Hello reader, here a new story written under the fandom of RWBY. Its theme is base on time travel, where the main characters Ruby and Oscar. Goes back in time to change the events of the past. The story plot line will closely be base on the episodes of the show, but will most likely deviated from it as we get to the main events. Some event will stay the same, while other will either change a little or completely. Characters in the story may deviate from the show, especially the two main characters. Making them a bit OC in their skills, personality and action.

Summary: They had won the war, but at a terrible price. The world in ruins and as darkness settle in, two people remain. One was a simple soul, the other had a complex soul. But the one thing they had in common was the heavy task that they were burden with. Deciding to burden themselves once more, they return back to a point before it all begin. In the hope of diverging not only their loved one, long gone, but the people of Remnant from the path of destruction which the witch had lay before them.

"Speaking", Thoughts, Written Text, *Sound Effect*, "Video/Call/Voiced Audio", (Date/Time/Place or Flashback/Memory), Outside Narration/Thoughts

Prologue – Ill Forecast of a Ruined Future

Legends, stories scattered through time. The people of Remnant have grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains. Forgetting so easily that we are remnants, by products, of a long forgotten past.

Mankind had said to be born from dust strong, wise and resourceful. But the world they were born into was an unforgiving one. With an inevitable darkness which walk upon the surface of Remnant along before their inception. They were creatures of destruction, the creatures of Grimm which had set their sights on man and all of his creations. Over time these two opposing forces clashed, with the darkness intent on returning man's brief existence to the void.

However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change. In time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. A power that had appropriately named Dust and with nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness. In the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return.

As mankind created their guardians, building their monuments to a so-called free world. But the darkness lies in wait for it moment to strike down upon them. And when it does the ancient and once conceal war will erupted. Spilling on to the surface of man society, it's very present shall shatter reality by its forgotten history. With the effort that mankind had built be for nothing. How it will feel for them? Knowing that their guardians have failed and everything they built was torn down before their very eyes.

The faith which mankind had set in each other was not misplaced. When banded together, unified by a common enemy, they are a noticeable threat. But divide them, place doubt into their minds and any semblance of power they once had will wash away. As the battles of war start to rage upon the surface of Remnant. Man had yet to take heed, as their victory will not lie within strength. But perhaps their victory lied in the simpler of things that they've long forgotten. The things that require a smaller, more honest soul.

One that ignited a simpler spark of hope, breathing fire into the hearts of the weary. The ability to derive strength from this hope is undoubtedly one of mankind's greatest attribute. Light which shine beacon for other to seek guidance from. Which is why darkness focuses all of it power... to snuff it out.

The people that band together under this spark eventually fought back with all their might. Once again showning that they had the will to survive. Forcing the darkness back, but not without its losses. As the darkness was driven back to the abyss, it had left a parting gift. A broken world in which mankind would not endure in for long.

…

Ruby had long learnt the hard way, that humanity was easily fooled and controlled through fear. Her group having been constantly put in danger due to Salem obsession in stopping Ruby for her silver eyes. Tragedy after tragedy, death after death, loss after loss within the years of the raging war. Both team RWBY and their allies would go through not only the troubles that formed within the kingdoms. But their own personal hell, to finally face the menace herself.

Salem.

Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Ren, and Nora surpassed the very limits of their power. With the intention of obtain the means in order to become strong enough to end the war. By attacking the source, to end Salem and her band of soldiers.

Cinder, Watts, Hazel and Tyrian.

Each one of them were individually strong, a force to be feared and not to be taken lightly. Yet each had been fighting for Salem's approval and could not work together effectively as a group. Ruby and her group of allies however had learnt long ago, that the true power of the people came when they band together. That when the strength of each individual came together, the power multiply. It was Salem's forces against their team, which had been forge stronger by bond they had created with one and another. The obstacle their enemy that thrown before them and the hardship they had to endure to overcome them.

