Special thanks to Mike the Remnant Paladin for going over this chapter. And for being just a swell guy in general.
Cover art - MRK50
The classroom had an unsettling stillness to it. It was silent inside, but far from peaceful. A sinister air lingered, clinging to her nerves like claws and sending shivers through Ruby's body.
It reminded her of when she visited old battlefields from the Great War. Sure, they looked calm and serene now, but the truth always of what took place there always managed to defile its otherwise beautiful appearance. You couldn't see them without feeling the shadow of death hover over you like meat hooks.
The room itself was too clean, almost spotless. It was all a facade, a cover-up. The shiny new polish couldn't conceal the grisly reality from that night. It still scratched its way to the surface, bleeding into the present like a festering maggot breaking through its host.
Ruby could still see Neo's crumpled body bleeding out onto those wooden floorboards. The foul, metallic smell of blood still filled her nostrils. Her heart thumped that same erratic beat when she saw her life flicker before her eyes.
This room was an inevitable. Someone was always supposed to die here. It was only through luck that it hadn't been her.
"What are you doing in here?"
Ruby didn't look up to the sound of her uncle's voice. Her eyes were trained to the floor. "She was lying right there when she died," she said in a quiet, calm voice. A single finger pointing to where she was looking at. "Right there, right in that spot. Just a few feet away from me. I can still see her now."
The last hateful look on her face was branded in her memories. But when she died, Neo had been lying face down. Ruby wondered, did she still have that same venomous expression as she died? Did she still carry those feelings of contempt as everything else left her body?
Or perhaps there was fear? If she looked at her, would she see terror behind those mismatched eyes, knowing that this was the end? Would those silent lips be twisted into a plea for mercy? Death was a chain she and Neo were both bound to. Ruby knew exactly how she felt when she was seconds away from dying.
What was Neo feeling once the tables were turned?
Footsteps. Qrow was getting closer. "I said, what are you doing here?" he asked.
She broke away from her musings and turned her head lazily to look at him. His concern was obvious. He looked at her like she was a little kid about to do something really stupid.
She greeted him with a small smile. "I just wanted to remember something," she told him.
"Yeah, the wrong thing. Come on, kiddo, you shouldn't be here. Let's go outside. I'll buy you some more of those comics you love."
She sighed. "I'm fine, Uncle Qrow, really. You don't have to worry about me."
"I always worry about you, squirt. Especially now. You're making so much progress, and I don't want this place screwing things up for you."
"Nothing's going to change, I promise. It's just important that I remember."
Qrow took a seat next to her. "Be careful," he warned. "I've seen where that train of thought ends. You focus too much on the past, and all the possibilities of what could have been will eat you alive. I know because I've thought the same thing too many times to count. Don't you start doing the same."
Ruby's lips pursed. "There's only one way things could've gone differently. It's like you said: I'd be dead and she'd be living. That's all there is to it."
"You did what you had to."
"I know."
The words felt like a punch to the stomach as she spoke them. Qrow's expression flickered briefly from surprise. Her blunt tone caught her off guard too. But really, how else was she supposed to say it?
"I've had all the time in the world to think about what happened here," she continued. "It's always on my mind, even when I think it's not. It follows me. And it always comes back to this room."
"Ruby, come on, let's get outta here-"
"Do you know what I was thinking before she was about to kill me?" Her eyes bored into his. "I was thinking of everyone I would leave behind. How hurt they would be when I'm gone." Her hands gripped her skirt. "That was gonna be my biggest regret. Not being able to say goodbye to everyone. I… I couldn't let that happen!"
She felt the tremors again. Her whole body shook and her head felt dizzy. She saw Qrow stand, ready to help her, but she raised a hand to stop him. She placed her other hand over her heart, counted to five, then inhaled. She held her breath, counted to five again, then exhaled slowly. Her fingers still tingled a little, but the tremors subsided, and her body felt like her own again.
It was a useful technique she had learned from Yang. Her older sister had her own set of nightmares to deal with, so she developed a coping mechanism for when things got too much. It had worked well so far, which was just as well. Even though she was making progress, she was still prone to panic attacks.
