Chains.
All she could feel was the cold steel of the chains against her bare skin, the manacles chafing her wrists as she hung from the stone walls.
Drip… drip…
There was also the matter of the very-much-not-water that dripped down from the ceiling, slowly but surely increasing the size of the puddle on the other end of the room.
A single, iron-barred window let in a minimal amount of light, the ambient glow of the shattered moon doing nothing but illuminate the very edges of the bricks in the wall, giving depth but nothing else.
Drip… drip…
The door to the room was solid, oaken if she had to guess, and very much locked. A single grate covered the tiny window at the top, and was solid enough that even if she were free of these damnable chains there wouldn't be much she could do.
She didn't know how long she'd been in here, seeing as when the moon disappeared from the sky it was replaced with thick, dark clouds of ash and smoke, rather than the usual sun, but from how hungry she was, she could assume it had been days.
Easily three days, no longer than a week. It didn't leave much for accuracy, but it was the best she could do in this situation.
Drip… drip…
Oh, gods that was really starting to drive her insane. If her captors didn't come see her soon, she was liable to hang herself with the chains, if she could even maneuver her arms and neck into the right places.
Drip… drip…
The dripping sound continued, and she squirmed, trying to hook the chain under her throat, but it was obviously better designed then to just let a prisoner commit suicide.
It was then she heard a different sound. One that she was both looking forward to, and absolutely terrified of.
Footsteps.
The click-clacking of heels on stonework sounded down the hallway, as a figure approached.
She assumed the figure was female, although she had to stifle a nervous laugh as the thought of her captor being a man that wore heels.
She didn't get all that much time to continue down that line of thought as the door opened, creaking as it reached the apex of its angle, before clanking the metal handle against the stone.
"Ms Rose. A pleasure to meet you."
Ruby Rose was not your average fifteen year old.
No, Ruby Rose was most definitely not.
Instead, Ruby Rose was chained up in the dungeon of a depressing castle, with a strict looking blonde woman staring at her.
"Hi?" Ruby offered, a little confused.
"My name is Glynda Goodwitch, Ms Rose. I assume you know who I am?" The blonde woman asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl.
Ruby wracked her brain, memories and ideas flowing through in an attempt to remember. "Um… You're the Queen of Beacon?"
Glynda nodded a confirmation. "Yes, Ms Rose, I am. Now, do you know why you are here?"
Ruby shook her head. "Haven't a clue, your Highness."
"Hmph. It would appear your jailor has not done their job as well as to be expected. Thank you for letting me know. I shall explain in their stead, I suppose."
Ruby nodded fervently.
"You have been arrested for crimes against nature, Ms Rose. I assume you know what I am speaking of?"
Ruby wracked her brain once more. "Was it the magic? It was probably the magic, wasn't it."
"Yes, Ms Rose. It was the magic. It was very much the magic. Which, as I should mention, is strictly restricted, mostly outlawed, and very dangerous," Glynda replied, eyebrow remaining raised.
"If I say sorry will you let me go with a warning?"
Glynda sighed. "If it were up to me, I'd wouldn't even let you go with a slap on the wrist… but it isn't, for once. No, there is someone else who wishes to speak with you."
Ruby gaped as the shadows themselves seemed to part, and a man stepped through the door.
Grey hair messily parted, glasses that seemed to be more of a fashion statement than a requirement, and a cane so well-crafted it looked millenia old, he looked at the chained Ruby on the wall with an amused glance.
"Well, this is a surprise. Surely Ms Rose does not need to be chained to the wall like a common criminal, does she?"
"Unfortunately for Ms Rose, that was entirely her fault," Glynda replied, glaring at Ruby.
"Eh-heh," Ruby laughed nervously.
"Well, Ms Rose, I shall leave you in his capable hands whilst I speak with your jailor." With that, Glynda left the cell, leaving the grey-haired man and the chained Ruby with just each other.
"Hello, Ms Rose. I don't believe we've been formally introduced."
Ruby waved a single hand in a chained-up gesture of greeting. "Hi."
"Hello. My name is Ozpin, Beacon's grand wizard. I assume you've at least heard of me."
The man, Ozpin, received a nod.
"Well, that saves us some time, I suppose. You've broken a rather strict law, Ms Rose."
Ruby lowered her head. "I didn't mean to. I was just…"
"No, Ms Rose, I am not mad. In fact, I am almost glad you did so, though not for a reason that would benefit any but myself. You really have two choices. You can either serve your sentence here, branded a criminal for the rest of your life, or you can serve me. Which would you like to pick?"
