Yo! Back again.

Not a ton to say on this one.

Start Chapter 11

Ruby wins the tournament.

This is not even remotely a shock, at least to her. Some of the other first years, who've never seen her before, are a bit upset that some nobody managed to topple the very best of the best from Sanctum, Signal, and the other lower-level academies.

But Ruby is a Huntress. A fully fledged one.

It hadn't even really been all that hard.

"Congratulations, Ms. Rosenberg." Ms. Goodwitch tells her as she sheathes Crescent Rose, and slots it along her lower back. "As the winner of our mock tournament here, you may make a minor request of Beacon Academy. Have you come to a decision? If not, you have until the end of the year to make one."

That's quite a long time to plan, but then, Ruby supposes it's not like they have any real time constraints for something like this. Even saying she has until the end of the year is probably just so she eventually has to choose something.

"I do, actually." She smiles. "I'd like to take a trip down to the forge with my costs covered."

Ms. Goodwitch seems to appraise Ruby somewhat differently after that, surprised she would be the type to request such a thing. Ruby doesn't really look like the traditional smith.

"Alright, we'll have that arranged for you, Ms. Rosenberg."

"Thank you, Ms. Goodwitch."

Ruby makes her way back to her seat, beside Roman, who's in the middle between her and Amber. She listens as combat classes wrap up for the day, and then they're sent off to have lunch.

"Damn, Ruby," Roman looks blown away. "You're good. Like… damn good."

"Well, thank you," She laughs. Normally, she might say something like 'You're not so bad yourself,' but…

Well, Roman had been one of the few students to go 0-3 in their little bracket, taken out without winning a single duel.

Which places him at the very bottom of the totem pole.

"Yes, well, you did… adequately." Amber sighs out beneath her breath as she walks in front of them, not turning around to meet their eyes. "I must admit that I underestimated you."

Most people do. Ruby doesn't really blame her.

She's small, inoffensive, and young. She's generally a pretty nervous person – though she's been getting better with time – which makes her seem even less intimidating.

Usually, people get the hint when she whips out Crescent Rose, but some of them don't even then.

Speaking of performances, Amber had done fairly well herself. She'd gone 4-3, placing her well within the upper echelons of the class. She'd rather clearly not been satisfied with that performance, but then, Ruby's not certain Amber would've been satisfied with anything besides first place.

For the record, Ruby had gone 7-0, not dropping a single match.

Amber's an awful lot like Weiss in that regard; always wanting to prove herself superior. Ruby doesn't quite know why, but judging based off the fact that Amber had seemingly known who she was when she'd entered into initiation, she has a feeling she's working with, or is at least in regular talks with, Ozpin.

Odd for a student.

Ruby has some theories on that, but for now, she's staying quiet. Besides, she has something else she wants to get out of the way today.

A talk that needs having.

"Hey, Roman," Ruby turns towards the boy walking along beside her, "Would you mind going out into Vale with me tonight? I want to buy a few pieces for the forge and I was going to ask your input."

Roman's eyes widen, but he nods after a moment, with a faint blush on his cheeks. "Uh… yeah, sure. Sounds good. Is Amber coming?"

"If she wants," Ruby turns, "Do you?"

"No. I'm fine." Amber tells her, although she seems oddly cagey for some reason. "I've other things to be doing. Homework assignments and the like."

It's a rather flimsy excuse, and idly, Ruby wonders if maybe Ozpin has forbidden Amber from going out with Ruby anywhere outside their supervision.

After all, she knows now that Ozpin is suspicious of her, or at the very least has eyes on her.

She's not really sure what she can do about that, other than prove to not be a threat. She doesn't so much fully trust Ozpin, but she knows they're on the same side.

The hours tick by, and come the evening, she and Roman step out, and take a bullhead out into Vale.

It's incredibly weird for Ruby, because there are an awful lot of shops that she recognizes, but just as many that aren't there yet, or that will be totally replaced before she – or the her in this timeline, who she assumes exists? – grows up to be fifteen yet again.

