Altercation at the Auspicious Auction

(Jared's POV)

Team RWBY and I overlook the whimsical land before them from the precipice.

"So are we gonna just stand around thinking about this in silence? Or...?" Yang asked.

"I knew this place is weird, but a fairy tale? I mean that's impossible." Ruby said.

"Not impossible. Just a bit unlikely." I said, while Little nods it's head. "It's been such a long day, but being in another fairy tale."

Blake clears her throat. Ruby, Little, and I look at Blake pointing her finger at Little.

"Ruby, are you okay?" I asked, as Ruby gave a sweat drop. "Is this too much?"

"I can handle it." Ruby said, sadly. "But still. This is impossible."

"What we've seen is improbable and that's outside of us traveling with the Doctor, but that doesn't mean we're in an actual fairy tale. Are we seriously entertaining this?" Weiss asked.

"Do you have a better explanation for what's going on?" Yang asked, looking at Weiss.

"Well, let's try to be more logical, shall we? We fell from the sky. Ruby and Jared made friends with a tiny mouse."

"Friends!" Little said, excitedly.

"Blake and I got caught by killer vines." Weiss said, and Blake cringes. "And... uh... you got your arm stolen by... a... What was it that you said?"

"A talking raccoon riding on a purple wagon filled with trash." Yang said.

"God, I can't wait till I meet Rocket Raccoon and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy." I said, laughing a lot. "Sorry, sorry. That's just hilarious."

"Who the hell is Rocket Raccoon?" Yang asked, while Weiss blinks at the blonde's predicament. "Still. A talking raccoon."

"Yes, that. Okay, I see your point of view. I am going to go over here now." Weiss said, walking away and she starts to talk nonsense to herself as she tries to grapple with the team's current situation.

"As crazy as it sounds, something about this is familiar." Ruby said.

"The Girl Who Fell Through the World. I... I think we're in the Ever After." Blake said.

"More like this is Alice's Adventure in Wonderland." I said, rolling my eyes. "This is Wonderland to me. Looks like this is a fairy tale that is similar to one I read as well."

"Blake, Jared, that world is make-believe. No matter the universe. It was just part of the story we all read as kids." Weiss said, looking between Blake and I.

"It's not make-believe, it's where I live!" Little said, smiling.

"Can you tell us all about it? Have you ever heard the name Alyx?" Blake asked, looking down at Little.

"An 'Alyx'? Is that a purpose?"

"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.

"Yeah. And then she beat the Red King at a board game, met the Curious Cat, the Rusted Knight, and finally got out through..." Yang said.

Yang and Blake look at the giant tree.

"The tree." Blake said, looking at the tree.

"Of course this story has a Yggdrasil." I said, doing a facepalm. "I mean that this story has different elements to the one I know from my world."

"So what now? This story isn't the one Jared knows so it is beyond his knowledge. Do we go to the tree? Look for Alyx? Yang's arm? Ruby, you're still missing Crescent Rose." Weiss said.

"I'll bet the Jinxy Peddler has it." Little said.

"WHO?!" Weiss exclaimed, angrily.

Little yelped and ducked behind Ruby.

"The Jinxy Peddler? That's the only talking raccoon I know." Little said.

Weiss angrily grumbles to herself.

"Do you know where he might be?" Blake asked.

"Of course!" Little said, 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 and I continue trekking through the jungle.

"So, the town is just ahead, right?" Blake asked.

"I guess so. I am still not used to not knowing anything." I said, while Ruby pokes Little to wake them up. "What's the plan Blake?"

Little ignores and keeps sleeping.

"I don't know." Blake said, looking at me. "It feels weird knowing this version of our favorite fairy tale. 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."

"Well, yeah. But she was kind of a mean person, right? She lied and cheated her way through most of the book." Yang said.

"She was just trying to survive. The morals of those old stories are so simplistic." Weiss said.

"Either way, we need to tread lightly." Blake said.

"Why is Alyx meaner than Alice? Ugh. This story is giving me such a headache." I said, while Little almost falls as they quickly scurry back on top of Ruby's head.

"Have you not read this version of your story?" Blake asked.

"Didn't have the time."

Little stretches, "The town is just up ahead. The Jinxy Peddler always stops by our village before he goes to town."

"Do they steal stuff from you guys too?" Yang asked.

"Steal? Never. They just take the things we're not looking at. Fair is fair." Little said, going back to sleep.

"Sounds like a legitimate business person." Weiss said, sarcastically. "How did they manage to steal your arm anyway?"

