The price of WAAR (Book 3)

The Christmas Miracle (A non-cannon short)

Beacon...

Beacon Academy was a merry place this time of year. The snow was white as the clouds in the sky, said sky was blue and bright, the sun was shining...

And best of all...

It was Christmas.

Team JNPR were out singing carols with other teams, Coco and Velvet went out to Vale with Richard and Arthur just to spend time with them, Team CRDL were busy getting schooled by Alexi and Cohad in Goodwitch's classroom (with her permission), and Eniko... apparently he failed to mention that he was Shintoist and his family didn't celebrate it, and was therefore curious about it.

And Team RWBY... wasn't really doing anything in particular. Weiss was walking around Beacon with Ben, her arm linked with his and a smile on both their faces, Blake was reading a new book that Weiss had gotten her for Christmas (which kind of surprised her at how much Weiss actually paid attention to what they really wanted) by a fireplace, Yang was with Alex in his room doing... well, let's say they were full of "Christmas Spirit" and leave it at that.

As for Ruby?

She was wandering around Beacon with some papers in her arms. She was currently reading some of these papers, which meant that she wasn't looking where she was going. And that is exactly why she bumped into Nick.

Ruby: Sorry, Nick! I wasn't looking where I was going!
Nick: It's alright, Ruby. How's your Christmas been so far?
Ruby: It's been really good. Oh, uh, have you seen John around anywhere? Eniko said these papers might be his.
Nick: Are you sure they belong to one of us?
Ruby: I mean, there's a language that I'm not familiar with, and Remnant kind of speaks only English. Also, I don't know how to say the name signed on the papers, and that's kind of an Earth thing to me.
Nick: Let me see the name.

Ruby hands Nick the papers so he can read the name on the papers.

Nick: Oh, well J.R.R. are the first three initials. I have no idea how to say that last name, though... Tolkien, maybe?
Ruby: Oh, thanks.
Nick: Anytime.

He gives the papers back to Ruby.

Ruby then looks over Nick's shoulder and saw John and Penrich walking together, talking.

Ruby: Oh, there he is! Have a Merry Christmas, Nick.

Ruby began to head towards John and Penrich, but Nick stopped her.

Ruby: Is something wrong, Nick?
Nick: No... I just think that it'd be a good idea to let 'em be for now. Christmas is a very important holiday for them.
Ruby: How so?
Nick: It was when they first met.
Ruby: Really?! Their armies were fighting on Christmas?!
Nick: Well, unfortunately war doesn't care about holidays and all of that stuff... but no, there wasn't.
Ruby: Huh?

Nick then hears the crunching of snow behind him. He looks behind him and sees Dan walking up behind them.

Nick: You know what? I think I'll let Dan explain this one.
Dan: What? Wait, what's going on?
Ruby: Nick said that John and Penrich's armies didn't fight on Christmas.
Dan: Wha-... Oh! You must be talking about the 1914 Christmas Truce.
Ruby: The wha?

Dan sighed.

Dan: Oh boy... ok, if you'll indulge me, Ruby, allow me to go into history lecture mode for a moment.
Ruby: Go ahead. I really want to know.
Dan: Ok.

Dan then cleared his throat.

Dan:

(A.N. No, this is not Dan's voice. Also, minus the sponsor, Extra Credits intro, and Extra Credits outro)

Ruby looked back towards John and Penrich...

And she couldn't help but smile. As she watched them walk, talk, laugh, and smoke with each other, she couldn't help but imagine that they did the very same things that day. She also wondered what else they did on that day.

The thought honestly brought a tear to her eye. She's seen what John went through and just how nightmarish it was. So the fact that they managed to find a sliver of humanity in such a conflict was much more than heartwarming. Granted, Dan explained how it was only for 1914 and that it was probably impossible for it to happen again within World War 1. But it still brought great joy to her to know that the soldiers in those trenches managed to pull of such a miracle. And on Christmas, no less.

With that in mind, she walked away with a smile on her face, letting John and Penrich enjoy their moment.

After all, she could always give those papers to John later.

That said, there was one thing from Dan's little lecture that's been bugging her...

Timeskip

Alex: Well, I'm certainly full of Christmas Cheer now.

Alex then fixed the tie on his Beacon uniform.

Yang: I can always give you a bit more if you like~.
Alex: Heh... thanks, doll. But why don't we take a little break for now. I promise we'll pick up where we left off.

Yang shrugged in agreement and put her clothes back on.

After they had gotten completely dressed, there was a knock on the door.

Alex: Who is it?
Ruby: Alex, it's me, Ruby.
Yang: Come on in, sis.

Ruby opened the door and walked in.

Alex: So, what can we do you for?
Ruby: Well, Dan just got done telling me about an interesting Christmas story about World War 1.
Alex: 1914 Christmas Truce?
Ruby: Oh, I guess it's really famous.
Alex: Yeah it is. Anyways, what about it?
Ruby: Well, while Dan was telling me the story, he brought something up that I've heard you mention before, and I wanted to ask you about it.
Alex: Really? Ok, then, shoot...

Ruby: Who's Hitler?