Rage & Hope: A RWBY Story

Chapter Thirty Six - Tipping Point

On a cloudy day, Team RNJR and Aya are walking on a mossy stone path through the wilderness.

Nora: Another day, another adventure!

As Nora said this, Ruby turned to the rest of her team while Jaune was looking at the map.

Ruby: What's on the agenda today?

Jaune: Walking!

Nora: With a side of...?

Ren: Walking.

Ruby sighs at this. She never expected the journey to take her this far from Beacon.

Ruby: Haven is a lot farther away than I thought.

Ren: Ruby? How long did you think this journey was going to take?

Ruby: I don't know! I grew up in a small area; I've never been this far away from home!

Jaune: Right but... how long?

Ruby: Maybe like, uh... two weeks?

Aya: By my calculations, this journey to Haven should take us two weeks and five days if we encounter no delays. 

Ruby: Um....yeah! What Aya said!

After a moment, Ruby stops something in the distance. As they investigate, they discovered a walled off village.

Jaune: That's...strange. I didn't think we'd be hitting another village for a few days.

Nora: Are those buildings... damaged?

Ruby: We have to search for survivors!

With that, Aya and Team RNJR began searching the town for survivors. What they found was an empty town with no sign of life. As they searched, Aya kept her guard up.

Ruby: Anything?

Nora: Nothing over here!

Jaune: No one over here, either!

Ren: It almost seems like... the town was abandoned.

As Team RNJR searched for survivors, Aya began running scans on the town for any survivors. Her scans pick up nothing. 

Aya: I detect no signs of life. 

Soon enough, Nora found something.

Nora: Hey, I think I found something!

As Nora said this, everyone went to where Nora was. They all saw a sign covered in vines. Nora removed the vines revealing a town's name.

Nora: Oniyuri? Never heard of it.

Jaune: Me neither.

Ren: I have.

Upon hearing this, Ruby and Nora were surprised by this. Aya looked around the town and wondered about Ren's possible connection.

Ren: You might think of it as Anima's Mountain Glenn, had it never been completed. Years ago, the richest members of Mistral were unhappy with how the Kingdom was being run. Frustrated with the council, they pooled their resources together to build their own city, with their own laws. They hoped that one day, it could maybe even become its own Kingdom. Many thought it would be the future.

As Ren said this, he began walking away as he took a deep breath.

Ren: I know my parents did.

Ruby: What happened?

As Ruby asked that question, Ren was silent for a moment. Aya could see that this place had a big impact on Ren. 

Ren: What always happens.

Jaune: The Grimm.

Ren: Not just any, one.

Upon hearing this, Ruby became confused. She turned to Nora who kept her eyes on Ren. Garrus looked around at the devastation left behind by the Grimm. Ruby quickly took notice of Aya's silence. 

Ruby: Aya? 

Aya: My apologies. I was finishing my scans.

At this point, Aya was reminded of what happened to Beacon. She remembered the destruction left behind at Beacon. As she thought of Beacon, she thought of Penny. 

Aya: Penny....

As Aya thought of Penny, Ruby placed her hand on Aya's shoulders. When Aya turned to Ruby, she could see Ruby wiping away tears from her eyes. 

Ruby: We'll...we'll do everything we can to honor Penny. 

Aya paused at Ruby's words. After a moment, Aya spoke on Penny. 

Aya: You were a good friend, Ruby. Penny cared deeply about her just as you cared about her. Penny cherished your friendship more than anything else in the world. Penny would be honored that you are embarking on this journey. I am deeply honored to call you friend. 

Ruby stood in shock in response to Aya's words. Without hesitation, Ruby hugged Aya. Aya simply smiled as she returned the hug. 

Ruby: Thank you, Aya. Thank you....

Aya smiled at Ruby's words. Soon enough, her thoughts drifted towards Razer, hoping that he was safe. While she was concerned for Razer's safety, Aya was confident that he could endure whatever challenges that came his way. As Aya was lost in thought, she walked over to an abandoned house. The door showed signs of damage, indicating that someone had been broken into the house. Aya walks into the house, prepared for a fight. When she entered the house, he found blood splattered all over the walls. She finds a letter sat on a table. She picks it up and reads it.

Aya: "My love, I don't know how much time I have. We're trapped. I think everyone else is dead. I managed to get the little ones to safety. I got Grimm pounding at the door. I don't know how long we'll hold out. I can only hope that the little ones make it out safely. If you managed to escape, kind the children. Keep them safe. I love you. -John."

As Aya read the note, she turns to see the remains of the man who wrote the note. He died with a weapon in his hand. Aya knelt towards the man.

Aya: I'm sorry. I hope your family is safe.

After paying her respects, Aya walks out of the house and regroups with the others. Suddenly, several small black birds began flying the sky above them.

Jaune: Come on. Let's just get through here. This place gives me the creeps.

Aya: We should keep moving. 

With that, Aya and Team RNJR pressed forward. What they didn't know as that an unseen threat would soon confront them.