REDWHITEBLACKYELLOW
This collection consolidates the Darkpenn stories based on RWBY.
Weiss' Day Off
Weiss Schnee sighed. She knew that she was supposed to be helping Yang and Ruby set up the hall for the dance but, well, her heart had just been broken. That meant she was allowed to take a day off, didn't it? Anyway, Yang could move speakers about and stuff, and Ruby could do ... whatever it was Ruby did.
Maybe not broken, in the tears and screaming sense. Just a little bruised. She had asked Neptune if he would accompany her and he had – wait for it – refused! Refused her! Now why would he possibly do that? After all, she was ... her. Rejection was not a concept she was familiar with.
She told herself that perhaps it was just part of the dating ... thing. Tell the truth, she didn't know much about it. Well, nothing. At home her parents had kept her on a very short leash. Which meant, no boys. At all. She had the feeling that her father planned for her to marry someone extremely wealthy and socially significant. She shuddered.
So now she was moping around the boutique district of Vale. She had always thought that she was attractive – if not, then an army of very expensive stylists, elocution consultants, and dental technicians had much to explain – but now she was beginning to wonder. She looked in the window of a store, and saw a pair of dark sunglasses on a stand. Hmm, they looked familiar.
Ah, it was the type that Coco Adel wore. Now, Coco was cool. Bet she never got knocked back, date-wise. The heels, the designer bag that turned into a mini-gun, the bandolier, and ... those glasses.
She wondered if she would look cool in them. Would that make Neptune take some notice? It wasn't too late for him to change his mind, was it? Or was it? Damn, this stuff was tricky.
"Not really you, I think," said a voice behind her. Weiss turned, to find Coco and Velvet Scarlatina standing there.
"Oh, hello," said Weiss. "What do you mean?"
Coco laughed. "I buy all my stuff here," she said. "It's my favourite store. You've got your own style, Weiss, and those won't go with it. I speak as someone who owns a lot of sunglasses."
"Really? How many pairs?"
"Twenty-seven. All the same." She laughed again. "Hey, we're going for coffee. Come with?"
Weiss considered. "Yes, I would like that," she said. She glanced at Velvet. She was staring at Weiss. She moved her lips but nothing came out. Coco nudged her.
"Hi!" blurted Velvet. "I mean, hello! Weiss! Hi!"
"Uh, hi," said Weiss.
Coco sighed. "This way to coffee," she said.
So they went to a little cafe.
Coco asked Weiss about the dance preparations.
"They're going fine," said Weiss. "Or so I understand. Tell me, Coco, are you, you know, going with anyone?"
"Fox," she said. "We hang out a bit. And do ... stuff. Hey, we saw your friend Yang out and about a while ago. With a guy. Big guy. Beard. Not a Beacon guy. I got the feeling they were ... more than just casual friends. I'd seen the guy before, I think he runs a nightclub or something."
Weiss had a sudden flashback to a night a few weeks back, when Yang had come in late, looking somewhat bedraggled and strangely happy. Huh.
"How about you?" said Coco.
"Er, no, no guy for me," said Weiss.
"No guy!?" said Velvet.
"Uh, you see, I've, well, I've never dated a guy."
"You've never dated a guy!?" said Velvet. "That's ... that's ... well, that's wonderful!"
"Huh?" said Weiss.
"Neither have I!" said Velvet. "Hey, can I take your photograph?"
"I ... I guess so," said Weiss. "But why?"
"Velvet's power is that she can temporarily replicate other people's weapons, if she can take a photo of the person and the weapon," said Coco. "She has quite a collection."
So Weiss showed Velvet her sword, and she took a photo of it with her odd-looking camera, and then one of Weiss. And then another. And another. And then another one.
"How many photos of me do you need?" said Weiss.
"For the replication, just one," said Velvet. "The others ... are just for me. And, uh, also, um, er, I was wondering, you know, the dance thing, uh, er ... " She stumbled into tongue-tied silence. She stared at her cup of coffee.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" said Coco. "Weiss, my extremely shy and rather foolish friend is trying to ask you to go to the dance with her. That is, with her. That is, on a date. A date date."
"Uh, why?" said Weiss.
"Because ... because ... because you're so beautiful!" Velvet blurted. "And so cool! And so sexy! There, I've said it."
"Really?" said Weiss. "You really think so?"
"Well, you are kind of pretty," said Coco. "And I say that as someone who does not swing that way, generally speaking."
Weiss was feeling a bit stunned. This dating business just got harder and harder. She looked at Velvet, whose lapin ears were standing up.
"Uh, I'm flattered," said Weiss. "Very flattered. Really, you would not know how much, given recent events. But ... I, well, to borrow Coco's phrase, I just don't swing that way. Sorry, Velvet. I would hate to have you think that something might happen when it won't."
Velvet's ears wilted. "But ... but you said that you had never dated a guy," she said softly.
"Yes, but that's not the reason," said Weiss. "No guys have ever asked me. Comes with being a Schnee. And when I asked a guy, it ... didn't turn out as I had hoped."
"Uh, you know that half of the guys at Beacon are thoroughly infatuated with you, right?" put in Coco.
"Not just guys," murmured Velvet.
Coco laughed. "So somehow, Weiss, you managed to find the one person in the entire Academy who would say no," she said.
Weiss considered. Suddenly, things looked much better than they had an hour ago. She looked at Velvet. "But," said Weiss, "I would really like to be your friend, Velvet. Especially since my RWBY friends are ... weird."
Velvet's ears perked up a little. "I would like that too," she said.
"And I hope that it can include a couple of dances at the party," said Weiss. "In a ... friend ... capacity."
"I ... I never learned how," said Velvet. "There are two people at Beacon who can't dance. I'm one of them."
"Then maybe I can show you some moves," said Weiss.
The scrolls of Coco and Velvet beeped. They took them out and read them. "We have to go," said Coco. "Team business." They rose to leave.
"Perhaps I will stay here and finish my coffee," said Weiss. "And ... think about things."
Coco and Velvet were a little way down the street when Coco turned and came back. "That was ... good of you," she said. "Velvet is ... well, you handled it with kindness. I won't forget it."
Weiss nodded. "Hey, don't tell anyone," she said. "About the ... kindness ... thing."
"If you like, but why not?"
"I have a reputation as an ice queen to uphold, you know," said Weiss.
END
After the White Light
Weiss and Ruby stared up at the broken top of the tower, where there was a storm of thunder and lightning, as Pyrrha battled Cinder. Weiss conjured a series of glyphs running up the side of the building. She turned to Ruby. "You can do this," she said.
Ruby nodded. Then she was off, racing up the ladder of symbols.
Weiss, near exhaustion after the creation of so many glyphs, saw Ruby reach the top, leaping up into the wreckage. And then there was a flash of white light, so bright that Weiss had to shield her eyes against it. The Grimm dragon screeched, and screeched – and then froze, perched on the tower. Of Cinder and Pyrrha there was no sign.
As the light faded away, Weiss saw something else. A small figure in red, falling, not flying, falling, spiralling earthwards, unconscious.
Weiss summoned the last of her aura, and a glyph appeared beneath the figure. Ruby landed on it, and Weiss slowly brought the glyph down. But it was fading along with her own strength. It vanished ten metres from the ground, and Ruby began to fall. Desperately, Weiss ran forward, stretching out her arms, reaching –
They went down together, sliding and rolling across the concrete. Then Weiss was holding Ruby, and she heard herself mumbling: don't be dead, please Ruby, be alive, we need you, I need you, you can't be dead, please don't be dead –
Ruby gave a little moan.
Weiss laughed in relief.
But Ruby was still unconscious, and there were Grimm creatures heading this way.
Weiss knew that she was not in much shape to fight. The crystals in her sword were almost depleted. She needed a weapon.
Ruby's scythe.
She took it from the holster on Ruby's back. She had never held it before. How the hell did you work it? She pushed buttons and pulled levers. Various blades popped out and then retracted. And then a bullet shot from the barrel.
"Aha!" cried Weiss. She levelled the scythe and fired at the approaching Grimms. Several went down. She swivelled and fired again ... and again ... and again. And suddenly there were no more Grimms in the plaza. But more were coming.
