Once again
For the first time in a long time, Jaune woke up to the sound of his friends, not thr nothingness of the everafter.
Specifically Nora, who woke up at 5 in the morning to drag Ren to make everyone breakfast to cheer them up.
Ren complained at the start, but when he woke up properly, he knew he had to make that sacrifice, they didn't know what to do, and they needed to make the best of their situation.
It didn't take Nora long to wake him up too, so he could help Ren. Jaune was too happy to see his friends smile to complain.
"Morning Ren." He greeted his friend, who nodded his way.
"Let me guess, she woke you up to help me." Ren said it with a hidden smirk, only visible to the people close to him.
"Yep, I'll make the eggs and bacon while you finish cooking the pancakes." Ren moved to the side, making way for Jaune to start helping him, it reminded them of their Beacon days, when team JNPR, mostly the male part of it, used to make breakfast for both teams as a way to break routine,
They worked in peaceful silence for a while, both content with it, until Ren broke it.
"Jaune, how're you feeling after everything?" Ren asked, not looking away from the frying pan.
"I'm good, why wouldn't I be?"
"You need to stop this." Ren said firmly, finally turning around to meet his leader's eyes.
"Jaune, we heard what you said to Cinder. I know you are hurting, I know you killed her for vengeance, but we need you." Jaune felt the guilt in his gut.
Back then, he was barely functional, the only thing on his mind was revenge, not noticing how he made everyone worry, how everyone was hurting just like him, yet, he didn't care.
"I- I'm sorry, I was a bad leader, I buried myself in grief and didn't notice how everyone else felt, you all needed me, and I was in my own little world." He couldn't look at Ren, the guilt was too much, even though he had already moved past this.
"I promise you, Ren, I'll be better, for you and Nora, for team RWBY, and for Pyrrha." He met his eyes, showing that he meant every word, they both saw the tears in each other eyes.
Ren smiled and walked closer, trapping Jaune in a hug, and before he knew it, Nora was there too.
"I believe you, Jaune, you are our fearless leader, after all." They all laughed at it, giggles soon turning into tears.
They barely talked about what happened, barely acknowledged their wounds, and moved past the pain.
It was time to let it heal, after all, time healed all wounds, or just make it a doll, distant memory, until you don't register the pain anymore.
"I'll go wake everyone up." Nora wiped the tears from her eyes and went on her mission.
They went to prepare the table until they heard the door open, and Qrow coming in, his eyes widen slightly when he saw them, and then narrowed on Jaune.
"Long night?" Ren asked, not noticing the slight shift.
"I had to arrange things with Haven new headmistress, after they found the previous one dead body, shit took way too long." He answered, sitting on one of the chairs.
"Thank you kid." Qrow nodded to Ren and Jaune and didn't wait, immediately devouring his plate of bacon and eggs, Ren chuckled and continued preparing.
"Good morning." Yanging, Yang walked in, not caring to fix her hair, which was unusual to say the least. She dragged the chair next to Qrow and sat down, her face slamming on the table.
"No sleep?" Qrow asked between his bites.
"Quite. I finally had my long-awaited talk with my partner, and let just say, it got a little out of hand." She glanced at Jaune, asking a silent permission, he just nodded, which was all she needed to start digging in her food.
"Understatement of the year, I'm not explaining the missing window." Weiss looked the same as Yang, barely getting any sleep.
"Alright, everyone is here." Nora declared, holding the body of Oscar on her shoulder, while Blake and Ruby walked behind her.
They all started to eat, and while the air was a little tense, thanks to both Yang and Blake, they soon started to share their adventures.
Weiss retelling of how she left home, and Blake telling everyone how her reunion with her family went better than expected.
She then apologized to everyone for leaving, Ruby was quick to forgive, and Weiss needed a little nudge.
Yang didn't though, she said she would work with her, but what happened had damaged their friendship.
Ruby and Jaune tried to move the conversation away from it, and everyone was too happy to talk about anything else.
"So, what's the plan now? Nora asked after they finished cleaning everything.
"Me and Jaune have ideas, we want to run them by everyone." They all nodded and looked at the two leaders.
"Well, first thing first, we have the Relic of knowledge, Ozpin, anything we need to know, no secrets." Jaune said, noticing the hypocrisy in his words.