She felt Qrow's hand on her shoulder. "I sound like a broken record here, but you gotta stop blaming yourself," he said gently. "Hating yourself is exhausting. It's not worth the energy."
She looked up at him. "That's the worst part," she whispered hoarsely. "I don't think I do anymore."
It was a horrible thing to admit. She wanted so desperately to loathe her existence as much as she did before. She wished she had the strength to isolate herself and wallow in misery.
But it was like he said: hating herself was too much effort to do every day. She just didn't have that little extra push anymore. She was spent. Drained. It was out of her system.
She started to giggle in a quiet, broken voice. Each fit of laughter, fueled by her maddened state, released fresh tears from her eyes. She hugged herself as she sat there giggling like a crazy person.
"It's so stupid," she managed out. "I spent so long hiding away from all of you, when you guys are the one thing I wanted to live for. It was like Neo had died for nothing. At times, I even wished are roles were reversed. I hated myself, and I thought you should hate me too.
"But everything's changed. I've been seeing you all again, and I know how much you all care about me. And you know what? I'm… I'm happy! This is exactly what I wanted; more of this. You're all that makes my life worth living. And I love it!"
Her laughter regressed into weak coughing. "I feel horrible for not feeling horrible," she muttered. "I hate that I've accepted what's happened. Believe me, I'm trying to hate myself for it. I really, really am. But I can't do it anymore. It's… I don't know what to feel anymore."
Qrow didn't look too fazed by her deranged confession. If anything, he looked almost relieved. His red eyes were staring at her softly. It was always strange; she never expected red eyes of all things to look gentle, but somehow, he always found a way.
"So, if Tai ever finds out about this, he's gonna kill me," he said. "But he's not here right now, and given the circumstances, he'll probably understand. Just try not to mention it to him. Or your sister, for that matter."
She frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Qrow reached for his hip flask and held it before her. "Try some," he said.
Ruby looked at the flask confused. If he didn't have her, her dad or Yang, that flask would easily be his most treasured possession. He was like a dragon guarding its treasure when it came to protecting it. He also never shared what was in it with anyone.
Until now, apparently.
"You're letting me have some?" she asked for good measure.
"Sure, why not?"
"But… I'm not even eighteen."
"Oh, please," he scoffed. "You're on a mission to fight the Devil and save the world. I think you can be forgiven for having a little pick-me-up."
"Is it a good idea, though? I know I'm struggling, but I don't wanna drink my problems away."
"We're not. We're celebrating." He unscrewed the cap, realising the powerful odour that made her head feel light just smelling it. "We're celebrating you feeling happy again, even after all the shit you've been through. I dunno about you, but this calls for a victory drink."
Qrow handed her the flask. The sleek container was surprisingly heavy in her hand. How much was in this thing? He must've done a lot of celebrating…
"You don't have to like it," he said. "But do me a favour; don't spit it out. That stuff's expensive, and the floorboards don't deserve to drink it."
Ruby was a little nervous about this. She had never drunk alcohol before. Yang always promised to treat her to a 'strawberry sunrise' when she was older, which was apparently as tasty as it sounded. But knowing her uncle, Ruby knew Qrow didn't have time for girly drinks like that. Whatever was in this could probably knock her out with just a sip.
Cautiously, she pressed the lid to her lips and drank. Her eyes bulged out of her head as she swallowed, and her hands nearly dropped the flask. With her insides feeling like they were on fire, she was reduced to a violent coughing fit. Her uncle saw her reaction and laughed.
"It burns!" she gagged. "What the heck is that stuff?"
"One of the few useful gifts the Gods gave us before they fucked off," Qrow chuckled. He took the flask from Ruby and had a drink himself, chugging the alcohol back like a pro.
As for Ruby, she was ready to spit out her own throat. "How do you drink that so easily?" she gasped.
"Experience," he grunted. "We used to sneak some of this stuff into Beacon when we felt like partying. The taste is a nice… memory. If it makes you feel better, your mom and dad reacted the same way when they first tried it."