"This thing is certainly handy," said Weiss to herself. She put the scythe back into Ruby's holster and tried to get her to her feet. Ruby moaned again but showed no sign of waking.
No other way, thought Weiss. She managed to lift Ruby onto her back.
"It's a good thing you're on the small side," said Weiss to Ruby. "Couldn't do this with Blake or Yang." Staggering, she started for Vale.
In the safe zone, Qrow was supervising the loading of the injured onto airships when he saw Weiss stumbling towards him. He ran to her, and took the unconscious Ruby. Weiss collapsed to the ground, spent.
"Now that," said Qrow to Weiss, "was impressive."
"Please don't tell her," said Weiss. "I ... I wouldn't want her to think ... er, I don't know ... something or other. Damn, my hair is a mess."
Qrow stared at her. "You know, all of you girls are pretty odd, but I think that you might be the oddest," he said. With Ruby in his arms, he started for the medical station.
Weiss was not sure whether that was a compliment or not. She decided she would take it as one ... sort of. She struggled to her feet.
From above there was the sound of an airship. It landed. It had the emblem of the Schnee Dust Company on the side. Two uniformed officials got out and came up to Weiss.
"Good to see you," said Weiss, as they ushered her aboard. "You'll need stretchers for my friends, they were injured – "
But the door was closing and the airship was lifting off. "No, wait!" said Weiss. "You have to – "
"We have orders from your father," said one of the Company men. "To take you home."
When Qrow looked around, he was surprised to see that Weiss had vanished. Well, he would do as she had asked, strange as the request was.
Ruby moaned again. "It's alright," he said to her. "I've got you, kiddo. I've got you."
END
Yang and the Handy Advice
Yang Xiao Long was sitting at the table in her family house, staring out the window and generally feeling sorry for herself. Occasionally, she touched the stump of her right arm; the pain had gone but the feeling of loss had not. She glanced at the Atlas mechanical arm lying on the table.
From outside, she heard a small airship touch down. Qrow went to meet it, and a few words – the tone not altogether friendly – were exchanged.
Then General Ironwood appeared at the door.
"Good day, Miss Long," he said. "I was just passing, on my way to, er, Vale, and I thought I would check to see how you were going with the arm."
"Just passing, eh?" said Yang. "Well, you might as well take a seat, General, and you can call me Yang."
He sat down, facing her across the little table. He drew a round flask from a pocket. "Do you mind?" he said.
"Not if I get some," replied Yang. She reached back with her left arm and took two cups from a rack and put them on the table. General Ironwood filled them both. They drank.
"Do you have a first name?" said Yang.
"General," he said. He gestured at the mechanical arm. "Have you tried it?"
Yang looked away. "I ... I ... I don't think I ever will," she said. She touched the stump of her arm. Then, embarrassed, she took her hand away.
General Ironwood refilled the cups. "If it matters," he said, "I know how it feels."
Yang gave a bitter laugh. "How could you?" she said softly. "How could anyone know?"
General Ironwood held up his right hand. Then, slowly, he pulled off what Yang suddenly realised was a flesh-coloured glove. To reveal a gunmetal grey mechanical arm. He tapped his shoulder; there was a metallic chink. Then his leg: another chink.
"I ... I'm sorry," said Yang. "I didn't know."
"No need to apologise," he said. He pointed at the mechanical arm lying in front of Yang. "Compared to this one, mine is almost a museum piece," he said. "New-gen Atlas tech. The medical people offered to replace mine with one like this but I said no. We've been through a great deal together, and I'm rather attached to it."
Yang gave a little laugh. She picked up the arm and looked at it. "Attached?" she said. "I didn't know you had a sense of humour, General."
He stared at her. "I don't," he said. "I understand that Glynda added a little hex as well. I told her that technology and magic do not always go well together, but I learned long ago that my wife will do what she will do."
Yang was inspecting the flexible fingers. She had expected the thing to be heavy but in fact it was –
Wait ... a ... second ...
"Uh, what did you just say, General?" she said.
"That this is new-gen Atlas tech?"
"No, the other thing."
"That technology and magic don't always go well together?"
"No, the other other thing. About Glynda. That she is your ... what?"
"Oh, that. My wife."
Yang's jaw dropped.
"I ... I thought you didn't like each other."
"Sometimes we don't. But, yes, we have been married for many years. Our duties often keep us apart. And to tell the truth, these days we do tend to rub against each other if we are in the same room for too long. There's a lot of history."
Yang had a sudden flashback to the Beacon dance, to an image of Glynda and Ironwood dancing. Dancing close. Dancing like people who know each other very well dance. At the time, she had thought nothing of it, but now ...
"Huh," she said.
"And she is, well, so damned attractive."
Yang raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, we might be older," he said, "but we're not dead."
"It sounds ... unconventional."
"Yes, I suppose it is. You see, Yang, this is a difficult path, demanding much. Maybe everything. You lose the chance for a normal life. You lose friends. You even lose a part of yourself." He pointed at the place where she had once had an arm. "Sometimes literally.
"I believe, Yang, that what you are holding is not just an artificial limb. It is a choice. You're young, it's not too late for you. You can honestly say that you've done your duty and you paid a price for it, and that's enough. You can step off the path. Take a different direction, find a nice fellow to love you, settle down and lead a decent, ordinary life. That sounds pretty good right about now, doesn't it?"
"Yes," said Yang softly. "Right about now, it does."
Qrow came in. He said: "Well, Jimmy, I said you could have ten minutes and your time is up. So on your way, I'm sure there's a hall somewhere that needs monitoring."
General Ironwood nodded. He stood up, bowed to Yang, and walked to the door.
"One thing," said Yang. "Is it worth it?"
General Ironwood stopped in the doorway. "Yes," he said over his shoulder. "It's worth it. If you're strong enough." Then he was gone, and a few moments later Yang heard the airship lift off.
"That guy is a moron," said Qrow. "But he is ... one of the brave ones. What did he say to you, Yang?"
Yang was silent for a while, staring at the mechanical arm. Then she said: "That the future is what you choose it to be."
END
Weiss' Unexpected Encounter
Weiss started awake as the cargo plane rolled to a halt. She looked out the little window: they were obviously not in Mistral yet, so this must be the re-fuelling stop the pilot had mentioned.
The re-fuelling was almost complete when the door to the hold opened and a woman climbed in. She was dark-haired, and wore a uniform-style outfit. She carried a long black tube. She took a seat on a box and crossed her slim legs. When she saw Weiss she gave a little smile.
"Not long to Mistral," said the pilot over the loudspeaker as the plane took off. "But we're expecting some turbulence, so hang on to something."
Weiss glanced at the woman. "Let's hope it doesn't get too rough," she said.
The woman just continued to smile. Actually, thought Weiss, it was more like a smirk. Which somehow looked ... familiar.
"Have we met?" said Weiss.
The woman gave a shrug.
"That's a nice jacket," said Weiss. "I have a friend who has one like it. Perhaps you know her. Her name is Ruby Rose."
The woman ceased smiling for a moment. She blinked. And one of her eyes changed from brown to luminous green. Then she blinked again, and it went back to brown. The smile reappeared.
"Or perhaps you know ... Raven Branwen," said Weiss.
The smile disappeared.
Weiss touched the sword on her hip. She tried to remember what else Yang had told her about the fight on the train. Fast, she had said. Strong. Extremely nimble. Very tough.
Tough enough to floor Yang, which was saying a great deal.
"Actually," said Weiss, "you and I have met before. It was just in passing, but I didn't like you then either."
The woman stood up. So did Weiss. They stared at each other across the hold.
The woman held up her hand, as if saying: a moment, if you please.
Weiss drew her sword, and then swept it down. "When you're ready," she said.
The woman took a scroll from her pocket, looked at it, and then pushed a few buttons. Her outfit glimmered, and then changed to her familiar leggings and corset ensemble. Her hair changed as well. From the black tube, she drew her umbrella. She smiled again.
Weiss looked at her. She's confident and calm, she thought. Maybe I can do something about that.
