So, this is gonna be the last chapter for a few months. We are gearing up for the final stretch of this saga, and I gotta balance my new job. It'll be an easier balance than I think.

For the time being, Carry On chapters will be released on Saturdays or Sundays.

On a slightly sadder note, today is my grandmother's memorial service. I never knew her middle name, or, maybe I did and it just slipped my mind. Her middle name…is Ruby.

In a weird way, I think she'll always be with me when I'm writing this series.

Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

Reactions to the promise of engagement were overwhelmingly positive. Everyone in their little inner circle were giving their congratulations and praises.

"I always thought you two would be the first to get engaged. Just not THIS early." Weiss said.

"Like I said, right now it's just a promise to get engaged. It gets official once this war's over," Ben repeated.

"Semantics."

"And you knew the whole time?" Blake asked.

"He came to ask for mine and Dad's blessing a while ago. Like, the night Vilgax came back," Yang answered.

"A little bit of poor timing on my part," Ben admitted.

"A little?" Weiss asked.

"Still, I think this calls for a celebration." Max grinned, pulling some cups out from Gwendolyn's bag.

"Might...wanna reconsider using tea if that's what those are for," Ruby said a bit sheepishly. At the moment, she was a bit adverse to the beverage.

"Trust me, I've got something stronger than tea." Max then reached into the bag and pulled out a larger glass bottle.

"Grandpa, is that BOOZE-" Ben yelled.

"No! Just some pinebanana juice."

"Pinebanna? I know I should stop questioning the fruits here but...really?" Yang asked.

"Trust me. You're gonna love it." Max smirked, pouring two drinks for Ben and Ruby. "Try it!"

The red and green duo shared a curious glance and shrugged.

"Well, if you're saying it's good..." Ben muttered.

Ruby looked down at the liquid in the glass and, if she didn't know any better, she might've just thought it was apple juice. Couldn't be that bad right? She took the first risk and took a drink. Seeing her take the chance, Ben got the courage and took a chug of the juice as well.

Ben and Ruby let the drink sit in their mouths for a second, and then swallowed at the same time.

"Holy shit." Ben said, mind blown.

"That...that's actually amazing," Ruby muttered.

"Told ya." Max grinned, passing the cups around to the others. He raised his glass for a toast, followed by the others, "To my grandson. And my future granddaughter in law."

"That's a first," Ruby blushed.

"To my sister and my future brother-in-law," Yang toasted.

"To Ben and Ruby," Weiss said with a smile.

Neo was still a bit hesitant, but with some encouragement from Emerald, she toasted to the duo as well.

Blake smiled as she put her arm around Yang's waist. "To my future in-laws." The group all turned to look at Blake, confused. Yang's face was red with 'oh my god she just said that' just written allllll across it.

"What? You know it's gonna happen soon." Blake smirked.

"I-I mean yeah, but...Blake, you can't just spring that on me without warning," Yang stammered.

"Why not?" Blake teased.

Ben chuckled. "Thanks, everyone. It's just...crazy to be here, you know? We've been through so much, and yet somehow, this is the most unbelievable thing that's happened."

"Wonder how everyone else is gonna react when we get back." Ruby mused aloud, looking at the Tree as she realized there was still one very important riddle left unanswered.

"I hate to sour the mood…but how do we get to the Tree?" the red-caped reaper asked.

"Hate to bring them up again, but the Cat said something that I've kept in mind, this one little riddle. 'It's not a place you go, it's a place you know,'" Blake recalled.

"And for all we know, that was another lie," Weiss countered.

"No, no, I don't think so. I think they just wanted to hide the actual way to the tree behind another little word game."

"So what are you thinking?" Yang asked.

"The 'know' part. The Ever After's almost empathetic; that's the best way I can explain it. So what if it's not a literal knowing...but an emotional one," Blake explained.

"Like acceptance?" Ruby asked.

"Acceptance..." Max repeated. "Last time I saw both Alyx and Lewis, they...they were pretty sure of who they were."

"Maybe that's what it is," Ben agreed, "The Tree wants us to be sure of who we are. Be sure of our issues and come to terms with them."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "So should we work on that now? Or tomorrow?"

