…
…
…
Ba-dum
…
Ba-dum
…
Ba-dum
…
She focused on her heartbeat, ignoring all else. The steady, rhythmic thumping that told her, beyond any doubt, that she was alive.
More than alive. Beyond alive.
…
Ba-dum
…
Ba-dum
…
Ba-dum
…
She inhaled, taking in the dry, hot air of the warehouse. Taking in the pain, the fear, the panic radiating from everywhere like a sickness. Taking in the destruction, the ruin, the death. She held it deep inside until her lungs burned for clean air. Her pulse raced.
…
Ba-dum
Ba-dum
Ba-dum
Ba-dum
Ba-dum
Ba-dum
…
Then she exhaled, purging herself of worldly pain and suffering, of exhaustion. Sending it far away. Willing it away.
A few more breathes came next, shorter and calmer. Her head swam, taking in the new oxygen. Her pulse slowed.
…
…
Ba-dum
…
…
Ba-dum
…
…
Ba-dum
…
…
Ba-dum
…
…
She opened her eyes.
The space was mostly empty around her, dismantled gun parts and various debris littering the space. Off to one side, the shattered pieces of a Huntress weapon lay where they had fallen. They made her think of the petals of a rose after it had wilted and died. It was heartbreaking.
But death had to come first, so that new life may bloom in its wake.
…
Ba-dum
…
Ba-dum
…
Ba-dum
…
She had been called Ruby Rose once – but Ruby was asleep now.
She was more than Ruby. So much more.
She was the amalgamation of every true-blooded warrior to come before.
She was the purest form of power ever conceived.
She was… light incarnate.
…
…
…
… … …
… … … … …
Chapter 20:
Awakening
… … … … …
… … …
…
…
…
The east wall was smashed in from behind. Nearly a dozen of the Creatures of Grimm stood beyond it, faces eager and eyes blazing. They smelled food within the building. Prey.
Then they saw the ancient Enemy… and they remembered fear.
These creatures didn't fear the young girl standing before them. They had eaten plenty like her before. She could have been a stone statue for all the attention they gave her.
The girl's eyes, however… those were a different matter.
To nearly any other onlooker, the girl's eyes would have looked like two blazing white flames nestled within her head. You couldn't see any details of pupil or iris behind the fire. It was incredible to see – certainly worthy of being called awe-inspiring – but the Grimm saw something different.
To the Grimm, the eyes of the Enemy meant death.
They had to flee… but they couldn't move.
The Enemy tilted her head slightly, as though she were thinking of something. In a curious moment, she lifted one hand into the air and …snapped her fingers.
That feeling of fear only grew stronger as the Enemy smiled at them.
…
… … …
…
"… … …take a squad and head north. Ironwood, do you-WHA… Oof!"
Carmine came close to biting her tongue as Omega suddenly and unceremoniously dumped his master on the floor and flew under the door and out of her reach. The mad scientist stared at said door in complete shock. She ignored the concerned voices on the headset, as she still couldn't figure out what just happened.
"Was is something I said…?"
…
… … …
…
She could have burned them in an instant, but she didn't.
She wanted …something else. What?
A weapon. But she had none.
Then she remembered one that she held only a few hours ago. The other woman had snapped her fingers to call it. Perhaps if she did, too…?
She snapped the fingers of her right hand. The Grimm flinched at the noise.
She waited, hand open and arm outstretched. She stared at the Grimm. They stared right back. No one moved.
Within a few minutes, the black mass reached her hand and formed itself into the large black scythe called Omega Rose. She gazed down at it in awe, but then focused her mind on another shape. One from a distant past. Her past life – one of many.
It shifted into a long-handled sword with two distinct blades. It was called Twin Caliber. The original had been destroyed by a volcanic eruption almost a millennia ago.
In a blur of movement, it claimed all eleven Grimm in the blink of an eye.
Just like old times.
She fought the urge to lose herself to the nostalgia. It just felt so good to see her old partner again…
But, no… now was not the time. She had a job to do.
Hefting the sword to her shoulder, she walked out of the hole made by the Grimm and looked into the city. One by one she checked each area.