Ruby gaped. 'Branded a criminal? Yeah, no thanks!'
"I'll work for you, Mr Grand Wizard Ozpin, sir!"
Ozpin smiled. "I knew you'd see it my way, Ms Rose."
Well, at least she was free. Technically.
In service to a perpetually confusing and eternally amused older wizard was most definitely not complete freedom, but at least that persistent, consistent, infuriating dripping wasn't sounding out, or following her. Granted, sounds couldn't really follow a person, but knowing Ruby's luck, she'd be surprised if that was true.
"Well, Ms Rose, this is my tower," Ozpin said, gesturing to the immense stonework tower that, well, towered over the spacious courtyard, which had far more sunlight in it than the window to the dungeon cell had ever provided, something Ruby was very suspicious of.
"It's, uh, tall?" Ruby offered, trying her best not to insult her newest caretaker-slash-boss.
That amused face didn't waver. "Yes, Ms Rose, it is. Come, I shall show you your room, and your assignments."
Ruby followed along like a lost puppy as Ozpin led her inside, the tower being deceptively bigger on the inside than it had seemed from the outside.
Granted, it had seemed pretty damn big from the outside, too.
They climbed a series of rotund stairs, and Ozpin knocked on one of the doors.
It opened rapidly, and Ruby noticed the black-haired figure's gaze lock onto hers within a moment of the door opening.
"Ms Belladonna. It is nice to see you once again. This is Ruby Rose, your new compatriot and roommate. Please, do your best to treat her well, and help her around," Ozpin said, that amused look still on his face. "Ms Rose, Blake Belladonna will show you to your first assignment once you've settled in."
With that, a hand gently pushed her stunned figure inside, Blake stepping aside as Ruby felt her legs move involuntarily, in order to prevent her from simply falling on her face, no matter how much she felt that that might help her situation.
Thrown into the proverbial deep end, Ruby looked at the amber-eyed girl who was supposedly her new roommate.
"Um, hi. I'm Ruby. It's a pleasure to meet you," Ruby greeted, offering a shaky hand.
Blake looked at the hand for a moment, before taking it into her grasp and giving it a gentle shake. "Nice to meet you, Ruby. I'm Blake. Would you like to get settled in first, or should I give you the tour?"
Ruby took a second before replying. "I don't really have any stuff to unpack, or any stuff at all, so I guess we should probably just skip to the tour?"
A tiny smirk graced the face of the black-haired girl, and she opened the door, gesturing for Ruby to follow.
"This is the main courtyard, where we train and spar. Magically reinforced, boundaries prepared, and Ozpin constantly aware of what's going on, it allows us to go all out with our magic."
Ruby marveled at what she didn't know, looking around the courtyard she'd been standing in moments before. Now that she looked, she could see scorch marks and small, spider-web-like cracks in the stone paving.
"Come, let's keep moving."
The two reentered the tower, and Blake continued to lead Ruby.
"This is the armory, where we store and maintain all the weapons the tower could need or want. It also has the vault, where we keep all the artifacts, and dangerous or cursed equipment," Blake explained, and Ruby stared in awe at the expansive room, heat radiating from one corner. Blake noticed her stare.
"Over there is where we forge our own weapons, should we need to. I don't know how to personally, but seeing as I'm the only one here today besides Ozpin, that shouldn't be a problem in the future."
"Woah," Ruby let out, staring.
Blake placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder, effectively dragging her out of the room and towards another.
"These are the dorms, where our room is located. Shared between two, the vast majority are full. I was enjoying my solitude, but as long as you don't make a mess or try your hardest to annoy me I'm certain we'll get along fine," Blake said.
"Uh, I'll try?" Ruby offered.
"That all I ask," Blake replied, as she led Ruby further up the tower.
"This is the library. It has books from all over the planes, and is one of, if not the most, comprehensive collections of knowledge to have ever existed. It's also incredibly peaceful."
Blake almost seemed to hold a reverent opinion of the library, and Ruby could see why. It seemed to just continue forever, unending shelves of book after book.
"I tend to spend most of my time here, so if you need to find a book on something just ask, I'll be happy to help," Blake said, and Ruby nodded in stunned silence.
The black-haired girl then led Ruby out of the library, and up more stairs.
"This is the kitchens, and the dining hall, where we cook and eat. We have to handle our own food, so usually one of us cooks, and the rest clean, and it rotates on a schedule. We'll see what you can cook, and fit you in somewhere, I'm sure."
