The battle for Vale kept going into the night. The gaps in the god of light's army had been nothing more than a momentary reprieve. The rooks and bishops turned out to be slow-moving things with the pawns and knights being the fastest.
Vale's streets became a battleground. Vehicles and buildings became strongholds as huntsmen and Servants fought off the toys. The god of light himself was absent, allowing every Servant to focus in on the army.
But the tower was the most heavily defended and was still untouched by the god of light's army, and Ruby hated it.
She was there sniping away the toys with Lancer staying guard. Her only comfort was that Weiss and Yang were there with her. There was still no sign of Blake, not even a word when Sun passed by them to deliver more supplies.
"It's not right," Ruby said. "I should be down there! Not up here while everyone else is risking their lives!"
The only damage on the CCT was the glass panes which they needed for their sniping position.
"Believe me, kid," Lancer replied. "I'd want nothing more than to get in there on the action. But not only do we have to defend this tower for whatever plan Archer has in mind, we're also not going to be much help down there. I'm built to deal with Grimm, not so much use outside of it."
"So?" Ruby retorted. "Every huntsman down there trained to beat Grimm. That doesn't stop them from fighting the army off."
One shot killed off two pieces. Despite the darkness of night, it was easy to tell which was which with how bright the toys' colors were. They didn't emit any light themselves; they were just that brightly colored. It also helped that the lights were still on.
"How much more important is this Record thing that we couldn't just go down there and fight them off?" Ruby said.
"Something tells me that Archer wants people to hear it," Lancer said.
"What is it even about?"
"Lots of things, really." Lancer waved it dismissively. "Never heard it myself but Grail knowledge granted me that it is full of stuff. Sounds and music, greetings, a bunch of pictures, that sort of thing."
"And this is supposed to be special?" Ruby doesn't get it.
"We won't know until we hear it, kid." Lancer shrugged. "On your left."
Ruby didn't even need to aim. There was too many there that the shot hit something. That toy piece stumbled and tripped up the rest, huntsmen there took full advantage of it.
Ruby kept groaning. All around her, she could hear the sounds of people putting their lives on the line while she is stuck there. Huntsmen gathered around civilian shelters, forming a line of defense. None of them were sure how the god of light would feel about civilians but it was clear that those people were in danger. Ruby wanted nothing more than to leave and go there herself.
Lancer stood up. "Looks like I'm needed now. Master, I'll take my leave."
Toys were getting near to the tower, Ruby begun to shoot more as straggling toys were making their way to the tower. With Lancer around, most wouldn't be able to reach them yet, not until more huntsmen gave in to exhaustion.
Huntsmen had to fall back, if only to rest and restock. Wherever they went, they went there quickly as they tried to push back. Those moments were abused by the god of light, forcing even the exhausted huntsmen, both body and ammunition, to keep fighting.
Not one of these toys were aiming for any supply lines. Wherever there were huntsmen, they followed. Wherever there were people, the toys came for them. Uncaring for their own and inexhaustible, the toys would come for all of them eventually.
Grimm were still absent despite it all. Ruby wasn't sure if she wanted them around. She heard about how Grimm and these toys interacted but that would be just as detrimental to them as it would be beneficial.
Yang was down there, along with team CRBY, beating the hell out of the approaching toys with vigor. She too had been stuck here and had been itching for a fight. Weiss had given up on all the Dust she had on her person, giving it away, for what little amount its worth, to those huntsmen on the front line.
In a sad way, Ruby would admit that Yang's coordination with her team CRBY had excelled further than when Yang was with team RWBY. Cardin had done well on using Yang's strengths and Yang could work along with the team better.
Weiss had become better as a lone fighter herself. Glyphs of different colors and uses all came out, making Weiss a one-woman army with her only weakness being her stamina. Other huntsmen there watched her back, with Lancer fully taking over.
Each member of team RWBY had got to separate directions. They all did. Yang had team CRBY. Weiss was making her own path. Blake was absent. Ruby would have had team JNPR but even they had gone a different direction, on the front line.
Yet, Ruby couldn't help but be depressed. Team RWBY, her team, was falling apart. Not because of conflict, not because of drama—though that one could count considering Blake, but it was because of circumstances forced them all to adapt.
