Author's Note: Some strong language ahead, be warned.
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6:08 PM, Wednesday
Beacon Academy Dormitory, Fourth Floor – Team RWBY Dorm Room
(Evening of Day 9)
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"Hey mom… sorry I can't be there to talk to you in person, but you know… life can get crazy sometimes."
Ruby sat alone in the room, talking out loud to a picture of her mother's grave marker on her scroll. She never liked doing it this way, but the life of a huntress-in-training meant that sometimes one couldn't just go home.
"And oh boy, let me tell you… things have been beyond crazy here."
She scratched the back of her head awkwardly, unsure of what to say. She actually hadn't been back to talk to her for some time, so finding the right way to say it was difficult. She plucked at the edge of her cloak nervously.
"To be honest… I feel like everyone's forgotten about me."
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Chapter 14:
More Than Words
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"I guess I should start from the beginning. It's been over a week now since Carmine showed up here, talking about different dimensions. I know, I couldn't believe it, either… but she looks just like me! Of course she's older and has these neat little glasses… and now I know what I'd look like in glasses… but she is me. Or, another me. It's all still a bit confusing.
"Anyway, after her came another me… and yes, there was more after that… this one was closer to Yang, though. She's only a bit older, but buff. Like, works out all the time kind of buff. Other than that it seemed like she had a sweat problem, but that's stopped these last few days. We call her just Rose.
"Next came a guy version of me, who we call Red… I know, that's easy to remember… and he fights just like Yang does. He even has his own gauntlet weapons, just like Yang. Just like Carmine and Rose, Red also looks just like me. I know I keep saying that, but it's true. It's all still so weird.
"After that we met the cuuuuutest catgirl version of me, who we decided to call Cherry. She's still really little, so the others like to help her get around, but Mom… she's got the most adorable cat ears I've ever seen! I know you'd love to pet 'em all day long…
"Let's see, who's left…? Oh yeah, there's Sapphire… that's a version of me that grew up in Atlas and joined the military. A bit scary, but she's been getting along with Weiss pretty well. Weiss is my partner, remember? I told you about her last time. I hope Sapphire will talk to me soon… I've got lots of questions for her. *sigh*
"The last two showed up together: Ku and Rain. Strange names I know, but nothing compared to the two themselves. Ku is …odd. I'll say it nicely. She's as old as Carmine, but acts younger than Cherry. I still don't know the whole story, but she also seems to have some sort of secret in connection with this scary person that calls itself Thorn… I'll tell you all about that one later, when I know more.
"And last of all we have Rain. Now, the other mes… which the guys here have dubbed the 'Ruby Squad' …all look like me, but with large differences. Age, gender, etc. Rain, though, looks like my twin."
Ruby took a breath, considering how to explain the mysterious look-alike. She took a swallow of water before continuing. "I don't know anything about Rain, really…"
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6:10 PM
Rooftop Balcony
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Her eyes took a moment to adjust after the fierce blue-green tinted light, but the sight that awaited her was worth the trip. Beacon Academy, not only not destroyed, but bigger and grander than she ever imagined. New buildings in every corner, covered walkways, and even a tram system buzzed to and fro, taking the students to each end of the campus with great efficiency. And the people! She'd lost count of how many years it had been since she'd last seen any.
Whoever this older Ruby was supposed to be, this right here made it worth the time to listen to her.
"Would you like a drink, Ruby? Wow that sounds weird coming outta my mouth. I'm Ruby, you're Ruby…" The taller woman was buzzing around the lab they had come out in, getting the machines shut down and generally trying to clean up. She clearly didn't expect company to come back with her. "Ooh, I know… I'll pick a different name, something red. Lessee…" She scratched the back of her head, a movement far to similar to her own. "Carmine! That's a red color. Okay, so I'm Carmine, and you can stay as Ruby…"
"Rain," she cut in abruptly. "Just… Rain."
