Chapter 7: …?


"And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao-Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose!" Ozpin finished, have just assigning the four girl to the same team.

"Oh I am so proud of you!" Yang exclaimed as she Xiao-Long style bear hugged Ruby.

"Congratulations, Ruby" Weiss said with a small smile. While she was somewhat upset she was not the leader she was happy for her partner. Ruby had more than proven herself not only during the Nevermore fight, but in the clearing as well. She was impressed with how fast her now leader came up with the plans. "Now I just have to wait for father to call and complain I was not picked as leader. Well it's not like he can do anything about it."

Blake just smiled and nodded at Ruby.

Right as they were about to walk off Ozpin called out to them.

"Team RWBY a moment."

"Yes Professor?"

"The four of you have demonstrated knowledge in crafting in both mundane and in Dust that is beyond what first year are required to know. As such your dorm will have a private workshop attached to it. This is usually reserved for third and fourth years, however I, Ms. Gooodwitch and the teachers in charge of said crafts agree you should be been this opportunity.

RWBY was silent for a moment while they look at one another before their leader spoke up

"Thank you very much Professor! Well make sure not to let you down."

"I would expect nothing less"

Ozpin then hid his smile behind his mug and nodded and walked away before thinking to himself. "An interesting year indeed"


"Oh can you believe it guys? We have our own personal workshop~!" Ruby was literally skipping down the hall to their room.

"I must say I did not expect this to happen. But it is very much welcomed." Weiss said as she smiled at her leader's excitement.

"Well if anything it will save us time and let us concentrate as opposed to using the public ones with other to distract us." added Blake

"Well I for one can't wait to hit the hay, you guys need anything before I fall asleep? Ask Yang

"Now that you mentioned it yes. Ruby now that we have our team can you explain exactly what your Semblance is?"

"Oh yea thanks for reminding Weiss. Once we are all settled for the night I explain. Ok?"


Half an hour later the newly formed team RWBY was in their pajamas sitting on the center two beds. Ruby and Weiss were on one bed while Blake and Yang were on the others.

"Ok I know I have already asked this, but just what the hell is your Semblance. Making swords appear and explode? Hitting Nevermore feathers out of the sky? Pinning said Nevermore to a cliff-face with several dozen and then blasting it to nothingness? And to top it off what is with all the rose?!" Asked Weiss.

"Well to start off the rose petals is something my mom's Semblance did, so I guess I get that from her. But as for everything else…" Ruby paused to take a deep breath then launched into an explanation.

"In the simplest terms my Semblance is the near perfect replication of any weapon I have ever seen with the use of up to eighty percent of the original owner's skill.

This seems to shock the monochrome duo.

"What do you mean by replication? Could you make a copy of Myrtenaster?"

"Yep! Just give me a sec" Ruby closed her eyes for before whispering "Blossom"

Once again the air was filled with the scent of roses as a head sized rose came into being in front of Ruby. It scattered to unveil Myrtenaster. It was a mirror image of the real one. However like everything that Ruby blossomed it was black with slightly glowing red highlights.

"Oh my god!" To say Weiss shocked was an understatement. It was one thing to see generic weapons and hear Ruby's explanation. But to see it? Aside from the color it was perfect copy of Myrtenaster.

"That's …rather impressive. Can you give us an example of replication of skill?" asked Blake.

Ruby grabbed the replica and took fencing stance identical to Weiss's. She then preformed several pinpoint thrust attacks on an imaginary foe. She then let go of the rapier and as it was halfway to the floor it scattered.

"So Weiss how was that~?" asked Ruby with a cheeky grin, knowing if Weiss said her form was bad she would be technically be insulting herself.

"… Well… I really don't know what to say Ruby. I am, however, very thankful I partnered with someone who has such a unique skill set" The heiress really didn't know what else to say. Thankfully Blake took up the slack.

"So if you can replicate skill why don't you just use the weapon of a very great huntsman or huntress all the time?"

"Glad you ask Blake~! It is simple really the more skilled the person is with the weapon I am replicating the more Aura I have to use. So with generic weapons I can make and fire them for a while. As compared a skilled person I could only make a few depending in their skill level. So for example Myrtenaster and Gambol Shroud cost the same for me."