"I think we already have." Blake answered. "We just need to go together."

Neo took a deep, silent breath before finishing off the rest of her juice.

Then...what are we waiting for? the multi-colored former criminal asked.

Max looked back to the food. "Mainly for the meat to get done."

The group suddenly felt the overpowering pangs of hunger.

"Yeeeeeah, we should eat." Ben agreed.

I've pretty much only had desserts while I've been here so...yeah, Neo agreed.

"That doesn't seem healthy." Ben said.

Nooope. Neo frowned. Nothing I've done here is healthy.

Those words did sting Ben a little. Part of him was still angry at her for what she did, even taking into account that the Cat was pulling her strings, but the rest of him realized just what kind of position she literally landed in. Ruby had her team, he had Emerald, but Neo? Neo was alone. She had no support, no one to really talk things out with except the Cat wearing the face of Roman. All of those thoughts running through her head, all those questions were just taken advantage of by Curious. They just said what Neo wanted to hear, what they thought she needed to hear to embrace her role as villain.

It'd take time, but one day, he would forgive Neo for everything.

Just not now.

And while many of the Outcasts still had some lingering resentment, Emerald and Max were still ok with her. Emerald knew how Neo felt, more than anyone else down here. The formerly Jaded Thief had a feeling the two of them would be talking a lot more from now on. As for Max, he was always the type to be a bit more understanding in situations like this. He knew the Cat's manipulations first hand, after all.

Still, Neo could feel the distance the girls and Ben were putting between themselves and her. She sighed and took a deep breath.

One step at a time.

Once the Outcasts had enjoyed a meal, which thankfully wasn't as weird as some of Max's dishes had been in the past, much to Emerald's relief, the group made their way to the edge of the acre, standing at the border between the Hunters' Shores and the Crimson Kingdom. Their collective gaze was set firmly on the towering tree that dominated the horizon. This was it. The moment of truth.

Ruby grabbed hold of one of Ben's hands and one of Yang's as she stared up at the monolithic multi-colored arbor.

"Think we just...say it?" Ruby asked, "Say who we are out loud?"

"I think we just let it take us." Blake said, closing her eyes.

Yang used her free hand to take hold of her girlfriend's, while Blake took hold of Weiss'. Ben's free hand clasped Emerald's and the former thief took hold of Neo's.

"Just let it take us, huh?" Ben said, before closing his eyes as well.

"Yeah...we'll know when we're there."

And as Blake said that, the weirdest feeling was sent through Ben's body. It felt...nice.

The group had closed their eyes as that same pleasant feeling reached them all. The sound of rustling leaves on the wind reached their ears. First it was just one, but the sound quickly swelled into a cacophony. Blake's cat ears twitched at the sound, more so in surprise than annoyance. Eventually, the group was entirely surrounded by the multi-hued leaves of the tree before they suddenly vanished from the acres' border.

In a fraction of second, they were transported from the tropical jungle of the Shores to the top of the Tree itself, even Gwendolyn had been transported with them. The top of the Great Tree was nothing like they had expected, more like a forest all its own. The branches were as large as any of the acres, it was like the top of the Tree was an entire forest all unto itself, with smaller trees growing out from the titanic branches.

"Wooooah." Ben said, looking at the enormous tree. "This is the tree?"

"I...I guess it is," Ruby said, taking the lead as the Outcasts moved through the smaller forest. It was so surreal to see an environment like this at the *top* of the Tree, instead of just at the base. As they went, Blake took notice of some of the trees that made up the forest. Their trunks weren't long or slender like some of the trees, but rather seemed to resemble Afterans. A Cygnet, one of the Red Prince's guards, a Dune Dweller, and even an entire group of Paper Pleasers, all of them were encased in the trees like wooden cocoons.

"Some of the Trees are..." Blake pointed out.

"I see them. Some of whom we've met before," Yang finished.

"The Tree is the final destination for those wishing to Ascend," Max said, "Maybe this is what it looks like from an outside perspective."

