FYI: There's a bunch more epilogues at the end of this chapter, so take heed – I've got a crap-ton of plot threads I need to address before I get hopelessly tangled up in them. There will also be a few more of my dialogue-only scenes throughout.
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Subject: 9483-Weiss (a.k.a. 'Snow Rosewood')
Target: Remnant-3792 (Magister World)
Details: Previous scans indicate substantial increase in ethereal energy levels at early stages of development. No Grimm detected. Aura and Dust function normally, but are seldom used by the populace – 'Magic' has become commonplace.
Mission: Confer with 'Magister' Ruby for further details.
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Snow was still having trouble with the idea that her own daughter had grown up without her, but her dismay at the loss was slowly losing ground to an immense feeling of pride. Sapphire Schnee had turned out just fine. No mother could be any more proud of her child than she was.
They only had a short time to freely speak before Carmine's machine was ready to send the woman back to her own world, and speak they did. Snow found herself hungry to know how her child had lived through the years that followed their separation. She also decided that she eventually wanted to meet both the man Qrow and Sapphire's little sister Glynda. Someday.
"I hesitate to ask, but… are you ready to go?" Carmine said over her shoulder as she finished preparing her device.
Sapphire stood next to Snow, still recovering from the shock herself, and took a shaky breath, "…Not really."
The Mad Scientist turned and looked at both of the Schnee women, then nodded, "You still have a few minutes. Once you're ready, just step onto the platform."
"Right."
Carmine walked back over to her chair and tried not to look like she was listening in. Snow looked at her daughter's face, but found that the taller woman couldn't bear to meet her gaze. She was still troubled.
"All this time…" Sapphire said quietly, "…all this time, I searched for you… and now I have to say goodbye again? It's not fair!" Her voice choked at the end, accompanied by a single tear.
"Lovebug…" Snow reached up and wiped the tear away, then gently turned the woman's face to meet her own, "...I'll always be with you."
"But I don't WANNA go; I wanna stay with you!" Sapphire sniffed, acting much like she did in those long-gone days of her childhood.
Snow pulled the taller woman down for one last hug, a thought that nearly got her crying right along with Sapphire, and gently started singing her lullaby. Surprisingly, words came with it this time. They came straight from Snow's heart, ignoring both her mind and her dignity.
"I will cling, I will clutch
"I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away
"I won't leave, I won't go
"I will stay with you… all our da~ays"
The tune was enough to calm Sapphire down. The taller woman took several deep breaths and wiped her eyes, then straightened herself out and stepped onto the platform. Rather than say any words, she waved instead. Words would have started her bawling all over again.
As the blue-green light took her child away, Snow sent a feverish prayer to the Light that this would NOT be the last time she ever laid eyes on Sapphire Schnee.
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Chapter 39:
The Ring of Winter
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Snow had no recollection of the Beacon Academy she originally came from, but based on the few stories she'd overheard between Yang and Blake, it must have been pretty nice. Sure the idea that they were there training to fight monsters left a sour taste in her mouth, but those two always talked about it with a certain fondness. A place to call home.
Carmine's version of Beacon did not feel like home – to Snow, it felt like a cold, sterilized museum where you could look but not touch. Doubtless the students who attended such a place felt more at home than she did, but that didn't take away the sense that she wasn't allowed to roam too far. She'd visited the capitol city of Andor on one of her rare land-based journeys back home, and the castle had much the same feel. If she came within inches of touching more than just the floor, the guards held their weapons a bit more tightly.
The Beacon Academy of this world, however, could be described best with the word 'comfortable.'
And it wasn't the architecture – Carmine's Beacon was built with almost the same design and materials – no, something else about this place gave Snow the feeling of contentment. A sense of belonging. At times she felt like she could turn a corner and spot her hand-made wooden mansion sitting atop the next hill. Perhaps it was the magic? There was no way to know for sure after spending only a few hours here.
The woman sitting across from Snow, half-hidden behind the massive desk, was equally comforting to be around. She might bear the same name as Snow's long-lost partner, but Ruby Rose was a Magister of Light. And simply being in her presence was akin to watching the waves from the bow of a ship on a perfectly clear, windy day at sea. In a word, it was …refreshing.