"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." Yang said, and as  she says this, a thought bubble appears showing the blonde unconscious with stars spinning above her head.

Yang 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.

"So would you say they caught you unarmed?" Blake asked, giggling.

"Puns? Now..." I said, and Yang gave Blake a little playful nudge fight. "Of all the times..."

"How disarming. I guess we'll have to catch..." Blake said.

Blake's and Yang's hands brush against each other, merely inches away.

Weiss softly smiles at Blake and Yang, "About time."

"Tell me about it. I've waited ages for this." I said, smiling.

"For what?" Ruby asked, looking between Weiss and I.

"Nothing." Weiss said.

"Don't worry. We'll find a way outta here and we'll go back home." Ruby said.

Weiss and I stop walking, Ruby also stops walking and looks at Weiss and I while Blake and Yang continue walking ahead of the three of us.

"Weiss? Jared?" Ruby asked, looking between Weiss and I.

"It's... It's all gone... There's nothing left for me to go back to... Just like Beacon..." Weiss said.

"You did the best you could for Atlas, Weiss." Ruby said, moving Little off her head into her hands.

"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..." Weiss said, letting out a sigh.

"We didn't. I know because the TARDIS patched me through to see what happened at Atlas. She has them." I said, walking over to Weiss. "Salem has them..."

"That's just great." Weiss said, letting out another sigh. "Maybe... Jaune and Winter were able to get them out, despite... everything... despite us..." She walked over to me as I gave the former heiress a hug. "I... I know that Penny... 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 with me right behind her.

Bridge...

Team RWBY and I then arrive at a rickety bridge.

"So, this is the entrance to the other...'acre' you called it?" Blake asked.

"Yep! All we do is cross the bridge and we'll be... well, wherever over there is." Little said, yawning as they woke up.

"You don't know?" Yang asked.

"Nope! Never been this far from home."

"Oh, uh, maybe you should go back?" Ruby asked.

"Do you know how to go back home?" I asked.

"I wouldn't have any idea how to go back. Maybe I'll live by this bridge." Little said, still smiling.

Upon hearing this, Team RWBY and I all have various shocked expressions for taking Little away far from their home.

Weiss, fed up, goes forward, "I'll handle this..."

Little then builds a makeshift home from stick, stones, and leaves.

"Building a house, my very first house, gonna find my purpose in my first house!" Little said, sing-songy.

"Would you like to come with us?" Weiss asked.

Little's house then collapses behind them.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best." Little said.

Town...

Entering the town, Team RWBY and I looked 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.

"Please don't tell me this is Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There." I said, sadly. "I would hate it if it was that one instead."

"Why do you hate that one?" Weiss asked, looking at me.

"Because it's the sequel."

Team RWBY and I continue walking by various vendors and stalls in the marketplace.

"Just... act like you belong, everybody." Blake said.

"I've always wanted to be long, but I'm still just small." Little said.

Yang and I smiled 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.

"There it is! So what's the strategy? Just start roughin' him up or what?" Yang asked, gasping.

Blake notices some toy soldiers watching the crowd, likely to keep order, "In the book, Alyx had to barter with Jinxy for her dagger."

"Yeeeaah, I think I'd rather hit him." Yang said.

"For stealing your arm. I wouldn't mind that. He did make you armless." I said, laughing a lot. "You aren't armed and ready anymore."

The wagon is shown opening up with purple smoke.

Jinxy can be seen walking out onto the stage waving to the crowd, "Welcome, one and all!"

"He's adorable!" Weiss said, gasping and teasing Yang.

"And a lot older than I remember from the book..." Blake said.

"I am Jinxy, and these...are the finest treasures of the acre!" Jinxy said, tapping  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 and I look on perceptively.

"I...don't see my arm." Yang said.

"All of Jinxy's treasures...are just other items in disguise, so that people think they're buying something extremely valuable." Blake said.

"Okay... so, which one is Yang's arm?" Weiss asked.

"What does your heart tell you? That's how Alyx knew." Blake said, looking at Yang.

"Yang, I think it is the scepter that is Yang's arm." I said, as Weiss sticks her tongue out of disgust and boredom. "But then again..."

"I mean..." Yang said, looking at the scepter. "That one looks roughly arm-sized... ish."

Blake sighs before noticing Ruby and I stare at something.

"Ruby? Jared?" Blake asked.

"There's..." Ruby said, as the silver-eyed girl and I are looking at the green doll. "...something about that one."

