The coming of ANOTHER MORNING means the End of Another Dream…
Ruby Rose slept like a log. She shuffled about her bed, tossing and turning. She wore her usual ensemble of pajamas, a black tank top with white pants patterned with pink roses, and a black sleeping mask over her eyes. Drool leaked out of the side of her open mouth. She mumbled every now and then, mutterings of unintelligible half-words.
A giggle escaped her lips, and her arms shot up as if to reach out to something. Of course, they caught nothing but air, falling lazily back down. Still, a grin was plastered on her face. She was having another pleasant dream this morning.
Ruby did not know where she was.
Lost in a land of intense fog, she wandered aimlessly. The fog surrounded her, swallowing up everything in sight. The sky, the land, the sun, all of it consumed by thick a gray mist. As if the whole world itself were wrapped in sweet oblivion. It disoriented her, screwing with her sense of direction so bad, she couldn't tell north from south. She took another step, and she felt her boots press onto dry dirt. She at least had that piece of information. She was in some kind of desert or open terrain.
"Hellooo? Is anyone there?" She called out into oblivion. "Please! Help! I have no idea where I am!" She flailed her hands wildly to get someone's, anyone's attention.
Her actions however were for naught, and the only reply she received was the echo of her own desperate cry for help. Her shoulders slumped, and her head sunk low. She squinted at the sole patch of dirt clearly visible to her, the one she stood on. She kicked the stuff into the air. The dirt particles quickly vanished into oblivion as well.
She sighed dejectedly, before craning her neck to her back. She stared at Crescent Rose, loyally strapped to her waist. "At least I'm not entirely alone, huh, partner." The weapon gave no reply of course, but its mere presence calmed her nerves, even for a little.
"Just, where are we?" She muttered to herself, sighing.
Time seemed to flow endlessly slow in the fog.
I am the bone of my sword.
The words came from nowhere, echoing across her mind. Her silver eyes darted around, a shard of hope in her growing. She searched for the source of the voice. There was still no one there. But then she felt a hot blast of air slap her face. She had to shield her face as her red cape fluttered, the winds howling at her eardrums.
So as I pray, give me…
Unlimited Blade Works!
The words rang in her ears, catching her interest at the last three familiar words. She dared to open her eyes and they widened.
The veil of oblivion had been blown over, revealing a world beyond her comprehension. She stood in a literal unlimited blade works. A deserted landscape ravaged in an endless array of swords. The sky was a resplendent twilight where gigantic gears that did not turn hung.
She lost her breath. Her eyes and mouth widening, she approached the closest sword, a golden yellow gladius planted erect into the dirt. She studied its make, the perfection in its craft, the way the metal hummed with power, almost as if it were a living being of its own. On instinct, she grabbed its hilt and pulled. But it wouldn't budge.
"Come. On." Ruby heaved, her two hands gripping the handle. "Ugh!" Her hands slipped, and she sent herself stumbling backwards. Her head knocked against the jagged blade of another sword, but her aura shielded her from most of the damage. "Ow…" She rubbed her head. For some reason, the hit hurt more than it should have. Was there something special about the sword?
She tried her hand at the next sword. This one close to arm's length, its blade a serrated wedge of polished stone. She pulled her hardest, but like the sword before, it resisted her. The stone sword released a crunching noise, as if it were burying itself deeper in to the dirt, refusing to be wielded.
"Stupid awesome swords. Won't even let me play with them…" Ruby grumbled, stalking away from the sword.
But it was impossible to keep frowning, not when every step she took forward, she would encounter another new sword, just as cool and special as the last. She couldn't resist the temptation and tried pulling each one out. But the results were the same every time. They all rejected her in the same manner, thrumming with displeasure at simply being held by her hands before burying themselves deeper into the ground.
The swords were all beautiful weapons, dangerous-looking and flashy. But if she couldn't even play with them, what good were they to her? It was the cruelest thing she ever experienced, like somebody had shoved a slice of strawberry shortcake to her face and told her she couldn't have any. It was plain torture, the most exciting and annoying form of torture possible.
"What kind of joke is this….?" Ruby sighed, her hopes thinning.