Beacon Academy was safe, but a bit torn up by the earlier attack. No one badly injured. Most of the downtown area had been cleared up, but a few stray Grimm remained. Qrow and the others could handle them. Ironwood was trying to get the rest of the Ruby Army organized to fight off the oncoming tide of Grimm, but it seemed futile. They were in no mood to be ordered about.
She grinned. That looked like a fun place to be.
A roaring turned her attention to a nearby street as a Gryphon strolled out to meet her. It stopped dead when it caught sight of her eyes, though. Nothing new there.
Twin Caliber melted away as Omega formed itself to match its wielder's new mental image – a massive warhammer that could easily outmatch Nora's Magnhild. This one was called Mega Crusher… or M.C. for short.
The Grimm took a wary step backwards. She grinned again.
Hammer time.
…
… … …
… … … … …
2:27 AM
Beacon Academy, BMAC – Carmine's Lab
…
The Mad Scientist was trying to sit on a cardboard box in lieu of her usual chair (Where the hell did Omega go?) but it wasn't very comfortable. She'd already shifted to her feet a few times, and was getting tired of it.
"A chair… a chair… my kingdom for a chair…" she muttered as she typed furiously at the keyboard. No major losses to the front line troops was wonderful, but against a force like that they needed perfect coordination. Anything less would doom them all.
Just as Carmine was opening her mouth to give more orders over her headset, a hand roughly stood her up and removed the box from beneath her. She couldn't stop the yelp from escaping her lips. Just as quickly, her butt was planted in a proper chair. She blinked as she looked down at it, then again as she registered the identity of her… gluteal savior.
"All finished out there, Rain?"
The ancient Ruby smelled of smoke, but otherwise looked exactly like usual. She gazed at the digital display with her usual emotionless gaze, arms crossed in front of her. "Just now, yes," she nodded. "Cinder… won't be bothering us anymore."
Carmine just caught the little flare of light around Rain's eyes, a clear sign that she was not fully calm yet. "I don't want to know."
"Our forces?"
"A little tired, but no issues. A few of them are acting as support, getting the rest back on their feet, but we're still in a serious pickle. Only a hundred against 2.5 million of those things?!"
"In the Final War back home, humanity held it's own against 5 billion. Quit complaining."
"Son of a bitch…!"
"…"
"By the way, …a hundred Rubys? Taking my words a bit literally, aren't you?"
"You are the one who said 'a one in a hundred chance.'"
"That was odds I was talking about, not concrete numbers! And that was for the 'best case scenario!' If anything, we're smack in the middle of the WORST case scenario."
"But we did plan for this, remember?"
"I would rather not use our backup plan, if it's all the same to you."
"Neither would I, but you know it's our best chance if things go south."
"I will NOT abandon this timeline, Rain!"
"Carmine…"
"We're not finished here… not yet."
"… …You felt it, didn't you?"
"… … … … …Yeah. I think we all did."
"Who do you think it was?"
"A one in a hundred."
"Hilarious."
"Omega ran off, we've got millions of Grimm at our doorstep and only a force of a hundred or so warriors, and you expect me to be professional?"
"I expect you to stick to the plan. You know what comes next."
"Speaking of plans… mind explaining that little explosion a few hours ago? As in… Ku?"
"She was already a lost cause. An acceptable loss."
"Spoken like a true saint…"
"They teach you to be that sarcastic back at your Beacon?"
"Nope, it's a gift."
"Hope you saved the receipt."
"…"
"…"
"Just a moment… Ironwood, do you copy? Yes, it's me… … … I need you to take full command of the main force for a bit… … … Don't worry, it will only take a minute…"
"…?"
"Now then, Rain… I'm going to switch off the radio, and the two of us are going to have a …much-needed …discussion about your conduct on this mission…"
…
… … …
… … … … …
2:28 AM
City of Vale, Docks
…
The Beowulf glared at her.
Neo glared right back.
Things had started off pretty good… once she snapped out of her trance, that is. Neo quickly found herself unguarded, with little more than ropes holding her prisoner. Slipping out of them was child's play. The gods must have been in a good mood since she also found a perfectly functioning car parked just outside the tent she was being held in. Hotwiring it was almost too easy.
