Ruby found herself standing atop the eastern of Vale's Twin Lighthouses. The massive four hundred meter pillars stood guard over the large port of Vale. On the western tower, Cinder doubled over again, the black hole within her growing by the second. If she didn't find a replacement aura soon, the hole would consume her.
Normally, Cinder would be fine without a soul, but the forcefulness with which Pyrrha's was removed had mutilated the metaphysical plane within Cinder's body and her organs would soon start rapidly shutting down.
Ruby's face was a mask of serene calm as she held Crescent Rose behind her. Cinder's, however, dripped with hatred and wild fervor. Something within her mind had broken when Ruby had removed Pyrrha's soul. Cinder was no longer cool and calculating, but wild and ferocious. That just made her all the more dangerous. It's just like Uncle Qrow said. Never corner a wounded Grimm. They'll fight all the harder.
The evening light soon became shrouded in darkness as clouds formed over the combatants. Thunder rumbled in the distance and a light rain began to fall from the darkened sky. The two combatants stared each other down, planning the strategy for their second bout. Ruby's cloak billowed in the wind and the rain soon soaked through her clothing. "It doesn't have to be like this," Ruby shouted over the thunder of the rain. Her voice, amplified by her aura, carried to the opposite side of the port where Cinder laughed.
"And how else could it be, O Daughter of Summer?" Cinder clutched at her stomach as she coughed up more black sludge.
"Come with me. Surrender and you will be treated fairly, as a prisoner of war."
"Your courts will try me and find me guilty. I'll be sentenced to death. No thank you." Cinder spat and continued glaring at Ruby.
Ruby sighed, her eyes looked down into the crashing waves, "I don't want to kill you, Cinder." She looked back up at the retching mess of a woman, "But I will do what I must."
Cinder roared, black globules flying out of her mouth and she leapt towards Ruby. Ruby responded in kind and the two women collided in the air. Cinder's fingers became claws of fire as she called upon her Burn Dust to supplement her power. The fire that ran through her veins responded to her call and she coiled like a viper, striking quick and fast. Ruby ducked and dodged through the blows, heavily relying on Qrow's hand-to-hand training, thankful for her Uncle's sparring sessions.
Ruby threw out a quick palm strike, followed by several quick jabs at Cinder's stomach. Cinder grabbed Ruby's arm on the third strike and threw her towards the western lighthouse. The red-clad Huntress slammed into the old stone, sending debris and dust flying everywhere. She tumbled towards the waves for a moment before regaining her zen. She vanished in a flurry of wet rose petals and reappeared in front of Cinder. Cinder lashed out and Ruby vanished again. Cinder whirled as she fell through the air, desperately trying to slow her decent. Wherever she struck, Ruby vanished and reappeared elsewhere. Three seconds and twelve strikes later, Ruby reappeared with her feet on Cinder's shoulders. She kicked downwards and Cinder flew towards the waves.
She landed on the choppy water, relying on the little shreds of power she still retained to keep herself solidly on top of the waves. Her feet started to sink into the murky depths and she knew that she had to get out of the sea if she wished to battle Ruby on even terms. The red Huntress suddenly appeared in front of Cinder, her cape billowing behind her, her knees bent and her body close to the water. The shockwave through Cinder back towards the docks as tons of water slammed into her. Before she could fly even a dozen feet, Ruby was back in front of her. The girl was impossibly fast. It wasn't merely speed anymore. It was full-on teleportation.
Ruby grabbed Cinder's clothes by the neck and slammed her against the wooden planks of the docks, using her momentum to scrape Cinder all the way up to paved streets.
The black-haired woman groaned underneath her. Without an aura, the blow had inflicted a serious amount of damage and the woman tried to scramble away. Ruby watched, sadly, as the once proud woman scuttled away like a wounded animal.
Ruby readied her scythe and walked towards the fallen foe. Silent tears fell from her eyes at the thought of taking a life, but she steeled herself for what she had to do. The sword-blade on the bottom of Crescent Rose shone in the twilight. Cinder's eyes widened and Ruby brought the blade down.