"That looks rather familiar to me. But why does it?" I asked, when Jinxy spins around the stage, showing off the pink rabbit statue in his hand. "What is it?"

"First item!" Jinxy said, while the crowd oohs and aahs at the item "The diamond-studded rabbit! You!" He points to a yellow toy-like townsperson before appearing on their shoulder. "Jinxy's!"

Jinxy winks. The townsperson chuckles and joins Jinxy on stage.

"How are we going to bid without any money?" Weiss asked.

"I don't think there's any money in the Ever After. Jinxy just names whatever price he wants." Blake said.

"What did Jinxy want from Alyx?" Weiss asked.

"Her saddest memory... and her happiest." Blake said.

"For me, that would be losing the Ponds and reuniting with you girls." I said, happily. "But that would be too easy."

"Sold! For... a hug." Jinxy said, hugging the townsperson, the crowd went 'aww' in response.

"Hugs are very valuable!" Little said, gasping.

"Maybe this won't be so bad after all." Yang said, smiling.

"Second item! A golden scepter! You!" Jinxy said, pointing at both Yang and a Toy Soldier, who both raised their hands and said 'Me!" at the same time.

"Huh?!"

"The bidding starts at..."

"No! I was the first one to..."

"...knowing... what it is to feel loved." Jinxy said, while Yang gasps upon hearing this. "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.

"Knowing what it's like to feel loved! By royal decree." Toy Soldier 01 said.

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'.

"Seriously?" I asked, crossing my arms. "That's cheating."

The bottom of the parchment has a red heart with a crown above it and some signature.

"Sold!" Jinxy said, happily.

"Wait! That's my arm!" Yang said, worried.

"Whatever it is, it's royal property now. No price is too high for his majesty's birthday." Toy Soldier 01 said.

Yang huffs in anger and her eyes turn red.

"Last item! The jade marionette!" Jinxy said.

"We tried it your way, Blake." Yang said.

Blake looks on nervously.

"You!" Jinxy said.

"Me!" Ruby said, raising her hand.

"Ruby, what are you doing?" Weiss asked, looking at Ruby.

"Bidding starts at..." Jinxy said, as he pulled out an empty jar. "Enough hope to fill this jar!"

Ruby gasps hearing this, and she hesitantly lowers her hand.

"Hm...you don't have enough, do ya?" Jinxy asked.

"Ruby..." I said, and unbeknownst to Jinxy, Little sneaks up on stage next to the marionette. "I don't have enough either. I lost all mine when I thought you all were dead. That is why I went to a time where..."

"You went back to Beacon." Weiss said, while Jinxy hears something move next to him, noticing the marionette gone from its place. "Why did you do that?"

"What else was I supposed to do? It took until Clara for me to be hopeful again."

Jinxy then notices Little trying to drag it off the stage.

"Huh?" Little asked.

"Why you little...!" Jinxy said, as he lunges forward, and Little runs out of the way. "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 and I gasp in shock as the silver eyed girl and I recognize it.

"Huh?" The townsperson asked, looking 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, "Huh?"

"It's a fake!" The townsperson said, holding the false item in their hands.

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.

"I'm going for it!" Yang said.

Weiss and I look on as Blake looks to the crowd holding her head between her hands making a nervous noise.

"How close are you to Clara?" Weiss asked, looking at me.

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.

"Very close. She saved my life." I said, smiling. "I'm grateful for her also."

Ruby runs towards the stage.

"Fair is fair!" Little said, excitedly.

Ruby picks up Penny's sword, sobbing and clutching it tight. Yang then runs past Ruby holding her arm with her teammates not far behind.

"I got it!" Yang said.

"Ruby, come on!" Blake said, running off.

Weiss and I simply walked away with them.

"So you're grateful for Clara. Will you see her again someday?" Weiss asked, tilting her head.

Ruby picks up Little and they run after the team.

"I guarantee it." I said, holding Weiss' hand. "She is impossible after all."

Jinxy growls and shakes his fist in the air as I run away with Team RWBY run away. The Townsperson from earlier approaches Jinxy with their arms out.

"Ahem!" The townsperson said.

Jinxy groans and hugs the townsperson as a 'refund'.

Outside the town...

Yang laughs as Team RWBY and I enter the red forest.

"Those people..." Yang said, huffing between breaths. "take auctions... very seriously." She holds up her prosthetic. "High five?"

Blake groans and walks past her.

Yang: High five?

