I do not own RWBY or Warhammer 40,000, only my original characters.
Hey guys. I am really sorry about the wait, school has kept me really busy and I have also been working a lot on my Warhammer armies. Speaking of which: HOLY SHIT! PRIMARIS REINFORCEMENTS INBOUND! I am so excited for shadowspear.
But outside of that, I feel I should let you guys know that after the shitty cock tease of a season that was volume 6, I am dropping RWBY as a show of interest. The writers have made it abundantly clear that they don't actually care about the story, just the shipping that has taken over the fandom. That doesn't mean I am dropping Return of Faith though, don't worry, crossovers are the only way I can actually enjoy RWBY content nowadays and Warhammer crossovers allow for so much tomfoolery.
And fuck Blake and Yang, they suck. Those girls are murderers now. They are not heroes, they are not good people. They are selfish, cold-blooded, killers who only care about themselves. Anyone who watches Eruptionfang will know why I hate these two.
On brighter news, Grimm Heir will be returning soon, however, I will not be the main writer. My good friend DragonBlitz85 has taken it upon himself to write up the remaining chapters for me. I will only be the editor for that story. I know this will bum a lot of you out, but volume 6 just killed any interest I had for the rewrite, which is a shame, because I was going give both the Overlord and Silver the power to turn into dragons. Minor I know, but you wouldn't believe how much a small change like that changes everything.
IMPORTANT NOTE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER! PLEASE READ IT!
Anyway, here's the chapter. I struggled a lot with this one because of the ending. Was originally going to be a lot longer, but I decided to put it into two chapters instead because you guys have waited way too long. Big thanks to my Beta-reader Pinkpower3612! He was a big help with this!
Onto the chapter!
Return of Faith
Chapter Four: Confrontation & Elimination
"Go in peace," With Mother Viole's closing words, the service ended. People stood and went to leave, though many of the cultists stayed to speak with the cult leader regarding the subject of her sermon. The whole place was abuzz with excitement and anticipation as they voiced their questions to her and her aides. The priestess did not even try to calm them down, the smile she sported showed she felt just as they did and saw no reason to quell their enthusiasm beyond reminding them to be quiet.
Not all stayed to ask questions, however. Some were content with knowing their prayers would soon be answered and so left the hidden place of worship with smiles on their faces and a spring in their step.
All save for one, that is.
He was the first to leave the hidden place of worship, playing off his haste as excitement toward what the priestess had said. In all honesty, he was excited about it, because it was exactly what he had been waiting for.
I knew it, Simon Brass thought to himself. I knew they were up to something!
The man was a member of the Vale Police Department and specialized in undercover work. He was one of the guys they sent in to deal with the criminals that were too influential or sneaky to tackle head on. It fell to them to infiltrate crime syndicates, corrupt organizations, and, most importantly, illegal cults.
Until the Dust robberies and White Fang showed up, anyway.
Brass made it out of the alleyway in no time, following the clues and hidden signs left by the cultists to mark their way through the maze of concrete and steel. He felt the morning sun hit the side of his face the moment he walked out of the alley. After he made a quick check to see if anyone was behind him, he headed over to where his car was parked.
He wasn't supposed to be doing this. The Vale Council wanted the police focused on apprehending Roman Torchwick and stopping the White Fang before the Vytal Festival started. They didn't want Vale to look weak and incompetent in front of the other kingdoms, and he agreed with the decision in principal, but in practice it was beyond idiotic.
Dozens of investigations were put on hold or completely abandoned to meet the Council's demands, and even more were dropped after what happened on Saffron Highway a few nights ago. What he was doing right now went against Chief Muller's direct orders. Until the Vytal Festival was over, cleaning out cults of the Old Faith was considered low priority. It wasn't supposed to exist anymore, so why waste the manpower?
This is why he hated politicians. Too eager to sweep everything under the rug.
His car came into view, parked outside on of those Mistral-style restaurants. He pulled out his car key and hit the unlock button twice. He quickened his pace, eager to get to the station, when a white-haired man suddenly stepped out from a store in front of him. Brass was moving too fast and the man didn't notice him approaching. They collided. Brass's momentum pushing the stranger aside while the stranger reacted by swiping his arm at the cop, hitting his right side.
