Team RWBY overlooks the whimsical land before them from the precipice.
Yang: So are we gonna just stand around thinking about this in silence? Or...?
Ruby: I knew this place is weird, but a fairy tale? I mean that's impossible.
Little nods. Blake clears her throat. Ruby and Little look at Blake pointing her finger at Little. Ruby gives a sweat drop.
Weiss: What we've seen is improbable, but that doesn't mean we're in an actual fairy tale. Are we seriously entertaining this?
Yang: Do you have a better explanation for what's going on?
Weiss: Well, let's try to be more logical, shall we? We fell from the sky. Ruby made friends with a tiny mouse.
Little: Friends!
Weiss: Blake and I got caught by killer vines. (Blake cringes) And... uh... you got your arm stolen by... a... What was it that you said?
Yang: A talking raccoon riding on a purple wagon filled with trash.
Weiss blinks at Yang's predicament.
Weiss: Yes, that. Okay, I see your point of view. I am going to go over here now.
Weiss walks away, she starts to talk nonsense to herself as she tries to grapple with the team's current situation.
Ruby: As crazy as it sounds, something about this is familiar.
Blake: The Girl Who Fell Through the World. I... I think we're in the Ever After.
Weiss: Blake, that world is make-believe. It was just part of the story we all read as kids.
Little: It's not make-believe, it's where I live!
Blake: Can you tell us all about it? Have you ever heard the name Alyx?
Little: An "Alyx"? Is that a purpose?
Blake: In the story, Alyx fell from the sky and met with the Hunter Mice, got trapped in vines, fought a Jabberwalker, and got her knife stolen by... A talking raccoon.
Weiss groans and crosses her arms.
Yang: Yeah. And then she beat the Red King at a board game, met the Curious Cat, the Rusted Knight, gathered the seven dragon balls, summoned a warrior to fight Zynus, the dark lord of power and finally got out through...
Yang and Blake look at the giant tree.
Blake:(off-screen) The tree.
Weiss: So what now? Do we go to the tree? Look for Alyx? Yang's arm? Ruby, you're still missing Crescent Rose.
Little: I'll bet the Jinxy Peddler has it.
Weiss: (angry) WHO?!
Little yelped and ducked behind Ruby.
Little: The Jinxy Peddler? That's the only talking raccoon I know.
Weiss angrily grumbles to herself.
Blake: Do you know where he might be?
Little: Of course! (scurrying up to Ruby's head) I'll lead the way right to–
Little is once again snoring on top of Ruby's head as Team RWBY continue trekking through the jungle.
Blake: So, the town is just ahead, right?
Ruby pokes Little to wake them up. Little ignores and keeps sleeping.
Blake: I've been thinking. If we're going to this town, we need to be careful. Alyx didn't know their customs and ended up starting a war among the townsfolk. Trouble followed her everywhere she went.
Yang: Well, yeah. But she was kind of a mean person, right? She lied and cheated her way through most of the book.
Weiss: She was just trying to survive. The morals of those old stories are so simplistic.
Blake: Either way, we need to tread lightly.
Yang: So did anyone else find a ball like this?
Yang takes out a small three starred orange ball out of her pocket and showed it to them.
They look at it in surprise.
Blake: Me and Weiss found one together. But the stars are different.
Weiss and Blake take out their own orange starred ball. The balls had a different number of stars.
Ruby: I found mine when I woke up.
Ruby takes out her's.
Yang: So I have three stars, Weiss has two stars, Blake has five stars, and Ruby has seven stars. So either their's seven of these in total or theirs more.
Blake: But doesn't it feel familiar to anyone else? Or is that just me?
Weiss: What do you mean?
Blake: I don't know how to explain it... It's as if I'm holding (Y/N)'s hand.
Ruby, Weiss, and Yang then look at their own ball in thought.
Weiss: Well in the story wasn't the dragon balls seven round balls with stars on it?
Blake: Yeah if I remember correctly.
Ruby: What happened to (Y/N)?
Weiss: I...I don't know...the last thing I saw when I was falling was a blinding light.
They all look down in worry.
Yang: Well we don't know but cmon it's (Y/N).
Little almost falls as they quickly scurry back on top of Ruby's head. Little stretches.
Little: The town is just up ahead. The Jinxy Peddler always stops by our village before he goes to town.
Yang: Do they steal stuff from you guys too?