"The outfit I can almost live with," she said. "But the hair? Really? Isn't that, you know, trying way too hard? But since you're named for a particularly tacky type of ice-cream, I assume that classy understatement isn't really in your design vocabulary."
The smile turned to a scowl. She pulled a blade from the handle of the umbrella. Her eyes changed colour ... to a smouldering crimson.
"And a lace umbrella?" continued Weiss. "I hate to tell you this, but they went out of fashion twenty, maybe thirty years ago. You might think it has some sort of retro charm, but retro is so ... past."
The eyes turned red.
"You know who had some style?" said Weiss. "Roman. Maybe he could give you some tips ... but, oh, wait, he's dead, isn't he? Really, really dead. And you were the one who was supposed to protect him. I guess that's a very big Fail for you. They don't get much bigger than that, do they? You had one job to do and you blew it, completely. That's probably why Cinder and the others left you behind. They didn't want a failure hanging around them."
Neo charged, swinging her blade with one hand and the umbrella with the other. But Weiss was ready. She blocked the blade with her own sword and dodged the umbrella. She backflipped, whacking into Neo with one of her heavy heels. Her umbrella went flying.
Weiss came up facing her opponent. She touched the sword hilt, to change into ice mode ... and then remembered that the crystals that fuelled her sword were in her carry-case.
So it would be steel to steel.
Suddenly, the plane jerked, and yawed sideways. Turbulence. Both Weiss and Neo went sliding into boxes.
But Neo was up again in a moment, slashing at Weiss. Weiss blocked the blade again, and took some satisfaction from the fact that Neo was no longer smirking. Indeed, she looked quite angry. Good, thought Weiss. An enemy not in control of themselves is already half-defeated.
Their blades locked, Neo kicked out at Weiss, catching her on the side. Weiss gave a grunt of pain and jumped back. Neo swivelled, aiming to use her agility to evade Weiss' longer sword.
Weiss conjured a pair of glyphs, jumping onto one and then bouncing onto the other. Now she was behind Neo. She braced against the glyph, and leaped –
And then, too late, realised that Neo was ready for the move. Neo kicked out again, a looping kick that sent Weiss flying across the hold and into a pile of crates, held in place by ropes.
She is incredibly fast, thought Weiss as she struggled to her feet. Faster than Yang, faster than ... me.
The plane gave another series of shuddering jerks. It began to climb upwards, and Neo slid backwards a few steps. Then she began to come forward again. Then she saw her umbrella, half-under a box. She reached down to extract it.
I am outmatched, thought Weiss. Simple as that. She is going to win, and I am going to die.
An odd comment drifted into her mind. From Whitley. Her loathed, loathsome brother. What had he said, once, when they had been playing a game?
When outmatched, cheat.
Weiss raised her sword and slashed at the ropes holding the crates in position. She jumped aside as they began to slide across the hold ... straight for Neo. She tried to leap up but the hold was too confined. They slammed into her, pushing her back.
One crate smashed into the door of the cargo hold, and there was a sudden hurricane wind as the door flew open.
"I never thought I would say this," Weiss murmured to herself, "but thanks, brother."
Neo managed to extract herself from the cascade of crates although she was clearly hurt, limping a little and holding one arm back. But she had her umbrella now, as well as the blade.
Weiss lifted her sword again, ready.
The voice of the pilot came over the speaker. "Sorry about all that, ladies. But we'll be landing in Mistral in a few minutes. So, no further problems."
Neo stared at her. Then she slid the blade back into the umbrella. She walked to the open door. She opened the umbrella.
And then she bowed.
Weiss pointed her sword downwards. "Another time, perhaps," she said.
Neo gave that smile again. Then she stepped backwards ... out the door. In a moment, she was gone.
Weiss sagged down, rubbing her bruises. Eventually, she got up and pulled the door closed. She looked out the window as the plane touched down.
Well, I'm here, she thought, and there's no way back. All I have is a couple of outfits and not enough money to last for a week. Now what?
END
Yang, Hei, and the Olive in the Martini
Yang Xiao Long brought her motorbike to a stop on a street in the trendy, if somewhat seedy, section of Mistral.
"Huh," she said to herself. "Look who's here."
The sign over the ornate doorway said: Junior's Club. Opening tonight.
She parked the bike and walked through the door of the club, which was still being prepared for the evening event. Immediately, Hei Xiong – known more widely as Junior – saw her. "Oh no," he said. "Not you again. Have you come to wreck the place before we even open for business?"
"Now is that any way to greet the light of your life, the apple of your eye, the olive in your martini, Hei?" said Yang.
"Making out a bit does not make you the light of my life, Blondie," said Hei. "And not the apple of my eye. The olive? Well, possibly. You beat a lot of my employees senseless, remember?"
"Ha, they were senseless before I beat them," said Yang with a laugh. She took a seat at the bar. "And let us not forget that you fired a lot of missiles at me and then whacked me with a club. That was before the making-out thing, of course, but still. Can we call it even?"
Hei considered. He sighed, and took the seat next to her. He gestured for the barman to bring some drinks.
"So you decided to re-locate to Mistral?" said Yang.
"Well, the flood of Grimms was bad for business in Vale. There's more than you can count, and more coming all the time. Mistral seemed like a much better proposition."
Yang nodded. She looked around. "You still got the bimbo bouncers?" she said.
"No, they told me they had a better offer. Didn't say what, and I didn't ask. You looking for a job?"
Yang laughed again. "In your dreams," she said. "No, I'm hoping you can tell me some things. You always know stuff."
"Like?"
"Like where my friends Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee might be. We kind of ... lost touch. After Beacon. You hear anything?"
"Maybe. What's in it for me?"
"Well, I promise that I'll only come to your club to dance and drink. And maybe see you. No damage. Of any type. Not so much as a broken heart."
Hei considered. "Sounds like a deal," he said eventually. "Well, I heard that the Big Daddy of the Schnee family was having a temper tantrum because your friend packed up and left. Word is that she is headed this way. Same with your cat-ears friend. She and the blond fellow who doesn't know what a shirt is were at that Menagerie place, and had some dealings with the White Fang faction there, but now they're on their way here, might have even arrived. I can only assume that everyone wants to come to the opening of my new club.
"And here's something for free. Your Red Riding Hood sister and her uncle, and a couple of other Beaconites, are already here." He gave her the address.
Yang thought about what Hei had told her. "Well, in that case, I guess I should be going," she said. She lifted her glass and drained it.
"You going to pay for that?" said Hei.
"Of course not," she said. "But ... thanks for the info, Hei." She stood up and turned to leave. Then she turned back. She grabbed Hei by the tie, pulled him to her, and kissed him on the lips. It was a long, hard, sexy kiss.
Then she walked away.
"Hey!" called Hei after her. "I also heard that you lost an arm!"
Yang turned and, walking backwards, flipped a finger with her mechanical hand. But she was smiling. Then she was gone.
Hei turned back to his drink. He saw the barman staring silently at him, while he wiped glasses.
"Oh, shut up," said Hei.
END
Mutual Friends
Adam Taurus, sitting in a booth in a seedy Mistral bar, checked his watch again. The person he was supposed to meet was late. Didn't she know that he had important things to do? Places to be, people to kill, a revolution to forment. Although to tell the truth the revolution was travelling poorly lately. In hindsight, the White Fang releasing Grimm creatures into Vale and Beacon may have been a misplaced concept, from a propaganda perspective. It might be a good idea for him to lie low for a while. And concentrate on his other project. His personal project.
He suddenly realised that there was someone sitting in the booth, across the table from him. Funny, he had not heard or seen her arrive. It was if she had just appeared from nowhere. She smiled at him.
"So you're Neo," he said. "You're late. What, you had trouble with your flight?"
She smiled, and gave a little shrug.
"Your message said that we have some mutual friends," he said. "Who?"
Neo held up her scroll. Four pictures appeared on the screen. Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang.
"Ah," he said. "I see what you mean." He pointed to Blake. "This one is an old favourite." He pointed to Yang. "This one is a new favourite, since she apparently failed to bleed to death when she was supposed to."
Neo pointed to Ruby. Who was, she believed, responsible for the death of Roman Torchwick. Then she pointed to Weiss, who had somehow managed to fight her to a draw, just a few hours ago. And had made her late. She did not like being late. And Weiss had ... said things. Things that Neo had not liked. Like the remark about her hair, for instance.
