Volume 4, Chapter 12:

Multiple leaves fall from the night sky as the Ever After ascended to the night hours. Ruby and the others were completely amazed as they watched while Ruby continues walking. They still remained companied by the Curious Cat, playing with one of the leaves.

Curious Cat: The edge of the Garden's Acre.

Yang: This entire world is put together like a bunch of mixed-up puzzle pieces. How does everyone make sense of this?

Curious Cat: Each acre is made specifically for its inhabitants and their roles. Is it not like that on Remnant?

Yang: N...No?

Blake: I don't even think Gallifrey would be like this as well.

Curious Cat: How strange.

Weiss: I have a question I'd like to ask. How much longer before we're back to regular size?

Curious Cat: Not long at all. The Garden is just down this path, and is sure to have all the ingredients we need for a lovely Growgurt Parfait. Just don't go talking to anyone without me. If you're not careful...

Blake: We might get our heads cut off.

Curious Cat: That is how we met, isn't it? *chuckles* Ooh, you Remnant folk are such troublemakers.

Weiss: You have nooooooo idea.

Curious Cat: If I were you, I'd be more worried about...Oh, who was that scary sorceress you mentioned? Uh...Saleem? Salem? And Cybermen, Oooh they are a classic. How many more Relics does she need to end the world again? *chuckles* How are you even supposed to stop her now that Atlas is gone?

Ruby stopped for a moment and closed her eyes trying to block thoughts and nightmares from fully entering her mind. The others noticed as Yang was the first to reach out to her.

Yang: Uh, hey, Rubes?

Ruby: I...uh...

Blake: Maybe we shouldn't worry about home right now. We got enough problems to-

Yang: The Cat!

Ruby: WHAT?! Oh no, I wasn't paying attention! *looks around* Where did they go now?

Little: Oh! They saw a bug.

Yang: And you didn't say anything?

Little: It was a very interesting bug?

Weiss: *sighs* Of all the characters from the book, why did it have to be the Cat? Why couldn't we have gotten help from the Lively Carpenter or the Rusted Knight? One was sweet, one was heroic, and neither of them had the attention span of a goldfish!

Little: You know, I bet you could find a goldfish in one of these ponds.

As the girls continue their walk through the forest looking for the cat, Yang and Blake thought it would still be a proper time to know what's been happening in Remnant.

Yang: What we've hear so far about home hasn't looked the best. Weiss, at least tell us there's some good news?

Weiss: There is. After Cinder's defeat, the Doctor removed the Fall Maiden's powers from her and gave them to Nora.

Yang: NORA'S THE FALL MAIDEN?! LET'S GO!

Blake: She's definitely someone that could handle it. Nora's fun and energetic but she's also caring, strong, and determined. That would mean we have Winter, Nora, and Summer Maiden on our side.

Weiss: The Spring Maiden is there too...*looks at Yang*

Yang: *looks at her* Raven...*scoffs* Where was she when we needed her?

Weiss: *sighs* You be surprised at how close the Doctor was close to chomping her up.

Yang: Shouldn't have stopped him from doing so. If anyone can give her a real good reality check, it's him.

Blake: OKAY! Slight change of topic, Weiss! You mentioned the Summer Maiden, right?

Weiss: *looks at Blake and Yang* Yeah...

Blake: What was she like? Is she someone we know?

Weiss: I-...not yet. You'll meet her soon...eventually...

Yang: You okay?

Weiss: *shakes head* Yeah, sorry. She's not an ordinary Summer Maiden.

Blake: Is...she not a huntress?

Weiss: Yeah... Her name is Sora Azure, she's a Historian that ended up becoming the Summer Maiden.

Blake: A historian? Must be very difficult for her then to handle all that power and responsibility when she never was a hunt-

Weiss: And she's also from the future!

This made the entire moment completely silent especially Ruby who stopped walking after hearing that from Weiss. She heard their conversation but didn't care to speak out. Blake and Yang only stared at Weiss in disbelief.

Yang: Sora's...from the future?...

Weiss: She is...it's all that wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff but she became the Summer Maiden when she got here.

Blake: Time gets affected if anything from the past changes or the future interferes with the present unless...*thinks and gasps* Sora coming is considered a fixed point in time.

Yang: Does Doc know?