Roman, on the other hand, seems in his element. He's strutting down the street with a skip in his step, a swagger in his smile, and a nod towards every remotely pretty girl they pass.

Most of them don't nod back, and she shoots him a raised eyebrow that causes him to stop.

"So, uh…" Roman has a habit of leading with nothing, just to get a conversation started, and Ruby is almost amused that she's noticed that so quickly. "Do you want to grab a bite to eat or something while we're out here, or?"

"We can if you're hungry." She supposes that would work. She does want to pick up some pieces for a weapon, but talking to Roman had been the real reason she'd gone out this evening. "Anywhere you know around here that you like?"

"Oh, shit, you kiddin' me?" Roman laughs, and this time, he seems entirely confident. "Ya' ever been to Jimmy's Grill, on Second?"

"Can't say I have."

"Well then you can thank me later." Roman's eyes are alight with mirth. "C'mon, prepare to have your mind blown."

/

To Roman's credit, Jimmy grills a mean burger.

"Wa-ow," Ruby moans out under her breath as she takes yet another bite into the dual patties of meat, the crunchy lettuce, the flavorful tomato, and the tangy mustard. It's very simple, perhaps the most common burger she could possibly think to have ordered.

That does not at all mean it isn't totally to die for.

"Told ya'." Roman smarms, already having wolfed down his first burger, and beginning work on his second. "Aw, man, I've missed this place."

"Haven't been by recently?"

"Haven't had the mo–" Roman catches himself perhaps a millisecond too late, because Ruby's caught his meaning already. "Ah… well, guess no sense in pretending otherwise. I've not really been able to afford actually good food in a bit. I told you I was an orphan, right?"

Ruby nods her head.

"Well… I've not exactly been staying in an orphanage, or anything of the sort. I've been living off the streets for… man… probably five or six years now?"

Ruby's eyes widen, and Roman chuckles a bit weakly. "Yeah, well… it's not so bad once you get used to it."

"It doesn't sound fun…"

"Well, it's definitely not fun, but I managed."

"How did you support yourself?"

"Ah…"

Roman's not saying anything, and it takes Ruby a second to realize that he'd likely not supported himself at all…

Well, legally that is.

"Oh."

"Yeah, uh…" Roman looks away, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "It's uh… I'd really prefer if you didn't tell Amber that."

"I won't." She shakes her head. "I haven't told her anything at all about you. I was waiting for you to say something."

Roman's eyes widen. "I… really? I just sort of assumed… the way she looks down on me…"

Ruby tries her best to smile. "If it makes you feel better; I think that's just the kind of person Amber is. She's looked down on just about everyone at Beacon so far, aside from the teachers."

Roman laughs. "Yeah… I guess you're right. I just kinda'… y'know, get used to seeing that kind of stuff out on the streets. People passing by, glaring or covering their wallets. Can't really blame them for the latter, given I definitely took a few in my time. It just… it gets to you after a while is all."

Ruby understands what Roman's saying. He's not quite coming out and saying that he thinks less of himself, but…

Well, it's obvious to her.

She'd know. Jaune had been the same way coming into Beacon. And she'd felt that way within the Ever After for a while.

She's familiar with the signs.

"Can I ask you something, Roman?"

"Huh?" He looks up at her across the table, a curly-fry hanging out of his mouth. "Sure, yeah, go ahead."

Ruby looks around quickly, making sure there's no one around who might overhear this.

"How did you get into Beacon?"

The expression on Roman's face then is well and truly something. His skin pales, his mouth hangs open, and his eyes widen. He looks caught, well and truly, and to Ruby, that confirms what she's already thought for quite a while.

Roman hadn't gotten into Beacon on any of his actual merit.

"You…" Roman looks down at the tray in front of him, at the empty basket that had held his food, and breathes out a laugh. It's a wan thing. Barely there. "You figured out already?"

She nods her head slowly. "I want to make it clear that I'm not going to rat you out. I'm not going to tell anybody either. Not even Amber."