Taurus nodded. "So between the two of us we have reasons to hate all four of them," he said.
Neo nodded agreement.
"But they are hard to kill," continued Taurus. "Tough on their own, even tougher together. I under-estimated them once, and I will not do so again. We need to confront them when they do not have their weapons. Hardly fair, I know ... but I can live with that."
Neo nodded again, and gave a smile that said: I have a plan.
"Oh, this is bad," said Ruby. "This is very, very bad."
"Stop complaining, sis," said Yang. "They're just high heels."
"They are instruments of torture," whined Ruby. "And without my scythe I feel ... unbalanced." She tottered, almost fell, and then managed to stay upright.
"Well, the invitation said no weapons in the club," said Yang. "Which is fine. It's the opening night of a nightclub, after all. No fighting required. We have some drinks, we do some dancing, we have fun. You remember fun?" She showed Ruby her scroll, and the message from Hei inviting them. She pointed to the 'no weapons' note – she assumed that Hei wasn't taking any chances with his new furniture.
She showed the message to the bouncers at the door and they were waved through, jumping ahead of the long queue. Inside, people were dancing to pulsating music, others were drinking and eating, and generally doing nightclub stuff.
"Please don't expect me to dance in these things," said Ruby. "I can hardly walk."
Yang laughed. "Maybe a drink first," she said. They went up to the bar.
Ruby slapped some lien down. "Milk!" she said to the bartender.
A voice behind them said: "And I'll have a mudslide, hold the whiskey."
"Blake!" squealed Ruby.
"Hi," said Blake.
There was a cascade of hugs and kisses.
"Hey," said the bartender. "A mudslide without whiskey is a glass of cream."
"I know," said Blake.
"I'll take the whiskey off your hands," said Yang to the bartender. He sighed, and gave the milk to Ruby, the cream to Blake, and the whiskey to Yang.
"It's good to see you, Blake," said Yang. "But why are you here? In the club, I mean."
"I got an invitation on my scroll," she said. "Since Sun and I arrived in Mistral only today, I thought, well, why not."
"Is Sun with you?" said Ruby.
"The bouncer on the door wouldn't let him in, since he didn't have a shirt. So he went off to buy one. Or maybe sulk, I'm not sure."
Hei – Junior – came up to them. Yang made some introductions. "Are you guys as crazy as Blondie?" he said to Ruby and Blake.
"Of course not," said Ruby. "Uh, that is, I mean – "
"No," said Blake.
The disco music stopped. The lights dimmed, and several spotlights lit up the little stage. A band started to play. Then a singer – in a rather revealing outfit – came out and began to sing.
"Don't tell me ... " said Blake.
"Is that ... " said Yang.
Ruby's jaw was hanging open too far for her to say anything.
"What, her?" said Hei. "Yeah, she came in this afternoon, said she was looking for a job. Which was lucky, since the person I had booked had cancelled. She did an audition, and I thought she was pretty good."
"W – W – Weiss?" Ruby finally got out.
Indeed. But it was not a high-class operatic song that she was singing. It was a poppy, somewhat raunchy song about how a woman needs what a woman needs and what she will do to get it. As she sang, Weiss sashayed across the stage, showing the occasional flash of cleavage and more than a little thigh. The audience was applauding and shouting approval.
"Gosh, she can really shake it when she wants to," said Blake.
"You know her?" said Hei.
"I thought so," said Yang. "But now I am not so sure."
The performance finished and Weiss left the stage. The recorded dance music began again.
"Just what are you doing here, Blondie?" said Hei.
"You invited me, remember? Me and Ruby."
"Me too," said Blake.
Hei looked from one of them to the other. "It is true that I occasionally give free invitations to attractive girls," he said. "But you guys are way too dangerous for that."
Yang showed him the invitation on her scroll. So did Blake.
Hei examined them. "Nope, not mine," he said. "Looks like your scrolls have been hacked. Which isn't that difficult, when it comes to sending a fake invite."
"But why?" said Blake.
There was a sudden disruption at the other end of the dance floor, a flash of light and shouts from patrons.
"Oh no," muttered Hei.
The crowd parted – and Neo and Taurus were standing there. Neo had her trademark smirk, and Taurus wore an evil grin. They each drew their weapons. They stared at Ruby, Blake and Yang.
"Well, if there's going to be a fight I'm going to get rid of these damn shoes," said Ruby, kicking them off.
Taurus raised his sword and charged, aiming for Ruby. But Yang leaped in the way, raising her mechanical arm. The sword hit the metal with a clang! Taurus pushed, but Yang did not give way.
"Bad move, moron," said Yang. "This is gonna hurt."
An electrical charge ran from the arm into the sword, and then down to Taurus. He leaped back in pain and surprise.
"Ha!" said Yang.
Neo double-flipped and came up next to Ruby, her blade in her hand. She stabbed out – and then the blade struck a glyph.
"Don't think so," said Weiss.
The glyph moved, whacking into Neo. Another glyph appeared, on the side, hitting her. Neo tried to leap away, but another glyph prevented her. Glyphs began to appear all around her, moving, boxing her in, smashing into her. They appeared and moved almost faster than the eye could follow, faster than Neo could knock them away with her umbrella.
"Fuck me," whispered Blake. "That's ... incredible."
Taurus was again attacking Yang but Yang, instead of confronting him – foolish, without proper weapons – was dodging away, evading the sword. And then an electrical cord, with coloured light bulbs still attached, coiled around him. Blake snapped the cord again, and Taurus was pulled off his feet. He went sliding across the dance floor.
Neo finally managed to find a way out of the forest of glyphs. She spiralled away, somersaulting – and then a cord wrapped around her ankle. She was pulled off balance – and, astonished, came up face-to-face with Yang.
"We meet again," said Yang. And then she punched her. On her elvin nose. It sent Neo spinning away, and she landed next to Taurus. The two of them struggled to their feet.
And were confronted with Yang, Blake, and Weiss, standing shoulder to shoulder, dukes up, ready for another round.
"Coming through!" cried a voice.
A red vortex zoomed past them, slamming into Neo and Taurus. They were swept up in the slipstream as the vortex spun around the club, smashing them into pillars and walls. Finally, it stopped, and Ruby materialised next to her friends.
Neo and Taurus, bruised and battered, again struggled to their feet.
"Hey," said a voice from behind them. "I'll need to see your invitations, morons." And then Hei whacked them with a huge club, sending them staggering.
Neo and Taurus looked at Team RWBY. Yang made a gesture: come on, if you've got any more. Blake re-coiled the cord she was holding. Weiss raised her hand, prepared to loose another volley of glyphs. Ruby gave a grim little smile.
And now the club held by the big guy was morphing into some kind of bazooka.
Neo conjured a portal behind her and Taurus. She put a hand on Taurus' shoulder.
Weiss looked at Neo. "Swords again, next time," she said.
Neo gave a smile and a nod. Then she and Taurus leaped backwards through the portal. They were gone.
There was a long moment of silence in the club. Then the patrons erupted into cheers and applause. "Best opening night ever!" shouted someone. The music began again.
"Sorry about the damage, Hei," said Yang. "Really, not our fault."
"Meh," he said. "No-one seems too upset, so I guess I can live with things. I suppose you guys are cooler than you used to be."
"Cooler by twenty per cent!" said Ruby.
"You still have to pay for your drinks, though," said Hei. He smiled, and then went off to oversee the repairs.
The four of them looked at each other. "Well, here we are," said Ruby.
"Yes, we are," said Weiss.
"I suppose that we all have some explaining to do ... about things," said Blake. "But, for the moment, well, fuck it."
Sun came up to them. He had just entered the club. "Ladies," he said. "And Weiss."
"Watch it," warned Blake.
He pointed to his new shirt. "What do you think?" he said.
"Oh brother," said Yang.
"Worst ... taste ... ever," said Weiss.
He sighed. "Well, have I missed anything?" he said.
They all stared at him.
"What?" he said.
