Chapter 2

Flames danced around the wood as the group sat around the campfire, the Hellborn on one side, the Remnantians on the other. Qrow was eyeing them with suspicion, his hand never leaving Harbinger. The rest were also skeptical, with the exception of Ruby, who was catatonic, her face somehow both horrified and overjoyed.

"So," Jaune slowly said, "You're from another world."

"Yyep." Loona replied.

"Which has its own heaven and hell."

"Correct." Moxxie answered.

"And you've been hired," Qrow stated, "To kill the one who murdered Summer."

At the mention of her mother, Ruby blinked, returning to reality as she turned to the Hellborn.

Octavia shrugged her shoulders, "Aside from a few other bits and pieces, that about sums it up."

"Ok…" Nora slowly said, "How INSANE do you think we are?!"

Loona smirked, "Told you they'd react like that."

"You have to admit," Ren commented, "From an outside perspective, it is unbelievable."

"Well, believe the dead scorpion guy," Loona rubbed her cheek before muttering to herself, "Man, that's going to sting for a while. Hey, bird man, you haven't dropped the scowl since we met. I'm assuming you don't believe us."

"Unless you have a way to prove what you're saying is true, you're damn right I don't believe you."

Octavia smiled, reaching behind her to pull out the journal. "This grimoire will be all the proof you'll need."

"And how?"

"It's more than just a grimoire. It's part of the bridge my dad used to send us here. Once enough energy is built up, we can use it to talk to him. He'll be able to explain the situation."

Ruby's eyes widened. "We…we'll be able to talk to him?" When Octavia nodded, Ruby continued, "Including mom?"

Qrow's eyes shifted to his niece. On one hand, if they were lying, they were using Summer as a goddamn emotional manipulator on his niece. On the other, if they were telling the truth, that not only meant that demons were real, but that Summer somehow hired some to kill Salem.

And that was a whole new can of crazy that would probably be enough to get him to quit drinking.

Probably.

Qrow groaned, "Look, before we discuss things any further, I…need to talk to my niece and the others. On the topic of Salem."

Loona rolled her eyes as Moxxie waved his hands in understanding.

"Oh, of course, Sir. This is a lot of new stuff, and Salem is a known threat. We understand getting the others clued in on things."

Octavia and Moxxie stood up, walking away from the campfire. When Loona refused to budge, Octavia gently grabbed onto her arm. Groaning, Loona got up as well, the three walking away.

Qrow rubbed his head, "And I thought this day wasn't going to be stressful enough."

"Uncle Qrow," Ruby stated, "Do you…well, I mean, are they…-"

"You want to know if they're telling the truth? Honestly…I have no idea. What they've said so far doesn't make any kind of sense. However, if they were working for Salem, then whoever they killed was expendable, or they aren't working for her entirely."

"Yeah, um, who is this Salem person?"

Qrow sighed once again, sitting down. "What's your favorite fairy tale?"

As Qrow told the teenagers, the three hellborn gathered away from the campfire. Close enough to see it, but far enough that they couldn't hear the conversation. Or, well, except for Loona, of course.

"So," Octavia slowly said, "This mission has gone to hell."

"Yeah, no shit. What the hell just hit us?"

"Well, if you want my opinion-"

"No, we don't, Moxxie."

Ignoring Loona, he continued, "It could be whatever celestial entities preside over Remnant. I'm not sure if it's the gods of this world, since Summer said that they abandoned it, but maybe they left guardians, to make sure no one intervened."

"Great!" Loona gruffed, "Do you think Blitz and Millie are alright?"

"I saw Millie grab Blitzo's tail," Octavia answered, "So they at least landed near each other. As for where…that could be anywhere. If we're lucky, they landed on the same continent as we did."

Loona rubbed her cheek, some of the fur turning red.

"Oh, crap." Moxxie exclaimed, already pulling out his bag, "Loona-"

"Don't cry a river, Mox. That scorpion guy just got a lucky hit on me, that's all."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, Octavia, it's fine."

"Excuse me?"

The three, having realized that they were talking for a lot longer than intended, turned at once, with Ruby having watched them.

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"So, how will you know if the book is charged up?"

Octavia smirked, "Well you see-"

The eyeball, located at the center of the book, opened up, and glowed blood red.

"-Exactly that will happen!"

"Wait, so I could talk to mom right now!?"

At Ruby's yell, Qrow, having watched his niece, gripped Harbinger, and the other three humans looked nervous. He wasn't going to fight them, but he wasn't buying their story.

"Hold on," Octavia protested, "First, I need to tell my dad that we're alright. If we still have time, then you can talk to Summer."

Ruby was practically vibrating as Octavia stepped away from her, opening the book. The book floated away from her, turning into red flames, and a rectangular screen formed, the size of a flatscreen TV, showing Stolas.

"Via?!" Stolas cried out, "Via, can you hear me?!"

Octavia rolled her eyes, "Yeah, dad, I'm here."

"Oh, thank Lucifer. There was a burst of energy from the portal shortly after I sent you, so I didn't know it..."

"Probably the same thing that hit us."

"Hit. You?"

"Yep. Two beams or balls, whatever, of energy slammed into us. I'm here with Loona and one of your creepy boyfriend's co-workers-"

"I have a name, you know!" Moxxie retorted.

