Asher's Story: RWBY Volume 9

Confessions Within Cumulonimbus Clouds

Jaune explains what happened to him after the fall. "I'd thought I'd maybe never see you again. But I knew, if I waited long enough, that you would fall. Just like I did. Heh, It's... It's really you, right? Why I saw you in the market, I'd-"

The Five teens glance at each other.

"Jaune, it's us." Ruby and Asher say together.

They all go in for a group hug. Even Little and Tou join. Jaune tears up as he smiles.

"How did you find us?" Ruby asks as she moves back.

"How are you the Rusted Knight?" Blake asks as she moves back.

"Why do you get a cool beard?" Asher complains as he moves back.

"And when did you get so-" Yang starts as she moves back.

"Mature?" Weiss finishes as she moves back.

Everyone stares at Weiss, and Asher has an unamused look as his girlfriend blushes.

Weiss looks at Ash as he glares at her, then he turns to the side and pouts. "I'm mature."

"What happened in Atlas?" Ruby asks. "After the rest of us fell?"

Jaune takes a deep breath. "I uh- I guess we've all got a lot of catching up to do. But I'll explain on the way, cause we better get moving."

As everyone heads out of the hidden spot Jaune stops Asher. "It's... It's so good to see you alive. I've been thinking you were dead for so long, but... here you are."

Asher just smiles. "Remember Jaune, it takes a helluva lot to keep me down. As I always say, 'When you get knocked down, you always get back up.' A stab wound to the chest won't take me down." Asher pounds his chest and puffs it out, then after a few seconds he lets out a few coughs and bends over. "Oh, that hurts."

Jaune chuckles. "Just take it easy, my friend."

Asher looks up at Jaune. "Man, you're so old."

Jaune smiles. "And you haven't aged a day since I last say you."

A while later.

The Team is standing at the edge of a flower field, a storm cloud is in the distance.

"She's... got two relics now?" Ruby questions.

"And with Cinder... the ability to get another." Yang says.

"She doesn't know where the Beacon relic is." Blake says.

"Well there's that to be thankful for." Weiss says.

"Yeah, not a lot to be thankful for nowadays." Asher says as he stretches her right arm.

Jaune sighs as he pinches his nose.

"We lost Atlas and the Relic." Ruby says.

"But we got everyone out safely." Blake tries to cheer her Team Leader up. "Jaune said so."

"We risked their homes to save the Relic, and we failed." Weiss says.

"Getting everyone out has to count for something."

"The negatives gravely outweigh the positives, Blake." Asher says.

"Asher, just try to think of the positives and not the negatives." Blake says to the only Red Team member.

"What good is saving anybody is Salem just destroys the world anyway." Ruby says.

Asher sighs and leans against a rock wall. Tou just starts to clean his feathers.