END
Return of the Prodigals
" – and he said that he would destroy everything I loved," said Blake. "That's why I left. So he wouldn't come after you guys. But eventually I realised that running away to Menagerie wasn't an answer."
The others considered. "Well, maybe a scroll message would have been nice," said Ruby after a while.
They laughed.
They were sitting at a table in Junior's Club. Technically, the place was closed – the opening night having been rated as a success, despite the fight with Neo and Taurus – but Hei had said they could stay on a bit longer, since there were repairs that needed to be done. Sun was asleep on a couch, snoring, his tail twitching. He had, it appeared, had one too many banana milkshakes.
Ruby, Yang and Blake turned to Weiss. She gave a little cough. "Spill," said Yang.
So Weiss told them about how she had been taken away by a Schnee company airship on the night of the battle of Beacon, and her troubles at the family mansion, and the duel with Neo on the cargo ship, and how she had needed money and so had walked into the nightclub and offered to sing for a handful of lien, and then saw Neo and Taurus crash the party, and, well, that brought us up to here.
Everyone stared at her.
"Well," said Yang eventually. "That's ... a thing."
"You think!?" said Ruby.
"How about you?" said Blake to Yang.
"Well, I got a new arm. Which isn't that good a story, compared to yours and Weiss'."
"Mine's not that great," said Weiss. "Although I am thinking of changing my hair, and that's really important."
"Possibly," said Yang. "But hairstyles aside, I doubt that Taurus and Neo will give up so easily. It's become personal."
"But they didn't do so well tonight," said Ruby. "Which means that their next step will probably be to look for allies."
"Or allies will look for them," said Blake.
Neo and Taurus had been waiting in the chamber in the dark castle for some time. Finally, the doors opened. Salem entered.
"My friends," she said.
Neo gave a graceful bow.
"Oh, no need to stand on ceremony, girl, although I appreciate the gesture," said Salem. "You were brought here because we can help each other. We have common enemies. And common goals, in a way."
Neo looked quizzically at Salem.
"Yes, my dear," said Salem. "I can see into your heart. I know what you truly desire. I can give it to you."
Neo stared at her in surprise.
"Are you sure that it is what you want, and that you are prepared to pay the price, when the bill falls due?" said Salem.
Slowly, Neo nodded.
Salem turned to a small stone platform in the centre of the room. She recited a complex incantation, and made a series of gestures. Her eyes grew even darker, and her brow furrowed. Even for her, this was an effort, a significant expenditure of dark energy.
A shimmer began to appear on the platform. It changed from a shimmer to a shadow, and then began to take on solid form. Suddenly, there was a flash of crimson light, and a figure appeared, kneeling, on the platform. Neo gave a gasp.
And then Roman Torchwick stood up. He stretched.
Roman but not Roman. The bowler hat he wore was no longer shining black satin but the colour of blood. He had a pale scar running diagonally across this face. His hair was now streaked with darkness. The cane he held was ... different.
He looked around.
"Well well well," he growled. "I'm back."
END
Villains' Day Out
Neo stepped over the bodies of the Atlas soldiers, her open umbrella on her shoulder. She gave a little smile.
"Well done, my pretty one, well done," said Roman. "Say, do you like my new cane? The improved model." He gestured at the burn marks and craters on the walls of the control room.
Neo nodded, and smiled again, and gave her umbrella a twirl before closing it. She set to work on the computer console, and in a few moments the massive door to the vault of Mantle Academy swung open. They entered the first chamber. There was a door at the far end.
"According to the instructions of the charming Madame, the relic should be in the next room," said Roman. He looked around. The walls of the chamber were covered in writing: spells, incantations, hexes. Their message was: no further.
"Oh, these kids today, putting their graffiti everywhere," said Roman. "Really, the authorities should do something about those brats." He looked more closely at one of the blocks of text. "Ah, this one I know," he said. "'Glynda Goodbitch was here'."
Neo giggled. She opened her umbrella as Roman lifted his cane. He fired. Bolts of energy smashed into the walls, scorching the surface. He turned and continued to fire. Pieces of stone came loose and whirled around the chamber, but Neo and Roman sheltered under the umbrella.
Eventually, the debris and smoke cleared. The incantations had been blasted away.
Roman and Neo dusted themselves off. "Oh, you missed some," he said to her. He wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek. She smiled.
They went through the door and found themselves in another chamber. In the centre of the room was a table, and on the table was a polished metal box.
"Hmm," said Roman. "To tell the truth, I was expecting something more ... relic-y."
Neo shrugged.
There was a rumble from the other side of the room. An elevator. There was a ding! and the doors opened.
"Don't you just love elevators?" said Roman. "They always make that sound. No matter how dire the situation, how close the world is to complete destruction – and it is starting to get very close indeed – you can always trust an elevator to go ding! Such happy machines."
Out of the elevator stepped General James Ironwood and Officer Winter Schnee.
"Glad to see you!" said Roman. "I do hope that we are not keeping you from anything important."
Winter looked at Roman. "I had been informed you were dead," she said.
"I was, but it got better," said Roman. "My employer needed a thief, and my lovely companion here needed some sugar."
"So no longer dead, but still an asshole," said Ironwood.
"A half-truth, at best!" said Roman. "I should warn you that my employer has given me some upgrades. Think of me as Torchwick 2.0. And I have come for your, er, box ... thingy. So step aside, General Bonehead and ... well, I can't immediately think of an appropriately insulting term for your girlfriend. Look, I've been away, cut me some slack."
"You are aware, are you not," said General Ironwood, "that if Salem unites the four relics she will have the power to destroy the world?"
"Yep."
"And you are willing to help her in this insane plan?"
"Meh. Let me tell you, General, being dead for a while changes a man. Which reminds me, what do you think of my new hairstyle? And the hat?"
"You look like a particularly deranged clown," put in Winter.
"That was uncalled for!" said Roman. "Now, we will have to fight! Which, I suppose, was going to happen anyway. But, still."
Winter gestured, and a large glyph appeared. Out of the glyph charged dozens of Grimm creatures – but glowing-white rather than coal-black, and under Winter's control.
Roman lifted his cane and fired, again and again. Bolts of energy smashed into the oncoming stampede – and in a few moments all the creatures had gone. Evaporated.
"Now don't try and tell me that that wasn't cool!" said Roman.
Winter drew her sword and dagger. General Ironwood drew his revolver.
Neo pulled her blade from her umbrella. She smiled.
The four of them looked at each other. Then Roman said: "Well, let's go, then."
Winter conjured a glyph, leaped onto it, and then launched herself at Roman. He fired a shot at her with his cane but she knocked it aside with her sword. She slammed into him, sending him spinning.
General Ironwood was firing at Neo, but his bullets could not pierce her umbrella. She cartwheeled across the room, trying to get close enough to use her sword. She struck out at his arm, meaning to knock the gun from his hand –
And struck hard metal. She looked up in surprise.
And then General Ironwood punched her.
She landed next to Roman, but the two of them were up and racing forward again in a moment.
General Ironwood fired. Roman blocked the bullets with his cane, knocking them back, and for a few moments there was a fury of ricocheting metal around the chamber. Then the General's gun clicked on empty. Face-to-face now, the two of them traded punches.
Neo, with the blade in one hand and the folded umbrella in the other, swung at Winter, who parried, blocked, and thrust. They each leaped into the air, and for a moment were suspended, as metal clashed against metal.
Roman jumped back as the General took a fresh clip from his belt. Roman raised his cane – and then shouted in pain as Winter's dagger, thrown from the other side of the room, stabbed into his shoulder.
He pulled the dagger from his flesh. Immediately, the wound began to close.
"Huh," he said, watching it. "How about that."
Winter, with only one weapon now, was being pushed back by Neo. Neo was more agile, and she had learned from fighting with Weiss that she had to stay on the attack, not giving her opponent the chance to conjure any glyphs. So she slashed and stabbed and kicked and punched, a cascade of lightning-fast blows. She swung with the umbrella, and Winter blocked it. Neo raised her blade –
And then General Ironwood fired at her, a volley of bullets.
But Neo managed to turn her umbrella to deflect them. A ricochet punched into Winter. She gasped in surprise and staggered back, bleeding from a chest wound. Neo delivered a series of sharp, looping kicks, and she went down, knocked out.