The woman stopped and stared, her mind clearly processing her words. "Rain… okay, so different name. That's cool. Sorry it's such a mess in here." She practically threw a stack of papers on the floor, clearing off a chair. "Take a seat and I'll get some coffee ready." And with that, the woman who called herself Carmine was out the door in a huff. Rain noticed that the door she passed through silently slid closed behind her. The Beacon she knew didn't have doors like that.
She sat down on the first cushion she'd had the chance to enjoy for well over a century and pondered her new situation.
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Much like she was doing right now, sitting on the edge of the roof.
It seemed like only yesterday when she first set foot in Carmine's lab. After sitting on the side of a cliff looking over a dead city for a few hundred years, such a rapid development seemed very rushed. That was the one and only thing Rain missed about her own world – it was calm compared to here, or anywhere else. Graveyards tended to be like that.
She blinked as she looked out over the horizon, still fresh by her standards. The moon still hanging in the sky, even broken, was a welcome sight after staring up at a black, featureless expanse for so long. It was also nice that she could see the stars again. She used to love stargazing. Mostly when she was out with… Summer.
Her chest throbbed at the memory. Good. That meant she wasn't emotionally dead yet.
Rain turned her thoughts to the others. They were all coming along quite nicely. Sapphire was passing on a large portion of her knowledge to Jaune (whether she knew it or not), Red was slowly becoming used to the female species, and Rose had begun to re-discover her own feminine side. On top of that, Cherry was beginning to grow up a little. That was important. Her world needed her.
And then there was Ku…
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"I have a warning for you, creature."
"Oh, you again. What do you want, ya cold bitch?"
"You're one to talk."
"That's all I can do right now, remember? Heh heh… if you wanted me tied up, you could have just asked. Kinky…"
"Shut. Up."
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"Never come out again. Do you hear me?"
"…"
"If you do, well… have you ever imagined what it must feel like to have your body turned inside-out?"
"I've actually done that to one lady…"
"Show yourself again, and you will know that pain firsthand."
"You won't kill me. You won't take that childish little shit away from the others."
"I never said I'd kill you…"
"…"
"I only said 'You will know that pain.' Don't you think I know what I'm capable of?"
*mumble*
"What was that?"
"I said, if you just let me have Yang, I'll let the others live. I promise I won't kill any of the others."
"…"
"Ooh… is that anger I see? I'm willing to share her, you know…"
"Don't. Push. Your. Luck."
"I'm the luckiest little psycho in the world! Hee hee…"
"Remember my words, creature."
"Oh I'll remember… I'll remember them as I eat your fucking heart!… … …What? Miss Rain? What am I doing here? And why am I tied up?"
"Sorry, sport… I've got some bad news for you…"
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6:14 PM
Team RWBY Dorm Room
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"…And then they all came in talking excitedly. Apparently they finally got to see Carmine's weapon. Some kind of awesome black gooey thing. I didn't get to see it, but I know I will! I will not let them get away without seeing it for myself!"
The teen flopped back onto her bed, winded and a bit sore in the throat. It had been awhile since she'd last spoken with her mother, but there was just so much to say… and so much to think about. The picture on her scroll hadn't moved since she started. It simply waited in silence for her to continue.
"Yang hasn't been hanging out with me as much lately. She's been with Red the last few days. I guess I can't blame her – they've got a lot more in common than she does with me, after all. And I can understand Weiss sticking close to Sapphire… apparently she looks and acts just like Weiss' older sister, Winter. I guess they get along pretty well, but never close enough for me to hear. As far as Blake is concerned, I think she likes Rose a bit. I've seen her staring a few times, but she denies it."
She sighed, staring at the ceiling of the room. It was getting a bit lonely.
"The others all seem to have a buddy to hang out with and talk to all the time, …except for me. Little Cherry started hanging around team CFVY… specifically a rabbit faunus named Velvet, nice girl… and Carmine is busy with her own work. Like, all the time. Gods help me if I ever get that busy in my future… And I don't know where Rain goes. I assume, since she's working as Carmine's assistant, that she is always out doing odd jobs or something."