Ruby nodded along with Blake's explanation, only slightly terrified of having to cook.
Well, she didn't know how many people she'd be cooking for, but still.
"I think that about covers the important stuff. If there's anything else, just ask. It's getting to be a little late, though, so I think we should return to our room," Blake said, and Ruby nodded in silent agreement, following the taller girl back down the stairs and to the dorms, where Blake held the door open for her.
"I guess my bed's on the other side of the room?" Ruby asked, as Blake sat down on what was presumably hers.
A non-committal 'mm-hmm' was the only response to the obvious question, and Ruby decided that she'd just avoid asking any obvious questions anymore.
As Ruby settled into her new bed, she watched as Blake leaned over, and a single gust of air from within her lungs ended the life of all that brought light to the room.
Morning broke, and it brought with it a whole new set of problems for Ruby.
First, she woke up with a start, unsure of where she was.
Second, it seemed Blake was already awake, staring in mild surprise at the girl who had practically bolted upright without any provocation.
"Oh, um, sorry. I forget I was here, it surprised me," Ruby said in way of an explanation.
Blake just nodded gently. "It was much the same for me when I arrived here. I understand how you feel."
"How did you get here, if you don't mind me asking?" Ruby questioned.
A dark expression crossed Blake's face. "I'd rather not speak of it."
"Ah… sorry. Would you like to hear how I got here?"
The expression disappeared, replaced by a curious look. "If you don't mind telling me."
"Well, it started like this."
"Ruby, I don't know if this is a good idea."
Blonde locks that flowed in every direction, so long as that direction obeyed gravity and made the wielder look good, lilac eyes and a incredibly proportioned body that would give many a run for their money, Yang Xiao Long was staring worriedly at her younger sister.
"Pfft, relax, Yang! It's not like anyone's around! How am I supposed to get ahead of the curve if I can't practise?" Ruby queried, waving away her older sister's concerns.
"And if something goes wrong?" Yang asked.
"That's what you're here for, duh!" Ruby exclaimed, as if it were the easiest thing to grasp.
"Right. Well, good luck lil sis," Yang said, her voice a mix of anticipation, nervousness, and excitement.
"Here goes nothing!" Ruby said, before closing her eyes.
Yang watched as Ruby focused, and soon enough Yang was bored.
Crack!
That woke Yang out of her boredom.
Red lightning seemed to crackle around, and Ruby didn't seem to notice. It spat through the air, leaving behind sizzling ozone and waves of heat, but Ruby didn't react.
Yang, however, couldn't get close.
A bolt of red lightning struck Ruby's clenched hands, and Yang gasped.
Ruby, once again, didn't react.
Another bolt, and a third, and a fourth, until it was just an endless chain of red lightning, sparking and spiralling around the red-cloaked girl to the point where it was almost hard to even stand nearby, the burning, acrid smell of cooked ozone and the heat that wafted off where Ruby stood wilting the very grass around her.
"Ruby!" Yang exclaimed, but her voice was stolen away by the very air that surrounded her, and Yang began to find it hard to breath.
Ruby, still unaware, continued, even as Yang backed away, choking breaths coming rapidly as her lungs rejected the air.
It all ended at an incredible speed, as a single, immense bolt of red lightning struck the ground where Ruby stood, illuminating the day with a flash of crimson that would be forever etched into Yang's mind.
Where Ruby stood was scorched beyond repair, leaving only charred ashes and cinders where lush grass had been.
And, in the very center, stood Ruby.
Over her shoulder was slung a scythe made of pure red lightning.
"You there! You're under arrest, girly! You can't cast magic without a license, girly!"
Both Yang and Ruby turned to face the portly guard that ran up to them, chainmail clinking as he panted, jogging up towards them.
Yang gasped. "Wait, guardsman, it isn't what you think it is!"
The guard never got the opportunity to react as Ruby simply disappeared, spontaneously appearing behind the guard.
And then the guard simply fell apart.
The guard hadn't been alone, simply the first, and they joined Yang in quickly trying to stop Ruby.
Silver eyes glazed over, Ruby seemed to simply cease to exist and reappear in different spots, and even though the guards and Yang were trained in anti-magical combat, it was not easy.
Yang leapt, and Ruby seemed to just phase out of existence, appearing a couple meters to the side, facing sideways to where Yang had just seen her.