And now the General, having fired at Neo, was out of position in his fight against Roman. Roman took advantage, wielding his cane like a club, aiming at the neurotransmitter on the General's forehead. The blow connected, and General Ironwood cried out. He fell.
Roman glanced at the fallen Winter. "I've got it!" he said. "Über-bimbo!"
Neo stared at him. She gave a little sigh.
"You're right," said Roman. "They just don't work if they're late."
They went to the table and looked at the box. Roman picked it up. Immediately, it began to shake violently, as if it contained a small but savage creature.
"Wow," he said. "Who would have guessed that Knowledge would be so feisty?"
Winter gave a moan. Her eyes flickered open. She reached out for her sword. Neo kicked it away. She raised her blade.
"Wait!" said Roman. "My dear, don't you know that it is dishonourable to slay a fallen opponent? So ... you shouldn't." He aimed his cane at Winter. "But as it happens I'm totally alright with it. And I owe her for the dagger thing." He looked down at Winter. "Any last words?"
She stared up at him. She started: "F – "
He fired.
Neo looked at him, and then glanced at General Ironwood. "Yes, my sweet, you can do the other one," he said.
There was a sudden flash of light in the chamber. A red portal appeared. Raven Branwen stepped out.
Neo stiffened. Roman raised his cane.
Raven lifted the unconscious General Ironwood into her arms. She stepped through the portal. It closed behind her.
"Huh," said Roman. "Well, maybe they have a, you know, a thing."
Neo shrugged. She conjured a portal of her own – something she could do, now that the protective hieroglyphics had been removed from the walls of the vault.
"All things considered," said Roman as they stepped through, "not a bad day at all."
END
A Collision of the Future and the Past
Glynda Goodwitch was sitting by the bed of General James Ironwood when Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang rushed in. It was in the main hospital of Mistral.
"We got your message," said Ruby. "Is he alright?" Glynda was clasping General Ironwood's hand, and there was a stream of mystic energy gently passing from her to him.
"He will be, according to the techs," Glynda said. "But ... I'm making sure. His cybernetic implants were damaged, there was some sort of overload. He's come awake a few times. Long enough to tell me that it was done by Roman Torchwick and Neo. They stole the Knowledge relic from the Mantle Academy vault. Weiss, your sister Winter ... I'm sorry ... she was killed in the fight."
Weiss gave a cry, and staggered back a few steps. Then her face hardened, and she said: "She was a soldier. She knew ... what could happen. She knew, and we all know."
"I saw Roman die," said Ruby. "At Beacon."
"I can only think that Salem brought him back somehow," said Glynda. "So she now has two of the relics."
"How did the General get here?" said Weiss.
"Apparently, Raven Branwen simply stepped through one of her portals with him. Handed him to the medtechs and disappeared. Well, she does that sort of thing. There's not always reason or sense to her actions. Yang, I'm sorry to say this, but your mother did not handle the assumption of the power of the Spring Maiden well."
Yang started. "Er, what?" she said. "My mother ... is a Maiden?"
Glynda sighed. "Yes, I suppose it is time you knew," she said. "When she assumed the power, she became ... unbalanced. She had never sought it, after all. And you had been born just weeks before, so she felt a terrible conflict of responsibilities. It was that which led to the break-up of Team STRQ. Since then, she has been fighting her own battle against the forces of darkness, by her own rules."
General Ironwood stirred, and came awake. Glynda smiled, and kissed him tenderly.
"Wait, what?" said Blake.
"They're married," said Yang. "Have been for years. Surprise!"
"Gosh," said Blake.
"Whoa," said Ruby.
"Hmm," said Weiss. "Ah, the dance."
Jaune and Sun came running in. "We got here as soon as ... hey, why is Glynda kissing Ironwood?" said Sun.
"I'll explain it later," said Yang. "Or when you're older."
"Have you seen the news?" said Jaune. He turned on the television set in the room. A reporter appeared, standing outside Haven Academy. Part of the Academy was damaged, billowing smoke.
The reporter said: " – the attack, apparently led by a person known as Doctor Arthur Watts, appears to have been aimed at the theft of a precious relic from the underground vault of the Academy. Witnesses reported that Doctor Watts and his associates were opposed by a man wielding a long sword that turned into a scythe."
"Qrow," muttered General Ironwood.
"The witnesses said that the unknown man, believed to be a Huntsman, fought courageously but was eventually overpowered by the force of numbers," the reporter continued. "He has now disappeared, with one witness claiming to have seen him taken away by the robbers, unconscious, with the relic."
"That idiot," said General Ironwood. "Taking on a whole pack. He should have known he couldn't win. That stupid, drunken ... brave ... idiot."
"So now Salem has three of the relics," said Jaune.
"But three are not much use without the fourth," said Weiss. The others looked at her. She said: "Hey, some of us did the extra credit reading, you know."
"The one she is missing is the one kept in Beacon," said Blake. "Is it still there?"
Glynda and her husband looked at each other. He nodded to her.
"It's not at Beacon any longer," she said to the others. "It's ... here."
"You mean, here in Mistral?"
"No," said General Ironwood. "Here, in this room."
He pointed. At Ruby.
"M – me?" she said.
"Yes," said Glynda. "Your heart is the fourth relic. It is what gives you incredible power, like the power you showed on the Beacon tower. It is the source of your great speed and skill. And your great love, as well."
"M – me?" said Ruby again.
"I'm sorry, truly sorry," said Glynda. "Your mother, Summer ... she believed that it would keep both you and the relic safe. She told me, shortly before you were born, that she had created a spell that would merge you and the relic. But I didn't know if she had done it ... until that night I met you. And I saw your silver eyes. Even then, I didn't want to believe it. But after the battle of Beacon ... I knew."
"Qrow told us a story about a being with silver eyes who could vanquish evil," said Jaune.
"So ... Ruby could kill Salem?" said Yang.
"Possibly," said Glynda. "But these old stories and myths ... some of them can be believed, and some ... are just fairy tales."
"Do you believe it?" said Blake to her.
Glynda looked away. "It doesn't matter what I believe," she said. "All that matters now is that Ruby is kept safe. That is now the responsibility of you, her friends. Take her ... somewhere."
"Does Salem know that Ruby is ... what she is?" said Jaune.
"She has the relic of Knowledge, and she has Qrow," said Ironwood. "She will be able to look into his mind, and he won't be able to stop her. Soon, she will know."
Everyone fell silent, turning over their thoughts.
"So ... you two are really married, eh?" said Blake. "Wow."
"What, Glynda and Ironwood are married?" said Jaune.
"Not really the issue of the moment," said Yang.
"We should go," said Weiss. "Right now. We might have a head start, and we should use it."
The others nodded, and in a few moments Team RWBY, plus Jaune and Sun, were standing in the ground-level foyer of the hospital.
"They have Qrow," said Ruby.
"We owe him," said Jaune.
"And if we run, eventually she will find us, wherever we go," said Blake.
"Weiss, what you said, that we had a head start and should go, did you mean it?" said Yang.
"Of course not," said Weiss. "But Glynda and the General don't know that."
"So we are agreed?" said Blake. "Come what come may."
"Wait a minute," said Ruby. "This is not your fight, guys. It's mine."
Yang, Blake and Weiss looked at her.
"Like I said when we first met, you are an idiot," said Weiss.
"Unusually, I agree with Weiss," said Blake.
"Get real, sis," said Yang.
Ruby smiled.
"But where is Salem likely to be?" said Jaune.
"Hmm," said Yang. "Weiss, where do you think she would go?"
"Why ask me?" said Weiss.
"Because you think like a villain," said Jaune. "Sort of."
Weiss scowled. But she considered the question. Then she said: "Beacon."
"Why Beacon?" said Sun.
"Because that's where the dragon is. I was there, I saw it frozen. She'll want to free it. To her, it's a pet. And, well, Beacon is where all this started. It's where it has to end. One way or another."
"You know, that actually makes sense," said Jaune. "And I have an idea about how we can get there." He led the way to the elevator. They all went in, and Jaune pushed the button for the roof.
"What's on the roof?" said Ruby.
