Four Hearts of One Journey:Beginnings

by Owriush

It's been quite a few months since team RWBY was formed and for this team. They have become well known for overcoming the impossible, but will they be able to overcome their newest challenge ahead. Join Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long along with many new allies. As they become the chosen Keyblade wielders to fight off a growing darkness.

9. Chapter 9

Hello readers!

Well it's been a bit. Sorry about that guys, I've been busy IRL with my job as it got a bit hectic for a while, that and I had to focus on another fic of mine. Not to mention I may have gone on a bit of a gaming spree for a month or so which occupied my time lol

That aside I also had been a bit burnt out so I needed a break for while, get my mind cleared. That said too, I did also spend some time trying to fix up what I have planned for this story reboot and how it was gonna go. So hope you'll like what I have planned.

Anyways with that explained. I'll say that this chapter not be the longest or best, not that I never don't try but I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as I can since you all had been patient here. But even with that being the fact, doesn't mean I won't come back to it later on and add more. Which could be said for all the chapters in some shape or form.

Well enough talking for now, I'll let you get to reading and again I hope you enjoy how I did things below. May not be to everyone's liking, but I do my best with what I think will work, etc. So again enjoy my fellow readers.

I do NOT in any way own the legal property rights to RWBY and all other franchise included within this story. RWBY in spirit will always belong to Rooter Teeth and Monty Oum/ currently now Viz Media. Whatever future awaits for the series we'll just have to wait and see more on. Kingdom Hearts belongs to Disney/ Square Enix. All other franchise belongs to respective companies.

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[Darkness waits, waits and waits. Until it finally finds the right moment to strike...]

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Four Hearts of One Journey Beginnings

Ch.8

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The Lost Empire… [Pt.2-Final]

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︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎

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So… things went better than originally thought. At least for the most part…

For context Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Ikail, Dante, Guin, Goofy, Donald, Milo and some new friends were sitting around a table outside in a marketplace waiting for dinner as they were some kind of restaurant. A communal one to be exact.

For the new friends well, they also seemed to be out of world individuals.

One was a man, with messy spiked hair, slightly tanned skinned and had deep dark brown eyes that almost looked void of well.. any kind of warm emotion. He wore a lot of black too, from his shoes, pants, tie, shirt that was slightly a brighter shade of black and his trench coat. If had any weapons none of them knew. That said his wife was the literal opposite to him.

The wife had fair, pale skin, pretty white long white hair and bright red eyes. She wore a collared red long sleeved maroon shirt with a black ribbon tied around the neck. She also wore a short-ish white skirt, black leggings and thigh high white boots. All in all, she was literal snow angle if one were to call her that.

Then finally came the third of their new out of world allies. Being a short blonde haired woman who looked more like a teen. Her skin fair, eyes a pretty emerald green and kept a very stoic look on her face. She wore a royal blue, white, gold accent dress that had white frills around the skirt hem and cuffs. She wore also a pair of brown leather boots and again was rather stoic so far as she sat with air of nobility to her.

Still these three were Kiritsugi Emiya, Irisviel Von Einzbern/ Emiya unofficially and Saber or Artoria. So far again team RWBY and theirs allies had been getting along with these three after the initial meet up a while back.

That said there was one more thing to be said. Mainly from the fact that Milo had been told… EVERYTHING about his friends true origins considering.

His reaction to such news was, well….

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"I still can't believe this. What you've told me opens a whole new world for me and science itself, I mean what else could be out there. Are they nice, have their own history, similar history. A version of me out there maybe. One that is all muscular and cool with the ladies too, but still loves history or-" Milo like a very excited child went on from what he'd been told, the others of team RWBY's group just smiled as they were use to this. Their guest eh…

"My isn't Milo very… talkative." Artoria mused as she smiled just a little at how Milo was so far. The man seemed nice enough, very studious at that though he could use some more muscle if you asked her

"Hehe he is. But that's an endearing trait honestly." Irisviel exclaimed giggling before looking to her husband "Kiritsugi don't you think so?"

"Hm. Can't say really." Kiritsugi answered as he was still half, half on Milo. That and his crew gave him an off feeling alongside the new set of other worldly guest who he was also pretty iffy on also. Still he might as well try striking up some conversation too "So… I know you already told us a bit. But you're these 'Chosen Keyblade Wielders' and that you're supposed to save not just this world but every other world affected by these heartless. Right?"

"Yeppers Mr. Emiya. That's who we are!" Ruby cheered with a big smile while Milo was still stammering to himself mainly "That said we're happy to have found your three when we did. I can only imagine how nerve racking it must have been for you three to end up in a different world all together."

"Not to mention in the lost city of Atlantis of all places." Weiss added in as she could only imagine how she or the girls would have fared if that had happened to them

"That I'll agree with Weiss, that I will." Artoria answered as she sighed some "Still I'm confused on how you all look different and we don't."

"Honestly our guess is that the way you told us you came into this world is the reason why." Yang chimed in as her belly rumbled "Hm… I hope they come with the food soon… so hungry."

"PLEASE…. they have TUNA here and I WANT IT!" Blake whined as she face planted against the table impatient and just wanting the tuna she asked for now

"Are they okay?" Kiritsugi asked as he raised his brow at Yang and Blakes rather childish actions right now

"They are… just hungry. Blake more since she originally is part cat, seems like her craving for fish did not vanish like her cat ears had." Ikail answered first with a smile as she patted Blakes back to comfort the cat girl

"That she is. But she'll get through it, so will Yang who as you can tell seems to love food quite a bit." Guin chimed in as he cracked his neck a bit feeling a bit stiff from sitting for a while now "At least she can keep her weight down with all that will be going on sooner or later."

"That could be said for us and the others too. Still don't mind these two, they just want their food." Dante added in as he patted Yang's back as the girl slouched against the table like Blake did who was letting out small whines for Tuna

"Ruff!" Goofy barked having been laying down next to Irisviel who happily pet him and Donald who laid on Goofy's back

"True for what you've told us… hm still never thought we'd meet like we had back at the Kings palace." Irisviel mused as she and the others, aside from Milo still going off from his excitement couldn't help but agree at that

"That's for sure. Hehe, it was pretty interesting first impressions huh?" Ruby mused with a small smile as she swore she could smell their food being cooked, at least she hoped

"You mean the way you started it right?" Ikail mused as Ruby pouted some and blushed in embarrassment since she knew what Ikail was teasing her about

"Hmm…. I said I was sorry. I was just excited to meet Kiri, Iri and Arty!" Ruby argued in cute pouty manner. Though Kiritsugi didn't really care for the nickname Ruby had given him, while Irisviel and Artoria didn't mind it. Still some of the others like Weiss and Dante chuckled at the scene

Still the group as whole, aside from a still muttering mind blown Milo, thought back on the meeting not even an hour ago. That and how the first impressions from Ruby at least helped, if not in an embarrassing manner; but helped them with the King of Atlantis letting them stay for the rest of the day.

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[1 Hour Ago]

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It had been quite the sight...

At least if you asked team RWBY as they still were in the back of the truck that Milo, Helga and Rourke were in nearing the palace in the now not so far distance from them.

Though unlike Ruby, Weiss and Yang. Blake was still getting over the fact of what she heard Rourke and Helga say just minutes ago. She wanted to tell the girls and the others, but only when they had some privacy. Not that she didn't trust the others of the crew. It was just that she didn't want to risk anyone not part of the group hearing her and reporting it.

Still that aside Blake couldn't help but be at awe like everyone else as they got closer and closer to the palace. Which didn't take more than four more minutes before they made it there.

Once they arrived at a set of steps that lead up to the palace and stopped everyone made their way out of the trucks. Rourke ordered most of the others to stay aside from him, Helga, Milo, team RWBY and their allies. Once everyone understood the assignment, those who were elected to come were led by the group that found them into the palace. Where they were meet by the wary stares of some guards. But they just kept walking down the hallway until they reached a double door with two more guards. one each side.

Still being stared at, even slightly glared at the entrance guards opened the doors for the group as they were led into an open spaced room. One with a water spiral filled stone floor which was a bit odd to the group, but no one said anything as it did look pretty too. Though the girls and Milo especially the found it interesting for some reason. But their curiosity would be halted for the moment when they were met finally with what they and those with them assumed was the King of Atlantis.

He was an older gentleman that was for sure. Skinny looking too, but then again that could be considering normal here when it came to a man as old as before them. He had dark wrinkled skin, a bald head yet a white long chin beard. He also sported the blue markings like most of the other Atlanteans so far. What he wore was a long light blue robe, had a cane/scepter of sorts in his right hand and looked to be blind by his glassy eyes.

But what was more of a surprised at least to team RWBY and their Allies. Were the three individuals the king seemed to be conversing with. As it seemed, well it seemed to be three people so otherworldly to the Atlanteans that they couldn't possibly be part of this place. One a man in black, another a woman in white and the last a young girl in blue white; and gold.

All three again conversing with the king. Well mostly the woman in white along with a few chime ins by the girl in blue, white and gold. While the man in black seemed to keep quiet. Still the king also seemed to be enjoying the three if the small smile on his face was any indication. But that didn't last when he and the three guest saw the group come in. The king sitting back up straight as he eyed the group as most of them kneeled before the king in respect. The king himself appreciating that and cleared his throat before speaking.

"So it seems-" The king was about to say before a very excitable Ruby cut him off, by accident as her attention was at the kings three 'guests'

"OH MY GOSH NEW PEOPLE LIKE US!" Ruby cheered as she ran up to the three guest of the kings with a look that was that of an excited puppy if one were to make the comparison. That only was enhanced as Ruby jumped up and down in glee "WHAT ARE YOUR NAMES, YOU HAVE A FAVORITE FOOD, COOKIES MAYBE. OH ITS SO NICE TO MEET YOU!"

"Someone shut her up!" Rourke ordered irritable as Weiss, Blake, Yang, Dante, Ikail, Guin, Donald, Goofy and even Milo gave the man a momentary glare at the words. But he had a point as Dante and Weiss already were making their way up to Ruby who was still asking questions

"COME ON TELL ME, I'M SURE-MHPPFF!" Ruby said on before Dante covered her mouth and pulled her back as Ruby grumbled while Weiss smiled sheepishly towards the king and his guest

"Hehe… heh. Deepest apologizes your Kingship. Ruby was just excited to see others like us down here." Weiss began to say, before she heard a 'Psss.' Looking back she saw Guin, Blake and Donald with his wing point at Milo "What?"

"Ask more on them Weiss, keep it going." Milo in a hushed tone lipped as Weiss sighed realizing she just elected herself to be the spokeswoman for them. No pressure…

"Hmmm." Weiss huffed, before looking back at the king with a smile she used whenever meeting a business partner of her father's when he'd show her off as the perfect heiress she was back then "Ahem may I ask. But who are these three anyways?"

"First of all. It is fine young lady, your friend Ruby as you call her reminded me of my daughter at that age." The king answered with a half smile. While Ruby who now had her mouth uncovered and was back with the others flinched some realizing the king must think she's only thirteen or fourteen at least

"Well there goes any confidence I had to being considered a mature woman…" Ruby muttered as the others, even those like Rourke and Helga felt a bit bad for the petite sixteen year old

"And to answer who these three are. Simply put they ended up here by accident and after some explaining they were allowed to stay until a way was found for them to go back to the surface world." The king answered before looking at the three guest "Speaking of. Forgive my rudeness you three. I can let you introduce yourselves."

"It's fine your lordship. Thank you." The woman in white exclaimed before facing the group. Standing up and moving down to the floor as the man in black and second woman followed behind. The women in white then sweetly smiled before doing a quick curtsy "I am Irisviel Von Einzbern or Emiya as my other surname. A pleasure to make your acquittance. These two here are my husband and good friend."

"Kiritsugi Emiya." Kiritsugi simply answered in manner that made most of the others feel a bit uneasy just being near him. Mainly because of how cold and devoid of any warmth his tone carried

"And I simply go by Artoria. You can call me a… guard for these two." Artoria answered next with a small smile and nod "And to make sure. The king here tells the truth. After an… accident you can call it. A dark one, we ended up here and were tended to at first. Then allow to stay until we could find a way back home. That was a week ago and the people here have been nothing but kind."

"Well that's good to hear. And may I say it is an honor to be welcome into your city." Rourke exclaimed as he stepped forward while the still kneeling Milo cleared his throat

"Ahem… excuse me commander." Milo in a lowered tone tried to say before the king spoke up

"You presume much to believe you are welcomed here." The king more sternly answered as he narrowed his eyes just a bit

"Sir we simply come here in peace to learn and-" Rourke tried to explain before the king yet again cut him off

"I know what you seek and you will not find it here." The king exclaimed as the kings daughter still silent and too kneeling bit her lip finding her father to being stubborn once more. Still the king went on "Your journey here was in vain."

Rourke would have said something. But then suddenly Ruby no more serious all of sudden, Blake and Yang moved up right next to where Weiss was standing with the three guest of the king. Weiss having an idea nodded to the girls as all four of them stood before the king who stared back with a somewhat more warmer gaze.

"Ahem, your ah… highness. Despite my first impression of myself, may I say that first we can understand truly why you may not trust us." Ruby began to say and if by some kind of link, Yang started to speak up

"Yeah no kidding. I mean we did come in by a drill breaking through, least most of the other not here did and we came in with a large group that admittedly is armed. So again can totally not blame you for being wary." Yang explained on in her own way before Weiss spoke up once more

"That said your kingship. But there are those of us here like me, the girls and those behind us… most of them I assume. Who truly want to simply learn, even by a little of your culture as your civilization is of legends in the surface world, one of wonderment and mystery." Weiss exclaimed though the 'Most of them' part was in a more hushed tone so only really the girls heard it. Still Blake now took over speaking not even seconds after

"So if it would be by your permission of course. May you simply allow us to stay for a one day at least. If only for us to learn just a little and to restock for the rest of the crew that we have also with us. Many of our food supplies were either lost, destroyed or used already." Blake stated as calmly as she could but was a bit nervous if her and the girls plead would be rejected

Thankfully Blakes future in law Ruby was good with making sure on how to making a speech hit hard as she took over once more with a polite bow.

"If you could give us some time to stay for a day at least. I promise that we will leave after, please we request this of you your majesty." Ruby finished off as the girls bowed moments later alongside ruby for a few seconds. Then straightened themselves back up

"Hmmm. Very well, a day you are given. That said my guest you will go with them, I apologize for this. But like them you belong on the surface not here." The king granted and told Irisviel, Kiritsugi; and Artoria what they will be doing also. Even if he felt bad telling them as he had grown fond of the three

"No of course. We understand fully." Irisviel reassured with a kind smile

"Agreed. That said… thank you your highness, your hospitality even if temporary was more than welcomed." Kiritsugi thanked and the girls at least noticed Artoria seemed surprised by that. No idea why but she did while Irisviel just giggled some

"Yes as they said. It is of no issue your majesty, we knew our stay here was simply temporary and we truly appreciate the time you allowed us to stay. We can never repay it." Artoria exclaimed with a small smile of her own and nod

"Hm, it was our pleasure." The king stated before eyeing Rourke primarily "You should thank these four young ladies. Because of them you and those with you here along with outside are given a day to be down here. No more, no less understood?"

It was few seconds as Rourke wanted to seem to say more, but noticed the stared from some of the others, especially the side stares from the girls. So sighing yet smiling a bit too he decided to play along… for now.

"Why of course. Thank you for this chance and as the girls here said, by the end of the next day we will be more than ready; and satisfied to leave with no issues." Rourke answered though most could tell he wasn't fully happy about this

Nothing more was said after that as the king just waved the group to leave. They did so from the natives, non-natives and three guest that now were to leave with them. Not even seconds later they were through and out of the throne room, as the stone doors closed behind them.

As they made their way down through the hallway, then down the stairs leading. They saw the rest of the main crew waiting for them. It was Sweets who noticed them first as he cleared his throat before speaking up to see what the news was for them.

"So how'd it go?" Sweets asked as he hoped it was gonna enough news. Then he and the others of the crew noticed the three new additions to the group "Um, who are these three?"

"Irisviel, her husband Kiritsugi and their friend Artoria." Ikail answered before anyone else could "Before you ask, they were down here by accident again don't ask."

"Nice to meet you all." Irisviel mused as Artoria and Kiritsugi just nodded back as those two at least felt something was a bit off with this whole group. But mainly with the one's called Rourke and Helga

"Um… hi." Sweets said with a half smile and wave, some of the others did the same before turning their focused back others "So anyways, again how'd it go?"

"Eh… well enough." Ruby answered this time

"If you consider semi-hostile as well enough." Dante exclaimed before getting an elbow by Yang to his side "Eh, what I'm just saying."

"Can't blame him for feeling that. The only reason I, Irisviel and Kiritsugi are okay is that we ended up here a bit ago. So were better known." Artoria stated as she couldn't help still feeling uneasy as she eyed Rourke mostly. The feeling of darkness from him was… unsettling to say the least and she would be trying to keep an eye on the man "Still from what I can tell, he didn't care much for everyone else here. Despite how amused he seemed with Ruby when she spotted I and my party."