"What the fuck, man!?" The man snarled, glaring at Brass. "Watch where you're going next time!"
His accent was unlike anything Brass had heard before, and he was dressed in a dark leather jacket and jeans. He looked like your run-of-the-mill street-thug and Brass didn't want to waste anymore time dealing with some nobody, so he just gave the man a half-hearted apology before running over to his car and getting in.
He hit the ignition and started driving, cursing at how slow everyone was driving today. He needed to get this to Muller, orders be damned, this was more important than Roman Torchwick or the White Fang!
Originally, Brass planned to wait until the end of the Vytal Festival to come forward with his findings, give himself enough time to recognize and track down everyone in the cult while also making it look like he had followed Muller's orders to the letter. They'd take down a bunch of crazy fanatics, he'd get a medal and a pay raise, everybody wins.
But this sermon changed all that. Normally, the cult's leader, Mother Viole, would just babble on about the "God-Emperor" and how amazing he was, or whine about the "heretical" council and the "lies" they spread about the Old Faith.
She didn't talk about that today. Today, Viole talked about Angels.
Now, when a normal person thought of angels, they pictured beautiful women with wings and halos who played harps and lived on clouds. That was what normal people imagined. These crazy cultists on the other hand, believed angels to be massive, black-armored golems that wielded chainsaw-swords and giant guns and were capable of butchering entire hordes of Grimm in an instant.
And they wondered why people considered their religion dangerous.
Viole talked nonstop about the Angels, going on and on about how they purged Remnant of the Grimm and shared the enlightening wisdom of the "God-Emperor" with the primitive human tribes that wandered the planet thousands of years ago. Ten solid minutes were dedicated to the story of how the Grimm came to fear the Angels and even went so far as to hide from them.
Brass had to resist rolling his eyes at how stupid it was. The Grimm didn't fear anything, they ate fear for breakfast.
He was just about to tune out the lady's crazy rambling when she said something that really got his attention. It was still fresh in his memory and the main reason he was driving so fast.
He could see the police station now, just past the next traffic light. He slammed down on the car horn half a dozen times to try and get the cars in front of him to move faster. Hell, at this point, with it so close, he was tempted to just jump out of his car and run the rest of the way.
The light turned green before he could try however, and the car in front of him finally moved. He pulled his car in front of the station and got out. He didn't even bother turning the car off, he needed to tell Muller what he found, otherwise the whole city would-
The moment Brass' foot hit the cement sidewalk the smell of ozone hit his nose and heat blossomed in his right pocket. Before he could even think to check what it was, the heat erupted into a ball of all-consuming plasma energy that instantly incinerated Simon Brass and rendered his car into a heap of melting slag.
Pedestrians screamed in confused terror at the light and sound of the explosion prompting police officers to bolt out from the station in response only to halt in their tracks when they saw the aftermath. They handled the situation as best they could, cornering the scene off and keeping civilians back, but by then the Scrolls were out and recording.
By early afternoon, the story would be on every news network in Vale with each one unsure of what to make of such an unexpected and devastating attack on the kingdom's law enforcement. The explosion left no evidence behind save melted stone and metal, there wasn't even a body to examine.
It would not be until days later that the identity of the victim would be verified, but by then it would be too late and the purpose behind the attack would be chalked up to terrorism.
Just as intended…
~o0o~
"Did you hear something?"
Ruby shook her head at the question. "No. Why? Did you?" She turned to look at her blonde friend, his gaze looking southward.
"I thought I heard something, but," he shook his head with a slight sigh, "it was probably nothing."
"Okay." Ruby nodded her head and turned forward again, a slight spring in her step.
When Jaune had agreed to attend Father Carmine's service with her, Ruby had to restrain herself from leaping over the cafeteria table and hugging the life out of him. She hadn't gone to service with someone else since she left for Beacon, and even then, it was usually just her dad she went with. To be with someone her own age was just so exciting for Ruby.
She didn't let excitement get the better of her however, they still needed to be careful. She dared a glance toward the sky, spotting a squadron of Atlesian gunships as they flew over the skyline of the city. The general had stated on the news that the air patrols were just a precaution against possible Grimm attacks, ensuring the protection of Vale's citizens.
