Halo, it's time for the newest chapter. Enjoy the reading.
Jaune still had Penny's lifeless body in front of his eyes, after he had dealt the final blow that had ended her life. In his head he could hear the screams of his friends he had let down, including, for the second time, the girl he loved and couldn't protect.
When he opened his eyes he found himself in the dark void, falling into the abyss, but suddenly a bunch of balls of light floated around him, through which he fell and couldn't determine if he was still falling or dead and this was the afterlife.
As soon as he saw Ruby's scythe, Crescent Rose, falling in flames, he knew that he wasn't dead and did everything he could to get her weapon back.
He didn't remember exactly how he ended up on the beach where he woke up, but the first thing he saw was Crescent Rose, its tip buried in the sand and standing there like the last bastion of hope.
Jaune started to climb towards the scythe, but the fall and the exhaustion from the fight had completely drained his aura and he had reached his physical limit, so he just collapsed on the beach.
- Where... - He raised his head, coughing and looked around the tropical island where he had ended up and saw that two suns were shining in the sky, which was unnatural. - am I?
After feeling strong enough, he stood up and began to scout the beach and made his way into the jungle, but he had to cut through the dense vegetation with his broken sword to make his way.
He had been cutting through the vegetation for hours and hadn't gotten very far by the time the sun was setting. Tired and hungry, he dropped to one knee, but he heard a clicking sound ahead of him. When he raised his head to look towards its source, he saw a strange, hourglass-shaped tree, with a red and green canopy on top, while at the bottom the roots stood on the ground like spider legs.
A strange, pink clock on the trunk of the tree showed the time and it was clicking. Jaune had never seen a tree like this before, but its branches were covered with several kinds of fruit. Hoping that they were edible, he stood up and approached the tree, but as he got closer, he saw that a golden pocket watch had grown on one of the fruits. Driven by curiosity, he took the pocket watch, which at his touch began to wind back quickly, but as the hands began to rotate, the sun began to rise again, then set and rise again and set, one after another.
-Hey! No! Wait! - He saw the others falling in the sky, but backwards, as they fell into the sky and disappeared and time began to rush back at an increasingly rapid pace. - Stop! Please, stop! - He began to shake the clock in despair, which was running backwards faster and faster, which took him even further back in time. He saw the vegetation around him shrink and disappear, which meant that he had flown back at least a decade or two into the past. - No! - He finally threw the watch away, hoping that would stop it, but when that didn't work, Jaune, as a last resort, smashed it, causing the time jump to finally stop.
Unfortunately, the damage was already done and he was sent back at least twenty years in time. He was stuck here, in this strange world, with no friends, no help and no idea how to fix things. He didn't dare take another watch off the Time Tree, afraid it would send him further into the past.
His only hope was to wait, exactly twenty years, hoping that Team RWBY, Lance and Neo would one day arrive and find a way out together.
For the first few days, he just sat on the beach in shock and watched the two suns set on the horizon. As the light faded, his hope of ever getting home diminished.
Days turned into weeks, months and years, but no one fell, Jaune, as he got older, his armor was corroded by the salty sea air and began to rust, his beard began to thin and his hair became so long that he was forced to tie it in a ponytail.
- I thought I'd never see you again... - Jaune's voice was filled with doubt. - But I was sure that if I waited long enough, one day you would fall. Just like me. - He still felt like it was just a dream that he would see his friends again, who looked with fear and worry at their much older and more worn-out friend, who was supposedly the same age as them, yet looked like he could be their father. - Are you really here? - Fearing that it was only his tired and worn-out mind playing tricks on him now, he had to ask this question. - Weiss? - He walked towards the girl who was so dear to his heart and whom he hadn't seen in so long, he simply had to touch her.
- Jaune... - Weiss could hardly believe her eyes, part of her was glad that her boyfriend had been found, but another part was in shock when she saw the state he was in. She touched and stroked the boy's, or rather man's, tortured, bearded face with her hand, assuring him that she wasn't his imagination. - It's me.
- Weiss... - Jaune gently took Weiss's much smaller hand with his large hands and a tear rolled down his face from the joy of seeing his girlfriend again. - I missed you so much. - The couple hugged each other and greeted each other with a tender kiss, although for Jaune it felt like a part of his soul had returned.
- Jaune... - Ruby, who also could hardly believe her eyes, assured him. - it's us.