"Hehe… sorry about that again." Ruby apologized sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head

"Well what's done is done kid. No use crying about it." Helga answered shrugging as she had found that amusing too she'll admit

"Artoria is right though. That said we also noticed the King and his daughter were a bit tense. She likes us well enough I guess. But the King… I dunno feels like he's hiding something?" Milo chimed in now with his honest answer

"Like what Milo?" Weiss questioned as she at least didn't think that, well mostly as she did feel like the king was hiding something. But nothing that would warrant worry if you asked her

"No idea. But it must be something." Milo simply answered shrugging as it was more of a hunch when it came to him

"If it helps I felt the same as Milo did here." Guin interjected as he really hadn't but felt like he needed to back up his friend here is all

"Ruff, ruff!" Goofy barked like he was agreeing too with Guin as he at least felt that for real, maybe it was because of his K-9 intuition was Goofy's guess while Donald let a low 'Quack' like he too was agreeing

"Well if he's hiding something I want to know what it is." Rourke exclaimed looking back at the others, mainly Milo and didn't notice the slight glares from team RWBY, their allies and three additions now at how he sounded right at the moment

"Someone needs to talk to that girl." Helga smirking a bit mused as a suggestion

"I will go!" Mole rather quick offered as he jumped in air some with his hand up, but was ignored

"Someone with good people skills." Vinny now mused as he and Sweets seemed to be playing along as they pondered

"Oh I have a bad feeling about this." Blake muttered as the others of her group couldn't help but agree in silence

"I will do it!" Mole yet again offered and yet again was ignored

"Some that won't scare her away." Sweet remarked

"I volunteer!" Mole tried so badly to offer, but like before he was ignored

"Someone who can speak the language." Packer mused in her deadpanned tone like before

"Come on just say it already…" Yang, Ruby and Ikail muttered as they took notice that Milo was not even paying attention here as he studied the Shepards Journal some more

"For the good mission I will go!" Mole once more said. Offering himself up as he saluted this time, but sadly the poor dirt lover would be denied

"I can't help but feel a bit bad for Mole here." Weiss muttered

"Yes… I do feel the same myself. Poor man." Artoria agreed in a mutter to as she could tell Mole just wanted to be around the exotic woman

"Poor, poor fool." Guin muttered too as some of the others just nodded in agreement there with some pity for Mole. Still they can't say didn't try at least, even if it meant nada

"Good man Thatch. Thanks for volunteering." Rourke smirking mused as Helga and Audry along with some of the others found this amusing and it helped when Milo perked up in surprise realizing he'd just been volunteered

Mole just cried in defeat that he wasn't assigned to occupy the exotic beauties time as he was dragged away. Most of the others in the native crew following Rorke as Audry even muttered a 'Go get her tiger.' with a smirk. Milo left alone realizing he'd just been pushed into pretty much spending time with a woman… alone…. which he never if rarely even did. Though team RWBY, their group and the guest of theirs still were here with him as they stared at the young man reeling in what was going to happen sooner or later today.

"Well seems like Milo's got a date!" Ruby cheered as she was a least happy for her friend

"Maybe so but he doesn't seem to be taking the news in well." Kiritsugi exclaimed as Milo just seemed to be in a wide eyed daze "Not to be rude. But he doesn't seem to be the type for dating, your captain would have had a better chance if he asked Guin or Dante. Heck even I-"

"WOULD…what Kiri. Hm?" Irisviel suddenly asked cutting her husband off as the man froze in slight fear of his wife. Who was smiling ever so… sweetly "You weren't going to say you would have possibly…I mean POSSIBLY volunteered when you already have me… right?"

"Well ah…um…." Kiritsugi in a rare moment tried to answer and notice Dante, Guin, along with even Donald and Goofy giving him a silent 'Tread lightly!' warning

"RIGHT?" Irisviel asked once more ever so kindly, yet with some more… force too

"AH… no of course not Irisviel. Why would I ever do that, I mean ah… I ah... have you my angel." Kiritsugi answered smiling awkwardly and with a hint of fear

"Good, now since that's said and done. When we go out we will be going shopping and you'll carry everything we get at the market right?" Irisviel mused as everyone else, aside from a still shocked Milo either pitted the man or found it amusing. Especially Artoria who'd been having to deal with the man that was her master for a while so this was a nice change of pace to his usual broodiness

"Pfff…..hm… HMMMM….." Artoria through sheer will hummed as she was not gonna laugh even if she really… REALLY wanted to right now

"Funny right?" Yang asked doing her best not to laugh if only because she and the girls also were holding in some laughter. Along with also now finding Irisviel terrifying

"Very… very…." Artoria muttered back. Happ that at least she wasn't alone in on this, well that was until Irisviel looked at her and the girls "Eh…"

"Scary…." Ruby and Weiss at least muttered, while Blake and Yang shivered some at how threating the woman was with just a sweet smile

"Is something funny ladies?" Irisviel asked still ever so sweetly which made the girls and Atoria smiled nervously

"Nope. NOPE…" Yang answered first with a shaky thumbs up

"Nothing funny at all. Just us girls watching… yeah." Weiss answered next rubbing the back of her head as this woman kind of reminded her of her big sister Winter "Right Ruby, Blake, Artoria… r-right?"

"TOTALLY. TOTALLY!" Blake answered in an uncharacteristic tone of nervousness as she felt like her mom was scolding her and she had enough of that to last her a lifetime thank you very much

"Y-Yeah Iri. We are so NOT finding this amusing. No.. NO we are HMMFF!" Ruby in her own panic began to say and was admitting to their crime of amusement because of it. Thankfully Artoria cover her mouth before she could say it more clearer

"We are simply observing my lady. That's all. Honest." Artoria answered as politely as she could and not shutter from her own nervousness

"Hmmmm…." Ruby whined as she didn't like being cut off like that or having her mouth covered like right now

"Behave Ruby and we'll let you drink more Nuka Cola back on the ship." Blake quietly scolded her future sister in law as the red themed girl perked up

"Hmm, hmm!" Ruby happily cheered as Artoria silently sighed at the childish bribe she overheard

"Oh Ruby dear…." Weiss also overhearing muttered with a face palm

"Eh what can you do sis. That my little sis, your wife for ya." Yang exclaimed as she sighed too and patted her in law on the back

At the same time an ever silent Dante, Guin, Ikail, Donald and Goofy watched this banter unfold before them and sighed some too. Mostly in relief that they had made the right choice to just keep their mouths shut up until now at least.

"Kind of glad were just here in the background right now." Ikail muttered

"Agreed. Irisviel seems to be a very scary woman when she wants to be." Dante replied back as he noticed Ikail smirk some "What?"

"Oh nothing just wondering if your Beatrice was the same. You into the strong lady type hm?" Ikail teased as Dante blushed some

"Of course not… I- I have no idea what you're going on about Ikail." Dante answered back in denial as he felt Ikail poke his arm now "Stop that!"

"Make me, still why so shy. I can keep a secret as long as you pledge to be my butler that is!" Ikail remarked with a tease poking Dantes arm some more "Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"No…. leave me alone you insane woman…." Dante pleaded as he wondered if this was a new hell of his to live with

"Behave you two, especially you Ikail." Guin with a sigh of his own said. Calmly yet sternly as Ikail pouted some and did so while Dante sighed in relief

"Thank you my friend…" Dante thanked

"No problem. Still seriously, Ikail can you please act your age?" Guin exclaimed as he hoped this was just gonna be rare thing. But that same feeling that this was to be the norm now for him came back and he had no idea how to feel about it

"Yes daddy Guin." Ikail muttered as Dante almost coughed hearing that and Guin sighed once more

"Please… please never call me that again." Guin pleaded for once as he had a feeling that meant something more than just a parental figure if taken the wrong way

"No promises… daddy Guin." Ikail teased as Guin grumbled some

"Evil. Evil you are." Dante muttered as Ikail smirked and winked along with sticking her tongue out for a few moments "And immature…"

"Hehe." Ikail simply giggled not denying any of what Dante said and was proud of it

Meanwhile during this a third part of Donald and Goofy in their ever present silence for the time, listened and watched. Both looking to one another before they silently agreed to get this group focused back on their next move. Whatever that would be.

So Goofy being the kinder had moved to Guin, Dante and Ikail and nudged their hands. Getting their attention quickly as they realized they had gone into a sidetracked banter. Meanwhile Donald landed on Artorias left shoulder and with a deep breath… he quacked.

"QUACK, QUACK!" Donald loudly quacked before flying off and watching his handy work ensue

"AH!" Artoria screamed first as she tripped

This caused her to push Ruby to the right, who landed against Blake. Who herself laned and grabbed her cousins Weiss. Who then fell face first and accidently kicked her in law Yang upside under her chin and making her fall on her back. When all said was done Donald had landed back on Goofy's back laughing a bit even as the girls and Artoria groaned standing back up while the rest noticed then stared at them. Milo though was still in his own state of shock still at his assignment.

"Quack, quack, quack!" Doanld in his duck ways laughed on as the girls and Artoria got back up, dusting themselves and one another off before glaring at the duck

"Donald that was mean!" Ruby scolded as she crossed her arms which was more adorable then scary

"Quack, quack….quack!" Donald still laughed some in his duck manner

"That duck is evil you know that?" Artoria grumbled

"He can be… at the worst of times too. Still sorry about him. But since you have a good idea about us and we you. You can guess Donald isn't a normal duck. Like how Goofy isn't a normal dog." Blake chimed in

"We guessed that actually. So I assume what you all look like now aren't what you really are like?" Kiritsugi exclaimed curiously and silently feeling blessed that his wife's ire was no not on him anymore –"Thank you mischievous duck. I will give you a fish or something when I can."-

"That's right. Since were not from this world-" Blake began to say to explain some more before suddenly she was cut off… by Milo

"Wait what was that. Did you just say you're not from this world Blake. None of you?" Milo asked as he had of all times finally come back his sense and heard Blake

"Oh… oh my bad…." Blake muttered sighing some

"Nice one cousin…." Weiss scolded just a bit as she ignored the slight stink eye from Blake

"Seriously can some please explain to me what's going on?" Milo asked a bit bewildered and ever growing with that from he just heard

"Um…ah…" Ruby tried to say at first looking at everyone else who just shrugged sheepishly. Then sighed seeing no one had any idea at the moment on what to do, she knew what she had to do. But she also began to push Milo ahead a bit as she made an educated guess on well where the marketplace was "First off, hungry so were gonna get something to eat. While we do that, I'll explain to you. Though Iris, Kiri, Atoria. You should probably hear this too. Now come on, food is waiting and story time. YAY!"

With that Ruby began to push Milo more as she cleared her throat to start explaining everyone else followed and for those of her team and allies. They'd chip in when needed, still they did wonder how Milo would take this news, hopefully well enough.

---

.

Present

.

---

And back we are. To the moment now in the little restaurant as Milo was still mumbling rather loudly about the news he was given by the girls and the others. About their real origins and at the same time the food had been placed brought by a sever who gave Milo an odd look since he'd been mumbling so much before leaving the group to their food.

"I mean if this gets out it could change how we look at the universe as a whole and…. when did we get here?" Milo mumbled on loudly before he finally took notice of the hot cooked fish now in front of him. He suddenly blushed a bit embarrassed realizing he must have… well been mumbling again "W-Was I ah…"

"YeP. Yep and YEP!" Ruby answered first as she was eating a bowl of what looked like pasta made of some kind of orange grain, at least to everyone's guess

"No shame in it. We know this was… surprising news to you Milo. Still you really should work on that." Weiss mused amused as she was eating a fish, like her cousin Blake was while Yang was eating some kind of eel. Though she wished the two were eating well… with more manners "Please you two… must you eat like that?"

"Busy… eating… TUNA!" Blake yelled as she was devouring her tuna with vicious glee while Yang just hummed in agreement as she did the same with her eel

"Oh you two…." Weiss muttered before eyeing their three new guest who were all eating egg soup and what looked like a few slices of bread. Though Artoria was eating rice and the egg soup "Sorry about these two. They usually aren't like this, well my cousin at least. BUT, again sorry about that."

"Oh it's fine Weiss. They just like the food is all, no harm done. Besides…" Irisviel happily smiling replied back as she averted her eyes the side and those who weren't eating did so too seeing Artoria scarfing down the rice like it was a miracle cure "We have our own um… you know."

"We can see. That aside just so you know, once were done here you'll be coming with us." Dante answered though seemed uncertain as he took a quick bite of his own food that was purple shelled lobster before looking at Donald who was like usual laying on Goofy's back "Right. That's how it works Donald?"

"Quack!" Donald quacked in a way that was more of 'Maybe', then a 'Yes'

"We'll take that as a yes." Guin answered before going back to eating his blue shelled lobster as Ikail eating what looked like a piece of shark just kept quiet enjoying the banter

"Anyways. Milo before we forget, you excited for your date?" Weiss mused as she decided to bring the subject to a new one. Mainly Milo's assignment/ date to be with the kings daughter

"Ugh don't remind me. Why me, I've never been a date let alone barely talk to a woman my age!" Milo groaned as he slumped some, Ruby patting him on the back as she finished a bit of her food

"It's okay Milo. Just let your old buddy Ruby help ya out, I experienced in such things you could say." Ruby mused as she looked to her wife giving her a wink and blew a kiss

"Hehe. You charmer you." Weiss replied back finding Ruby's statement cute honestly even if it was pretty much a total lie "But dear you and me both know I'm your first girlfriend, now wife like you are too me. We do NOT have that much experience."

"W-What, Weiss we SO do. I mean-" Ruby began to argue some before her wife cut her off

"And no. All those times you tricked/ forced me to hang out with you one on one does NOT count since we weren't even dating. Actually aside from maybe five dates in total after we got engaged and before we got married. We really do not have that much experience what so ever." Weiss corrected as she took another bite of her food

"Well yeah but…hm. No fair Weissy, I was gonna totally give Milo the flirt skills he needed." Ruby tried to argue back. But realized her wife had a point and gave up, pouting once more "Hmmm…."

"Sometimes I do wonder how she's sixteen." Dante mused as he and the others found this a bit amusing, even Kiritsugi as Ruby kind of reminded him of his daughter Illya who he hoped they could find soon

"True but that's just how my dear little Ruby here is, small and adorable. Hehe." Weiss mused as she leaned in and kissed Ruby on the cheek who blushed a bit "Still don't pout. You're a flirt master to me my little rose. Love you."

"Hehe. Love you too!" Ruby remarked as she loved it when her wife kissed her as a makeup tactic

"Ugh… please not too much sweetness. Me and Yang can handle SO much of that." Blake remarked with a small smirk as she had finished off her Tuna at the same time Yang finished her own meal. Yang playing along making a 'Bleh' sound and a face to match it

"Hardy har, har. Finish with your meal cousin, you got some Tuna on your face still." Weiss snipped back crossing her arms as Blake sheepishly smiled when she felt a piece of Tuna stuck on her cheek as Weiss sighed "Honestly Blake. You sure you don't have a bit of pig in you too. Cause like Yang-"

"Hey I ain't that bad sister!?" Yang yelled a bit offended by the comparison from her sister in law

"Like Yang. You seem to devour that tuna of yours without taking a break." Weiss finished off as she and Blake were now doing the rare cousin banter they'd do from time to time

"Funny cuz. But if I have pig in my blood, then you do too your icy piggyness." Blake retorted smirking as Weiss flinched realizing she used her comeback against her so easily

"Yeah well… I… ugh fine fair point. But seriously you and Yang could have eaten a bit more proper; and less savage." Weiss said conceding the defeat… again when it came to her and her cousin Blake's hidden competition of who can win when they got into small arguments or pranks or just jokes. Blake was ahead by at least five points so far

"It's fine Weiss. Like Irisviel said none of us minded much, actually it was endearing to see those two enjoy their meals so much. I sure do." Atoria exclaimed as she wiped a piece of rice off her cheek

"Right…" Weiss muttered

"Anyways. Me and Yang overheard. That said Milo look there's not much to it, just be yourself okay." Blake said looking to Milo about to argue before she cut him off "And don't say that's the issue. It isn't, you're a nice guy Milo and a lot of ladies would love to get to know you. So don't cut yourself short."

"Ruff, ruff!" Goofy barked wagging his tail in agreement

"Quack!" Donald quacked also agreeing

"See Donald and Goofy agree dude. The rest of us do too, so just be calm, ask her some things like Rourke wants then shoot your shot man. Sides think she likes you already, lucky you haha!" Yang reassured and teased by the end as Milo blushed some, and rubbed the back of his head

"Heh… well thanks guys. Hey whoever wants the rest of my dish can take it. I'm gonna go and see the princess now." Milo said as he took a deep breath before getting up with his best confident smile before making his way off as the others, mainly the girls and their team wished him luck

"Well now. Since Milo's is gonna do his own thing, might as well do the same. Blake want to look around the marketplace some more. I'll get some more Tuna for you." Yang mused standing up and holding her hand out to her girlfriend

"You had me at Tuna. How you know me." Blake joked taking Yangs hand as she was helped back onto her feet

Then she and Yang made their way off saying goodbye to everyone as they departed. Once they were gone Guin, Dante and Ikail stood up having fished their own food too by this point.

"Well guess we'll take a walk around too. Ladies, gentlemen enjoy your meals." Ikail exclaimed as she made her way off first, with Dante and Guin giving the others a simple nod before following behind as it seemed Ikail decided to make herself leader of their three person group now

"So…. guess we can all go as group somewhere around here or elsewhere unless some others want to break off." Ruby stated as she saw Irisviel and Kiritsugi stand up; that and also done with their meal "Aw, and here I was hoping we could talk some more you two. You know buddies to buddies."

"We can later. But I did tell my hubby here he'd be carrying everything I can hopefully buy or at least acquire in the marketplace!" Irisviel mused as Kiritsugi was about to interject only for Irisviel to make sure he knew there was no way out of this "And if he refused then he can sleep on the ground tonight or the couch. Whichever, still were you gonna say something dear?"