The Magister had been sitting still for several minutes after Snow finished telling her about Sapphire's farewell. There was clearly a lot going through her mind, but Snow knew better than to try and drag it out of her. Patience was a virtue she'd mastered early on with little Marigold.
"You've given me much to ruminate over, Lady Snow," the Magister said in a low voice. "To think that so much happened to you after that battle, almost an entire life, gone… and for you and Miss Sapphire to have such a happy ending… it's almost enough for me to declare a national holiday in your honor."
"I'm not that great," Snow countered politely.
"I disagree," she stated back, but didn't continue. Instead she simply sat back in her chair and studied Snow with her deep, silver eyes.
Eyes… just like Sapphire's.
Both women had a cup of tea before them, but the Magister barely touched hers. Snow finished her own, then jumped a bit as a being made of solid light appeared next to her and quickly refilled it. Her details were hard to see, but Snow thought she could make out the image of a pretty, long-haired young girl holding a jar.
Another solid-light creature was currently sitting in her lap – this one a small fox that seemed intent on staying with Snow as long as possible. He (she…?) seemed to like getting scratches between the ears and under the chin. Made a cute little noise, too.
Several minutes of silence stretched between the two occupants of the office, Snow sipping her tea and the Magister studying her. There was a tangible feeling of tension, but not enough that Snow felt unwelcome or uncomfortable. More like the anxiety of waiting for something to happen, but not knowing what it would be.
Knock, knock. And there it was.
"Magister? James sent me up to fetch Miss Snow. The room is ready for her," a young woman spoke from the doorway without coming all the way inside. She had been present when Snow first arrived and seemed rather… apprehensive at the idea that Snow might be staying on campus for awhile.
"Thank you, Miss Schnee. I'll walk her there myself."
Schnee. A name Snow remembered with no fondness. On this world, much like the one she originally came from, the Schnee family was alive and well. And Weiss Schnee was, apparently, a very famous member of that family.
Not to mention she was the actual grandmother of the young girl in question, called Wendy. Those ice-blue eyes were certainly a Schnee trademark, but Snow had to wonder about the blue-toned hue of her hair. Who could have been responsible for that?
"Well, Lady Snow… if you'll follow me, I'll show you where you'll be staying."
"Please, you don't need to call me 'Lady' Snow…"
The Magister grabbed her cloak from the hanger near the door as they both began the walk to the student housing. She seemed to be considering how to reply, but stayed quiet as the pair took the lift to ground level.
Not an elevator, like on Carmine's world… a lift. One that ascended and descended by unseen magical energies.
In fact, quite a few small features of the school used similar methods of power – door locks were magic-based and unlocked with small gemstones, and hallway and area lighting was done with a glowing type of gem, among other things. This magic stuff was everywhere.
"By the way," Snow said as they crossed the main courtyard, "…what did the message from Carmine say? She only told me to show it to you."
The Magister appeared to consider her answer, then said, "…In short, she wants me to help you relax and unwind for a while. She knew you'd just been through a lot and wanted your time here to serve as a kind of vacation."
Snow stopped walking. "…Are you serious?"
"Yes, …is there a problem?"
"She just… sent me on a vacation? With everything going on? I never asked for that! I can't believe…!"
"Lady Snow," Magister Ruby walked back over and placed a gloved hand on Snow's shoulder, "I think she's right. You need to unwind, let go of this tension I sense inside you. Use this time to truly find yourself."
Snow took an uncertain step away from the older woman, her brow tightly knitted.
"Do you remember how to use your summons?"
Snow could only shake her head no, not trusting her voice at the moment.
"Then that is something else you can do. Miss Schnee may not look it, but she has trained herself to use the Schnee family summons from a young age. I can have her set aside some time each week to work with you."
"STOP IT! Just… stop! I can't… why are you… I can't just sit around and do nothing!"
"Lady Snow-"
"Stop CALLING me that!"
This was officially nonsense. Ridiculous. How could that woman expect her to just… just… sit around all day twiddling her thumbs?!
When Yang was dying of a disease?! And Ruby Rose was lost in time, possibly forever?! How dare she-
How DARE she take away MY Marigold!