She was just about to give up when her peripheral vision caught a flash of red. Her brows furrowed. Was that? Recognition overcame her as she got closer to the weapon. Her eyes followed its black and red length, all the way down to its giant curved blade planted into the dirt. The shape and design were unmistakable. After all, she had crafted its frame herself. It was her weapon, Crescent Rose, standing firm next to the countless other peerless blades.
She looked behind her back just to be sure, but just like before, Crescent Rose was still strapped to her waist. She turned back to the second Crescent Rose, scrutinizing all its details. Every twist and turn she once shaped, her personal signatures, they were all there. It was a perfect copy of her own weapon. But how was that possible?
She picked the scythe up and unlike the rest of the blades, Crescent Rose obeyed her. She easily plucked it out of the dirt and swung it a few times. Even its weight and feel were the same. She returned the Crescent Rose to the ground and took another sweep across the strange land. Different swords were scattered everywhere, but Ruby spotted two familiar ones within the pile, Myrtenaster and Gambol Shroud, her teammates' weapons.
"What is this place?" Ruby asked herself once again.
Unlimited Blade Works, she had heard the voice speak in her mind earlier. Strange. The only Unlimited Blade Works she knew of was a newly opened store in downtown Vale, not this endless field of swords.
She kept on walking, the questions inside her continued to bubble up, but they never popped into any answers. Her feet eventually carried her to a familiar steel dagger, one she could not fail to recognize. It was Lygarstung, the dagger of treachery, ruin and devastation, the downfall of many a weapons store.
Okay, no, it was just Lygarstung, a dagger from Shirou's store. But to Ruby's mind, this dagger was the catalyst for her team's most recent blunder, one that almost cost them the loss of two new friends. It was only natural for some unsavory feelings for the blade lingered within her.
She tested the dagger's hilt in her hands and pulled. Somehow, she knew this blade would not deny her like the rest. She wrapped her fingers tightly around the handle and spoke its name.
"Lygarstung!"
The dagger's tongue flew, its deadly edge tied to the hilt by an extendible wire. Ruby waved her hands and the wire bended, following her lead, twisting and coiling like a snake. It was different from before. This time, Ruby was fully aware of the dagger's capabilities and wasn't taken by surprise. She played around with its handle and the tongue of steel seemingly read her mind and bended according to her will perfectly. She continued to play around with it, figuring that aside from Crescent Rose, it was probably the only one she could freely use in the field of swords.
A giggle escaped from her lips as the dagger's blade sailed in the air, following her every gesture and command. Ruby ran across the land, Lygarstung's blade following her like a kite attached to a string. She was just about to forgive the dagger for causing so much trouble before when she approached a hill of swords. The top of the hill looked high enough it could reach the horizon.
You all… To Shirou's store… I… I'll…
A new voice echoed across the world of swords, and suddenly everything froze. Ruby stopped in her tracks. She watched in horror as the light died out. The sun and gears up above were devoured by a dark night. Snow fell from the black sky as all traces of warmth vanished. The earth froze over. Frost and ice began to grow over the swords, encasing them, trapping them in a chilly embrace. The steel wire of Lyarstung froze in place, remaining stiffly curved in the air.
Ruby shivered. She dropped the dagger's handle and rubbed her shoulders, but it was futile. A blizzard was growing, and she was caught in the middle of it. The world around her became bleaker and bleaker. Everything slowly being buried under a cold white. The sky a pitch black.
She felt her feet tingle, and she widened her eyes in alarm. The ice grew on her feet, climbing up her legs. She tried to move away, to escape from the sheer cold. But it was impossible. The ice slowly crawled up her body, numbing her senses one by one, until all she could feel was the gnawing void of any sensation. In a matter of minutes, she went from shivering in pain to wishing she could feel pain.
"No, no, no! This can't be happening," she screamed. "T-this can't b-be-"
She tried to speak, but her tongue froze stiff. Her mouth fixed agape, begging to release a cry that could not escape. She felt the ice crawl over her cheeks, approaching her eyes, threatening to steal her vision once and for all, to shut her world entirely into the cold unforgiving Winter.
Was this how it was going to end?
…I'll kill you all.