Ruby didn't think that it would happen this soon! She didn't even think that Vale would be attacked, let alone twice, or thrice if one considers the incident with Mountain Glenn. Was it strange that she'd rather go back there? At least team RWBY were still fighting together.
Crescent Rose shifted to its scythe form. Ruby descended from her position into a burst of rose petals. A few toys have begun to ascend the tower. The only relief she could see was that Ren and Nora were closing in on to the tower.
Nora's hammer took out small groups of toys as they ascended. Ren had let go of his weapon in favor of those fancy martial arts things of his. Palm strikes and mantis-like movements had been refined this night.
"Hey Ruby!" Nora greeted her. "Too lonely up there?"
"I thought you guys would be with Pyrrha?"
"Oh we will." Nora nodded.
"Just give her a moment," Ren added. "She'll be here in no time."
Ruby would have asked what they had meant but she received her answer almost immediately.
Toys were being obliterated by a force stampeding through them. Changing directions to where the toys were most concentrated and towards Vale's fallen walls, clearing a path and separating much of the toys from the rest of the group. Anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby would have their ears ruptured from the sonic booms that came from it. Pink lightning followed that force wherever it went.
Explosive sounds kept drumming faintly in the distance. Huntsmen cheered for relief and rest. Most still capable of movement began to rebuild and reinforce their barricades and walls. Dust was running low that most had to resort with whatever debris that they could throw at their enemies. Still no sign of Grimm.
The rumbling of thunder loudened again as Juniper approached them. At a far distance, Juniper slowed down that Ruby could make out Rider, Pyrrha, and Jeanne on Juniper's back. Jeanne was using her Maiden powers and restored Pyrrha's aura reserves.
"Is everyone alright?" Jeanne asked. She quickly got to work and restored everyone's aura, except Ruby since she was still in the green, barely used earlier in the day and this night.
After everyone gave their affirmations, Pyrrha asked Rider: "when next?"
"After Astolfo," Rider replied. "Unless the god of light decides to come back in the morning, we could rotate Noble Phantasms between Astolfo, myself, and Saber."
"Lancer could do it too," Ruby suggested. But her voice whimpered when all eyes went to her. "I-if you know, you want to."
Pyrrha turned to the two Servants. Rider and Jeanne looked at one another.
"Lancer could do it too, right?" Ruby asked.
Jeanne sighed. "If we need to, Ruby. But these toys are god of light's direct creations. They have an innate resistance to silver eyes."
Ruby groaned. Useless. She was useless! She was a Master but she couldn't contribute. She was a huntress but she is sent to the backline. Her team broke apart and she couldn't do anything to fix it on account of having to fight for Vale.
"…afford ourselves a few hours," Rider said. Ruby had spaced out and missed a few things. "I saw them out there, they're still coming."
"I swear, it's like we're fighting all of Remnant with those numbers!" Nora complained.
"They're spawning," Jeanne added. "Your god of light is still spawning them. He's taking the backseat himself and focusing on creating more toys. Be on your guard, there may be new toys in the mix. I don't know if he's the type to strategize but still."
Rider vanished from their sight, focusing on letting Pyrrha recover as much of her aura as was possible. Jeanne left them for a while, went to recover Ozpin's aura reserves for the next wave.
There were calls already on the first sight of the god of light's toys. With how much of Vale's landscapes are being flattened, those faunus eyes at night didn't matter since anyone could see at this distance. The only obstruction would be the trenches they've dug out to bury the toys and give them more time. Toys were vanishing much like the Grimm.
Ruby wanted nothing more than to join them. Ruby may not be as strong as Yang but she could carry the lighter loads with greater speeds. How about a messenger? She could do that easily. Zipping and zapping from place to place and deliver messages was useful in times like this, right? International communications were down right now.
"You guys aren't going?" Ruby asked. No one on team JNPR moved. If anything, they took that time to collapse on the ground. Even Ren couldn't mask that exhaustion with his stoic silence. "Oh."
"If it helps," Pyrrha managed to say after a few breaths. "We're supposed to hold the line here."