Ruby wanted to believe that was all the general intended, but Father Carmine warned against trusting the word of heretics.
She started taking different routes through the Back Alley since the Atlas warships showed up, just to be safe. Atlas was notorious among the hidden Faithful for its cruelty and ruthlessness in dealing with worshippers of the Emperor. Their presence here was just as much a threat to Vale's hidden Faithful as it was a sign of cooperation between the kingdoms.
She led Jaune toward one of the more lengthy and concealed pathways in the Back Alley. The many clothes-lines and old tarps that hung from the alley walls and windows would provide ideal cover from aerial observation, for a little while at least.
When they reached their way into the Back Alley, Ruby grabbed Jaune's arm and casually steered him toward the alleyway. He resisted a bit at first, surprised by the sudden contact, before going along with her. Once they reached the first turn that led into the Back Alley, she let go of Jaune's arm and peeked around the corner they came through to check for anyone that might have followed them.
When Ruby didn't see anyone, she turned to look back at Jaune. "Stay close to me, okay? It's really easy to get lost in here and if the Golden Crowns catch you alone, they might get the wrong idea."
A nervous expression crossed Jaune's face, "The Golden Crowns?"
Ruby winced, knowing how bad this would sound. "Yeah, they're, uh, they're the top gang in the Back Alley." She saw the worry on Jaune's face, and she rushed to explain. "D-don't worry! They won't do anything to you as long as you stay with me. They're members of the Faith too, so if they see you with me, they'll just think you're my guest, or something."
"And if they don't think I'm your guest?"
Ruby opened her mouth but said nothing. If the Crowns didn't think Jaune was her guest, they'd treat him like they treated anything they didn't like: violently. If they didn't think he knew the location of the meeting place, they'd just beat him up and take his money, but if they did think he knew they'd probably kill him!
"Jaune," She said, locking her eyes with his own. "I swear, in the God-Emperor's name, I won't let anything happen to you here." The vow was spoken in a surprisingly serious tone. She wanted Jaune to understand that this place and its people were not to be feared, but to be embraced.
Jaune stared at her for a moment, then he blinked. A moment of conflict passed over his face before he sighed and gave her a small smile. "Okay."
Ruby beamed at him, happy he trusted her. "Then let's go!" And with that, she spun around and started walking down the alleyway with Jaune close behind her. Placing a hand over the Aquila necklace she had hidden beneath her blouse, Ruby felt something akin to anticipation surge through her.
Something told her this service would be one to remember!
~o0o~
Yole had been waiting by the alleyway when he heard it. That unique, distant boom. "Guess I owe Orbeck an apology."
Not that he would get one. The magos took every opportunity to boast about the effectiveness of his creations, even the untested ones. He was also remarkably petty for a techpriest, and if Yole even tried apologizing for doubting his work Orbeck would never let him hear the end of it.
Still, he couldn't help but be impressed. For such a small device it was incredibly potent, the fact he could hear the explosion from this distance was proof of that. Plasma explosions always had a more muted tone to them. Yes, they were loud, but they didn't have that same ear-splitting punch that the more commonly used explosives had. Despite that, Yole still heard that tell-tale boom of a plasmatic detonation in the distance, as did many others.
The people of Vale looked in the direction the sound had come from, muttering in confused worry. They did not recognize the sound for what it was, such was their ignorance. Some even shrugged it off and walked away, convinced it was no concern of theirs. In a way, those callous individuals were correct, but not completely so.
As the people gawked and fretted over what the sound they heard was, Yole ducked inside the alleyway without any of them noticing. He followed the route the dead law enforcer had taken, relying on the many hidden clues the cultists used to mark their pathways. He encountered several of the cultists along his way, those who had stayed behind to talk with the priestess.
Most he passed made the Sign of the Aquila to him, though some of them, the warier ones, eyed the infiltrator with clear suspicion. He was an outsider after all, and years of persecution had taught them to be cautious of strangers. He approved of their caution toward him, it showed that not all the people on Remnant were docile idiots. They could still be fooled, yes, given how Brass had managed to worm his way into the cult, but that was no longer an issue.
