Ruby felt her nerves building as they made their way ever closer to Shade Academy, the rumbling of the engines acting as a ticking clock counting down towards their arrival, sitting between Blake and Weiss, her eyes landed on Coco who had sat opposite her and next to Jaune. As the red light flicked on signalling their arrival Ruby barely registered the words that came over the intercom, she stood on instinct and braced as she felt the ship finally come to a stop, however before she could make a move towards the door Coco wrapped her arm under Ruby's own and wrapped her other arm around Jaune's back and rested her hand on his shoulder, hearing the leaders voice again properly caused Ruby to close her eyes for a moment giving her the feeling she was back at Beacon again.
"Shade and Vacuo are a bit different than the rest of Remnant, so a piece of advice from one Beacon team leader that I hope helps. Savour the next few days, don't worry about Remnant for now, just focus on your teams and appreciate the reunions, we're not all so lucky."
Jaune and Ruby shared a glance before looking back to Coco who had continued to face forward and the two nodded in agreement as Coco released her grasp on them as the sounds of the doors locking mechanism hissed out it quickly became apparent that the landing pad contained more than just guards.
Jaune was the first to step forward now free from Coco's hold, he blinked a few times making sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, almost stumbling forwards as he took in the two people he missed the most during his time in the Ever After. Jaune could feel tears building in his eyes as his teammates stared back at him with smiles of relief and joy, cursing the slowness of the door he waited impatiently taking small steps as if keeping moving would make it act faster.
When it eventually got to a low enough point Jaune threw caution to the wind and ran down the still lowering platform towards Ren and Nora pulling the two into a tight grasp he held them close as tears of joy flowed from the three of them, they all chuckled out in disbelief.
"I can't believe you're really here." Nora exclaimed as she held onto her leader.
"Neither can I." Admitted Jaune.
"Are you alright?" Asked Ren he could sense a whirlpool of emotions surround his leader.
Jaune shook his head slightly. "No, but I'm a lot better now, just being here with you two again…" He pulled them tighter into his grasp. "It's proof it wasn't all for nothing."
Nora looked up and ruffled his hair playfully. "Did you do something with your hair?" She asked knowingly, flicking some of the white strands.
Jaune ran his hand through his own hair as he blushed slightly. "A parting gift from an old friend, do you like it?"
Ren and Nora nodded in agreement as Ren spoke for them. "Yes, it suits you well."
"Mom? Dad?" Blake said in surprise drawing the threes attention.
Jaune looked back to his team.
"Come on let's find somewhere and you guys can tell me about Vacuo, sound good?"
Ren and Nora spun around so that Jaune stayed in between them as they held hands behind him leading him in the direction they wanted as Nora spoke.
"You will not believe how crazy some of their food is." Her voice dripped full of excitement at sharing her food knowledge. Jaune laughed to himself.
"I think I have you beaten there." He said earning a questioning eyebrow from the both of them, he continued as if answering their questioning glance. "Come on, you show me some real Remnant food and I'll tell you all about it?"
Nora saluted. "aye aye sir, some crazy food coming up, me and Ren know just the place."
Jaune looked back to Ruby as if seeking permission and his fellow team leader gave him an small nod as she turned back to her own teammates.
…
"Mum? Dad?"
Blake's voice surprised herself as she hadn't expected to see them in Vacuo let alone leave Menagerie again. The two stood together hand in hand, offering both their free hands out Blake ran up to them and allowed herself to be enveloped in their arms, the three slowly fell to the floor as they sat down on their knees.
"I thought we lost you." Admitted Ghira the strain in his voice caused Blake's ears to flinch guiltily.
"I'm sorry I-" Blake went to speak but was cut off by her mother running her hand through her daughter's hair as she shushed her softly.
"Never apologise for doing what you think is right." Kali spoke quietly into her daughter's shoulder.
"W-what are you two even doing here?" The disbelief in her voice shook in her throat causing her to stutter.
Ghira chuckled at his daughter's question. "Even we heard the broadcast your leader sent…" he paused as he moved his head towards Ruby who stood behind them with Yang and Weiss, the two locked eyes as he smiled thankfully at his daughter's safety and Ruby responded with a smile.
"…If Atlas fell then Menagerie wouldn't be far behind, it seemed like you could use all the help you could get ."
"I-… Thank you, for being here…" Blake admitted as her ears perked up slightly before removing her hand from around her father she outstretched it towards the rest of her team as she spoke, wanting to reveal her new relationship with Yang. "… mum, dad this is Yang-"
"YANG XIAO LONG!.." Blake's voice was overwhelmed by a booming voice that huffed out loudly, the air quickly carried another name.