Snow was in the midst of pulling up the 'return' program on her scroll when that little thought popped into her head, causing her to drop the device in shock.
Did that… did she really think… blood and bloody ashes!
The renewed pain of loss, the sting of watching her daughter disappear, was more than enough to get the tears flowing once again. She didn't even notice that she was surrounded by a curtain of glowing white light, nor that the little light fox was nowhere to be seen. She did notice, however, when two arms encircled her from behind and embraced her warmly.
"No mother should ever have to bear the pain of losing her child," the Magister said quietly from behind her. "Please, Lady Snow…please stay. Take all the time you need to heal; I'll be right here to support you."
Something about the way she said those words struck a chord in Snow's mind. This Ruby spoke of the pain of loss in a way that almost sounded… personal. Like she was able to truly understand what Snow was going through. Possibly the only one who could.
"… … …Okay," Snow finally muttered.
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Over the course of the first week, Snow overheard quite a bit about this world's recent events. She remembered Carmine mentioning something about a 'big battle' they just finished, but nothing had been explained. Listening to conversations here helped fill in those blanks.
Most of the young Mages (a title that apparently equaled Huntsman in this world) could wield one of the four classic elements – fire, water, wind and earth. Magister Ruby was the sole exception who could wield light like a physical energy.
There was, however, a group of bad Mages capable of the exact opposite – they wielded the power of pure darkness. As one would expect, this led to a war. The Magister and her allies won… but there was a price paid for that victory, and try as she might, Snow did not find out just what that price was. Apparently someone important died, but no one would say who.
Eventually Snow decided it was over and done, and that the information had no real bearing on her presence there. She had other things to think about as the weeks progressed, anyway.
As the Magister stated, Wendy Schnee was tasked with helping Snow re-learn the Schnee family summoning power. There were no problems while the teen was in teaching mode, but any time Snow tried to engage in conversation, Wendy suddenly had far more pressing matters to attend to. Snow sensed a fear in her, but the kind normally reserved for those of much higher station than your own. During that same trip to Andor back home, Snow had the privilege of seeing the Queen of Andor in person – most of the servants held that same fear for their queen during that appearance.
James Arc turned out to be far more agreeable. He seemed disappointed that Snow didn't know his grandfather (someone called Jaune), but the young man enjoyed telling the occasional story of his time at Beacon anyway. He also enjoyed hearing one or two of Snow's tales.
Nothing major occurred for the first month. Snow simply used her free time and solitude to organize her thoughts and try to make peace with her past.
By the time the second month rolled around, something… different happened.
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The incident in question began on a lovely afternoon as Snow found herself working in the small kitchenette attached to the room she'd been given. It was a rather grandiose room, as the Magister frequently housed important political figures at Beacon here if they needed to stay the night – but it was Snow's for as long as she remained in this world.
Wendy was present in the room (something that had become a habit for the young Schnee) while Snow was busy cutting some vegetables for a soup.
All was quiet. Calm.
But then Wendy sneezed out of nowhere, startling Snow.
The knife slipped, cutting her finger in a long gash. "Bloody ashes!" she cursed out loud and stuck the cut in her mouth.
"Oh, gods I'm so sorry Lady Snow!" Wendy darted over in a panic. "I'll fix you up right away! Oh, I am so, so sorry…"
"It's alright," she groaned over the stinging, "it'll stop bleeding on it's own. You just surprised me, is all."
"No, it's not alright!" Wendy pulled her gemstone from her pocket and summoned a long, white staff of some kind from it. Snow had seen a few other staves like this, so it wasn't too shocking. "The least I can do is heal you. Water Mages are healing specialists."
Snow held out the hand with the cut, holding the finger with her other hand as Wendy held her staff over it and concentrated. A warm, glowing light began to descend from the stone at the end of the stick, slowly engulfing the wound.
Only for the light to be visibly sucked into Snow's ring. The wound remained.
"Uhh…" Wendy blinked, at a loss for words. "I'll… try again?"
Snow nodded, and Wendy focused once again on the task. More warm light emanated from the gem like a fog and drifted downward… but once again became sucked into the snow sapphire of the ring. What in the Light…?
"Wait… um, uh… try… try moving your hands apart…" Wendy suggested with a tone of desperation.