"At least we have some sane people in the family," she muttered.
Qrow laughed again, then handed her back the flask. "Try some more," he said. "The first taste is always the worst. It'll be nicer now that you're broken into it."
Ruby took the flask containing what might as well be acid. Even though she wasn't thrilled about having more, she didn't want to refuse his invitation. She took another sip, this time being careful about how much she was swallowing. It didn't scorch her innards like it did last time, though there was still a fiery kick to it.
She handed it back to him when she was done. "I don't think I could ever get used to that," she admitted.
"Yeah, that's probably for the best," he said, taking one last sip before putting it away. "You're way of celebrating is healthier than mine. How's things been going lately?"
"Pretty good," Ruby said. "I'm socialising a lot more now. Even if we're not doing anything special, I just like to make sure I'm not alone. Helps keep my head busy."
"Good."
"My lessons with Ozpin are going well too. My combat skills are improving all the time. He's actually having to attack back now. Yeah… it's been good."
"Kid, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that," Qrow said, giving her hair a little ruffle. "Sounds to me you finally understand that what happened wasn't your fault."
Ruby's lips tightened, and she gently pulled Qrow's hand away. That sentence didn't sit well with her. Things were definitely better than before, but life wasn't that simple yet.
"No," she said quietly. "No, it was my fault. Neo didn't kill herself that night. It's my fault she's dead."
"Ruby-"
"Don't worry, I'm not punishing myself for it," she quickly added. "But I am angry that it happened. She didn't have to die that night. Sure, she attacked first, and sure, I was just defending myself. But her death still angers me, even if she was a bad person."
"You're hands were tied. There was nothing you could do," Qrow said in an attempt to reassure her.
All it did was make her more annoyed.
"There was nothing I could do back then, yeah," she stated. "Because I wasn't skilled enough to stop it from happening. Had I been better and smarter, this could've been avoided. But I was neither, and look what happened."
"You sure you're not punishing yourself?" he asked. "Cause it sure sounds like you are."
"There's nothing wrong with getting annoyed at your own mistakes," she said. "Neo did some terrible things, but who knows? Maybe I could've talked some sense into her? Maybe I could've convinced her to help us take down Salem?"
"Unlikely." Her uncle's words stamped out any hope in her words. It was a shame how quickly she agreed with him.
Ruby shrugged. "Probably. But now we'll never know."
Ruby wasn't so optimistic that she believed Neo would just change her motivations on a whim. But she had so much skill, so much potential. Even though her heart was blackened, there was still a glimmer of humanity in her - her grief for Roman was very real. Had she been given some compassion, she could've been a completely different person.
But now she was dead, and all that potential was squandered. Wasted. In a way, Ruby felt she had failed Neo - she had failed to save her from herself.
"There's nothing I can do to bring Neo back," Ruby reluctantly sighed. "But you're right; I can't keep beating myself up over what happened. That won't help anyone. I need to start focusing on the future, so I can make sure nothing like this ever happens again."
"That's what I like to hear," Qrow said. "So, what's your first plan of action?"
"Act how you think a huntress should act. Set your own example." Ozpin's words echoed in her head.
"I've got something in mind," she said. "I'll talk more about it over dinner, though. I think it's something everyone needs to hear."
Also, she needed time to work out all the words in her head. She didn't want to make her big announcement stuttering like a broken TV. If she was gonna speak, she had to get it right.
"Fair enough," Qrow said. "But listen, whaddya say we get out of here? I know you didn't like the drink, so how about I treat you to some ice cream? Hell, we can get whatever you want, I just think we should get outta here."
"That sounds great," she said with a warm smile. "Just give me a few more minutes. I'll be out soon."
Qrow looked like he wanted to argue, but held his tongue. "Well, alright. As long as you promise it's only a few minutes. No more than two."
"I promise," she said. "I just need some closure. It won't take long."