"What about Yang's weapons" asked Weiss

"Once again glad you asked. The closer, as in emotional closeness, I am to the person the cost is reduced but not by a lot.. Also since people are always improving the "copy" I have updates every time I see the person. And that about covers it. Any questions?"

"Yes what happen at the bridge? You said those few lines and summoned dozens of weapons. Not to mention you threw up blood afterwards!" Weiss ask while Yang just glared at Ruby for the stunt. This cause Ruby too look away for a moment while rubbing her neck.

"Ok here is where it gets a little complex. Normal I can only summon a max of five weapons and none can be repeats. The lines I said are sort of like keys to subconscious locks. I have three levels of locks. Here are the general rules I have found out.

1. All locks are on. The limit is five non-repeating weapons

2. Partial unlock. Three locks are unlocked and seven locks remain. I can summons several dozen weapons simultaneously and there can be repeats. I really didn't show this aspect off but the weapons can go after separate targets or act together. And finally, and this is why I threw up blood, it is a massive drain on Aura.

I had already used a fair amount in the clearing to block and destroy the feathers so when I broke the lock it was kind of overwhelming."

"What about your third level? What can you do then?"

"Well Weiss remember when I said if I go all out meaning using one hundred percent of my Aura?" Weiss nodded "Well unlocking all the locks does that."

"So what is it?"

"Well where do you think my Semblance stores all the weapons I see?"

"…"

"…"

Both Weiss and Blake were at a loss as to where such information would be stored.

"Well this is probably the hardest part of my Semblance to understand. Also what I am about to tell you does NOT leave this room. Only my family and mentor know about it. Can I trust you two too keep this in this room?"

"Ruby as your partner I swear I will never say anything unless you give me permission"

"Aww Weiss~ you're not just my partner. You're my friend!" Ruby said with a big grin. She then turned to Blake

"Blake, my sister trusts you, so I am going to trust you too ok?

"… Thank you. I will not misplace it."

As soon as she finished saying that Yang cooed and pulled Blake in a one armed Xiao-Long bear hug.

"Aww that's so sweet Blakey~ I knew I had an awesome partner!"

Blake's face was slightly red from the praise but just grinned and shook her head.

"Ok back to my Semblance. Since it is my Semblance that stores the info it is really my soul itself that hold the information. You see I have what I guess you could call an inner world."

Weiss and Blake just looked at her like she grew a second head

"In that world all the weapons I have ever seen are planted into the ground. When I use all ten lines I can project my inner world outwards and everything into it within a fifty meter radius. Once there several key things happen.

1. All the weapons are already formed and cost no addition Aura to summon

2. Any weapon can form any number of times

3. At my command any and all weapons will fly at any hostile force without fail until they are destroyed or hit the target

4. Any weapon destroyed is instantly reformed but at cost, albeit a reduced one.

5. I can use one hundred percent of the skill of any weapon

6. My physical and mental capacities increase

7. And finally and here is the reason I need full Aura to use it: It is a near-fatal drain if used at ANYTHING under ninety-five percent Aura level even ninety-four point nine present Aura level is dangerous.

Both Weiss and Blake were the color of paper. Honest you cannot blame them. What do you do when your leader just say not only that they an alternate world inside them that they can project outwards, but if they use said power it could kill them. They just needed a few moment to themselves to collect their thoughts.

"So anything else you guy want to know?" Ruby broke the silence

"A few. First how on Remnant does someone get an inner world that they can project outwards. Second what is it called and how does it work." Ask Weiss who had gotten over her shock and now as very interested in her partner literal inner workings.

"Well all I know is from my teacher and he called himself third-rate so I don't know how accurate this all, but I'll tell you what I know. Ok?"

"Yes please tell us what you can"

"To start off the ability to project the soul outward is a concept call a Reality Marble. A Reality Marble is having one's inner world materialized and projected onto reality. Generally, it is used to refer to the alien common sense of sapient non-humanoids and that it is how non-humanoids perceive reality and how a Reality Marble itself is their natural ability.