The voice spoke again, finishing its earlier sentence. In the depravity of her senses, Ruby recognized the voice to be that of a little girl's. Someone she knew. Someone she knew was trying to kill her.
NO! Not like this. I. WON'T. DIE. LIKE. THIS!
She screamed. From the depths of her soul, she screamed one final defiance, and her eyes released a silver light. Two pillars of brilliant silver sprouted from her eye sockets and lit up the night sky. They swirled and wrapped around her body, melting the ice and dispelling the cold. Her tongue thawed, and her screams found their voice again. The light grew even more violent.
She continued to wail on that isolated hill. Her silver light shining defiantly, banishing the Winter and World of Swords altogether. Everything was swept away in silver, black and white disappearing, until she alone remained. Her voice eventually wavered, finally losing strength.
Ruby collapsed onto her small patch of dirt, tears in her eyes. Her throat hoarse and dry. Her eyes felt like they were bleeding, leaking out a warmth they shouldn't. She shut her eyes and the world returned to a misty oblivion.
"NO!"
Two silver orbs glowed past her black sleeping mask. Ruby sprang up from her bed in a jolt of panic. She banged her head against the ceiling, and the pain and disorientation of having just woken up from a nightmare mixed into a slurry cocktail of delirium.
Catching her breath, she slid off the mask and stared at her own room. Her entire world was spinning, so she tried to get a grip by taking in her familiar surroundings.
It was okay. She was safe here. She was safe in her own room, in the company of her own…
"Huh?"
She shook her head and the world finally steadied. No one else was in the room of Team RWBY. Had she overslept into the afternoon or something? She glanced at the alarm clock. It was only half past eight in the morning. No one on their team was a morning person, which begged the question.
"Where is everybody?"
Sweat dripped down the bangs of Weiss' hair, cascading off the sides of her face. She wiped them away, and felt her hair loosen out of place. She readjusted the tiara tying back her hair to the side. She breathed a sigh. There. She could feel her hair lock perfectly back in place.
"Ready for another round?" Her sparring partner asked her.
She returned her attention to her teammate Blake, who much like her, was catching her breath. Sweat glistening, her black hair had a new sheen to it.
They'd been at it since the training room had opened at six. Sparring against each other, testing the limits of their abilities and getting a feel of their newly reinforced swords. Neither of them were normally early risers but today had been an exception.
"How about we practice that maneuver Ruby named a couple of days ago?" Weiss suggested for a change of pace.
Weiss had woken up that morning early to steel herself for what she was going to do later that day. She had to place an order for top quality SDC dust with her father's company. A task that would have been normally fine if she and her father were on speaking terms, which they weren't.
"I don't mind but," Blake unsheathed her sword and held the blade and sheath in reverse grip. "Can you keep up this time?" She smirked playfully.
Weiss snorted. "Likewise." She drew her rapier and got into her fighting stance. "Computer. Run Scenario Gamma, Colossal Enemy. Set limit, two minutes," She barked orders to the training room simulator.
The screens around the room lit red and a hatch opened to introduce a large drone. It had a bipedal, vaguely human form. If Weiss compared it to the drones she saw in Atlas, it was a like a shoddy version of an Atlesian Paladin. But that didn't mean they could underestimate it. Its difficulty was set to average and they only had a small window of two minutes to beat it before the thing was set to deactivate.
The girls wasted no time and rushed into the drone. They attacked in tandem. Blake spun around and used the rotational momentum to deliver swift consecutive slices at one of the legs. Weiss twirled in the air like a ballerina, letting her close the distance in an instant and gracefully deliver a piercing blow at the droid's chest. She landed back on the ground, striking more blows at the other leg.
They drove the machine back. This maneuver depended on the two girls working together to create a relentless wave of attacks that built up into an overwhelming two-pronged assault. Timing and synchronization was key. Focus tantamount. But more importantly…
"Weiss!" Blake called out as she switched places with a shadow copy to avoid an attack. Weiss flicked her wrist and created a platform to kick against and dodge a dangerous blow.
Trust between the two girls was integral. For the maneuver to work, Weiss and Black had to dash at the enemy headfirst, entrusting each other's back to one another to attack without fear of damage. Two huntresses, attacking as one, defending as one.