"Ahem… no. Just wanted to say that we should… get going now." Kiritsugi with a dreadful feeling now stated as he sighed. That and ignored some of the snickering from the girls, Atoria and even the two animals with them too

"Oh you are right. Come on Kiri lets shop!" Irisviel cheered as she skipped and grabbed her husband's arm before pulling him away as he let out a silent groan. It wasn't even seconds later before now Ruby, Weiss, Donald, Goofy and Artoria were left alone now

"Well now. Since were all that's left, if none of you four mind but would it be fine if I join you for a walk after you finish your food; and me my soup?" Artoria asked kindly as she was so happy she picked the rice and soup which now she was half way done with because of how good it was

"Sure, sides we can learn some more about you. Oh sorry, Weissy, Donald, Goofy you're fine with that Artoria coming along with us?" Ruby asked as Weiss, Donald and Goofy all nodded that they were totally fine with it "Great. Well then Arty, lets enjoy the rest of our meals then explore; and talk!"

Not much else was needed to be said, not much else at all as Artoria gave the two girls and animals a smile before resuming with her soup. But for some reason… she felt a bit off. Really off today, mainly again because of the company, aside from Milo and their other world allies that the girls came with. She didn't why but Rourke was making her feel something she hadn't felt in a while.

She felt like she was looking at snake disguised a twig or however that saying went. Either way even if she would enjoy some time getting to know the girls at least since they were the only ones would could talk and not just bark or quack. She still would be keeping her eye out the best she could.

Honestly though, Artoria hoped she was wrong. So very wrong.

---

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---

She hated being right…

Artoria cursed herself right now as it seemed she herself, her master, her master's wife, Guin, Dante, Ikail, Donald, Goofy, Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang were being held at gun point. By who one may ask, who in the world could have them all in such a position that none of them could do anything without getting everyone else killed.

Who else… Rourke and his crew. Well mainly Rourke and the droves of masked troopers. While those being Audry, Sweets, Cookie, Mole, Vinny and Parker though also having guns pointed at them. Seem more… uneasy doing this. Which was a bit of a god send. Still Helga was the only other one who seemed calmer then she should be considering and fully on Rourke's side.

Still things weren't looking well, though out of everyone Ruby was the only one who spoke finally.

"Okay…" Ruby said as the others looked at her as she like everyone else had their arms up in the air. Those keeping them hostage also looking to her. While her keyblade now parasol had been taken away from her by Vinny like her sisters and wife's keyblade that were of course disguised. It also appeared that they don't come back when they take the form of something else which sucked. But it was good to know at least for the future "Look. W-Why are you doing this. I know some of you said you were here for the money but there's nothing here worth taking!"

"Oh but that's where you're wrong miss Rose." Rourke mused smirking as he crossed his arms "There is something very worth wild to find here and if I'm a guessing man."

"Which you are sir." Helga mused chuckling some with a smirk of her own

"BUT, if I'm a guessing man your egg head friend figured out what we're all looking for down here. The heart of Atlantis, the source and power of this land." Rourke exclaimed amused as he saw Ruby and the others narrow their eyes some at him as he laughed it off "Oh give me a break people you think some glares of disproval will change my mind. Hasn't yet and won't now."

"So that's what you are. Treasure hunters." Kiritsugi exclaimed angrily. Angry towards Rourke. But more towards himself as he should have been able to figure out Rourke and he assumed Helgas MO at least. They screamed snakes in the grass, didn't help that his mage craft, his wife's and Sabers own power were effected so they were just as defenses as a newborn sadly "Not just any treasure hunters. Ones who break into old and forgotten places of history. Take what you can and sell it the either the highest bidder or your current employer. Did I get anything wrong… Rourke?"

"No, no. Spot on actually and what a business it is, though I do have to admit the people being alive still is a first. But nothing we can't adjust to and it actually gives us some leverage." Rourke remarked, still rather amused. Though the others of Rourke's crew aside from Helga seemed rather put off by that if barely showing it though. But some like Guin, Artoria, Kiritsugi, Blake and Ikail took notice, but said nothing on it

"What you gonna shoot up the place?" Ikail asked angrily as she wished she had her force power at the moment, she really wanted to strangle Rourke

"Grrrr…." Goofy growled as he sat next to her while Donald on Goofy's head just narrowed his eyes some more

"If need be. If need be then so be it, but these people seem smart enough. Well for half naked primitives that is, I'm sure if we apply enough force they'll listen to reason and get in line very quickly." Rourke mused with a rare tone of pure glee for some reason "You know the saying, can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."

No one said a word but the ever still glares from them was telling enough that none of them agreed with that sentiment, some more than others but that was another time for another day to speak on. Rourke just rolled his eyes before silently nodding for those of his more known crew to come up closer. Rourke squatting near the water that he had a feeling Milo and the princess would pop out from. But while they did, the girls and the others of their group were forced together into a circle as a few of the masked soldiers of Rourke's stood around them as guards so they wouldn't try anything. Which gave them all enough time to speak to one another in whispers as they waited and hoped Milo wouldn't pop up in this particular area.

"Okay so ah… what should we do, anyone. Idea's?" Ruby asked as everyone else didn't even take a moment before they either sighed or just frowned some "Seriously none of us?"

"Ruby I know we've barley talked or know each other for not even a day. But take a look around." Kiritsugi exclaimed as Ruby did so and quickly remembered the armed guards who were more than willing to gun them down if they try anything. Kiritsugi was a bit happy that one of their saviors of the worlds had a brain it seemed "Yeah. If we try anything we'll all get shot, that said all we can do is wait."

"He's right. We wait and find the best time to strike." Guin added in as he stare at the water where Rourke was still crouched waiting at "Let's just hope it's soon."

"Well maybe Milo will-" Blake began to say before suddenly they heard some water rippling "Oh no…"

"Just keep calm ladies. We go with how it plays out okay?" Ikail sternly if not with concern exclaimed as the girls nodded despite their own worries

Still they stayed silent as they waited. Until a few seconds later they heard a gasp of air and the sounds of water splashing. Then they saw Milo head and arms pop out from the water as he kept himself steady, of course then he noticed Rourke looking down at him smirking.

"You have nice swim?" Rourke asked

"Milo please take a hint…" Yang muttered as she and the others watched from where they were

"H-Hey guys, what's going on?" Milo asked a bit nervously as thanks to the girls, Ikail, Dante, Guin, even Goofy and Donald. He could catch on some things a bit easier now, which was why this particular sight of Rourke and the others of his crew looking down with gun in their hands set off a few red flags "Guys…"

Milo then looked seeing the girls and the others of their group all in a circle with some of the mask soldiers of Rourke's keeping an eye on them. His fear lessened but his anger rose some more as he realized what was going on. Of all the things, it had to be THIS.

"I am such an idiot. This is just another treasure hunt for you, you're after the crystal!" Milo yelled angrily as he glared back at Rourke

"Crystal?" Weiss muttered as she looked at Irisviel, Kiritsugi and Artoria "Any idea what he's on about?"

"No idea. Sorry." Kiritsugi answered as Irisviel just frowned and Artoria clenched her fist at the situation at hand

"Maybe it has to do with the crystals around their necks Weiss?" Guin suggested as the others did remember seeing all of the Atlanteans have a blue crystal neckless. They wondered if that was the case

"I hope it isn't, these people went through enough from what I can tell." Ruby muttered as the rest couldn't help but agree as they listened to the conversation with Milo and Rourke. Rourke suddenly pulling out a piece of paper

"Oh you mean this?" Rourke exclaimed still smirking as to Milo, the girls, Ikail's, Guin, Dante, Doanld and Goofy's surprise. It look like a page from the Shepards journal, though Milo was the only one to confirm their suspicions

"The heart of Atlantis." Milo said as his anger lessened and his worry, like the others rose up having a bad feeling about what was to come next

"Yeah about that… I would have told you sooner. All of you, honest." Rourke in a mock apologetic tone said looking at Milo for a few moments then the group behind him being held hostage still as they glare back. But just ignoring those glares as he focused back on Milo standing back up. Pistol now in his hand too "But it was strictly a need to know basis and well, now you know. Had to see if you and your little friends were one of us. Can't say about them, but you well.. welcome to club son."

Rourke then held his hand out to Milo. Though the girls and others scoffed at this, they'd know Milo long enough to figure out where his morals stood and the man had very good morals. Irisviel, Artoria and even Kiritsugi rolled their eyes at least, as if they barley had gotten to know Milo so far. They could easily tell he wasn't like Rourke one bit.

"I'm no mercenary." Milo answered angrily as he actually retracted back from Rourke hand like it was some diseased appendage

"That's our Milo!" Ruby quietly cheered having a good idea that was gonna be his obvious answer

"Was there ever any doubt ladies?" Dante mused quietly as the girls smiled at that

"Course not. That's probably why we got along with him easily, he's like us." Yang exclaimed as she was happy that Milo of course didn't even associate himself with Rourke's statement

"Agreed dear. Still… hurts with the others though." Blake muttered as the girls knew what she meant. Since the other crew members they'd gotten use to and even befriended. Despite the fact Blake noticed they seemed not as gun-ho about this, still hurt since they were all friends by this point

"Hmmm… let's just hope they see the light before this ends." Weiss stated as Ruby, Blake and Yang couldn't help but nod in agreement

Then they saw the princess that had been with Milo pop up before one of the soldiers pull her out by the hair. The group wanted to help but the soldiers watching them suddenly trained their guns on them. Like they knew what they were thinking and were giving them a warning of what would happen if they tried.

Still the princess seemed to have a bit of a fighting streak in her as she grabbed and threw the one who grabbed her hair over onto the ground. Before another solider charged at her as she grabbed his gun and held him back before kneeing him in the stomach as he fell over using the gun still in his hand to keep the princess off of him. But the princess on top of the solider now pulled out a knife ready to stab him. Before said knife was shot out of her hand by Rourke who apparently was a real good aim. The princess then was taken away by another two soldiers but not before she kicked the solider she'd been fighting in the crouch as last final hit. Rourke happy to see things under control then focused back on Milo as he smirked once more to respond back to his little comment just a minuet ago.

"I prefer the term 'adventure capitalist'. Besides it was you and your little friends here that got us to this place. You all lead us to the treasure chest." Rourke exclaimed as Milo and the girls really wanted to deck the man now. But they'd have to settle with an argument as Milo decided to try and reason if with little luck with Rourke

"You don't know what you're tampering with Rourke!" Milo stated angrily as he got out of the water and getting close to the man as he glared up at him

"What's to know. It's big. It's shiny. It's gonna make us all rich." Rourke explained mockingly and with little to no care as the others listened and their hatred for Rourke grew ever second now

"You think it's some kind of a diamond but we're both wrong. It's their life force, it's the only thing that's keeping all these people alive. You take that away and they all die!" Milo explained with the best stern and serious tone he could muster. With a vain hope of changing Rourke's mind

The girls and those with them went wide eyed hearing this. They had one way or another between the hour or two before this happened learned that the Atlanteans seemed to live very long lives. Guin, Dante and Ikail learning when they bumped into Kiritsugi and Irisviel in the marketplace then decided to join up to just talk; and learn about each other more. The girls, Donald and Goofy from Artoria who heard the same thing when they had been group up. None of three knew how it was possible… until now as they and everyone else just learned.

Though it seemed Rourke was more ecstatic after hearing such a thing much to the groups ever growing hatred for the man. One who at first seemed like a stern if not nice man, but now was shown to be a backstabbing monster and opportunist. It only was cement more on what he said next.

"Well, that changes things." Rourke moving back closer to Helga mused smirking even more. Then moved closer to a smiling Helga who took the paper from his hand and looked at it smirking ever so vilely "Helga what do you think?"

"Knowing that, I'd double the price." Helga simply said and with hint of joy as she handed the paper scrap back to Rourke

"I was thinking triple." Rourke mused almost seeming amused now by this development. Though this did not go well with at least four of the more… expressive of the group being the girls and Artoria

"MURDERS!" Artoria screamed first as she and the girls lunged out. Only for the soldiers to push them down and aim their rifles at them as the five glared mainly at Rourke and Helga "YOU TWO ARE THE LOWEST OF SCUM!"

"WHAT SHE SAID YOU KILLERS. YOU'RE HORRIBLE!" Weiss screamed next as she just wanted to ripped the throats of those two out in the slowest… whoa… where did that come from

"I SWEAR IF WE WEREN'T BEING HELD AT GUN POINT I'D CLAW YOUR EYES OUT!" Blake next screamed with a fury that was surprisingly hard for her to keep under control and she had no idea where it was coming from all of sudden

"AND I'D BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR WASTE OF FLESH BODIES!" Yang threated as for some reason very details images of that entered her mind and that scared her a bit. Mainly because she wasn't one for that kind of thought process even when she was ticked off

"YOU'RE HORRIBLE MONSTERS. BOTH OF YOU!" Ruby screamed last as she felt tears start to fall down her cheeks a bit as for some reason an itch suddenly came to her. She didn't know what it was but it screamed to kill, kill and kill more. But Ruby ignored this sudden feeling as she glared at everyone else "HOW COULD ANY OF YOU BE A PART OF THIS. DON'T YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF SHAME!?"

As Ruby yelled this, most of the others of Rourk's crew averted their gaze from Ruby's. As if her words hit a cord with them and whatever morals they may have left or had at all to being with. That hurt Ruby and the girls a lot considering again that they saw these people as friends, even family by this point basically. Milo meanwhile couldn't help but agree as he cleared his voice to speak up.

"They're right you know. Rourke don't do this." Milo said sternly and with a plead again as Vinny stepped in front of him, gun in his hands to keep Milo back

"Academics. You never want to get your hands dirty." Rourke exclaimed moving up a few steps as he pocketed the scrap paper in his back pocket before looking back at Milo and the others "Think about it, all of you. If you gave back every 'STOLEN' artifact from a museum you'd be left with an empty building. We're just providing a necessary service to the archeological community."

"Well crafted words for a scoundrel. Theres a difference between you and archologist. Archologists find lost relics and take them so that the world can learn of the past; and for that past to be shared free for those who want to learn of the world beyond theirs. People like you and your merry band of grave robbers do it for you own profits. You don't care who gets them or who's hurt in the end, so long as you can make a buck. So don't try and tell us you're doing this for any other reason." Irisviel in a sudden very serious and stern tone stated as everyone from her group, to even Rourke's crew were surprised to hear that from someone who seemed so soft spoken

"Wow…." The others, aside from Artoria and Kintsugu muttered at how well spoken Irisviel was just now

"She's right Rourke, more right than you'd like. Oh and just so you know, you can guess none of us are interested." Milo stated as everyone else still held hostage nodded in agreement. Even the princess who though calmer was hoping she could find an opening for her, and everyone else here on her peoples side to escape somehow

"I gotta admit I am disappointed, not with your little friends they seemed like bleeding heart fools. But more with you, you're an idealist like your grandfather. So I'll say this one more time and think hard on it. But do yourself a favor Milo and don't be like him. For once do the smart thing." Rourke exclaimed. But to his disappointment, but the girls and their groups pride. Milo simply stayed quiet and stared back a Rourke with utter defiance. Rourke sighed slumping a bit "I really hate when negations go sour."

Then Rourke smirked slightly once more snapping his fingers as the solider holding the princess threw her down onto the ground before aiming their gun right at her head. The girls and the others went wide eyed when they heard barley Milo mutter the princess name in a sudden panic as it was 'Kida..'. Milo had then looked back a Rourke who spoke once more ever smug that he had all the cards in his hand at the moment. He then smugly walked closer to Milo pulling the paper out again that had the image of the crystal.

"Let's try this again." Rourke simply said as girls and the others knew that Milo had no choice in the matter

They couldn't all help but feel useless at the moment, they just hoped things would go better soon…

---

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---

Nope… apparently that was too much to ask.

Why one may ask, well for the girls and the others. They were forced to stand on the side lines, all the while a now crystal blue glowing Kida was being placed in a metal cage by a few soldiers and Audry. Said cage just being finished.

For what happened, it was only nearly half an hour ago as they all were forced from the pool area back to palace where Vinny was ordered to blow the doors open as he did so. The guard would have attacked if the king hadn't said to stand down. So they did, it was blur then as the girls and others, alongside Milo and Kida watched Rourke integrate the king. Then punch the old king in the stomach hard much to their shock and anger of everyone. But it seemed that those they knew of the crew had some limits as at least Sweets had quickly checked on the king even saying 'This was not part of the plan..'. But after that and a threat from Rourke to gun down the king even. It seemed the cold hearted man had just then figured out the riddle to well where the crystal was.

Which was the very circle stone water filled floor in the center of the kings throne room. But again after that it was blur as only the girls and Milo were brought down alongside Kida. While Rourke and Helga armed tried to figure out how to well get the crystal that floated above a pool of water with stone like faces circling around it like a shield.

The girls at the time simply could only listen to Milo and Rourke argue before they all saw Kida seemed hypnotized. Then in some kind of daze, began to walked onto the water right until she was under the crystal. Where the she was lifted up in the air and fused with the crystal itself. Then Kida walked back onto land and that's where the girls, Milo and everyone at the current time stood. Then alongside many of the Atlantean citizens gathered up were also forced to watch this happen too. The once Kida was secured Milo who'd been right near Kida's new little cage was told to step back. Well more of politely threatened but still he did so. If not finally deciding to at least say his piece to those of the crew as they were at the moment started to get ready to leave.