"-But Blitz and the other one are separated."

"Oh dear," Stolas nervously replied, "That may have been these 'Brother Gods' that Summer talked about. Oohhh, I just hope Blitzy landed somewhere solid."

"How much time do we have?"

"Not long. This is our first communication since you arrived, and so early, too. I should be able to determine how to make the talks longer over the next few weeks, but, for now, only brief talks. Do you have any idea wher-"

"Aup, dad, wait. About the job."

"Yes?"

"Is Mrs. Rose there."

Stolas blinked, but nodded.

"Put her on."

Stolas's hand waved to the side, beckoning Summer onto screen.

"Miss Octavia, is everything alright."

Ruby froze in place.

'That voice…' Ruby turned her head, looking at her uncle, who was equally frozen.

Octavia merely smirked, and beckoned Ruby over. Ruby went into view, and mother and daughter both hitched their voices at the same time. Ruby at her mother's appearance, and Summer at seeing her little flower all grown up.

"Mom…" Ruby muttered, her eyes watering.

"My sweet, little Rose." Summer, already crying, put a hand on the screen. Ruby matched the hand, the two micrometers apart, but infinitely far.

"They told the truth. They are demons."

Summer choked out a laugh, "Yeah, crazy, isn't it."

"And you sold your soul to them."

Summer blinked owlishly. "Qrow?"

Qrow walked into frame, a sad smile on his face when he saw her. "Hey, Sums."

"I see you still have the bottle. And," she sighed, "For my little girls, I'd do anything. Is…is Yang with you?"

"Yang's…back home, in Patch."

"Wait, In Patch? As in, you aren't. Where are you?"

"In Mistral," Qrow answered, "Heading to Haven. There's a lot you missed out on, Sums."

The red flames began to glow and dim in order.

"What's happening?" Ruby exclaimed.

"Oh, dear," Stolas exclaimed, "The energy is waning. We won't be able to maintain the connection for much longer."

Ruby's eyes shoke in fear. "What do we do?"

"There's nothing we can do," Octavia sadly replied, "Except wait for the energy to build back up. Dad, we may have killed an agent of Salem, so part of our job is doing well, however, what should we do about Blitz and Millie?"

"Unfortunately, until more energy in the book is built up, I'm afraid they're on their own."

"Ruby," Summer pleaded with her daughter, "Don't worry, you'll see me again, I prom-!"

With that, the flames collapsed in on themselves, and the book was reformed. Ruby fell to her knees, tears hitting the dirt. Qrow placed a hand on his niece's shoulder.

"Ruby…"

"I got to see her again," she happily muttered, "Sure, she has all that dark, veiny stuff all over her, but I got to see her again. And she's helping us."

"That's what weve been trying to get into your skulls, numbnuts." Loona taunted, "So, what's the plan?"

"LIke I told Summer, we're heading to Haven Academy."

"As in," Moxxie commented, "A human city. That…will be a problem."

"How?" In response, Moxxie just gestured to the IMP gang. Qrow chuckled, "Well, that's easy. You can just pass off as Faunus."

"The fuck's a Faunus?"

"I could be their definition of local wildlife," Moxxie nerded, "Or perhaps he's referring to king of the Latins, Faunus, but I have no idea how a Latin legend would somehow end up-"

"I have NO idea who you're talking about. Faunus are humans on Remnant that have animilistic traits."

"Wait, so that guy I fought, with the scorpion tail. He was one of these Faunus?"

Qrow nodded, "And you guys could easily pass for Faunus. The short guy here, maybe not"

Moxxie gave a scowl/glare at Qrow, who merely shrugged.

"That's why," Octavia exclaimed, "Why Summer said we wouldn't need disguises. Because there are people who could easily confuse us with these Faunus."

"Well," Loona smirked, "That saves us some trouble. No need to hide who we are and whatnot," she frowned, "To bad Blitz and Millie won't know that."

Moxxie sighed, "I just hope that, wherever they landed, they're alright."

On a floating island, hundreds of feet above an ocean, with dozens of other floating islands, the last members of IMP were stranded. Millie was tired, while Blitz was furious.

"This fucking SUCKS!" He screams to the high heavens.

The next day, Ruby woke to the morning dawn, with a heavy growling alerting her attention. Looking around, almost everyone else was perfectly asleep, aside from Loona, who was away from the rest of the group, laying on the ground next to a tree.

Ruby got up, slowly approaching the hellhound, who clearly wasn't in a good mood.

"Um, Miss Loona-"

"What?!" She growled, turning her face to Ruby, who widened her eyes. When Ruby didn't respond, she growled even lower, repeating her question.

"Your cheek."

Loona blinked her eyes, placing her hand on the cut cheek. When she pulled her hand back, the fur on it was covered in purple blood…her poisoned blood.

"Well…"

"Uncle Qrow!"

"Fuck me."

Author's Notes: So...things got both better and worse for RWBY. Ruby got to see her mother again, confirming IMP's story, but Loona's been poisoned, a last laugh from the now dead Tyrian.

And Blitzo and Millie are trapped on a bunch of floating islands. Wonder if they'll meet anyone while stranded. In truth, I initially did have the Blitz and Millie section extended, but I figured that having it be short would convey the same message, and was funnier in my mind.

As always, leave a review, fav/follow, and I'll see you all next time.