"RUBY ROSE!.."
Everyone turned their attention to the source and they all landed on the running form of Taiyang, the door he had just come through let out a crashing sound as it reached the limit of its hinges, he stood still for a moment as if frozen as he took in the sight before him, before he could move however some white hair appeared over his shoulder before shoving him out of the way causing Tai to stumble to the side as Willow Schnee came into view.
"Weiss?.." her low voice carried strongly through the wind as she sucked in a breath evidently rushing to her destination like Tai. "…Is that?.. Are you real?"
Weiss nodded as she ran towards her mother., the two met in the middle crashing into each other. "Yes mother, genuinely real. I'm so glad you're safe." Weiss spoke while she wiped the tears from her eyes with her left hand.
Willow let out a muffled laugh as she spoke into her daughter's shoulder. "Shouldn't I be saying that to you?"
Weiss looked over to her side and she saw that Tai had recovered from her mother's success at displacing him as he was now embracing his two daughters laughing out as he lifted them both up easily into the air, she chuckled quietly watching Ruby's feet dangle and kick in the air as she struggled in her dad's grasp.
"Air… Breathing… Lungs… Need…" Ruby's words came out breathlessly as she was held tight by Tai who was evidently unwilling to let them go, Yang however seemed at home in the embrace as she tightened her hold on Tai equally as strong causing him to reluctantly lower Ruby back down to the ground enabling the girl to swallow in some air.
Ruby punched Tai's shoulder playfully as she spoke. "Hey… Dad." She said awkwardly as Tai frowned as she spoke.
"Don't hey dad me…" he said sternly. "I thought I lost you both, you both left me with the Grimm magnet over there." He gestured to Qrow who had stayed next to the ship near Winter as the uncle shrugged off the implication.
"And I thought Blake was the emo one but blondie here gave her a run for her money." Qrow huffed out in his defence.
All of Team RWBY laughed at the implication as the familial groups remained each in their embraces the parents unwilling to let their children go as the members of Team RWBY felt at home in their arms. Before long however, as if beckoned on by the lowering sun reminding them that it was becoming late afternoon the hugs came reluctantly to an end as Qrow and Winter ushered them into Shade Academy proper, arguing that there would be time for that later as there was plenty of people who wanted to see that they were alright.
…
The group slowly made their way inside as they were led into a large atrium that held a small gathering of familiar faces from Oscar, Team CFVY and SSSNN, even Illia and the Happy Huntresses were there along with a few others but before Ruby could take in the rest of them her eyes landed on Pietro Polendina, he was busy chatting away to Oscar and the two hadn't realised Ruby's presence yet, the huntress took some fearful steps backwards separating herself from the group, not watching where she was going she bumped into someone, spinning around she apologised profusely.
"Sorry Sorry-" On instinct at who she saw Ruby reached for her weapon before freezing as she remembered that Emerald had switched sides in Atlas, Emerald raised an eyebrow clearly intrigued by Ruby's reaction.
"It's alright, I'm glad to see you are safe, though I have to ask, why are you trying to run away?" Emerald's question was answered for her as just behind Ruby's shoulder she could see Pietro scanning the room for her and Emerald understood Ruby's feelings, Emerald reached out for Ruby's hand.
"Come on?" She asked and Ruby accepted with a confused expression, using her semblance she made it appear that Ruby and Emerald had went one way while in reality they went another, she pulled Ruby through a door and into a hallway, Emerald checked to make sure it was empty before turning back to Ruby.
"You can't avoid him forever you know." Emerald spoke softly as she sought to reassure Ruby who for her part didn't seem to feel better she fidgeted nervously as the guilt was clear as day on her, her eyes downcast locked onto Emerald's shoes.
"But it's my fault, it was my plan, it was-" Ruby's spiral was cut short by Emerald's hands embracing Ruby's own preventing her from fidgeting them and causing her to look up at Emerald who held a sad smile of understanding.
"He doesn't blame me and yet I'm more responsible for her first death than you are for either of them, you made a plan and it was a damn good plan. There's a reason you all kept foiling Cinder and Salem and it wasn't luck, it was you Ruby, you're a strong leader. Yes it was a long shot, a hail Mary and it almost worked, you saved so many people, You saved Penny, what happened next isn't on you." Emerald's words were stern and strong but they weren't harsh, Ruby contemplated the words for a moment before smiling.