"So I guess this is how ends huh. Fine, you win. You're wiping out an entire civilization… but hey. At least you'll be rich." Milo mused sternly if not with a hint of disappointment

"Not to mention it will probably be a slow death too." Kiritsugi exclaimed bluntly as he may been a cold man. But these people had been kind enough to welcome him, his wife and his servant when they first arrived so they earned his respect

"Very slow and agonizing too, the kids will probably be the last to go sadly. That and not to mention the cannibalism once everyone gets hungry enough." Dante added in very bluntly as that kind of disturbed a lot of the Atlanteans around and the girls more so at how blunt their knightly friend was being even if it helped with their point

"Indeed… still congrats to you all. Least you'll be getting your blood soaked dreams come true." Ikail exclaimed twisting the figurative knife more as she crossed her arms with a glare and her yellow eyes made her look rather intimidating that was for sure

"Yeah. Still Audry guess you and your pa can finally open up that second garage you wanted." Yang stated this time as she really was disappointed in their friends for the backstab and the fact they were still so complacent in this basically slow genocide. Audry who was getting back into the truck that held Kida stopped hearing that yet kept her back turned to the others

"And Vinny let's not forget the chain of flower ships you can open now. I'm sure red will be the best color for them too, fitting right?" Weiss remarked like disappointed mother as she saw Vinny who was securing some rope look back at them, before averting his gaze

"Yep just everyone able to have their dreams. That the end goal here right, even if you got to kick over others. Guess you all did that swimmily well then, so bravo." Blake mused this time as she wished one of their friends would say or do something, but they still seemed hesitant to do so and that hurt more then she'd like to admit

"Don't bother. Our words are waste sadly, but that's just how it goes I guess." Guin remarked very bluntly also, but with some thinly veiled venom in his tone as he shook his head

"Rooh…." Goofy howled lowly as he laid down with a sad look in his eyes while Donald on his back, patted his friends head. That and seemed to sneered angrily with his bill. Irisviel, Ruby and Artoria were the only ones to stay quiet as they petted Goofy too while glaring in disappointment with these people

"Yeah… still guess that's what it's all about right. Money." Milo with a narrowed gaze remarked as most of the notable crew members seemed to be having very sudden second thoughts, that and feeling rather guilty at the words said to them just now

"Give me a break, get off your soap boxes people. Specially you Thatch." Rourke remarked smirking some as he got out of the driver's seat of a truck he was in, before walking up to Milo who the closest to him "You've read Darwin. It's called natural selection. We're just helping it along."

"I'm not sure Darwin mentioned genocide as part of that Mister Rourke." Artoria angrily exclaimed as if Rourke heard or not was unknown as the man seemed to ignore her words

"Commander, we're ready." Helga yelled out. As she was standing outside the passenger seat of the truck she and a few of the masked soldiers were at. That and seeming to want to get out of this place already

"Yeah give me a minuet." Rourke replied back looking at her. Before he began to think out loud "I know I'm forgetting something. I got the cargo, the crystal, the crew… oh yeah."

Rourke upon saying that last word took a moment smiling a bit as he clenched his right fist before punching Milo right in the face hard as he fell backwards, his glassed falling off as Rourke caught them. While a picture of Milo's grandfather fell out of his shoulder bag he wore.

"MILO!" The girls through the gasps of the Atlantean citizens and some of their own group yelled as they ran up to him. Before kneeling down to see if he was okay

"Oh my gosh are you okay Milo?" Ruby asked as she and the girls checked him over

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine…" Milo muttered as he sat back up with a slightly bloody lip

"Rourke you… you…." Blake tried to say as she, the girls and Milo glared at the man

"Save it, not like I cared much for any of you either. Still look at this way ladies, you, your little friends behind you and Mister Thatch are the people who discovered Atlantis," Rourke exclaimed mockingly as he stepped on Milo's picture of him and his grandfather. Much to the shock of Milo and the rising anger from team RWBY. All the while Rourke with his shirt cleaned Milo's glasses before throwing it back to him as Milo caught them. But like the girls, he glared once more at Rourke while wiping the small drip of blood from his mouth "And now you're part of the exhibit."

With that Rourke made his way off as he began to tell the crew to get going. Though as he did, the girls couldn't help but feel bad that so far they hadn't been able to do much. They felt helpless, still they wanted to make sure Milo was okay.

"Milo are you okay?" Ruby asked once more with a somber tone

"Fine as can be Ruby… thanks for asking though." Milo answered as sighed some

"Good to hear still… we're sorry Milo. We should have been able to do something but…" Weiss began to say before Milo decided to reassure her and the girls

"No. No, you girls did all you could. Don't say you didn't, still…heh. If this is how it ends, at least it's with my friends." Milo stated with a half-smile before looking back at the others "Both old and new."

"Yeah…" Ruby muttered as she and the girls smiled some at the kind words. Though they hadn't heard the commotion during this until they heard some footsteps. Then looked to see… Audry "Audry?"

But instead of saying a word, Audry moved in between Ruby and Yang who was on Milo's right side before helping him up. Milo and her exchanged a smile for a moment before glaring back towards Rourke mainly. The girls by this point stepped back a bit to see what would happen and were not disappointed in the slightest.

As next they saw Vinny did the same moving to Milo's left and putting his arm around Milo's shoulder like a slight hug while giving a thumbs up. Cookie then in a more happy manner got out of the truck doing the same, followed by Mole who followed behind, then Sweets who did so too with a doctors bag but muttered he was gonna see the King to check on him. Finally Packer joined in if not without saying a usual monotone statement 'We're all gonna die' before following too. Once they were near Milo, the girls own group all moved together with them. Everyone now staring back towards where Rourke was. Rourke himself had taken notice in disbelief at what was happening.

"Oh you can't be serious?" Rourke asked unamused as from the truck he looked back at his people at least, then started to get out of the truck

"This is wrong Rourke and you know it!" Audry argued as everyone else just nodded in full agreement while Rourke was out of this truck now walking towards them a bit

"We're THIS close to our biggest payday ever and you pick now of all times to grow a conscience?" Rorke asked once more in annoyed disbelief now as he wanted some kind of answer to this apparent betrayal to him of all times

"We've done a lot of things we're not proud of, robbing graves, plundering tombs… double parking…." Vinny replied back and started listing off just a few things they'd done in the past

"First time he's doing a speech like this huh?" Blake in a deadpanned tone asked at Vinny's speech

"Must be…" Artoria agreed as if this was supposed to be a speech of some kind, it wasn't really the best

"Shhh. He's on a roll and having the so called character development moment. Let him have this." Irisviel exclaimed as she had thankfully read and seen many movies when she was first brought to life thanks to dear Kiritsugi. So she had some pretty good knowledge of ques and such when it came to certain tropes in stories that could be applied to real life. Speaking of Vinny spoke on after say that list of a few crimes they'd done in the past

"But nobody got hurt.. well, maybe somebody got hurt. But nobody we knew." Vinny finished off his speech

"Nine out of ten, good speech if not a bit odd." Ruby muttered as she was oddly a girl that liked speeches like this, mainly thanks to the stories she was told as kid

"More of an eight to ten for me. But still I agree." Weiss muttered back in agreement with her wife as some of the stuff Vinny said was a bit well not great even if it was supposed to be inspirational in a way. But hey give props to where they belongs, still Rourke by this point was done with all of this

"Well of that's the way you want it, fine. More for me." Rourke exclaimed moving back to the front seat of the truck and getting inside. Once inside he started it up "P.T Bamum was right…"

Next thing and Rourke in one truck carrying Kida, while Helga in another truck as the men with them aimed their guns back to make sure no one followed. Drove off over the bridge as the group both native and non-native knew they couldn't do a thing at the moment. Then Milo followed by the others looked back at the Atlantean citizens who all noticed the once bright glow of their crystal necklaces lessen until they lost any light in them.

Milo then began to run off towards the trucks yelling that they can't let Rourke do this. Only for Vinny and Guin to grab and hold him back. Before seconds later the bridge that must have been trapped by Rourke's people at one point, blew up in a blaze of fire before the bridge was no more. Vinny even made a joke that now he can go, that said he saw the girls move up to them and help them up. Before they heard Ikail yell that they need to see the king quickly.

Not even a minute or two later and the girls, along with Milo only were now walking through the doors where the king was being looked over by Sweets while the kings guards stood by. As they got close it was Ruby who decided to speak.

"Sweets, how's the king?" Ruby asked yet had a bad feeling like the others on the older man's condition

"Not good Ruby. Not good I'm afraid, internal bleeding. There's nothing more I can do." Sweets answered as he moved over to the left some as Milo and the girls stood up still looking down at the slowly dying king sadly

"That's okay Sweets, we know you tried." Ruby reassured kindly with a sad smile

"Yeah thanks Sweets." Yang added in while Blake and Weiss just nodded. Then Yang noticed Milo's uneasy "Milo, are you okay?"

"I… not really Yang. This is nightmare and I brought it here." Milo answered blaming himself for all of this

"Milo don't say that. You couldn't have known." Weiss scolding just a bit though with a more softer tone as she and the girls didn't want Milo to start taking all the blame "Besides we all had a part of this too, so if anything we're all to take blame then somewhat."

"Yeah Milo so no blaming yourself mister!" Ruby added in as she crossed her arms with concern at their friends mental state at the moment

"Agreed. Besides it's not like we could have known Rourke was gonna backstab us like this and leave us all for dead just to make a bit cash." Blake exclaimed before looking to Sweets "No offense there Sweets."

"None taken either, honest Blake can't really blame you for feeling that way." Sweets reassured before focusing back on Milo "The girls are right though. No use beating yourself up, Rorke's been after that crystal since Iceland."

"…" Milo didn't say back as suddenly he began to think and think, and think when he heard crystal. Then suddenly it came to him when he remembered the cave when he first met Kida and how she healed him "The crystal."

"Milo?" Weiss asked as she and the girls wondered what Milo was going on about all of sudden as they watched Milo sit down next to the King. Then grabbing the King's crystal neckless and inspecting it with a smile "Milo what you going on about?"

"Yeah you're kind of leaving us out of the loop here dude." Yang exclaimed as she kind of was getting an idea, but wanted to see if Milo had the same conclusion

"Sorry girls. But… but these crystal, they must have some kind healing energy to them. I've… I've seen it work." Milo began to say as Sweets and the girls smile some now too at this realization as the girls remembered seeing Kida do that with her crystal. That was until the King weakly cut in

"No…" The king said as he grabbed Milo's clenched hand getting everyone's attention as they looked back to him "Where is my daughter?"

"Well she…she….hmmm." Milo tried to answered but couldn't and didn't how to explain it to an old slowly dying man and not make his condition worse with the news

"She ah… she was taken away by Rourke your majesty." Ruby explained for Milo. Though she felt horrible that she and the girls couldn't do a thing this whole time, honestly it felt odd that they all were so weak here in this world… so helpless

"Yeah she was sir. She was turned into some kind of crystal hybrid and then Rourke's people took her. They blew the bridge up too so we couldn't follow, we're sorry… we… we couldn't do a thing." Blake answered also scowling some as like Ruby, Weiss and Yang. She had felt helpless this whole time in this world so far, even if they hadn't seen a heartless, she knew they could have taken on the soldiers. Then again their keyblades felt off anytime they tried to practice fight with them in their current forms. She wondered if that was on purpose, still she was pushed of these thoughts by the king who spoke up once more through his pain

"T-Then she's been chosen… like her mother." The King answered somberly

"What. What do you mean by that your majesty?" Weiss asked for herself and the group

"Hmmmm… in times of danger the crystal will choose a host.. one of… of royal blood to protect itself. It will accept no other." The king began to say as the girls at least slowly started to remember their dream before coming here. The one they all had but was the same too of the land in danger and the people running. They wondered if they were seeing the last days of Atlantis back then, still they listened on

"W-Wait a minute. Choose, so this thing is alive?" Milo asked bewildered by the revelation here

"In a way… the crystal thrives in an collective emotion of all who came before us. In return it provides power… longevity, protection." The king explained much to the others surprises

"So wait… that's how you've all been alive for so long." Weiss said wide eyed as it made sense now how all these people survived all these years and yet hadn't age even a day

"And it would make total sense with how advanced and stuff you guys were. The crystal was like your main energy source so it let you advance further before anyone else!" Ruby added in as that also made sense on how Atlantis seemed to be from the stories a land beyond others back then

"But you also said protection… that would mean you have enemies. Right?" Blake asked herself frowning some as suddenly that dream from before was making much more sense now "That's… that's what happen isn't it. How your city ended up like… this?"

"Blake what are you…?" Milo tried to ask confused on what she was talking about

"Hmmm. That is correct, we had many enemies back then." The king confirmed though his tone and look was that of regret, and shame it seemed as he took the crystal he had into his hands "As it grew, it developed consciousness of its own. In my arrogance I sought to use it as a weapon for war."

"And it rebelled didn't it?" Yang somberly asked as she and the girls were really now understanding what that dream showed them so long ago

"Yes. It overwhelmed us and led to our destruction." The king confirmed mournfully as the girls looked to one another all knowing that the dream they had was for sure the end days of Atlantis or at least the day it sunk

"That's why you hid it beneath the city, to keep history from repeating itself again." Milo concluded as the girl and Sweets listening couldn't help but agree with that assessment

"And to prevent Kida from suffering the same fate… as my beloved wife." Th king explained

"Huh?" The girls all muttered confused by that as they wondered if something else was involved with Kida's current state of being

"What do mean. W-What's gonna happen to Kida?" Milo asked worriedly

"If she remains bonded to the crystal. She could be lost to it.. forever. The love of my daughter is all I have left… my burden would have become hers when the time was right. But now…" The king said as he took his neckless off all of suddenly and laid back down seeming suddenly a bit… weaker as he did so. Then once it was off, he held it up to Milo "It falls to you."

"Me?" Milo asked surprised by this and yet scared as he took the crystal while the king wrapped his hand around Milo's fist. The girls watching alongside Sweets could tell that this was a lot for Milo, yet they had a bad feeling what was about to happen with the king sadly

"Return the crystal… save Atlantis… save my daughter…." The king said getting weaker by the seconds and seemed to have just enough strength to give the young man, and in turn the girls who he knew who they were some advice "Don't… don't be afraid. Just…j-just remember… even if you feel… helpless…. you're not alone… you never are… alone."

The King then gave a small, weak yet oddly peaceful smile before he took his last breath. His hand falling from Milos as they rest his chest now. It took a second for the girls to realize what they just saw, even if they had a feeling it was going to happen. It still rather surreal, mainly for the fact they had never seen someone die… like ever. It again was oddly peaceful here as they stared at the body once alive not even seconds ago now nothing more than a still corpse. The girls were quiet as they noticed Sweets sigh some, Milo close his eyes and the two guards ever silent kneel down and lower their head to the deceased king.

Yet this only made the girls feel more useless. This whole first worlds had made them feel that way once they started this trip to Atlantis. They swore they could have done so much if these stupid world rules weren't in place. They could have possibly done something when the Levithan attacked, they could have done something when their camp caught fire, when Rourke along with his own people pulled their little take over and could have done something now to help the king survive.

But no. No that couldn't just be, because apparently this world wanted to them to be a weak as possible with no magic, their keyblades forced into disguise that aside from Yang's being sledgehammer and Weiss a wrench, barely could be used as practical weapons against mecha sea monsters or people with guns. The girls wondered why, was it test of sorts, some kind of lesson to be learned. Maybe they would never know, but… they already made a promise to themselves that they would never allow themselves or the world rules to render them as helpless as they felt now. Each of them in a daze of their of minds at the moment that they didn't even notice that Milo and Sweet had begun to talk. Until Milo snapped them back into reality.

"HAVE I LEFT ANYTHING OUT!?" Milo yelled as the girls who were snapped back to the now flinched before looking over to see Milo had just seemed to finished yelling at a calm Sweets

"Milo?" Ruby muttered as she and the girls confused, opted to listen in having an idea that Milo was just venting a little

"Well, you did set the camp on fire and drop us down that big hole." Sweet rather calmly teased back

"THANK YOU…thank you very much!" Milo yelled once more tuning around and raising his arms up in exasperation, while walking away towards a knocked over vase. Then sitting down on it as he looked to the ground calming down some now

The girls meanwhile began to move closer to Milo to give him some encouraging words, even if they hadn't heard most of the context they could understand Milo needed someone to give him a uplifting speech or a few words at least. That was until they saw Sweets who was knelt down picking up the Shepards journal that was left on the ground when Rourke figured out the riddle a while back.

"You know in my experience. When you hit bottom." Sweets said kindly as he moved a bit closer to Milo as the girls stopped to let Sweets have his words "The only place left to go is up."

"Who told you that?" Milo asked as the words did help if only a little

"A fella by the name of Thaddeus Thatch." Sweets kindly said

"He's right you know Milo." Ruby said finally as Milo and Sweets looked seeing the girls move up to them

"Girls…"Milo muttered before the rest of team RWBY spoke

"Before you say anything else. Milo look despite everything and… sadly the kings passing. But you are not to blame at all for what was happening. We just so happened to tricked by a gang of robbers." Weiss started off before looking at Sweets "No offense Sweets."