The rest of the RWBY team also hugged their friend, who had been lost for much longer than they thought, Lance also joined in, but Neo didn't really care.
- But how did you find us? - Ruby began the question.
- How did you become the Rusted Knight? - Blake continued.
- And why did you age? - Yang asked.
- Do you have any idea how we can get home? - Lance was curious.
- And what did you do while you were here? - Roman, who was summoned by Neo, also joined in.
- Well... - Jaune just sighed wearily. - we have a lot to catch up on now.
Most of the evening was spent talking, in which Jaune explained how he went back in time twenty years, just as Ruby and her friends explained to him how they spent their time here.
They soon left the market and came to a grassy plain land, but this plain land didn't have regular grass, but paper grass and a multitude of paper flowers could be seen next to it.
- So, after all this time, you still haven't found a way out of here? - Ruby asked disappointedly.
- No. - Jaune answered wearily. - Although I must say, after twenty years, this world still holds surprises. - Suddenly the sky started to rumble and Jaune knew exactly what it meant. - We have to hurry before the weather changes, otherwise it will be much harder to find shelter.
He set off into the wilderness, his jackalope, Juniper following him, as did Team RWBY, Lance and Neo following him.
- So... - After a few minutes of marching, Yang asked the question. - Remind me, where are we going?
- To my village. - Jaune answered curtly, although he laughed a little when he remembered what Team RWBY, Lance, and Neo had been through while they were here. - I still can't believe Neo finished off the Jabberwalker so easily and you made it out of the Crimson Castle alone.
- We didn't get out alone. - Blake added. - We had help. - Suddenly, she noticed that there were one less of them and hoped that the Cat would show up sooner or later. - Oh... I hope the Cat wasn't hurt.
- What Cat?! - Jaune suddenly stopped and the sky rumbled. The rest of the team stopped worriedly, a little scared of Jaune.
- That Cat! - Little jumped over to Ruby and noticed that the Curious Cat had returned from the tall paper grass.
- Wow, - He breathed out excitedly and looked at the RWBY team with joy. - I found you! Why do you always have to find what you need where you least expect it? - As soon as he saw the battered Jaune, his eyes lit up again. - Jaune! Oh my god... - He started to laugh awkwardly, as if he was waiting for an unpleasant conversation. - It's been a long time, hasn't it? - Jaune just stood with his back to him and the team and just clenched his fists at the Cat's voice. - So... how are you?
- Wait, - Weiss understood the situation immediately. - you two know each other?
- They should. - Ruby added. - In the story...
Jaune didn't even listen to what Ruby was trying to say, he just drew his sword to attack the Cat.
- Hey! - Lance and Yang stopped him immediately.
- Jaune, there's a misunderstanding here! - Blake tried to reason with him. - The Cat can get us out!
- We don't have time for this! - Jaune, as the sky thundered again and the dark storm clouds covered the sky, began to worry. - We have to get to my village! - He glared angrily at the Cat, who clearly had some score to settle. - Don't worry, we don't need a guide!
- But your friends want to get to the Tree. - The Cat kept trying.
- Is that why you're letting him lead?! To take you there?! - Jaune looked around at his friends in horror, as if he wasn't sure who's friend or foe now.
- Well, yes... - Blake answered, although she wasn't sure about the matter anymore. - because... Alyx got out that way too. Right?
- You told them sh*t! - Jaune was getting angrier at the Cat.
- That's not entirely true. - The Cat smiled slyly and shook his head. - I told them quite a lot. A little about this, that and a lot of other things.
- Someone explain what's going on here?! - Weiss shook her head nervously.
- The Tree is Death itself! - Jaune snapped. - It consumes you, steals your memories and turns you into something else! If you go there, it'll kill you! They call it ascension here, but that's really what it's all about.
- Wait, - Ruby wanted to clarify something. - the Tree cause the ascension?
- That's what took the Herbalist. - Blake remembered. - The roots of the Tree.
- I'm quite curious why you forgot to mention that. - Yang glared at the Cat.
- Excellent pun. - The Cat laughed. - But you're not from here. So, it won't do that to you either.
- Really? - Jaune still didn't trust the Cat. - So what happened to Lewis?!
- Who? - Another question that Ruby didn't know how to respond to.
- Alyx's brother. - With this short answer, the entire group joined Jaune in distrusting the Cat.
- This... - Blake could hardly believe it. - This can't be true!
- Did she have a brother?! - Yang either. - Why didn't you tell us that?!
