[AMV by Tromboneking87 to "Call Me" by Shinedown.]
Well...once Salem was gone, you could have heard a pin drop.
Then Oscar fell to the floor, and Ozpin burst out, "You've gone mad, really and truly mad!"
He was actually raving.
"Ozpin, stop it!" Oscar protested, but it was too late.
The same pain and terrible feeling of before came over him, stronger than ever.
Winter and Raven gasped and fell onto the floor also, and Vara swooned, but Theo caught her.
Cinder screamed and clawed at her chest.
The others stepped back from them, except Ruby, Pyrrha, and Jaune, who tried to help.
"Stop it!" Ruby's eyes flickered silver.
The feeling became a little less but persisted.
"I will never allow you to do this! It is mad, utterly mad!" Ozpin said. "Salem cannot bring together those Relics. If the gods see what she has done to us, they'll end us forever this time. I have failed. I cannot fail them, not now!"
"Will you freaking get a grip?!" Raven shouted at him. "You're not just hurting yourself right now--ow!" She grabbed her head. Feathers shot out of it.
Then she turned into a bird all the way.
But still, she said, "Someone, get him to stop!"
Shine moved closer, and he swung at her with his staff.
"You traitor!" he cried. "How dare you do this?! After we trusted you!"
Qrow was looking like he was in pain.
"This was your plan?" Theo said to Shine, over the noise. "Throw the towel in?"
"I knew you would say so," Shine said, "but I cannot undo it now. Should have stopped me before."
"You made us promise not to," Yang said.
"Yes, nothing has changed since then, for me," Shine said. "I have had this plan for a long time."
"But why?" Blake said.
"It is the only way," Shine said. "I don't ask you to understand that, but it is what I'm sure of now. I knew you would not like it."
"I didn't like it either," Wally said. "But I see why it has to be this way now. Salem won't ever quit. She's just going to have to get what she wants. And when the gods show up, then we'll just confront them ourselves."
"Ah..." Pyrrha pointed to her head. "That is what the connection was... I thought it must be something like that, but I wasn't sure how Salem fit into it. Of course..."
"You're okay with this?" Jaune looked up at her.
"I think it makes sense," Pyrrha said. "Only the gods seem able to compete with Salem. We might as well call them on purpose. If we allow her to, we could perhaps at least be there. If she steals the Relics herself, we have no control."
"That doesn't make the idea less mad," Theo said.
"Doesn't matter," Shine said. "Whoever is willing to join us, Wally and I will be taking those Relics to Salem's house starting tomorrow. I don't know how long the journey will take, but however long it takes, once we get there, things progress as we said."
"What if we didn't give you the Relics?" Theo said. "Would you take them from us?"
"Oscar has already agreed to give them to us," Shine said. "That is enough. But no, we couldn't steal them from you. You must give them up willingly."
"We all knew this was coming," Pyrrha said. "You aren't all going to back out now, are you?"
"I...I don't know," Yang said oddly. "I mean...I guess probably it won't matter but...but all the way to her house?"
"Are you crazy?" Emerald burst out. "I've been there before. It's horrible there! And there's Grimm everywhere. I mean, there are ponds that spawn them right outside her window! We'd be hopelessly outnumbered. You can't just cross her territory."
"We know that Summer and Vienta got close to there," Shine said. "If only two people can do it, I've no doubt we can."
"The thing is," Qrow said, "now she'll be ready for a lot of people, and you're actually going to bring the Relics. That's going to change things. No one ever comes back from there, you admitted it yourself."
"I've thought about this a lot, okay? I'm convinced Wally and I can get us all there safely, if we are extremely vigilant. And by the grace of God. And then we can finally end this war. The die is cast. If you're coming, show up tomorrow. If not, stay here. I'm done."
She left the room. Wally followed without another word.
Ozpin's spasm finally stopped.
"I may not be able to stop you all," he said, bitterly, "but just know I will never hand those over to Salem willingly, and I will be with you the entire time."
"You would treat the boy that way?" Hazel said darkly. "Even after he's done so much to spare you?"
Ozpin did look slightly guilty there, but he said, "Oscar has lost his mind if he thinks this is a good idea. I can't allow him to sway me."
"You let him go," Ruby said. "It's his body. Stop it."