After that, Neo found herself passing the docks just as none other than Roman Torchwick himself flew by. Literally. She nearly crashed the car, it was so unexpected. He landed in the water just past the pier, and Neo didn't have to think twice about what to do next.
Even as she dragged the man's limp form back onshore, Neo was forming a plan – get Roman and herself out of town, find some backwoods hotel to lay low in for a few days, then make for the nearest dock and sail to Mistral. Or Atlas. Hell, even Vacuo would be better than sticking around this looney bin.
But she forgot about all the Grimm in the area. And now one was standing between them and the car.
They were still soaking wet, too. And Neo was pissed.
Then, for just a moment, a face appeared in Neo's mind – dark red hair, silver eyes, and very well-muscled shoulders. Rose, her most recent adversary.
The short girl used her free hand to smack herself in the side of the head, jarring the image loose. She really wanted a stiff drink right about now. Why the hell was she still seeing that dyke in her head?
With a low growl, the Beowulf took a step forward. Neo would have fought it, but she left her umbrella in the car and had a weight on her shoulders. Roman still had his cane clutched tightly in one hand, like he was scared to let go of it, but he was in no shape to fight.
This was not the kind of trouble she liked to be in.
All at once, the Grimm was being pelted by bullets of what looked like ice dust from somewhere above the pair. It backed off, more annoyed than hurt by the shots. The shooter then landed lightly in front of Neo and her unconscious companion, giving the small girl a good view of the newcomer's butt.
And what a butt it was. Damn. Orange spandex was apparently all that was holding it in, letting it… jiggle a bit…
NOOO! Neo shook her head in confusion and horror. She was not just staring at a woman's ass… she was not! Good gods, what was wrong with her!?
"You a'ight, love?"
The woman had turned to look at them, and Neo forced herself to focus on her face. She had the same red hair and silver eyes as all the other freaks out tonight, but she kept those eyes behind an odd pair of orange goggles. Other than that, she had some kind of glowing blue… thing on her chest. It looked really technical.
Finally processing the question, Neo simply nodded. She had to force herself to keep a neutral face.
The newcomer grinned cheekily, speaking in the strangest accent Neo had ever heard, "The road north's clear for ya, go on then. I'll keep 'em well occupied for ya. Best a' luck!" She finished with a wink.
Neo realized, to her complete horror, that she very nearly swooned at that wink. If she hadn't been wet from swimming out after Roman, she would be sweating right now. On the plus side, at least this woman didn't know who they were…
The Grimm, angry at being ignored until now, gave a roar. He didn't move closer, though.
The redhead roared right back, "Oi, Bugger off!" before pulling a pair of twin pistols from her hips and letting loose a new barrage.
With their savior's attention drawn away, Neo and Roman made for the waiting car. She quickly buckled him into the passenger seat, dove into the driver's seat and fired up the engine.
Her eyes moved against her will, glancing back to the redhead with the spandex pants. Facing away from them and still shooting. With that butt still vibrating… almost hypnotically…
Neopolitan gave a powerful-yet-soundless scream and slammed her head against the steering wheel four times (I… AM… NOT… GAY…) before putting it in drive and tearing out of there.
The gods hated her. That had to be it.
She needed some whiskey. Some strong whiskey.
Then again… gods only knew who she'd wake up next to, with the state her mind was in… hopefully it would be the ginger-haired man next to her… that would be nice… if it was another girl, Neo would probably just end it all…
"Ugh… I don't get paid enough for this bullshit…" Roman moaned, slowly returning to the land of the living.
Neo grinned as they passed the city limits.
Maybe they'd be alright.
…
… … …
… … … … …
2:30 AM
Eastern Battleground
…
James Ironwood stood before an army.
But it wasn't the army he wanted.
As soon as he understood the gravity of the situation, the General of the Atlas Military had tried to contact his officers back home to send every last robot soldier and warship they could – but to no avail. His own security measures had become his undoing. By the time anyone back home could even de-code his message, Beacon and Vale would both have been in ruins.