Qrow took her word for it, then waited for her outside. Ruby crouched down at gently touched the spot where Neo had died. The ground felt warm, as if some vestige of life still clung to it. She waited for the shiver up her spine to pass, then summoned forth all the regret in her heart. All her shame, all her guilt, all of it rose like a sorrowful river. She was wrecked with it.
And then she spoke.
"I'm sorry, Neo."
And just like that, the pain eased. One moment, she was overwhelmed by it, but now it was cool and controlled. It wasn't gone - it never would be - but it was balanced.
She had said that many times, both awake and in her sleep. But never like this. Whereas before it had been panicked and pleading, now her apology was steady and firm. She wasn't just addressing Neo, she was apologising to her memory, her spirit, everything about her. Neo's life was over, and she was truly sorry for it.
But she wouldn't say goodbye. Not yet. She'd save that for later.
[/]
They ended up having pizza that night. Everyone crowded around the boxes on the table, picking apart the slices like hungry crows. All of it was Weiss' treat. Before escaping Atlas, she had moved all of her money to a different account, one which her father couldn't touch. When asked how much she had on it, she just said, "enough" with a smile on her face.
Ruby hardly touched her food. She was too nervous to eat. She had spent the entire day going over what she was going to say in her head, even when she was out with Qrow. It was only her friends she was speaking to, but it felt like she was about to address the nation.
Thankfully, no one noticed her toying with that one slice of pizza in her hand. She didn't want to give the impression that something was wrong. No, it was quite the opposite.
She waited a few more minutes for everyone to settle down, then she cleared her throat. "Excuse me. There's something I gotta say," she said.
Everyone looked at her, and she felt her brain freeze. She could hear static in her ears as she felt her confidence leave her.
"Geez, I had the words clear in my head a second ago, now I can't even think," she groaned.
That earned a laugh from everyone. She laughed too, if only to get her nerves out of her system. When the laughter died down, all eyes were trained on her again. Their gazes felt like burning spotlights.
She closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts. She could do this. She had to. After taking a deep breath, she started to speak.
"First of all, I need to say I'm sorry," she began. "I know I've been distant with you all. After I… after I killed Neo, I thought you'd want nothing to do with me. That you'd think I'm some kind of monster. I thought hiding away would somehow atone for all that."
An angry flush rushed up to her neck. "I was an idiot," she growled. "You'd never treat me like that. I was so stupid for doubting you all. It was unfair to you, and unfair to myself."
"You had your reasons," Weiss said gently.
Ruby shook her head. "My reasons were stupid. You guys are family to me, and I pushed you away when I needed you the most. I've made all of you needlessly worry, and for that, I am so sorry.
"I can't make up for all that time wasted. But what I can do is make you all a promise: I will never hide from you guys ever again. We're all finally together again, and I won't spoil that now. There's tough times ahead of us, but if we stick together, I know we can get through them all. Because we're all we've got. And I know I can't think of anyone I'd rather face this journey with than you guys."
What other friends would travel all this way to reunite with each other? What other friends could lose a teammate and still carry on fighting despite their pain? All of them were invincible, but only when they worked together.
For Ruby, it was an honour to be counted as one of them.
She was swept off her feet when Nora crashed into her, bawling in an overdramatic manner. The weeping cannonball picked her up and brought her into a crushing bearhug.
"Awww, we love you too, you precious little rosebud," Nora cried. "You're way too cute to be a baddie."
Ruby gagged as her breath was squeezed out of her by Nora's bone-breaking affection.
"Alright, alright, settle down, Nora," Ren said. Being the only one who could tame the beast, he pulled Nora away from her, still blubbering like a baby.
"Nora's theatrics aside," Weiss said, "this team wouldn't be complete without you, Ruby. There's not a thing you could do to make us hate you, despite how loud, annoying, and impossibly energetic you can be."
Ruby blushed. "I've missed your compliments, Weiss."
"And we've missed you," Weiss said. "So, you better hold true to your promise. I will not have you punishing yourself alone again, no matter what the future holds."
That last line caught Ruby's attention. "Yeah, speaking of the future… there's something else I need to say."