"Does that mean?" Ruby dared to hope.
"No, miss Rose." Professor Goodwitch came to them. "You four are to hold the line here once the god of light's armies reach Vale's cities again. We have a few hours. Use it to rest. Saber and Astolfo will clear the path to grant us more hours."
"If I may, professor Goodwitch," Ren asked. "Why haven't we done this earlier?"
"The god of light kept every other Servant occupied. Had he not attacked Vale directly, we would have done so sooner."
"There's still no end to them," Jeanne added. "God of light is making more of them. We're wiping them out faster sure but that's only going to last for so long."
"What about the Grimm?" Ruby asked. "Where are they in all this?"
"Grimm have been sighted retreating from Vale's borders. Those straggling were ultimately dealt with by the god of light." Professor Goodwitch adjusted her glasses. "Make no mistake. The Grimm are coming, that much we are sure."
"If anything," Jeanne said. "They're going to wait for us to tire ourselves out. If we fall, the Grimm will come in and deal with the remaining toys. Afterwards, we all lose."
"That's depressing," Nora commented. Her pep couldn't overcome the exhaustion. "We're here fighting our lungs out and you're sure we're not going to win?"
"In battle?" Jeanne shook her head. "No. God of light has an infinite amount of resources. He could keep creating his toys so long as he's alive, and only Archer and Watts have the plan and the means to kill him. We should have taken it ourselves but I have a strong feeling that Archer intended it. Messing with our heads."
"Hence why you all will stay here and defend the tower," professor Goodwitch concluded. She turned to Pyrrha. "Miss Nikos, you are aware of Rider's turn in the rotation?"
"Understood, professor." Pyrrha weakly raised a thumb. It couldn't even be called a thumb's up with how it was trembling so much.
Professor Goodwitch gave them one last look of concern. She mumbled something to herself before leaving them be.
It didn't take long for team JNPR to start snoozing then and there. Despite the cold, hard ground of Vale's streets, exhaustion took over them before they could do anything. Even Jeanne, despite being a Servant, was struggling to stay up.
Then, Juniper appeared before them again. Rider followed soon after. Rider gently put his team against Juniper and they quickly snuggled into the smooth and more comfortable fur. Paper Pleasers appeared before them, and folded themselves into stacks for better comfort; it wasn't going to be as comfortable as a proper bed or even a stack of hay, but it had to be better than the cold hard ground.
Seeing them like this only brought a heaviness to Ruby's heart. They were, all of them, out there on the front lines. Meanwhile, Ruby herself, with those stupid silver-eye powers was made useless against the toys. Frustration and self-anger was building inside of her.
She wanted to be a hero. Right now, she's far from it and people are suffering. Silver-eyed warriors were supposed to be heroes, weren't they? So what if these toys could resist it, she's still supposed to be a hero.
Unknown to her, her eyes sparked for a moment.
/-/
Pyrrha hadn't been the only one surprised that she had awoken in a bed. Her vision may have blurred and her mind wasn't all there, but she was certain that she, along with the rest of team JNPR, had fallen asleep on the cold hard ground—or is team JJNPR now, as Jeanne had told them? She vaguely remembered crawling towards something soft and fluffy that, for some reason, had that immediate calming effect on them all that allowed them fall asleep faster.
The immediate room they were in made Pyrrha believe that they were in Beacon again. Grogginess from that sleep made her believe that it had all been a dream somehow, the battle of Vale that was. However, the faint noises outside the windows were evidence to the contrary.
Darkness was still out with stars and Remnant's broken moon bearing witness to the ongoing battle here.
"Rider!" Pyrrha quickly called out. "Is it—"
"No." Rider appeared before them. He pointed to a building. "Watch."
A green pillar of light, Pyrrha remembered that one, appeared. Saber's Noble Phantasm has been unleashed. With a wide sweeping motion, Saber cleared out the rest of the coming waves. Despite that, battle resumed in Vale's streets since a few got past Saber. Pyrrha could still hear them from there. Upon closer inspection, they were actually fairly close.
