In all of the uncountable years that he's been resurrected and killed, reborn anew time and time again. He's never been so distraught and confused, not ever since the Great War.
"I… I see." He sat back in his chair, disbelief strung across his face. His hands met each other and held on tightly, as if trying to hug in comfort. The girl sat across from him had an emotion he couldn't read on her face. Either it was pity, or it was empathy.
This… can't happen. "Please… how long do we have left?" Ozpin asked, gaining composure of himself.
"What's the date? I don't really know the time anymore." Ruby asked curiously, and Glynda was the first to answer her.
"It's Friday, August 28th, 1280." Her answer made Ruby's brain sputter and stop working. Glynda shot a worried look at her, and suddenly raised her eyebrows. She swore that if you looked close enough, you could see smoke rising from the redhead's ears.
Ruby managed to regain some control over her mind. "Okay. If it's August, then we have… one, two three, four… Three months before the Fall of Beacon."
Glynda scowled as Ozpin nodded and looked down, contemplating. His eyes narrowed as if he tried focusing on his own consciousness with them.
"Miss Rose… if you need a moment, then you can have it. This… news is quite disturbing , but I assume more so for the one who experienced this all themselves. You've had to go through these things first hand. For that, I'm sorry." Ozpin didn't lift his head up as Ruby nodded and sighed, falling deeper into her chair.
"I'm sorry you were put in such a predicament. I… should've taken more action in stopping Salem, or any other disaster." Ozpin said, his tone full of guilt. The look Glynda gave him suggested she thought of the same.
Ruby put a hand over her eyes, "It was too late at that point. They had already gotten into the school and CCT systems. Who knows how much control they had by then." A long sigh dragged through her lips before she spoke again.
"The Relic of Knowledge was taken by Salem… but I grabbed the Relic of Creation and took it to Vacuo. Then Salem came… I don't exactly remember everything, but I used it and ended up here. So that's my story, I guess." She looked up at them and studied their reactions.
"Interesting… it seems whatever you told the Relic, it decided to… travel you back in time, perhaps. But… activating the Relic of Creation will stop its current task-"
"So Atlas fell." Ruby finished it, making them all sit in silence. Glynda seemed to be taking all of this much harder than Ozpin. Her face was set in a constant frown, filled with hatred. Ozpin's, however, was set to stone, his eyes focused on whatever he looked at calculatingly. That wasn't to say the headmaster wasn't devastated on the inside by this.
"I… I'm sorry ." Ruby squeaked out as she held onto her skirt tightly, her hands shaking with tremors. She didn't even know if she was saying it to them or everyone else that she couldn't save… or made it to where they couldn't be saved.
"It's alright, Miss Rose. We've all made choices that we regret. I'm sure you did what you had to do." Glynda reassured her, her frown dropping slightly. Ruby shook her head and let out a silent sob, racking her body.
Ozpin stared at the sad sight of the girl in front of him. She's been through so much… I would never wish this upon any of my students. I'm the one to blame. He thought grimly, memories of one of his many dark lives floating in his mind.
"Ruby," He started, the girl looking up when hearing her first name. "You've gone through such a traumatic journey I wouldn't wish on anyone. But now you have a chance to fix this, with us. You've broken time itself and now you have been given the power to change fate."
Ruby wiped her eyes and nodded along, letting his words roll in her head. He was right. She could fix this… fix everything. She could stop Beacon from falling to Grimm, stop Cinder… save Pyrrha and Penny. Weiss . Everyone.
"Is… is this like reincarnation somehow? What if this isn't real?" She wanted to drag her head along Crescent Rose's blade. This whole day was killing her, and she didn't even know if it was a real day at all.
"Well, I would recommend pinching yourself if you believe it isn't. But I'm afraid this isn't like reincarnation. You've seemingly come back the same way you left. It isn't like mine. I come back different each time, each soul changing me in different ways. You, however, have gotten off the hook."
Ruby shook her head slowly and said, "I guess… I'm… what are we going to do first? We need to stop them before Cinder or Salem do anything." Her body wanted to move so bad. The feeling of dread forced her legs to begin bouncing up and down rapidly.
"Cinder… she'll be tricky to locate. Her and her band of murderers have been running around Vale since I first arrived here." Glynda said angrily, "Her antics won't be hard to find, but she herself will."