Snow complied, a third attempt was made, and this time it worked. The cut tingled, then vanished in a matter of moments. Snow merely had to wash away the dried blood.
"Thank you, Miss Wendy, but you really didn't have to…"
"Can I see that ring?" the blue-haired girl interrupted, then sputtered, "I-I mean, um…m-may I s-s-see y-your…"
Snow brought her hand up so Wendy could get a better look at her pride and joy, the single most valuable item from her home. Her greatest keepsake from Samuel Rosewood, her husband. Her wedding ring.
The teenager studied it for all of 10 seconds before her eyes nearly popped out of her head. She barely managed to mutter a 'Wait here!' before bolting through the doors and out of Snow's room.
The former Schnee merely blinked. What was that about?
…
Less than five minutes later, both James and the Magister had joined Wendy in Snow's room. All were staring at the small gem known only as a Snow Sapphire.
"I noticed it when you first arrived, but I would never have imagined this was a genuine Azurian Crystal. Barely a handful of these even exist," the Magister said, awestruck.
Wendy nodded, "The only reason I figured out what it was, other than the absorbing magic thing, was because my family owns one of them. We have it at the mansion in Atlas under the highest security. These things are worth an astronomical fortune."
"Uh…" James muttered, clearly confused, "…it's just a rock, isn't it? I mean, it's pretty and all, but… what's the big deal?"
Before Wendy could bite his head off, Magister Ruby shushed her with a raised hand and explained. "Azurian Crystal is an extremely rare fusion of Dust with magical energies. There are other colors out there, each with unique functions, but Azurian is the rarest. It acts as an infinite battery; any magical energies that come too close get absorbed. To my knowledge, there is no limit to how much magic these gems can contain."
Snow, who had been listening quietly up to this point, said, "Before you ask, no… it's not for sale."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Lady Snow," the Magister replied. "In fact, I'd like to test something, if I may…?"
…
Which is how they found themselves outside a few minutes later, on one of the training fields. James and Wendy stood off to the side while Snow and Magister Ruby stood at the center.
The Magister of Light summoned her stave, which looked remarkably similar to Ruby's scythe, and called forth her light magic. Before their eyes appeared a large reptilian creature, easily fifty feet long with a dragon-like head and claws. It looked fierce, but moved and swayed with a fluidity that was almost mesmerizing.
"Lady Snow, try touching my Draco with your ring."
Snow glanced at the woman, then at the creature with uncertainty. Draco seemed to sense her unease as it lowered it's massive head in an oddly submissive gesture. Snow reached forward and gently placed the stone against the creatures snout.
Instantly the form of the serpent was broken as the raw light turned into a river that rapidly sucked itself into the gem. The force of the energy rushing into the thing was almost enough to knock Snow off her feet. In mere moments the construct was gone.
"Incredible," the Magister breathed. "A single stone of Azurian could, in theory, be used to defend an entire fortress against magical attacks… but you wear one on your finger."
Snow gazed at the ring again, the new knowledge of what Sam's gift could do swimming through her mind. Somehow, even after losing him to the Light, that man continued to look after her. To protect her. Honestly, that was just like him.
"So it can be used as a magic shield. But you used the word 'battery'…?"
Magister Ruby smiled. "You can use Glyphs again, yes? Form one now, with your Aura."
Snow nodded, summoning a simple Glyph used for deflection. A basic technique that any Schnee is taught almost as soon as they can use their Aura at all. Hence, it was the first Glyph Snow remembered how to form after she began training with Wendy.
"Now try another, but this time… try to draw the power needed from the ring instead."
Hmm… that would be tricky. Snow released her old Glyph, then focused her mind. She expanded her senses to get a feel for any nearby Aura and quickly felt the pinpoint of pure energy from her finger. Focusing on that point, she drew the energy much like she did with her own Aura and quickly formed the Glyph.
Unlike before, the deflection Glyph was now at least twice as wide and five times as thick, blazing with a new intensity. Snow's hand tingled as she held it. She could just see the two teens off to one side looking utterly amazed.