The room fell silent again. This was it. Ruby took in another deep breath.
"My time alone wasn't completely useless," she said quietly. "It's given me some time to think. To think about what happened that night… and what kind of person I am.
"I was always brought up to believe that a huntress should strive to save everyone, no matter how bad they may be. This journey has taught me a lot. I realise now that the world isn't so black and white, and that sometimes… tough decisions need to be made in order to protect people."
Her heart bled when she saw Qrow look awkwardly to the side. She almost wanted to stop talking right there. But she couldn't. She had to keep going.
"I have great respect for those with the will to carry out those choices," she continued. "They are braver and stronger than me, more so than I could ever hope to be… which is why I cannot be one of them."
Her eye twitched as the memory briefly assaulted her mind. Before, it would have sent her sprawling in tears. Now, it added fuel to her burning ambition.
"I made a terrible mistake when I killed Neo that night. It broke me. And I know what most of you are thinking: she deserved to die, she was trying to kill me, yes, yes, I know. But that doesn't change the fact that what I did will haunt me for the rest of my life. I don't expect you to understand, and I hope you never experience what I feel.
"All of us here have different ideas on how hunters should behave. This is mine: I value life too much to see it end so abruptly. I don't want to take lives, I want to save them. To me, killing Neo was wrong, and it goes against everything I stand for.
"Which is why I cannot do it anymore. Last time was an accident. There will be no more accidents. This war will claim as many lives as it can, but so long as I'm fighting it, I will reduce the number of casualties as possible. That includes from both sides. For that is my duty as a huntress."
She didn't expect them all to agree with her ideology. In some ways, she didn't want them to. The world needed brave people like her uncle to make the hard choices. And while she didn't want any of them to kill people as well, she wouldn't judge them if their principles differed from hers.
They were all heroes. All of them. Including her.
Her chest felt like a deflated cushion. That was the most she had spoken for a very long time. She was all worded out. Her vocabulary was done for the day.
So, could someone else please break the silence? Please?
"You know, I think I need to hand in my Older Sister card," Yang said. "You clearly deserve it more than I do. You and your maturity and morals, making me feel like a little kid."
"That's a very brave outlook you have," Blake said. "Others may not agree with you."
Ruby shrugged. "Let them disagree. They have their code, and I have mine. I won't compromise."
Blake smiled approvingly. "Good."
Jaune's fingers drummed against the table. "I really like your mindset," he murmured. "If I ever see Cinder again… I hope I can copy it."
Ruby bit her lip. That was a bridge they'd have to cross later. Maybe the could detain her, or find a way that prevented her from hurting more people. If she did have to die though… well, that was that.
But it wouldn't be by her blade. That was a fact.
Ren held his leader's shoulder. "As do I," he said. "For every fight."
"It does seem nice," Weiss hummed. "Of course, if things get out of control… I won't blame myself too much. But I will try to make sure that doesn't happen."
Yang looked down at her prosthetic. "Yeah, same," she whispered.
Ruby's stomach suddenly rumbled. Her knees buckled as hunger sucker punched her. She forgot how hungry she always got after talking so much. Luckily, she still had a slice of pizza in her hand.
Wait, no she didn't. It was gone!
"Hey, did anyone see my pizza?" she asked. Everyone looked around confused. No one else was eating.
Well, no one except a guilty-looking Nora, munching on a slice of pepperoni with the crust cut off.
Her slice!
"Nora, did you take my pizza when you hugged me?" Ruby cried.
"I eat when I cry, you know this!" Nora shot back. "Actually, I think I've got some more tears in the works. What say we get another pizza just in case, Weiss?"
"I don't think I should spend all my money on pizza," Weiss said. "But I'm sure Ruby's uncle will be happy to comply."
"Oh no, you kids have bled me dry enough already!" Qrow said.
Nora turned to Qrow. "Come on, please, Mr Qrow!" she begged.
"No!"
"Please, Mr Qrow!"
"No!"
"Please, Mr Qrow!"
"No!"