The troops he had left after the initial part of the operation were in no condition to fight such insane numbers of Grimm. He had left them on city guard duty. If (or when) the Ruby Army failed to hold back the monsters, his forces would be the next line of defense.
He was no fool, however. He knew full well that his line wouldn't hold long.
This was a suicide mission.
He had already sent the word out that no orders would be given during the next battle. Each of the Rubys was on their own. It was obvious they'd fight better that way.
The Grimm were a bit of a mystery, though. Shortly after the spawning of the majority of them, all of the Grimm had taken to gathering their numbers in the mountains to the east of the city.
But they weren't attacking – they were just gathering.
Almost as though they were afraid of something…
…
… … …
…
Three of the four members of team RWBY were present and accounted for. And that made Weiss rather worried.
She was reluctant to admit it, but staying near Sapphire was… comforting. She felt secure with the Atlesian Specialist in a way she never had with her own sister. Even though they'd spent many evenings simply talking, the heiress never could figure out what it was that drew her back time and time again.
Sapphire handed her a cup of water, one of many being passed out among the Rubys, and nodded towards the black horizon. "I've never heard of Grimm acting like that before."
"It is rather peculiar," Weiss agreed, taking a sip. "But at least it gives us time to prepare."
"Or to run," Sapphire added grimly.
Weiss glanced over to her left, her gaze falling on the only blonde for miles around as Yang searched frantically for her sister. Ruby could be among the others… or she could be somewhere else entirely. There was no way to be sure, since the young leader hadn't answered her scroll for the past hour.
The heiress really hoped Ruby was okay. Yang couldn't take losing another one.
Blake was the other concern. Ever since she arrived, the faunus was also searching for someone – and Weiss was confident she knew who it was. Even now, she spied Blake looking around with an odd mix of hope and anxiety.
To be honest, Weiss could understand the latter. She had shared in the experience that was Rose's pheromones. She and Blake had agreed never to bring up the subject again.
Yet Blake still tried to get closer to Rose, despite the issues. Just what was that girl thinking?
"…"
Slowly but surely, Weiss felt eyes on her from just off to one side. Someone was staring at her. She turned to find a rather …regal version of Ruby Rose watching her with a look that spoke of nostalgia.
"Hello, Weiss. I apologize if I was staring," she said kindly. This one reminded Weiss a little of her own mother.
Sapphire noticed the encounter and offered the introductions. "Ah, yes… Weiss, this is 'Magister' Ruby. She uses magic, for the most part. Magister, this is…"
"I know who Weiss Schnee is, Sapphire. Thank you anyway." Weiss noticed that this Magister and Sapphire exchanged a look of familiarity that made the heiress feel …left out.
Something nudged Weiss' hand, causing her to jump a little before she saw what it was – a small fox that looked like it was made of solid light. Before she could even say anything, the fox nimbly leapt up to her shoulders and perched itself there like a furry gargoyle.
"Vulpecula," the Magister noted, "tends to do that to anyone who needs a little cheering up. The Weiss I knew used to love foxes." The older Ruby was smiling warmly at the sight. And most likely at the memory.
Weiss couldn't help but smile as the light-fox nuzzled her face. "I suppose… I could learn to like them," she chuckled. It made a cute noise as she went to scratch it under the chin.
…
… … …
…
Blake hadn't seen Rose for several hours. Not since they first split up after the karaoke, in fact. She needed to find the muscular redhead.
There was something she needed to confirm.
All during the battle, Blake had been distracted by thoughts of Rose. That was unusual – up until this point, she only thought about her like this while they were in close proximity. Rose had already explained to the group about the whole pheromone issue, so Blake was aware of that much… but that didn't explain this tightness in her chest.
If it was just the pheromones, that would be better. Then she could excuse these issues as side effects of unwanted chemicals.
If it wasn't… that could prove to be a problem. She didn't want to admit that she might have… fallen in love. Not with Rose, at least.
Doomed romances were great in her novels, but by no means did she want to live one. She knew from secondhand experience that it was a miserable situation to be in. She knew something of the pain it could cause.
Rose had to go back to her own world soon, so they would have no chance of being together. It was the very definition of a doomed romance. So she had to know.