- Because you didn't ask, silly. - The Cat gave the lamest answer. - It's always just Alyx this, Alyx that...
- We followed the story the whole time and it's not even true?! - Weiss didn't get an answer to her question, because the thunder was getting more frequent and it was about to rain.
- Let's go. - Jaune turned and started walking with Juniper at his side. - I have a plan.
- And how much good have the last... how many years done for you? - The Cat just mockingly said to Jaune.
- Would you stop, please?! - Ruby wanted to prevent Jaune and the Cat from fighting with each other at all costs. - We have a lot to think about now.
- It seems - The Cat started balancing on his tail. - we have come to a crossroads.
- NO... - Jaune was worried about what would happen and tried to stop the Cat, but it was too late.
A white flash that blinded everyone for a moment and the next moment they found themselves in a huge blue-purple cloud sea, where there was nothing to guide them, just a pile of gray marble paths that led nowhere, just in a mess, winding in several places, but even in the sky there was only the path, but every now and then, a space gate appeared on the path.
- Welcome to the Punder Storm. - Jaune was already familiar with this phenomenon. - It's a... weather phenomenon that physically embodies spiritual or mental health problems. So, we've come to a crossroads, both literally and metaphorically.
- How stupid are those who live in The Ever After. - Weiss was starting to get tired of these strange phenomena. - This place really is a pit. - Suddenly the floor opened up under her and she fell through it.
- The only way to get out of here is to solve the problem or wait for the storm to pass. - Jaune explained, but Weiss started to fall from the sky, but he caught her and put her down. - Let's move on.
- Okay, - Weiss just dusted herself off firmly and followed Jaune. - I asked for this.
There was nothing to do, the group just set off on the road, hoping that this would get them out of the storm faster, but they reached a crossroads and there was a sign posted, one of the arrows pointing to the right, on which was a paw print, while the arrow pointing to the left had a human head drawn on it.
- You know, this will go faster if you settle your thoughts. - Jaune saw that Ruby and Weiss were looking at both directions rather indecisively.
They chose left road.
- I just don't understand how the story can be both real and not real at the same time. - Ruby thought about what they had experienced in The Ever After so far as they passed through a space gate.
The path continued on the other side of the gate, but on both sides there were clouds that acted as mirrors, but reflected something completely different.
- You're telling me. - Jaune passed in front of one of the mirror clouds and thought of Penny again and after all these years, his guilt still hadn't gone. - Not the kind Alyx wrote.
Weiss stood in front of another mirror, in which she saw the destruction of Atlas, as the huge, floating city fell and her home was destroyed in the blink of an eye.
Lance also looked at a mirror, in which he saw his team, the LLMM, whom he had lost and his old life, which he would never get back.
Neo passed in front of the mirror and saw Roman, who smiled confidently at her and knew that she would come for him.
Yang and Blake were the only ones who didn't have any mental problems, so they had nothing to see in the mirrors but themself.
- Then... - Weiss tried to distract herself from the destruction of her home and focus on the present. - she was just lying?
- You have no idea how much. - Jaune, like the Cat, was angry with Alyx. - I've been waiting for you to arrive for a while... for years. But someone else came first. It was Alyx and her brother, Lewis. Two siblings from Remnant. I told them I was from there too and I was waiting for my friends. - He began to tell the story. - When I started helping them, I soon realized that I was part of the story too. - He laughed wearily. - I was the Rusted Knight. But... - It's clear that he had unpleasant memories. - Things didn't turn out the way they did in the book. Like Alyx, for example. - His anger towards the girl came back again. - Not only was she stubborn and reckless... but she was selfish and cruel. As if the whole world was just a fantasy and the rules didn't apply to her. Lewis was the kind and the smart one. We went to places that weren't even mentioned in the book, like the Herbalist. Something had changed in her there. - He thought back to those times with worry. - No matter what I told her... she wasn't herself after that. She lost all trust in us. She started to suspect us of something. The more I tried to steer her back to the fairy tale path, the less she trusted me. - As if things were happening out before his eyes again, he continued. - Was it my fault? I changed the fairy tale? I couldn't even become the character! I didn't have time to fix it. - He shook his head sadly. - She poisoned my drink, which I drank and before I fainted, she just said that nothing could stop her returning and that she would do anything for it. Then she disappeared and I never saw her again. So... - After he finished telling the story, he shared his opinion with the girls and Lance. - this isn't exactly my favorite story anymore.