"Yes, we've had trouble with her before. For the past two years or so, she's been organizing crime across Vale. Killing Huntsman, robbing dust stores." Ozpin said with a hint of anger in his voice, although it disappeared soon in his business-like tone.
"She… you know about Cinder ?" Ruby asked, her features slowly turning to confusion, then betrayal. Yes, she told them about her when she explained the future, basically. But knowing she's wanted and in Vale, why didn't they stop her when she came into Beacon?!
"Yes, she's one of the most wanted criminals in Vale, just above Roman Torchwick and many others." Ozpin explained, raising an eyebrow at the look Ruby was giving him.
"You knew… but you didn't stop her when she came into Beacon?!" Ruby was on her feet now, hands planted firmly on Ozpin's desk. Glynda looked ready to intervene at any time. Yet Ozpin just stared at her.
"Miss Rose… I believe that you're talking about things that have yet to come." He said simply, meeting her eyes with nothing but pity. Ruby's face fell in realization before her shoulders slumped and her fight died.
I… he's… it hasn't happened yet. The Fall hasn't begun. Cinder isn't here yet. She reminded herself as she slowly sat back down. Glynda eased up as Ruby grabbed her necklace and held onto it tightly.
"Do you want to rest for a moment? We can continue later if you want."
"No!" Ruby was quick to shout, grabbing the edge of her chair, hand clamped over her necklace. She sagged, "No… I'm fine. We need to make a plan. We have to stop Cinder from getting the maiden powers. We can't let her win. I won't let her win ."
Ruby said with an intensity they hadn't seen her display, not even when she had her outburst moments ago. They looked at each other and nodded.
"Very well then… as you've said before, Cinder Fall snuck into Beacon and took the Fall Maiden powers for herself. Now… you've mentioned this Amber character, but last time I checked, she isn't the maiden nor a part of this."
Ruby looked confused again, and Ozpin continued, "The current Fall Maiden is safe, and in good company." He glanced to the side as Ruby scratched her head.
"Wha? Then… who is it now?" She looked between the two before Glynda took a step forward. Ruby's eyes flickered up and down Glynda before she realized.
"You're the Fall Maiden ?"
Glynda nodded before a golden yellow flame sparked near her eyes, "I am. We needed to keep the powers close and safe. Professor Ozpin thought I would be the best candidate. When… I took the powers, I knew I would be putting myself at risk for my entire life. But I am willing to protect the powers and the Relic at all costs."
Ruby looked at her old teacher sadly. "Then… Cinder will be after you. Salem will be after you."
"I'm afraid they were coming after me even if I wasn't the maiden. Me and Ozpin's… close relationship painted a target on my back ever since it started." Glynda snuck a glance at the headmaster, who returned it with a soft smile. Underneath, she could see the hidden sadness in it from her words. Her words and reality.
Ruby leaned back, looking identical to Ozpin as she put her hands together over her chest. "Wow… I'm… surprised, I guess. If you have the maiden powers, then we have a chance. I mean, you are really, really strong."
Memories surfaced of what happened when you made Glynda Goodwitch truly mad. She could still see the random student get thrown through the window. Some didn't even think she was legally allowed to do it, but she guessed they didn't read the first papers they were given at Beacon at the time.
Glynda smiled at her words before putting on a more serious face, "Yes, while the maiden powers are certainly strong, I'm not invincible. I'm still human, and I can still die."
"Let's hope that doesn't come to pass." Ozpin said as he looked at her with a frown, a worried expression on his face. Glynda nodded, "Agreed."
"So if the maiden is safe, we still have to worry about Cinder coming and hacking the CCT Tower. I believe she did it during the Vytal Festival Dance. I encountered her there when she infiltrated it. She must've used some sort of hack by placing it into it, because during the Fall, well… y'know."
"It seems she has a knack for attacking at large gatherings." Glynda commented, shaking her head and crossing her arms.
"So it seems. I believe that we have a possibility to capture her as she makes her way to the CCT." Ozpin said, tapping a finger on another. A faint smile was on his lips.
"Well, that could work. If we get Cinder out of the way, then Salem loses her chance at getting the maiden powers. Cinder is her only way to get them, so that could hurt her plan." Ruby said as she gained confidence in the plan.