Ruby nodded, "Just as I thought. By using the magic of your ring rather than your own Aura, your Glyphs are supercharged. On top of that, you aren't exhausting yourself doing it. One can only imagine what effect this will have on your summons…"
Snow felt her jaw drop as she looked upon her creation. A Glyph like this could probably protect her from a full-on tidal wave. And it was true – she wasn't the least bit worn out holding something so powerful.
This… could have major implications after she got back to Carmine's world. With an advantage like this, who knows what they could accomplish?
"The only limit I can see is that you can only hold these stronger Glyphs for as long as your ring contains magic… but it seems to drain quite slowly. Hmm…"
Before long, the Magister called over both James and Wendy (both of whom were still speechless after that display). She then said, very seriously, "I need the two of you to promise me that you will stay completely quiet about what happened here today, and about the ring."
"Yes Magister," they nodded in unison.
Addressing Snow as well, she continued, "If certain groups caught wind of the fact that you have an Azurian Crystal here, it could literally start another war. I will not let that happen, not after we just ended the last one. This stays firmly between the four of us, understood?"
Snow nodded along with the two teens.
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As the next few months passed, Snow's life entered into a certain pattern that deviated very little.
James and Wendy started visiting at regular times each week in order to 'charge' Snow's ring, as the Magister had ordered. This involved little more than each teen sitting still for about an hour as they drained as much magic as they could spare into the little Snow Sapphire. They were not allowed to put too much into it, as it would have negatively impacted their health. Snow was concerned at first, but relaxed once she learned that magic regenerated even faster than Aura.
Magister Ruby herself even made weekly visits for the same purpose, but she had far more magic to spare. Her words about the ring's infinite properties seemed well-founded, as there was no visible sign of the ring running out of storage even after a full three months of repeating this process. The Magister would not answer any questions regarding just why she felt the need to do this, however, which frustrated Snow to no end. All she would imply was that she wanted Snow's ring to 'carry her through to the end.'
Beyond that, Wendy busied herself by teaching Snow the fundamentals of the Schnee summoning techniques. Luckily for both of them, this process was short. The Magister forbid Snow from using the ring during her training and cautioned them about practicing on their own – she insisted on personally overseeing the occasional summoning session in the training yards.
Snow also decided that the large knight that always appeared for her during these sessions would be named Lan. After Sam's old First Mate. She missed that old sailor sometimes.
The rest of Snow's free time was spent in Beacon's vast library or deep in thought. The library held more books than all of Charleston put together, and she had no shortage of interesting things to read. She found she especially enjoyed reading about the history of this particular world – she often found herself daydreaming of what might have happened to Sapphire had she ended up here instead of that other place.
And that's where her thoughts always seemed to lead… back to Sapphire. To Marigold.
Truth be told, Snow was not over it. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
The device that sent Marigold away was said to bear a strong resemblance to Carmine's toys, and the woman was directly responsible for sending Sapphire home after they'd finally found each other. Carmine claimed she could not send Snow back to her home, but never bothered to explain exactly why. It seemed the woman was bent on keeping Snow away from her family at all costs.
But was that the truth, or just Snow's own anger twisting the details?
She wanted to go home. Her home. She wanted it more than anything in the world. Snow Rosewood wanted nothing more than to step up on that platform and close her eyes… only to find herself back on that hill, at that house, ready to run into the waiting arms of the only man she ever loved, and to embrace the child of that love in a teary-eyed, giggly mess. To grow old together. To know true happiness.
But… now there was a problem.
It was more than just finding out that Ruby Rose was seemingly lost in the infinite expanse of time and space – there was also that large-breasted woman who seemed to be warning them of someone else moving behind the scenes. Someone… who did not have their best interests in mind. Rain's discomfort with the whole situation also set Snow on edge.
To go home now, when something was so desperately wrong elsewhere… there was no way Snow could accept that situation with a clean conscience. No, if she was to go home, she first had to help make this right. Whatever 'this' was.
And somehow, likely through direct intervention of the Light, Sam had given her the very weapon she could use to do just that.
There was no way it could have been anything else – there was no Dust back home and Snow's Aura never worked once after she arrived there. So how in blazes did Sam find such a treasure? It could only have been the Light.
Trying to imagine any other solution would have kept her awake at night.
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"So, Lady Snow… it's been almost six months. How are you feeling?"