"Saber's our weakest link on that," Rider said. "Astolfo and I could redirect our Noble Phantasms and clear out the stragglers but Saber has to aim it properly. At least Lancer is getting in on the action now."
Pyrrha wasn't sure how Rider could see well but the figure flying out, taking out small groups of toys had to be Lancer. Lancer couldn't use her own Noble Phantasm in the same way as the others but she was still a Servant. Speaking of Servants, Archer's shots continued to fly.
"We need to go," Pyrrha said. But Rider pushed her back down.
"You need to rest."
"Rider, I can fight now. I've rested." Trying to prove her point, Pyrrha forced herself up only to stumble.
"You're still tired. You, and everyone else really, pushed yourself too much that any rest you'll take will make you feel it afterwards."
Like the pain one gets after an intense workout, only much worse, Rider would have added.
"No amount of aura is going to recover that," Rider continued. "We'll get there once Astolfo releases Hippogriff again."
Pyrrha fell back on her bed, grumbling to herself. "How much longer must we hold on? Is the Golden Record really going to turn the tide?"
Rider shrugged. "Archer and Watts put a lot of faith on it. If I were to guess, it's more to do with the god of light. Jeanne's right, maybe Watts is playing the long game by making us want to take it for ourselves."
"But what could make him move?"
Rider shook his head. "I don't know either, and I have Voyager with me. He's been dormant ever since this whole thing started. At best, I get a few glimpses here and there."
"Like what?"
"The stars, empty blackness of space, I also get cold all of the sudden, like I had just gone through a freak hailstorm."
Ren and Nora hadn't wakened yet. But Pyrrha couldn't go back to sleep. She stayed up and was watching the battle occur outside. Ruby appeared enthusiastic with how that burst of red went from one place to another, never really staying still for more than a minute.
"Ruby's glad to be on the battlefield for once," Rider said. "Yang and Weiss are there too."
"But no Blake."
"Still no Blake. She's with the civilians. I can't even say if she has her weapons with her. She might as well be a civilian at this point."
"That bad?"
"She blames herself for a lot of things. Wouldn't surprise me if she blames herself for what's happening right now."
"But it's not her fault."
"No." Rider shook his head. "It isn't."
Pyrrha sighed. The tower was still standing. They just needed to hold out for more. The battle at Vale's broken walls kept going. Then, Pyrrha witnessed a figure in the air.
"Looks like that's our cue," Rider said. "You ready?"
"What about those two?" Pyrrha pointed to Ren and Nora.
"We'll go there once Jeanne comes to get us. She'll restore our aura immediately afterwards. Just ready yourself, Master."
Astolfo's distant form was covered in light. He bounced like a ball as the next wave of the god of light wiped out. Huntsmen and huntresses were dangerously low on Dust, if they haven't run out already. They only had enough to power their homes. Even then, they had begun to take from there as well, for what little worth that it could afford them.
The toys were wiped once more. How many waves did that make them again? Pyrrha lost count at this point. Pyrrha wondered if Vale had enough supplies to last. It had only been a day and already she felt that they've exhausted much of Vale's resources.
"Will we rebuild Vale after?" Pyrrha asked.
"All the king's horses and all the king's huntsmen couldn't put Vale together again, Master," Rider replied. "The buildings and settlements in the territory may survive but the capital won't. Beacon might have to be relocated after this."
Rider sighed.
"Atlas is taking its sweet time with the Golden Record." There was some annoyance in Rider's voice. "And the Grimm have yet to come."
"It's a horrible day when we'd want the Grimm to come."
"It really is." Rider gulped. "I'd get the Paper Pleasers out here but I don't have enough to work with. Both aura reserves and actual people. You'd think that with how many strangers out there, I would have an infinite amount, but I don't. Even if I did, the aura reserves it would take to bring them all here would be crazy."
Pyrrha hadn't been able to sleep again. But she was able to rest at least as she sat on a chair nearby. Rider never left the window pane as both of them stared out into Beacon's streets, taking any notes of Vale's battle.
Eventually, Jeanne arrived and called for them. Ren and Nora were awake by now and joined in the battle. They waited for the toys to arrive as they have. God of light was far off in the distance. Rider was about to begin activation of his Noble Phantasm.