Before the blow could land, several bullets flew towards Ruby and she was thrown backwards by the force as she blocked each one with her aura. Two Atlesian Knights descended. Carried between the two of them, was Emerald Sustrai.
"We caught this one trying to escape with Mercury," said the rightmost Knight.
"We brought her to you, as per your orders," said the leftmost. They dropped Emerald in front of Cinder and she frantically turned over the body to see Emerald was still breathing. Cinder sighed in relief as the younger girl's eyes fluttered open.
"C-Cinder?" Emerald's eyes widened and she tried to crawl away.
"Oh, Emerald, why did you run?" Cinder caressed the soft dark skin of her companion.
"I… I had to get Mercury away from here. Away from you."
Cinder shook her head sadly. "You know what I do to those who betray me."
Emerald's eyes were wild with fear and she lashed out. Cinder easily grabbed the girl's wrist and snapped it. Emerald screamed in pain, but Cinder didn't care. She extended her hand and shoved her fingers deep into Emerald's chest, piercing the skin and bones and delving into the very essence of Emerald's being. She pulled and tugged and finally removed Emerald's soul.
The young pickpocket's eyes were wide open as Cinder consumed the green energy. Blood poured from Emerald's wound and Cinder caressed her cheek once more. "Thank you, for everything, Emerald."
With both hands on her cheeks, Cinder snapped Emerald's head violently to the side and the girl ceased struggling. Green energy surrounded Cinder as it poured into her chest. She stood, once more regaining all of her stamina. As the stolen soul filled her black hole, she laughed loudly. Her eyes light up bright amber as she felt new life replace the hollowness she felt.
Ruby grimaced, another life gone thanks to Cinder. The renewed woman extended her arms and green fire lit up her body. Her clothes burned and fell to ashy piles around her, replaced by a bright red dress. Cinder cocked her head and tsked before channeling her aura into the fabric, staining it deep green.
Her attention returned to Ruby and the woman extended her hands. "I was always rather fond of Emerald's semblance." Several copies of Cinder appeared, each with the same menacing amber eyes, each with her blackened mouth and evil sneer. Ruby hefted Crescent Rose once more and sprinted towards the crowd of Cinders.
The first few didn't put up much of a fight, but the more Ruby cut down, the more the others learned. Soon she faced a dozen highly skilled clones, each with the power to create more duplicates. The clones weren't shadow clones or exploding clones like Blake and Sun's were. They were flesh and blood. There was no telling if the original Cinder was still in there, or among the bodies around her.
Ruby set to work, combining long swings of her scythe with blasts from the sniper barrels. As the crowd began to overwhelm her, Ruby crouched low, focusing her aura into the Gauntlet. Pyrrha, lend me your power.
Of course, Ruby. Kick her ass, came Pyrrha's response.
Ruby punched the ground and a ripple of energy extended from the epicenter, knocking the Cinders back. Ruby reached down and flicked a release on her scythe. The sword blade detached and Ruby grabbed it in a reverse grip. She held the scythe in her right hand and the sword in her left, each extended to either side of her. Several Cinder clones tilted their heads, sizing up the weapons, before rushing in like rabid dogs. Ruby twirled around and wherever her blades swung, flesh parted and bone splintered. She interspersed sniper fire with her strikes, which sent her twirling even faster. The slick ground only served to help her maintain her velocity as she danced and dealt death to each foe that challenged her.
However, where one Cinder fell, two more would take her place, and soon Ruby found herself on the defensive, blocking multiple burning strikes from several Cinders all at once. Minutes later, Ruby's clothes were singed and torn in multiple places and her cloak was in tatters.
During a counter-kill where Ruby twirled away from her opponent to avoid the blood spray, one of the Cinders grabbed Ruby's cloak and yanked it from her body. The Cinders stopped attacking and Ruby stared in fear as the cloak her mother sewed for her was captured by the villainess. Cinder laughed and her clones laughed alongside her. Her hands lit up with green fire and the cloak burned. Ruby's heart was in her throat as she fell to her knees. Mom…no… The most important link to her mother was gone, a pile of wet scattered ashes beneath Cinder's glass slippers.