"Let's just say I've come to terms with what I actually want. My true priorities."
"And?"
"While I will never give up on wanting to return home, I know now that I need to do everything in my power to help my team get back together first. None of us can relax until then, me least of all."
"What about Sapphire? When you arrived I felt an immense kind of pressure, a tension buried deep within you. That seems to have dissipated."
"It… still hurts, if that's what you mean. However, after stepping back and looking at the big picture, I realized two important things: first, Sapphire had to go home or there would have been even bigger problems. And second, Carmine can send me to see her at the very least. The rest of my family and my home is beyond my reach, but not her. Not my daughter."
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Lady Snow."
"Still, once I get back I'm gonna kick Carmine's stupid butt for making me think there was an important mission to do here…"
"Actually… there was something she wanted me to do while you rested. Her message detailed a certain kind of… card that you all are looking for. She detected one on this world and asked that I use my influence to have it sent here for you to bring back."
"Oh, really?"
"Once you were fully recovered and had the card on your person, only then was I to allow you to return… as long as it occurred before one year had passed, of course."
"...On second thought, I think I'll get Blake to kick Carmine's butt. She'll hit harder."
"Hah, no doubt! On the other hand, now that your ring is well-stocked with magic… a single Glyph could put her into a coma for a month. Even Blake couldn't do that."
"Tempting, but unfortunately we need her awake to run the machines."
"A shame. Here is the card, Lady Snow. I'll let you hang onto it until you're ready to go. And I believe you'll find that the amount of magic stored in your ring will last you for a substantial amount of time. However, if you need it refilled for any reason, simply return here at any time."
"Thank you."
"…"
"Hmm… Carmine made it sound like these cards represent certain people… I wonder who this is?"
"I am unsure, myself. I met several of the alternate versions of me during the battle back then, but none resembled this image. I know of no one who would qualify as… The Dancer."
"It could easily be someone we already met, but as I told you I don't remember any of them."
"Indeed, that is likely."
"Hmm…"
"And now I shall leave you to your business, Lady Snow. Good night."
"...Magister? I think I'll be ready to head back quite soon. Maybe within the week."
"I see… if that is what you wish, then I shall not stop you."
"But first I want to know one thing. Have you… ever lost a close relation? A lover? Or a child?"
"…"
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked-"
"Yes… … … I have."
"…?"
"It's been many, many years now, but I'll never forget it. I do, indeed, know the pain of losing a child to the violence of war. But unlike most, I know it firsthand – my son died in my arms, Lady Snow."
"…! Blood and bloody ashes…!"
"My apologies. It is not a story I ever intended to share. Get some sleep. When you're ready to leave, let me know so we can have a proper send-off party for you."
"…I'm sorry, Ruby."
"… … …Don't worry about it, Weiss. Good night."
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Remnant-5815
(Carmine's World)
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[Just before Blake's return…]
Rosey really wanted to run, but her stubbornness was winning the fight with her fear.
The spot where Ruvys' crystal once sat now pulsed and throbbed like a living thing, despite the fact that there was nothing there. Short bursts of energy occasionally flared into the air around it, sparks that had a blue-green hue. Her Faunus hearing picked up a high-pitched whine coming from the spot which caused her to flatten her ears against her head in pain.
And beneath all that was a terrible sense of impending danger. Like something was soon to happen that Rosey really didn't want to be close to.
Then, all at once, something did happen… but it was over in a split second.
It was almost like a flash of lightning – one moment it was there, burning a hole in Rosey's eyeballs… and the next, it was barely a memory. No noise, but she could still see the afterimages: three distinct streaks of light that flashed out from that spot, each going a totally different direction.
Oddly, the spot's activity rapidly died down to nothing after the flash. Silence fell over the docks.
A groaning sound pulled Rosey's attention to the other side of one of the big airships. One of those streaks seemed to lead there.
"Ooh… did anyone get the number of that fucking bus…?" came a familiar voice.
Rosey darted around the big machine with eyes wide and ears standing tall. What she saw was nowhere near what she expected to find. Or, for that matter, who.
Blake would definitely want to know about this!
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Remnant-8843
(Sapphire's World)
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"Miss Sapphire? Is everything alright?"