"Please, Mr Qrow-"
"Stop calling me Mr Qrow!" he snapped. "Qrow's my first name! It's Mr Branwen!"
"Okay… please, Mr Branwen!"
Qrow paused. "... okay, fine. Just promise to never call me that again. I'm not a teacher anymore, and Mr Branwen makes me sound old…"
They had more pizza, and this time, Ruby made sure to eat her fill. And Qrow was totally fine buying them, no matter what his pained expression told her.
Ruby went to bed with a full belly. She fell asleep quickly, but the night wasn't over for her yet. She had come to terms with her actions, and she had revealed her future plans to her friends.
But there was one last matter she needed to resolve. And she was ready.
[/]
She had been here before. But this time, it would be different.
Ruby calmly watched Neo rise from the blood once again. Mismatched eyes blinked away red drops and gazed back at her. Neo almost smiled, but even she sensed something different in the air. Even she realised something had changed.
Ruby looked down at her hand. In it was the monster scythe, thirsting for bloodshed. She heard its dark call, begging to taste the flesh of her enemies.
Ruby shut her eyes and pushed back the calling. "Go away," she growled. "I want nothing to do with you."
The pleading turned into an enraged howl. Its frenzied roars echoed within her like the voice of a storm. It hammered against her soul, clawing its way to get in. Her mind throbbed under its dark influence.
It would not be denied. It demanded death.
But Ruby held firm. "I said, leave!" she snapped. "I never want to see you again! This is my head! You don't belong here!"
More and more, she kept pushing it back until the roar drowned under her will, reduced to a pathetic whimper. Its voice sounded like a scuttling cockroach in her head. It tried reasoning with her, insisting that she needed it. It begged to be spared.
Then, with one final push, she silenced it forever.
Its hideous aura was expunged. She felt it disappear from existence, breaking apart one by one until it was nothing more than a memory. A thin wail was heard as it took its last miserable breath, before being utterly erased.
When Ruby looked down, the monster scythe was gone. In its place was something else. Something very familiar. Her true companion against her enemies.
Crescent Rose.
The real Crescent Rose, in all its glory.
She greeted her old friend with a smile. She saw her beaming face being reflected in its blade.
She gave it a twirl and addressed Neo. "Sorry for the wait," she said cheerfully. "Now then, let's get started."
Neo's eyes narrowed. She did not like this new attitude of Ruby's. Her lips curled into an impish smile, and she drew a finger across her neck. A thin red line grew from where her finger had trailed, growing bigger and deeper. Blood began to rapidly pour from it.
Neo's head rolled back as it fell off her neck, hitting the blood with a splash. Her headless body stood for a few minutes before melting into blood, merging itself with the scarlet river.
Ruby shook her head. Cool trick, but gross. "Nice try," she said. "But you'll have to do better than that. You're not breaking me that easily."
Neo rose from the blood again, head reattached to her body. She was properly angry now, snarling and glaring hatefully at her. How unfortunate for her to realise she wasn't in control anymore.
"This is the last time we do this, Neo," Ruby said in a low voice. She readied her scythe. "Do your worst. I've already beaten it once."
If she were capable of it, Neo would've been roaring. She pulled out her blade and charged at Ruby. There was no joke in her movements. She was going in for the kill.
Ruby blocked the strike, deflecting the blade away, but Neo expertly brought it back around and lunged at her. Ruby blocked again. The two of them were matched in speed, so only their skill would win this fight.
And Ruby had more skill. She always would in her head.
Neo's strikes were fierce but predictable. Ruby dodged a jab to her stomach, then countered the follow-up slash she saw coming a mile away. It was nothing she hadn't seen before. There was no imagination in her attacks.
Though perhaps that was Ruby's fault? This was her head, after all. Oh well. Too bad for her.
Ruby kicked Neo back and assaulted her with her own strikes. Her movements were quick and graceful as Crescent Rose chipped away at Neo's defences. Neo's eyes desperately darted around, trying to track the blade's movements.
It wasn't good enough. Ruby and Crescent Rose fought as one body and mind. Combined with her speed semblance, they were a crimson blur of steel and style.
