A Tale Involving a Tree

(Open POV)

Patch...

Summer Rose is turning a page of a book.

"A door opened for Alyx at the Tree." Summer said.

The door automatically opens. The Great Tree of the Ever After is shown, towering over the Jungle Acre.

"Before she goes back home, the girl had a great many questions to ponder." Summer said, still reading the book.

Then the Tree is later shown in a sketch from the storybook.

"After all the lessons she learned, and the friends she'd made..." Summer said, while she turned another page of the book. "...and lost."

Summer Rose is sitting on her chair, telling the story of 'The Girl Who Fell Through the World' to a young Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose, who are fast asleep.

"Who had she become? Would she still be the same Alyx when she went back home? The leaves of the tree rustled, and on the wind, Alyx heard one more question..." Summer said, narrating.

(Jared's POV)

Elsewhere in the Ever After...

Ruby is now petrified in wood.

"What...are you?" Summer asked, narrating.

Jaune, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and I ride on Juniper from the Dark Acre to the forests of Origami Acre.

"I don't understand! Alyx, the Pleasers, now Ruby! What does this place want?" Jaune asked.

Village...

We arrive at a certain place. We dismount Juniper, looking at the waters of the destroyed village of the Paper Pleasers.

Jaune stares at the Tree, "I don't understand... What did I do wrong?"

"We can figure this out. There's got to be a way to get to the Tree." Weiss said.

"Hello there." A voice said, nearby.

Jaune, Weiss, and I turn to see a red star-shaped crystal Afteran carrying a basket of berries.

"You appear upset. Would you be so kind as to tell me how I can help? Perhaps you are hungry?" The Red Genial Gem asked.

"Hang on. That shape." I said, looking at the Red Genial Gem. "I know this."

"Huh?" Jaune asked, confused before shaking his head. "No, that's okay."

"If I can get you anything else, please don't hesitate to ask! That's what I'm here for!" The Red Genial Gem said, happily.

"What? What are you?" Jaune asked.

The Yellow Genial Gem places their foot into the water.

"We are the Genial Gems, and we've arrived here to clean up this beautiful land and create something wonderful and pleasing." The Red Genial Gem said.

"Pleasing...the Paper Pleasers." I said, while Jaune watches the Genial Gems remove the parts of the former village of the Paper Pleasers. "They went from paper to gemstones."

"I don't know." Jaune said, as the Genial Gems wade through the waters and place their hands on it, a glowing light appears. "How do you know that?"

"I just do." I said, and the stream flutters in the air and transforms into a crystal structure. "What do you think, girls?"

"You're right, Jared. These were the Paper Pleasers. This is them, isn't it? They're back." Blake said.

"It's just like they said. They came back from the Tree, better." Weiss said.

"No flood or fire will ever hurt them again." Yang said.

"I'm trying so hard to save them... I stopped them from becoming what they needed to be. I was being selfish because I... I wanted the rush of rescuing someone and I got that here." Jaune said.

"I think you're asking too much of yourself. We've been telling ourselves that failing means we're no good. But I can guarantee even the best Huntsmen in history... they've all lost. But they were still incredibly brave..." Weiss said, smiling. "...and good."

Jaune begins to tear up, "Weiss..."

Weiss hugs Jaune, with Blake and Yang doing the same.

"Maybe that Cat was right... Maybe I just needed to accept it. It's not a place you go." Jaune said.

The myriad of the multi-colored leaves from the Great Tree engulf Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Juniper, and I. We find themselves transported inside the Tree.

Tree...

"What?" Blake asked, looking around.

"It's a place you know." Weiss said.

"Yggdrasil." I said, while we walked, passing the branches. "The Tree of Life. Or the World Tree."

"So that is what it is called in your world." Weiss said, pulling one branch off another and becoming shocked to see the Herbalist, now encased in wood. "That does make a ton of sense."

Yang walks forward between them, looking in both directions before noticing something.

"R-Ruby?!" Yang exclaimed, running in that direction and stops, standing in front of Ruby's wooden form.

Yang steps forward and places both of her hands on the shoulders of her sister then resting her head on Ruby's. Yang's eyes open as she feels something and immediately begins breaking the branches around Ruby. Jaune, Weiss, and I stare at her as Blake is the last to show up. Jaune and I notice what Yang is doing and walks towards her, about to place our hands on her shoulder.

"We have to get her out!!" Yang said, frantic.

"I think I get it. This is how we got here, or... why the Tree brought us here." Jaune said, turning Juniper. "Acceptance."