"Thanks Em… you're like how you were during the Vytal Festival." Ruby reminisced.
Emerald shook her head as she reciprocated the smile.
"I was acting you know?" Emerald let out with a chuckle.
"I know but back then you were acting for Cinder, don't we all act during some points in our lives? Are you acting now?" Ruby asked hopefully and Emerald blushed as she let out a venom-less barb.
"Ugh you make me sick…" Emerald shook her head again, this time in disbelief, sighing as she continued. "Well I guess that overwhelming cheery attitude and positivity had to just leave its mark somewhere."
Emerald became nervous as she changed the subject. "Speaking of the flaming elephant in the room…" Emerald trailed off however unsure how to properly broach the subject.
"Cinder?" Ruby asked knowingly and Emerald nodded. "I take it she didn't take you changing sides well?"
Emerald shook her head.
"Well we haven't exactly spoken since." Emerald admitted.
"You once told me that you owe Cinder everything, so I'm sorry if this it too personal but what changed?" Ruby's voice was surprisingly gentle given the topic since Emerald thought that Ruby could never understand the Cinder she thought she knew. Emerald sighed heavily as she pinched her the top of her nose.
"I always looked up to her but I guess at some point I realized that if I was the one to stumble she wouldn't look back to check on me or lift me up and I'm not going to lie that hurt… I think I thought that if we were on the same journey together she would…" Emerald paused as she struggled to find the words before sighing again in frustration as she blushed slightly. "I guess what I'm trying to say and I swear I will deny this if you tell anyone but I saw you." Ruby looked at emerald confused before the woman continued. "I saw you grow as a leader, you didn't treat people like they were disposable, no matter how useless I thought they were you saw something in them… and well overtime the little things all add up and in Atlas the cracks just spread too far and too deep for me ignore them any longer. Tell me… do you think I can make up for my past?"
Ruby was smiling at Emerald as she realized the impact she had on the girl until she asked that question, Ruby ran her hand through her hair before looking off to one side.
"I don't know, if some people think your unforgivable or irredeemable then that's their problem, it shouldn't stop you from trying…" She paused as she reached out for Emerald's hand before continuing. "Besides, even if no one wants to give you a chance, there will always be a spot for you on Team RWBY, I love my team but if they have a problem with it, well I'm the leader for a reason."
As Ruby finished Emerald accepted Ruby's outstretched hand, Emerald went to shake her hand but Ruby had other ideas as she pulled a now unexpecting Emerald into a hug eliciting a surprised gasp from the girl who grumbled out quietly.
"I'm not really a hugger Ruby."
Ruby held the embrace as she shook her head. "Well there's a lot of that on Team RWBY so you are now."
Emerald tutted out her response sarcastically. "Unbelievable."
As Ruby held the embrace she spotted Weiss at the end of the hall walking with purpose, Weiss appeared out from one hallway and down another, she could just about make out a small piece of paper in her hand before the girl went down the other, seemingly too focused on where she was going as she failed to spot the other two. Ruby made to go after her but Emerald spoke again as she reached out for Ruby's hand stopping the girl momentarily, Ruby spun around confused.
"Before you go, I'm sorry to ask, it might seem unfair to ask you but I have to know… Are you planning on killing Cinder?" Ruby let out a thoughtless shrug as she was focused on Weiss but then she saw Emerald deflate in front of her at the reality of what Ruby implied so she squeezed Emerald's hand that had reached out to stop her.
"I think that's up to Cinder isn't it, I don't want to kill anyone but it seems unlikely that she'll go quietly and you've seen her arm, what if her obsession with power has put her on a clock? I doubt Salem gives good health insurance."
Emerald laughed at Ruby's weak attempt at a joke, thankful for the effort before taking on a more sombre tone. "Thank you… for your honesty, I know you rightly hate Cinder and I used to not care about our actions but what she is doing is wrong and I am sorry Ruby, for my part."
Ruby pulled Emerald into another surprise hug but this time there was noticeably less complaining from Emerald. "You're strong Em, we all deserve more than living in another person's shadow, don't forget that." Emerald nodded into Ruby's shoulder as the leader ended the hug, a small collection of rose petals began to appear as Ruby spoke activating her semblance just as she finished speaking.
"Sorry to go but Team RWBY business."
As the petals fell to the ground Emerald caught one, she ran it across her palm feeling the warmth spread in her hand, she smiled softly turning back towards the door they had came from returning to the gathering that was taking place.