Despite their years of experiences outclassing Ruby and her allies, the member of Salem's inner circle had fell one by one. Outnumbered and outmatch in both numbers of people and the groups combine power, their own individual strength simply could not match up. After the long hardship that was experience by them in this broken world. The act of killing was not a strange feeling for Ruby and her friends. As Salem's soldiers fell by the hands of their group, it was the first time in which Ruby and team took a slight pleasure. In watching a life being snuffed out, but by their hope will be their lasted.

Cinder, last of piece Salem the inner circle and arguable most power thank to the stolen power of maidens, headed toward Ruby. With the hope of facing her in battle and making her pay for the pain that was inflicted upon her that night at the tower of Beacon. But Jaune stepped in before she could get her chance. The loss of his partner and of his love, Pyrrha, had driven Jaune to grow beyond what anyone thought was possible for him. Taking all that he had learned from Pyrrha to become the beast of a fighter that she had prepare him for all those years ago.

Cinder expected to make quick a work of him as she had been training for years to face the silver eyed warrior power. Already knowing about Jaune fake transcript into Beacon, she thought he was nothing more than a joke. Jaune gripped his weapon with both hands and charged. Pooling his massive aura into a single swipe, the fight had only lasted mere seconds. Cinder's aura and her stolen powers were like glass defences against Jaune's sword. He looked down at the pitiful state of woman who had killed Pyrrha. He wanted to fight more, make her pay for his loss and her mountain of crimes. Yet he saw no point as he watched her struggling to get up on her feet.

Cinder's fragile state was a memory that would burn in Jaune mind. The women that had been the most dangerous of Salem pawn. With all of her seemly commanding power was weaken by one blow. This was not the fight he had trained his whole being for since losing Pyrrha. Her so called disciple Emerald and Mercury, who were fighting Nora and Ren. Saw Cinder go downing in that instant. Both fearing for their life they hesitated to continue their fight. Deciding whether they should stay fighting or take their chance and run. Salem however arrived to toward them before they could make the choice. Killing both of them in an instanced. Then turning to attack Cinder before she too could flee or bleed out to her death.

See what was about to happen, the member of team RWBY rush to end Cinder before Salem could. Fearing what would happen if Salem were to gain all four Season of Maidens power resting within Cinder body. A magic power which rival that of the relics and gods power. Reaching her they each pierce a part of her body with their weapon. The face Cinder's shock dying expression was the last thing they saw before her death. Whether it was from the girls being the one to kill her. Or the betrayal coming from her mistress Salem, it anyone guess. As within her death the image of team RWBY killing her was freshly imprinted into her mind. Cinder's stolen powers leaked out of her and into the girls. Ruby, along with Weiss, Blake, and Yang each gained one of Maidens powers. With new strength come from the ancient power flowing through them. They felt that nothing could stop them now.

The calm and composed expression that Salem had kept throughout the fight turn into pure rage. With all her pawn defeat her call upon a group of her other soldier, the most ancient and powerful creation of Grimm to attack. But Ruby and her team knew what they were capable of when working together. They pour it all into this next round, using anything that could give them the advantage. Taking every ounce of aura they could muster, every plan in the book, every strategy they have created, every advantage that their knowledge on the maidens and legends, as well as their semblances possibility could give them.

Without a single loss on her team's side they had done it. Salem had died, beheaded by Ruby. A once cursed god had been slain by a few battled hardened young adults. An evil that has been around in the ages, was gone once and for all. But this victory was short lived for without Salem, the Grimm grew even more out of control. Nature darkness grow more dangerous and wild. Lying waste to everything that mankind had work on to builded. The destruction they cause was on a scale never before seen, since the very dawn of humanity existent.

