This was supposed to be only a one-shot, but I got an idea for a small continuation so I just decided "why the heck not?" and after the apparent relative success of the first chapter, wrote a second chapter to accompany the first one. This one definitely hits the feels a lot LESS, mostly because the first part is an action sequence and its not all doom and gloom.
"Show yourself Bluebeard." A sharp voice hissed and echoed throughout the massive, empty cavern. Into this space dimly lit by strange glowing lights around them, strode a tall woman clad in a red cloak emblazoned with the insignia of a red rose with the hood pulled over her head, in one hand resting against her shoulder was a large, red scythe. Her signature weapon that no one else had, thusly marking her out as one of Remnant's most dangerous hunters currently in existence.
"It's over." She continued as she strode forward confidently from the small passageway which she had emerged from. She let her scythe down and held it in front of her, the blade gleaming in the light.
A dark, low hoarse chuckle, like the sound of dull drum beats echoed back in response, "It's not over yet little rose; in fact…it is only just beginning."
"Your cult has fallen," Ruby spat, "and I believe…" She gave her scythe a twirl, "You're not doing so well yourself." She smirked as her eyes scanned the room, flicking left and right to watch for the slightest hint of movement.
Another chuckle, "She whispered to me of this," His voice seemed to gain a sense of wonder, "She told me of the things to come." The voice paused for a moment, "She told me of death, ruin, destruction…the end of all humanity."
"Then she too will fall in time," Ruby responded, spinning backwards as a shadow caught her eye, "We're stronger than you think." She bared her teeth and turned back to face her front.
"Oh so arrogant," The voice laughed, "Is that what you believe…?" A figure seemed to materialise in the darkness a distance away. Ruby needed no second confirmation, in an instant she leapt into action, her semblance carrying her forward in the blink of an eye, scythe raised, poised to annihilate the figure and end him once and for all.
"Ruby."
A familiar voice that once rang in her ears echoed out across the cavern. Her breath caught in her throat as she halted her every movement in that instant, stopping bare inches from taking the figure's head off as the figure stepped out into the light, revealing himself fully before her as she slowly recoiled in stunned silence.
"J-Jaune…? No…" Ruby drew back with her eyes wide in shock, her jaw agape, opening and closing silently with no words being spoken as the identical likeness of her former comrade-in-arms, partner, and would-be lover looked upon her with sorrowful eyes. She took a step back slowly, "It…it can't be…" She pulled her scythe back uncertainly.
And then "Jaune" cast a wicked smirk
He roared, like the sound of hurricane it shook the entire cavern and send Ruby reeling backwards. A crackling sound like thunder came upon them, and Ruby looked up just in time to see a large part of the cavern ceiling detach and drop down coming right for her. She quickly jumped back as he hit the ground and exploded in her face, showering her with debris and throwing her back onto the floor. She bit her lower lip as she felt power well up in herself, the same power she had inherited from her mother that she could now summon up at will.
She let loose a wail of anguish as her body rose off the floor, eyes gleaming brightly as she let loose a shockwave of power that sent the figure flying backwards, slamming into the cavern floor as Ruby raced forward with her scythe held high once again. She jumped high and came own on top of him, intending to smash the blade right through his face. He shifted his head just little to the side, dodging it just in time, but before he could respond, the reaper surprisingly let go of her weapon and was on top of him in the blink of an eye pinning him down. She raised one fist and smashed it right into his face with all her might, the blow loud enough to echo off the walls.
"You're not Jaune!" She screamed as she poured out all of her rage and hatred into every blow that she sent right into his smug face, "You're nothing like him!" She yelled as she slammed her fists again and again into him, pounding with burning anger fuelling every strike.
And then to her shock, "Jaune" caught both of her fists and grinned manically, "You can't save them," He rose up, slowly forcing Ruby backwards, "Just as you couldn't save him." His voice was every bit in the likeness of Jaune's own voice, with the addition of a cruel, sadistic tone. A complete and utter perversion of the very same voice, the one belonging to the man that she had once longed to see and hear so much every single day of her waking life.