Suddenly, everyone's scrolls activated. Every means of communication opened. Televisions, radios, and even online devices all showed their screens.
Then, it was as though the world paused. All means of communication and sharing of information were opened. Toys and huntsmen all stopped in place as the feed was played for them all. The face of general James Ironwood was shown on screen.
"Everyone," he addressed. "This is General James Ironwood of Atlas. I apologize ahead of time for the inconvenience that I have caused you all. Though, given what has happened in Remnant, as I'm sure most of you are aware, such an apology may be quite worthless."
Huntsmen were the first to recover from their pause. They quickly moved to reinforce their barriers before the toys stepped forward. Ozpin and Saber put themselves into position. But Ozpin's eyes never left his own scroll.
"It has come to my attention that we have found an answer to an eternal question," Ironwood continued. "We have recently come into possession of a peculiar record of sorts of unknown origins. Through our sincerest efforts, we have come to the conclusion that it had not come from Remnant itself. Rather, it had come from a place far away from our own."
Murmurs were had among huntsmen. Pyrrha managed to pick up a few words there. Magic exists. Do you see that one huntsman on that weird creature? How about the Rusted Knight and his Jackalope? What else is new?
"My people have worked on this tirelessly in order to decode the contents of this Golden Record, and we have found a message." General Ironwood then turned to someone. The camera panned, revealing doctors Jekyll and Polendina. "Play it."
There was a moment of silence before every device played the same thing. At first, Pyrrha didn't quite understand it. Everyone felt the same. Sounds of running water, some animals, with a few that they've never heard of before were being played. While those at the comfort of their own homes could scoff at this global attempt at a prank, Vale's huntsmen were moving furiously as they kept rebuilding and reinforcing their defenses.
Then came the music. Pyrrha would admit the nice sounds of it all. But those symphonies were nothing special to her. Perhaps those musically inclined would have a better means of figuring out.
"… Symphony," Rider said, amazement dripping into his voice. "Earth music."
Some people were beginning to talk. The piece itself was quite pleasant. So this was a song of this Earth then?
"Perhaps," Ironwood interjected. "You are unconvinced of it. But I can assure you all that these sounds you are hearing do not come from Remnant itself. They were not made by the hands of anyone on Remnant. Hear their voice."
The voices came. No one there paid any attention to the voices themselves, but words spoken. None of them understood it. Yet, there was something about it that stirred inside them all. Pyrrha looked to Jeanne and found her frozen in place. Even Astolfo stood still. Lancer and Saber, who were distances away from them, stayed on guard.
Rider, on the other hand, froze in place, just like Jeanne and Astolfo.
Pyrrha listened on. Everyone did.
šilim-ma hé-me-en
Οἵτινές ποτ ἔστε χαίρετε! Εἰρηνικῶς πρὸς φίλους ἐληλύθαμεν φίλοι.
Paz e felicidade a todos
各位好嗎？祝各位平安健康快樂。
Everyone else was confused, unsure of what to make of it.
Jeanne d'Arc, Astolfo, and Rider remained still in their place. They were trembling almost. But it wasn't out of fear, that much Pyrrha was sure of. Rather, the messages moved them a great deal, Rider especially.
Adanniš lu šulmu
Здравствуйте! Приветствую Вас!
สวัสดีค่ะ สหายในธรณีโพ้น พวกเราในธรณีนี้ขอส่งมิตรจิตมาถึงท่านทุกคน
The toys stopped in their movements. Some of them have begun to back away. Huntsmen still unaffected by it took it as their chance to reinforce the defenses or deal with the opposing front line.
تحياتنا للأصدقاء في النجوم. يا ليت يجمعنا الزمان
Salutări la toată lumea
Bonjour tout le monde
Saber was the first of the Servants to recover, he commanded the others, bringing every other huntsman out of their daze.
နေကောင်းပါသလား
שלום
Hola y saludos a todos
Lancer was the next to recover. She moved with as much speed as allowed her. Team RWBY followed suit with Ruby never once letting her eyes leave her scroll.