Not that his case was especially unique. Simon Brass was just one of several threats both Yole and his sister had disposed of since coming to Vale. Most were just cult members they considered too problematic to let live, but Brass was the first actual mole Yole had dealt with, the first professional infiltrator this planet had to offer.
Needless to say, Yole hadn't been that impressed. Brass had been sloppy in his work, barely covered his tracks, didn't disguise himself, and used an alias so obvious that a child could tell it was fake. It was just… frustrating to watch more than anything, and he would be lying if he said he didn't feel satisfaction when he heard the boom.
In hindsight, the micro-plasma bomb may have been a tad overkill, but it ensured no evidence he had on his person was left to investigate. Better safe than sorry.
Speaking of which, Yole needed to head over to Brass' hab-building after this. The man probably had more evidence stored there and once he was identified by the local law enforcers – he refused to refer to them as Arbites – they would definitely search his residence. It would take them time thankfully, what with the lack of a corpse, but it was best not to tempt fate.
The secret entrance to the cult's meeting place came into view, an orderly stack of wooden crates that lined the left side of the alley. Yole strode up to the center of the stack and muttered the entry word. A click was heard behind them, and the front of the crates was pushed open as a young attendant opened the hidden door.
The attendant greeted him, but Yole paid him little mind as he stepped inside the space. The cult worshipped in what had once been an abandoned warehouse, now converted into a ramshackle church. Old benches were lined up like pews before a cloth-draped table and lectern, and calming incense filled the air. Symbols of the Imperial Creed lined the walls. Crude stain-glass depictions of the Emperor and Adeptus Astartes of the Black Lions chapter hung beside red banners bearing the golden Aquila, illuminated by homemade candles and old lumin-lights.
It was a rather impressive display to be honest, given the circumstances.
White-robed attendants scurried to-and-fro as he walked down the aisle, performing the tasks assigned to them by the priestess. Many were young, and most of them sported the animalistic features that marked them as belonging to the faunus subspecies. They were street urchins and runaways, unwanted and unloved until they were found by the cult. A hobby of the cult's head priestess, he had learned. She had a soft spot for abandoned children.
The woman in question stood at the lectern, reading a printed-copy of this world's interpretation of the Imperial Creed. She seemed entirely engrossed by the tome, ignorant to the rest of the world, until one noticed how the… extremity jutting from atop her head would twitch in the direction of any sound that was made.
She hadn't heard him yet, he made sure of that. It was only when he was close enough that she couldn't do anything if he pulled his autopistol on her that Yole allowed the priestess to hear his approach. The fox ear flicked toward him not even a second later, and the abhuman finally looked up from her book to notice the man.
The face of an aged vixen stared at the infiltrator with an expression of surprise that melted into recognition, then confusion, then realization. "Honored Herald," she greeted, making the Sign of the Aquila.
"Mother Viole," Yole returned the holy gesture then eyed one of the attendants working nearby. "May we speak in private?"
She nodded and led Yole toward what he assumed had once been the office of the warehouse's previous overseer. Nearly every priest in Vale lived in their cult's place of worship, and Mother Viole was no exception. She had transformed the office space into her personal living quarters, replacing the administrative equipment that once took up its space with a bed, a trunk, and holy talismans. The only things that marked the space as once belong to a warehouse overseer was the metal-wrought desk in the middle of the room and the two swivel chairs behind and in front of it.
She moved behind the desk but did not sit down. Neither did Yole. "It is done then?" She asked, her eyes not meeting the infiltrator's own, focusing instead on an old painting of a man holding an elaborate staff in one hand and broken chains in the other.
"Yes." Yole responded.
The faunus relaxed at his answer, bringing her hands up to her chest in the Sign of the Aquila as she offers a silent prayer. When she finished, she let out a small sigh, still looking at the painting. "Thank you."
Yole raised an eyebrow at her tone. "You sound disappointed."
"Do not misunderstand, Honored Herald," Viole explained, finally turning away from the painting to look at him. "I am glad that you have ensured the safety of my flock, but it saddens me that such drastic measure had to be taken." She adopted a melancholic expression then. "Perhaps, if I had learned of his deceit before you had, his death could have been avoided."