Ruby…
Ruby's eyes darted skyward and she swore she saw a bodyless white cloak waving above the flock of opponents.
Ruby, it's time to let go.
But I'm not ready, Mom…
I'll always be with you, my love. Always. But you need to let go of the past and fight for the future.
Ruby closed her eyes and when she opened them again, the white cloak was gone. Instead, she saw Weiss, leaning against a building, her mouth forming words that Ruby couldn't hear.
I love you, Mom.
Ruby triggered the release on Crescent Rose and the clip dropped to the floor. Time seemed to slow as Ruby accelerated her movements. Multiple Cinders leapt for her, but the last magazine of Summer's Dust was already loaded into Crescent Rose. Ruby closed her eyes and her mind's eye saw Summer Rose, her mother, smiling and waving. Wherever you go, I'll be in your heart, my Little Rose.
Ruby rose and the Cinders slowly descended upon her. Weiss screamed Ruby's name, but Ruby just closed her eyes and smiled before disappearing under the pile of clones. Weiss sank to her knees. "Ruby! No!"
One of the Cinders that had held back began cackling with wicked glee. Her laughter was cut short, however, as the ground began to rumble. The earthquake shook the Cinder clones and several tried to escape the massive dogpile they found themselves in. It was no use and in an instant, the world erupted into black and red. The very sky itself seemed to tear apart and the ground beneath their feet shook with a vengeful cry.
Ruby stood in the middle of a swirling vortex of energy. Every Cinder that had been on her was gone, vaporized and turned to rose petals. The vortex expanded until it encompassed the entire docks. Weiss could barely see inside the swirling maelstrom. She leaned back against the wall behind her and her vision blurred. Come on, Ruby…
Inside the storm, Ruby stood facing the last Cinder. All of the others had burned. Cinder glared at Ruby. "How? How is this possible?"
Ruby grasped at her sword and stared into the polished blade. The reflection staring back at her was not one of her mother, but her very own. "I've been chasing after my mother for years," Ruby explained. "When she died, I thought I would never see her again. Yet, for a majority of my life, this white cloak would haunt my dreams wherever I went. I desperately chased after it, hoping to see my mother again. It got me into trouble more times than I can count." Ruby laughed softly. The rose-shaped cross-guard of her sword lit up with a dull red light as the last of the Dust in the magazine channeled through the sword. "When I fought Coco, I felt like I had finally caught up with my mother and that there was nothing else to do. I desperately held onto her memory, not wanting to surpass her. I was scared that if I became better than she was, that I would destroy her memory." Ruby smiled at Cinder.
"But I realized something, just now. If I surpass my mother, then that just means that I'm carrying on her legacy. If I keep moving forward, then she's never truly gone. She's living inside of me. It's okay to let go and move on with my life. I am not my mother. I am my own person. My mother would want me to be the best I can be. This," Ruby gestured to the swirling Dust storm, "this was my mother's last gift to me. It's a very special kind of Dust, Cinder. It's Dust made with love."
Cinder scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous."
Ruby shrugged, "Maybe to you. But to me, it's the strength to go on, even after every trace of her has vanished from this world." Ruby reached out and plucked a rose petal from the air and held it to her nose. She smiled and let the petal fall to the ground. Cinder growled and lit green fire in both of her palms.
Ruby stood with her face turned towards the sky, basking in the glow of the Dust storm that swirled around her.
Goodbye, Mom.
Cinder charged.
Weiss stared as the storm died down. Cinder and Ruby stood with their backs to each other. Ruby's face, still sporting the makeshift eyepatch, was plastered with a smile and blood dripped from between her lips. She fell to her knees and Weiss stared in horror. As Ruby toppled face-down onto the wet pavement, Weiss saw what had struck her down. A large black mark had burned through Ruby's clothes and a large swath of her back had been burnt to a crisp blackness.