He would help his friends, but he wasn't about to tell them he came from a ruined future, or that they were going there faster than they could think.
"You can ask three questions in an era, I already use one, so there's two that we might use." Ozpin answered with a small smile, and Jaune winced.
The moment they try to use Jinn and find it only has one question left, things might get complicated quickly.
"Alright, anything else?" Ozpin thought for a while, his hand on his chin.
"The Relic may attract Grimm, it has the brothers power, so the Grimm would detect it and go for it, we need to be careful with that."
"Good… not the fact it attracts Grimm, but that we know it and won't be a surprise." Jaune explained hurriedly, Weiss chuckled, while the rest just rolled their eyes.
"Ok, we have the Relic of knowledge, we can get the Relic of choice, and the creation should be-"
"Wait, what do you mean We can get the Relic of choice?, it's in Beacon's Vault, we'll need the fall maiden, and our friend over here made sure she wasn't around." Qrow gestured to Jaune while asking.
"Oh right, well-" Ruby took a step back, closing her eyes for a moment, until silver flames came out of her eyes.
"Ta da." She laughed nervously. Everyone looked at her with open mouths and surprised expressions, then they all turned to Jaune.
"Let's just say, she held a grudge for her arm and eye." He said simply, like it explain everything, it kinda did too.
"Great, we have a maiden with silver eyes, way to make a bigger target on your back." They all turned to Qrow.
"You are a silver eyes warrior, Salem already wanted you, and now with a maiden, you're just asking for trouble." Ruby went quiet, her excitement gone.
"We are hunters, there is a target on our back no matter what, the maiden just gives us more of an edge, especially since Salem doesn't have it." Jaune said firmly.
"Jaune and I talked yesterday, we thought if we moved to Atlas, we'd have a better chance to protect the Relic, and prepare ourselves for the fight." She said that hope was coming back to her.
"What fight? Didn't you hear the kid yesterday? Salem can't be killed, fighting won't result in anything." Qrow took a long drink from his flask, and Jaune started to suspect the meeting with the Headmistress of Haven didn't take that long.
"But we can push her back, Salem only has Emerald as a maiden candidate, she already lost her queen. If we push her back, at least we give ourselves a few years, with those, technology can advance and we could push the Grimm more."
"Yeah, or she just destroy everything. Listen kids, I know you think you can win. But this isn't Emerald Forest Grimm, this is the queen of all Grimm."
"Well, we can't do nothing, we need to try." Weiss said, crossing her arms and standing next to her leader.
"Whatever, I'm gonna go to sleep now." He waved them off, walking to the couch and collapsing immediately.
"So, anyone except the angry bird wants to add something." Jaune said
"There's an embargo in Atlas, it won't be easy." Ren said.
"But it's worth it, if we can reach the general, we would have reinforcement and an army at our back, which would help if we want to push Salem back." Yang said.
"So, everyone who agrees to the plan should raise their hand." Ruby said, and she was not disappointed when she saw everyone hands up.
"Great, Jaune and I will start planning our route, Ren, Nora, and Weiss, can you get supplies for us, dust, ammo, and camping equipment just in case." They all nodded.
"Yang, Oscar, and Blake, can you check with Haven and Menagerie to see if we could find any footage on Salem's agents? If we can find their hideout, presuming it's not in the grimmland, we can arrange with Atlas to take the fight to them." They all nodded and started moving.
"Hey Weiss, can we talk for a moment?" Weiss stopped and turned to Jaune, who couldn't meet her eyes.
"What is it, jaune?"
"I want to say I'm sorry. I know you just barely left Atlas, and now we are making you go back to everything." Weiss chuckled at his sad expression.
"Please, If I didn't want to, I wouldn't have agreed, I left because I had nothing there, I got disowned, and the only people who cared about me were either in the military unavailable, on menagerie, or somewhere in Mistral wilderness, if I'm going back to Atlas, I at least have you guys." She looked into Jaune's blue eyes.
"awww, Weiss." Ruby took the opportunity and jumped on Weiss, hugging her, and to her surprise, Weiss returned the hug.
/-/
A week has passed.