A guard leapt as well, but the guard fared far worse, head being summarily removed from his body.
"Ruby, stop! You've lost control!" Yang screamed at her sister, but the words fell upon deaf ears, as that red scythe seemed to flicker in and out of reality, the third of four guards screaming in delayed agony as he noticed his arm lying on the ground a few meters away.
Yang focused as she ignored the fourth guard screaming in pure, unadulterated pain, before it was silenced.
Yellow flames crackled to life around the older girl, and suddenly Ruby was on the ground, standing in front of her with the face of a curious child.
Head tilted, empty silver eyes focused on the red glow that Yang's own eyes emitted, Ruby seemed to be interested in what was about to happen.
"I'm so sorry, Ruby, but this is for the best," Yang said mournfully.
"And that's about what I remember. It was like watching my own body from afar. I…"
Blake offered Ruby a sad smile. "I know how you mean. The first time can be… disturbing, especially if you aren't prepared for it."
"At least I knew why they chained me up," Ruby remarked, a teary laugh escaping her lips.
"Chained you up?" Blake asked, obviously confused.
"Yeah, in Beacon's dungeons. I was there for like, three days, I think."
Blake looked to be in deep thought. "Ozpin mentioned a new magical visitor in the dungeons over a week ago, Ruby."
"Wha? Wait, I was in there for more than a week? I swore it couldn't have been longer than a week!" Ruby exclaimed, staring at her new roommate in shock.
"Well, maybe it would be better to ask Ozpin," Blake suggested, gesturing to the door.
Ruby was out the door in a flash.
Blake stared at the ajar door.
"She doesn't even know where he is."
Blake had been, unsurprisingly, right.
However, fortunately for Ruby, she was fast, and despite how massive the tower was, there were only so many rooms one could put an office, and so she checked them all.
Honestly, why she didn't start at the very top she didn't know, but when she entered the room filled with the constant turning of clockwork mechanics, she realised that if this wasn't Ozpin's office, then she had just decided to work with an idiot.
"Woah…" She uttered, only to hear a gentle laugh.
"Hello, Ms Rose. What brings you to my office so early in the morning?"
"Oh, um, hi, sir. I was just wondering, about something Blake mentioned. How long was I in that cell?"
At this, Ozpin seemed to lose that amused expression.
"Ah. I suspected you'd ask that question soon enough. I'll make this quick, I suppose."
Ruby stared as the man worked his way through what he was planning on saying.
"You were in that cell for a month, Ms Rose."
Shock filled Ruby's mind and body like a liquid poured into a mould of her, starting at the very base of her feet until it overflowed out the top of her head, drenching her.
"A-a month!?" She exclaimed, breaking the silence that had followed Ozpin's declaration.
"Yes, Ms Rose. I suspect you don't remember much of it, seeing as you were not yourself for much of it. I will admit, I had to bolster the enchantments on those manacles far beyond any I'd ever used. Your magical potential is… potent, and dangerous."
Ruby simply gaped in shock.
"That is what you are here for, Ms Rose. I, along with others, are here to train you so that you may use your magical potential without losing control. Again."
Ruby took a step back. "Wh-what happened with my sister, my father, my uncle?"
Ozpin looked almost sad. "For the moment, your family is operating under the belief that you were executed for your crimes. It was the only way to keep them safe, as well."
Ruby collapsed.
"Hey, wakey wakey!"
Ruby's eyes snapped open, silver irises glaring at the ginger-haired girl whose face was almost pressed up against her own.
"Woah, that did work!" The girl cheered, pulling back with a beaming smile on her face.
"Nora, please don't disturb her. She's had a hard enough day as is."
Ruby turned her head to see a man with long, black hair sitting opposite the ginger, a glow of green and pink emitting from his palm.
"Hello, Ms Rose. My name is Lie Ren, but please, call me Ren. I'm the medic, I suppose, for the tower. A pleasure to meet you, though I wish it was in better circumstances."
Ruby gave a shaky nod.
"And I'm Nora Valkyrie!"
Another shaky nod.
"Nora is our expert in physical combat, here at the tower. She's also far more interested in my work than you particularly, so don't take any offense," Ren explained, giving the ginger a glare that she seemed to completely miss.
"Ren's a healer!" Nora exclaimed.
Ruby shuffled up in the bed she was laid in, resting her head against the top of the bedframe.
"Wha-what happened?" She asked.
"You fainted, when Ozpin was discussing news of your past with you, I believe."