Yole resisted rolling his eyes at her naivety. The people of Remnant were so damn soft. How they had survived for this long against the Grimm, he would never understand.
"But," her features hardened suddenly, "he was a heretic and I will not mourn the death of a man who sought our destruction. You killed him for the sake of those I lead here in worship, to keep us from the clutches of the council's minions." She gave him a grateful smile. "And for that, I thank you."
"I only do what the Emperor asks of me," Yole responded, then looked at the painting. "One of your local saints?"
The question was made both out of curiosity and obligation. The twins' primary objective was to gather as much information on Remnant's people as they could, and they had found very little on important religious figures like saints or prophets. Now was a perfect opportunity for Yole to correct that.
"Yes, the Emancipator, Saint Abraham Luther II," she answered, her tone one of reverence. "His actions led to the abolishment of slavery in the Kingdom of Vale, allowing faunus to live free within its borders for the first time in history. It is said he would strike the chains off every slave he came across and that his faith in the Emperor was so great that no Grimm dared approach him."
"Impressive," Yole said, careful not to sound like he accepted or denied her claims she made about the saint. In all likelihood, they were exaggerations used to enhance the Church's image and influence. Everyone loved a divine hero, after all, especially the downtrodden.
"Yes," Viole agreed. "Impressive is a way to describe what he accomplished. And despite that, despite all the good he did, he has been all but forgotten thanks to the Heretic King, his deeds attributed to lesser men." She gestured with her hand, "This painting is the only one of its kind to survive the King's purge. A relic, from a better time."
"That time will come again, Priestess," Yole assured her, his voice soft and comforting. She smiled at him, believing his false sincerity. "I must go. Thank you for sharing your saint's story with me."
"It was my pleasure, Herald," she made the Sign of the Aquila. "May the Emperor be with you, always."
"And also, with you, Priestess." And with that, Yole left Viole's quarters and made his way toward the exit. A few of the attendants watched him leave with curiosity in their eyes. He ignored them. When he was outside, Yole felt like having a lho-stick but decided against it and started walking out of the alley.
Yole needed to remain focused, he still needed to destroy any evidence Brass might have hid in his apartment and having a lho-stick now would only hamper him. Maybe he'd have one afterwards, as a reward.
When Yole was out of the alleyway, he saw that the confusion from the explosion had passed and the people of Vale went about their daily lives as if nothing was wrong. He scowled at their ignorance and headed north toward the hab-building where the dead enforcer lived.
As he walked his gaze fixed on one of the Atlas airships looming over the city. It was an impressive vessel, with a sleek and predatory appearance. It had nothing on an Imperial Cruiser like the Solaire's Light of course, but there was something about the warship that demanded respect.
Which was more than could be said about Vale's pathetic excuse for law enforcers.
Yole smiled as the warship passed by, thinking of how he might go about infiltrating such a vessel. It probably had a treasure trove's worth of military information stored within its cogitator-banks that would benefit their plans significantly.
It wouldn't even be that difficult. A simple in and out job. Still, while the reward would be worth it, he couldn't afford the risk, not right now. He'd wait until Yuria returned from her little tour before trying anything. They worked best working together anyway.
~o0o~
"We're here." Ruby announced, but when all Jaune saw was an empty dead-end, he couldn't help but look confused.
"Uh, are you sure we didn't take a wrong turn?" He asked with a tone that he hoped sounded more humorous than doubtful. The path they had taken had been a long one, full of more twists and turns than Jaune could count. He had been amazed by how easily Ruby navigated it, never once pausing in her stride to second guess herself, knowing exactly which turns they needed to take… however, their current location seemed to challenge that.
But Ruby only smiled knowingly at the blonde swordsman before skipping over to large dumpster and knocking on its side five times. Jaune walked over to her just in time for a small part of the dumpster to slide away, revealing two blue eyes that darted between the two teenagers.
Jaune recoiled a bit in surprise, but Ruby stood her ground. With a smile, the hooded girl reached into her black blouse and pulled out a string necklace, attached to which dangled a small, twin-headed eagle with its wings spread wide. The man eyed the eagle for a moment, leveled a glare at Jaune, then slammed the slide shut. For a moment, he thought they had been denied entry, then he heard the distinct sound of multiple locks being removed, before the entire side of the dumpster slid away to reveal a man standing inside.