Little: Steal? Never. They just take the things we're not looking at. Fair is fair.
Little goes back to sleep.
Weiss: (sarcastically) Sounds like a legitimate business person. How did they manage to steal your arm anyway?
Yang: I was knocked out from the fall. When I came to, that sneaky raccoon already grabbed my arm and ran off before I could stop them. (As she says this, a thought bubble appears showing Yang unconscious with stars spinning above her head. She then awakens, watching comically helpless as Jinxy makes off with her arm on his wagon. The thought bubble is then popped by Blake when she jumps in next to Yang)
Blake: (giggles) So would you say they caught you unarmed? (Yang gives Blake a little playful nudge fight) How disarming. I guess we'll have to catch...
Yang looks at her ball.
Yang: If (Y/N) was here what do you think he would do?
Blake: Listen to whatever we say even if he doesn't understand it and follow whatever we say while going to fight the strongest person.
Yang: Sounds like him.
Ruby: Don't worry. We'll find a way outta here and we'll go back home.
Weiss stops walking, Ruby also stops walking and looks at her while Blake and Yang continue walking ahead of the other two.
Ruby: Weiss?
Weiss: It's... It's all gone... There's nothing left for me to go back to... Just like Beacon...
Ruby: (moving Little off her head into her hands) You did the best you could for Atlas, Weiss.
Weiss: But it wasn't enough! We hatched a crazy plan that put a whole kingdom at risk, and we don't even know if we saved the Relics from... (sighs) Maybe... Jaune and Winter were able to get them out, despite... everything... despite us... (beat) I... I know that... I know that was a lot to hear.
Ruby remains silent, she simply turns around and walks away. Thunder sounds above, and Weiss proceeds to follow her teammates, gripping her ball.
The team then arrives at a rickety bridge.
Blake: So, this is the entrance to the other... "acre" you called it?
Little: (yawning as they wake up) Yep! All we do is cross the bridge and we'll be... well, wherever over there is.
Yang: You don't know?
Little: Nope! Never been this far from home.
Ruby: Oh, uh, maybe you should go back?
Little: (still smiling) I wouldn't have any idea how to go back. Maybe I'll live by this bridge.
Upon hearing this, Team RWBY all have various shocked expressions for taking Little away far from their home. Weiss, fed up, goes forward.
Weiss: I'll handle this...
Little then builds a makeshift home from stick, stones, and leaves.
Little: (sing-songy) Building a house, my very first house, gonna find my purpose in my first house! Thank you lord Yamoshi!
Weiss: Would you like to come with us?
Little's house then collapses behind them.
Little: Yeah, that's probably for the best.
Entering the town, Team RWBY look around at the different townsfolk, all of them resembling various toys. They pass by a pamhplet saying, "BY ROYAL DECREE OF HIS HIGHNESS: THE PREEMINENT BIRTHDAY PARTY OF HIS MOST ROYAL IS HEREBY ANNOUNCED!" The same pamphlet is placed on parts of the street. Team RWBY continue walking by various vendors and stalls in the marketplace.
Blake: Just... act like you belong everybody.
Little: I've always wanted to be long, but I'm still just small.
Author: Like Mysteries dic-
The Author was then hit by a shovel the culprit was found to be mystery as he dragged the Author's body away and out of his home.
We then see Mystery digging a hole
Yang smiles a bit at Little's comment.
In the center of town, the townsfolk gather around the purple wagon. The name "JINXY" can be seen on it in big white letters.
Yang: (gasps) There it is! So what's the strategy? Just start roughin' him up or what?
Blake notices some toy soldiers watching the crowd, likely to keep order.
Blake: In the book, Alyx had to barter with Jinxy for her dagger.
Yang: Yeeeaah, I think I'd rather hit him.
The wagon is shown opening up with purple smoke. Jinxy can be seen walking out onto the stage waving to the crowd.
Jinxy: Welcome, one and all!
Weiss: (gasps) He's adorable! (teasing Yang)
Blake: And a lot older than I remember from the book...
Jinxy: I am Jinxy, and these... are the finest treasures of the acre!
Jinxy taps the shelf behind him with his walking stick, a yellow scepter appears first, then a pink rabbit statue, and a green marionette-like doll shows up last. The crowd cheers while Team RWBY looks on perceptively.
Yang: I... don't see my arm.