"Eh, again none taken." Sweets assured as it sadly true and he was owning up to that

"Anyways Milo we're gonna need you more than ever and the king trust you so that should mean something right dude?" Yang exclaimed as gave Milo a quick pat on the back

"And don't think you'll be alone either. We'll be by your side till the end, like we have been ever since well all met." Blake added in with a thumbs up

"Yeppers. Best buddy squad forever!" Ruby cheered as she along with Weiss and Yang also gave Milo a thumbs up

And it was the boost of moral Milo needed as he smiled a bit at the girls and Sweets. Then with more serious look he held the crystal in his hand and knew what he had to do. He only prayed to God that things would go well enough… hopefully.

---

.

20 minutes later

.

---

Well, it seemed that-

.

[BOOM!]

"HOLY COOKIES THIS IS INSANE?!" Ruby screamed very loudly

And why, well simply put that they were oh I dunno… IN AN ACTIVE WAR ZONE RIGHT NOW ON FLYING METAL SEA CREATURE SHIP IN THE HEART OF DORMANT VOLCANO!

Aside from that everything again so far seemed fine…ish. Now one would rightfully wonder what had occurred beforehand and that would be the rightfully so correct line of thinking. So to bring it back a bit. It all began after the girls and Sweets quick little speech to Milo who then found his determination as he marched out of the palace.

Everyone had been waiting for him, the girls and Sweets to get news on the king. But instead they saw Milo followed by the girls march past them, then down the stairs. Sweets explaining quickly about the kings passing before Audry made a point to follow them so they could make sure they weren't gonna get themselves hurt.

Which sadly was not the case as they and the Atlantean citizens still around watched Milo and the girls hope onto one of the odd sea creature shaped metal speeders scattered around the city. As they did they were questioned on what the heck they were even doing. Only for Milo and girls to explain they could fight back, they always could and showed everyone how the scatter sea creature like crafts flew. Well Milo since he knew how they worked apparently and the girl just being there for Milo as support. It was blur after that and with some quick lesson before the group of non-natives, natives and willing Atlanteans. They were flying in the air on these war speeders. All the way into the cave where Milo and the girls; and those with them were told by Audry that Rourke was never surprised. The advice that Milo then asked for if that's case was just to not get shot, which didn't help with the slight worry Milo and the girls at least had.

And that statement couldn't be any more true, as once contact was made with a red large multi-air ballon that had Kida's cage chained to the bottom of the ballon as it lifted up. A battle started between Rourk's people against Milo, the other world natives and team RWBY's people. A battle that currently they were in the middle of as the girls did all they could to hold onto the speeder they were on with Milo while avoiding getting shot since a few bullets almost hit Milo and them a few times so far. Though during this Milo had gotten everyone to keep Rourk's men at bay both in the air and on the ground with relative success. So again it was going fine...ish so far.

"You okay Ruby?" Milo asked as he turned the speeder to the right avoiding a motor round shot at them "Whew that was close."

"I'm fine thanks. Also yeah, really close there!" Ruby replied back as she was gonna need hours of snuggling with her Weissy after this

"TOO CLOSE!" Weiss screamed as she looked to her right seeing Guin, Dante and Kiritsugi on one of the speeders. Ikail driving as Dante and Guin finally were able to use the pistols that had been holsters this whole time as they hung onto the sides. While Kiritsugi was in the passenger's seat and using his own what seemed to be a one shot pistol he had kept hidden in his coat most likely. Surprisingly to the girls, Dante and Guin were pretty good aims as they hit and even killing a few of soldiers much to the girls unease as they didn't want to kill anyone despite the oppositions intent "Well… at least they're doing fine. Now where is-"

"HEHEHE. THIS IS SO FUN, WE'RE FLYING!" A mature if not girlish squeal echoed as they looked above seeing another speeder flying in a frantic way. As it was Irisviel flying it and somehow ramming her speeder into the one person planes Rourke's men used. Killing them in the process by possible ignorance of the woman's part. Oh and Artoria alongside Doanld and Goofy were holding onto dear life as this happened. The trio screaming/ whined/ quacked in despair being stuck with the mad woman Irisviel; and her insane piloting

"Never mind… just wow." Weiss said as she and the girls eyed the speeder as it speed off ahead of them "I kind of feel bad for Rourke's men at this point."

"Yeah… yeah same cousin." Blake added in as she blinked a few times hoping that Artoria, Doanld and Goofy didn't develop some trauma from having to endure what she could tell was insane piloting

"Yep. Then aside though Milo we need to do something about that ballon there. I mean I see Audry and Sweets breaking for it!" Yang said pointing at the ballon seeing Audry and Sweets sharing a speeder now as they had been in separate ones; and flying away after what the five could tell was a failed attempt at cutting Kida free "We need to figure out something like now. So anyone, Blake, Weiss, little sis. Plans?"

"Um ah… maybe we could see if we could round up everyone for a charge. Like one last charge?" Blake suggested on a split second decision

"Are you insane Blake. That's gonna get us all killed!" Weiss argued as she wasn't against it for a last resort, but as a main plan that was suicide

"I know Weiss. But unless you have a better idea I don't what else we could do!" Blake argued back as she was bit irked that her cousin was arguing with her of all times. But understood why as she even felt like an idiot as she said the words

"Girls please don't fight we need to figure out something like now!" Ruby said in a worried tone as she began to ponder "Maybe we could try and cut the chains ourselves?"

"I mean maybe Ruby. But with what, I'm stuck with a sledgehammer that I swear will not do a dent on those chains at least without a good sweet spot and Weiss wrench is too slow to get a decent hit on it. Not to mention you and Blake have parasols only!" Yang replied back as it wasn't a bad idea, but not one that could be done easily

"Oh ah we could try and trick the soldiers in shooting it maybe?" Weiss suggested

"Yeah. Yeah that could work, good job sweetie!" Ruby cheered as she and the girls began to try; and quickly devise a plan

But as they did Milo could tell that though good plan from the girls were being suggested. That they didn't have enough time and they needed to get that ballon down. NOW. He had an idea, one that would mostly likely get the girls a bit angry at him for it. But he could make it up to them after this is done, and if it works. He then took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves with his plan.

"Alright… this is it." Milo said with a shaky tone and loud enough that team RWBY heard

"Milo, what are you going about?" Blake asked as she and the girls did NOT like the face Milo was making

"Any last words…" Milo said once more to himself as he rubbed his hand together to gather up his courage

"Milo. Milo Thatch you tell us right now what you're gonna do!" Weiss scolded in a panic and worry

"I think I got a good idea girls…." Yang said as she realized that if they couldn't cut Kida down, then they could hit the ballons and since none of them had any weapons that could reach at the moment and with enough force to do it one hit so that Rourke wouldn't notice. The only options was to use…. Oh… oh no

"What do you…." Weiss began to ask before it clicked to her and she looked to Milo "Milo, no. No. NO!"

"Weissy what are you…. OH DUST NO. MILO!" Ruby screamed as it clicked to her now

"MILO THATCH I SWEAR IF YOU DO WHAT I THINK YOU'RE GONNA DO-" Blake screamed as she and the girls were more upset that it could hurt their friend more than them. But she was then cut off by Milo himself

"Yeah. I really wish I had a better idea than this. GIRLS JUMP!" Milo screamed as he quickly steered the speeder right towards one of the smaller ballons

But as this happened once they were close enough. Milo and the girls leaped off landing on the largest ballon and holding onto the rope tied around it. All the while their speeder took out the ballon it was intended for. Unknown to them it had some effected as now the ballon already was slowly starting to descend with all the weight. Still as the five settled for a moment, the girls did have some… choice words for Milo.

"MILO I AM GONNA KICK YOUR…UGH. THAT WAS STUPID YOU IDIOT!" Yang screamed as she noticed she and the girls were a bit higher up on the ballon then Milo was when they landed

"Seriously that could have gone bad if you didn't do it right Milo!" Ruby added in angrily as she was happy it worked, yet upset at how badly that could have been if it hadn't worked "You're in super trouble mister!"

"I know. I know, sorry girls but I'll make it up. Now I'm gonna head down to Rourke!" Milo said as he started to head downwards

"No Milo wait for us!" Ruby yelled back but Milo was already climbing downwards "MILO… ugh. Seriously of all times now he picks to not listen!?"

"Let's just climb down girls." Yang simply said as she and the others began to do so

"I just hope Milo isn't biting off more than he can chew…" Blake muttered worriedly

"Yeah…" Ruby, Weiss and Yang muttered having heard Blake; and couldn't help but worry also about their friend

Meanwhile as this occurred Rourke had just thrown Helga off the ballon to lose some weight so it could start floating again. Having successfully done so as Helga screamed his name in anger as she plummeted down to the ground had only just faded. Rourke even made a snide remarked about it being not personal and was feeling good again, well until Milo came in.

"NAHH!" Milo screamed as he swung down the side of the blimp first as the girls were still making their way down already having somewhat caught up

As Milo did he was able to kick Rourke in the face knocking him down as Milo was pulled down also to the lower part of the Ballon. Which the girls had seen as they had just gotten down far enough to see this happen.

"Milo!" Ruby screamed as she tried climbing down a little faster now

"That idiot. Why couldn't he wait for us!" Blake yelled in an angry panic as she knew Rourke beat Milo in muscle mass by a lot

"Yell at him when we get down there Blakey!" Yang replied back. Though she couldn't help but agree with her girlfriend

"That and a smack upside the head!" Weiss added in as they were nearing the lower levels now

As they did, reaching the first floor they looked over the side where the two had fallen over. They saw Milo charge at Rourke with a punch and scowl. Much to the girls pride for at least a second before they saw Rourke catch his fist easily, used it to punch Milo in his own face and the kicks him hard over the edge where he barley caught on a loose pipe that had just broken from the railing he was kicked over. Though no one had taken notice it also stopped one of the fans bellow the ballon that kept it up to a halt. Still again that was on no one's mind, especially the girls who panicked even more seeing this happen.

"MILO!" The girls scream before they got angry again and prepared to leap down for an attack

Meanwhile as this occurred, Rourke at the same time decided to enjoy this moment just a bit and be fully honest with just how done he was with Milo and his ever so persistent personality. That and his knack for somehow screwing him over constantly. Even if the other times were accidental, this time it had be very obviously on purpose.

"You know Mister Thatch I consider myself an even temper man and it takes a lot to get to me. But you did the impossible." Rourke loudly said as he neared over the edge to look down at a dangling Milo "Congratulations you just won yourself the gold cupi doll!"

Though as Rourke said that. He suddenly grunted feeling Ruby and Blake land on his back before starting to punch his face as best they could.

At the same time Rourke had barely been able to get back up to swipe the girls off. Before Yang and Weiss landed now near the man. But just as they did Rourke was able to throw Ruby and Blake off. But thankfully they two had landed on their feet right next to Weiss and Yang who checked to see if they were okay. When it showed they were, they all faced Rourke who was focused on them fully now smiling some in utter annoyance and rage.

"And then here are you brats. Mister Thatch's annoying friend. You know gotta say you four and your buddies ended up being a HUGE thorn in my side. Like I said before takes a lot to get me mad but you did just that you little brats!" Rourke said with a seething hatred for team RWBY who just narrowed their gaze back at him

"Well good then, better to be hated then like by a monster like you!" Blake said as she noticed Rourke start to move go the right to circle them. She then began to do so too toward the opposite direction and the other following her lead now as they notice second later

"Yeah where the heck do you get off murdering all these people!" Yang yelled next as she kept an eye to see what Rourke might try

"Like I said before little lady. Profit and boy once I DO get back up. I'm gonna be richer in wealth then King Midas himself!" Rorke exclaimed

"You're sick!" Ruby argued at the reasoning as she was a bit nervous she'll admit. Sure she and the girls could fight, but they still were teen girls against a still pretty fit older war vet

"Just a realist Miss Rose. You think anyone in this world got their wealth, fame and fortune by playing fair. Nah, it's a dog eat dog world out their ladies and I'm simply taking my chances to be one of the big dogs." Rourke mused smirking as the girls got more sick and sick form just listening the callous greedy man

"By murdering a whole civilization without any remorse?" Weiss questioned as she and the girls didn't want to believe that in their first world of all places that there was such an evil as Rourke was

"By simply taking and recovering lost relics of importance hence Miss little crystal princess below us. Besides these people are in the grand scheme of things in this world obsolete. If they were meant to rule and survive, they wouldn't have ended up down here. Like I said, survival of the fitness ladies. At the end of the day you gotta do what you gotta do." Rourke mused chuckling some

"Well to bad Rourke. We're gonna beat you right here and now. There are four of us and one of you!" Ruby yelled as she felt her blood boiling some at how vile Rourke was truly. Though she and the girls noticed him chuckling suddenly "W-What's so funny?"

"Haha...ha... sorry. But you are right Miss Rose... you are right. But here's an interesting bit. But I know what you and your little friends are." Rourke said as he and the girls once circling stopped as team RWBY went wide eyed much to Rourke's amusement "Heh. Now that's the reaction I was expecting."

"H-How do you-" Blake began to ask before Rorke cut her off

"Ah, ah that would he telling. Though I will say someone out there wants you and your little friends gone. All I was given was this for the job too." Rourke exclaimed as he pulled from his left pocket a small crystal shard of dark purple and black "A simple trinket to use if I get the chance to get rid of you four like now."

"That feeling from the crystal it's like..." Weiss began to say before she stopped feeling a shiver again

"Yeah... feels like them alright, the heartless." Yang stated as she, Blake and Ruby also felt a shiver too

"That can't be though we haven't seen-" Blake began to say. Only for her to suddenly stop when she and the girls saw Shades appear around a rather unfazed Rourke

"No...no...NO!" Ruby yelled as this shouldn't be happening

"Ah so you do know what these things are... strange I should be scared yet..." Rourke said picking up one the Shades on his hand as he let it crawl onto his shoulder while the other Shades began to crawl around him too. Rourke being disturbingly calm here "Yet I feel at ease... at peace with them."

"Rourke stop. You don't know what they can do to you if you let them!" Ruby pleaded as she may have hated Rourke. But she didn't want him dead at all, same could be said when it came to the others on that feeling

"But I do..." Rourke said as his voice started to become distorted as he looked at the girls with a very veil smirk. While Shade on his shoulder raise its clawed fingers right at his heart "And I want it. THE POWER!"

Right as Rourke screamed that the Shade plunged its claws right into his chest. The girls flinching as they felt a sudden pressure form around Rourke while everything around the five of them seemed to slow down to a near grinning halt. Then the girls had to cover their faces as pulses of darkness began to exert out of Rourke's chest and the Shades began to fuse with him while crystal he had shattered. Rourke's eyes glowing yellow as he bellowed out a roar.

.

"GRAAGGGHHHHHH!"

.

As Rourke did so, letting out his very unnaturally distorted voice now. Everything eventually dark for the girls followed by silence.

---

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎

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They were… alive.

At least that's what the girls could tell as they began to get their bearings back. The darkness that had once blinded them faded, they blinked a few times and saw nothing.

No like literally nothing but that ever gnawing darkness that surrounded them. Like a few times before and that was already a red flag for the girls. Still they took a few more moments looking ahead of them until Ruby looked down seeing well… that she was herself again. Back in her original attire.

"Hey girls look. We're back to normal!" Ruby cheered as Weiss, Blake and Yang took notice seconds after

"FINALLY. YES!" Weiss screamed as the others flinched for a moment. Weiss quickly composing herself as she cleared her throat "Ahem. I mean good. Good."

"Yeah nice save there Weiss." Yang mused as she looked herself over "Still glad to be in my threads. I liked my world attire, but you can't beat the usual. Ya know?"

"Hm. Still clothing aside, but I wonder if we're the only one's here." Blake stated as she did bring up a good thought there

Which was promptly answered not even three seconds later, by a rather familiar voices. That of Goofy and Donald. The girls looking to their left as they saw their two buddies back in their original forms. Happy as can be to find them.

"Girls!" Goofy and Donald yelled in glee meanwhile

"Goofy, Donald!" Ruby cheered back as she held her arms up as she let the boys give her a hug first

Then Yang, Blake and Weiss joined in on the group hug. All of them chuckling and laughing at being reunited in this place of wherever. After a few more moments they let go of one another before trying to figure out what to do now.

"So, boys any idea what this place is or…" Ruby asked hoping so. But saw the boys just nod a 'no' to that "Nothing then… aw. I was hoping that-"

"That there would be a clue Ruby?" Artoria suddenly asked as she appeared from the groups right with some armor now on her dress and with a invisible object of sorts in her right hand. One that couldn't be seen but yet sensed by the group "I was going to say the same thing. But I don't think there are any, that said this place does feel… off. That and I haven't found a sign of anyone else of our group. So it might just be us."

"Joy…." Yang, Donald and Weiss at least muttered with a groan at that fact

"Speaking of this place. Girls, was there anything you particularly were doing or did that could have caused this maybe. Most likely by accident of some sort?" Artoria went on seeming ignored what Yang, Donald and Weiss had muttered loudly. To focus on the now and what she assumed the girls had a unintentional hand in

"Well…hm…." Yang muttered as she and girls though on it before not even a second later it came to her "OH CRAP ROURKE!"

"Rourke?" Goofy asked "Yang what about Rourke?"