Weiss: Only him, my mom, Khan, and I know. No one else does.

Blake: Guess the best way to know more is when we get back home and meet her in person.

Weiss: Yeah...that would be quite a meeting...

Yang: Hey...Do you hear that?

The silence continued but Yang was right when they all heard a humming noise nearby. They noticed a blue glowing mushroom with a garden surrounding it but the humming noise was still around. There was also a large pile of leaves where three eyes were watching them.

Ruby: Is this...the Garden?

Blake: It certainly looks like a garden, but...where's that humming coming from?

Three-Eyed Creature: What are you?

Ruby: *sighs* I'm getting really tired of that question.

Weiss: Who's there?

The three-eyed creature emerges from the pile of leaves, revealing itself to be a caterpillar-like creature, startling the girls as Little and Weiss held each other just like Blake and Yang.

Yang: What are you?!

Herbalist: Oh...That question. Isn't it obvious? I am an Herbalist, the Herbalist. At least...Hmm...Until I'm not anymore...

Yang: *sarcastically* Oh good. Well, all questions answered then…

Ruby: Um, sorry to bother, but uh, my friends and I could use some help. See, we're trying to get to that giant tree, but…

Herbalist: Help getting...to the tree? Ah yes, everyone needs help these days. Everyone...

A door suddenly appeared inside the giant mushroom and opens up, as the Herbalist enters, putting the sack of leaves down while Ruby and the others are hesitant to enter.

Herbalist: Well? Are you coming in? Or aren't you?

Ruby: You can make us a Growgurt Parfait, right?

Herbalist: *mixes herbs in a bowl* Mm, I must say, you all seem a bit, uh... hesitant. What did you say you were again?

Ruby: We're...Huntresses.

Herbalist: And what exactly does a Huntress do?

Ruby: Fight...monsters, I guess? I'm sorry, I don't understand why this matters.

Weiss: We're humans. Homosapien Species from the planet Remnant.

Yang: *blinks and whispers to Blake* Is it me or is she basically becoming a female version of Doc?

Herbalist: I know you are humans. I referred to the red one. I don't understand how you don't understand! I am an herbalist. I make medicines and remedies to help others on their journeys. It is what I am. So... Do you know what a Huntress is, or do you guess?

Blake: It's like when we or others would ask who The Doctor really is.

Herbalist: The Doctor? The Time Lord of Gallifrey, the Savior of Remnant, the Good Man.

All eyes widened in shock at the Herbalist's sudden knowledge of the Doctor. Now even more questions grew in them, most importantly, how did he know?

Weiss: Y-You...know the Doctor...

Herbalist: I've heard the stories, I've seen the visions, The Good Man that came from the stars, passing out hope and giving kindness to those in need. He knows who he is, He made the name Doctor to his own. He knows what the Doctor is and understands it.

Weiss: *thinks* Jaune... He must've told the Herbalist about him. Or Worst-Case Scenario...*looks at the Herbalist* Do you know of The Master.

Herbalist: The Master. The Time Lord of Gallifrey, War Chief, Tremas, Yana, The Mad Psycho. Curious.

This brought chills to the girls unlike anything before, even worse than when they first saw Salem's true appearance at Haven. The Master being here in the Ever After was a thing they were conflicted on whether to escape this world and not confront him or face him to stop his terror here.

Blake: I think I get it now. Huntresses are heroes. We protect those who can't protect themselves.

Herbalist: Thank you. Now... *wraps the leaves in a paper* Would you say you're good Huntresses?

Yang: *grunts* Look, can you help us, or not?

Herbalist: *facepalms* I am trying... But you are making this far more complicated than it needs to be. We all have our titles, our roles to play, but in order to help you become whatever it is you need to become, you should really have a better understanding of what you are now.

Weiss: Okaaay. How do we open mushroom...door.

Herbalist: *groans* This is how a king winds up a prince...Please...take a seat.

Blake: Actually, I think… Maybe we should be going! Right, Ruby?

Herbalist: This won't take long.

Ruby: Umm...

Before they could act or respond, the door behind them disappeared completely as the girls looked around but saw no way out then looked back at the Herbalist as he releases a huge puff of smoke around the room.

Herbalist: Just...answer the questions. What...are...you?

