Part 60: Confrontation In The Tree! The Fate of a Red Hood Is...

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Our group is still in shock after what happened. They return to the remnants of the Origami Acre.

Jaune: I don't understand! First Alyx, then the Paper Pleasers, now Ruby! What does this place want? I don't understand... What did I do wrong?

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

???: Hello there.

They turn and find a small red Afteran made of crystal.

Afteran: Sorry to bother you but do you need help? Something to eat?

Jaune: No... Thank you. What are you?

A yellow one walks up.

Yellow Gem: We're the Genial Gems.

They wade through the water and create a crystal structure from the water.

Blake: It's them. They're back.

Yang: They came back from the Tree, better.

Y/N: No fire or water can hurt them again.

Jaune: This... Is what they were meant to be. And I stopped them because I wanted to be a hero...

Weiss: I think you're asking too much of yourself.

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

Your group ends up suddenly in the Tree.

Blake: What?

Y/N: It's a place you know...

After some time spent climbing, our group enters the Tree and finds wooden statues of Afterans.

Y/N: Guess this is how they ascend...

You notice the statue of the Herbalist. It breaks open and the Herbalist, now in a butterfly-like form, flies off.

Yang: Over here!

Yang finds a statue of Ruby. It stands solemnly with its hands clasp.

Yang: Ruby...

You hear a new noise and the group finds the Cat possessed Neo trying to go through a strange doorway.

Cat: Why isn't this working?!

Weiss: Ahem!

The Cat turns and glares at the group.

Cat: Oh... You made it.

Weiss: I'm guessing your plan isn't going how you want?

Cat: You were always the worst one...

Jaune: Neo can't go through...

Cat: Indeed... It seems this host doesn't have anything back in your world to return to. She doesn't wish to return... She failed me. Just like Alyx!

Jaune: What do you mean?

Cat: The wretched, cowardly girl whose story you've been following! I followed her because she promised to take me with her to Remnant. But in truth, she had no intention of taking me there! No, after talking to the Tree, she had a sudden crisis of conscience! She decided she wanted to fix everything she broke in the Ever After! Including poor Jaune! So Lewis went, and in the last minute... Alyx didn't...

The group draws their weapons and you put on your Driver.

Blake: What did you do?

Cat: What you do with anything useless and broken.

To make its point, it picks up a piece of wood and crushes it in Neo's fist.

Jaune: You monster!

The Cat turns Neo's arms into large claws but notices Ruby.

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