Blake: All of Jinxy's treasures... are just other items in disguise, so that people think they're buying something extremely valuable.
Weiss: Okay... so, which one is Yang's arm?
Blake: What does your heart tell you? That's how Alyx knew.
Weiss sticks her tongue out of disgust and boredom.
Yang: I mean... (looking at the scepter) That one looks roughly arm-sized... ish.
Blake sighs before noticing Ruby stare at something.
Blake: Ruby?
Ruby: There's... (looking at the green doll) ...something about that one.
Jinxy spins around the stage, showing off the pink rabbit statue in his hand.
Jinxy: First item! (the crowd oohs and aahs at the item) The diamond-studded rabbit! You! (pointing to a yellow toy-like townsperson before appearing on their shoulder) Jinxy's! (winks)
The townsperson chuckles and joins Jinxy on stage.
Weiss: How are we going to bid without any money?
Blake: I don't think there's any money in the Ever After. Jinxy just names whatever price he wants.
Weiss: What did Jinxy want from Alyx?
Blake: Her saddest memory... and her happiest.
Jinxy: Sold! For... a hug.
Jinxy hugs the townsperson, the crowd goes "aww" in response.
Little: (gasps) Hugs are very valuable!
Yang: (smiling) Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
Jinxy: Second item! A golden scepter! You!
Jinxy points at both Yang and a Toy Soldier, who both raised their hands and said "Me!" at the same time.
Yang: Huh?!
Jinxy: The bidding starts at-
Yang: No! I was the first one to-
Jinxy: ...knowing... what it is to feel loved.
Yang gasps upon hearing this.
Jinxy: A fair price for some, I'd say.
While Yang ponders the words, the Toy Soldier has help from another Toy Soldier write something down on a parchment paper.
Toy Soldier 01: Knowing what it's like to feel loved! By royal decree.
The Toy Soldier holding the parchment paper shows it with the words printed on it, "BY HIS ROYAL HIGNESS'S DECREE, TO BE PAID IS THE SUM" followed by the written words "WHATEVER JINXY WANTS". The bottom of the parchment has a red heart with a crown above it and some signature.
Jinxy: Sold!
Yang: Wait! That's my arm!
Toy Soldier 01: Whatever it is, it's royal property now. No price is too high for his majesty's birthday.
Yang huffs in anger and her eyes turn red.
Jinxy: Last item! The jade marionette!
Yang: We tried it your way, Blake.
Blake looks on nervously.
Jinxy: You!
Ruby: (raising her hand) Me!
Weiss: Ruby, what are you doing?
Jinxy: Bidding starts at... (pulls out an empty jar) Enough hope to fill this jar!
Ruby gasps hearing this, and she hesitantly lowers her hand.
Jinxy: Hm... You don't have enough, do ya?
Unbeknownst to the Ruby the small orange starred ball glowed a bit as Ruby felt someone hold her hand which filled up the jar a quarter way.
Ruby gave a small smile as she takes out the ball and looks at it.
Ruby: Guess I only feel hopeful with you now...
Unbeknownst to Jinxy, Little sneaks up on stage next to the marionette. Jinxy hears something move next to him, noticing the marionette gone from its place. He then notices Little trying to drag it off the stage.
Little: Huh?
Jinxy: Why you little...!
Jinxy lunges forward, and Little runs out of the way.
Jinxy: Leave that alone! You can't touch it until the deal is done!
Suddenly, the marionette disappears in a puff of purple smoke, and it turns into one of Penny's Maiden-powered Floating Array swords. Ruby gasps in shock as she recognizes it.
Townsperson: Huh?
The Townsperson looks down on the diamond-studded bunny in their hands. The white mouse eating the cheese vegetable magically appears in the diamond-studded bunny's place.
Mouse: Huh?
Townsperson: (holding the false item in their hand) It's a fake!!
The townsfolk booed and shouted in outrage at Jinxy. The lead toy soldier holds their chin in suspicion, looking over to their fellow soldier holding the scepter that has now changed back to Yang's prosthetic arm. The soldier screams as they toss the arm away.
Yang: I'm going for it!
Weiss looks on as Blake looks to the crowd holding her head between her hands making a nervous noise. Yang and a Toy Soldier do a tug of war for the prosthetic arm, with Yang dodging out of the way of the soldier's sword swing, followed by Yang shooting them away with the gauntlet. Ruby runs towards the stage.
