Shrine Shelter with Two Family Faces
The entirety of Jaune's group could not believe that the Arc Knight is telling them to go on without them and the three who are still down will need up with them again within two days, but they can also see the serious of determination in his eyes.
"Let's go." Shizuka said.
"Are you sure, Jaune and the girls are down there." Velvet worried for her friends.
"I know it's hard, but we can definitely count on him to come back with Ruby and Saeko to us in one piece." Shizuka smiled.
"And how are you so sure that Jaune will keep that promise?" Neptune asked, he wanted to hear from Jaune's own aunt of how much faith she has in him.
"Because he's an Arc, and in our family an Arc never goes back on his words no matter what!" Shizuka answered with a proud smile, Pyrrha nods as she also agrees with this.
"It looks like that Jaune fellow is certainly a strong young man in his own way." Cinder commented as she looks down at Jaune with a slight grin.
"Yeah, looking at him now, I can see that." Emerald smiled.
"Well, if we all trust Jaune to make his way back to us with those two girls then who am I to judge." Mercury decided to place his bet on Jaune coming back alive.
"We'll be waiting for you at the second block of the Higashisaka district! Be sure to remember that!" Cinder informed them of the safe place.
"You got it!" Jaune shouted back with a thumbs up.
"So, we're on our own now." Saeko said.
"It could be worse, Jaune could have become a zombie if we didn't jump in." Ruby pointed out with her scythe behind her.
"And I would like to thank you for that." Jaune thanked, before one zombie almost came at him from behind and he quickly slash its head.
"But… maybe we should be getting out of here." Jaune suggested.
"Agree, we should try going toward those stairs." Saeko pointed at the staircase that leads above the horde of zombies.
"Good thinking, let stay close as possible and get the fuck out of here!" Ruby nodded.
The three survivors started running together through the crowded horde of zombies striking them down as much as possible while avoiding some at the same time, the others on the other side saw this knowing they're gonna be okay.
"Come on, we better get moving too." Pyrrha said and everyone moved from the zombie area.
"(I really hope you guys come back to us.)" Sun thought prayed for their safety.
Jaune and the two girls were able to break through well enough to reach the staircase and ran all the way upstairs for the top, they stopped to turn around for a moment to look at the zombies.
"Oh god, I thought we were a goner for a second there." Ruby sighed in relief.
"Don't go relaxing just yet, we still need to find our way back to the others." Saeko pointed out.
"Not only that, but we're gonna need to find shelter since the location is a really long one from here, best we try resting up for the night." Jaune suggested.
"Hmm, I feel like I've been here before." Ruby said as she looks around.
"You mean on a school trip or with your family?" Jaune asked.
"Maybe both, I don't know." Ruby shrugged.
"Well, I do remember being here. It's where the shrine I would always go to whenever I need to get ready for a tournament and new years too." Saeko explained as she starts walking.
"Oh, that's right! Me and my family would go to that shrine too!" Ruby started to remember now.
"Well, being shelter in a shrine is certainly better than being out here where there are zombies everywhere." Jaune agreed on taking the shrine.
"So, where do we find this shrine?" Jaune asked.
"Just follow me, I remember more on which way it is than Ruby." Saeko teased as she took the lead.
"Hey! I couldn't help with not remembering other things when I've been busy with my own things." Ruby stated.
Jaune chuckles believing this is going to be an interesting travel with Saeko and Ruby together, but also realizes this will be the first time being with Saeko while the second time he has to travel with Ruby under tough circumstances.
The three make their way through some empty and quiet streets though they didn't simply walk through them, Jaune would peek out from any corner they can hide behind to see if there are no zombies or any insane people wanting to kill them.
"Okay, it's all clear." Jaune whispered to the girls.
Jaune and the girls ran from the corner going fast and quiet as they could though as Ruby looks around, all this destruction and everything seems to be gray because of how the zombies have been causing all the pain and suffering to others.
"Oh, that used to be my favorite store." Ruby groaned as they run past a store.
"Not a lot it's gonna do if you start crying now." Saeko stated.
"I know bad things happen, they always have even when some are prepared for it, but it makes you wonder why they even happen in the first place." Ruby said clutching her hand.
All three decided to stop running for a moment as Ruby does a bit more talking.
"Everything we have done and could have done before the zombies showed up, it was how our lives were and we were all happy in them. There were bad times too, but we just had to live with it…" Ruby started to form tears from her eyes.