A spike of emotional pain shot through Ruby like a bolt of lightning. "Yeah…"
"Nora and I understand how you feel, Ms Rose. We… well, we've been in similar situations before," Ren said, placing a comforting hand on Ruby's shoulder.
"Thanks, and please, call me Ruby."
A small smile graced the healer's face. "Of course, Ruby."
"So, Ruby, who's your roommate?" Nora asked, excitedly.
"Um… Blake is?" Ruby ventured, unsure of the reaction she was expecting.
"Ha! You've got the bookworm!" Nora exclaimed with a booming laugh, before her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Don't try and read any of the books she has under her bed. She's killed to protect those before."
"Knock it off, Nora. Ren, how's the patient?"
A third figure entered the room, a gangly blond teen with a friendly smile on his face.
"Oh, Jaune. This is Ruby Rose, our newest recruit. She's just woken, and the healing went well," Ren explained.
"Hi there, Ruby. I'm Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue. Ladie-"
Jaune didn't get to finish as a punch to the stomach dropped him to his knees. "Nuh-uh, Jaune-Jaune! We agreed you'd stop with the crappy one-liners!"
"Yeah, my bad," Jaune groaned from his position on the floor. Nora decided mercy was deserved, and quickly helped him back up.
"Jaune's the second newest recruit. Now that you've taken his place as the newest, he can finally get an actual job that doesn't involve him getting maimed all the time," Ren said with a hint of humour.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up Ren, it was once. I got maimed once."
Ruby looked on in shock. "Maimed?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, big Boarbatusk, decided I'd look good as a horn ornament. Tusk went straight through my leg, but Ren patched it up, good as new. I've never met a guy who could use healing magic as well as Ren can."
"You fought a Boarbatusk?" Ruby asked in surprise.
"Well, yeah, sure. I've been here for six months, and at some point someone had to get bored of clearing the piggies from the eastern border. I got better at it, too. Unlike what Ren thinks."
Ruby stared in surprise.
"Hey, don't worry about it. You'll have to get the hang of your magics before you get anywhere near that level of combat. Trust me, it took me… a while before I managed to figure out mine, and it isn't anywhere remotely near the level of the rest of you guys."
Jaune seemed to stand with an easy confidence, and yet he seemed almost awkward at the same time. It was remarkably disorienting.
"And hey, don't worry. We've all seen someone lose control of their magics before, it happens. We're all prepared and able to handle it, some more than others. Even if it does happen, and we can't stop you, we could just leave you in the courtyard till it wears off!" Jaune said with a short laugh. "That's what they did to me the first time, anyway. Turns out impenetrable defenses means it's pretty hard to stop me."
Ruby gave a small, nervous laugh. "I, um… I don't think that'll work with me."
Jaune's easy smile turned to one of concern. "Oh? And why's that?"
"The last time I lost control… Well, I only woke up a few days ago."
It was Jaune's turn to gape. "Woah… A few days? That's almost Weiss's record!"
Ren shook his head.
"No, I mean I woke up a few days ago. I was out for a month," Ruby corrected, head down.
Jaune stared at her. "Huh. That'd… yeah, I could see why that wouldn't work. Good thing I'm pretty much the go to for controlless magics, now. Turns out being magic-proof is rather useful. I'll make sure you don't go too far, Ruby. An Arc never goes back on his word!"
Ruby gave the teen a thankful smile. "Thanks, Jaune. Thanks for the healing too, Ren."
The calmer teen gave her a peaceful smile. "Not at all, Ruby. There wasn't much for me to do, either. Now, I believe you have somewhere to be, both of you?"
Jaune jumped in shock. "Oh, right! That's why I came! Ruby, Ozpin sent me to fetch you, to take you to the courtyard. According to Ozpin, the best distraction is to work!"
Ruby began to stand from the bed, feet against the cold floor.
"I'll just, uh, wait outside."
Ruby looked at herself, dressed in her nightwear still. "Yeah, that'd… that'd be fine."
Grand Wizard Ozpin stood in the courtyard, with two girls Ruby didn't recognize either side of him.
One, platinum blonde hair and a graceful presence, the other hair red as her cloak, a powerful presence.
Both gave off almost an aura of regality, and Ruby shrunk under their gazes.
Except the red-haired one gave her an easy, friendly smile, and the other simply gave a polite nod.
"Ah, Ms Rose, glad you could join us. I assume you are feeling better?" Ozpin asked, and Ruby gave a small, nervous nod.