The created worlds are completely cut off from normal reality, projecting their internal landscape and sealing off the regular World. The actualization of a Reality Marble is the result of switching the Self and the World. The size of the Self and the World is switched, enclosing the World in a small container while the Self is expanded. They will encase anyone within range, causing them to disappear from view until the World crushes the unnatural distortion"

With a heavy sigh Weiss pitched her nose while muttering under her breath "I swear of all the possible…"

What even she was going to say was interrupted by a giggling Ruby

"Sorry it just that your face is so funny right now!" Ruby proclaimed shamelessly

After grumbling for a few seconds Weiss sighed again.

Blake choose that moment to speak up.

"If you don't mind me asking how you acquire as you called it a "Reality Marble?" You said it is usually found in sapient non-humanoids and I can tell you are human. So how are you able have, much less use, one."

As soon as she asked the question she immediately regretted it. Ruby face became blank and her eyes seemed to stare off into space.

"Ruby I'm sorry if I" she was cut off as Ruby quickly shock her head.

"No problem Blake. You didn't say anything you shouldn't have. I was just trying to think of the best way to say this… I think this goes without saying but all of this still falls under the "does not leave this room category" ok?"

Weiss and Blake nodded.

"Well you know how I said a Reality Marble is how non-humanoids perceive reality?"

Both nodded slowly, each slowly piecing together what she was about to say.

"I don't perceive reality like normal people do."

"So what? Everyone has a different way of looking at things" Stated Blake

"The thing is though MY perception is on fundamental different level. From my point of view I am not a person, but a"

"NO YOUR NOT!"

The white and, black team members jumped as the yellow one screamed at the red one.

"Ruby we talked about this. You! Are! A! Person! I don't give a damn about what Emiya said! Like you said he considered himself third-rate. Your Reality Marble doesn't define who or what you are! You are a human damn it! Just because he said it defines you doesn't mean it's true!"

"Yes it does Yang! It is my damn SOUL giving form for crying out load! I'm pretty sure that defines me because you know it is ME! I don't understand why you and dad get so upset about this. Remember he always used to say "No matter what girls always be yourself" But all that suddenly changes when we found out I had an inner world.

When I discovered found it, it was like something just clicked inside of me. A piece of me that I didn't know what was missing suddenly fell into place. I finally felt whole! Complete! I finally felt like a person. Happy… But you two don't agree with that idea. Do you know what that's like? To have your own father and sister tell you the way you see reality is fundamentally wrong? Why are you guys so against this? I finally found what I am good at and you two just… ugh." Ruby, who up until this point was walking back and forth, swung her arms in frustration before continuing.

"You remember what happen before we meet him! I ran crying into the woods near mom's grave and was bawling my eyes out because I couldn't even use my damn Aura to use fire Dust to light a god damn FIRE! And to add insult to injury every single person at school decided that they all needed to give their own two fucking cents about that fact that I couldn't even do something I should have been able to do TWO year prior! I was CONTENT to let Beowolves KILL me because I just wanted the taunting to stop!

Then when I woke up in the hospital, after all the mushy "oh my god you're alive" crap, you said to me "if ANYTHING ever bothers you again come to one of us". The fact is I AM bothered by the fact that you can't accept what I am!"

"Rubes I do accept you. I accept you as a person. I just can't stand when you call yourself a… a…" Yang trailed off not want to give validation to Ruby's self view.

'A what Yang? A what? Go on say it! God knows we had this conversation enough times!" challenged Ruby

"A WEAPON! ... a weapon…" The silence was beyond deafening.

Weiss and Blake were... no. No simple words could not describe what they felt and thought at that exact moment in time. Mt. Glenn itself could exploded right now and they would not have notice it. How could they? When the scene before was for lack of a better word alien. Although given the subject matter of inner worlds, that in order to form a person had to have an alien perceptive on reality, alien was a very appropriate word to use. Both Weiss and Blake could, at least to themselves, admit their family situations were messed up.

For Weiss, she had a father that didn't even see her as a daughter. He only saw her as a way to, in his words, "continue the proud Schnee name". If by proud he meant being scorned by an entire race of people for simple have the name, then yes the Schnee name was something to be very "proud" of.

For Blake, who only had the vaguest memories of her birth family, considered the White Fang to be her. At least, that is, until they turned away from peace and turn into what humans considered them all along.

Even with both those mess up situation they could honestly say they had never been in situation like this.