But first she had to find the girl. Talk about a needle in a haystack…
…
… … …
…
Yang still missed Ku, but now the pain had faded to a manageable level. It still hurt, but she could function. The blonde was currently searching for Ruby, since she wanted to say a few things before…
Before she no longer had the chance.
No one knew how long the Grimm would wait, so she hurried. So many Rubys to look through. No point in asking them, either – as far as most were concerned, everyone was Ruby.
Yet none of them were the short redhead Yang wanted to find.
There was one dressed in her school uniform that Yang had watched fight for a few minutes – the girl used electricity to shoot various coins at the Grimm with devastating results. She called it her 'railgun,' a word that meant nothing to the blonde brawler.
Another one sat cross-legged off to one side, a look of pure concentration on her face as her weapon floated in front of her. She, too, seemed to be floating a foot off the ground. Yang didn't bother her, but she could hear the redhead muttering some kind of chant under her breath, "I am one with the force and the force is with me… I am one with the force and the force is with me…"
Yet another one made Yang stop and stare – her ears were bird wings. Bird wings. Not animal ears, not faunus ears, but wings. In place of her ears. Never mind the fact she used a katana rather than a scythe, nor the fact that she also sported a few pieces of old-fashioned plate armor… her ears were bird wings.
Yang chose to bother this one, only to find out two things: she had no idea where Ruby was, and she called herself an 'Evenkuruga' …or something like that.
The blonde kept searching, now both anxious and confused.
…
… … …
… … … … …
Same Time
City of Vale, Downtown Area – Medical Tent
…
Glynda stepped into the tent first, followed by Qrow. The scraggly man had been waiting for any update on the girl Vernal, and now he had one.
She would pull through. The spy gave a deep sigh of relief.
The rest of the tent was about half full – the few injured solders who were left needed more rest, and the hostages were looked at and sent off to a shelter. Vernal's had been the only major injury.
No word from Raven yet. Qrow was starting to wonder about her…
Almost in response to his thoughts, a familiar sound drifted through the tent opening from outside. A tearing noise, followed by a hum of energy. Qrow felt the familiar bond suddenly get stronger as his sister stepped through.
He rushed out just before the portal winked out of existence, watching as Raven stood gazing back through it with a considering look. She seemed… pensive. Unsure. Not at all like the Raven he knew.
Physically she seemed okay. Other than having lost her mask somewhere, all Qrow could see where a few small cuts and one tear at the shoulder of her outfit. She didn't even look out of breath.
Her attitude had him worried, though. "You okay?" he asked carefully.
The woman finally looked at him as though suddenly remembering he was there. Yes, she was very distracted. "Yes, I… … … How is she?"
"With a bit more rest, she'll make a complete recovery. And you're welcome, by the way."
Again Raven looked back towards where her portal had been, lost in thought. What the hell happened back there?
"If you've got something to say, brother…"
"Is he dead…?"
Another pause, then, "Yes… … … and no."
Black brows furrowed deeply. She'd never gave an answer like that in all the years they'd worked together. "You know, I'm the one who usually gets drunk on the job, Raven. What the hell does that mean?"
Deep crimson eyes turned to face him, not flinching away in the slightest. Her voice was thick with meaning, and just a touch of fear.
"He… … … it… … … wasn't alive to begin with."
Qrow made a quick deduction, "You mean… you fought a robot?"
"No. Not human nor faunus, not a robot nor any other golem I've ever heard of. I don't know what it was, okay?"
"Okay, I get it. You don't know what you killed. That's not uncommon in our line of work. But that's not what has you bothered right now… is it?"
She shook her head slowly, her hair swaying with the movement. "Toward the end of the fight, I managed to knock off his… its… mask. Qrow…"
Her voice quivered for the first time since they were children.
"It had Summer's eyes."
…
… … …
… … … … …
2:33 AM
Eastern Battleground
…
At the edge of the city, she stopped and looked out towards the darkness. Hordes of the Creatures of Grimm lay waiting, covering the distant mountains like a blanket of ants, waiting to devour the defenders of the city, then the city itself. The rest of the world would fall soon after.