"Turned into a tree," the blonde muttered. She was relieved that Ruby hadn't drank the tainted tea, but her mind immediately fell into that frightening pit trap of "What if?" What if Ruby did drink the tea? Would she find Ruby here, undergoing Ascension as a tree? Would she just give up then and there, just completely shut down upon seeing the fate of her sister? Or would she just be in complete denial and try to pull Ruby out of the tree? Clear away the leaves in a frenzy, all in an attempt to get Ruby back. The brawler had actually stopped in her tracks, staring at the tree form of a Cygnet, multi-colored leaves gathering around the little swan Afteran's arms and down the length of their tail, as those haunting scenarios swirled around in her head.

"Yang?" Blake asked, shaking Yang out of her trance, "Is everything-?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Just...just thinking about what could've happened," Yang admitted. Blake immediately understood, taking hold of Yang's hand in her own again and nodding. The golden haired girl gave her lover a thankful smile before they continued on.

Eventually, the Outcasts would come upon a clearing in the middle of the Tree, the forest encircling the wooden platform from all angles. But the clearing itself wasn't what drew the eye. The real attention grabber was the massive door. With all of the theories that the Tree would provide a way home, no one expected the exit to be quite so literal. The door was anything from ordinary though. With both of the giant double doors flung open, kept ajar by various verdant vines, the door towered over above the humans that had found their way here. The doors themselves seemed to have carvings inscribed onto them. On the right was a large and elegant looking serpentine dragon while the left sported a much more monstrous and intimidating traditional European dragon. Both of the carvings were incredibly detailed, the eastern-style dragon sporting meticulously engraved tufts of fur while the smallest details on the spikes for the European dragon were clear if one had a keen eye for observation.

Emerald raised a brow when she saw the carvings and her mind immediately flashed back to the story Jinn told her. Could that be them? The Cat did mention their makers as she recalled, granted with more than a little vitriol. Maybe this place was just another creation of the Brothers and the entity Ruby said was 'God' might have just been the caretaker for this realm, a much more mysterious version of Ozpin.

"This is it," Ben said, looking up at the door and taking the first step up to it, "This is how we go home. Ruby?"

Ben turned around to see the red-hooded reaper looking back at the forest, her cape blowing in the wind.

"Ruby?" Ben asked, the rest of the Outcasts turning to look as well.

"When I was...talking with the Blacksmith, when I guess I was in the Tree," Ruby began, "I never saw Little."

Those words hit Neo's heart hard. She remembered the Cat when it stole Roman's face, crushing the poor mouse underfoot.

"Are...you thinking we might have made things worse here? Just like Alyx did?" Blake asked.

"No. I'd like to think we did a little good here. Maybe even more than a little if we're lucky," Ruby turned around to face her friends, "I just wish we could actually see that."

Ruby sighed and accepted that before taking a few steps towards the door. But then she heard something, they all did. Someone was racing towards them as quickly as their little legs could carry them.

"Waiiiiiit!" a familiar voice rang out, lifting Ruby's spirits as she spun around again. She thought she'd be greeted with Little, and while what she saw was indeed a mouse, "little" was now a poor descriptor. They had gone through quite a growth spurt, standing on two legs and coming up to about Ruby's waist in terms of height. Tufts of fur now decorated the top of their head like a proper hairstyle and around their chest for a little bit of variety. They even now sported their own version of an outfit that consisted of a pair of brown, fingerless leather gloves and a large pouch-like belt around their waist. The biggest addition was their own new cape. It was an orange scarf and cape, the end of which fanned out into a shape resembling a maple leaf. They put their hands on their knees and panted a bit, putting so much energy into reaching the group before they left.

"It...it's you! Little!" Ruby gasped happily.

"Um, I'm sorry. Do I know you?" the now tall mouse Afteran asked, looking up at Ruby before straightening their posture a bit.

"Oh! No, I don't believe we've met yet. Please, what are you?"

"I'm-!" they stopped, moving a hand to stroke their chin in thought, "Huh. Well, you know, I haven't really thought about it yet. Funny that. You all seem to have your wits about you though! What do you think I am?"

"Well...to me? You seem like a friend," Ruby smiled.

"A guide," Blake added.

"A protector," Weiss suggested, with a supporting nod from Max.

"A...dorable," Yang quipped, getting a small chuckle out of Blake.