"But Cinder isn't Salem's only pawn. She's bound to have more people working for her." Glynda countered. "She could have another planned to take the power if Cinder fails."
"Well, Salem hasn't known about the maiden powers for a long time, I assume. Not once has she tried making an attempt at getting them. Just like another power." Ozpin stared Ruby in the eyes, and the girl brought a hand up and trailed it on her cheek.
"Silver eyes." Ruby stated, understanding his meaning. Ozpin nodded before continuing.
"Silver eyes, yes. Once honed by great warriors, only to be lost in time and history. Although most won't tell you that they were hunted down."
Ruby looked solemn and frowned, "You… never told me about them, y'know. I only learned about them after the Fall."
"For that I am sorry. But the silver-eyed lineage is one that I greatly respect, and have close ties to. Salem has been trying to snuff it out for centuries, ever since she learned of it. The ability to kill Grimm in a single moment, like a flash, is one she fears. And one we need."
"Is… that why you let me into Beacon early? Because I had silver eyes?" Ruby asked, rubbing the fabric of her skirt. She always dwelled on that question ever since he disappeared.
Ozpin sat in contemplation before speaking, "No… at least, not the only reason. I saw the greatest potential in you, Ruby. When you saw fit to stop a robbery on your own record and nearly win, while still just in combat school, I knew you could be more than what you were."
A smile reached his lips, "I also saw someone else in you. Someone that would value others lives much more than herself. When dreaming of becoming a Huntsman or Huntress, that tends to be a definite trait. But I saw more than that in her, and you. No obstacle would stop you from saving a life. Even if you were close to death."
Ruby had been listening with heavy breaths. The words she waited so long to hear, for that one lingering question. Words she didn't really have a chance to hear before everything went south. "I… thank you." She whispered before smiling widely. It fell as soon as it came.
Could he really say that about her now? He just did, but… after what she's done. I made Atlas fall… I lied to Ironwood and got Penny- She didn't finish the thought, trying to focus on reality. It was hard to do that now that she had tears in her eyes.
"Alright… I think it's time we find out what we're gonna do with you." Glynda said as she looked Ruby up and down. The girl seemed confused and tilted her head, blinking to get the water from her eyes.
"I believe Glynda means finding a place for you to stay here as we work together. Assuming you want to, that is."
"I do… more than anything." Ruby nodded, replacing her pitiful look with a weak dutiful expression.
"Well, I suggest you stay in the staff dormitory. That way you can stay away from the dealings of students, and be closer to the professors as we continue."
"You could also help the professors and I. I doubt you could do much in the other classes, but you could help in combat training." Glynda suggested. Ruby thought about the options.
I won't have to deal with others in the staff dormitory. But… what if I want to see my… friends? She doubted they would remember her. After thinking of the horrible scenario of her meeting Pyrrha again, or even herself, she nodded.
"Alright, I'll stay in the staff dorm. I guess I could help with combat, so we could get them more ready for when things go south." Ruby said with a small smile. Ozpin nodded and pulled out a black, wide scroll with golden ribbons detailing its control pad. He opened it and seemed to type something in, before looking back at Ruby.
"Good then. Glynda, if you could show her to which room she'll be staying in. I need to contact General Ironwood and Qrow and tell them about… well, Miss Rose's arrival." Glynda nodded before pulling out her own scroll. Checking the message, she put the scroll away right after.
Neither Glynda or Ozpin noticed the flinch by Ruby at the mention of the two men. It was quick, and it was gone quicker as Glynda walked past Ozpin's desk and turned her head to Ruby.
"C'mon then, follow me." Ruby nodded and got up from her seat. She snuck a glance at Ozpin before following Goodwitch, gaining a short look at the man. She never noticed Ozpin staring back at her in thought as she left.
Neo woke up to a dark, destroyed moon. It was pitch black, and in pieces. Her pink and brown eyes changed to one of curiosity. Such a sight would normally make anyone on Remnant frightened. Yet now it didn't.
"Oh? How interesting." A voice said nearby. She turned her head, her lips parted as she saw a sight to behold. "Looks like another stray. What… Interesting indeed. How a child like you could have such a use." The chuckle was mirthless as she stared at dark black eyes.