"Wha–" Roman's shellshocked, probably going through a lot, so Ruby doesn't begrudge him saying, "Why the fuck not!?"

Roman winces a second later when a few people turn to look at him, including Jimmy himself – or well, Ruby assumes the owner is named Jimmy due to context clues.

"Sorry…" He murmurs, still clearly antsy.

"It's fine. As for reasoning…"

I've been through this all before. She can't say, but feels nonetheless.

But also, more importantly, because she has a feeling that she knows what had been supposed to happen had she not been there on initiation day.

Roman would've managed to sneak his way into Beacon somehow – probably the same way Jaune had, with forged transcripts, if she had to guess. He'd have made it into the Emerald Forest…

And then he'd have been deemed unqualified to continue. Perhaps, even, his faked transcripts would've been found out. Or maybe he'd just not have managed to pass initiation at all, weighing another partner down; the same way that Jaune might've with anyone other than Pyrrha Nikos.

Either way, any Huntsman in training who can't even combat a single Ursa is suspicious.

And obviously underqualified.

Yet that had not taken place. Because Ruby had been there. She'd been partnered up with Roman, and he'd made it through initiation without having to really battle against anything major.

It's clear, at the very least, that he's not incompetent. He's likely had to fight for his life against other people on the street; muggers or other kids trying to steal the things he had.

But he's nowhere near the level of even the worst students at Beacon.

"I'm worried about what might happen if you don't stay here." She says, and feels like that probably covers it.

Because she knows that Roman Torchwick, in the future, will go on to become a criminal. A rather potent one as well, with Neo at his side.

And that's something she'd rather not let happen.

"You're worried about me… but think me staying in a school I'm horribly underqualified for in a field that could easily lead to me being killed is the right way to go about things?" Roman raises an eyebrow at her. "I mean, I'm not complaining, just, y'know… questioning."

"Well… what would you have done, had you failed in initiation?"

Roman seems surprised she'd asked. "Oh. Uh… well… I actually did have a plan. Not really a major one… or anything all that good. I was going to go off to Mistral. There's a lady there, she uh… runs a crime network down there. This guy I know was planning on putting me in contact with her, and getting me a spot on her lower rung."

Ruby… isn't entirely shocked. "Who is this woman?"

"You probably wouldn't know her. Name's Little Miss Malachite. Not exactly a major player in Mistral, but she controls a district or two. Comfortable middle ground."

Ruby doesn't know her, no. She doesn't know anything about her. But if she's well known enough to be running things behind the scenes in a few districts, then Ruby might well be able to do some cursory scroll searches and figure out some things about her.

Of course, she'll have to visit the CCT for that, given her own scroll is out of service range.

"I uh… I didn't really want to, though. Lots of kids on the streets end up in organized crime. I happened to be pretty good at fighting, at least I thought so, so… I paid a guy with about six months-worth of stolen lien to get me some convincing-looking documents, and then tried my hand on making it into Beacon. Sure, I basically ate like a rat for that whole time," He smiles, but given how emaciated the man looks, Ruby's not all that amused, "But I thought… if I can just make it into Beacon, I'll have a room, I'll have an education, I'll have food… it sounded perfect, honestly. Except for, y'know, the clashes with the Grimm. But I figured, eh, how bad could it really be?"

Ruby almost wants to laugh.

"Turns out it was uh… bad. I thought you'd call me on my bullshit immediately."

"I thought something was up, but I wasn't going to make any grand statements so quickly. But once you also showed a lack of skill against human opponents…"

Roman's head dips.

Still, that's a plan for later. For right now…

"Well, I'm definitely not going to make you resort to that." Ruby tells him, offering him a smile. "We might've just been made teammates a week or so ago… but we're still partners, aren't we? That means we're stuck together."

Roman nods his head slowly. "You said you've had teammates before. Did you guys stick together?"

"Ah…" Ruby supposes that's a fair question, given that she's seemingly abandoned them to come to Beacon. "We got separated. I'm… looking for them, I guess."