"Whatever he tells you, my mind is not going to change," Ozpin said, before letting go.
Oscar gasped.
Winter sat up, looking wan.
"Well, that was worse than usual," Vara groaned, rubbing her head. "Did I miss anything important while I was convulsing?"
"No, just the same old same old," Theo said.
Raven resumed human form and coughed on feathers. "These episodes are getting more embarrassing every time. So are we done arguing?"
"Wait, whose side are you on?" Qrow was rubbing his chest.
"I knew this was what they would do," Raven said. "I put it together some time ago. And I'm just not going to fight it anymore. You all gave your word, at least most of you did. You were willing to attack Salem, yet you don't want to invade her own house? Likstar is doing this to spare Remnant as much as she can, otherwise why in the he-- would she care where we do this? It's all the same to them. And I'm not sure it's that much worse, really. The Grimm have hardly been able to stop them..."
She got to her feet. "This needs to end. I don't care anymore how we do it. Do what you want."
She also left the room.
"Winter, are you okay?" Weiss helped her stand.
"Yes..." Winter said, looking pale still. "I think... Well...I too wondered if this was their plan... It's bold, I admit."
"So...you're going to do it?" Weiss said.
"I believe I promised I would," Winter said. "And I do wish to take the fight away from the kingdoms. I'm not sure why you're already saying this is the wrong course."
"But to give them to her?" Blake said. "I thought it was crazy letting Cinder have one, but two? All of them? That's...well, it is letting her win."
"It's crazy!" Cinder burst out.
But then she put a hand to her face. "But maybe just crazy enough to work."
"What?" Everyone looked at her.
Cinder smiled oddly. "They think they can defeat her? She'll let them right into her den. Then all we have to do is use the Relics against her instead at the last second... I mean, it is what I planned to do anyway. But it'll probably work better with people to distract her... Yes, this plan is actually perfect."
"Are you saying that you'd do this just to use us as a decoy so you could win?" Weiss said. "And you think we'd let you?"
"Oh, Likstar will let me," Cinder said. "And that's all that matters, isn't it? You all dance to her tune."
"Watch your tone." Winter frowned at her. "She's earned our respect, and you are here on courtesy. If she changes her mind about that, we won't hesitate to kill you."
Cinder lost her smug look, but then she shrugged. "Well, no matter. If I offer to help you get that far, she'll have to allow me to come. I think I could put up with you freaks for that long."
"You can put up with us?" Blake said.
"I suggest you start packing." Cinder left the room.
"If she likes this plan, that's not a good sign," Blake said.
"Or it's a good sign," Pyrrha said, "because she must see Salem as more vulnerable than we do. But she is not known for her competence... Still, with her help, we'd have all 4 Maidens--that is, if Vara will join us."
"I...can't..." Vara sputtered.
But then she stopped. "Still, Vienta...Summer... On the other hand, maybe it's come full circle. Maybe this is right."
"Vara..." Theo said.
"No, Theo, think about it. We sent them off on this path alone," Vara said. "We knew it was a bad idea... But Summer's daughter is here? This is what she never wanted. Both her daughters actually...going."
Ruby and Yang hadn't said this, but it was probably true.
"If I can't stop them, I can use the power Summer gave me and try to get them there alive," Vara said. "And it doesn't matter if Salem gets the Summer powers... There's no Vault anymore. This is the only thing I have left to do as part of my duty. It's mad, all right, but it's fitting. I won't ask you to come. Vacuo needs you."
"You are crazier than them if you think I'd let you go without me," Theo said. "This is my problem. Didn't my uncle die for this? Didn't I let this happen? If you go, I'm going, but on the record, it's a s--- idea."
"Well, just so we're agreed," Vara said. "Want to go make out somewhere?"
"Does a dog have ears?" Theo said.
They left the room.
"Eww..." Weiss made a face.
"I guess that's their way of saying we'd better tie up any loose ends we have," Qrow said.
"Wait...are you gonna do this?" Yang said.
"After what they just said? I don't see how I couldn't," Qrow said. "Summer tried to finish this on her own. I can't just let you guys do the same thing. I know you're going to go whether I want you to or not, and I'll just end up following you. I think it's a terrible idea, and with my luck it's a worse idea, but no one is going to listen to me anyway--"
Ruby and Yang both hugged him suddenly.