"Any of those sound close?" Ruby questioned.

"Or all of them?" Ben asked.

"Hmmm...somewhat," the mouse mused, before it donned on them, "Yeah. Somewhat! I'm not just one thing! I'm Somewhat of a lot of things!"

"It is a true pleasure to meet you, Somewhat," Ruby properly greeted with a sincere bow.

"It will be my honor to serve you!" Somewhat bowed back with enthusiasm.

"You've already done more for us than you know."

Somewhat hummed a little, pondering something over in their mind.

"You do feel...familiar," Somewhat admitted, "Like a...like a happy dream I can't quite remember."

"I'm so, so glad we got to meet you. I'm sure you'll help lots of people," Ruby said through tears of joy, "But...but now we have to say goodbye."

Ruby knelt down and opened her arms wide, letting Somewhat rush in and throw themselves into the farewell hug.

"Don't worry. It will be alright," Somewhat reassured, "Huntress."

Hearing that word, that *singular* word, Ruby nearly *broke* fresh tears welling up in her eyes. They *remembered.* They *remembered* her. But she couldn't keep hugging them forever. She broke the hug and stood back up, wiping some of the fresh tears from her eyes. Ben moved over to take her hand, having overheard the word and seeing the reaction on Ruby's face.

"Somewhat?" Max called out. The mouse Afteran quickly hurried over to the grand knight and their majestic steed, giving them a proper salute.

"I am at your service!" Somewhat beamed.

"This is Gwendolyn," Max petted the side of the giant jackalope lovingly, "She's been my companion the whole time I've been here. She means the world to me, but," the Rusted Knight pressed his forehead against the antlered rabbit's as a nonverbal goodbye between them. "I don't think she'll be able to come with us."

"I will never leave her side," Somewhat vowed, immediately catching on. Max nodded and gestured for Gwendolyn to meet her new rider. The jackalope marched over to Somewhat and lowered her head before them, letting them hop up into the saddle. Somewhat took hold of the reins somewhat clumsily at first, but quickly adjusted their grip. Gwendolyn gave one last low whine to Max, as a final verbal goodbye.

"Goodbye, Gwendolyn," Max said, wiping a few tears from his old eyes.

"Goodbye, Somewhat," Ruby sniffled, but waved all the same. With a final salute, the mouse Afteran and their new companion strode off back into the forest of the Great Tree, ready to fulfill their new purposes.

"That enough of a sign of the good we've done?" Ben asked.

"Yes. Yes it is," Ruby wiped away some final tears before she turned and stared up at the door. And then she marched up towards it.

The visitors from Remnant gathered at the top of the steps leading up to the glowing doorway. Once more, they all joined hands together, partly to steel themselves for whatever came next, and partly as a sign that whatever was beyond, they would face together. And together they stepped through.

Past the glowing white of the door frame was a sheer drop into a familiar green void. Well, familiar to Ruby at least. The Outcasts all let out screams of surprise as they suddenly found themselves without ground beneath their feet, but their fear and shock were quickly alleviated when they realized they were floating down. One by one, the Outcasts landed on the starry ground, the floor rippling like water as they touched down. The sound of a fire burning reached their ears and, while many were a bit confused as to what that could mean, Ruby was all too familiar with all of these circumstances. Taking the lead, Ruby led the Outcasts towards a rather impressive forge-like set up in the void.

Two tables with weapon racks placed behind them, each full of swords, staves, axes, and more, flanked a central table in front of a large stone forge. Arrayed on the table were several small wooden figurines of many of the Afterans they'd all encountered on their journeys. The Red Prince, the Hunter Mice, the Cygnets, Somewhat, Gwendolyn, even the Astronomer and the Cat. Seated behind the table was the Blacksmith themselves, who simply smiled upon seeing the group.

"Welcome, all of you, to my workshop," the Blacksmith greeted.

"Um, Ruby?" Blake asked, "Is this who you met? Is...is this the Tree?"

"Something like that," Ruby confirmed.

"The Rusted Knight," the Blacksmith smiled, turning their attention to Max, "I've waited for you for a long time."

"You have? Well...I've made it," Max said.

"And I'm glad you have.."