"Ah, I get it," said Weiss. "Hospitals always have landing pads for airships on the roof."
Jaune nodded, although he was sending a message on his scroll.
They got out on the roof, and as expected there were several airships there. The nearest one was warming up, ready to leave. They climbed on board.
"Hey!" said the pilot. "Who are you!?"
Blake drew her sword. "Get out," she said to the pilot and co-pilot.
Unsurprisingly, they did. Blake climbed into the pilot seat. She began to throw switches and push buttons.
"You know how to drive one of these things?" said Sun.
"Benefits of a mis-spent youth, with White Fang," she said.
"Uh, just a second," said Jaune. "Ah, here they are."
Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren suddenly appeared on the roof, riding Nora's hammer. They skidded to a halt near the airship and jumped off.
"Please don't make me do that again," said Ren.
"But it's so much fun!" said Nora, as they approached the airship. "What's happening, guys?"
"We are stealing an airship to go and fight an army of Grimm monsters and the most powerful evil being in the world, to save Qrow and stop the destruction of, well, everything," said Yang. "Oh, by the way, Ruby's a relic. Come with?"
Nora and Ren considered. "Yeah, sure," said Nora, and Ren nodded.
And then they were off.
END
Endgame
Part I
"My dear sweet creature," said Salem, as she stared into the eye of the frozen dragon. "What has been done to you?"
She stepped back and bowed her head. She spoke an incantation, and concentrated, drawing dark energies together.
Slowly, the dragon began to move. The eye blinked. The mouth of the dragon opened, and its tongue appeared, as if to again savour the taste of the air. On its perch, its feet moved. Its wings opened more fully, and closed again, and opened. It exhaled a rancid breath. It spread its wings again – and then it was in the air, circling the tower, dropping spawn from which more Grimm creatures emerged. It gave a screech.
"Well, aren't you wonderful," said Salem. She looked around at the ruins of what had once been Ozpin's office, at the top of the tower. She watched the dragon for a while, admiring it, and then went to the shaft of the broken elevator, which would take her to the vault of Beacon Academy.
"So many," muttered Yang, as the airship flew over the masses of Grimm creatures. "So many."
The creatures were walking around the Academy, a ghastly parade of dark energy. Beowulfs, Death Stalkers, Beringels, Nuckelavees. Giant Nevermores and Griffons flew in slow circles around the tower. So far, none of the Grimm creatures seemed to have seen the airship. It was almost as if they were entranced.
"Where are the bad guys likely to be?" said Yang.
"The vault, I would think," said Jaune.
"Beacon Academy has a vault?" said Ruby.
"Yes, and the entrance is over there," said Jaune, pointing.
Blake headed for it.
Qrow, unconscious, was locked in the tube that had once held Amber. Salem stood before him, the relic of Knowledge in her hand. The other two relics she had – one an ordinary-looking stone, the other a chrysanthemum in a glass vase – lay on a table not far away.
The metal box shook as Salem's energy passed through it. She put her other hand on the glass panel of the tube.
"Ah," she said eventually. "The little girl who wears the red cape. I had a feeling that she was important. Very important."
Weiss pointed. "Uh-oh," she said.
"Looks like the big guy has been defrosted," said Yang. "And it's heading this way."
Indeed, the dragon was coming for the airship, accompanied by flights of Nevermores and Griffons.
"I'll try to get us down near the vault entrance," said Blake. "But no promises."
The dragon was closing, its massive beak opening to snap the airship up.
And then a portal appeared in mid-air, and Glynda and General Ironwood came through it, landing on the back of the dragon. Glynda drew her crop and began to fire blasts of energy at the creatures flying alongside. General Ironwood pointed the huge bazooka he was carrying at the wing-joints of the dragon and began to fire. The dragon howled in pain and veered aside, trying to throw its attackers off its back. But they clung on, and kept firing.
And suddenly there was a gap in the flying crowd.
"Hold on!" shouted Blake. She hit the gas, and they streaked through the opening. But Nevermores and Griffons snapped at them. The airship was taking damage but Blake kept going.
"Yang, Nora, clear us a landing path!" shouted Ruby, as she pushed the button that opened the side-doors of the airship.
Yang and Nora leaned out, weapons ready. They fired, and their rockets cut a swath through the Grimm creatures.
Blake brought the crippled airship down, and it slid along the ground. The eight of them jumped out and ran for the vault door. They looked back to see that the airship had begun to burn. So: no way back. One-way trip.
They cut their way through the Grimm creatures, and made it to the doorway. The door had been torn off. The Grimm would be able to follow them. And then the eight of them would be caught between the army of creatures and Salem's minions. Unless ...
Jaune turned to Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang. "This is as far as we go," he said. "We stand here. We stop them. You ... do what you have to do."
Sun drew his staff, twirled it.
"Sun ... " said Blake.
"Go," he said. "I'll stay with these guys. After all, they could do with a dose of style."
Blake wiped a tear from her eye. Then she pulled Sun to her and kissed him – hard.
Then Team RWBY ran for the hallway that led to the vault.
Jaune, Nora, Ren and Sun turned to face the wave.
"Team, uh, hmm, let me think, er ... hey, how about SNARL?" said Jaune. "Sun, Nora, Arc, Ren, Lie."
"That's ... terrible," said Ren. "But I have nothing better."
"SNARL it is," said Nora.
The charging Grimm were almost on them. Hundreds. Thousands. More.
Nora lifted her hammer. "Let's rock!" she shouted.
Part II
Team RWBY burst into the first chamber, a long, wide room. To be confronted by Cinder Fall, Mercury, Emerald, Tyrian Callows, Doctor Watts, Roman Torchwick, and Neo. Salem stood at the rear.
"Remember," she said to her minions, "I do not want the girl with the red cape killed. I just want her Aura worn down. When she is weak enough I can take her heart."
"And the others?" said Roman.
"Do as you please," said Salem.
Team RWBY came to a halt.
"Well, this looks like fun," said Yang. She cocked her gauntlets.
"I have a surprise for them," said Weiss. She conjured a large glyph, and from the glyph emerged a massive armoured knight, with a huge sword. It was a computer simulation that Weiss had used for training but it was as deadly as the real thing. It turned its head towards Weiss. "Go, my friend," she said.
The knight charged, smashing into Salem's team. Astonished, they scattered ... but then re-assembled. They began to fire at the knight.
But now Team RWBY had their own weapons drawn and were firing. The room was alive with bolts and bullets. Ruby snapped her scythe into its full position, and Weiss continued to draw vanquished opponents from the glyph.
Tyrian was running around the wall, aiming to leap onto Yang. He was laughing maniacally – and then he jumped.
"Blake, now!" shouted Yang.
Blake's Gambol Shroud shot out, catching Tyrian in mid-air and coiling around his neck. Blake snapped the cord, and Tyrian became a weapon that she slammed into the others. She pulled back ... and then threw again. Tyrian screamed as Blake smashed him into a wall.
Mercury and Emerald were face-to-face with Weiss. She saw the expression on their faces. "This is your chance to get away," she whispered. "Away from Salem, away from Cinder. Go. Go now. We won't stop you."
Mercury and Emerald exchanged glances. Then they ran for the door.
Watts and Roman were firing bolts of energy at Ruby, but she was using her Aura to defend herself. She could feel that her energy was dropping. She lifted the scythe and ran forward.
Cinder was coming for Yang. She hovered in front of her. Yang was firing, again and again, but nothing was getting through.
"You know, I remember you as being rather more attractive," said Yang. "But now ... well, I suppose you don't get asked on many dates. Am I right?"
Cinder gave a grimacing smile.
"Oh, you've lost an arm too?" said Yang, still firing. "I know how that one feels, believe me. What, no snappy comeback? Cat got your tongue?"
Cinder loosed a blast of energy that lifted Yang off her feet and threw her backwards. She drew her sword out of the air, and lifted it to strike at Yang. The blade came down in a deadly sweep –
And then was blocked by another blade. Cinder looked up, and saw –
Raven Branwen.
Cinder looked at Yang. Yang said: "Yep, that's my mom. You're screwed."
Raven lifted her sword. Cinder lifted hers.