"Go… You have more things to do. Spread your wings, you black swan, and cast aside destiny." The flick of a hand and she was sent falling through the world. Licks of wind rushed past her. She was falling so fast, yet the typical roaring wind wasn't there.
She awoke with a gasp. Everything hurt in her body. Her skin felt mangy, feeling every inch of dried blood on her. Pair that with a few bruises here and there, and you got an uncomfortable combo ready to bring in a tsunami of pain.
Where the hell am I? Was Neo's first thought. What happened to me? She tried moving, but found her legs and hands tied down. Moving her head, she saw that she was in a chair, her arms wrapped around by rope.
"Well, look who woke up~" A familiar voice cooed from behind. Neo gritted her teeth and turned her head over her shoulder. She saw her in all of her damned glory, Cinder Fall. The cuts on her body burned from the memories of the fights she had with her. Flames rose, right in her eyes, from nowhere.
A hallucination… again. I'm gonna kill her even faster if she keeps causing these.
Something was off, though. Her clothes looked exactly the same as when they were in Vale, and her Grimm arm was gone. Neo's face fell as she remembered… walking out and seeing Roman. Him and everyone else. Her… friends. That stung .
"You've been asleep for nearly two days. We decided you needed a new bed." Cinder slowly walked past and stopped when she was right in front of her. "So, how about we start? What's your name?"
It was more like a statement then a question. It was also one Neo's heard her entire life. Angrily, her finger turned up and tried pointing at her mouth. Cinder curiously watched her action and raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Can't SPEAK dumbass" appeared next to Neo, and Cinder seemed to be slightly taken back. An amused smirk reached her lips soon, and she hummed. "Interesting… so I'm assuming you really are Neopolitan." Cinder crossed her arms and rolled her head to the side.
Inside, though. Everything seemed to be on fire. So it's true. The semblance, the look, gods be damned, why is she here!? Cinder's thoughts smoldered, trying to reach the surface.
"Except she's right here, too." Another voice said, making Neo turn her head. All of Neo's senses stopped as her mind blanked out. Her eyes travelled to the right side of the room. Leaning against the wall was Roman Torchwick, taking a drag of a dirt brown cigar and looking at Cinder angrily. Right by his side was… herself, a younger looking version of herself. She was staring deep into her, as if trying to cut her with her eyes and read her mind.
Neo scowled and glared at Cinder, her arms tugging against the rope. Cinder watched it happen and simply shook her head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. The ropes are gonna give you burns if you continue," Cinder flashed a cocky smile. "I doubt having no aura would heal you."
To prove a point, Cinder put a finger on an exposed spot on her arm. The fingernail had black glass covering it, and Cinder dragged the finger down slowly. A long, red line formed from the finger's path. Blood began springing forth from the cut, trailing down Neo's arm.
Neo bit her cheek as a burning sensation ran through her, her thoughts dying to anger. Her glass illusions illustrated all of the malice filled anger she was building up. They flashed wildly and broke seconds after, just for new ones to appear. Cinder just smiled and continued. Although she didn't know it was driven by a force she couldn't put a name on.
"Alright, that's enough!" Neo's face changed into surprise as Roman came into view. He was holding onto Cinder's arm, and visibly gritting his teeth. Cinder was glaring right at him, and took back her arm soon after.
"I thought we agreed we wouldn't harm her? Interrogate, yes, but not fucking cutting her up." A hand pointed at Neo just to emphasize his words. The tied up girl looked up at him in awe. He's… oh, he is different. She winced when she saw the ugly scar running down his cheek. She could see smear marks where makeup had been touched and clawed at.
The door on the right side of the room opened up and a new voice said, "Hey, what'cha guys doin'? Interrogating that weird clone?" Neo had to drag her eyes off of Roman to see the new person. Weird clone , that's… what?
Her mouth parted in half as she saw the new person. Ruby Rose… of course… what? What?!
Roman scowled and turned to the redhead, "Oh great, and here's the maniac!" He said in an exaggerated sarcasm, aiming his hand at her.
"Hey! You kiss your mom with that attitude!" Ruby said back, pointing a finger at him challengingly.
"That doesn't even make any sense!"
"Quiet!" Cinder shouted as she walked in front of the two, silencing the two quickly. "Why can't any of you just follow my command? I simply said " Don't interrupt my interrogation " and this is what I get."