He was dressed like a gang member, wearing mostly grey clothes with distinct yellow details. He had a wiry build and a crooked nose, and his eyes glared at Jaune with obvious distrust. "You bring an outsider to this place, Sister Rose." It was a statement but spoken like an accusation, and Jaune felt sweat building along his brow. The man wasn't big like Cardin, but he was more intimidating than the leader of Team CRDL could ever hope to be.
"I bring a friend to join me in worship," Ruby said, and Jaune once again found himself amazed by the younger girl. There wasn't a shred of fear in her voice. "He is not our enemy, we can trust him."
The man stared at Ruby for a moment, then looked over at Jaune, eyes narrowed. The blonde flinched at the intensity in his eyes, reminded of Weiss' own icy glare. When the man finally stepped aside and gestured for them to enter, he couldn't stop from letting out a relieved sigh.
Ignoring the glare the man was still giving them, Ruby led Jaune inside the dumpster and through the hole in the wall it kept hidden. The sight that greeted him wasn't one he had been expecting. It looked more like a rundown homeless shelter than a cult meeting place. Many of the people inside looked like they had just come off the street, dirty and disheveled with some showing clear signs of illness. There were even some small children, huddled over in a corner playing with some toys.
One of the kids, a dog-eared faunus boy, suddenly looked up from the game and noticed Ruby. He smiled and started running toward them but stopped when he saw Jaune. The boy's eyes went wide, and he pointed accusingly at the older teenager.
"Who are you?" He asked loudly, earning the attention of every person in the room. Dozens of eyes fixed on the blonde outsider almost immediately, and Jaune couldn't help but flinch at the sheer intensity of so many suspicious eyes on him. He might have taken a step back in fear too, if Ruby hadn't placed her hand on his shoulder.
The silver-eyed brunette smiled reassuringly at him before turning to address the boy. "Oliver, this is Jaune, he's a friend of mine from Beacon." Jaune smiled nervously as Ruby introduced him to the boy.
Oliver just kept glaring at him, either unconvinced or unimpressed. He then scurried over to Ruby's side and motioned for her to bend down. She did so, and the boy whispered something into her ear that made the girl frown.
As that was going on, Jaune started fidgeting, uncomfortable with the number of distrusting gazes on him. He kept darting glances between Ruby and the crowd, terrified by the idea that she was the only thing keeping them all from doing more than just glaring at him.
"Jaune is not here to spy on us, Ollie," he heard Ruby say. "I asked him to come so he could know the Emperor's majesty and because I trust him." She looked over at him with a mischievous smile and whispered loudly to the boy. "Besides, he's too clumsy to be a spy!"
Jaune blinked at the tease, surprised by it. Oliver giggled and a few of the others watching also let out soft sounds of amusement. He blushed, and in a bout of shame blurted out: "A-at least I didn't blow myself up by sneezing!"
Now it was Ruby's turn to blush. "It was one time!" she retorted childishly, causing everyone in the room to laugh at the two teens' bickering, evaporating the tension that had been building since the pair's arrival. When they finished laughing, most of the crowd went back to whatever they had been doing before. Jaune let out a sigh of relief as he felt his heart rate return to normal. That had been worse than initiation.
He looked back over at Ruby and Oliver, the later of whom had developed pouting expression, though he looked to be trying to hold back a smile. "W-well, I guess if Ruby says your good it's okay." He then jabbed a finger at Jaune. "But you better not tell anyone about this place, or the Emperor will smite you!"
"Who will the Emperor smite?" A kind voice asked.
Everyone in the room turned to the owner of the new voice, their hands crossed over their chest. Most of the people bowed their heads, but some of them – like Ruby – actually took a knee. Jaune was frozen were he stood, unsure of what to do or what just happened. As such, he was unprepared for Ruby to reach up and pull him down to kneel beside her. He went down with a yelp but managed to stop himself from faceplanting into the floor.
A gentle laugh rolled through the room. "Always so formal," the voice commented. "You honor this servant of the God-Emperor too much, my friends. Please, stand."