"Can you...answer a question for me? The Cat might have just said this to rile me up. But...Alyx and Lewis. Did they-?"

"It is as the Curious Cat said," the Blacksmith confirmed, "Only Lewis returned home. The story you are all familiar with is the way he wished it had happened."

Max sighed, disheartened at the confirmation, but at least getting some proper closure on the matter.

Emerald's eyes scanned the figures before her crimson eyes landed on two very familiar dragon carvings, a frightening European dragon and an elegant Eastern dragon.

"Are those the Brothers?" Emerald asked, pointing the statues out to the group.

"Huh?" Most everyone asked in sync before following her gaze to the figurines.

"They're dragons?!" Yang asked.

"Ha, only one of a myriad forms they could choose," the Blacksmith clarified, picking up the wooden works of art, "but yes. This is them. These Brothers were among the Great Tree's earliest blossoms and the first to inhabit the Ever After. Remarkable creatures. Incredibly ambitious. The Tree had no idea what they could become. The not knowing...that is the thrill of creation, is it not?"

The flames roared to life behind the Blacksmith, forming into a rectangle that was like an open book. The smokey pages showed an untamed Ever After, a dense forest covered in thorny vines.

"Once upon a time, the Ever After was untamed. Wild and dangerous, unfit for habitation. The Brothers were meant to tame it, make way for what would come after."

In a small and seemingly rare clearing, two pink flowers bloomed. From within their petals, the Brothers themselves were born, taking the form of a golden deer and a purple goat respectively. They yawned upon their creation and looked around their overgrown home and got to work.

"First, they were given the power to destroy, to clear the wilderness away." The Goat of Darkness began munching away at the thorny vines with ease, clearing them away.

"Then they were given creativity, to imagine who and what could replace the wilderness." The Deer of Light trotted up to a tree and kicked its trunk, shaking free some acorns. The deer took the acorn and buried it, allowing a seedling to sprout and one day grow into a mighty tree.

"The Brothers built homes for the new Afterans and gave them roles to play," the Blacksmith continued.

"But if that's true...then how did we happen? How did Remnant happen?" Weiss asked.

"And...what about Ledgerdomain? This place just seems so much older," Emerald inquired.

"Both excellent questions. To answer the first, the simple answer is curiosity. The Brothers, indeed, grew curious. They wanted to do more."

An unknown amount of time had passed as the scene transitioned, showing the Brothers resting by a campfire with more draconic appearances. The Brother of Darkness was now more bear-like, though their back legs still bore hooves. A large skull mask was fitted over their head and small bits of bony armor appeared on their tail, the beginnings of the Grimm's bone masks. The Brother of Light was much closer to his draconic self, just with the same hooves his brother sported.

"And so, using the skills and tools they have been given, they began to design their own creations in utmost secrecy."

The Brother of Darkness breathed purple flame into the campfire, before the Brother of Light reached into the flames and pulled out the wooden figuring of a familiar feline. The more elegant dragon twin exhaled black smoke on the statue and brought their creation to life.

"Soon, they realized their new creation could do their job for them. To find the broken parts of the Ever After...and heal them." From there, the Outcasts saw the Cat do their job, their proper job, talking to a distraught Afteran, one of those from the Garden's Acre(the little lizard-like creatures wearing leaves for hats), and healing its heart.

"After this success, the Brothers designed a second creature, one meant to finish what the Cat began," the Blacksmith explained, "It came out brutal...and effective."

It was the Jabberwalker.

The next scenes were of destruction, panic, and chaos as the Brothers' latest creation descended on the Ever After, hunting its people down with predatory bloodlust.

"But then things changed," the Blacksmith continued, "One Brother believed they had disrupted the balance and sought to destroy their creation."

The Jabberwalker was suddenly assaulted by the powers of Light and shattered into wooden splinters.

"While the other refused to condemn their creations for their mistakes." Darkness breathed purple flame and reforged the Jabberwalker's carving, only for it to be crushed in Light's jaws. The first petty conflict of the Gods.

"But their definition of balance was flawed. Balance is not two forces locked in a never-ending battle, it is an ecosystem, an organism, a living breathing thing. Thus, balance cannot be restored with force or calculations. True balance finds its own equilibrium. It only requires love and the patience to see things through to the end."