Selamat malam hadirin sekalian, selamat berpisah dan sampai bertemu lagi dilain waktu
Kay pachamamta niytapas maytapas rimapallasta runasimipi
ਆਓ ਜੀ, ਜੀ ਆਇਆਂ ਨੂੰ
Ren and Nora returned to their senses before Pyrrha ever did. Rider still stayed still. What was going on in that head of his?
Aššuli
নমস্কার, বিশ্বে শান্তি হোক
Salvete quicumque estis; bonam erga vos voluntatem habemus, et pacem per astra ferimus
Hartelijke groeten aan iedereen
Herzliche Grüße an alle
Jeanne and Astolfo began to cry. Tears were falling down their face. Their lips slowly curved upwards. They stood proud, renewed in strength and conviction that Pyrrha never before had seen of them.
السلام عليکم ـ ہم زمين کے رہنے والوں کى طرف سے آپ کو خوش آمديد کہتے ھيں
Chân thành gửi tới các bạn lời chào thân hữu
Sayın Türkçe bilen arkadaşlarımız, sabah şerifleriniz hayrolsun
こんにちは。お元気ですか？
The toys have begun to fall back. Above them, Pyrrha could see clouds of light gathering like a storm. She didn't need to guess to know that the god of light was seething with wrathful anger. Yet the messages kept playing, defying the god of light.
धरती के वासियों की ओर से नमस्कार
Iechyd da i chi yn awr, ac yn oesoedd
Tanti auguri e saluti
ආයුබෝවන්! Āyubōwan!
Siya nibingelela maqhawe sinifisela inkonzo ende.
The clouds thundered like war drums. Anger filled those clouds. Something inside of Pyrrha stirred. Was it Rider's doing? What was he thinking? He was frozen like a statue right now.
Reani lumelisa marela
祝㑚大家好。
Բոլոր անոնց որ կը գտնուին տիեզերգի միգամածութիւնէն անդին, ողջոյններ
안녕하세요
Witajcie, istoty z zaświatów
प्रिथ्वी वासीहरु बाट शान्ति मय भविष्य को शुभकामना
Huntsmen moved, renewed in their strengths. Those still skeptical had begun to lose their doubts.
各位都好吧？我们都很想念你们，有空请到这儿来玩。; 各位都好吧？我們都很想念你們，有空請到這兒來玩。
Mypone kaboutu noose
Hälsningar från en dataprogrammerare i den lilla universitetsstaden Ithaca på planeten Jorden
Mulibwanji imwe boonse bantu bakumwamba
પૃથ્વી ઉપર વસનાર એક માનવ તરફથી બ્રહ્માંડના અન્ય અવકાશમાં વસનારાઓને હાર્દિક અભિનંદન. આ સંદેશો મળ્યે, વળતો સંદેશો મોકલાવશો
Пересилаємо привіт із нашого світу, бажаємо щастя, здоров'я і многая літа
Toys fell by the hundreds. Not one huntsman even raised their weapon for that. There weren't any signs of any new toys yet either.
درود بر ساکنین ماورای آسمانها
Желимо вам све најлепше са наше планете
ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ ତାରକାର ତୃତୀୟ ଗ୍ରହ ପୃଥିବୀରୁ ବିଶ୍ୱବ୍ରହ୍ମାଣ୍ଡର ଅଧିବାସୀ ମାନଙ୍କୁ ଅଭିନନ୍ଦନ
Musulayo mutya abantu bensi eno mukama abawe emirembe bulijo
नमस्कार. ह्या पृथ्वीतील लोक तुम्हाला त्यांचे शुभविचार पाठवतात आणि त्यांची इच्छा आहे की तुम्ही ह्या जन्मी धन्य व्हा
太空朋友，恁好！恁食飽未？有閒著來阮遮坐喔。
Üdvözletet küldünk magyar nyelven minden békét szerető lénynek a Világegyetemen
Huntsmen advanced. Saber and Ozpin led the way. Pyrrha couldn't make out what was being said between any of them. Pyrrha couldn't make out anything else from the building noise other than the message still being played.
నమస్తే, తెలుగు మాట్లాడే జనముననించి మా శుభాకాంక్షలు.