Little: Fair is fair!
Ruby picks up Penny's sword, smiling and clutching it tight. Yang then runs past Ruby holding her arm with her teammates not far behind.
Yang: I got it!
Blake: Ruby, come on! (runs off)
Weiss simply walks away with them. Ruby picks up Little and they run after the team. Jinxy growls and shakes his fist in the air as they run away. The Townsperson from earlier approaches Jinxy with their arms out.
Townsperson: Ahem!
Jinxy groans and hugs the townsperson as a "refund".
Outside the town, Yang laughs as Team RWBY enters the red forest.
Yang: (huffing between breaths) Those people... take auctions... very seriously. (holds up her prosthetic) High five?
Blake groans and walks past her.
Yang: High five?
Weiss scoffs and walks past her.
Blake: (distressed as she holds her head) We're doing the same thing Alyx did! We're ruining everything!
Weiss: That's your biggest concern right now?
Yang reattaches her arm.
Blake: I've read so many stories. I never thought... (takes a seat on a nearby log)... I'd be the moral of one.
Ruby, still looking down at Penny's sword in her hands, takes a seat next to Blake. Her teammates look at her in concern.
Yang: Ruby?
Ruby remains silent for a moment.
Ruby: I couldn't explain why, but I... I was drawn to it.
Thunder sounds and the sky turns dark. It's raining again.
Weiss: Great, now it's raining on just us. That's it! We're getting out of this nightmare! Alyx went to the tree, right? Let's go.
Blake: I don't think it's gonna work like that. In the book--
Weiss: We are not in a book! And even if we were, we know how it ends: right over there! (pointing to the tree)
Weiss walks off towards the tree, and her teammates watch. They look to the opposite side of the clearing to see Weiss was walking in a loop. Weiss gasps and decides to quicken her pace. She goes in a loop one more time. Frustrated, she picks up a rock.
Weiss: Stupid tree!
Weiss throws the rock, but it just goes in a loop too and hits her head from behind, knocking her to the ground.
Little: Yeah, already tried that earlier. You can't get any closer to the tree that way.
Yang: Well then, what do we do now? We got my arm, but we still don't have Crescent Rose or the slightest idea how to get out.
Weiss is in the background talking nonsense again.
Toy Soldier 02: (off screen) This way! Somebody's sad!
Toy Soldier 01: (off screen) I'd be sad too... if I ruined the royal birthday!
Weiss scoffs hearing them.
Yang: These guys again...
Ruby: (still looking down at Penny's sword) Blake? What did Alyx do next?
The rain starts to suddenly clear and the sky brightens again.
Blake: She... went to the Crimson Castle... and beat the Red King at his own game.
Suddenly, the Toy Soldiers hop out of the bushes, riding on horse sticks.
Toy Soldier 01: Hands up! You treasonous birthday ruiners!
Yang: (cocks her gauntlets, smiling) Okay.
The Toy Soldiers reel back in fear.
Ruby: (quietly) We want to go to the birthday party... (raising her voice, lifting her head up) We want to go to the birthday party! (stands up)
Toy Soldier 01: Well, too bad, because we're going to-- (blinks in realization) Oh, yes... Ahem, that's where we're taking you! As prisoners! For stealing royal property!
Ruby: What if I offered you something better?
The soldiers look with intrigue.
Ruby: The weapon of a powerful warrior... (holds out and presents Penny's sword)
Team RWBY looks at their leader with shocked looks on their faces. The soldiers get up close to Penny's sword and look with awe.
Toy Soldiers: Oooh!
Toy Soldier 01: Go on...
Ruby: (looking down at the sword) Not just a powerful warrior, the most most powerful to ever lived. She was touched by magic, and she gave her life for thousands. She took a message of hope to the stars, and she saw the world through better eyes. (looking up) Take us to the royal birthday, and allow us to present this most precious gift.
The Toy Soldiers are moved to tears, some reacting rather unorthodox and comically.
Toy Soldier 01: (rubbing his eyes, still tearful) Yes... by royal decree! (takes the sword) Come on, men! You heard her! We got a birthday to celebrate!
The Toy Soldiers proceed to gallop on their horse sticks, saying "Hup, hup, hup" as they go.
Blake: Ruby, are you sure about this?
Ruby: Look, we may not know exactly what's going on, but for whatever reason, this place is putting us on a similar path as a book we all read as kids. I say we follow it. (starts walking) And stop pretending we know what we're doing...