Unless she stopped it here.
As she watched, a lone Beowulf stepped out of the lines. It was massive and almost completely covered in armor plates. An Alpha. The creature roared and began charging toward the waiting army.
This broke the stalemate. Almost as one, the Grimm began charging right behind it. They moved like the tip of a spear, driving forward to break through the line and destroy their enemies.
Unsurprisingly, Yang led the countercharge. She noted a change in the blonde's Aura color – the dark blue now had flecks of a deep green running through it, with flashes of orange. She was still upset, but now distress and determination were equally balanced. Yang was finally ready for war.
Weiss and Blake were at her sides. Their own moods had changed little from before. She quickly examined the other Rubys around the trio – a handful she remembered from the 'Ruby Squad' but most were new.
They were also tired. Exhausted, even.
The fight wouldn't even last five minutes.
Her body still thrumming with power, she let Omega shift back to the form of Ruby's Crescent Rose. She ran towards the spot where the Alpha was set to collide with Yang. The place where destiny had determined to pit light and darkness against each other in a climactic showdown.
Time to defy destiny.
…
… … …
…
No one else would lead them, so Yang stepped up. She never found her sister. She never got to say goodbye.
They were going to die tonight. She knew that.
But Yang Xiao Long never backed down from a challenge.
Meeting a few of the other Rubys had been what did it. Their spirits were enough for the blonde to strengthen her resolve. Their strength gave her the will to charge into the jaws of death one last time. She was ready.
If only she'd been able to find her Ruby.
No one saw the single tear that slid down Yang's cheek as they charged into battle, giving a war cry that could have rattled windows for blocks around.
The Alpha charged right at her, mere feet away.
Yang lifted Ember Celica once again.
In that moment, she thought of Ruby – her baby sister.
In that moment, she thought of Weiss – her friend.
In that moment, she thought of Blake – her partner.
In that moment, she thought of Red – a long-lost brother.
And she said her goodbyes…
…
…
…
…
BWOOSH! ! ! !
…
…
A powerful force not only stopped Yang's attack, but it threw her back several feet. It also forced most of the others back, so she didn't collide with anybody. A few of them rolled along the ground for a ways, but Yang finally found her feet and turned to look at whatever had just saved her life.
It was Ruby. At least, it looked like Ruby.
The air crackled with electricity around her cloak. Just being close to the girl gave Yang the sensation of deep pressure. Any more and she would suffocate.
The shape of Crescent Rose helped identify the girl, but Yang soon realized that she was actually looking at Omega. Ruby had the black blade slung over one shoulder as she stood facing the Grimm. The monsters looked as though they were backing away from her. Hell, they seemed terrified.
"Ruby…?" Yang muttered timidly, lifting one hand towards the girl in question. If this was her sister, what had happened? Where did all this power come from?
Ruby turned at the sound of Yang's voice, and the blonde's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes… it was as though the gods had pulled two stars from the cosmos and stuck them in Ruby's head.
"Hello, Yang. It's good to see you again."
The thrum of power that emanated from Ruby's body seemed to amplify her voice as well. Yang felt those words echo through her very soul.
"You have all done well. I thank you."
Murmurs rippled through the warriors behind her as Ruby addressed the rest of the army. It seemed as though every one of them could hear her just fine. Yang's skin was awash with goosebumps.
"You may leave the rest to me."
The idea of stopping Ruby never once entered Yang's mind. Not once. All doubt and fear had been driven out by those words. Ruby could do it. Ruby would do it.
The redhead turned back to the Grimm – Yang swore they flinched when she did – and took a ready stance. Omega returned to a liquid state as Ruby chose a new form for it. The crackle of electricity grew into a steady storm of lightning as the girl appeared to be charging herself up.
The amount of power she was displaying was nothing short of awesome. It almost looked like her cloak was starting to turn white… but that might have been a trick of the light. Ruby was glowing rather brightly by this point.
But then Yang saw what Ruby was shifting Omega into… and she gave a quick gasp.