Milí přátelé, přejeme vám vše nejlepší
ನಮಸ್ತೆ, ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರ ಪರವಾಗಿ ಶುಭಾಷಯಗಳು.
सब भाइमो ने म्हारो राम पहुॅचे हमा अंडे खुशी डॉ उम्हा वहाँ खुगो रीगो
Suddenly, Rider collapsed and vanished from sight.
"Rider!" Pyrrha called out. There was no response. She finally recovered. Her scroll was still in her hand. "Rider? Rider?"
Nothing, nothing came up after that message. Nothing else was heard anymore and yet the video feed kept going. Before she could continue, the messages kept playing in those languages that Pyrrha couldn't understand. However, for one reason or another, Jeanne and Astolfo's renewed vigor made quick work of the newly made toys that have begun their march again.
"Rider!" Pyrrha tried again. She didn't care if they were in public anymore. Nobody could possibly make out what she was saying anymore. "Jaune! Jaune, please!"
The messages paused and general Ironwood's figure returned on screen.
"That, dear people of Remnant," he said. "Is a message. We have yet to begin to decode what any of them means. But one thing I can assure you is that this is the biggest discovery that could ever be made in our lifetime. Beyond the stars, beyond the very skies that split Remnant from the rest of the universe, there is a world out there, where life exists. We do not know yet if they mean us harm or if they mean us peace. Though it is not my place to command any of you, I will instead implore you and invite you all as we pursue in this new endeavor. We will send them a message of our own: we shall tell them of our story, Remnant's story."
The messages kept playing. Pyrrha called for Rider. Her voice was strained as she tried to overpower the unified voices of her fellow huntsmen. But there was nothing.
"Give me your hand!" Jeanne said suddenly. Pyrrha didn't get a chance to move it herself before Jeanne took hold of it, revealing Pyrrha's Command Spells. "He's still here."
"But why wouldn't he—"
"He'll come back," Jeanne assured her. "Just stay close. On my honor as the Maid of Orleans, patron of Saint of France, representative of planet Earth, Fifth Maiden and a bridge to Remnant, you will, all of you, see another day."
In the distance, Pyrrha heard Astolfo's bold declaration: "in the name of Charlemagne's court, I, Astolfo, prince of England, welcome you all to challenge Earth's cutest and manliest paladin! Have at you!"
Archer's shots had gotten more frequent as well. He rained down many bullets that Pyrrha, and every other huntsman probably, thought that Archer had hoarded all the Dust for this moment.
Not wanting to be left behind, Saber and Lancer followed suit. But those two Servants were falling behind to Astolfo and Jeanne's sudden vigor as the Companion Servants fought more furiously than ever before. It was as though they had never been tired in the first place. Even Archer fought harder than Saber and Lancer.
Pyrrha joined in the battle. At least, wherever Rider was right now, she could use the extra aura reserves. Something inside of her was stirring to.
/-/
Rider found himself in some blackened space. He spun in place and found that he wasn't alone. From the clothing and everything he learned so far, he knew of his current companion's identity. With his current companion was a pale, blue dot.
"Voyager," said Rider.
Voyager smiled. The pale, blue dot in Voyager's hands glowed. So many strangers. So many friends that he hasn't met yet. Voyager's mouth opened and gave Rider a message, a greeting:
Hello from the Children of Planet Earth
AN: IRL announcement. New job, new schedule, readjustment to free time alloted. I still have the free time, don't worry about that. My free time now is just different from my old job. Therefore, slight change in posting date of chapters. We'll see if this one works out.
I got the messages straight from Wikipedia page, if I left out any, it's mostly because I wanted them to be present in both AO3 and FFN. If one of them doesn't appear on one platform, I remove it for the other one as well. It's mostly whether or not the font or something appears. I also just copy-pasted it so I could have been wrong in the copy pasting between the text and the (what I assume to be) the pronunciation. The reason I went with Wikipedia as opposed to the NASA website is because I feel that going for this is better since the NASA one mainly has translations of the message.
Finally, yes, the Golden Record is the main catalyst behind this fic's existence. Specifically, a remix of it which you can find on Youtube. Look up Symphony of Science if you haven't seen it already.