Maiden against Maiden. The blades clashed together with a roar like thunder.
Ruby swung the scythe again and again, making Roman and Neo dodge, as she worked her way closer to Salem. But she kept taking hits, and her Aura was diminishing. And she could not remember how she had summoned the power of the relic.
Weiss' armoured knight had fallen, and her white Grimm beasts had faded away. Tyrian had finally escaped Blake's ribbon, and was ready to charge again, his wrist-knives extended. He was next to Watts when Weiss created a wall of ice, shutting them in the corner of the room.
That would hold them for a few seconds, she thought. No more.
And then Neo came whacking into her. She backflipped, and came up with her sword ready. She saw that Neo had her blade drawn. Weiss raised her sword, which was still in ice mode – and then returned the setting to zero. Neo threw her umbrella aside.
Blades. Steel. One on one. Weiss lifted her sword. "En garde," she said.
Roman was firing at Ruby, who was running around the walls, pivoting on the scythe. "Little Red, why won't you just give it up?" he said. "Dammit, girl, you've already lost."
"Not yet," said Ruby. "Not this day." But then she took a direct hit. She went down.
Tyrian and Watts burst their way through the ice. They raised their weapons.
Suddenly, from overhead there was the sound of stone breaking. And then the Grimm dragon came smashing through the ceiling, with Glynda and General Ironwood behind a protective shield, riding the dying creature down. It fell directly onto Tyrian and Watts. They screamed. The dragon gave a final screech, and then began to evaporate as stones from the shattered ceiling continued to fall.
Blake leaped back to escape the destruction.
"Hello, my darling," said a voice from behind her. She turned.
Taurus. He grabbed her by the wrist. He looked around, at Yang and Weiss and Ruby. He smiled.
"Adam, please," she said. "Don't make me do this. You can run. You can get away. Don't make me kill you."
"Oh, my dear Blake, don't you remember all the good times we had together? You could never kill me. Even after I cut off your friend's arm, you can't. And after I kill your other friends, you still won't be able to. You're weak – "
He grunted. He looked down. Blake's sword was in his ribs. There was a spurt of blood.
Blake looked into his face. "I wish I could say I'm sorry," she said. "But I'm not."
Cinder and Raven were smashing at each other, with swords and energy bolts. A howling wind swept around them, glowing as if it was on fire.
Weiss parried again, and thrust, knowing that Neo would block it. Their faces were only a few inches apart now. Neo smiled again.
Weiss lunged forward, ramming her forehead into Neo's face. There was a crack! Neo, astonished at such an unladylike tactic, staggered backwards. She could feel blood streaming down her face.
She stared at Weiss. This time, it was Weiss who smiled. Weiss knew she had worked out Neo's tactics of swordplay. She knew how to win.
Neo realised it too. She cartwheeled backwards, towards Roman and Salem.
"Enough of this!" snapped Salem. She extended a tentacle of energy and pulled Ruby to her. She whacked her across the face, dazing her. She could sense that Ruby's Aura was all but gone.
"And now," said Salem, picking Ruby up, "you will help me destroy the world, little one." She turned to go into the last chamber.
"Uh, just a moment, boss," said Roman. "Wasn't there something in my job description about me and Neo being saved when the apocalypse came down? I'm sure there was a clause about it."
Salem stared at him. "When I say I will destroy the world, I mean that I will destroy the world and everyone in it," she said. "Including you. So I suggest you say goodbye to your girlfriend. You two have just been pawns. You have all been pawns. To be used as needed and sacrificed when necessary."
Roman grunted. Then he raised his cane, aiming at Salem.
But Salem was too fast. She fired a bolt of energy from her hand. It slammed into him, knocking him down. Blood spurted from his mouth, and from the fatal wound. Neo knelt down beside him.
Salem turned to Neo. "Ah, I should not forget about you," she said. "You will recall that I said that the bill would fall due at some time. Well, it has."
She gestured, and a wave of energy wrapped around Neo. When it evaporated, Neo was ... not Neo. She was a stooped and arthritic crone. The price of love had been her beauty, her agility, and her youth.
Salem, still carrying a semi-conscious Ruby, went through the door. It slammed behind her.
At that moment, Raven's sword stabbed into Cinder. And Cinder shot a blast of energy into Raven's chest.
They both went down.
Yang ran to Raven. She lifted her mother's mask off.
Raven reached up and touched her on the cheek. "My precious child," she said. "I have watched over you all these years. Loved you. And now I have one final gift for you."
Blake knelt down beside Cinder. Cinder reached out. Dark blood was pumping from her wound. Blake took her hand. No-one deserves to die alone, she thought.
Cinder clasped Blake's hand. "H ... hurts," she rasped.
"I know," said Blake. "I know. But it will be over soon."
"Th ... thank you," whispered Cinder.
Weiss, Glynda and General Ironwood were examining the door that sealed off the other chamber. It had been closed by a heavy bar and a dose of magic. There was no way in.
"Can you create a portal to the other side?" said General Ironwood to his wife.
"I don't have enough Aura left," said Glynda.
"I do," said Neo.
Ruby drifted back to consciousness, to find Salem staring into her face.
"Let me look into those silver eyes of yours," said Salem. "Let me take your power."
Ruby felt her eyes start to burn. The pain built; it became agony; and then it became something else.
"Yes, child," said Salem. "This is what it feels like to have your soul die."
And then, behind and above Salem, a portal opened. And through it came Weiss, leaping, her sword ready. It rammed into Salem's back, and lodged there.
Salem screamed in pain and surprise, dropping Ruby.
Weiss pushed the sword further into Salem's flesh. A current of dark energy surged out of Salem's body, along the blade and into Weiss. Weiss shouted in pain but did not let go. She pressed the sword even deeper, and twisted.
There was a massive thump on the door. And then another, and another. It began to give way.
Salem managed to twist herself around to grab Weiss. She pulled her away and threw her into a wall. But the sword remained embedded in her flesh.
The door flew open.
"No," said Salem. "It isn't possible."
Two Maidens, glowing with power, stood in the doorway. One of them, the one with golden hair, threw something red to Ruby. "Go get her, sis," she said.
Ruby's eyes were shining like silver fire as she caught Crescent Rose. She extended it into its full, deadly, length. She leaped, and brought the blade down, driving it into Salem's body, from her shoulder to her hip.
"It ... it can't be," gasped Salem. "It ... can't."
"It is," said Ruby.
Salem's form shimmered, shimmered, and dissolved. In a moment, she had vanished. Weiss' sword fell to the ground.
Ruby, Blake and Yang ran to Weiss. Yang put Weiss' sword into her hand.
Weiss looked up at them.
"I am done," she said. "Finished. But ... a favour, if you would."
"Sure, anything," said Yang.
"Please give Velvet a kiss for me," she said.
Then she was gone.
Coda
They were sitting in Junior's Club in Mistral, after it had officially closed for the evening.
"Now what?" said Blake.
"We mourn, we find Velvet and do as Weiss asked, we go to Weiss' family and tell them how bravely she died. And then we start to learn how to use our Maiden powers properly," said Yang.
Glynda and General Ironwood nodded.
Jaune, Nora, Ren and Sun – Team SNARL – arrived and joined them. They all looked bruised and battered but they were alive. They had just come from visiting Qrow in hospital, as well as having their own wounds treated.
"I hope you four will be able to assist with the task of clearing the last of the Grimm out of Beacon," said General Ironwood. "And then help to put the place back together."
"Sure, we've already killed a couple of thousand – each – so a few more is no big deal," said Jaune. "But we will expect extra credit."
"Might be possible," mused Glynda.
"What will you do, sis?" said Yang to Ruby.
"I ... I don't know," said Ruby. "All this, everything that has happened, everything I have learned ... it's a lot to digest. I'll need some time to understand it. So I think I will go back to Patch, live with Dad for a while, talk about things with him, try to figure out where I fit in."
"So no more Team RWBY," said Blake.
"How about Team Blake-plus-Sun?" said Sun.
Blake twisted a lock of hair around her finger. "I'll think about it," she said.
"The end," said Yang. "And also new beginnings."
"Which," said Ruby, "is exactly as it should be."
END AND AMEN