Everyone did as he said without question. Standing again, Jaune was able to get a look at the owner of the voice, and discovered him to be rotund, bald man. He looked like a monk, wearing nothing but a brown robe and string of red beads around his neck. The man had incredibly friendly and approachable disposition, but there was something else too, a certain… air to him.
Maybe it had something to do with the two intimidating gangsters flanking him.
"Now then," the man said, turning to look at Jaune. "Who is this young man and why is the Emperor going to smite him?"
Ruby grabbed Jaune's hand and pulled him over to the bald man. "Father Carmine," she began. "This is my friend Jaune Arc. Jaune this is Father Carmine."
Jaune gave a weak smile and nervous wave. "Uh, hi there."
The man known as Father Carmine chuckled. "No need to be so nervous, young man. You have nothing to fear." He held out his hand. "It is good to finally meet you, Jaune Arc."
Jaune stared at the offered hand for a second before taking it. The man's grip was surprisingly strong. "T-thank you." They broke the handshake. "You know me?"
Carmine nodded, a smile on his face. "Just a little. Enough to know you are a brave young man and wise enough not to believe the lies spread about us. Still, I will admit, your presence here is…" he shot Ruby a look, "unexpected."
Ruby winced under the priest's gaze and gave a forced laugh. Carmine raised an eyebrow at her and Jaune cringed. "Surprise?" She tried weakly, but it only made the priest shake his head in disapproval.
"Ruby," he started, then just sighed. "We shall discuss your penance after service. Right now, I would like to know why you thought it necessary to bring him here without telling us."
A brief moment of awkward silence fell over them before Ruby spoke. "Well… We're going to be going out on our first missions soon and I wanted Jaune to know the Emperor's love, but I wasn't sure how long we'd be both be away so I thought maybe I could bring him with me today?"
"And when did you make this decision?"
"This morning…" She winced, and so did Jaune. "B-b-but I had to do it! Jaune needed to know about his heritage and this was the perfect-" Ruby threw her hands over her mouth as she realized what she was saying, but it was too late.
"Your heritage?" Carmine asked, and Ruby looked over at Jaune with apologetic eyes. The blonde looked back at her with uncertainty and annoyance. He didn't want to tell these people, these strangers, anything about his family bloodline. But at the same time, he knew that if he didn't then both him and Ruby would be in serious trouble.
So, he straightened his spine, took a deep breath, looked Father Carmine dead in the eye, and told him: "I am a descendant of the Paladins of Vale."
~o0o~
Author's Note: Yup, another cliffhanger. Sorry about that, but this chapter was really hard to write. I wanted to keep going, but I also wanted it to end, something about this interaction was just so hard to write. Still, I hope you enjoyed it. I hope Yole was entertaining in this chapter, his scene was a lot of fun.
Also, just to clarify about the saint and the slavery thing. He got rid of slavery ONLY in VALE. The other kingdoms (at least Mistral and Mantle, not sure about Vacuo) still use slavery by the time of the Great War. The saint was removed from history, and his deeds were attributed to people who were not connected to the church. I hope that cleared things up, but if you want to know more, please contact me.
IMPORTANT QUESTION HERE!
So, I actually meant to ask this last chapter, but forgot to add it in the author's note. You see, I am debating whether or not I should have Ruby's weapon still be a scythe. This is because her uncle Qrow is not the most sympathetic toward the Faithful, being one of Ozpin's pawns, and has made his thoughts toward the Faith clear. He has tried to get Ruby and Yang on his side, but only got Yang to listen while Ruby doubled-down with her father. This is why I am thinking of having Crescent Rose be a different weapon. She doesn't idolize her uncle like she did in the canon, and I feel like that should be visible in her choice of weapon.
If you think she should still have a scythe, I understand, and even have a scenario to how Qrow ends up training her, but I feel like I will need a pretty good argument for it.
What weapon do you think Return of Faith Ruby should use? I am partial to her using a pole weapon, like a polearm, long-axe, pole-axe, or halberd, but maybe you think she should have something different. PLEASE let me know what you think in a review or PM.
I apologize in advance if the wait for the next chapter is as long as this one!
As Always: Please, Fav, Follow, and Review! Thank You!
DeadRich18 Out!