The Droid reached its critical stage, activating its final form. It changed its attack pattern and broke the two's wave of attack.
Weiss and Blake backflipped in perfect sync, creating enough space between them and the droid to regain control of the fight.
The two's coordinated maneuver had been broken. Only one minute left on the clock. No time to think of another strategy. They would have to try the same attack again, making a few adjustments along the way. There was no time to hesitate. If they failed once, they just had to try again.
After all, practice made perfect.
A yellow blur buzzed through the streets of Vale. A speeding motorcycle just precariously close to breaking the speed limit. The roar of its mechanical engine pierced through the quiet atmosphere of the early day. It cruised through the scant morning traffic, narrowly avoiding collision with any of its fellow drivers or pedestrians. To a bystander's eyes, it would seem the rider was tempting disaster, edging to the point of a crash but never crossing that line.
Yang Xiao Long had no intention of crashing though. She was in total and complete control of her machine. Her gloved hands on the handlebars. She intimately felt every beat of the engine. Her senses focused to the hundred percent, she perceived the entire road perfectly. Through the lenses of her aviator glasses, she could see it clearly. The path she chose to drove on was a needlessly dangerous one, some might even call suicidal. But dammit, she was Yang Xiao Long. She was born dangerous.
Yang grinned. She loved the feel of the wind against her hair, that refreshing slap of resistance in her face. She reveled in the way her hair flew in the air, all golden and majestic, without a single strand being blown away. Her lilac eyes darkened at that thought, remembering the events of yesterday.
She hadn't meant for things to escalate that way. It was just a single moment of blind rage. That's all it was. She knew Ruby hadn't meant to cut her hair. She knew that it wasn't her sister's fault. All she wanted to do was blow-off some steam with maybe a scream or two. But no, she hadn't heeded Weiss' warning, didn't notice the airborne dust particles and paid the price, literally exploding and setting off the smoke alarms.
It was embarrassing is what it was. Losing control and inadvertently destroying the store of a guy she had just met. Especially, one who her teammates had taken a shine to. And then there was that guy's sister, Illya. She had never before seen a kid look so pissed as Illya did. That was no face a child would have. Just thinking about the cold way she regarded them, like they were just toys to her, it sent a chill down Yang's back.
She would never admit it to anyone, but really, Yang just needed to feel good about herself right now. This was the primary reason she was up and out so early in the morning. Riding her bike Bumblebee always calmed her nerves and raised her spirits. Her dad used to worry about her tendencies to ride recklessly when she was troubled, but the way she saw it, it was the opposite.
Whenever Yang's mind was in turmoil, once she placed her hands over the handlebars and took a seat on Bumblebee, her mind would clear. She couldn't put into words well. But if she were to give an explanation, it was because she truly cherished her bike. She was aware that one misstep was all it took for her to crash and trash her ride. As a result, whenever she rode, she was hyperalert and careful. The exact opposite of what she was yesterday.
"Now's about time," she whispered to herself. She checked the time on her bike's display. She took a sharp turn to the right, earning an angry shout from a pedestrian. She ignored it. As far she was concerned, she obeyed the rules of traffic and nobody got hurt. That's all that mattered.
She stopped in front of a street-side noodle bar. The stall was inspired by Anima-style architecture having a curved hip-and-gable roof. The walls were themed green and pale yellow. A white banner hung above showcasing two brothers standing before an ominous black tower. The words "A Simple Wok: Noodle House" wrapped around the image. A familiar bald old man manned the stall.
"I placed the order for four Rooster Special Ramens, to-go," Yang slid her hand over the counter and spoke her order.
The man nodded his head and presented her with a plastic bag. Inside were four elaborate-looking packaging boxes, specially designed to hold ramen in place. She placed a few bills on the counter and said, "Thanks. Keep the change." She was feeling generous today.
She popped open Bumblebee's trunk and stored her takeout. She readjusted her glasses, making a mental note to drive more slowly on the way back. She placed her foot on the gas pedal and sped away in a cloud of exhaust gas.
The old man behind the counter shook his head and blew away the smoke with his hand. He stared at the distant figure of Yang on her bike. He smiled to himself and returned his attention to his wok.