"Oh. Okay." Roman likely has no idea what to do with that. "Well let me know if you want help with that, or something."

Ruby giggles. "I will. Thank you, Roman."

She… had actually sort of come up with an idea on that front.

It's often been said that in a crisis scenario, when one has been separated from their comrades, that the best thing to do is to hunker down, and stay still. In essence, if everyone goes out looking for everyone else, then their chances of running into each other are far lower than if one of them goes looking, and the other four stay stationary.

Ruby knows for a fact that neither Yang nor Weiss will be the types to stand still and let help come to them. Weiss because the last time they'd been separated, she'd broken her way out of Atlas and nearly gotten ransomed off by the Branwen tribe, and Yang because last time they'd been separated, she'd done the same thing to go find her mother, inadvertently preventing Weiss from being ransomed off by the Branwen tribe.

Funny how that had worked out.

So, Ruby's going to stay in place. Wait for the others to find her.

But in the meantime, she can certainly go about making herself more visible.

And she knows just the thing that might help out.

After all…

The Vytal Festival is being held this year.

But to get the maximum amount of exposure out of that, Ruby's going to need to go quite far in the tournament.

Which means she's going to need a good team behind her.

"Alright, Roman." She claps her hands together, snapping the boy out of his ministrations. "You still want to stay in Beacon, right?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then the first thing you're going to need is an actual weapon," Ruby smirks, having been planning this all day. "Which is why I brought you out here. Sure, I wanted to have this conversation, but I also wanted to get your opinions on a general weapon-type we would be making for you."

"You…" Roman's eyes are wide. "You're going to make me a weapon?"

"Yep."

"You?"

Ruby scoffs. "Just because I don't look like some kind of grease monkey doesn't mean I'm not capable, thank you very much! I'll have you know I forged Crescent Rose myself!"

"Wait, that crazy thing you use!? You made that."

Ruby tries not to preen too hard. It doesn't work. "I did indeed. Well, my uncle helped a bit during the designing phase, but all the actual construction was me."

Roman nods his head, still seeming sort of out of it. Ruby can't really blame him. This is likely quite a lot to take in.

"Alright… I guess it can't hurt to ask for help, then." Roman rubs at the back of his neck. "I don't suppose…"

"I'd train you?" Ruby chuckles as Roman looks caught. "Consider it done. We can make it a team bonding activity. Have Amber join in."

Roman's expression dims. "I'd rather Amber not know."

"Know what?" Ruby feigns innocence. "All she knows is that you're not doing terribly well in combat classes, and that I'm helping you to improve."

His eyes light up, then, and the smile on his face becomes a bit more noticeable.

"You… heh…" Roman shakes his head. "Alright…"

"When do we start?"

/

Jaune swallows on nothing as he stands before a set of double doors that will, in theory, lead into Evernight's dining hall.

He'd been told to come, and so here he is. He's doing his best to prevent himself from shaking, because that won't help him.

But even so, he's about to again converse with the Queen of the Grimm; with Salem.

He feels like such fear is more than warranted.

He swallows, making the decision that he's stalled enough. Better to… well, if he's to die, then better to meet it with some bravery, at least.

Hopefully it won't come to that.

He pushes open the doors – which are surprisingly heavy – and peers through the gap created in the center of them as it gradually widens.

The dining hall is an impressive room. It's colored the same way as the rest of Evernight; deep purples and the occasional stroke of violet. The ceiling is arched high in the air, hovering a good ten meters above. The center of the room has a long dining table, one which has six seats, and a seventh set up at the end of the table.

at the head of the table, in that seventh seat, is Salem herself.

Her other enforcers – Tyrian, Watts, and Hazel – line the seats to the sides. They're all eyeing Jaune curiously, clearly wanting to know what's about to happen as much as he does.

He hopes they won't be bearing witness to his execution. He'd rather not give Tyrian the pleasure.

"Ah, Jaune Arc," Salem speaks his name with a theatrical quality. "I'm glad you've arrived, and just on time as well."