The Herbalist disappeared as well as the room as the girls lost sight of the others by the thickness of the smoke as each of them coughed and looked around for the others.

Ruby: No! *coughs*

Herbalist: *echoes* Are you sure you know? You have to be sure what you are, and of what you're going to be...

Yang: Blake! Ruby! *Coughs and looks up* What?...

Each of them coughed but as they looked in front of them, they spotted something out of the unusual, something impossible, their past selves...Before Beacon, Before the Doctor, Before Salem, Before everything that has happened now. They needed to confront their past selves to truly know who each of them are.

Yang: *confused* What?

Past Yang: *smiling* You don't have to go forward, y'know? You can go back, back to before.

Yang: *looks at my prosthetic arm* What? What are you talking about?

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Past Blake: It's simple, really. You could just be human, or just a cat, if you wanted. Really, it's up to you.

Blake: *frowns* Why would I do that?

Past Blake: Like I said, it's simple, much simpler than trying to be a bridge between Humans and Faunus. Why struggle with that responsibility?

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Past Weiss: *smiling* The Schnee name. Why bother, anymore? What even stands for now? Instead, you could be a nobody.

Weiss: What makes you think I want that?

Past Weiss: Could you imagine? Not even a single bit of baggage on your shoulders. Isn't that what you want? To be free?

Past Blake: To be something simpler?

Past Yang: To be whole again?

All three girls looked at their past selves, one with doubt, one with second thoughts, and one with determination. What happened in the past has stayed behind, through many adventures and battles, friends and enemies, celebrations and defeats, it has brought them to where they are now.

Yang: *shakes my head* No. My losses, my failures. Those more than anything are what have shaped me into who I am, showed me how I need to grow. If there's something I'm missing, it's not because I lost it. It's because I haven't found it yet. And the only way to do that is to keep going.

Blake: A simple life wouldn't be my life! My family, my friends, my culture. I belong to them, just as much as they belong to me. To give that all away wouldn't be simplicity, it would be betrayal.

Weiss: I don't know who you think you are, but let me tell you who I am: I am the granddaughter of a hero and a child of a villain and a leader. The wife of a Good Man. *Points my Sonic Myrtenaster* I am a citizen of a fallen Kingdom and an heir to nothing. I am an angel of time itself. I will not be defined by my name because I will be the one to define it. I am Weiss Schnee, and I am a Huntress!

Blake: I am a Huntress!

Yang: I am a Huntress!

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Past Ruby: *smiling* So, are you a Huntress? Like the ones you read about in books?

Ruby couldn't even look at her past self. She was on her knees, looking at the ground but could hear that innocent, pure heart voice of hers, before what was to come afterwards.

Ruby: I...I don't know...

Past Ruby: They always saved the day, didn't they? Always knew what to do. Always won in the end.

Ruby: But...life isn't like a fairy tale...

Past Ruby: That's right! It's up to you to make things better, isn't it? Everything all depends on you! Your sister needs you, your friends need you, the whole world needs you to keep fighting, forever and ever, against an invincible monster that took your mother! *frowns* Mom was the best...but even she failed. That doesn't seem fair. None of this seems fair.

Ruby: But...What am I supposed to do?...

Past Ruby: You can do whatever you want. Be whoever you want! You don't even have to be Ruby Rose... So, what are you gonna be?

Ruby fell into more despair and agony as the dark thoughts and negative emotions trapped her in even more. She really believed that maybe after everything that happened...she didn't need to be Ruby Rose anymore...

Curious Cat: Get away from her!

The sudden shout of the Curious Cat broke the chain of smoke as it cleared out and everyone was back in the same room they were in before the smoke took over.

Herbalist: *coughs heavily* Oh my! That's a bit much.

Curious Cat: Oh, Herb. Look at yourself. You're done. You're supposed to be helping others find their way. But you've lost your own. Please, let me help. And take a bit of my heart. You'll feel much better.

The Cat places a paw on the Herbalist, and parts of themself go to the Herbalist's heart. As if his view and mind cleared up even more, he looked at the Huntresses with a different look, a soft and saddened look...

Herbalist: Oh, I do apologize. I...always was a bit of a workaholic. Huntresses, was it? Hmm. Peculiar things. I leave you with one final thing...

The ground to where the Herbalist was at began to slowly glow around him which the girls noticed but were still waiting on what he wanted to say.