"Good, good. Ms Rose, this is Weiss Schnee, and Pyrrha Nikos, the two most powerful magic wielders at the tower. They'll be overseeing your training from now on, alongside Mr Arc here."
With a nod, he gestured towards Jaune, who gave Ruby a cheerful smile.
"For the first session, I'll also be here, making sure that nothing goes too wrong," Ozpin explained. "Ms Nikos, Ms Schnee, if you'd like to take over now? I'll be by our audience if you need me."
Ozpin stepped away, climbing the stairs at the end of the courtyard to what Ruby noticed were spectator stands, where she could see a few people, some she'd met and some she hadn't.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ruby. Please call me Pyrrha," Pyrrha said in way of greeting.
"As well myself, a pleasure to meet you. Call me Weiss, if you would," Weiss greeted in much the same way.
Pyrrha gestured for Ruby to step closer. "Don't fret about the audience, that always happens for new people. They want to see what you're capable, and they serve as additional support should something go wrong."
Ruby nodded, stepping closer.
"Now, Weiss, should I start, or would you like to?" Pyrrha asked.
Weiss thought for a second, before facing Jaune. "Arc, I'd appreciate if you'd power up and prepare yourself. We might as well dive right in."
Jaune gave a nod to the platinum blonde, stepping back and closing his eyes.
Suddenly, his entire body was coated in a glow of pure white light, small flickers of energy echoing off his body.
When he opened his eyes again, Ruby could see herself reflected in the pure blue that seemed to just glow, sparks dancing about his body as the pure white light formed a shield, hovering just slightly out of reality as it seemed to flicker in and out of existence.
"There we go, that always gets the blood pumping," Jaune said with a laugh, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension.
His voice sounded ethereal, almost as if it was echoing about her head.
"Pyrrha, if you would do the same? Ozpin did say her last activation was… complicated," Weiss said, and Pyrrha nodded, stepping back and closing her eyes much like Jaune had.
Her body glowed a bright red, golden flecks of energy spitting about like magma, leaving scorch marks on the ground where it landed, dissipating quickly.
Her eyes opened, glowing a magnificent emerald, and the red glow formed a shield similar to Jaune's, though hers was circular, and Jaune's was more of a kite shape.
In her other hand, though, was a javelin of pure energy, crackling and glowing with almost reverential power.
"There, thank you Pyrrha. Now, Ruby, I'm going to step back, outside to the stands. Once I reach the stands, I want you to activate your magic, and try your best to maintain control. Pyrrha and Jaune will be able to stop you from losing control, do not worry. We also have someone specialised in magic draining, so you won't be out of control for long," Weiss said, pacing backwards.
Ruby watched as the white-haired girl exited the courtyard and took a seat next to Ozpin, who was watching with muted interest.
"Whenever you are ready, Ruby," Pyrrha said, her voice taking on the same aspect as Jaune's.
Ruby took a single step back, and closed her eyes.
The magic, she could feel it. She reached out to it in her mind's eye, grasping it with both hands.
It was like a vortex of swirling blood red energy, bolts of red lightning sparking off it and igniting her very veins, her nerves, her muscles.
When both her mental hands clasped it, she felt it flow through her entire body.
For Jaune and Pyrrha, they both stepped back in alarm as a bolt of bright red lightning arced of Ruby and struck Jaune's shield, mingling with the white energy and leaving a small trace of pink, before fading into nothingness.
Another bolt arced out and struck the ground, tracing a massive line of scorched dirt. Another struck Pyrrha's javelin, dispersing on impact.
It continued, amping up in frequency and size as Ruby continued to focus, and suddenly the air became toxic, unbreathable for those nearby.
Jaune coughed, magic reinforcing his lungs in order to prevent him from running out of air, but he could see Pyrrha doing the same, backing away much faster than she had been previously.
The heat that radiated from the small, red-cloaked girl was unbelievable, and Jaune noticed that where the red lightning struck it was leaving small patches of shattered, no, powdered glass.
The immense procedure came to a sudden halt as a great bolt of red lightning struck Ruby, accompanied by a devastatingly loud crash as thunder rolled through the sky, and suddenly there was silence.
Nothing but silence that stretched on for eternity.
"Ruby? You in control?" Jaune asked, shield at the ready.
Pyrrha, likewise readying her shield, shared a quick glance of concern with Jaune.
Ruby's eyes opened, the silver glowing so bright it was hard to look at.
"I-I thi-" Ruby began, before falling completely silent.