Jaune would have liked it if they could have found something about Mercury and Emerald, but Haven cameras were turned off thanks to the previous Headmaster.
While he and Ruby outline their way to Argus and from there to Atlas, he still couldn't figure out a way for them to get a bullhead without stealing it, but if nothing worked, he still had his old plan to rely on.
He watched as Sun said goodbye to team RWBY, he wasn't close to the man, but he remembered Blake mentioning how he didn't give up on her.
He sighed and went back into his thoughts again. The week didn't go as he planned, the whole point was to not repeat their old mistakes, so he looked up Atlas to find a way in, and to his dismay, he did find something, but it would be hard to do.
The good thing about revealing the truth early, was that he could control the outcome somewhat, he saved a question from Jinn, and he had the added benefit of not revealing unnecessary part of the vision.
He told them the basics, or Cinder did, Ozma was a warrior tasked by the brother to kill Salem. They fought for years, switching key moments, not mentioning that Salem's husband was Ozma and all that.
Their goal was clear, and Ozpin looked relieved that no one knew the full truth, so he at least had Ozpin on their side, instead of the distinct observer that he becomes in Atlas.
The sound of bills brought him back to reality, signaling them to get one the train.
They all got on the train, taking off their gear and relaxing. It would be a long way to Argus, they thought.
"Guys, we talked about this." Jaune facepalmed while everyone groaned.
"Come on, we just got in, no Grimm will attack us now." Yang groaned from her bed, already taking off her gauntlet.
"Yeah, ease a little Jaune, if something happens, we'll be ready." Ruby said, he sighed and looked at his team, who were also relaxing.
"Fine, I'll look for Qrow." Ruby went silent.
After the truth came out, Qrow took it the hardest, putting all of his life into it, and for nothing? The man drowned himself in alcohol, and his nieces had to pick him up most of the time.
He wandered around the train, until he found an open bar with Qrow sitting alone.
"Hey." He said.
"H- Hey."
"Excuse me, can I have what he has?" The bartender nodded his way, quickly giving him the same drinks as Qrow, who only raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure kid? This isn't my usual, this is much stronge-" He didn't finish, Jaune taking the shot and immediately regretting it.
"Ha, I told you, next time go small." Qrow looked at him with amusement, which was an improvement.
Ever since he killed Cinder, Qrow made it a point to take him with him for drinks. He thought it was so he could waste himself and have someone to take him home.
After the third time, he realized Qrow was trying to help him process his first kill, he appreciated the man's effort, but it wasn't his first time killing.
Let me choose this one thing.
Trust me.
Jaune shook his head Violently, he still had nightmares about it, it never left him.
Qrow took it as the wrong sign and sighed.
"Listen kid, I know how it feels. In the rush of battle, you don't feel a thing, but after it, it comes crashing, then you start to wonder if you did the right thing." Qrow looked him in the eyes.
"For most people, it probably isn't, mine sure wasn't, but you did the right thing. If you didn't stop here, she wouldn't have stopped killing, hack, she might as well have followed us to Atlas and killed more innocent civilians." He placed his hand on Jaune's shoulder.
"Thanks, Qrow, that means a lot." He tried to smile, but it came out forced, Qrow didn't comment on it.
"Oh Young men and their problems, back in my days, they would have taken an axe to the face and shrug it off." An old lady, who was way shorter than Ruby said, her dark skin and white hair made Jaune recognize her immediately.
"Well, excuse me lady, I was having a moment with the kid." Qrow replied in kind.
Before she could say anything, the train started to shake, Jaune and Qrow immediately knew what was coming.
Jaune's hand dipped to the Relic reflexively, and when he didn't find it, his teeth gritted.
Even though Ozpin told him to keep the Relic, everyone found it more fitting to leave it with Ruby. Just in case a Grimm tried to take it, it would have to fight off a silver eyes warrior. Jaune agreed reluctantly.
He knew that after they beat some Grimm, Ruby would tell them to get the Civilians out, while they held the Grimm off.
And true to what happened originally, team RWBY and Qrow were left behind to fight the Grimm, leaving Oscar with them, only he did notice an old lady sneaking back there.
With Ruby's new powers, they would be fine, which meant JNPR had to find a way from Argus to Atlas.
