has been returned to the afterlife as well, before he could have bonded with his next host. There are still some details to work out, however. With Dust dwindling in supplies, it is only a matter of time before the Grimm overrun humanity. The god of darkness outright refuses the idea of getting rid of his creation. Ruby loathes the idea of accepting the Grimm, and says as much, but offers that if the Grimm must exist to at least give people back magic so they can better defend themselves and power their world.
He agrees, but with the stipulation that if any use their powers against the gods, they will be stripped of it and suffer horrendously before dying, and that Ruby herself as a cost of this, can never gain magic (because he's a jerk). She agrees instantly, not caring about that. He admits afterwards, both miffed and impressed that he was testing her, thinking she was just greedy for power, and that if she argued at all, he'd have used that as proof of the insatiable human lust for power and wipe them out again.
With the deal made, the world is saved. The people are uncertain of how to deal with such unpleasant gods now living in their world once again, but everyone is grateful to Ruby and Pyrrha for saving the world. They're enshrined as the Reaper and her Maiden all over the world, and the two live happily ever after.
The end