Jaune hadn't meant to be on time; he'd not thought there existed such a concept in a place like Evernight, where day is identical to night – which makes sense, given the name – but he's not going to say that aloud.

"Please," Salem holds up a hand, and at the other end of the table, directly opposite her, a collection of violet rocks forms into the shape of a chair. "Take a seat."

Jaune swallows, even as he steps forward, and acquiesces to Salem's request. It's not like he can afford to do anything else.

The plum obsidian is cold under him as he takes his seat.

"Good." Salem's smile betrays nothing at all. "Now, Watts told me that you and he shared a productive conversation. Would you care to inform us of what our newest arrival told you, Watts?"

The man stands, straightens his tie – as if anyone gives a shit – and then clears his throat. "Indeed, my lady. Mr. Arc was initially quite cooperative with me. He answered my questions about himself, and I confirmed the validity of all of it. I've yet to determine a point of origin, given his family tree is rather… dense, but I believe he would have grown up in the small Valean settlement of Domremy."

Jaune's almost impressed at how easily Watts had been able to gather such information. He supposes it makes sense. Watts' virus had been the thing to ultimately win Cinder the battle in Vale, and at Beacon, taking over the Atlesian army.

Looking into the history of a well-documented, historical family like the Arcs is probably chump change for him.

"Unfortunately, I was unable to confirm anything more than that. There are results for a Jaune Arc, several in fact, throughout history. But of the seventeen, sixteen are long dead, and one is roughly seven years old."

That would be his younger self, then. Still, Jaune is almost surprised he'd had so many namesakes among the Arc's. Perhaps his father had named him after an old hero of their family?

Salem hums. "I see. So, what do you believe his origin to be, Watts?"

"I believe that you are correct, my lady; that this man is somehow magical in nature."

Jaune does his best not to show his discomfort on his face. After all, the truth of the matter being revealed to Salem… well, it's not good, that's for certain. He's not really sure what Salem could manage with access to the Ever After, but he's also not planning on finding out.

"Well, Jaune Arc?" Salem turns towards him now. "Is that the case?"

Jaune's had some time to try and come up with something. It's a gamble. Actually, no, a gamble is probably underselling it.

It's his entire life hanging in the balance. The lives of those from the Ever After; perhaps, even, from the Remnant he's actually from.

But even so, he feels he has to try.

If he doesn't, then they're all forfeit.

So, Jaune clears his throat, takes a breath, and says, "I believe that I was taken here, to this land, via some sort of magical phenomenon, yes."

Salem's expression seems intrigued as she leans forward, taking a stance so very alike to one Ozpin might have that Jaune can't help but see the resemblance.

"You… believe?"

"It's…" Jaune does his best to project annoyance onto his face. "I don't know what happened. I was in some strange, magical dimension. I was there with four others; their appearances I remember, but not their names. It's like… coming here, somehow, has sapped away my memories."

It's clear from the expression on Salem's face alone that she doesn't outright believe him. "You say that you have some manner of amnesia, then?"

"Less amnesia, and more…" Jaune pretends to not know how to describe it. "I know myself. I know my body, my abilities, even something of my past. But I don't know how I got here. I woke up in the supply closet of the Glass Unicorn about a minute or so from when I met Cinder."

Salem looks to Watts, and the man gives a subtle nod, corroborating Jaune's story via the Glass Unicorn's cameras, perhaps? He doesn't really know.

"After that, well, I saved the life of that man; Rhodes, I think. A Huntsman. Cinder nearly killed him."

Tyrian giggles. "A shame, that. A witness left alive. Perhaps, mistress, I could remedy that–"

Salem holds up a hand, and Tyrian whimpers, but quiets down. She motions for Jaune to continue.

"I heard of the events that had taken place from Cinder, and decided I wanted to protect her. It… what she was going through there was horrible. I didn't want to let her get dragged away to prison after that."

"Even after she'd killed the Madame and her daughters?" Salem asks him.

Jaune's not really sure why, but… perhaps he can just be honest for once.