While Weiss's and Winter's relationship was strained at times they never flat out dissolved into fighting.

As for Blake, while the sisters' current conversation reminded her a lot about her own with Adam, she and him never got as far as Ruby and Yang currently were.

The most shocking thing was they never, in a million years, would think the Rose/Xiao Long siblings could fight like this. From their short interact with the two it was clear they were very close. The idea that they were current fighting was unthinkable.

And to top it all of that wasn't even the biggest elephant in the room. Their leader, their crazy, hyper active leader, saw herself as just a weapon.

The mere idea that a person could see themselves like that was shock. Even the most bigoted humans, who saw all Faunus was mere animals, at least has the smallest shred of dignity to see them as living things.

But Ruby? No a girl who was two year younger than them saw her self not as a girl, not a huntress, or even a person.

Ruby Rose, who by all accounts was one of the kindest people they had ever met, saw herself as little more a tool for killing.

And that is not even taking into account Ruby's backstory! They both had sad pasts but nether Weiss nor Blake had EVER consider suicide. But Ruby? Ruby was perfectly fine with allowing Beowolves to rip here apart. And what was that part about her mother? Her grave?!

WOSH!

They were jolted from their thought when felt a rush of wind. Look around they saw Ruby was gone and Yang was on the verge of tears.

"Yang… where's Ruby?" ask a cautious Blake.

After a few deep breaths Yang spoke

"I fuck up big time didn't I? I mean what kind of sister tell her sister that the very thing that defines her is fundamentally wrong? I mean can you blame me. Who lets their sister view themselves a fucking weapon of all things! I mean Ruby always was a little off but… God damn it!"

Both Weiss and Blake look at Yang wanting to say something but found themselves unable to. In a way Yang needed to vent this. It most likely helped that she had someone that was not family to talk to. From the sound of Mr… wait what is their father's last name? Is it Rose or Xiao-long? The questions kept piling up. Anyway Yang and her father most likely had this conversation about Ruby before.

"Although I suppose any kid would at least be a little off when their mother dies when their five. Even more so if said mom is all said kid's hero. And I just realized that you guys don't know what the hell I am talking about." She let out a sigh that didn't belong to a person Yang's age.

"Yang… you don't have to tell" Weiss was cut off.

"No… No this was going to come up sooner or later so might as well just rip the Band-Aid off all at once."

"Shouldn't one of us go after Ruby?"

"No when this subject comes up its best to leave her alone. And I mean it's not like she can't defend herself. I mean she had an entire fucking WORLD of weapons that she can summon at will. Said weapons making her almost as skilled as the original owners of said weapons." She took a deep breath then began.

"I know this sounds cliché but… It all started when I was born."


A/N: I AM BACK and I am happy to be able to work on this story again after my getting my college work done.

Now that that is off my chest on to the story. Yea… I will be totally honest the way this chapter went was not at ALL how it was when I first started it. It had been a few days since I worked on and figured if I was going to add a power from a completely different series I wanted to add it right with all the bells and whistles. And to those unfamiliar with Reality Marbles they, like Ruby teacher Emiya, come from the Fate Stay/night universe. And yes the people who have Reality Marble are indeed pretty mess up in the head. It's sort of comes with the whole "Alien perceptive of reality".

So I will ask RWBY fans did you understand what was going on with the Reality Marble thing? If you are wondering yes, Ruby is being hypocritical when she was arguing with Yang about "finally feeling like a person" and "I am a weapon" This is intentional. A requirement to have a Reality Marble to see reality in a VERY different why then normal people do. Part of that involves how they see themselves. So to Ruby being a person is the exact same as being a weapon

To the Fate Stay/night fans did I do a good job at incorporating the concept of the Reality Marble well? Is Ruby distortion deep enough or should I go deeper. It is like Emiya's just replace "the sword that saves" with "the weapon that saves."

On to reviews

ultima-owner: Metallic rose petals. That is one detail I am willing to share and want readers to think about.

FoxyFoxation: Thank you? *backs away slowly then runs* Also as I have said to other reviewers I will neither confirm nor deny anything until the time comes to unveil to the pairing.

Well as usual thank you for reading and do notforget to follow, favorite and leave a review

Till next time.