"Yeah. Acceptance. This is Ruby seeking out a therapy session. I think this is the point of Yggdrasil here." I said, looking at Weiss. "What do you think, Ice Queen?"

"You're right. Ruby needed this. She went in voluntarily." Weiss said, as I walked up to her to grab her hand. "We've done everything we can. Now it's up to Ruby. Whatever happens next... we have to welcome that."

"But what if she isn't Ruby anymore when she comes back out?" Yang asked.

A sound breaks the tension as we look in its direction. The sound continues as the Herbalist's sculpture breaks, revealing blue butterfly wings. The Herbalist stretches, cracks his knuckles, looks around, then begins to fly towards the sky.

"Maybe... that's not for us to decide." Blake said, comforting Yang as she tears up.

"It's Ruby to decide. She needs this therapy session after everything she has been through so far." I said, looking at the wood-petrified Ruby that continues to stand solemnly still. "I have a feeling that is what this is."

(Open POV)

The plane...

Ruby opens her eyes and finds herself in a green night-like spiritual plane with glowing green orbs. As she walks endlessly, she hears the sound of the hammer and sees the Blacksmith forging a mask that resembles a mammal.

"I didn't expect you're here just yet." Blacksmith said.

"I wasn't expecting to be here. Are you the Tree?" Ruby asked.

The Blacksmith puts down the heated mask, the hammer and pliers on the anvil.

"You could say that. But that is a simplistic understanding of the Tree, and what it does." The Blacksmith said, chuckling.

"What's going to happen to me? Am I gonna die?" Ruby asked.

"The only thing that could happen to you here is what you want to happen. The choices of what you become and where you end up is yours to make." The Blacksmith said, while Ruby looks at her and looks down before glancing up at the Blacksmith again. "You don't know what you want, do you?"

Ruby looks down and slowly shakes her head, dispirited.

(Jared's POV)

The Tree...

"Um..." I said, hearing a banging sound is heard. "What's that noise?"

"What's that?" Jaune asked, while the sound gets louder and he moves two branches out of his way as he sees a giant, glowing door, wide open.

Weiss's eyes widen as Blake steps forward.

"Is that...?" Blake asked.

"Our way home!" Jaune said, happily.

"Thank goodness." I said, as the Curious Cat possessing Neo's body is pushed back at the doorway. "Remnant is as much of my home as the Earth and the Doctor's TARDIS is."

"So you're sticking around with us then."

NeoCat is desperately trying to get through again, but to no avail. They then notice Team RWBY, Jaune, and I.

"Oh, good! You made it..." NeoCat said, sarcastically.

"I guess your little plan to get out of here isn't working?" Weiss asked.

"You've always been the worst of the bunch." NeoCat said, standing up.

"So Neo can't go through the door..." Jaune said.

"No. She has no attachments to your world. Nothing to return to. She has failed me... just like Alyx did." NeoCat said, growling.

"Like... Alyx?" Blake asked.

"That cowardly, wretched girl whose story you've been foolishly following all along. The same girl that I followed too..." NeoCat said, hissing again.

(Open POV)

A flashback shows the Cat traveling with Alyx, Lewis, and Jaune as the Rusted Knight. The group is then shown sitting around a campfire, before showing just Alyx and Lewis with the Curious Cat traveling down a path in the Origami Acre.

"...Because she promised me she would bring me back to Remnant with her. But in truth, she had no intention of taking me!" NeoCat said.

The three are shown before the doorway at the top of the Tree.

"No, after talking to the Tree, she had a sudden crisis of conscience!" NeoCat said, angrily.

Alyx is shown closing her eyes in remorse, thinking back to when she poisoned Jaune.

"Decided she wanted to fix everything that she had broken in the Ever After! Including poor Jaune! So Lewis went, and in the very last moment... Alyx didn't..." NeoCat said.

Lewis is shown going through the door, and at the base of the steps, the Cat suddenly lunges towards Alyx, her dagger shown being dropped.

(Jared's POV)

The Tree...

The flashback ends.

"What did you do to her?" Blake asked, angry.

NeoCat laughs maniacally, and then uses Neo's body to leap and slam the ground in front of us. They pick up a piece of wood.

What anyone would do with a broken, useless thing." NeoCat said, breaking the wood.

Team RWBY, Jaune, and I ready our weapons.

"No, you... you didn't... YOU MONSTER!" Jaune said, angrily.