Yang felt something strange on her way back to Beacon. It felt similar to the sensation of being watched. She could distinctly feel something peer at her from afar, pricking her back. She looked around, but saw no one particularly interested in her. So, she just shook her head and continued driving.
As she neared the shopping district, an itch grew at the back of Yang's mind. Her right hand twitched. She had the insane urge to take the next right turn. Even though it would mean delaying her return to Beacon, she subconsciously wanted to take the turn.
She ignored it. It was too early to go see them anyway. All she would see would be a locked door with a sign that says closed. Store hours didn't start until a couple more hours. But just as Yang was about to go straight ahead, she turned right.
She couldn't deny what happened yesterday. Even if she was ashamed of the mistake she made, she had to face it head on. It was the only way to move forward. So, with steely eyes, she revved her engine, heading for Unlimited Blade Works. She needed to see Shirou and Illya again. One apology wasn't enough. She needed to tell them again just how sorry she was.
In the back of her mind, Yang knew that more words wouldn't change much. The best she could do was wait for Weiss to reimburse the store for the damages they caused. But sitting back and doing nothing just didn't sit well with her. Even if it was pointless, she needed to do something, something to show her sincerity.
But as she approached the weapons store, she felt another strange sensation reverberate across her mind.
You don't want to go to Unlimited Blade Works, right now.
Yang suddenly didn't want to go to Unlimited Blade Works. No, wait, she has to. It's the only way to ease her own guilt, right? No, she could do that a later time. But still! It's now or never. She needs to get it off her chest. No, she could stand to visit some time later, just not now. She doesn't want to disturb Shirou and Illya.
Against her own senses, Yang stubbornly parked before the weapons store. She stared at the crossed dao swords emblazoned on the glass window. A closed sign hanging on the door. She had been right. It was too early. Her eyes drifted upwards to the rooftop of the store but stopped.
You do not want to look at the rooftop. No matter what.
Yang suddenly didn't want to look at the rooftop no matter what. She shook her head. Why would she even need to look at the rooftop? There's nothing there for her to see. Nothing at all.
She sighed. "This was a waste of time"
The ramen would be getting cold at this rate. She had to get back to her teammates soon. With one last look at the closed store, Yang drove off, ignoring the itch at the back of her mind.
The garage door opened with a click and Yang slowly rode Bumblebee back to her parking spot. She got off her bike and took off her shades. She returned them to their case and pocketed them when she heard the door open.
"Yang?" An excitedly surprised voice called out to her.
She turned around to see her sister Ruby standing by the door, still in pajamas. She instantly noted the paler than normal color of her sister's skin. "Ruby, what's-"
But before she could finish, Ruby rocketed into her with a bear hug. The younger sister wrapped herself around the older sister, burying herself in her warmth. "Where were you? I woke up. But no one was there. Weiss and Blake were missing. I couldn't find anyone. And it was so, so cold. And I had-"
"Ruby calm down," Yang pleaded with the girl. "One thing at a time. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Weiss and Blake are probably still training."
She placed her hand over her sister's cheek. There was no mistake. Her sister's skin was abnormally cold. And yet, at the same time, there was some kind of residual warmth leaking out of her, somehow concentrated around her eyes.
"What happened?" She asked, concern deep in her voice.
Ruby wiped off some eye crust off her eyelids. She smiled. "It's nothing. I'm just so glad to see you."
Yang frowned at that. Her instincts as Ruby's sister told her another story. Ruby was definitely hiding something. Perhaps skirting around a topic of fear. Well, no matter, she'd eventually get to the bottom of it. But for now…
"Cheer up, sis. I've got us covered." She popped open her bike's seat and revealed her goodies. "It's noodle time!"
Author's Note:
Next chapter will most likely feature the main characters having breakfast. Shirou and Illya's side with pancakes. Team RWBY with ramen. And another pair of siblings at a bar. Heh, the idea of breakfast being a recurring theme for the next chapter sounds so mundane. Well, I started this story with the intention of making it slightly slice of life. But well, eventually, this tranquil peace of eating Breakfast together, that'll come crashing down eventually.
The maneuver Weiss and Blake are perfecting is canon, so I didn't to have think too hard for the fight scene.
Thank you for reading.