"Hey, I just wanted to see how it was going. It seems like you haven't gotten her to talk yet." Ruby said as she slowly approached the wide eyed girl in the chair. She leaned closer and stared into her eyes, putting a hand on her jaw and moving her head to the side. Roman looked ready to throw her away, but he kept still. Neo, well, the same couldn't be said.
Young Neo pushed the girl away slightly, making Ruby squawk and put her arms up defensively. "Hey, what's the big idea!" Neo stared her down as Ruby just rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth.
"Please, if you don't mind." Cinder motioned with her hand to make them move from Neo. She stepped back in front of the tied down girl and sighed. "Now, how did you get here?"
Neo huffed and paused. This was a tricky question. More like a dumbass question to answer. A part of her screamed at her to kill Cinder. Another part said that was currently impossible. Slowly, words appeared in midair "I don't know"
Everything was so confusing. First, she gets sent to the past or something. Then, Ruby is working with them. And now she's stuck in a chair getting interrogated by the biggest bitch in Remnant. This was not Neo's day.
Cinder blinked and scoffed, "Really now? Are you sure you want to be telling lies now?" Cinder's hand opened up and moved closer, as if trying to show her something. Neo's eyes flicked up at Cinder and down at the hand confused. Cinder faltered before closing the hand and scowling to herself.
"I'm not done with you," She turned to Ruby and rubbed her wrist. "Ruby, I need you to continue this for me."
"Oh no! That ain't happening!" Roman was quick to jump in, and Cinder growled in frustration. Her eye twitched as she glared daggers at him.
"Roman! I've had enough of your foolish nagging for the past week!" Cinder said as her hands unconsciously rose to the sides of her head.
"Want a tissue with that darling?" Roman mocked as he squeezed the grip on his cane. "I won't have this bitch and her pigsticker near her." He pointed it at Ruby momentarily before letting it face the ground.
"And why exactly do you care so much about her ?" Cinder asked suspiciously, planting a hand on her hip. Her fiery eyes examined Roman as he huffed and looked confused. It was confusion aimed at her more than himself.
"Maybe it's because a copy of my partner is tied down in a chair, bleeding and looking as if she's seen a ghost! I would be perfectly fine if it was a random person, but look at her! It's Neo two!"
The younger Neo walked up and placed her hands on Neo's shoulders. " Don't hurt me I'm scared " appeared next to her as she frowned with sad, wide eyes. The older Neo hissed in pain, making it obvious the younger one was touching fresh wounds. Younger Neo flinched and took her hands off, looking down in regret. Cinder groaned before placing a hand over her eyes, her fingers acting as shudders for her to see through.
After standing in silence for a few seconds, she spoke up. "Ruby... forget it. We need to get prepared for recruiting the White Fang. We must find their leader's exact location." Cinder slowly stalked towards the door. Her left arm shook and she grabbed it. "Go find what you can from that Junior character you mentioned. We need to be as prepared as we can be."
"Yes ma'am." Ruby said with an eye roll, smirking at no one in particular. Cinder nodded before leaving the room. They sat in silence before Ruby sighed and stretched her arms.
"Welp, this sucks. I was looking forward to playing with her, too." Ruby looked longingly at Neo before being kicked in the shin by the other one. Neo glared back at her and looked down at her restraints. Her ears toned out the fight that broke out between the two. I have to get out of these! Maybe I can use an illusion?
Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw everyone leaving the room. She watched them shuffle out awkwardly, but her other self stopped and turned back, looking her in the eyes with a guilty expression. Soon after, she left Neo alone with her thoughts.
Fuck.
Comparing the staff dormitory to the student dormitory, it wasn't even a competition. The walls were nicer, the carpet was nicer. Although Ruby didn't care, her tiredness made her occupy herself with anything. Even if her thoughts weren't a place she wanted to be in right now.
"For the rest of the semester, you'll be staying here. That way, students won't try and pry you about who you are, or who your team is. I know there's one nosey team here that would very much want to find out everything about you."
Ruby chuckled weakly, rubbing the back of her neck. They really were in everyone's business back then, even now. "But wouldn't they still try and do that when I'm around Beacon?"