"Hmm? Oh yes, Peter. Everything's fine."
"Are you certain? You've been a bit… out of it ever since you returned home…"
"I'm fine. I simply have a lot on my mind. A lot of questions that finally got answered after that last mission."
"Splendid! Wonderful to hear! It's always good to see you young people getting along in life. Why, when I was your age-"
"If you please, Peter… no offense, but I would like to get to bed before sunrise."
"Hmm, very well. And should I prepare a room for your guest?"
"…What? What guest?"
"The young woman who was in the room with you just a few minutes ago. I didn't want to interrupt your conversation, so I waited just outside…"
"Peter, I've been in this room alone for several hours. No one else was in here."
"Miss Sapphire, I know I'm getting up in years but my eyes have never once failed me. There was indeed a young woman in the room with you. She was wearing a ragged-looking red cloak with a hood, but I couldn't see her face beyond it."
"… … …Are you certain?"
"Quite certain, Milady."
"…Did she say anything? Anything you could hear?"
"I try not to eavesdrop as it's most rude, but I admit I did listen in for a moment. I only heard a single word, but it sounded as though the poor girl had throat damage and she was hard to understand."
"What did she say?"
"… … …Do you truly not remember her at all? I am certain you said a few things to her before I arrived, but all I heard was a raised voice."
"Peter, what did she say to me?"
"Err, …I believe the word was… 'Famine.'"
"… … …Did she say anything else?"
"Not that I could hear, but I did notice that she appeared to… reach up and touch you on the forehead as she said that word. Since I assumed she was your guest I said nothing about her rudeness, but give the word and I can have her thrown out of the manor…"
"Thank you Peter, that will be all. Good night."
"…Are you certain, Milady?"
"Good NIGHT, Peter."
"Very well. Good night, Miss Sapphire."
…
… … …
… … … … …
What About Roman and Neo…?
…
This version of Beacon Academy was a warzone, there was no other word for it.
As Neo and Roman stood in a secluded corner near the cafeteria (that was their assumption based on the view of the interior), they watched all manner of chaos unfold around them.
"I don't get paid enough for this bullshit," Roman muttered. Neo simply nodded.
They could clearly hear explosions all over campus. Students of all ages could be seen running from… um… aggressive… appliances. Screams were coming from everywhere. One girl was running from a… a freaking desk lamp that was… hopping after her…?
Neither of the pair could quite process what they were seeing.
Off to one side of their view was a large display screen showing a message in all-caps that said something like: SOON, MY ELITE DRONES SHALL REPLACE THE BRAINS OF EVERY STUDENT WITH A NANOTECH COMPUTER. It also mentioned something about an invincible robotic… god.
A glance into the massive room behind them found That Damned Kid and the Princess dodging shots from both a… killer robot that somehow found its way into the place, and… and… an angry slushie machine.
What. The. Fuck.
Roman and Neo both took a sweeping look around the place, then looked at each other with a flat stare.
"Nope," the taller man stated.
Neo pulled a card from her shirt pocket that simply read Nope.
Without another word, Roman grabbed Neo's arm just as the tiny woman hit another four-button combination and sent them away from this… very strange world.
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Author's Note: And that was Snow's first outing into the multiverse. One of many more to come. Yay. And in case you couldn't tell, Sapphire's role in this story is far from over (if you missed her backstory, in Sapphire's world nearly everyone is randomized – so Peter Port is now the Schnee family butler).
For those wondering, I do plan to revisit the Magister's world in a totally separate fic sometime in the future. It will cover both Ruby's rise to the Magister position and the Black Mage war that just ended here. Look forward to it! (But don't hold your breath, I'm in no hurry.)
Next time: Gambol the Dragon enters an entirely different Beacon Academy.
(Credits: What's in a Name? written by Moczo)
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Temp. Note: If any of you guys are actively writing a RWBY fic, or know anyone who is, that my Roman and Neo could potentially interfere with (instead of just pop in and out), I would love to do a short collaboration. These segments are meant to be pure fun, and what better way to have fun than to mess with other stories? Shoot me a PM if you have any suggestions. My only criteria is that the fic has to have a silver-eyed Ruby Rose alive and present in the story itself (for reasons).
=^w^=