"But how did they get to Remnant?" Yang asked.

"The Ever After could no longer bear the Brothers' experiments and constant conflicts. And so, the Tree built them a special doorway to a greater beyond where the Brothers could try creating worlds of their own. A doorway that would remain open for the Brothers' return, and any of their creations," the Blacksmith answered, showing the Brothers in the humanoid forms Emerald had seen, two massive men with a lack of facial features that radiated with light and shadow, standing before the same door.

Light turned to his brother, almost nervously, but received a reassuring nod from his twin. With that, they stepped through into worlds unknown.

"And Ledgerdomain?" Emerald asked.

"This is a tree, isn't it?" the Blacksmith chuckled, "All the worlds the Brothers have touched are connected, branches on this great tree we call reality. If I recall, Darkness was rather fond of the Realm of Magic."

"He...he made Ledgerdomain?" Emerald muttered in shock.

"Those of the Realm of Magic and those of the Realm of the Mortal, what truly remarkable things they created. Whenever the Brothers' creations have visited the Ever After, change has followed. You all have had a greater impact than you know. Just as Alyx and Lewis before you and just as those who are sure to follow you."

Ruby suddenly found herself holding the wooden figurine of Somewhat in her hands, a smile coming to her lips as she looked down at it.

"One small kindness, like plucking cheese from the ground, can lead to such a marvelous transformation," the Blacksmith smiled, before their expression fell, "Just as a single act of dishonesty...can cause a most unfortunate change."

"Alyx's promise to the Cat," Emerald said.

She didn't keep it, Neo finished.

"A broken heart is a terrible thing to have, even more so when there is no one around to help you repair it. Because that is meant to be your job. And now-"

"Wait," Emerald finished, "What...what'll happen to Mercury? He's staying behind."

"He will have time to reflect, fix his broken heart, and become something new, something he wishes to be. Such is balance. But now," the Blacksmith waved their hand and a portal appeared behind them, the archway resembling those Ambrosius conjured by full of chromatic light, shifting from one color of the rainbow to the next.

"Where will this take us?" Ben asked.

"Not where. But when you are needed most," the Blacksmith said.

Emerald and Neo stepped up to the portal first. They shared a look between them before stepping on through.

Then Weiss and Max.

Then Blake and Yang, holding hands as they did so.

It was just Ben and Ruby left in the workshop. The two turned around to give some parting words to the Blacksmith.

"Thank you," Ben and Ruby said together.

The Tree's avatar nodded with a smile before setting to work, grabbing a new chunk of wood and whittling away at it. Time to get to work.

With that, Ruby and Ben shared a hopeful look and clasped their hands together tightly, before they stepped on through.

I'm somewhat of a lot of things, but I'm mostly learning how to be.

For you see, I am new to being me.

This is Gwendolyn, my mighty steed.

Taking care of her is my first important deed.

We said goodbye to friends, somewhat new, yet somewhat old,

Somewhat confusing, but it will all make sense someday, I'm told

Where will we go? What shall we do?

Somewhere, I'm sure. Doing something, I guess.

And that's when I found, to my surprise

A somewhat worn piece of paper by Gwendolyn's side

Somewhere was my purpose, something I can do.

Make somewhat of a difference, of that much is true.

Together we'll make it, my friend and I.

Someway, somehow, through acres wide.

We help those who need us, big and small

I love to be somewhat of a help at all

But sometimes when we can't, it's okay

to take a break or run away.

We can't fix everything, but we can always try.

If nothing else, we'll sit with you as you cry.

Everyone has a purpose, no matter who you are.

But it can take somewhat of a while, to journey this far.

I'm somewhat brave, but can still be frightened.

Somewhat grumpy, but all is forgiven.

Somewhat of a Hero, somewhat of a guide

Somewhat of a Friend, somewhat by your side.

I'm somewhat of a lot of things, but mostly I am me.

Somewhere you can do something, or simply just be.

Somewhat of an Adventure. Written and Published by the Nonsuch Charity Group, with creative consultation from Ruby Rose