"We love you, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby said.
"This is the worst idea we've ever had," Yang said. "But I know Ruby is going to do it...so I guess I'm with you guys."
"Are you sure, Yang?" Weiss said. "You know what we told you..."
"Yeah, but if my mom's going to fight, I have to," Yang said. "I can't let her be braver than me...and anyway...if you guys don't come back, what do I have left anyway?"
"There's Dad," Ruby said.
"It...it just won't be the same, knowing what I know now," Yang said. "If I could stop it...if one more person would give anyone the best chance of coming back alive...I mean, I have to do it... I hate this plan, but...it's gonna happen... We all know it is."
"Well, with that logic," Sun said, "I guess I'm in."
"Really?" Blake said.
"I can't go back on my word now," Sun said, using his tail to pull her closer and pat her shoulder. "I mean, what kind of guy would do that?"
"Plenty," Neptune said.
They looked at him.
"I guess I'm in," he said.
"Bud, you really don't have to just because I'm going," Sun said.
"It's not going to matter," Neptune said. "I think we went over this yesterday... I'm not thrilled about going to Salem's house, but I guess it beats fighting the plagues again, so...sure, why not? I mean, who knows how long she'd let us live anyway? Might as well take it standing up."
"Maybe you're not as much of a b---- as we thought," Yang said.
Neptune gave her a look.
After that, no one wanted to keep arguing.
It was funny, they never would have agreed to this plan months ago...but after everything else, it made less of a splash than expected.
No one even said anything else to Shine and Wally about it. Just told them they were in.
One pair of people who no one thought would join them was Neo and Torchwick...but they said they were.
"But why?" Emerald said oddly.
"It's like this--" Torchwick was the most serious she'd ever seen him, and he knocked cigar ashes onto the floor. "Neo and I have been doing a lot of talking about what's happened. And we don't like the odds of defeating Salem--but we also don't like the idea of just waiting for her to come here and blast us off the face of the planet either. And I do like to be in the front of the action. Plus, you know, we kind of owe these people. Since I'm...not dead."
Neo nodded and made some motions.
"Right. Who knows? Maybe that fact will matter at some point," Torchwick asked.
"And that's your actual reason?" Mercury said. "Because I didn't peg you for the heroic type."
"I wouldn't call it heroism," Torchwick said. "I live here too, and leaving you fools to handle the whole matter unsupervised seems like a bad idea. Anyway, if we get eaten by Grimm, it's not like it hasn't happened before, so what's there really to be nervous about? You might need us too. Illusions should come in handy when going through Grimm infested territory."
Neo made a strange motion.
"And she still wants to kill Tyrian," Torchwick added.
That didn't seem like the most noble reason, but no one was inclined to say no to them.
* * *
Robyn found Qrow pacing around the outside of Shade later.
"So I'm guessing they told you," she said.
Qrow explained what happened.
"That plan is worse than I thought," Robyn said. "But it must have taken some guts to look at that fiend's face and dare her to stop you. They are certainly brave. Are you all going along?"
"Looks like most of us," Qrow said. "Realized that we have no better options. But I don't think we'll make it back from this one. Especially with my luck."
Robyn laughed dryly. "Always luck, huh? Hey, Qrow, I'll let you in on a little secret: Luck is not everything."
"Everyone seems to have that opinion all of the sudden," Qrow said. "Still, it's added risk."
"Well, added risk means added reward too, I think," Robyn said. "If you pull this off, the world would finally be free. I still don't understand just how much Salem has affected, but... And there'd be no Ozpin to pull the strings, no more magic powers. No more curses--at least not those kinds. Think, you could be so close." She held up a hand like she was going to catch the sun in it. "That has to be a little exciting."
"I don't like having that kind of responsibility," Qrow said. "Maybe when I was young and stupid, I thought it was no big deal. But people died...and things got harder."
"Maybe being young and stupid has its benefits--you don't know what's impossible yet," Robyn mused. "Sometimes I miss being young and stupid. Those kids you're going with, maybe they're still young enough to believe it. Maybe that's why it's them who're doing it. But you'll see this through to the end. That counts for something."
"You always have a pep talk," Qrow said.