Herbalist: What you seek, what made you become huntresses, it will prevail but at a cost...

Yang: What cost?...

Herbalist: The darkness will burn...when The Doctor Falls...

And just like that, the Herbalist falls through the hole that ate him before it closed up and everything returned to silence. Team RWBY looked on in shock...and in fear...

For they now know that Salem's defeat will come with the Doctor's death...

That is what Time has planned...

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Back outside in the forest, Team RWBY were still in complete silence and needed to take a break before continuing their adventure...if they had the strength after knowing what will happen to their Doctor...Blake and Yang tried to comfort a very shook Weiss Schnee who was trembling and pale...

Blake: Darkness burns...when the Doctor falls...T-This...can't be right...

Yang: M-maybe it hasn't been made into a fixed point in time! T-There could still be a chance to-

Weiss: *speaks softly* H-He was there...when it happened...the Doctor...saw his own death...defeating Salem...*tears up and shakes my head* N-No...No! NOO!

Blake: *hugs Weiss* W-We dont know that yet...We have to have hope!

Ruby: *remembers and closes my eyes in pain* Regeneration...He said Time Lords regenerate when they die...

Yang: *looks at her* N-No...

Ruby: W-What if he doesn't die...but it's that thing Time Lords have when they change...

Weiss: NO! W-We can't! H-He can't! I-If he does...*pants* He won't remember anything...Our Doctor will be-

Blake: Don't say it!

Weiss: We need to get to that tree NOW!

Blake: But we don't know how to even get there!

Weiss: Look, we find a way to grow back to normal size, find Jaune, and we GO. HOME! No more wasting time here! If anything, what if we are down here and the Doctor is already up there facing Salem? We know how reckless and careless he can be trying to protect all of us! What if he...he...*covers my face with tears*

The girls have gone through their own difficult moments and there have been a handful especially recently with the Fall of Atlas and Penny's "death". But none of them could be prepared to face the reality of the Doctor, their Doctor, their Madman with a Blue Box...dying and saving Remnant...

It didn't matter to them that the Doctor explained what Regeneration is and that they have seen his future incarnations of himself when they all teamed up to stop The Void, they were losing someone very close to them and that brought such an impact to their lives...That sight of him dying with a smile was an image none of them wanted in their heads...

Each of them closed their eyes to hold those tears as Little noticed their emotions and needed to keep them strong.

Little: Don't lose hope. This Doctor friend will be okay and if he saw you right now, he would probably want to cheer you up and not worry about what could happen to him. Those with really good hearts, big or little, human or...mice, they would always want others to be happy and not worry about anything.

The four girls took in Little's words and looked at each other with a small determination in them. They knew the Doctor so well that if he knows he was going to die, he wouldn't want them to worry or be sad. He would smile and give them some heartwarming speech.

Yang: They're right...*smiles softly* We know our silly Doctor and he would do something out of the wild...just to keep us happy and calm...

Ruby: *breathes deeply* Okay, let's find a way to change you three back, find Jaune, figure out how to get out of here. The Cat said we can't get to the tree but the tree gets to us. Maybe if the Tree knows what we want...it could get us much closer...

The three looked at each other and nodded in agreement as Ruby picks them up, puts them back on her hood and were about to make their way through the forest until a familiar, colorful being appeared out of the blue, much to their annoyance because whatever they wanted to say, it wasn't the right time.

Curious Cat: I'm so glad the four of you are still the four of you. Not always the case in the Ever After.

Weiss: *frustrated* You're the one who ditched us in the first place! Which, by the way, was how we ended up in that mushroom house to begin with! You know, where that delirious caterpillar-guy tried to drug us and then was swallowed up by a freaking hole in the ground?!

Curious Cat: *licks my paw* Ah, yes, yes. Alyx had a similar reaction the first time she saw someone return to the Ever After. But it's not how it seems...well, I suppose it is...Time Lord Regeneration like you said, but not the way you think, if you think like Alyx, which it seems like you do. *Looks ahead* Ah ha! We're here.

The gang looked ahead as they watched with amazement as the large lake with large lily pads that lead to giant flower structure in the center of the lake. They all get on as they make their way towards the giant flower.

Yang: So, Cat. Going to explain to us how a giant caterpillar disappearing into a hole "isn't how it seems"?