Humanity resources and dust needed for survival were hard to come by, because of wars that witch, had instigated between kingdoms. More turn to years pass and Atlas, with their superior military and technology became the only secure spot in the entirety Remnant. As well as the front-line defence against the creature of Grimm. But even that was a very thin line which separated humanity from the Grimm. Even with the new Maidens, the hunters and huntresses who killed Salem. It was only a matter of time before the last of humanity was to be wipe out. And then the only creature that would be left to walk Remnant surface would be the Grimm.

In the midst of a ruined base camp located on continent of Solitas where the kingdom of Atlas lied. Two people standing within, deciding to make one final gamble for humanity survival. Using dust, aura, magic and their knowledge to save Remnant and its people that had been lost in Salem's rein of destruction.

…

(Continent of Solitas – Location: Unknown, Camp Base: Point Omega)

"Dame it, I can't believe the Grimm manage get pass the base's defences. Oscar did you find anyone?" said Ruby

"No, I didn't, it seems like the communication are down. Should we go search the area, Ruby." Replied Oscar, as he turned to look around.

Not receiving an answer from Ruby, he turns back to find her crouching down to the ground. Walking to were Ruby was he said, "Ruby, is something wrong?"

When Oscar didn't receive an answer from Ruby again, he kneeled down and place his hand on her shoulder. Shaking her a bit to get a reaction, but she still didn't respond. All he could see was her face in pure shock and was about to ask her again. When he looks down to where she was staring at… There, on the ground was the remnant of Yang prosthetic right arm. Which was all but beaten in a batter with crack and indents forming. Realising the implication of this finding Oscar pull Ruby into hug as tears began to fall from her eye. Whispering,

"Shhhh, it going to be ok. I'm sure that Yang and the other are safe, maybe she just lost her arm during the fight. In any case we should fan out and start search area, I'm sure they'll need our help. It be o – "

"NO!" Ruby suddenly shouted

As she pushes Oscar away from her and stood up clenching her fist in angrier. Shock from Ruby sudden outburst Oscar sat there on his bottom looking up at the enrage Ruby. The destruction, lost and pain surrounding them was nothing compare to the possible loss of her family and friends. The constant loss of everything was making her reach a breaking point as a result. Ruby was filled with such rage of angrier and sadness continues saying,

"No, it not ok Oscar looking around, it's hopeless. This world has become a nothing more than a barren waste land. The Grimm are get stronger and stronger by the day. What little is left of humanity is fight on their last leg and that include us."

Oscar stood up, grasping her should and said, "That is exactly why we are here Ruby, you said so before that we had to keep fightin –"

"Fight! With what power Oscar?! What Salem did was not only sent the kingdom in tatter, she scatters humanity trust, drove a wage between human and faunus and for what… to meet her end goals, to full her ambition. She didn't just weaken us, she cripples us." Ruby argued, turning away for Oscar and look out into the distance solemnly.

"She gone now Ruby, we have defeated her." Oscar reaffirms

Placing his left arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. Using his right hand guiding her face to the left side of his neck. While patting his hand on her face in comforting manner. But Ruby wouldn't have any of it and was past the point of continuing to hope for the better. In her emotional state, she had slaps Oscar hand away and got out of his comforting embrace. Looking out at the destroyed and devastating sceneries, she was once again on the verge of tears. Anywhere else but Oscar as she emphasis,

"It doesn't matter if her gone, the action she taken had cripple the power we human and faunus have been using to survive on this planet. By the time we defeated her, she had already set thing up so the humanity couldn't never recover. If she hadn't of done all those thing to weakness kingdoms. Then maybe, just maybe we can have survived or at least fought back – "

"That it Ruby!" Oscar suddenly blurted out, grabbing her shoulder and turning her to face him in happiness.

"What… what it? Oscar" Ruby ask, confused by his display of happiness.

"What you said just now about Salem, if she hadn't divided the people before we defeated her. Then humanity would of have a good fighting chance against the Grimm. So, all we need to do, is to either defeat Salem before she cripples us or strength our defences in preparation for her attack." He answers back

"But how? Oscar, it too later. Salem is dead and the damage is done." Ruby posed.