A cry of pain,
A laugh of malevolence,
Stupid, stupid, the reaper cursed in her mind.
"That's right." Bluebeard grinned maliciously as he released Jaune's form and revealed his true form, a wrinkled and emaciated old man wearing a torn and tattered black robe with its hood pulled low over his face. He forced Ruby onto her back with almost supernatural strength and gripped her throat with both hands, throttling her as hard as he could, Ruby struggled mightily clawing at his hand and trying to kick him with her legs as he bent over her now fallen form on the body. Unfortunately Ruby had never been much of a physical fighter, and with the rest of her team separated in the trap and herself caught unawares…
Every exhalation meant that his grip got tighter and tighter, Ruby could already feel her head beginning to swim from the lack of air as she desperately fought his grip, and yet she continued to fight for as long as possible, every second she was awake meant one more second that her own team could get to her, one more second that she could still put up a fight against her assailant.
One more second of life.
But perhaps it was not to be, perhaps that grinning visage of his was the last thing that she would see as her vision began to darken and her eyes rolled back into her skull. Her flailing began to weaken slowly, her arms and legs slowly going limp as she gasped her last few breaths out of her throat weakly, all the while still trying to get him off of her.
"The legend of the silver-eyes," Bluebeard hissed, "Dies tonight." He continued grinning as he tightened his grip one final time and Ruby felt her world go dark.
She felt herself falling, endlessly falling through empty space, her eyes remained tightly shut as she felt her limbs go weak as she tumbled through an empty nothingness, a weight seemed to lift off of her body as she continued on. It seemed to go on for an eternity, endless falling and tumbling forever downwards to an end that she did not know about. Eventually she seemed to slow and come to a stop, an incredibly warm and comforting feeling washed over her entire being and she let out a sigh of relief as she came to a halt with her head propped up and the rest of her body lying flat on her back.
She felt as though she could breathe again, the air was fresh and cool, a breeze wafted over her face as she felt herself lie against soft grass and…
"Ruby?" A soft voice seemed to pierce the darkness.
"Jaune?" Ruby's felt like her heart was about to burst at the rate it was going, she was just about to open her eyes when she felt a hand come down over them.
He laughed, a sound that was pure music to her ears, "Keep your eyes closed for now ok?"
"Why though? I want to see you again." Ruby insisted but kept still, basking in the warmth and comfort he gave to her.
"Hmm, it's a secret." He answered after a short pause.
"Aw, come on Jaune!" Ruby pouted and folded her arms but kept still and made no effort to move, "Is this the afterlife?" She asked.
"…Yeah, seems so." She swore she could see him nodding through her closed eyes.
"It feels so warm…and peaceful here…" Ruby said as she relaxed into him.
"…I know…," He seemed rather sad even as he caressed her face lovingly, Ruby reached up with one hand to touch his own, gently intertwining her hand with his own.
"I like it here; can I stay here with you?" She asked softly.
"Ruby…" His voice was full of unhappiness and misery. Sensing this, Ruby tried to peel his hand away from her face so that she could see him, to comfort him for whatever reason he might be sad for.
"Jaune…?" He kept his grip firm though, and no amount of pulling would get it off of her face, "Jaune c'mon." She continued trying to pry his hand off,
"I'm sorry Ruby." He whispered
Ruby's breath caught in her throat, "Wha…what's going on?"
"It's not your time yet…you still have a fight to finish my rose," He whispered softly into her ear. Ruby's heart leapt into her mouth.
"No…I don't want-" She tried to protest.
"But you must!" He harshly interrupted, "I may be gone, but the world still needs you, the world still needs its guardian and until such time that it doesn't, I will wait here for you for as long as I have to," He pressed his lips to her forehead, "Until I see you again."