One lucky swipe slashed along Neo's chest. Neo's mouth opened into a silent cry and she jumped back, just avoiding the next attack. The jagged line across her chest healed instantly, but it was the first time Neo had ever looked hurt in the nightmare. The girl wasn't as invincible as she let on.
Ruby understood that now, and it terrified Neo.
Outraged, Neo stabbed her blade into the ground and twisted. All of a sudden, the blood started to swirl aggressively, until the centre of it formed into a bloody whirlpool.
Ruby anchored her scythe into the ground, but it wasn't enough. The suction of the whirlpool was dragging her in, pulling her into its sanguine depths.
The floor beneath her feet disappeared. With a yelp, she was swept away by the tide. Waves of red crashed against her, filling her mouth with the disgusting taste of metal. Her fingers desperately reached out for something to grab on to.
The world span as the whirlpool rocked her around like a ragdoll. Her lungs burned in her chest. Her body plummeted further into the depths.
She was drowning. All of her senses were slipping from her.
But then, as if by fate, she felt Crescent Rose in her hand again. Her trusty weapon hadn't abandoned her.
They were in this together.
She aimed its sniper beneath her and pulled the trigger. She shot up as fast as the bullets her weapon fired. Her semblance gave her that extra boost she needed to burst out of the whirlpool in an explosion of red.
She spun when she hit the ground, lungs sucking in precious air, or whatever counted as air in a nightmare. She looked at Neo, who was glaring at her furiously.
"You sure have a sick way of giving someone a bath," she quipped.
Neo was livid, but not finished. She raised her arms up and the blood began to bubble. Then, out from the depths, came another Neo. Then another. Then another, until the girl had amassed an entire army of herself.
Ruby was swarmed. One Neo was bad enough, but now there were too many to count. They all kept rising, all with murderous intent in their eyes. If she didn't do something, they'd overrun her instantly.
She breathed deeply. They weren't real, she told herself. This was her head, and she was the one in control.
She fired a bullet into one of them. The Neo clone melted instantly upon being hit. It seemed they weren't as sturdy as the original. She fired eight more shots, then after the ninth, she went to reload.
To her surprise, her chamber was still heavy, even though she should've been out of ammo by now.
Then it hit her. Oh yeah, this was a dream. She could have as much ammo she wanted.
What followed was similar to a gun show held by the White Fang. Spinning in the air, she unleashed a hail of bullets down on the clones. Each of them dropped one by one, disappearing as soon as they arrived. With her reckless trigger finger, it was enough to make a girl scream 'yee-haw'.
Fire dust, lighting dust, ice dust, you name it, she rained it all down on them. She had the whole world blasting out of her rifle.
As each clone fell, the true Neo was seen kneeling in the blood, desperately trying to summon more. But her power was weakening, and when the last clone fell, another did not rise.
Ruby landed and walked towards Neo. The girl's eyes flared, and when the two made eye contact, Ruby's head stung as everything went white.
Ruby blinked and saw the world had changed. She wasn't in the nightmare anymore. She was in the classroom where this had all began. The window shone soft moonlight into the room. All seemed still.
Then she saw herself.
Or rather, she saw a copy of herself. A perfect reflection. Her copy was standing over Neo's crumpled body, Crescent Rose in her hand. Blood dripped from its blade. The clone stood there, silently. It didn't notice the other Ruby in the room.
It was hard to make out the clones expression; its head was hung, causing its hair to fall down its face. But Ruby saw one thing clear. Hidden beneath those bangs was something that stoked her fury.
The clone was smiling.
It was looking down at Neo's corpse with a proud grin on its face.
Ruby's blood boiled. "That's not how it happened!" she snarled. "That isn't who I am!"
The clone looked up at her. She was wrong, it wasn't a perfect reflection. The clone's eyes were vacant and soulless. It had the eyes of a demon; cruel and devoid of compassion.
And that smirk. That damn, hideous, ghoulish smirk! As if she could ever revel in the death of another person! That's not who she was! She would never become this… this…
"I am not a monster!" Ruby screamed and slashed the air around her.
