RWBY V9 C10

## Plot

Starting where the previous episode left off, Summer finishes reading the story to her two young daughters, Yang and Ruby, who are sleeping. She tells them that she loves them just the way they are, always, and takes off her emblem, confirming that it was also Ruby's, which she gave away in chapter 5. Gotta love that literally no one acknowledged that after it happened, just like the rest of Ruby's trauma. Before Summer can leave the house, *Taiyang* appears and tells her that it's not like her to rush off on a mission in the middle of the night. Burnie! She claims that it's for Ozpin. She tells Tai that she'll be back soon, and they hug. And then she meets with *Raven* without anyone knowing or suspecting anything. They think it's a typical mission. Raven awkwardly tries to bring up her just leaving the kids, and Summer tells her that she's one to talk. Raven tells her that she's better at that life than she was. Summer says if she does this right, then there's nothing to worry about. They go through one of Raven's portals. It turns out that Ruby saw the whole thing, and asks the blacksmith what that was. Summer lied. She left with Raven. Why would she do that? Who knows why people keep the secrets they do? The blacksmith suggests that Summer also felt the weight of other people's expectations… as well as Alyx. Ruby pushes the glass case over in anger. She asks the blacksmith if she's just trying to tell her that it's useless, that she shouldn't even try, that she should just give up, and become someone else. *Is* that what the blacksmith is telling her? Jaune wakes up in smoke, switching between his young and old forms, as a girl's voice tells him that he was never the hero. It turns out to be an illusion of Alyx, who tells him that he couldn't save her. He couldn't save a lot of people. Maybe it's time for a change. To be the kind of man he's always wanted to be. He takes her hand and walks out of the smoke. It turns out that he just fell onto a lower branch. The girls are still above him, fighting the cat. He sees that fire makes the leaves burn, which produces the smoke. He climbs up, cuts down some of the branches, and tells the girls to burn the leaves. They do, but the cat says the smoke has no effect on him. Jaune knows this, but they're currently in Neo's body, and the leaves have an effect on her. She sees Ruby, Cinder, her parents, and Roman. The cat hates the memories and feelings, so they leave her body. Neo exits the smoke, freed of her possession. The cat grows even larger and more ferocious than it did before. The concept art calls this version the Furious Cat, which is so clever. The blacksmith tells Ruby that her time is running out. She has to choose for herself one who could leave her burdens behind, or one who would be enough to bear them. The cat breaks Jaune's Aura. Ruby sees one weapon glow red as she hears her mother's voice telling her that she loves her just the way she is. The weapon is Crescent Rose. What if she chooses herself? Then maybe that girl is enough. The wood starts cracking as *Red Like Roses* starts playing. It's technically a new song sung by Casey called *Guide My Way*, also known as *Red Like Roses Part III*. Ruby comes out of the chrysalis with a new emblem and renewed resolve as she expertly fights and defeats the cat with her teammates. This is her only real fight in the whole volume, and it was well worth the wait. She knew what she needed to be all along. My only complaint is that we *finally* get to see Weiss's full Nevermore summon… before the cat immediately destroys it with a breath attack. The defeated cat tries to tell Ruby that she's still weak, confused, incomplete, and broken, and she breaks everything she touches. However, the other girls *finally* tell the cat, and by extension, their leader, that she's never been any of those things. That's why they follow her. Their faith in her has never wavered, and it never will. They're going to Remnant, and the cat is staying there. Before they can try to attack them again, they're suddenly grabbed and eaten by Jabberwalkers, thanks to Neo. I question how she has her parasol back (again), or how her sleeves and gloves are back to normal, but I guess she could've used her super powered Semblance to materialize new ones that are just as strong as the original thing? The girls check on Jaune, although Ruby gives Neo one last look. Everyone hugs Ruby, and she hugs them back. Neo looks at them sadly, when Roman shows up. To have what they have. He and Neo both know that he's not real. She silently says goodbye to him and decides to stay in the Ever After and ascend. She actually parts amicably with Jaune and team RWBY. I was not expecting that. Still, I was technically right from over two years ago, they did get Neo to chill. I just didn't think it would be through saving and freeing her from being possessed by an evil talking cat. Ruby says she'll find herself, one way or another. She also becomes a part of the tree. Yang notices that Ruby is looking at Neo and asks her what's wrong. This time, Ruby tells the truth and admits that when she was in the tree, she didn't see Little. She wishes she could thank them. Blake asks the others if they think they made things even worse in the Ever After, just like Alyx did. Ruby isn't sure, but she'd like to think that they at least did a little good. "Which is why I'm out here. To do whatever I can, wherever I can, and hopefully do some good." They suddenly meet the ascended version of Little, who is bigger and dressed like Ruby, even though they don't consciously remember her. The girls tell them that they're a friend, a guide, a protector, and adorable to boot. They decide to name themselves Somewhat, because they have more than one purpose. They're not any one thing. They're somewhat of a lot of things. It would be their honor to serve them, but Ruby tells them that they've already done more for them than they know. They do tell Ruby that she feels familiar, like a happy