"But this… how the fucking Hell am I supposed to go along with all of this like it doesn't matter anymore!" Ruby sobbed.
Jaune can now see how this whole zombie apocalypse is starting to affect her, being a happy and cheerful girl who wants to do what is right and have fun.
"Yeah, everything was great before the zombies ruin it all." Jaune sighed.
"Like you, I honestly wish everything was back to normal and all the zombies never existed like they're supposed to. Only exist in stories and anime shows." Jaune expressed with his hands shaking a bit.
Jaune look down at his shaken hands with the feeling of emotions erupting from within, but the Arc boy was able to calm himself down and his hands would stop shaking too.
"But unfortunately, like everything else in life, things just happen without any explanation or reason whatsoever." Jaune sighed as he looked at Ruby.
"It's something we're gonna have to deal with, that includes this new Hell we live in. But what's important is what we do in the moment right now that counts." Jaune smiled with one hand on Ruby's cheek.
"As long as we're still live and don't let go of hope, then I know things will be alright even when everything else is still dead with the zombies." Jaune smiled.
Ruby felt her heart just skipped a beat for a second there and then let out a chuckle.
"How are you so good with saying the right words?" Ruby asked chuckling.
"I don't know exactly; I just felt the words and say them." Jaune shrugged.
"Well, you certainly got me feeling better already. Though I also get the feeling the words that come out of your mouth doesn't always go well." Saeko said walking closer to Jaune and Ruby.
"Oh yeah, there was this time when Jaune and Pyrrha finally confessed to each other. It was so funny!" Ruby laughed of the memory.
"Hey, that one was on Aunt Shizuka!" Jaune pointed out.
"But it was still hilarious!" Ruby laughed some more.
"Oh my, now you have gotten me curious. Please, do tell." Saeko smirked, thinking about teasing Jaune some more of the love confession moments between Jaune and Pyrrha.
"No, no, there is no need to go into the details of that day!" Jaune turned that down immediately.
"So, huh, which way is the shrine again?" Jaune asked, quickly changing the subject and looking around.
"I'll tell you about it later." Ruby whispered to Saeko who gave her a nod.
"It's just about three blocks that way then we make a left turn to find a long flack of stairs." Saeko pointed the way.
The three friends make their way through three blocks of streets, then they find the flack of stairs that is really long.
"Oh, I almost forgot how long these stairs can be." Jaune said nervously.
"That just how shrines are." Saeko stated as she walked up the stairs.
"Maybe we can pray to God for our safety." Ruby said.
"Maybe we can, but we'll have to see if the shrine is still in one piece." Jaune said.
The three walk up the stairs together for a long while which is to be expected with how shrines are these days, but then they finally arrived at the shrine to see the place is still somewhat one piece with some stuff broken and some blood stains around.
"Well, this looks like a good sign than any we had all day." Jaune smiled.
"Let's look around to see if there is a place for us to sleep in." Saeko suggested as she walks off.
"I wonder if there are people here?" Ruby asked.
"Only if those who believe in God like silly would even think to come here, but it would hurt to think of people here who are still in their right mind." Saeko said.
"Hello, is anyone there?" A woman called out to them.
"Looks like we're about to meet someone." Jaune said.
"Over here, we're good people willing to help others along the way!" Ruby called out.
"Ruby! Not so loud, there could be zombies around." Jaune warned shushing her.
"Ruby? As in Ruby Rose?" The woman asked as she revealed herself.
"Wait a minute, you're Blake's mom!" Ruby recognized the woman now.
"It feels like we're meeting moms today." Saeko joked a bit.
"Hello Misses. Belladonna." Jaune greeted.
"Jaune, Ruby, how nice to see you all. And please, I told you before to call me Kali." Kali smiled at the two young ones she recognizes as being Blake's friends.
Kali Belladonna has short black hair and yellow eyes, Kali shares several physical features with her daughter, and has three gold piercings on her – two on her right ear and one on her left ear. She wears a black hakama and sandals with white tabi socks. Over her outfit, she wears a black shrug with a long right sleeve and a short left sleeve, gold-leaf trim adorning the opening on the front. She wears long, black arm warmers that extend to the middle finger. The left warmer has a purple band tied around the top and a pair of gold bangles around the wrist. Around her waist is a black and gold sash that trails behind her, with a gold flower-shaped buckle at the end. The arm band is purple. Breasts sizes: H-cup.