A pair of curved, S-shaped swords, the right blade almost a foot longer than the left, with advanced mecha-shift technology built into the handles and hilts. It was advanced because it was almost an entire generation early. They were called Crescent Moon, and were well known in the Huntsman world as the blades of one of the most famous Huntresses on Remnant.
They were Summer Rose's swords.
…
… … …
…
Crescent Moon was one of the few weapons she knew that hadn't been destroyed in battle – they were buried with their owner after her passing. Their death toll was almost as legendary as their wielder. Almost.
And now they were back, thanks to the miracle of nanotechnology that was Omega Rose. Back from the grave to mete out death and judgement once more.
Still gathering strength, she knelt low and spun the swords so she was holding them backhanded. She could feel her cloak billowing straight up with the force of the energy around her. The ground rumbled beneath her feet. The air cried out around her.
Over two million Creatures of Grimm stood before her. None would escape.
She struck, unleashing every speck of energy she had, moving between heartbeats.
She could not give the creatures any time to run. They all had to die at once.
So she did just that.
Moving so fast that time was an afterthought, she struck again and again. And again. And again. On and on she ran, taking a head here and a head there, cutting one in half, another in thirds. Strike after strike, kill after kill.
On she ran, continuing her grisly work. Over great distances and mountains, checking every nook and cranny of the battleground. None would escape.
Omega held true, not wavering in the slightest. He had been well-designed if such speeds did not affect him. She spared her new partner a bit of quiet praise as she ran on.
It felt like hours had passed, and still she cut. A nearly endless amount of Grimm being harvested like tall grass beneath the reaper's scythe – an ironic analogy, really.
Crescent Moon had been designed for fast and deadly strikes at close range. Summer had mastered their use before ever setting foot on Beacon's campus, which was a large part of the reason she did so well. Swinging them backhanded like this wasn't the most… elegant style, but she had quickly taken a liking to it anyway.
The last Grimm fell to her blades, causing her to look around in surprise.
She was done?
Wow…
Maybe now she could rest…
She barely registered the feeling of Omega shifting itself into a new form as she quickly faded, falling into blackness…
…Only to be caught by two strong arms, holding her tight. She glanced up to find a pair of deep silver eyes underneath a white hood, and an expression of deep love and gentleness.
With a smile on her face, Ruby fell back to sleep.
…
… … …
…
At first Yang thought Ruby had turned into an actual lightning bolt.
But then she realized that was giving the girl too little credit. Even lightning didn't move that goddamn fast.
It wasn't just her, either – everyone else admitted seeing the same thing. Yang registered a brief flash of light, and then…
And then all of the Grimm were dead. All of them.
Ho… Lee… Shit…
Ruby had just saved them all. She'd just saved the world. And she'd somehow found a 'god mode' cheat to do it.
…
… … …
…
Carmine had been in the middle of an angry statement when she simply… collapsed. Her legs no longer had the strength to keep her upright.
The map was suddenly very… empty.
Both she and Rain had felt the surge of power, but neither of them gave it much thought. Two and a half million Grimm would take a while to fight off, no matter how much power one of the Rubys had found.
But this…? This was downright stupid.
She still had the radio off, but Carmine could venture a guess that it was just as quiet as they were. That many Grimm couldn't simply vanish all at once. It was impossible.
"Well," Rain said suddenly, breaking the silence, "I suppose that means I need to send the army home now. Their job here is done."
Carmine's mouth spoke of it's own accord, since her brain had yet to catch up with it. "I… suppose… I'll have to… set up for… our transfers… too…"
Rain simply nodded and vanished, leaving the mad scientist to stare dumbly at the now-blank map of Vale.
What the hell just happened?
… … … … …
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Author's Note: Next chapter, we say goodbye. For now.
I included a few older references in chapter 19, which is likely why some of you guys missed them. The first parody Ruby was actually based on the Highlander series (90's TV show and several movies). The Ruby that almost blew up Yang and Red was supposed to be based on Lina Inverse from the Slayers anime (using her signature Dragon Slave spell). Sorry if those were a bit… outdated. Glad you guys liked the gunslinger Ruby, though!
The third Ruby Yang sees in this chapter is based on Touka from the anime Utawarerumono. In case you were wondering.
=^w^=