Ruby's eyes snapped open with one sharp gasp, baring her teeth with her face contorting in rage at Bluebeard. The cultist leader was so taken aback for a moment that he jerked his head back a little even as he kept his hand on Ruby's throat. Ruby grabbed onto the arm with one hand, her eyes glaring holes into him as she restrained him.
"Wha- impossible! You should be dead by now!" Bluebeard tightened his grip, but Ruby was not concerned about that at the moment. With one hand still holding his arm, her other arm shot out and slammed into his face, she pressed one finger right into his eye, eliciting a scream as he tore his hands away from her throat to his face. Ruby let go with a quick gasp of air and seized a grenade from her belt, flicking the ring aside she stuffed it right into his tattered robes as he screamed in agony. She raised one leg and savagely kicked him in the face, sending him tumbling away crying out as she rolled onto her front and scrambled for a cover along the opposite side of the cavern.
Activating her semblance with her last sliver of aura, she dashed madly and careened over the wall just as Bluebeard disintegrated in an explosion that rocked the area. Crashing onto her back breathing heavily, lying completely stock still spread-eagled as her mind tried to come to grips with what had just transpired.
And then it all came back in a flood of emotions, the touch of his hands on her face, his gentle voice in her ears, the feel of his warm breath on her face. And before she knew it she was sobbing and choking, tears cascading down the sides of her face. She had felt all of that and even now her body still tingled from his touch. She sobbed quietly as she lay there, slowly lifting one hand to finger the spot on her forehead where he had kissed her, it still tingled from his touch.
"Jaune…" She wept uncontrollably, "Oh Jaune…I'm…so sorry." She choked and sobbed even as she lay there, oblivious to her surroundings
I'm sorry I couldn't save you
I'm sorry I couldn't say the things that should've been said
I could only be there for you at the end
She did not hear Weiss's screaming
She did not hear the thud of boots as Blake skidded to a halt beside her.
She did not hear Yang frantically speaking to her.
All she heard was his voice still echoing in her ears.
Just wait for me Jaune…
Please wait for me…
I'll definitely see you again…
Little bit of background, I like to think that in the events leading up to the previous chapter, Jaune and Ruby have had a bit of sexual tension going on between them that they just never got the chance to resolve properly, Jaune would've tried to maybe start a conversation here and there about where they're going but Ruby is entirely focused on the fight against Cinder, and that's why Ruby is apologizing to him for not being able to say what they both should have said to each other before the battle. She deeply regrets not being able to be together-together with Jaune until the very last moment leading up to his untimely demise.
The experience noticeably hardens her, perhaps she starts to detach herself a little more from the rest of her team, acting on her own, determined to make sure that no one else dies in front of her the way that Jaune did, so she ends up chasing this villain all on her own with the rest of her team having to chase after her. She eventually manages to corner him in his hideout after eliminating the rest of his group but ends up falling into a trap.
Now a little bit about the villain, Bluebeard (aka Gilles de Rais) was an occultist sometime way back in medieval France who is apparently convicted of dozens of child murders or something, I know of his legend from Fate/Zero and most curiously he was one of Joan of Arc's companions during her little stint during the hundred years war.
Ok I'm not saying that he's in any way, shape or form related to Jaune but...I dunno, it could open up an interesting avenue and opportunity for development if one of Jaune's family (his uncle or something) turned out to be working for the enemy.
Just a thought.
Anyhow, I do have an idea for a THIRD chapter, and I do want to try and get it out before V4 hits, and its kinda sorta half done, just not entirely sure I can finish and polish it before V4 hits.
In any case, I really appreciate all your thoughts on this chapter, I know that its not necessarily as feels-heavy as the first chapter, but I just really wanted to get it out and ask what you thought about it, its primarily because I like the idea that in canon a villain could impersonate Pyrrha just to fuck with everyone and essentially go about taunting them for their failure to help their friend etc.
So I really want to hear your thoughts about this!
Cheers and until next time!