The rest of Team RWBY all exchange confused glances at each other, before joining their leader and following the Toy Soldiers to their next destination: The Crimson Castle.
Vados avoids a punch with a smile as she looks at (Y/N) trying to hit her as she keeps dodging him with ease. She keeps dodging him as he fires a large ki blast at the woman only for her to vanish before it hit her and hit (Y/N)'s head with her staff.
(Y/N) seethes in pain and irritation as he keeps trying to hit her. Vados avoids a punch with a smile as she looks at (Y/N) trying to hit her, amused by his futile attempts. She effortlessly dodges his every move, gracefully evading his strikes with ease. (Y/N) grows increasingly frustrated as his attacks continuously miss their mark.
He keeps trying to hit her as they flew through the void. Vados kept dodging his attacks with ease with a smile as she began humming as she dodged. (Y/N) flared up his ki to gain more power as he kept trying though the results were always the same.
(Y/N) could feel his own frustration mounting as he watched her move with an almost otherworldly grace. He knew that he had to find a way to break through her defenses, to land a blow that would finally put an end to this endless cycle of futility.
(Y/N) then used all his ki to try and punch her with great speed and strength. Only for Vados to block the attack by grabbing his hand and pulling him towards her making him lose his balance and momentum as she sees him about to fall.
She then grabbed his waist and held his arm.
Vados: You got better. But you clog your body with overthinking. You need to not worry so much about what you can't control.
(Y/N) mind was racing with Mira, his failure of not saving RWBY and Jaune. His failure of not beating Mira. Letting Towa get absorbed. It was a demon in his own head. It was playing on loop. He couldn't protect them.
(Y/N): ...What happened to everyone...?
Vados let him go as they float down landing on a platform that was just like the void itself.
Vados: Jaune, Neo, Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and Blake all fell.
(Y/N): I'm such an idiot...I could've saved them...I could've flew to Salem or Cinder kill them and get it all over with! Why...Why do I think they can change...
(Y/N): Heh. I really am the idiot saiyan of remnant...
Vados: No one died.
(Y/N) looks at the woman.
(Y/N): Huh?
Vados: They didn't die. I said they fell. I never said they died.
Tears began to swell up in (Y/N)'s eyes.
(Y/N): Their...Alive...?
(Y/N) smiled lightly as tears fell out of his eyes. He laughed as he wiped the tears away.
Vados: Yes. Though you will have to wait until your body recovers fully for you to see them again?
(Y/N): What do you mean?
Vados: Your body is in a state of healing. After the excessive use of your ki. And the damage to your body it would be hard to heal normally.
(Y/N) looked at her confused.
Vados: We are in a spiritual plain of ki. A realm that connects ki, aura, and magic together.
(Y/N): Uhhh...
Vados: Think of it as a tree. Ki and aura are the roots of it. Though they both produce different things they are connected by a small margin. Which is why it's harder to sense people with aura.
(Y/N): What about magic?
Vados: Magic is a combination of both aura and ki and is only available to select few. It could be a race or a chosen few.
(Y/N): I kind of get it.
(Y/N) looked up at the void taking it all in, taking deep breaths.
Vados: So what do you fight for? Why do you keep fighting?
(Y/N): Because I have to. Because I have to stop Mira...I need to beat him.
Vados: And why not Salem?
(Y/N): I trust my friends. They can beat her. Honestly I more blame darkness and light gods for making her immortal. She wanted Ozpin to come back. But I guess she just broke after they killed him again one last time. When the gods brought him back she seemed like she was regaining some form of her humanity. Though she wanted to play god. It didn't seem that bad to me. I mean she was at least trying to do some good. But then Ozpin revealed his reincarnation and all of that which angered Salem. Then she loses her mind kills her kids and Ozpin when they clashed. Went to become Grimm Queen. And here we are now.
Vados: Why do you believe she can become good?
(Y/N): She used to be good or at least a decent person. I can try my best. That's all I can do. Her heart was broken she lost someone she loved and was betrayed by the one she loved. I just want to bring her to the light. To save her.
In the ever after a large silver crystal was floating in the air with (Y/N)'s body inside it as the hole in (Y/N)'s chest was now a large scar but seemed to be healing slowly. A armored man walks up to it and puts his hand on the crystal.