- I... - Weiss listened to the story in horror and felt terrible that her boyfriend had to suffer so much. - I'm so sorry.
- But... why don't you trust the Cat? - Ruby didn't understand something, since the Cat wasn't even mentioned in Jaune's story.
- Because of his role in the Ever After. - Jaune was just standing in front of one of the mirrors in which he saw his young self. - I only realized this later, when Alyx disappeared and the Cat returned to me. When the people here are lost, the Cat somehow convinces them to continue to stick to their role or go to the Tree and get a new one. The Cat calls it healing, but... it's manipulation. The Cat never helped you or Alyx! His purpose is to feed the Tree. To maintain the cycle.
- How do you know that? - Ruby was worried.
- Because the Cat took Alyx and Lewis there. - Jaune's anger was understandable. - But only one of them returned to our world. - He turned and continued on his way, but as soon as he saw a familiar creature walking upside down on the path above them, he stopped.
- Oh, how strange. - The Cat found them again and descended to the path where they were. - This time you are where I first looked for you.
- Jaune told us! - Ruby and the others went forward and glared at the Cat.
- I think the story is more complicated than that. - The Cat spread his paws innocently. - I can tell you suspect something?
- You send the people of the Ever After to the Tree! - Ruby accused. - Why didn't you tell us the truth?!
- When they completely fall apart, I help them return to the Tree, yes. - The Cat admitted. - But you aren't Afterans! - But he also clarified. - I'm not taking you there to ascend, I'm taking you there for your wonderful informations.
- You acted like you hadn't heard of the tale when we met! - Weiss continued. - But Jaune told you a long time ago!
- I think - The Cat just touched his paws together. - old Jaune ate a little too many sandberries for his picnic. Don't you think? - He glared at Jaune, who just growled angrily at the Cat.
- What happened when you took Alyx and Lewis to the Tree? - Ruby wanted to know the truth.
- Oh... - The Cat sat down sadly on the ground. - I... I don't know. She promised to take me there, through the door to Remnant, but... she lied. - He looked up at the team, who, with the exception of Jaune, felt a little sorry for him. - Like... you do. - Team RWBY and Lance felt a little guilty, because they really just took advantage of the Cat. - You wanted what I usually look for in others, knowledge and fun. Well... - He stood up and turned around. - At least now I know what not to do.
- But... - Ruby said sadly after Cat. - we just want to go home.
- Thank you for this lesson, - Cat, before leaving, turned to Ruby. - Ruby. Rose. Huntress. I'll be alone from now on. - He turned around and left. - Just stay with your friends.
Suddenly, all the mirrors began to shatter and the next moment, they found themselves back in the paper grass plain, but this time the sun was shining brightly.
- Let's go to my village. - Jaune, seeing no other option, led them to the place he had considered his home for the past few years.
By evening, they reached a paper village, where Jaune led them to a paper house. It was a comfortable home, of course, designed for only one person and Jaune hadn't expected any guests. The RWBY team, Lance and Neo, if a little crowded, could fit inside, Yang and Blake sat in front of the fireplace, which is a mystery why the fire didn't burn down the paper house.
The clone Roman sat in an armchair, Neo sat on his lap, Lance took off his helmet and unattached his shield and sat on the couch. Ruby and Weiss sat at the kitchen table.
- Hey, - Jaune brought a large paper box from his room. - I brought something. - He walked towards Ruby and handed her the box. - That was the first thing I saw after I got here.
- It's... - Ruby opened the box and there was her scythe inside. - Crescent Rose! - She took out her weapon with great excitement and hugged it. - Mommy missed you so much! Thank you, Jaune!
- Don't mention.
- Now we have everything and everyone! - Weiss was optimistic. - The only thing we need to focus on is finding a way out!
- Assuming we find one. - Lance was the only one who didn't share the team's enthusiasm.
- We can leave tomorrow. - Jaune was happy that with the help of his friends they would finally have a better chance of getting home.
It was a bit difficult to arrange who would sleep where, because the apartment itself was quite small and only had one room. Jaune and Weiss slept together in Jaune's room, just like Yang and Blake slept together in front of the fireplace. Lance fell asleep on the couch, Neo, after falling asleep in the armchair, the clone Roman disappeared and Ruby went to rest under the table.
They had had a long day, with a lot of new information to process, but they were confident that the next day would bring better results.
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