"Perhaps, but most will just think you're a janitor or work in administration. If they do, you can tell them you're a foreign exchange student." Glynda said with a slight shrug, seeming not to think about it too hard. Ruby didn't think the same.
"Working as a janitor here must be real hard." She said with some humor, but a hint of pity was in her voice. Glynda stopped and opened a door before walking inside. Ruby followed her, looking around at the medium-sized room. It… was many leagues better than what the other students had.
It had two beds to the right and one small kitchen area to the left. A living room with a red sofa and a fancy, large holo-vision sat in the middle. Ruby felt old memories rising in her head.
"Here is your room. It has everything you need besides food and clothes. Next door is… well, I'm sorry to say this but Professor Port's room is next door. On the other side is Professor Peach's room. As long as you make sure your walls aren't on fire or melting, you'll be safe. Although luck… isn't really on your side." Glynda winced, thinking of the poor fate of the girl nearby.
Glynda's words made Ruby's eyes widen in shock. M-Melting? What's that supposed to mean? Ruby didn't get an answer for her unasked question. Glynda pushed her sleeve back and checked a small watch on her arm. The tiny hologram that popped up from her wrist made her nod.
"Well, I need to get back to Ozpin. I told him we'd go have breakfast soon, and I'm not letting him sneak out of this one." Glynda had a spark in her eye as she stalked out of the room. She did a double take and stopped. "Oh, right. Tomorrow, you'll have to meet the other professors, so make sure you get rest today. I would start with getting… clean." Her eyes flicked across Ruby and had a certain judgement to them. Ruby didn't understand it, but she got its point.
Glynda left quickly, leaving Ruby to the silent warmth of the room by herself. Turning on her heel, Ruby faced her new room. Walking around, she fell against the mattress of the bed and curled the blanket under her palms. It's… just like the old days.
She remembered breaking into one of these dorms to get back a test grade with Yang. The teachers almost caught them, but Yang just laughed and said, "No worries, lil' sis. I got this!"
She did, too. They got out alright and she finally got a passing grade in class. When she thanked her sister for helping her, Yang just hugged her and said, "No probs' Ruby. Hey, maybe when you're older you'll start breakin' into houses on your own!"
Ruby remembers laughing and hitting her, "How dare you! I'll be breakin' into mansions!" She remembers laughing it off and wincing when Yang punched her back. Her and Yang laughing together after Yang got punched back.
She doesn't remember crying about it back then. Wiping the tears off her cheeks quickly, she curled in on herself. Y-Yang… I'm sorry. A shaking, blind hand reached forward and grabbed her necklace. I'm… I'm… sorry. So, so sorry. I left you… all alone.
A roaring in her chest rose from the depths. She could practically feel her aura burn around her, seething with pure emotions. Her throat closed, her nose felt numb. Falling on the floor, she tried gasping for breath. The grey burning around her eyes grew, like wings of a hawk. Rising above the girl.
Then it stopped. As if it was just a single moment. Her knees had a dull aching from where she fell. The sides of her eyes burned and she tried desperately to rub them through the dark called blindness. The silver died down, the wings of flame fading into pure light.
Her lungs felt like ice, and her nose was on fire. Breathing in knives, she tried to push herself up. Her vision was filled with dark splotches, and they disappeared slowly.
What you have Ruby, it's a curse. Everyone with those eyes died fighting. And I don't wanna hear none of that righteous crap, they died bleeding out, alone without their friends, filled with crushing regret. I… don't let that happen to you. What happened to her. Me and you are the same, kiddo. We're cursed, but we keep on goin', even with all the ghosts around us. Never stop goin' kid, or you'll fall down with the rest.
Ruby stood on her feet, swaying slightly. I… won't. I'll keep following my dream… for her, but I won't end like her. I promise.
But… I don't think I'll be able to keep it.
Notes
So... anyone get the pigsticker reference, or am I just crazy?
Also, if you notice any, or a lot, of errors here and there, then point them out to me! Trust me, you get the knowledge of knowing you embarrassed someone, if that helps you. You sadistic son of a bi-
Anyways, it's crazy to me that I wrote all this in November and December... I wasn't kidding on the hiatus thing, but your comments(or reviews idfk) have been really motivating me to... honestly continue. But my interest in RWBY died after getting into other shows again. Blame Berserk and Steven Universe lol. My interests are polar opposites.