"I am so happy to see you two again, I wasn't sure if I would be able to see someone I know and has not gone insane!" Kali smiled.
"We're happy to see you too." Ruby nodded.
"And hello there, I don't believe I know you." Kali noticed the young woman with them.
"Saeko Busujima, a third year of the same school went as Jaune and Ruby. Although we never actually knew each other until days ago when the zombie outbreak happened." Saeko introduced herself and offered a hand of friendship.
"It's nice to meet you." Kali smiled, accepting the hand.
"Tell me, have any of you seen my daughter? I haven't been able to contact her when I lost my phone and it's probably broken by now." Kali asked for her daughter.
"Don't worry, Blake is safe along with Yang and Sun being by her side all the way through." Jaune assured.
"Thank goodness, I always knew those two were just the souls Blake needed in her life." Kali smiled, relief to hear her daughter's lovers are still okay too.
"I seem to remember Sun mentioning that her dad didn't approve of him being in the relationship." Jaune recalled that little talk.
"Ghira was always the overprotective man, but he was still a strong man… Just like how sacrifice his life for me to live." Kali said, looking sad and hugging herself.
Hearing what happened to her husband, the trio did not need to ask Kali to go into details because what she just said is plenty enough for them.
"So, have you been hiding out in the shrine for a while?" Ruby asked.
"Just two days, and I'm actually not the only one here. There are others who have also been hiding out in this shrine." Kali informed which surprised the three.
"Well, this is more than what we expected." Saeko commented.
"How many?" Jaune asked.
"There used to be the eight f us, but three decided to leave to find their friends and families and to lessen the burden of having to feed so many mouths." Kali answered.
"So, it just the five of you now. Would it be alright to see them right now?" Saeko asked.
"Of course, I'm sure they would be thrilled to see more lively people!" Kali nodded.
"Then lead on, Kali." Jaune smiled back.
Kali led the group to the shrine temple where the others are staying at the moment, but then a bullet shot to the ground about twelve feet from the group to their left.
"Are we under attack?!" Ruby gasped holding out her scythe.
"Don't worry, that was just Winter being on lookout." Kali informed.
"Wait, Winter? As in Weiss's big sister!" Ruby gasped.
"That depends, what was the first thing you and Weiss did together at the very moment you two met." Winter demanded an answer.
"Oh, well, I was in a hurry to school trying to think of a cool way to make a good impression and then Weiss was in the way, I crashed into her, and we fell, then she started yelling at me for ruining her uniform in dirt and called me a"
"A boob." Winter finished the final word for Ruby as she jumped down from the roof.
"Glad to know you're still kicking, Ruby Rose." Winter smiled.
Winter Schnee is a tall and fair-skinned young woman with light blue shade eyes, black eyebrows, and long white hair. The latter of which is tied back in a bun that is high on the left side of the back of her head, along with bangs along right side of her face and a small, curled lock of hair down the left just above her shoulder. She wears a grayish white tank-top, dark blue baggy military style pants, black boots, white gloves with matching elbow pads, and has black makeup on her cheeks. Breasts sizes: GG-cup.
"Oh man, Weiss is going to flip when we tell her about you being alive!" Jaune smiled.
"I'm sure she is, but something tells me that you are here for a different reason then seeking shelter." Winter said.
"Yeah, we got separated from our group, Blake and Weiss included, and we have to take a different path to find our way around. We promised to meet up with them again within two days." Jaune explained.
"Jaune fell into a horde of zombies when he saved Neptune from being fallen into that side, me and Ruby jumped in to help him." Saeko explained on her and Ruby's part.
"I see, and where are they now?" Winter asked.
"Up at the second block of the Higashisaka district. That's what Cinder said before we left." Jaune answered.
"I know that street, that's where the Takagi family lives and their mansion." Winter mentioned.
"A mansion?!" Ruby gasped.
"A story for another time. Right now, I believe you two will need a place to stay for a while and then off to meet up with your group." Kali suggested they go inside now.
"If you two wants, you and the others with you can come with us to the next morning." Jaune offered.
"That's very kind of you, we'll need to talk about this with them first. Come." Winter gestured them to follow, and everyone went into the temple.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
Jaune, Saeko, and Ruby have found themselves a temporary shelter at a shrine where they have also found Blake's mom, Kali, and Weiss's older sister, Winter as they are also with some other survivors which will be revealed in the next chapter.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!