Finally ready to take a breath, Ruby hopped off her bunk and straightened herself out. She grabbed her scroll from the bed, giving her mother a goodbye. "It was good talking to you again. Love you, mom." She then swiped the picture away and pocketed the device.
The sun was setting, so the teen made for the rooftop balcony for a better view.
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6:21 PM
Rooftop Balcony
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She knew where most everyone else was, but the fact that someone else was up here should not have surprised Ruby. It wasn't a private spot or anything. What she didn't expect was …singing?
It was a gentle, somber sounding tune, but not one Ruby was familiar with. The voice sounded even more odd, but then she peeked around the edge of the door… only to find 'herself' sitting on the edge of the roof, gently singing to the sunset. It was Rain – the ragged version of her own cloak was the only obvious sign.
As soon as Ruby registered the sight, Rain stopped singing and looked halfway around, saying, "In or out, just close the door please."
Ruby squeaked, then jumped out onto the balcony. She shut the door behind her.
"Can I help you with something?"
"Oh, uh… N-no, not really. I j-j-just wanted to… come out and get some air…" She was stuttering now? Not surprising really… out of all the look-alikes, Ruby considered Rain to be the most intimidating. Sapphire was a distant second on that list. "Sorry to bother you, I'll just go-"
"Sit."
A blur of rose petals later and Ruby found herself seated on the ledge next to her ancient twin, fidgeting slightly. She honestly hadn't expected to be holding a conversation with this particular girl so soon.
"How do you feel about this world? About your friends?"
Ruby blinked, turning to regard the other girl. Nearly identical silver eyes turned to meet hers. It was like looking in a mirror. "I don't… understand… why are you asking?"
"The same reason any other human asks a question – I want to know the answer." There was no trace of sarcasm in her voice, leaving Ruby in even greater wonder.
"Well, I… I happen to like this world…"
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"I happen to like this world, thank you!" Summer chirped. The two of them were sitting on a hillside one evening, staring up at the shattered moon. Rain had just wondered aloud if mankind should move to the moon, if it was possible.
"But wouldn't it be safer there? I mean there's no Grimm there, right?" Rain was a bit confused as to her friend's harsh reaction.
Summer stayed in her sitting position as she answered. "Maybe… but this world is home. And besides that, if we were on the moon, then we couldn't look at it, could we?" Her smile was bright enough to illuminate the darkness all by itself. "Rain…?"
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"Rain, are you okay…?"
The older girl blinked in surprise. She wasn't expecting a flashback in the middle of a conversation. Ruby looked a bit concerned, but Rain's internal clock told her it had only been a few seconds. No issue, then. "Yeah, sorry. Please, go on."
Ruby's face was alive with rapid emotions. Concern, confusion, a little fear, …so many to pick from it was almost funny. Fortunately Rain had no problem with hiding laughter – she hadn't found anything to be funny for many, many years.
"As for my friends, I like them all! Weiss is a bit cold… though that's to be expected… but she's been getting better. She's actually becoming better friends with Blake after the whole faunus incident. Blake's been opening up more lately, especially around Yang. I still find her hard to talk to, sometimes. And Yang is… uh, she's… well to be honest, I miss her a bit."
Rain lifted one eyebrow, a silent request to explain further.
"She's been with Red for the last several days. He's all she can talk about lately. I miss our 'sister time.' Everyone seems so… distant." Ruby's face fell as she admitted the problem that had been bothering her. "It's like they forgot I'm still here."
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"The hell are you talking about? Nobody's forgotten about you!" The deep bass of Jessie's voice seemed to echo off the distant mountains, even from inside his cabin. His deep brown eyes regarded the redheaded girl with a mix of confusion and irritation.
"But they didn't have enough for me at the dinner tonight," she said meekly, "and Gertrud's been ignoring me specifically of late…"
"Gertrud's just a stubborn harlot, everyone knows that." Jessie bent down to ruffle the girl's hair affectionately. "And the dinner thing was only because the harvest was a bit low this year. Nothing against you, personally." He grinned, the scar across his left eye bending like a crescent moon. "Don't worry yourself, Rena…"
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Rain blinked again. Twice in one night? She must have been tired. Luckily Ruby didn't notice this time. "You have nothing to worry about, Ruby Rose. Those guys are just easily distracted by shiny new things. Once the other Rubys go home, everything will go back to normal, you'll see."