Curious Cat: Mmmm, when we break or wear out or simply finish what we were made to do, we're called back. But Herb...his heart was too weak to listen, so I gave him a little bit of mine.

Blake: Is he...dead?

Curious Cat: *chuckles* No, no! Well, maybe a little bit, but not at all.

Yang: Ugh! Which is it?

Curious Cat: Now that Herb's properly returned, he'll be fixed up nice, and made into the Herb he wanted to be when he was still "Herb". Then he'll come back and find his purpose. Could be the same as before, or maybe not.

Weiss: This sounds a lot like Regeneration...

Curious Cat: *snickers* Perhaps.

Ruby: When Herb comes back, will he remember anything?

Curious Cat: *laughs* What would be the point of that? Just like Alyx, you lot. I know, I know, where you're from, things...*twitches* die...but we're just not like you at all. They...ascend. We regenerate. Herb will have a purpose again.

Weiss: The fact that we are having this discussion of all things...*looks at my ring*

Yang: *bites lips* Sorry...

Weiss: *sighs* Things have to die someday. Right?

Curious Cat: Wha- goodness no! Though I suppose there is a creature...No, no, that's not the sort of thing you talk about in polite company...

Blake: Wait, so what happened to Herb… that what happened to the King?

Curious Cat: Oh, it was all very sad. The Red King couldn't cope when he lost to Alyx, a crying mess. Thankfully, he was called back and fixed up, and now he's the Prince you met.

Ruby: Fixed up? The Prince was worse.

Curious Cat: The Prince isn't supposed to be nice. He's meant to play the game and win, no matter what.

Blake: So, that's why he cheats, when the Red King didn't. But that still doesn't explain why the Red Prince was so much meaner.

Curious Cat: While the Prince may not remember Alyx's deception after ascending, the heart very rarely forgets.

Blake: But there was nothing about ascension in the story.

Curious Cat: Of course not! Exposition is terribly boring. Even this conversation was, on the whole, rather tedious!

Blake: I wonder what else Alyx left out...

Curious Cat: Perhaps that's the case for your friend. He won't die but will ascend.

Weiss: SHUT UP! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT KIND OF CRAP!

Yang: Weiss!

Curious Cat: Oh my, must've accidentally crossed a line there I see.

Ruby: It's...very personal to us...and to her...Weiss and the Doctor...they're engaged...

Curious Cat: Oh! What joyous news! He has something that he deeply cares for, just like you lot! If I were him, I'd make sure those I care for most are very close to me and not far into the danger...

Blake: What do you me-

Curious Cat: AND we have arrived!

Their conversation and tensions came to a halt when they approached the giant flower structure and just like the TARDIS, bigger on the inside. It looked like a local market shop back in Remnant with various creatures giving out items to buyers. This was the place they were going to find the potion to help grow Weiss, Blake, and Yang back to normal.

Curious Cat: Well, to make a Growgurt Parfait, one needs a bushel of grumpy ivy, one good-sized spicy potato, the lint off a griffon's sweater, Ethel's Dragons and More should have that, which is next to…

Ruby: I'll never remember all of that.

Curious Cat: *chuckles* No, I can procure that. But there's another ingredient we must have that's only available on the third level. Some nose hair from a leprechaun.

Team RWBY: Blegh!

Curious Cat: What if you retrieve that while I go get the rest?

Ruby: Sure, I guess so.

Curious Cat: Wonderful! Look for the Teapot Lady. She'll have it now. Now off you go.

Yang: *thinks* Ugh...Guess I'd better go with the Cat so they don't get distracted by a shiny doorknob and never come back.

Blake: *giggles* I'll go with you.

Weiss: Get me as far away as possible from the nose hairs, please. And I want nothing to do with that cat either. I'll fly solo from here. *Activates my wings*

Little: I'll go with you, Ruby.

And with that, each of them went their own ways. Ruby and Little, Blake and Yang with the Curious Cat, and Weiss flying on her own to find the parfait to grow them back to normal. Little did any of them know, they were being watched...

Uphill, not far from the market was a giant Jackalope resting while next to it were two figures in shining armor, watching the townspeople, one of them keeping an eye on Team RWBY.

For there wasn't One Rusted Knight...but Two...