The illusion shattered. Crescent Rose cut through it like it was cheap wallpaper. She was back in the nightmare, though somehow, the blood and the darkness were a more welcome sight than that faux memory.
Neo's eyes were wide with terror and anger. Weak and virtually defenceless, there was little the girl could do now to fight back. It was time to end this once and for all.
As Ruby walked closer to her, Neo tried bombarding her mind again with images of her death, of Ruby killing more people, laughing as she did it. All in a last ditch effort to make her crack.
Ruby soldiered through it all, putting up a barrier around her mind. When she was close enough, Neo tried piercing her heart with her blade. Crescent Rose blocked the attack and swiped the weapon out of her hand.
Neo sat weaponless and defeated. It was over. Ruby had won.
"Are you ready, Neo?" Ruby whispered. "Because this is the worst thing I can do to you. I hope you can forgive me."
A little of Neo's confidence returned. Her smug grin returned, and she offered her throat to Ruby. Neo closed her eyes, awaiting the blade to slice through her.
Her eyes shot open again when Ruby suddenly hugged her.
Crescent Rose was placed to one side. Ruby held Neo tight in her arms, resting her head on her shoulder. As for Neo, she was too shocked to realise what was happening. For a moment, the nightmare seemed almost peaceful.
Neo felt so small in Ruby's arms. So fragile, like a doll. Ruby squeezed tighter. This was a nightmare for both of them. They were both trapped here. She just wanted Neo to know that in these final moments, she was not alone.
Ruby cradled Neo's head. "I'm sorry it had to be this way," she croaked. "I wish I could save you and make things right. I don't blame you for hating me. But you attacked me first. What I did, it was self-defence. Even still… I'm so sorry for what I did."
Ruby leaned back and wiped some of the blood off Neo's face. Her thumbs gently stroked her face. Perhaps it was mad of her to apologise to her would-be killer. But when Ruby looked at Neo, she no longer saw a rampaging murderer out for blood. Instead, she saw a helpless, terrified girl.
Terrified because she knew what was soon to come.
"But I promise your sacrifice won't be in vain," Ruby vowed. "You have taught me something, Neo: that all life is precious, and it's worth saving. I will never let this happen again. I will be the huntress that protects everyone, no matter who they are. And because of that… I thank you."
Neo began to shake. Tears were pouring down her face. It was already happening. She could feel it. She gripped Ruby's arm and silently begged Ruby to change her mind. Once was horrible enough. Please, have mercy.
Ruby's heart sank looking at her. She pitied her, she truly did. But this was the only way. She pulled her into a hug one last time.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But we can't keep doing this forever. You're dead, Neo. It's time for you to rest."
Neo's fingers dug into Ruby's cloak as she buried her face against her shoulder. Ruby could feel her body heaving. This was the end. And Ruby would be with her every second of it. She whispered into her ear that everything was alright.
Then, ever slowly, Neo started to disappear. Her body gradually faded from existence. Ruby held her close the entire time until there was no longer anything to hold. Neo was well and truly gone.
Ruby sat alone in the quiet darkness. Her hands touched her cheeks. She had been crying. Of course, she had. That's just the sort of person she was. She wiped the tears away and stood up.
"Goodbye, Neo."
She looked down at the floor and noticed the blood, which had once stretched like a river, was fading too. Even the blood on her clothes was vanishing. As it faded, the stench alongside it was erased. Ruby sniffed. The air smelt fresh.
Clean.
Suddenly, a ray of light burst through the pitch-black sky. More and more rays cracked through the darkness until the entire world was enveloped in a warm, brilliant light. It washed over Ruby like a hot bath, welcoming her into its embrace.
Ruby smiled, closed her eyes, and gladly accepted it. She wasn't sure what the future had in mind for her, but while she lived, she would carry this light within her forever.
The nightmare was over.
This chapter... I've been meaning to write it for a very long time. Feels strange that it's done now.
Not much to say here. I'll save my words for the next one.