Jaune immediately tensed, his defenses hardening as he focused, and it was a good thing, too.
Ruby's eyes, dead inside, seemed to lock onto his, and all of a sudden she was gone.
Jaune paled, before his sixth sense triggered, and he spun nearly a hundred-eighty degrees, blocking a scythe made of pure red lightning that swung at him at speeds nearly faster than he could perceive with his enhanced eyes.
"Pyrrha, get out of here! She'll kill you, there's no way you can keep up with her speed, my impenetrable defense barely can!" Jaune shouted in between gasps and jolted shocks that shot up his arm.
Pyrrha took his word for it, backing up to the very boundary of the courtyard and dropping her magic.
Ruby was nigh impossible for Pyrrha to see with her enhanced vision, so when she dropped her magic and went to step back, the sheer surprise and shock that she felt when the scythe impacted the boundary shield right in front of her caused her to stumble backwards, falling onto her rear.
Weiss, along with the majority of the audience, were standing, shock and awe on their faces.
Jaune, for his part, was barely able to keep up, his body under a serious strain as his shield moved on pure instinct, blocking and deflecting that red lightning scythe with unerring accuracy, even as it seemed to come from three or four different angles all at once.
Jaune's magic had been named the impenetrable defense by none other than Ozpin, and even the man himself was in awe of the sheer skill their second-newest recruit was showing with his magic just to be able to keep up with Ruby.
Jaune felt something on his side, and he turned to block, only to have to block the exact opposite direction, the girl's feint proving to be so fast that it would only have worked on him.
She was out of control, and yet in control at the same time. This was not normal.
Weiss gaped at the display both were putting on.
She'd been quick to dismiss Jaune when she had met him, the boy barely managing to output a single spark of magic, but he'd slowly but steadily proven himself over the course of the months she'd known him, to the point that she herself had volunteered, alongside Pyrrha, to stop him when he lost control.
She herself had lost control for three whole days, her magical output exceeding even those who'd been here before. She'd thought that that meant she was the epitome of pure magical output, something that no one else could match.
Jaune had only been out of control for a couple hours, and Pyrrha had been less than an hour, though that hour had been a harrowing experience for those who had to bring her back to her senses.
The one thing they all had in common was that they fought on pure instinct. There was no training, no planning, nothing but pure, instinctual ferocity.
Ruby was not fighting like that. No, Ruby was slashing, cutting and dodging so fast and so effectively that it was impossible to believe that she was out of control, if not for the simply dead expression she wore.
No emotion, no thoughts, and yet her instincts were so refined and so powerful that she could control that speed without a thought.
And then there was the fact that the last time she'd lost control, it'd taken a month to bring her back to her senses.
Weiss's attention was drawn back to the fight as Jaune's defenses seemed to crack.
His shield was late to reach the wicked curve of the scythe, and it looked as if it hurt, carving right through the protective layer of his armor and sending a spray of blood into the air, where it seemed to just turn to mist.
Weiss realised that it wasn't Jaune's impenetrable defense that was being overwhelmed, that was impossible. It was the boy's very body. He couldn't physically move his body fast enough to block the attacks that seemed only to ramp up in speed as time went on.
"Weiss, we need to do something!" Pyrrha shouted, and Weiss nodded mutely, shock still etched into her mind.
"Grand Wizard Ozpin, sir, we could use some help!" Weiss exclaimed as she vaulted over the railing up at the spectator stands, stepping over the boundary and beginning the procedure to activate her magic.
Jaune's shout of warning was all the time she had as she felt a scythe of red lightning carve through any and all magic she had charged, the only thing preventing the scythe from carving through her being the hastily cast barrier glyph that appeared in front of her, just in time.
Ruby stood in front of Weiss, deadened eyes staring right through Weiss, as if she wasn't even there.
A glyph, remnants of Weiss's magic she'd managed to activate, appeared beneath Ruby, binding her in place.
Pyrrha and Jaune, both activated now, quickly closed in, each one grabbing an arm with their enhanced strength.
Another few figures entered the courtyard. Ren, Nora and Blake, all activating their magic as they approached rapidly. Blake grabbed Ruby's left leg, Nora her right, and Ren quickly placed his fingertips against Ruby's forehead, eyes glowing pink as he began the draining process.
"Hurry Ren, I don't know how long I can hold this glyph!" Weiss groaned out, her body shaking as her outstretched hand glowed white and pale blue.