He then exclaims, "By using the backup plan that you and Ozpin were discussing before we had our final battle against Salem."

Ruby though back to what Oscar was talking about at the night before the group had enter into the final battle against Salem. Ozpin had actively engaged Ruby in the conversation about a back plan they had created together. With the attempt at dissuade her from foolishly trying to take off and fight Salem alone. It was a theoretical idea which was based on the concept of time travel. Ozpin and Ruby had originally started throwing around a design when she had proposed a question to the former headmaster of Beacon. Using a natural and pure multi-element dust crystal, large amount of aura and magic as well as Oscar semblance of time. A person touching the crystal would be able send their souls back in time as far as they could possibly go. To stop Salem before everything became too out of control and damages. However, there were a lot of possible dangers and unknow factor that could cause this procedure to fail. It also didn't help that the concept itself was a taboo that broken the very law of time and space itself.

"But Oscar, that plan was made on theoretical concept based with minimal evident, even Ozpin with all his years of knowledge didn't know if it could work. There's also dangers to doing the procedure, if there isn't enough aura or magic supplied then people attempting the experiment will died from exhaustion. Or if it's done incorrectly then energy used could instead blow up and kill the person that way."

Ruby further warns, "Beside it's only limited to when the person using it is life, in the point of the time stream. Not to mention that there's no guaranty whether the person would even reach the choose point of time. In fact, the person could either become lost in the timestream or their past self could die from the strained of receiving their future self soul."

"Look Ruby you said so yourself just then, that this situation has become hopeless. The fact that you've even said that word, show about how bad the world has become. I mean instead of trying to remain positive, you're ready to throw it all away. So why not give it one last chance, if this work then it means that we have the chance to change thing. Diverge the people of Remnant off this path of destruction." Oscar remark.

"And if it doesn't, what then?" Ruby whimpered.

"Then we die, go down trying to the very end like the true huntsman and huntress we have become." Oscar responded.

Both of them looking at the surrounding of the now ruined camp. Although the idea was mad Ruby could see Oscar point. They had endured some much, seen a lot that they were at the point of falling into the very abyss they had been fighting. They say that when you look into the abyss, it is the abyss that stare back at you. A battlefield raging on in a contest and it was one Ruby was slowly, after all the years of light her spark for other to see, was losing. But at the same time, it was that fact that they have gone through this, that they couldn't just give up. Seeing that there was almost nothing left for Ruby and Oscar to defend in this time. She turns back to face him with a lit determination flaming in her eyes. Looking toward at each other and decide, without hesitation to give it a try. Ruby reaches behind and pulls out a multicoloured dust crystals the size of her palm from her pouch. Pouring all her aura into it before holding it out to Oscar. Watching Ruby stumbles and panting from her lack of energy he reaches forward to hold her steady. Placing his hand on the dust, his pushes his own aura onto it, which causes the crystal glow ominously black. Leaning their head together they close their eyes. Waiting from a few moments before opening their eyes in which their power activate as Ruby eyes lit a flame and Oscar glow. His semblance combined with both Ruby her silver eyes and maiden power.

*Boom*

A suddenly huge explosion, blasted tearing them apart from each other. The crystal dust, now charge with their aura and magic, hover to the sky. A black and red vortex open up in the crystal place and began sucking anything nearby into its orifice. Ruby felt a numbing fear coursing through her veins as she looked to sky. She grabbed her chest as an unknown pain shoot through her body. She could see that Oscar was too experiencing the same pain. Their vision become blurry be the feeling of intense that it felt like they were being torn apart from the inside. A red and green ball of light, which was their souls, escaped the two body and hurtled into the maw of the vortex.

Just as soon as the crimson and green colours of their souls disappear into the vortex. So too did the vortex itself with a thunders clap. Which struck down upon the ground creating a massive explosion that obliterated the whole area.

Published 25/02/2018 | Update 02/06/2018