"She told me it was an accident. At least, that she never intended to kill the first of them. That once it happened, she panicked when the Madame began to shock her. I believed her telling of the events."

Salem nods her head, not saying anything else on that matter. "And so Tyrian caught you. He tells me you dueled him to a standstill. That you forced him to take Cinder hostage in order to claim victory."

Jaune looks over at Tyrian, almost surprised the man had been so honest. Tyrian grins manically back at him, and Jaune grimaces.

"I did."

"Hm. We will have to test that strength of yours here. I will have you duel against Tyrian and Hazel within the next week or so, so that I might get an idea of your skill personally."

Jaune likes the sound of being alive for another week.

He less likes the sound of Salem involving herself in his affairs.

He's getting a bad feeling.

He's hesitant to ask such a thing, but in reality, Salem has as much as confirmed his safety, at least for the time being.

So… he allows his curiosity to win him over.

"You don't intend to kill me, then?"

The look on Salem's face is, briefly, one of abject surprise, before, in the next moment, she lets out a grand laugh.

It is something so anomalous that Jaune would have trouble describing it. It is in some ways a melodious sound, a human sound. And in other ways, it is discordance in its purest form. The windows rattle, and Salem's enforcers are much the same, each of them wincing – aside from Tyrian, of course, who hums out contentedly – as the sound crescendos, and then finally, ceases.

"No, I do not intend to kill you." Salem tells him. "You are a subject of interest, and someone whom I believe may even serve a rather crucial role here."

It's Jaune's turn to be surprised. "What do you mean by that?"

"I would have thought that obvious." Salem says, a wide smile on her face, but a challenging look in her eye, like she's daring him to argue against it. "As of this moment, you are now a member of my Inner Circle. You will serve me, devote yourself to me, and follow my orders to the letter."

Jaune's mouth is dry. Entirely so. To a degree that feels wrong.

It's Tyrian that interrupts, his laughter somehow less evil than Salem's, despite how much more obviously heinous he is.

"Oh, oh, my goddess, may I tell him what will happen if he dares go against you?"

Salem sighs, but there's a small upturning of her lips, as if Tyrian's antics amuse her, even if she knows they shouldn't.

"Go on, Tyrian."

He cackles happily, sitting up in his chair and clapping his hands together.

"We suspected that you would not wish to serve the Goddess!" Tyrian announces, and instantly, Jaune feels his stomach dropping. "And so, we came up with a plan to keep you in line! If you disobey the mistresses' orders, then it will not be you who pays for it…"

"It will be the girl, instead!"

Jaune's blood turns to ice inside his veins. He can feel his stomach go cold, even as his brow draws down, and anger nearly blinds him.

And yet, through it all, he cannot look away from Salem, sat upon her throne directly opposite him, with a casual smirk upon her lips.

Jaune realizes that such is not an empty threat. Because even if the Cinder of the future had proven to be one of Salem's fiercest lieutenants, a veritable force of nature…

As of now, she is just an experiment with potential. Just a somewhat skilled little girl.

One easily tossed aside.

Jaune's jaw is clenched tightly, and his knuckles are white beneath the dining table.

"So, Jaune Arc," Salem, again, says his name like it is so magnificent a thing. "Will you serve me?"

He wishes more than anything that he could say no. That he could deny Salem's wants, that he could go against the witch queen; she who commands the Grimm.

And yet…

Everyone within that hall knows the truth.

"It's not like I have any other choice, is it?" Jaune murmurs, and the sound carries across the room, causing Salem's smile to widen ever so slightly. "Fine. I'll be a member of your Inner Circle."

And despite Jaune's obvious hatred of her, despite the fact that she should be able to see the rage burning behind his eyes, Salem gives off the air of someone almost languidly pleased.

"A smart decision." She mocks him.

"Welcome to the fold, Jaune of Arc."

End Chapter 11

Alright, that's that! Both Ruby and Jaune have found their footing in their new places of residence, and some are more happy about that than others!

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