Weiss scoffs and walks past her. I walked up to Yang to give her a high five.

"Thanks." Yang said, happily.

"No problem. You know, that was a good one, Goldilocks." I said, smiling.

"I know."

"We're doing the same thing Alyx did! We're ruining everything!" Blake said, distressed as she held her head.

"That's your biggest concern right now?" Weiss asked.

Yang reattaches her arm.

"I've read so many stories. I never thought..." Blake said, taking 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 and I look at her in concern.

"Ruby?" Yang asked.

"Little Red, it's about Penny, isn't it?" I asked, walking up to Ruby.

"It is." Ruby said, remaining silent for a moment. "I couldn't explain why, but I... I was drawn to it."

Thunder sounds and the sky turns dark. It's raining again.

"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." Weiss said, annoyed.

"I don't think it's gonna work like that. In the book..." Blake said.

"We are not in a book! And even if we were, we know how it ends: right over there!" Weiss said, pointing to the tree.

"Now you know how things are when it comes to me being with you guys or with the Doctor." I said, sadly. "Me being the moral of a story and following it."

"It's tough, isn't it?" Blake asked, looking at me.

"Yeah." I said, while Weiss walked off towards the tree, with me and her teammates watching her. "It's hard to keep track of everything to not mess up the timeline. And for things to well, not end badly."

Ruby, Blake, Yang, and I looked 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.

"Stupid tree!" Weiss said, throwing  the rock, but it just goes in a loop too and hits her head from behind, knocking her to the ground.

"Yeah, already tried that earlier. You can't get any closer to the tree that way." Little said.

"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." Yang said.

"That is true. We don't." I said, rolling my eyes. "Gah. I hate not knowing things. It's really pissing me off."

Weiss is in the background talking nonsense again.

"This way! Somebody's sad!" Toy Soldier 02 said, nearby.

"I'd be sad too... if I ruined the royal birthday!" Toy Soldier 01 said, nearby.

Weiss scoffs hearing them.

"These guys again..." Yang said, annoyed.

"Blake? What did Alyx do next?" Ruby asked, still looking at Penny's sword.

The rain starts to suddenly clear and the sky brightens again.

"She... went to the Crimson Castle... and beat the Red King at his own game." Blake said.

Suddenly, the Toy Soldiers hop out of the bushes, riding on horse sticks.

"Hands up! You treasonous birthday ruiners!" Toy Soldier 01 said, angrily.

"Okay." Yang said, cocking her gauntlets, smiling.

"Ready for a butt whooping from Goldilocks here?" I asked, while the Toy Soldiers reel back in fear. "Show them how it's done, Yang."

"We want to go to the birthday party..." Ruby said, quietly before she raised her voice and lifting her head up. "We want to go to the birthday party!"

Ruby stands up.

"Ruby..." I said, looking over at Ruby. "Ruby, what are you doing?"

"Well, too bad, because we're going to..." Toy Soldier 01 said, blinking in realization. "Oh, yes... Ahem, that's where we're taking you! As prisoners! For stealing royal property!"

"What if I offered you something better?" Ruby asked, as the soldiers looked with intrigue. "The weapon of a powerful warrior..."

"Ruby, why are you giving them Penny's sword?" I asked, and Ruby held out and presented Penny's sword. "Why?"

"This is what Clara did with the leaf her mom gave her, right? That was in her book filled with places she wanted to see." Ruby said, while I nodded my head. "She gave that leaf to a sun god. This is like that."

Team RWBY looks at their leader with me looking at my best friend with shocked looks on our faces. The soldiers get up close to Penny's sword and look with awe.

"Oooh!" The toy soldiers said, at the same time.

"Go on..." Toy Soldier 01 said.

"Before my friend interrupted me. I want to continue what I want to offer you." Ruby said, looking down at the sword. "This weapon is not just from a powerful warrior. 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." Ruby looked 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.

"Yes..." Toy Soldier 01 said, rubbing his eyes, still tearful. "by royal decree!" He 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.

"Ruby, are you sure about this?" Blake asked, looking at 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 as we always watched Jared do when he's with us or the Doctor." Ruby said, while she started walking. "And stop pretending we know what we're doing..."

"Great...just great." I said, groaning. "I hate this so much..."

The rest of Team RWBY and I all exchange confused glances at each other, before the rest of Team RWBY join their leader with me behind Weiss, Blake, and Yang and follow the Toy Soldiers to our next destination: The Crimson Castle.