"He's the reason were here, girls remember the crystal he had?" Yang answered and was now a bit on edge considering she hadn't seen the man at all

"Crystal… right. We just had landed to fight him and…" Blake began to say as it was coming back to her now

"And he said he knew about us. To be exact what we really were and that someone wanted us gone so that's why he was given the crystal. He broke it and heartless suddenly started to show up finally." Weiss explained on for her cousin as she at least suddenly felt an odd chill, barely noticeable but she felt it still

"What do mean girls. He summoned heartless?" Donald asked now as that didn't not good one bit obviously

"I'm confused too. I haven't seen these heartless you speak of. But they sound bad." Artoria added in as she also was starting feel a bit off

"Gwarsh. They are very bad Artoria, but where could they be now?" Goofy questioned as he took his shield out, his own instincts flaring up a bit now

"Well if I had to take a guess. But if we're here, and this place came because of Rourke then that would mean-" Ruby began to say as it was coming to her. Then she stopped when she and the others felt like something was behind them "Oh no…"

.

.

Mean that I'm here too?

.

.

As a voice suddenly from behind spoke in distorted, yet familiar human tone. The group slowly turned around and went wide eyed as they looked up and up… and up to the creature behind them now. What they could tell though was that this thing was heartless and worse. It was a Rourke infused heartless.

Rourke's new look was a lean blob like creature with wide, sturdy arms and shoulders. He… not it had legs but an goo like trail that came from the bottom. The face was of a oval shape with two big yellow eyes, though a crack scar went down the right eye. Still a yellow jackal-o-Lanter like mouth also donned the face too and had two horns on the forehead that seemed to have what looked like dollar sign symbols carved into them messily. The look was not to complex yet not simple either. But what it made this worse was the chest, the chest that had a running oil like texture to it that and also had… bodies in it. Bodies of dead soldiers simialir to the one's Rourke had on his side. Alongside guns, knifes and other military hardware sticking in the chest like a distorted art piece, one particular item looked like a bomb kind of. Still all in all, whatever this thing was or at least where Rorke started and ended in this monstrosity, it was harrowing to even look at.

"What the heck happened to him?" Yang asked in shock as the creature began to slowly slither towards her and the others. Which prompted them to back up slowly and get their weapons out. The girls not even feeling their keyblades appear in hand

"Aside from looking like a failed art piece. No idea sis." Weiss answered as she was getting a bit nervous as this brough back some bad memories of their dream boggy man a year ago

"W-Well I got a guess girls." Goofy stated nervously as he had moved in front of the others with his shield up

"Lay it on us Goofy. Like quick!" Ruby pleaded as she was trying to thinking of anything they could do to take this… thing down quickly

"W-Well maybe that crystal you mentioned was ah…ah, was like some kinda beacon. Like for all the heartless?" Goofy explained

"Are you saying that Rourke's plan was so evil that the crystal he had used that very darkness to call in all the heartless that we WOULD have fought all along to him alone?" Ruby questioned as that was… was… okay it made sense but it wasn't very comforting if that was a possibility

"Pretty much…" Goofy replied back

"Huh… have to admit that's kind of hardcore." Yang admitted before she got an elbow to the side by her girlfriend "Ow Blake!"

"Well don't say things like that. It's not COOL!" Blake scolded as Yang flinched a bit knowing her girl was right, but didn't mean she didn't think the idea was a little cool at least

"Girls how about we focus on the massive blob of darkness about to kill us!" Donald scolded himself as he already was getting a few spells ready to use on this creature

Though before any of the girls could reply back or apologize. They all suddenly bumped into what felt like a wall. An invisible wall in the void less darkness that surrounded them. Which if one were to be honest made no sense, then again so far many things had defied logic so maybe it was best to NOT try to ask questions and just… ugh… just accept it. Well at least one would think, but the reactions to such a discovery was not met well.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS. A WALL, A WALL IN HERE OF ALL PLACES?!" Yang screamed in anger as she found that just stupid

"That's, that's just stupid!" Ruby added in angry herself at the sheer idiocy of the fact the hit a wall where there should be not one "STUPID WALL OF…of… STUPID!"

"Enough we must focus on….DODGE!" Artoria screamed at the girls as she was gonna scold the sisters before she saw the Rorke thing swing down a fist at them

As the group of six dodged either to the left or right. Landing on their feet if barley for some. It was a second or so before the voice, the same now confirmed woman's voice spoke to them once more. Would this be a usual thing the girls did not know, but for now they at least got a good idea on what they were dealing with as the voice spoke to them.

.

.

[Black Heart Marker: The Sin of Greed, Greed-R. Rank.7]

.

.

The girls didn't have much time to process the name given or what the name was all about as the quickly dubbed 'Greed-R' slammed his fists at them. Ruby and Weiss on one side with Artoria and Goofy. While Blake and Yang were with Donald on the other side as the two group dodged the attacks before quickly counter attacking.

It started off with Ruby deciding try and hit the sides off Greed-R followed by Artoria and Weiss who did the same. While Goofy decided to stay back and throw his shield at the Greed-R's left arm. Donald doing the same with his spells on the right, while Yang and Blake had opted to barely climb up Greed-R's back to strike at the head. Now would think this was simple and would be easy.

But that wasn't fully true as though it seemed Rourke had little in offensive attacks being just him swinging his arms around as he roared. His defense was different as for those ground side and attacking close up being Ruby, Weiss and Artoria. They soon found themselves actively avoiding blobs heartless hybrids of the dead soldiers as they popped out attacking them. While Goofy and Donald on both sides avoided being shot at by more of the heartless blobs that formed on Greed-R's back and shoulders.

Thankfully the range support for Greed-R was being somewhat suppressed as Yang and Blake were fighting them off as best as they could. Nearly getting shot a few times already. All this going on as Greed-R tried shaking the two on his back off, while also swinging his arms still at those below.

"Die already!" Greed-R in a rage roared as he swung his arm again. This time making Ruby and Artoria rolled dive away to their right as they slid on their feet

"Man Rourke is not making this easy for us!" Ruby yelled taking a moment to rest as she hadn't fought like this for nearly three weeks so she felt actual kind of rusty. That and she was a bit peeved that her Pokeball and summon gem didn't come to her or the girls when they entered this area

"NO KIDDING!" Donald yelled as he was running around Greed-R by this point, firing off fire spells that hit Greed-R's face as he ran past Ruby and Artoria

"Not to bring focus off Rourke. But seeing Donald and Goofy as they are, is a bit… jarring still." Artoria stated as she had seen much in her mortal life before she became what she is now. But that said a talking duck and dog man was… new

"Yeah true. But you get use to them once you know em. Hehe." Ruby exclaimed as she kind of appreciated this moment if only to calm her nerves just a bit

"Hm… anyways back to Rourke. But we need to get this battle over with quickly. I can't say if time is at a still while we fight in here or not, but a I fear the answer if not the latter option." Artoria exclaimed as she wanted to cast her invisible air from her sword and use her noble phantasm. But she was worried that if she did use her noble phantasma, that she could harm the others here and in a space with what was invisible walls around that could a big possibility

"Totally. But what can we do, Rourke seems to be taking our hits like there nothing." Ruby stated as she saw Yang and Blake flung off of Rorke's back as they landed on top of Weiss who groaned in pain seconds later. While Donald was doing his best to keep Rourke busy and Goofy went to help the girls out "We need a plan and quick. I don't think we can hold out much longer."

"Sadly I agree… okay… okay…" Artoria said as she began to think and see if there was… WAIT. That was right, she remembered at the start of the battle. She saw if barley in the chest of Greed-R what looked to be explosives, military grade ones too. She didn't know how much, but if they were connected to more they could use that to blow up Greed-R to kingdom come "Ruby. I don't know if you noticed it, but I saw inside the chest of Rourke some explosives. I can't say it will do the job, but it might be connected to more so if we hit it…"

"BOOM. Heh, that's right I thought I saw explosives too in his chest. Good idea Artoria!" Ruby answered with a big smile before she pondered on the how now "But wait how are we gonna hit it?"

"That's where Donald comes in." Artoria answered back "Now we just need to get him over here without-"

"GAHHH!" Donald all of sudden screamed as he was flung away by a lucky hit from Greed-R and landed right in front of Ruby; and Artoria "Ow…ow….ow….."

"Donald!" Ruby yelled in a panic as she moved over to Donald and helped him up

"Well either my luck ranked up or this is just a case of dumb luck." Artoria muttered at how convenient that had just been as she watched Ruby help Donald back up onto his feet

"You okay Donald?" Ruby asked kindly and with concern of course

"I'm fine Ruby. I'm fine, still thanks." Donald answered as he was a bit irked that Greed-R got even a lucky hit on him "Stupid creature. This is going on too long already!"

"Actually, speaking of that Donald. Arty here has got an idea!" Ruby exclaimed gleefully as she pointed back at Artoria who awkwardly smiled still not really use to the nickname Ruby used for her from time to time

"Huh?" Donald mused a bit confused. But moved over to Artoria who motioned him over to her, once he was close enough she knelt down slightly and whispered into his ear as Ruby watched. Then flinched a little at the reply she assumed he would have considered her and the girls had gotten to know him; and Goofy nearly half a year before all this happened "WHAT THAT'S CRAZY!"

"Well we don't have much more to go on Donald. Can you do it?" Artoria stated as she gave the duck man a small smile "Please Donald."

"Hm… fine, but I'll need some back up if I'm gonna cast a spell that powerful. It will take about two minutes tops." Donald answered before he, Artoria and Ruby heard the others being flung around some as Yang at least was screaming at how much she hated this thing "Scratch that three minutes."

"Heh. Well I'll keep you safe then." Artoria answered with a nod before looking back at Ruby "Ruby can you and the others play distraction for us. It maybe only two or three minutes but a lot can happen."

"I understand, but don't worry you have a Ruby Schnee promise that everything will be A-okay!" Ruby cheered with a smile and thumbs up. Then she, Artoria and Donald heard Greed-R let out another roar as Ruby serious once more "Go quickly, I'll get the others to play distract."

Without much more to say Artoria and Donald made their way off to move to the front of Greed-R. As they did Ruby took a moment to prep her legs for a two minuet sprint. Which wouldn't seem hard but again she hadn't been doing much running or fighting for nearly a month since they got to this world so she felt again a bit rusty.

"Okay… okay you can do this Ruby Schnee. You're an awesome hero… please let this be somewhat easy. Right, right… LETS GO!" Ruby hyping herself up screamed as she sprinted toward Greed-R and prepped her arm to do a keyblade throw which was something she hadn't had much time to practice but hey better now the never… even if it was life and death situation "Please let me hit his stupid jerk head. PLEASE!"

Ruby then threw her keyblade that spun like boomerang as she ran up just close enough to be out of arms reach of Greed-R as the keyblade hit the back of the things head hard. Greed-R growling before looking back at Ruby angrily and letting out another roar.

"HA GOT YOU!" Ruby yelled as her keyblade came back to hand as Greed-R was slowly began to turn around to her

"RUBY WHAT ARE DOING YOU DOLT?" Weiss screamed from the other side where Blake, Yang and Goofy were with her at

"JUST FOLLOW MY LEAD AND KEEP HIM BUSY!" Ruby answered as she motioned her head to her left a little where Artoria slicing down a few of the hybrid soldiers and Donald starting up a powerful spell at the same time

Not wanting to argue and Goofy at least getting the idea of what Ruby was asking, him alongside the girls started to do just that. Following Rubys tactics. Weiss, Blake and Yang began to throw their keyblades also at Greed-R's head. Goofy meanwhile shielding whoever he was near at the moment when Greed-R's hybrid soldiers began to shot at them as Greed-R was being semi-stun locked as he just growled in irritation.

Honestly it wasn't too hard to keep Greed-R distracted either while Donalds spell grew and grew larger. The beast/man had a short temper so the constant annoyances kept his focus mostly off of Donald. Still that didn't mean Greed-R didn't try attacking the girls since they were by this point making him face away from Donald. Still the girls kept throwing their keyblades at Greed-R's face while Goofy still was blocking the bullets shot at them. While Artoria had moved over to them to cut down hybrid soldiers that started to pop up. As she could tell Donald wouldn't be targeted anymore for the time.

"Will you stop that you brats!" Greed-R roared angrily covering his face as so far this form of his was more of a hinderance then anything. He should have never agreed to taking that crystal and from a robbed stranger of all people

"D'aw what's wrong Rourke. Getting mad a bunch of teens are kick your butt!" Yang mocked as she flung her keyblade again hitting a few of the goo bullets shot at her before hitting Greed-R's eyes. Even going through it leaving a mark "EYE SHOT, TEN POINTS!"

"Nice one dear!" Blake complimented as she avoided a few goo bullets shot at her as she caught her just thrown keyblade "Well seems like you're losing your aim Rourke!"

"GRAHHHH!!!" Rorke roared angrily as he swore if he could and if he survived this, he'd kill these brats as slowly as possible

"Do you think it's a good idea to mock the giant goo heartless monster?" Weiss asked as she threw her keyblade again as it hit Greed-R in the throat hard as the beast coughed some in pain "Hehe. Okay I take it back, that was FUN. HA TAKE THAT ROURKE!"

"Hmm… Yang, Blake you corrupted my Weissy!" Ruby whined some as she caught her keyblade again, even if it was more of a joke then anything

"You mean enhanced little sis. She's learning from the best she can haha!" Yang mused as she hit the same spot she had before on Greed-R as the beast cried in pain and the hybrid soldiers were starting to destabilize "And I think we're getting somewhere. Keep at it!"

"Thank the lord…" Artoria muttered as she just finished cutting another hybrid solider in half as she took a deep breath from all the fighting. Her body still getting use even now to her more solid-ish body thanks to this world

But as this occurred. Greed-R finally seemed to have enough as he began to clench his fists furiously and glare at the girls, Goofy and Artoria with his yellow eyes. Then lifting his arms up he decided to end this with all his might as his arms began to glow a bit

"I've…had…..ENOUGH!" Greed-R screamed as he slammed his arms down seconds later as a large forward shockwave blasted down pushing those in front of it down on the ground hard. As that happened Greed-R glared at his arms "I COULD HAVE DONE THAT THE WHOLE TIME. STUPID CRYSTAL. STUPID DEAL!

"Okay… no idea what's he's going on about… but good news. We confirmed for sure that he was on someone's payroll…ow… ow… hurts more then I'd like to admit." Yang stated as she tried to get back up, but fell over and looked to the others "How about you…ow… all?"

"Yang… I know we've barely known each… each other. So… mind my words but… WHAT DO YOU THINK?" Artoria answered as passive aggressively as she could through her own pain as the others around were groaning in a lot of pain

"Sorry… was…just…ow… asking." Yang apologized sheepishly

"Girls…please…. ow…ow, ow… please no fighting." Ruby asked kindly even if she was feeling like a Bullhead just hit her. Then she focused on the only boy with them right now "Goofy…ow…you okay…ow… buddy?"

"Pretty lights…. pretty…." Goofy meanwhile muttered as his eyes swirled around

"Well…. at least he's not dead… my back… my back. I should NOT be saying that at my age." Blake stated before she heard her back cracked a bit and made her flinch each time

"That aside…ow… but… but what about-" Weiss began to ask as they still were in fight technically. But was cut off when she saw a large shadow loom over them as it was Greed-R "Of course…"

"Hey cousin. Next time… ugh… next time. Don't jinx it." Blake stated as Weiss gave her a deadpanned stared back "Just…saying…ow."

"Well… not like I meant to…. Blake." Weiss replied back a bit snippy and as Blake was about to argue more, before Artoria cut in

"Ladies focus!" Artoria scolded before she cringed some "Ugh… that hurt to yell…"

"Sorry Artoria…" Weiss and Blake apologized as they felt bad for making the small woman have to yell at them to get their focus back

"As amusing as this is, really it is. But I'll be killing you annoyances now." Greed-R remarked smugly as it loomed over the group raising his arms up

"Heh… no you won't. In fact… we're…ow… gonna win… soon." Ruby replied back smirking all of sudden, followed by Weiss, Blake, Yang and then Artoria aside from Goofy who was still in a bit of daze

"Oh really, and why is that-" Greed-R began to say. Only for him to stop when he felt something enter through his back and into his chest. It also burned…really…. really…. oh no…. "Oh…"

"Forgot about me didn't ya. WELL QUACK YOU!" Donald yelled and most likely swore in a weird way

"Donald Duck, language!" Weiss scolded all of sudden before she winced in pain "Ow… yelling… hurts…"

"Really… even now…?" Yang asked her sister in law at the fact even in this state of pain and near death, Weiss just couldn't help but scold someone for swearing she assumed

"I know…ow… sorry…" Weiss muttered before she and other's noticed that the explosives in Greed-R's chest were starting to… well get ready to blow up as beasts body began to bloat up "That's…"

"Not good!" Ruby, Blake and Yang through their pain yelled as they hadn't thought of what they'd do once Donalds spell was cast and had hit the target area of Greed-R

"BRACE!" Artoria herself yelled once more, pain be damned as she and the others, aside from a now considered dazed out Goofy all closed their eyes and waited to take the impact of the explosion

Seconds later the big 'BOOM' went off and though none of then felt the impact of the explosion oddly. Everything for them went pure white and then pitch black before nothing more than silence was all that was left of the battlefield.

.

.

.

---

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎

---

As the silence ended and the girl's senses came back after what felt like, well not too long. A minute or two tops.

But the four slowly opened their eyes once more. Once they did, they quickly took notice they were in the same spot they had been on the ballon when Rourke had fused with the crystal in his hand. Alongside the sounds of fighting still going on in the background as it seemed that time itself had stopped while had been fighting Greed-R. Though they had felt their bodies sore beyond belief now and rather exhausted which meant they kept the damage; and the fatigue that had gotten during the fight with Greed-R. Which was a good thing to keep in mind incase this happened again.