"Well, people seem to need it," Robyn said. "I mean, you prefer Raven's...method of inspiration?"
"Not really," Qrow said.
"By the way, is it true that Theo and Pine are related?" Robyn said.
"By adoption, but somehow, yes," Qrow said.
"Dang," Robyn said. "What if we're related? That would explain a lot."
"Bad luck for you then," Qrow said.
"Oh, I have enough of that without your help," Robyn said. "Maybe that proves it actually. Then again, bad luck, good luck, what's the difference? It's not the same for everyone."
"That's what Winter said." Qrow smiled slightly.
"You're being an idiot there, you know," Robyn said more somberly. "Real talk. You should just tell her."
"How is it that everyone seems to care about this?" Qrow said.
If by a few people mentioning it to him, he meant everyone.
"Hey, I get it. I've always put personal things aside for the job too. And...that might not have been a good thing. You could be running out of time. You really want to just let this go?"
"I think that's better," Qrow said. "Besides, I don't want to think about it. She could do better."
Robyn rolled her eyes. "Nobody's perfect, Qrow."
"Some people are closer than others."
"Right..." Robyn shook her head. "Well, I just think, before you go into life or death-defying territory to probably die or get close to it several times, and no one is guaranteed to come back, you might want to think about settling your scores. You know I love you like a brother, but I don't need to say things like that. We just get each other. The Ice Queen is not like that. She's different, someone who has to be told something to get it. All those Schnees are like that... Must have been really awful for them growing up with Jacques. I can see why that would mess with your emotions. So if you want someone to know something, tell them. That's what I say."
"I know you're trying to help," Qrow said, "and if I was going to say I appreciate the thought out loud, maybe I would, but you clearly don't need me to say it. But I think you're wrong."
"I think that you'd feel better about taking this risk if you were honest with everyone," Robyn said. "Heck, not even just her. You could tell Raven that you forgive her for all the crap she did, too. Tell Ruby and Yang how proud you are of them."
"This sounds like family therapy."
"I just mean, Qrow, don't let stuff just pass you by like that," Robyn said. "A lot of men and women out there would like to have that many people who cared about them this close to them--and would thank Heaven for it if they did. I know you mostly just think it's not for you because of your problems--but to me if you have it anyway, you should just appreciate it while you got it." She looked a little sad. "I wish I had."
"What do you mean?" Qrow said.
"Oh, you know, I had family once," Robyn said. "Friends. Before the Happy Huntresses. My parents died a long time ago. Kind of had to grow up fast. You know the story. Grimm, bad luck, all that. Nobody was left."
"Sorry," Qrow said.
"It's the story for most of us," Robyn said. "The Happy Huntresses is mostly made up of people who had nowhere else to go and no one else, mostly. Just like most of the small groups--or bandit tribes or whatever. Seems to me that what Salem is really good at is leaving a lot of people alone, but Ozpin is not that much better, tearing family apart like that. Enough things have been lost for their war. What we have now, I think we should hang onto it. So I've always worked really hard to protect my friends in the Huntresses. They were like my new family. And you've been with yours...but I let mine know that they matter to me. I think you should do the same. Sometimes a few words go a long way."
Qrow was silent for a second, then he said, "I'll think about some of that. You might be right. But..."
"Well, I'll quit while I'm ahead then,"Robyn said. "If you guys make it back, we'll be waiting for you, all right? I don't know how we'll put this world back together, but I'd be happy for you to help us--or take a really long vacation, whatever works for you. I'm not much of a pray-er, but even I'll be doing that if it'll help."
"Thanks," Qrow said.
* * *
Winter was thinking to herself out on the wall of the school, like she had many times before, when Shine came out there in search of cooler night air.
"Hi," she said, rather meekly.
Winter, by now, could discern that Shine probably was wondering if she was angry from earlier.
But she wasn't.
"You know, I hate this kingdom," Winter said, looking over the wall. "But I admit, I might miss this view. The light pollution was much worse in Atlas. I could never see this many stars."
"Where I live I can never see more than a few dozen even on a good night." Shine joined her at the wall. "I forget how magnificent a full sky of them is. And the galaxies and planets you have here..." She looked upward. "But there are stars everywhere."
"I suppose there aren't the same ones we'd see from your world," Winter said.