"RUBY!" Weiss screamed.
She struggled against the venom in her veins and tried to get to her feet. Her legs failed her and she started to crawl towards her fallen lover.
Several feet away, Cinder turned. The sword from Crescent Rose was embedded in her chest. Cinder looked down and grasped at the sword, but it was stuck fast. She coughed several times as her lungs struggled in futility to pump air past the large metal obstruction. The woman fell to her knees, fingers weakly clawing at the blade. Eyes bulging and tongue swelling, Cinder struggled back to her feet. She stumbled towards Ruby. Weiss was determined to beat her there, and she did.
She pulled Ruby into her arms and the girl coughed several times, blood spraying from her mouth, splattering Weiss's dirtied white jacket in several shades of red. Her eyes fluttered open and she reached out with the Gauntlet. "P…Pyrrha…" she struggled to get the words out. "Any requests?" The Gauntlet warmed and swirled with black-maroon energy. Ruby's sword tugged in Cinder's chest before pulling free and flying back into Ruby's hand. "Thanks…Pyrrha…"
Cinder sucked in a breath, only to have her lungs fill with blood. She doubled over, coughing. Taking several involuntary steps back, she found herself teetering on the edge of the docks. She glared at Ruby for a moment and took one step forward. At that moment, her body failed, and she collapsed backwards into the water. The thunderstorm was letting up and the waves carried Cinder's lifeless body out to sea.
Ruby's uncovered eye, glazed and unfocused, closed gently and her mouth formed a smile. "You're right, Pyrrha… I've always loved the rain, too… So peaceful…."
Weiss clutched at Ruby and held her close. "Ruby…"
"Hey, Weiss… Long time…no see…" Ruby coughed again, blood streaming from her mouth, but still she smiled. "I won…didja see that?"
Weiss nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I saw it, Ruby. You were brilliant."
"Hey…that's a first…" Ruby laughed then groaned in pain. "You've…never…never called me brilliant before. Only…dunce." Weiss reached down and brushed Ruby's maroon hair out of her face. "Or dolt." Ruby amended.
"I wish that I'd taken more time to tell you just how smart and wonderful you really are, Ruby." Weiss choked on her sobs and buried her face in Ruby's shoulder.
"Hey, hey," Ruby said softly. "I haven't seen you in two years… I don't… I don't want to see you cry on our first day back…together."
Weiss wiped her eyes and forced a smile, for Ruby's sake. Ruby didn't see it, though. Her one good eye was sightlessly staring forward. "I love you, Ruby!" Weiss choked out, her sobs wracking her body.
"I…I love you, too…Weiss." Ruby reached up, and patted Weiss's cheek gently. "I love…" Her hand fell down to her side.
Weiss waited for Ruby to finish her sentence, but she never did. Weiss froze in shock. Her world shattered and the weight of her loss suddenly hit her all at once. Weiss screamed Ruby's name until she lost her voice. She cradled Ruby in her arms, rocking her back and forth.
After several minutes, the clouds parted and the rain cleared. A single sunbeam from the setting sun shone through the darkness. It illuminated Weiss and Ruby, and Weiss stared out into the open ocean. Her tears stopped and she slowly stood, hefting Ruby's body in her arms. She made her way back towards Beacon.
Ruby's Gauntlet was still warm.
Author's Note: Well, I hope you all have enjoyed the story so far. One more chapter to go in Part I. Don't worry! I will only take a short hiatus before Part II. I will probably do a lot more work in Black Chronicle in the coming days, along with, POSSIBLY, some Interum chapters. Think of it as Part I.5. I do want to warn you that I MAY NOT use "Sunshine and Shadows II" for the title of the next part. I haven't decided yet.
Anyway, I hope you all have enjoyed the ride so far. But please, keep your arms, legs, and other assorted body parts inside the vehicle. This ride has only just begun!
Next Time: Epilogue!