The girl didn't seem convinced. "But what if it doesn't? What if Yang can only think about Red even after he leaves? What if Blake can only talk about Rose for the rest of our school life?" She was close to tears, now. "I don't know if I can handle that…"
"What makes you special, Ruby?"
She blinked in surprise. "Special? I don't…"
"You seem to think that the others are somehow better than you. Better looking, friendlier, stronger… so why should the others care about you, right?" Rain paused her sermon, looking Ruby dead in the eyes. "The answer, of course, …is nothing."
Another blink, slower. "Um…"
"You are not special, but nor is Carmine. Nor is Red. Nor Rose. None of you, none of us, are special. We are what we are… and you are what you are. Think about this: do any of the others have your semblance?"
Now she looked at her lap, eyes moving. She was thinking. "I don't know. Do they?"
"Nope. Every one of us has something different. The closest to yours is actually Carmine – and while she can move much faster than you, she can only move in very short bursts; only about 15-20 feet each time. Red's semblance is all about the mind: he can calculate data far faster than normal people, with interesting results. Sapphire uses the Schnee glyphs…"
"Is there a point to this?"
"I'm getting to that. All I'm saying is that we're all different in our own ways. Comparing yourself to the rest of us is pure nonsense. In fact, any time someone compares themselves to someone else, they're just asking for trouble." Rain used one hand to lightly ruffle Ruby's hair, which was harder to see in the fading darkness. "Have some confidence in yourself, Ruby. You're the only you here, you know." Rain swallowed a bit, unused to speaking so much in a single sitting.
Ruby sniffed, wiping her eyes with one hand. "Thanks Rain."
A shadow moved on the girl's other side. "I think you have company…"
Ruby looked, startled, but relaxed as the small shape curled up next to her on the ledge, resting her head on Ruby's lap. Her cat ears tickled Ruby's face as Cherry adjusted herself. Within minutes the catgirl was out cold, purring softly. Ruby giggled lightly, running her hand along the girl's ears gently.
"She seems to be fine with you." Rain felt the beginnings of a smile approaching, but it didn't get very far.
The three redheads stayed on the edge of the roof for another hour, more than long enough to watch the first stars twinkling into view above them.
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8:00 AM, Thursday
Team RWBY Dorm Room
(Morning of Day 10)
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"So… you guys free Saturday?" Ruby sat on the room's desk chair, fully dressed and wide awake as she watched the rest of her team wake themselves up. Weiss, at least, had the decency to look perplexed at Ruby's state of awake-ness.
Yang stared groggily, trying to be sure this Ruby was real. "Last I checked, …yes."
"Good. Then we've got a date at the CLW Karaoke Club on Saturday night. I snagged the Grand Room, so we can bring everybody."
Lavender eyes cleared up fast at this news. "How did you snag the Grand Room? The waiting list is a mile long…"
"Everybody…" Blake started. "Does that mean the whole Ruby Squad? Like, every-body?"
"That's the idea!" She could have added that she got Carmine to 'help' with that reservation, but decided against it. "We can invite team JNPR, too! Even team CFVY, if they're free."
Weiss spoke up now. "Ruby Rose, this is… the best idea you've had all year!" Ruby grinned, knowing that the heiress was a big karaoke fan, though she kept it a secret from the others. "But what brought this on?"
"Oh, you know… I just thought we should all do something special together before everyone goes home. And I know we'll all have fun if we get to sing the night away!" She knew her eyes were sparking as she said this, and that was alright. As long as the night went well, there would be no problems. They could send the others off with a smile, no major issues.
And giving them a day or two advance notice would also work to get the word out. The more who showed up, the more fun they'd have.
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=^w^=