"As far as I know, all worlds have their own solar system," Shine said. "But I don't know everything, if it's possible that we can see the same ones, even through a veil...who knows? The universe is a big place, but somehow it's small too, at least to me."
"I've been thinking about earlier," Winter broke the ice. [Ironically.]
Shine went quiet.
"It's strange," Winter mused. "I thought I would be afraid, when it came to the final stretch of whatever we were going to do. But I find I'm so utterly sick of fighting, that, if anything, it's a relief. I'm not afraid."
"You don't sound afraid," Shine affirmed.
"And I truly don't feel it." Winter was being honest. "That may change later, but somehow, the plan, while mad, sounds right. If that is how you felt about it, I think I understand your determination. But you are relying on us to help you pull this off, knowing full well how often we have made the wrong choices. That doesn't concern you?"
"With you, not in the least," Shine said. "You do better than you think you do. I'd be lying if I said I thought Ozpin wouldn't cause us more problems along the way. But you know, this is who we have, and while you guys drive me crazy, I really wouldn't change it. You're our team, and God must know best. Because, for all the frustration, you got this far, and I've seen you all do things I didn't think you would do. Perhaps I should spend more time saying it. I feel I've spent more time scolding people on this mission than I usually do. I should work on my leadership."
"Well, Shine, this team would try the patience of a saint," Winter said, "of which you are one in name, but not temperament."
"I will choose not to be insulted by that remark," Shine laughed. "So, how are you feeling about the practical side of it? The journey is going to be unpleasant enough, I'm sure, the company hopefully less so. Though Cinder may cause some issues...but other than that, I don't really feel any concern about it."
"I wonder how we'll navigate the territory," Winter said. "No one ever has... True, having people who've been there is an advantage none of us have ever had, but they don't seem to know their way by foot. We can't just fly there, too easy to spot."
"And too hard to disguise," Shine said. "Neo and Emerald will have better luck hiding us if we're on foot and can use the landscape to our advantage. From what Watts told me, it's several hours of flight time to get there, once you get across the sea. That seems to equate to weeks of walking for all of you. It might be faster with Wally helping us move and Vara also. But it's bound to take at least a week or more to do it, and that with attacks. We'll have no hospital, no camp site. I wouldn't expect Salem to make it easier for us just out of curiosity either."
"What do you plan to say to her if you get to her?" Winter asked.
"I expect the Lord will tell me at the time," Shine said. "But I've been thinking of at least some things I'd like to say. But then, I rarely ever say what I think I will."
Winter supposed even Shine was subject to that law of humanity.
"You seem a little down still," Shine noted. "Was it Pietro? That was sad."
"I didn't know him that well," Winter said. "I suppose I more of feel it's hard on Penny. But she seems to have handled it the best she can. I don't think it's bothering me in that way."
"Then the death toll perhaps?"
"It was less than it could have been. It's upsetting, but that it wasn't total is still something to be thankful for," Winter dismissed that possibility also. "No, I don't know. Perhaps it's the curse, or perhaps it's dread, but I'm fine."
"Fine..." Shine said. "The dreaded 'f' word. Fine means I don't want to tell you what's bothering me--either guess or go away."
"I'm sure I don't mean any such thing," Winter said. Though that wasn't entirely true.
"Perhaps, like me, you're wondering if we've done as much as we need to in order to face this challenge," Shine mused.
Winter sighed and leaned on the wall more. "Well, that could be part of it. Perhaps also, though, I am considering the weight of our actions. I never thought about, on Atlas, how presumptuous it is to think you can do what's best for everyone else. Now, it seems ludicrous to think so."
"I know, right?" Shine made a sound of disbelief. "How did I end up here?"
"At least you know you were appointed to it by some higher call," Winter said.
"So were you."
"But perhaps not the right one," Winter said.
"Winter, it's not like you all are separated from our reality," Shine said. "He is in charge of everything. I'm convinced that you all were chosen for this for a reason. Who cares what the little gods did? They're just tools also, if it comes to it."
"Ones that bound an entire world to their service."
"Men have done the same thing and yet been tools. It does not impress God if we rule the world--it's a joke to Him. He only lends us power. Even what we have, we won't need it someday." Shine leaned on her hand. "'For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, that which is in part will be done away. Now we see dimly, as in a mirror, but then face to face...now abide, faith, hope, and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.'" [She's quoting 1 Corinthians 13, the last few verses.]