Speaking of Greed-R, it or he was now back to just being Rourke. Who though didn't look injured at all. Was taking a few deep breaths as he rubbed his chest that had once been the catalyst of him blowing up literally. Seeming a bit panicked actually from what the girls could tell, before he calmed himself and turned his focus to the girls.

"Heh... gotta hand it to you girls and your little friends. You can pack quite a punch. Smart too at the end… smart." Rourke mused grunting some yet still had the strength to keep standing and smirked seeing the girls were in worse shape "But guess I hit harder huh?"

"S-Shut up..." Ruby said as she tried to move but fell on her knees in pain as she groaned some. Blake, Weiss and Yang just kept quiet; and didn't move hoping their bodies would recover soon

"Cute. Anyways stay here ladies, I'll finish you four off after I get done with Mister-" Rourke said getting ready to take care of Milo

Then all of sudden, before anyone could say a thing more a faint sound echoed before it became loud and loud and loud… and…

.

.

.

[Ssfff!]

.

.

.

MUCH LOUDER. As not even seconds later. Team RWBY and Rourke saw the red hue of a flare fire up and right into one of the smaller balloons which explode into a fire ball. Not even a moment more and the ballon itself was already slowly starting to lower once more. The girls still in pain though were forced to stay in place as they watch Rourke stare at the explosion in shock before he became irritated. His silence indicating his utter rage over all that had occurred as he broke the glass if a case before taking out an axe.

Then the girls saw Rourke look down to where a few grunts could be heard and seeing Milo grabbing onto the chains that held the box that Kida in it. They didn't hear or see what happened next aside from seeing Rourke making his way down the chains slowly with a maddening smirk forming on his face while in his right hand was the axe.

Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang though refusing to sit back while Rourke went after Milo forced themselves to move. Each crawl painful but lessening as their want to save Milo override their bodies pain.

They first heard muffles as they inched closer ti the side more and more. Then they heard the sound of an axe hitting glass and breaking it. That got the girls worried and they forced their bodies to stand up and run the rest of the way to the edge. Which they did seconds later.

Only they were met with the sight of Rourke just lifting up Milo who had a shard of glass that seemed to spark a bit in his right hand. The fire above making the scene a bit more horrific as the girls heard Rourke with his axe ready to kill Milo speak.

"CAUSE I'M JUST GETTING WARMED UP!" Rourke yelled about to make the killing blow to Milo

"MILO!" The girls all screamed at once. Yet again helpless to stop it and they hated that feeling

But before they could watch Milo take an axe to the neck. They saw him slice Rourke's arm with the glass shard as it sparks. Milo begin let go as the girls now notice he grabbed onto the metal circular rebar that held the chain together. Milo and the girls could only watch in horror as Rourke suddenly changed...

It was sudden too as once Rourke had recovered from the quick cut on the left arm holding it with his right hand to prevent bleeding. He glared up at Milo for a moment before his skin started to become covered in blue like crystals with hints of red vein like cracks.

To be honest, the girls may have not cared for Rourke much before and barley at this point. But watching the man freak out just a bit as he tried scratching the rapidly growing crystal off his skin was... unsettling to say the least.

Didn't help when it finally started to cover his face as he let out a scream of anger filled agony before finally letting out an inhuman screech of pain. Then froze in place now was a glowing blue and slight red crystal statue of a mortified Rourke. Milo and the girls just stared at what had occurred; and the statue that just moments before had been a man. Avid one trying to kill them. But a man none the less.

"Whoa..." Yang muttered as she had seen some pretty shocking stuff back on Remnant and when they were being brought to Traverse Town beforehand. But this was... a new one

"Yeah hun... yeah." Blake muttered as she found Rourke's end rather unnecessarily unsettling

"D-Does anyone else kinda a feel bad he went out like that?" Ruby asked as she had wished it hadn't come to this, even if the guy had wanted to kill them. She hadn't wanted him dead, behind bars yeah; but not dead "Is that... is that wrong to ask?"

"Well..." Weiss began to say as she didn't really know how to answer that. On one hand they hadn't wanted Rourke to died, yet on the other hand again he DID try to kill them. She looked to her cousin and sister in law and neither of them knew how to answer too as they seemed speechless. Deciding to try and steer the conversation she looked back down to Milo who was still at the spot he grabbed onto "M-Milo are you okay?"

"I... I um... yeah. Yeah, I think I-" Milo began to answer as he overheard Ruby's question and knew what Weiss was trying to do. But before he could finish his answer, suddenly Rourke cut him off

"RAHHHHH!" Rourke screeched in agony and anger as he reaches up to Milo now grabbing a hold of the metal rebar he clung onto

"AH!" The girls meanwhile screamed from the sudden scare

But as this all happened Milo lowered himself down by instinct to avoid getting caught by Rourke. Which inadvertently cause the metal rebar he'd been holding onto and now that Rourke held to now, to lift upwards.

Now that wouldn't have been bad until one remembers that by doing this, the other side of the rebar would be lifted up near the fans keeping the balloon. Now that said, Rourke was in the unfortunate or maybe fortunate position for this happen. Milo and the girls realized that second later when they saw Rourke lift up towards the spinning fan above him. Followed by Rourke himself.

"RAHHHH!!!" Rourke in a state of panic even in his new form screeched before his crystal like body and the fans blades meet

The sudden collision caused an explosion that forced Milo and the girls to fall off the balloon that exploded into a fiery ball now. At the same time Kida's holding cell fell down too and landed first. Milo behind and the girls after. Thankfully all of them hit a slop that was close and steep enough for them to have a semi less rough landing as they rolled down the slope. Kida's holding cell stopping below first before Milo landed against hit against it alongside the girls. All of them groaning seconds after.

"Ugh... not fun... not fun at all." Yang groaned rubbing her back as Blake rubbed her forehead

"No kidding sis..." Weiss muttered as she had taken the least damage and was rubbing her little wife's head. Ruby happy for the kind gesture as Weiss looked to Milo "I'll ask again... you okay Milo?"

"Yeah..." Milo answered cracking his neck "I'm good Weiss. A-o-"

Milo stopped suddenly as it seemed the world was against them right now. As they heard, felt and saw the fiery remains of the balloon fall down towards them at rapid pace.

"OH COME ON!" Yang yelled as she, the girls and Milo got back up quickly before using all their remaining strength they could muster to push Kida's holding cell out of the way along with themselves

As the fiery ball landed the others on the ground began to get back up right. At the same time the sounds of battle had been silenced now, and the speeders holding their allies came down to see if they were alright.

"Girls, Milo, you okay?" Ikail yelled as she, Sweets, Vinny, Mole and a somewhat sore looking yet still moving Artoria came off their speeders to see to team RWBY; and Milo

"Y-Yeah where fine... fine." Ruby answered as Artoria helped her up while the others were helped up too

"What happened to Rourke?" Kiritsugi on his speeders with Irisviel still asked as everyone else wondered that

"And Helga. Wasn't she with him?" Dante added in as everyone wondered that too

"Um..." Blake began to say but didn't how to explain it

"Ah... it's um..." Weiss to help her cousin out begins to say yet also didn't know how to start after what they just went through

"Let's just say it's ah... long story. Right?" Ruby suggested sheepishly

"Yeah... yeah." Yang answered as she just realized they had witnessed a man's death and she swore she saw a feminine hand barley in the fireball that once was the balloon. But kept it to herself for plausible deniability

Everyone else raised a brow. They could tell that wasn't all to it, so they focused their attention to Milo who smiled awkwardly. Not really having anyway of telling it without sounding like he went insane. Well more insane considering where they were at. Still he could at least back the girls up here.

"Yeah... it's a bit of a-" Milo began to say himself until suddenly the ground began to shake

Then shake and shake some more as everyone one noticed the ground start to crack and glow brightly. Then all remembered. They were on a… ACTIVE VALCANO. One that had just been the grounds for a battle that caused many explosions. Not good one bit.

"The volcano... SHE AWAKES!" Mole yells out in a slowly rising panic as those who had gotten off their speeders began to get back on them and quick at that

"Hey I did NOT have anything to do with it." Vinny stated holding a stick of dynamite that had been lit while Cookie in the background said 'This here might not be a good place to be'. While Vinny extinguishing the lite on the stick of dynamite

"Good idea Mister Cookie. So let's get a move on!" Irisviel said in her own panic at the ever growing cracks in the ground and the molten magma slowly shooting out

"No, no wait if we don't get Kida back to the city everyone will die!" Milo stated as he got a chain and moved over to Kida's holding cell before hooking it. The girls right alongside him making sure the hook was in place

"If we don't get out of here we'll die" Audry argued as the ground was really starting to shake violently as the girls and Milo made their way back Audry's speeder being the closest to them. Then began to wrap chain around the speeders tail

"Audry this is the only way we fix everything!" Ruby argued back as Audry sighed, yet leaped down to help Milo and the girls secure the hook around her speeder

It was seconds later when they did so, followed by Audry jumping back on first with Sweets helping her up. While Milo and the girls leaped on the sides then held on as their speeder. The others lifting off on their own speeders now. But as they did, the circular part holding the chain and Kida's cell broke. Hearing this the speeder stopped as the other speeders were making their escape.

"Why, why is this happening?" Blake yelled at her wits end at the bad luck they were having in this span of what felt like only five minuets

"This world just hates us!" Weiss screamed irritably before she and Blake saw Milo, Ruby; and Yang leap off. Milo with an extra hook as Yang and Ruby followed him "WHAT ARE YOU THREE DOING?"

"GET BACK HERE YOU IDIOTS!" Blake yelled next in a panic like her cousin

Though those pleads were ignored, as Milo with the help of Ruby and Yang tied the new chains around Kida's holding cell. Leaping on it moments after, with Milo on the top while Ruby leaped onto the right and Yang hung onto the left.

"GO!" Ruby, Yang and Milo yelled as Audrey did just that hearing them

Not even seconds late the magma flowed out finally like a river of death as Milo, Ruby and Yang held on. Thankfully too they had a good grip as the speeder was able to shoot out from the cave mouth where the drill they left was engulfed by the magma and exploded. Some sparks fired off nearly hitting Milo, Ruby and Yang.

"Ah, that was close very close. Yang, Milo you okay?" Ruby asked as she let out a sigh of relief

"I-I'm fine." Milo answered first keeping a good hold on Kida's holding cell

"Same. That was close though." Yang answered next letting out a sigh of relief

"Well you better enjoy this moment while you can because I swear, you're gonna get it once this is all over!" Blake yelled from the speeder

"Double for you Ruby Schnee!" Weiss added in angrily at her wife while Audry and Sweets kept quiet yet pitted Yang; and Ruby

"Ah... great..." The two sister muttered at the fact they were in hot water once this was all over

That aside the rest of the trip was quick as they caught up with the others. Not even a minuet more and they landed near the square were most of the Atlantean citizens resigned at. Once they landed and Kida's cell was placed back on the ground. Milo and the girls jumped off.

The girls then started using their world disguised keyblades to try and open the cell. Artoria, Kiritsugi, Guin, Ikail, Goofy, Dante, Irisviel and Milo who had been given a spear by a guard all did what they could to open the holding cell also with some luck.

But it didn't take too long before Milo was able to get the spear tip in a crack before he with the help from the girls pushed the spear as it forced the cell open. Then as the cell broke apart the glowing blue Kida hovered an inch or two above the air. As everyone else stepped back, the floor beneath began to glow as it covered everywhere.

"Whoa..." Ruby muttered

"So pretty." Irisviel mused herself as Kiritsugi next to her couldn't help but agree on that

"What's happening though?" Dante questioned curiously

"I think we're about to find out. Look!" Ikail answered as she pointed upwards as everyone else did too

Not an even a second past before they saw the giant stone faces lift up around Kida who was much higher up off ground now. The stone faces spinning around as they shot a beam a light at one stone, then another and another.

Then to the groups continued awe, the stones that were hit each began to stand up, nearly dozens of them. Even as balls of magma hit them, these stone giants got up. Then as quickly as they could each one moved to spots near the edge of the water itself. Everyone else again just stare in awe at the ancient sentinels. Heck Packer even tried taking a picture of the stone titans.

But as the mountain broke and a wave of magma shot out. The stone giants all raise their arms up. Before clapping as energy shot out of their palms forming a large sphere of blue light. Seconds later the lava hit the sphere enchasing it.

After a few moments when the magma finally died down and fell into a pool around the land mass of Atlantis now. The sphere itself covered by a thick black rocky crust and silence filling the land. Blue cracks began to break through and then finally explode as the shell of stone crust vanished, alongside the blue sphere. Leaving only now the city of Atlantis. Its citizens and those who were their allies safe. That and very relieved.

Though a lot of moist and steam surrounded everyone too. But as it did, for the girls who were near Milo at the moment. They steam died down first around them, before they and Milo noticed Kida coming back down looking like her original self. The girls stayed back though and let Milo move closer to her.

And as they watched, the others around began to notice too as the steam and smoke around them began to die down also now. Milo himself meanwhile stopped a few inches away near Kida. Kida back to her original human self finally landed and was caught by Milo who held her gently yet with a strong grip too. Kida finally slowly began to open her eyes after a few second.

And as she did that, she saw Milo. Then she took noticed of him handing her... her father's necklace. As Kida took it, she held in her some sudden tears and then hugged Milo who hesitated for a second or two, before he hugged her back.

"Aw..." Team RWBY quietly muttered at once at the bittersweet moment as they could tell. Even if it wasn't a kiss. It was gesture of love and comfort between the two from different worlds

But then they notice Milo and Kida look at each other. Milo smiling as he noticed something before he looked back to Kida who he motioned to look behind her.

As Kida did that, she and then the girls saw it watching the two. Milo and Kida the first to move to the edge of the area. Then the girls following behind as they stood on Milo's right as they all saw it now also. It was Atlantis.

It wasn't that they hadn't seen it before, but from this height and location. They saw the whole shinny blue, ancient and still now very alive city. As they admire the view Guin, Dante, Ikail, Donald on top of a recovered Goofy's head. Alongside Kiritsugi, Irisviel and Artoria moved over next to the girls right. While Packer, Vinny, Audry, Sweets, Cookie and Mole stood on the other side on Kida's left. All of the admiring the sight yet none of them speaking. As they shared a similar feeling of awe, relief and joy.

Though Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang almost gushed when they saw Kida reach for Milo's hand before Milo slowly took it. Both in a firm grip and that was enough to make the girls smile even more at the couple.

Still as of now, the girls only had the keyhole to lock and they had a good idea where it was.

---

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎

---

It was… weird that this was nearing the end…

That was what the girls felt as they only five minutes ago, excused themselves from the group and made their way off to the location of the keyhole that were for sure was at. As they did so, the four kept quiet for the most part. Until they neared the palace which was the only location the girls could think of the keyhole's location at. It was then Ruby who decided to say something finally.

"Hey girls." Ruby said as Weiss, Blake and Yang looked to her. Ruby skipping a little, but looked at them with a small smile " Crazy huh, all this?"

"Heh well yeah of course. I mean I personally didn't expect to end up saving a hidden city under the sea. But eh, least I can boast about it now." Yang mused as she shrugged with a smirk. Getting a quick chuckle from the others

"True hehe. True sister. Still, we did make some good friends too didn't we ladies?" Weiss exclaimed as the others nodded in agreement, though Ruby frowned some as Weiss took notice "Sweetie. What's wrong?"

"Oh ah... um..." Ruby began to say as she slowed down and just walked now before stopping as they were inches away from the cracked open throne room. Ruby sighing as she teared up a bit even "Sorry...i-it's just that I realized... we'll have to leave now once we… we find the keyhole..."

Weiss, Blake and Yang took moment before frowning a bit too getting a sudden feeling of sadness at the realization that yes. Once they locked this world, they would have to go. So they listened on as Ruby spoke more.

"A-And I know we have too but... but it hurts more. Much more than I thought it would..." Ruby finished as she wiped her eyes as she felt the girls give her a group hug before letting go seconds after. Ruby letting out a sniffle as she wiped her eyes "Thanks girls... really thanks."

"We're family Ruby. Of course we would." Blake reassured her future in law as she patted Ruby's head for a moment

"Blakes right little sis. But we know how you feel, it's kind of like a home now to us. This world... guess this is part of the job though." Yang answered as she would miss this place and the people here "Still we gotta do this. Everyone is counting in us."

"Yangs right dear. But hey who knows, maybe we can meet them again one day." Weiss stated as she truly didn't know that, but maybe it could happen; who knew. She kept in a few sniffles of her own as she felt the same as Ruby for sure "S-So come on, we have a world to lock and keep safe. Time or in this case, the heartless waits for no one!"

That gave Yang, Blake and Ruby a chuckle before they made their way upstairs, then down the hallway and finally into the throne room. As they did, they could definitely feel their keyblades start to act up. Mainly because they felt their arms force themselves up and pointed at the air before them. Still didn't seem like anything was happening.

"Okay... so ah... do any of us actually know what to do now?" Yang questioned as she then the others realize they had NO idea what to do next "Seriously. None of us?"

"Well it's not like there's a manual for this Yang." Weiss argued back with her sister in law, before she began to wonder "Unless..."

"Hey could be sis?" Yang mused as Weiss began to muttered some about manuals

"Focus people. We need to figure this out." Blake scolded getting her girlfriend and cousins focus back moment after. She then looked to Ruby "So little sister. Ideas or..."

"Ah...um... please work keyblades?" Ruby guessed as Blake have her a deadpanned stare "What. That's all I have sis-sis!?"