dream they can't remember. Ruby is glad that they got to meet. She's sure they'll help lots of people, but now they have to say goodbye, and the two friends hug. Somewhat tells Ruby that it will be alright, and calls her a Huntress, even though Ruby didn't tell them what she was. Jaune asks them to look after Juniper, who is finally confirmed to be a female jackalope. She means the world to him. They promise to never leave her side. Aw! Jaune even looks back and wipes away a tear as they leave! The five friends hold hands and go through the door. They end up back where Ruby was throughout the last two episodes, and the others finally meet the blacksmith, with carvings of inhabitants of the Ever After, like Jinxy, the Red Prince, the Herbalist, the Teapot Lady, Somewhat, Juniper, the Hawker, the Jabberwalker, the Curious Cat, etc. This is her workshop. She's been waiting a long time for Jaune. He asks her if what the cat said about Alyx and Lewis was true. It was. Only Lewis made it back. The story of *The Girl Who Fell Through the World* is how he wished it had happened. Suddenly, they notice carvings of the brother gods in their dragon forms, meaning that they were also once inhabitants of the Ever After, and even they were created by the tree. Damn. I did not expect that either. They were the first two creations, so the tree did not foresee what they would become. But that is the joy of creating. The not knowing. I feel like this is meta commentary about RWBY itself. Aside from that though, it definitely seems like the tree is truly omnipotent and infallible, unlike the so called "gods" of Remnant. Back then, the Ever After was overwhelmed; wild and dangerous. The brothers were made to help tame it, and build the world that was to come after. First, they were given the power to destroy, to clear the wilderness away, and then they were given creativity, to imagine what and who could replace the wilderness. The brothers built homes for them and gave them roles to play. Glynda and Ozpin in volume 2, chapter 1: "Let it go." "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world." "And they will be. But right now, they're still children. So why not let them play the part? After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever." Ironwood and Ozpin in the very next chapter: "Do you honestly believe your children can win a war?" "I hope they never have to." The brothers grew curious and wanted to do more. Using the knowledge and tools they had been given, they began to design their own creations in secret, like the cat and the Jabberwalker. Their new creations could do their jobs for them. However, the God of Light believed that the Jabberwalker had disrupted the balance and destroyed it, only for his brother to recreate it, and so on. They were locked in a never ending battle. So they had destruction, creation, and knowledge, but they might not have had a choice. Balance is an ecosystem. A living, breathing thing. Thus, balance cannot be restored with wars or calculation. True balance finds its own equilibrium. It only requires the thought and patience to see things through to the end. The Ever After could no longer withstand their experiments, so the tree built them a special door, to a greater beyond, where they could try creating worlds of their own. A doorway that would remain open for their return, and any of their creations. One small kindness, in one small moment, led to such a marvelous transformation. Little became Somewhat thanks to Ruby, and now they will have a remarkable impact on the Ever After. Much like how one act of dishonesty led to an unfortunate change in the cat, because Alyx broke her promise to them. It broke their heart, and without the brothers, no one was around to send them back to the tree to be fixed, they couldn't ascend because their purpose could never be completed, and they didn't have the ability to repair their own heart. Ruby asks the blacksmith what will happen to Neo. She will have the chance to return her broken heart and become something new. Such is balance. Jaune asks the blacksmith how she has Alyx's knife. When her life ended, she chose to leave a part of herself behind: A wish, to fix what she had broken. When Jaune takes the knife, he's restored to his normal age, but he still has all of his memories, and white streaks in his hair. The blacksmith makes them a portal to Remnant, which will take them to *when* they are needed most. Ruby thanks the blacksmith. They head through the portal and arrive in Vacuo. Amity is there, along with ships from the other kingdoms, indicating that Ruby's call for help wasn't in vain after all. The episode and the volume ends as an instrumental of *This Will Be The Day* starts playing. A new song called *The Edge* plays during the credits. Just like the volume 7 finale, there is no after credits stinger. It's just an ad for part 1 of a crossover movie with the Justice League that came out three days after the volume originally ended. Even though the movie probably isn't canon, part 1 takes place during volume 7, much like the canon video game *RWBY: Arrowfell*. The really interesting thing though is that part 2 takes place after the cut epilogue of this volume. It shows that, at the very least, Weiss isn't magically over the destruction of Atlas. She, Blake, and especially Yang actually show concern for Ruby, because she's been acting recklessly and throwing herself headlong into danger ever since they got back. Sure, she's acting more positive, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's once again using that as a front to hide her trauma and stress from others. Much like Cinder, she's also seemingly "regressed" back into her happy go lucky self from the first three volumes, and the recklessness reminds me of how she acted during the first half of volume 1. If nothing else, the movie shows where their arcs could go in the future if the show continues. Please let volume 10 and beyond be green lit. Monty, CRWBY, thank you, for everything.