"I think we are safe here." Ren said, turning off his semblance and standing up.
The train regained its previous colors, and with a cheer from the passengers, they felt like heroes.
Jaune looked at his team with a proud smile. Team RWBY was fine the first time, and now they have a maiden.
He looked at the passengers who were cheering loudly, he was glad none of them got hurt, until he spotted a familiar sight, and his blood ran cold.
She met his eyes, then she went deeper into the train. Jaune was to focus on her, moving the passengers out of his way so he could run after her.
"She wasn't here the first time, why now? What changed." He thought as he raced behind her, ignoring his teammates shouting.
/-/
The room went dead silent, no one dared speak, fearing their goddess wrath.
She stepped closer, Hazel crumbling in fear while pinned down with hands like Grimm that came from the ground to grab him.
"Tell me, dear Hazel, who has failed me so miserably?" She asked him in a low voice, it was enough for the quiet room.
"C- Cinder, it was Cinder's arrogance that got her killed." He answered, trying to raise his head to meet her eyes.
"And do you have any idea how much this set our plans back? We not only lost a maiden, but a Relic as well. Tell me, why shouldn't I punch you?" The hands that pinned him to the ground, suddenly started moving to the side, climbing the side of the wall to the ceiling, holding Hazel in the air, defenseless.
The Queen's hand rested atop of Hazel's heart, his howl of pain was heard for miles, yet, no soul was on this continent other than them.
"The only reason you are not dead like Cinder is simply that I still have use for you, your goal of ending the wizard is close to my heart, after all." Her eyes met Emerald for a fraction of a second before the girl looked away.
"Alas, Cinder didn't fail me, you girl, our daer Cinder's prodigy, I believe that upon Cinder's death, you should have the maiden power, is it not?" She waited for an answer.
"I- I'm sorry, b- but I haven't gotten the power, maybe she is still alive." Emerald said with a new hope that if Cinder didn't die, then the power wouldn't transfer.
"Oh dear child, our friend Cinder is gone from this world, at the hands of some knight who she wronged." She closed her eyes and walked back to her throne.
"Atlas should be the next kingdom we crush, if the world sees their strongest military gone, their grief would ensure it, see it to be done, and I will be expecting the winter maiden to be among us after that." Her eyes traveled to Emerald again, who coward under her glance.
"Watts, if you may stay for a little." He stopped midway and bowed his head, while the other left.
Emerald let herself be dragged by Mercury outside, not listening to another word after what she just heard.
"A knight? The only person who wanted Cinder dead was…" realization struck her, that blonde, the one who attacked Cinder.
She gritted her teeth, she will have her revenge, she will get the winter maiden powers and watch as his body burn by her fire.
"Do you require my services, my Queen." Arthur watts asked.
"I do. Have you heard the fairy tale 'the girl who fell through the world'?" She asked him, gazing into the red sky.
"The children fairy tale? I have, mother used to read it for me. What about it?" She asked, a puzzled look on his face.
"It may seem childish, but that place, the everafter is a real place. I want you to bring me everything you can find about it, about that fairy tale, about who wrote it. I have a feeling it may come in handy in the near future." She commanded, because if she didn't, her underling wouldn't take it seriously.
The world they lived in was a strange one, with magic so strange that it sounded like nonsense, but she lived through it, she used it, and now, it would be the key to end this miserable world.
"As the night fall, so will the knight's blade, pray for whatever god you worship Cinder, so you won't meet me again in the everafter, because if I see you again, I'll hunt you down."
Salem smiled absently, giving Cinder that Grimm arm was a good decision. She knew the girl would turn traitor at some point, all of them do.
But it was rare when she found something that Ozma and her didn't quite know about, something beyond her and her husband's curse.
Note: again, this story came from my random thought, I rewatched V6 so I can have a better idea of what to do, I plan to change some stuff, and some won't, but I'm definitely changing what the character dynamics are, if everything goes to my plan, I would redeem some characters, who got axed by the plot (characters from V6 to V9), and a small maybe, i would turn some against Jaune, idk, will see.
So who do think Jaune is running after? Is she an Allie? an enemy? or Pyrrha?
Anyway thanks for reading, I would appreciate a review and telling me how this is going.
Free palestine.
Goodbye.