"I for one think you should ask it much more nicely dear. I'm sure it will work with your cuteness!" Weiss cheered as Ruby smiled back and blushed

"Hehe thanks Weissy. Still, okay... PRETTY, PRETTY, SUPER PRETTY..." Ruby began to say as she was gonna do the bestest please she could muster

"Really Weiss. Come on sister you know that ain't gonna work, was this just an excuse to gush over my little sis?" Yang remarked as she raised a brow

"I have no comment and my arm is hurting now." Weiss answered shamelessly and honestly since her arm was already hurting being held up by whatever force was making it do that

"Well that's what you and now us will get for you giving your wife a silly idea. Besides everyone knows that saying please barley...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Blake said calmly at first before suddenly the disguised of their keyblades vanished and were back to their original form "THAT WORKED?"

"THE POWER OF RUBY SCHNEE CUTENESS!" Weiss cheered in victory of being right, marking a point for her on the score board between her and her cousin Blake

"Huh... well that's something. Now-" Yang began to ask surprised Ruby's method worked and the thoroughly was cut off. Why because the keyblades shots beams of lights as a keyhole of light appeared in the center of the throne room. Before the beams hit it and a few seconds after a locking sound echoed. After that the lights died down, the girls arms lowered and their keyblades vanished completely "Okay….never mind. So, we did it. Right, right?"

"Yes. Yes we did big sis. Misson accomplished and we saved everyone. Today is a good day." Ruby mused though sighed some too "Still… guess we need to leave, let's head back down and say our… wait what's happening?"

The others would have said something but they all were stunned too when they saw their bodies start to vanish in sparkles of golden lights. It was quick and sudden that none of them came to the realization or notice that they were actually leaving the world now. But before any of them could say or do anything. Not even a second passed and just like that, they vanished from this world like they had never even been here.

---

Darkness, it was all she could see as she began to stir awake…

Ruby wondered where she was at, as all she remembered was her and the girls vanishing from Milos world when they had locked the keyhole. Though she got her answer pretty quickly a few moments later as she could sense a few individuals around her on what she felt was a couch she laid on. As she began to get her sight back she also began to hear some muffled voices

"_ Ruby_ be wa_ up." A voice that sounded like their Mister Handy Denis said

"Thank you_ Ruby you_?" A voice that sounded like Donald asked

"Hm…. too loud…." Ruby muttered herself as she was still waking up and wasn't a morning person at times, like right now since she had such an abrasive awakening

"Oh thank dust. I was worried about you sweetie." A voice that was for a fact Weiss said as Ruby felt a hug from her as she finally opened her eyes

Ruby saw then Weiss, Yang, Blake, Denis, Donald, Irisviel, Artoria and Guin looking down at her. While it seemed Dante, Ikail, Goofy and she assumed Kiritsugi since Irisviel and Artoria were here were elsewhere. Still as she saw everyone, Weiss let her up as she rubbed her eyes.

"Hey little sis, how are you feeling?" Yang asked seeming more than relieved to see her little sister awake

"Hm… I'm good. Thanks for asking… how long was I out for?" Ruby asked as she hoped it hadn't been too long

"Not too long Ruby. We only arrived in your ship just an hour ago." Irisviel answered "That said my husband is with your friends in the cockpit. Something about wanting to stargaze a bit before we take off. Though your friends and Dennis here have been quite kind to us."

"Bah, you flatter me to much ma'am." Dennis bashfully thanked as Irisviel just chuckled

"Oh… WAIT. Take off, to where and does anyone know what happened with Milo and the others. I mean did they, did we…" Ruby asked before it started to come back to her "Oh… right. We… we vanished before…"

"If it's of any help Ruby. I already told the others here, but another thing too. I almost forgot but Milo gave me this letter to give you and the girls here to open when you want. Oh and just so I don't forget also, it was discussed and your friends agreed that we'll be helping you until we can be dropped off at this Traverse Town. If you will of course have us, we wanted to run it by you before finalizing this decision." Artoria explained kindly

"Well… I'm not too happy you, Iris and Kiri have to be made to help us out for the time even if you don't seem to mind. But sure, the help is always welcomed." Ruby said as she gave a nod and smile back simply then sighed "I'm gonna miss that place though. Aside from the whole Rourke thing, oh and what happened to Helga?"

"First off Helga wasn't found but if anything… she was most likely dead. Also before you ask. Weiss, Blake and Yang here explained to us what happened to Rourke." Guin answered back first as some of the others, mainly the girls and Irisviel cringed a little at that

"Ah okay… yeah. Not exactly what we wanted but…." Ruby tried to say as again she hadn't wanted the man to die even if she hated him, just maybe beaten but NOT dead

"I mean it wasn't bloody…" Weiss said next rubbing her left arm as for some reason the fact the man died bothered her a lot

"Or gory…" Yang added in as she could not get the picture of Rourke screaming in agony as he was turned into that crystal monster out of her head

"Or that fact he didn't deserve it…" Blake stated as she wanted the man thrown in jail, not dead and it made her feel worse that they didn't even try something to stop the crystal man by then from ramming into the ballons propellers. She had seen him covering his face and cowering mere seconds before, and that was what made it worse in her opinion

"Debatable." Donald and Artoria muttered as they weren't as leaning towards the merciful side of things when it came to Rourke and his near genocide. At least to them there was only SO much one could be forgiven for. Still, they got a slight tap from Irisviel who gave the two a somewhat scolding gaze that screamed 'Not helping.' as it was easy to notice the girls weren't happy with the outcome

"Girls I can't say that I agree or not with that sentiment. But don't think you had any hand in it, it was him in the end that killed himself. All his choices lead to his demise and he reaped what he sowed as the saying goes. So again don't take blame young ones." Guin in a kind yet somewhat stern manner stated "Alright?"

.

"Yeah…"

"Hmmm…"

"Yes Guin…"

"Okay…"

.

The answers though seeming sincere enough from the girls, also had some thin layers of doubt too. Irisviel, Donald, Guin, Artoria and even Denis took notice but none of them said a word on it. Still after a few more seconds Donald decided to cut in.

"Welp… you seem alright now Ruby. How bout you and the girls take a look a Milo's letter first and get some rest. You need it." Doanld suggested if only to give the girls some space

"Quite so. Mister Duck is correct, my scanners are detecting strain and fatigue from you four. It would be best to take the good duck's advice and rest your souls for the night." Denis added in

"Well… girls?" Ruby asked as she looked to her family and they all just nodded along with a small sigh as the mere mention of slumber already was getting to them. Ruby nodded back "Okay then. Um, you mind giving us some privacy then. We're gonna take a look a Milo letter and the head off to bed."

"Sure. Come on let's give them privacy." Guin simply said as he stood up before making his way off to the kitchen

The others got up and followed behind. Donald giving the girls a quick hug each telling them he was happy they all got out safely before following behind too. A minute or two passed before the girls focused back on the letter Milo had written for them. Blake and Weiss taking a seat next to Ruby on the couch as she sat back up while Yang opted to keeping stand up by lean over Ruby to read the letter too. As they got settled. Ruby took a moment more before opening the envelope. Then opening it as Ruby decided to read it out loud.

.

---

Dear Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang

This letter probably seems odd. I don't know why, but during the start of our short stay at Atlantis. I just got this urge to write something for you four only. I had a feeling I might not see you four ever again after you found what you needed to find. If that's the case, then well... what I want to say is simply… thank you.

Thank you for giving my dreams a chance when we first meet.

Thank you for being kind to me.

Thank you for giving me the confidence and courage I never thought I had.

Thank you for being my friends.

Thank you… for being my family.

We may never see each other again. Maybe time works different here and you'll be old women while I'm still in my thirties or maybe the other way around. I can't say and even though I'm sad about that possibility. I have the memories still and always will remember fondly of them. So from the bottom of my heart girls, I love you four as the sisters I never had and never knew I wanted. I wish you the best in every way and hey. Check the envelope one more time okay. It's a gift from Kida who though said she didn't get to know you that well, still thought of you as friend to her and Atlantis. Said she could tell you four were kind from the start. But also ah, um… consider it a…. well consider it a thank you from me and my grandpa too.

Sincerely your good friend,

Milo Thatch

---

It was few moments as the letter laid on Ruby's lap. A few tears and sniffles coming from her as Weiss just gave her a hug and Blake patted her head. Even they too teared up some and Yang also who smiled sadly as she wiped her own tears away.

"Hm… heh… guess we know he at least is gonna be okay…" Yang stated as she could tell by the end before they left to close the keyhole that Milo would be just fine; especially with Kida from what she could tell

"Yeah…" Ruby muttered wiping her own tears as she smiled at Weiss and Blake "Sorry… I know you're both crying a bit too but…"

"No. No, it's fine dear… it's fine." Weiss answered back as she gave Ruby a kiss on the lips and wiped her tears a bit more "Well. We should check the envelope. See what was left for us."

"Right. Let's see what he left us." Blake stated as she wiped last of her own tears away and took the envelope before digging in. As she did she felt something and took it out

It was much to the awe of the girls seconds later as they saw in Blakes hands four crystals like the Atlanteans wore. But these ones were of the color's red, white, black and yellow. The girls though finding it odd that it was their colors, also felt joy at the gift as the four crystals shined. It also seemed like they were wrapped too in a neckless. Still the girls all took a crystal each and put the around their necks. Once they did they couldn't help but smile. They felt right, like it was meant to be. Ruby herself smiling as she eyed her glowing red crystal neckless. Realizing that even if they never see Milo or anyone else again from that world. They had the memories in their hearts. Ruby could only say one thing and it was what the others felt too.

.

.

.

"Thanks Milo."

---

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎- ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎

---

Ah what a lovely day... heh

She was still getting use to saying that as she walked and walked through the city that still amazed her for what it was; and from the fact it was a mix of worlds once their own.

The lovely 'Young' lady in question was a fair skinned, green eyed, petite woman. Who had long white hair tied into twin high pig tails. She wore striped black and white shirt under a white jacket and skirt with gold colored lining around the cuff; and skirt hem. She also wore black tights when brown boots. The woman sported too gold earrings and necklace. Though aside from all of that, her most noticeable feature was her pointed elf ears.

This woman was Frieren, once long dead somehow. She doesn't remember, but once dead now resurrected elven woman who was enjoying her new life in this odd world of humans and hybrid animals/ metal covered/ etc. like humans who were also from worlds apparently not of their own believe it or not. Now Frieren when she had awaken again from her apparent death that again happens somehow or somewhere years after her time with those two called Fren and Stark. But Frieren had awoken wondering if she was in the future considering everything that she had seen upon waking up was nothing like back in her home. Not one bit.

So when she had the strength to get up and explored around when first awakening. Frieren had been welcomed with awe and surprise by humans who ask if her is she was a real elf. That was red flag number one that told her something was off.

Red flag number two was the fact that she saw humans who had animal like feature, not unlike some she saw back home at least she thinks. But she also saw some people fused with metal oddly and even met a person called 'Murphy' who was metal armored man she'd assumed. One who said he could take her to some people who could give her much needed answers.

But final red flag number three was the fact she entered something called a car and saw many other things that even she couldn't understand. Not to mention the fact that well... she saw only humans. ONLY... humans. Some even looking kind of like rotting zombies that somehow were still alive she'd be later told they were called Ghouls.

Still aside from all that, Frieren couldn't help but feel something she hadn't for a long while. Pure, childlike awe and wonder. That only increased too when she meet said helpful guide for her. One of the towns off duty at the day military officers names James Rhody or 'War Machine' who helped her out with the rest of the history lesson of this place and what was even going on.

To say the least Frieren had been... very shocked for once by the end of the explanation. Not that one could blame her considering that apparently she came back to life in a world that was a fusion of others for unknown reason and not to mention that fact that of the moment, she might be the ONLY elf in this place.

Thankfully though after that. It seemed that she was given a plot of land to make a home, why. Simply put it was local ruling of the leaders that deemed that newcomers were to be given land to start their new lives. No strings attached, even if those cases were very rare now. Still after that the rest was up to her on what to do with her life.

That was three months ago and here she was. Walking back from the shopping district in her usual attire and saying hello back to those who noticed her as she passed by. Though she liked everyone here so far. She did have favorites. Some of them being-

"Oh Miss Frieren there you are!" A young lady said as she was alone at the moment, but with a big smile on her face

Frieren herself smiled as she looked upon the long green haired girl with pretty orange eyes, peach skinned and popping from under her lip two fangs. She wore today at least a simple pink summer dress and sandals. That and from the spot if sunscreen on her nose she forgot to rub in fully. She put a lot of sunscreen on too. Why well... simply put she was a vampire.

Her named being Youko Shiragami. One of the few people Frieren had befriended right after being brought back to life and also a young lady she couldn't help but dote on like a little sister. Despite the fact she was much taller and... bustier then Frieren herself was. Not that Frieren was a little jealous of that, no of course not… nope.

"Yoko. Nice to see you, how are you today and how's Asahi been. I haven't seen much of him or the rest of your friends in a while?" Frieren asked as Yoko knelt down a bit to look eye to eye with her

"Good like usual big sis. They're all getting use to their new families, still I'm glad everyone's doing well. Especially my sweet adorable Asahi!" Yoko answered swoon for a moment over her human boyfriend from back in her original world

"Hm, always the romantic huh?" Frieren mused as she smiles lightly like she usually did with Yoko and patted the girls head "Good girl."

"Hehe." Yoko mused at her big sister figure

"Anyways Yoko. How has it been with your new family these past months?" Frieren asked as she hoped the vampire girl was doing well with her new family

"Oh I'm doing great. Mrs. Midoriya... oops sorry I mean mom. Has been nothing but loving to me and my little brother Izuku is such a sweetie. Hard to believe he can be so confident and yet shy at times. But he's a hero in training so there's that." Yoko mused as she was happy with how accepting her foster and now official family had been with her; and her true nature as a vampire. Granted his mother and little brother came from a world with power called quirks so that might have helped "How about you. How are you and you know who. How are you doing with each other?"

"Fine actually. I've never had a child.. at least I think. But me and Kirishima have been getting along well. He's even calling me mother now. It's... nice." Frieren mused as she had been iffy on taking in a child, a teenaged boy to be exact. But the young man/ hero in training and now her son had been quite the boon in her life. She also was fond of his ever so optimistic personality. Though she did wish her son would stop saying 'Manly' so much

"Aw that great to hear big sis. Hey mind if I walk with you a bit. I don't have much to do today so you know." Yoko mused with a big toothy smile as she stood back up

"Of course. I always enjoy the company. Now let's get going. I skipped breakfast and that's coming back around hard." Frieren exclaimed as she began to make her way off to the main district of the city

"No kidding. I'm starving!" Yoko quipped following right alongside Frieren

And ask the two spoke, mostly being Yoko. Frieren couldn't but smile a bit again. Despite the fact she can't remember her much later life before her passing and only those during her time with Stark and Fern. Frieren had gained in return a new home, son, friends and lease on life itself.

Though Frieren felt as if something would sooner or later happen to their nice little home. A danger that would arrive. Not including what was already around that was considered dangers. But something.

Still Frieren for now let it be and whatever would come when that day came true. Well...

.

.

.

For once she was looking forward to the surprise…

---

ANNNDDDD… end.

Hey there, you enjoy this, half-half were on it or not much of a fan. Either way I do appreciate you giving some time to read this chapter/ end of this first world of Four Hearts.

Now then let's talk about a few things that occurred in this chapter. For those who either just want a clear enough answer or those who just want some confirmation on if their own assumptions were right or not.

So first off if you noticed, the lack of heartless. Yep as you read in the end part of the chapter, that reason with Rourke is why there were no heartless in the first place, that and it was for me to add a factor that can occur for girls and their allies to face in future worlds. Think of the beacons as mini bosses in some cases. Deadlier ones when the rank goes higher for each one. Keep in mind too, not all of them will appear in this story, or maybe they will. Who knows but enjoy.

Second, the girls not being too active in this world aside from interacting with the natives of the world. Now this was actually for a reason, since this was the girls first world you can chalk it up to them just learning how this all works. So the fact the pretty much ended up feeling helpless and useless was on purpose on my part. Since I will only say that feeling they all had of being helpless/useless may be a bit of ah… catalyst of some more than insanely suicidal risking taking actions of heroism later on when they fact possible similar conditions in other worlds or just in general.

To be clear the girls though getting through a lot and are very strong willed, will get some trauma at one point or another. Mostly from the environments they come into contact with. Because I'll say it here, some of the worlds ahead are NOT nice worlds. Some are kind horrific in one way or another and for four teenaged girls, no matter who they are its gonna leave some memories for them. Be they for ill or not.

Third, if you noticed some parts might be condensed. I mainly did that because I wanted to try and make some scenes shorter if they didn't pertain much for the girls to speak or if said scene just would have gone the same way as originally. This is first try for me on that, so tell me if you like it or not. Seriously I'd like to have a good idea on that so I can know to incorporate it more into the story's later chapter or not.

Fourth, the town section. As you noticed I took the liberty to introduce another of the towns more notable residents, some more lore on the town itself and how things work for the past nearly half a year so far for them. Once Traverse Town, their residents and the world outside meet it will be... interesting that's for sure.

Lastly, as you can see we have three guests join in this chapter. From Fate Zero being Kiritsugu, Irisviel and Saber/ Artoria. Though not much was said from them this chapter, the next chapter well you'll see. Since next chapter I'll say is another world, one where the girls will have MUCH more time to get to know Kiritsugu, Irisviel and Artoria better as people.

Anyways all that said. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and until next time have the best days ahead! : )