"They did..." I said, clutching my version of Palutena's Bow that is Ebb and Flow. "They killed her. I think."

The Cat's claws then appear on Neo's arms. They prepare to rush forward, but then gasp as they notice something. NeoCat sees Ruby's petrified form still encased in wood.

"She's still here... Yes! All my work... it's not lost! Deep down, she wants nothing more than to return to Remnant and play hero. I just need to cut her out, and she will take me there!" NeoCat said, happily.

"No, whatever happens to Ruby is up to her, not you or anyone else." Yang said.

The four Huntsmen and I group together to defend Ruby from NeoCat.

"This is Ruby Rose's therapy session. She needs to decide if she wants to be a Huntress or not. Be herself or not. She needed this since she was pushed ahead by two years from Signal Academy to Beacon Academy. Especially after losing everything she has lost since then. She needs to decide and think this through. So..." I said, looking at NeoCat. "Get away from her!"

"Then I'll put you two in the ground!" NeoCat said, looking at Yang and I.

(Open POV)

The Plane...

Ruby and the Blacksmith walk through the plane. Ruby stares at the green orbs.

"What are these lights?" Ruby asked.

"The souls that are moving on to... whatever they become next." The Blacksmith said.

"Do they choose...? What their next life will be like?" Ruby asked.

"Such concern for souls you don't know or..." The Blacksmith said, looking at Ruby. "...is it for yourself?"

(Jared's POV)

The Tree...

Yang, Weiss, Blake, Jaune, and I duel the Cat.

"There's no way we're letting you get to Ruby!" Yang said.

"But don't you see? What comes out of that Tree might not even be your sister any longer!" NeoCat said, chuckling.

The Cat uses Neo's Semblance to make zombified clones of Ruby, further angering Yang. She punches the clones with no hesitation. The Cat bares their claws.

(Open POV)

The plane...

"I wanted to be the hero, like the stories that my mom read to me. I just wanted to do the right thing, but every step of the way, it's like... it's like there is no right thing! I tried so... hard. And I..." Ruby said, as there are tears dripping from her eyes. "I may have just done more harm than good. I don't understand... who I need to be... because who I am right now... she's not cutting it."

"What if you could be... anyone?" The Blacksmith asked.

The multi-colored leaves fly past the Blacksmith and Ruby. Multiple cases containing many weapons appear surrounding Ruby and the Blacksmith. Ruby then walks towards one of them.

(Jared's POV)

The Tree...

Jaune blocks the Cat with his shield, "This whole time... I thought Alyx made it back home and lied about everything that happened here! But you were the one that killed...! Who lied!"

"You were never the brave knight either! Just more fairytale nonsense!" NeoCat said, angrily.

Jaune manages to knock the Cat back, but as he prepares to finish them off, the Cat uses Neo's Semblance to transform into Penny. Jaune hesitates, and is caught off guard by a Neo clone of Pyrrha striking him from behind. The Cat kicks Jaune near the edge of the Tree platform.

"Come on..." I said, as I noticed what happened to Jaune and pulled my bowstring back to launch an explosive arrow at the Cat, but they use Neo's Semblance to break into glass shards, and the arrow heads towards Jaune. "Jaune! Look out!"

Jaune blocks it with his shield, but the impact knocks him over the edge.

"No!" Weiss said, shocked. "Trick arrows? Did you have to use an explosive one?"

As Jaune falls off the tree trunk-like platform, a multi-colored smoke appear.

(Open POV)

The plane...

Ruby is walking along the different weapon cases, before stopping at one with a hammer encased inside it, "Who did this belong to?"

The Blacksmith appears with a glow green light with multi-colored leaves besides Ruby, "It's not about who did, but who could. Can you feel the woman who might hold it? The weight of who she is. She could be you. You could put any one of them on, and leave Ruby Rose behind."

More of the leaves blow by Ruby, and she is suddenly shown on the other side of the diameter of weapons.

"It's all... so... heavy... It's the only thing I can feel anymore... and it never, ever goes away. The feeling of not being... enough." Ruby said, sadly.

"And how would you measure 'enough'?" The Blacksmith asked.

Ruby approaches a familiar axe-like hybrid weapon with a trigger function inside the glass case.

"Before she goes back home..." Summer said, her voice nearby.

"Mom?" Ruby asked.

"The girl had a great many questions to ponder. What..." Summer said, her voice nearby.

Ruby reaches her hand towards the weapon belonging to Summer. Everything goes white.

"...are you?" Summer asked, her voice nearby.