A grunt of pain from Ren was the only answer, as the crackling red lightning passed from Ruby into his own magical glow. He coughed a splatter of blood onto the ground as he continued absorbing the energy.
Nearly a minute passed, and two things happened.
First, Weiss's glyph shattered under the strain.
Second, Ruby seemed to simply vanish.
All those who'd been holding her stumbled, looking around for the red-cloaked girl, only to locate her as a swift impact of the scythe hit Jaune's shield, launching his body into the air.
Ruby didn't even bother watching as he went up, scythe arcing down on a path to carve the now defenseless Weiss in half, but Pyrrha managed to throw her magical shield, hitting the side of the scythe and driving it into the dirt, where it simply carved through like it was air.
Nora quickly spun, her magics forming a massive warhammer, and struck Ruby in the chest, hard enough to drive the girl backwards a few feet, but when the dust cleared it was evident that whilst Ruby had slowed down, she wasn't down and out.
The haft of her glowing, crackling scythe had blocked the hit, and even Nora looked nervous.
And then, a single, uninterruptible burst of power shot out from behind them, green energy crackling with raw strength, as Ozpin joined the fight.
His shield, an orb that coated his very body, took impact after impact as Ruby unleashed upon it, driving all her magic into it, slash after slash doing nothing but chip away at the girl's own strength, which Ren had already sapped considerably.
"How long do you think she has, Mr Ren?" Ozpin asked the boy, who was laid on the ground, nose bleeding heavily.
"A couple minutes at most, sir," Ren said shakily.
"Very well. Those still standing, recover those no longer standing, I want all of you out of the boundary as soon as possible!" Ozpin shouted his orders, concentration etched into the very lines of his face.
It was at this moment that Ruby seemed to get a second wind, her scythe flickering through the air fast enough that it was beginning to drive even Ozpin back.
It took a minute, but finally the courtyard was empty, save Ruby and Ozpin. The man began to back up, towards the boundary, and Ruby was none the wiser, still slashing at the speed of lightning.
When Ozpin reached the barrier, he delivered a powerful strike that stunned Ruby for half a second, but that was enough time, the older man dropping his magics and stepping over the boundary.
Inside the boundary left Ruby, her expressionless eyes scanning her surroundings.
With no targets left, it seemed the girl had suddenly become docile, but that notion was soon dissuaded as she stepped up to the boundary, and began to slash.
Every strike from that red scythe made the boundary shield flicker, the massive dome of white energy turning opaque at every impact, before flickering back to transparency, only to repeat as the next strike hit.
"Grand Wizard, sir, is she going to break free?" Weiss asked, shock etched into her face.
Ozpin shook his head. "No. That barrier has resisted some of the most powerful beings in the planes. It will take more than her lack of control to break this down."
A crack spiderwebbed out from where Ruby's scythe impacted, sending a series of glances at Ozpin, who paled slightly.
They watched, in both anticipation and fear, as Ruby continued to strike away at the barrier.
At this point, multiple cracks were etched into the fabric of the magic that the barrier was made of, and whilst it was regenerating slowly, it was nowhere near the speed it needed to be at.
Then, the sound of slashing stopped.
They watched as Ruby's scythe disappeared, the red lightning no longer sparking around her, and she dropped to the ground, eyes vacant as she fell unconscious.
Now, this is a surprise. A new fic, you ask yourself, but why? He's barely able to get weekly chapters for Systema out, what the hell does Whale think he's doing, starting something new?
Well, to answer the question you probably weren't asking but I asked pretending to be you...
I felt like it. Really, that isn't all there is to it, but, well, I had an idea, which turned out to not be what this became at all. This is, so far, completely improvised. It has a few hints to further ideas, and a setting which I find really interesting, and it basically became a single thing that I latched onto, really enjoying the concept.
This initial chapter is pretty long, to be honest, but I really like the idea so far, and I hope you do too!
This won't be updated regularly, it'll be something I do spontaneously on and off as a way to breach my writer's block, but for a first chapter I like how this turned out, and I'm looking forward to continuing it.
For those of you who didn't realise, this is heavily, heavily AU. Very heavily AU, in fact, so heavy you could call it whale-sized. Don't, though, that's offensive.
Feel free to review, PM me, or send me a tweet at fat_flying to ask me any questions, and I'll do my best to answer/remedy any concerns!
Oh, and there'll be another chapter of Systema tomorrow, don't worry.
And, as always, see you next chapter
~AFatFlyingWhale