"Hmm?" Winter didn't understand.
"It's a passage about how our gifts will fade away in time, but faith, hope, and love, will last forever," Shine said. "But the greatest of these is love, because one day we won't need faith--we'll simply have what we believe in--and we won't need hope, because what we've hoped for will be reality. But Love? Love is all that will be left. At times I wonder if we've focused on that as much. We worked to give you all hope and faith, but it's all for nothing without love. That is the hardest thing to convey to people, since we were so imperfect. Though I'm sure I think Wally does it much more naturally than I do."
"In your own way, I'm sure you try to convey it," Winter said. "Why would you go to all this trouble for people you don't even know otherwise? We'll probably never really express gratitude for it properly."
"Some things are almost beyond expression," Shine said. "I certainly don't know if I want to hear that--it makes me uncomfortable. And it almost seems wrong. After all, we don't do it for thanks, and yet that gratitude is also appropriate. It's kind of odd. But I'll tell you, I think I know why our Lord said that the best way to serve Him was to love others. Lip service is fine and fitting, I guess, but what would really make me feel good is to see you all apply the same things we've tried to teach to each other."
"That seems like such a small thing to ask," Winter mused.
"It's not small. It's the hardest thing for people to do," Shine said. "I could ask you to move a mountain, and that would be easier, especially for you. But it's what matters. And you know, Winter, it's perfectly all right to want that, despite everything else that we have on our plate. Because it really matters the most."
"Why did you switch subjects?" Winter asked. "This wasn't about me."
"You caught it immediately that I was talking about you," Shine said. "I could have been talking about myself. In the past, you wouldn't have acknowledged what I just said."
"Please, Shine, don't start," Winter said.
"Why not?" Shine asked.
"I was hoping this conversation would end on a high note," Winter said, "not go into whatever is wrong currently."
"That is what I do, though," Shine said. "My most important task it trying to help you appreciate love. This Salem business is just secondary. Though fun, at times. And heartbreaking at others. But secondary, nonetheless."
"There are times I feel that even that fight is simply your basis for the other things you wish to fit in," Winter said.
[Don't tell her how I write this stuff.]
"Shh." Shine mimed looking around for spies. "Don't let that out."
"This isn't a joke." Winter frowned.
"Hmm...fine. But whoever it is you're thinking of," Shine said, "I would consider just giving it time. And hey, don't be afraid to just talk to them either. Things should be said before it's too late. Maybe that goes for a lot of people."
"I wouldn't know where to start." Winter almost forgot that she'd never told Shine what she was thinking of in particular.
"Speaking from experience, it's best to just start at all, and even if it's awkward, just push through it," Shine mused. "And the more times you try, the less awkward it gets. I mean, once saying the words 'I love you' were really embarrassing to me. But it's much easier now. I hope one day, it will become completely effortless."
"You don't make it look hard," Winter remarked.
"That's actually really sweet." Shine brightened. "I must have gotten better at faking it than I thought. So you see, there's hope for you."
Winter didn't want to find that funny, but...
"Well, this has been sappy enough, but I'll end with one more thought," Shine said. "And please appreciate how hard it is for me to say this stuff without thinking I sound cheesy--but if you're wondering about if you are good enough for all this, then trust me, you are just as worthy as anyone else of things like love, happiness, and peace. Don't let the past steal the future, that's my motto. It's good advice. For that matter, in my opinion, anyone would be lucky to have your affection, as I think it does not come cheaply. Don't give up working on learning it."
Winter cast her a strange look.
How did Shine just say things like that like it was nothing? No...she could detect some effort in her tone now that she was looking for it, but still, she said it anyway, and she seemed to mean it.
"I should go now." Shine seemed anxious to end the moment. "More people to check on, you know...and I have more questions for Watts, actually. Hey, don't stay up too late. It'll be a long day tomorrow."
She hurried inside.
Winter wondered why she had tears in her eyes after that conversation.
[Me? I'm trying not to leave loose ends--always the hardest part of ending any story. Don't worry, we've got another 30 chapters or so at least. *Cries in author who gets too attached to her characters.*]