The Great War of Remnant (Book 1)

Wayfaring strangers

Blake POV

We wake up and are still at the docks. We need to take a minute to decipher what we saw. Which will take all night.

Alex walks up to us.

Alex:... What did you see?

It's phrased as a question, but the tone in his voice says it's an order disguised as a question. He's ordering us to tell him what we saw.

Yang: I don't... I can't-
Alex: What did you see?!
Yang: Please, just give us a minute to-
Alex: WHAT DID YOU SEE?!?!

Ruby replies in a shaky voice.

Ruby: It was horrible... everything was destroyed... it was...
Dick: Desolate? Scorched? Eradicated?

He's not trying to lighten the mood. He knows it's not the time for that. Which, after knowing him for a few months, is odd. Then again, maybe it was to forget whatever war zone he was in. Maybe that's why he jokes a lot. To cope with what he's seen and done.

Arthur slowly takes out a canteen. He kneels down and offers it to Ruby.

Arthur: Here. It's really all I have to offer at the moment.

Ruby reluctantly takes it. Weiss looks up at them.

Weiss: Who are you people?

Alex strokes his chin.

Alex: Alright... You're gonna want to sit down.

Timeskip

We sit in team WAAR's dormitory room. They told us everything. They got permission from Ozpin, first, after telling him what happened. They told us about what we saw, which was an event in their world's history called "World War 1". Alex told us about "World War 2". Arthur, "Vietnam". Richard, "Iraqi Freedom". They told us how they were from different periods of their world's history, and how some sort of time and space paradox brought them here.

They told us all about Earth.

They also told us that team JNPR knew.

Yang: But why keep it a secret?! Why hide it from the world?!
Alex: Because we didn't want to spread a panic.
Yang: Oh, so if a few people freaked out, that would have meant the world was going to end?!?!
Alex: It might, yes! That's how our wars started in the first place, because everyone was afraid of each other! And all it took was one single person to push our world into chaos! Four times, as you can see!

That's why they were fighting. Fear. Fear that their enemies might take their homes. Fear that their enemies would harm their loved ones. Fear of not knowing what the other side would do if they won.

Ruby:Do you regret any of it? Taking lives?
Dick: What kind of question is that? Of course we do! They had friends. Families. People who cared about them. And we took that from them.

Weiss decides to chirp in.

Weiss: But you survived. You saved your life.
Me: At the cost of destroying others.

Arthur lightly nods.

Arthur: Yeah.

John, who we carried here and is still unconscious, starts to squirm in his bed. Ruby, despite having been sucked into his memory the last time they made physical contact, reluctantly puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. He starts to calm down. He knows we're here. He knows he's safe now.

Nothing more is said... that is, until Professor Ozpin calls.

Ozpin: Good evening, students. I realize that this is an... inconvenient time, but there is something that team WAAR needs to see. I'm aware that young mister Fish isn't available at the moment, which is why I'm calling the rest of you to see this. Bring team RWBY as well. No need to keep any more secrets. Come down to the medical wing.