Author's Headnote: Guess at this point, no one is surprised that Pyrrha is dead, huh? Well, no matter. Because more people are going to die, and I'm outright going to say this, Roman Torchwick lives because no one tried to stop the Atlas ships. But still, expect death, and a brutal one at that. But no matter, the end of the canonical Volume 3 is among us. And as a warning, the fight scenes might not be clean.
RWBY: Festival of Blood: Cinder's Fall
Ruby Rose:
Aura Status: 92%
Thirst: Slightly Sated
Semblance: Wilted Petal Burst
Weapons: Crescent Rose, Slice of Life
Team Relations:
-Weiss Schnee: What did she encounter fighting the White Fang?
-Blake Belladonna: Ruby's going to miss her, hope she gets better!
-Yang Xiao Long: What exactly happened to her?
UPDATE: Grades and Vytal Rankings removed, won't need them. Added weapons.
End of main character status report.
Beacon Academy, 8:24 PM, Sunday, Beacon Courtyard
Weiss and Yang were placed on the ground by Jaune and Sun. With slashes, cuts, and scars around both of their bodies. Even more severe on Weiss' end. Yang, on the otherhand... is missing her left arm. Not just the forearm or elbow, but shoulder and all, the entire arm was dismembered. Like, as if someone was surgically trying to remove it. In addition, Ember Celicia is absent from Yang's right arm as well. Their auras are damaged severely to the point where they are too busy trying to tend to the wounds to recover, Yang's aura is still trying to find her arm and thus it's flickering on and off like someone playing with a lightswitch. Ruby was furious. The fact that her friend and her older sister were brutally damaged like this.
"What. Happened?" Ruby asked, in a punctured and honestly furious tone.
"When we found them. Yang was on the ground without her arm, unconscious. And Weiss was about to get stabbed in the chest. If we hadn't arrived any sooner, they would have been dead." Jaune stated.
"Who did this?"
"Some guy, wearing all black, had red hair, he was a bull faunas, and had a weird red-glowing sword." Sun said.
"He was also searching for Blake, for some reason." Jaune added.
"Guess he figured attacking his teammates would lure out Blake, even though she's most likely on the first boat to Menagerie by now."
"Did you forget he was a faunas about to kill a Schnee?"
"That too. Also, I'm not sure why he was taking Yang's arm with him..."
While the two guys were talking... Ruby had remembered reading the final chapter of the encyclopedia.
Flashback, 2 hours ago
Ruby was on the couch; she had just finished drinking a cold bloodpack. She figured she'd spend time reading the Vampirica Encyclopedia. The problem is... she couldn't find it. She always placed it in her hiding spot, only now it's gone.
"Yang, have you seen my book?" Ruby asked.
"Oh, sorry, I put it on the bookshelf." Yang stated.
"You can't just place that book in wide view, what if someone sees?"
"Oh, didn't think of that."
"This thing contains information on my condition, I need to keep it safe and hidden!" Ruby said, heading to grab the book from the bookshelf, and than sighing. She understands the mistakes, but that was too close, she was worried if someone managed to notice the book, and started to read it, and than do the math to figure out what Ruby is.
No matter, she's got to read the book, she's almost done anyway.
Vampirica Encyclopedia, Volume 1, Chapter 40, Vampiric Healing, Basics
A vampire may notice that their body can heal wounds that would be fatal. It can be healed by drinking blood, or slowly and overtime. The former is quicker and doesn't leave any marks or scars where any damage may have been. The latter starts around 2-8 hours after the wound has been dealt, whether it be a stab, an impaling, or a burn, the aura would try to heal the damaged body, with imperfection, leaving behind some marks and scars where the wounds were. Drinking blood during the latter's healing process accelerates it and heals it with less severe scars and markings.
How it happens is that drinking blood recovers aura, activates the healing process instantly, and having the aura heal any injuries and wounds the vampire has suffered. This also means aura recovers slower if there have been any notable and severe wounds in terms of a mortal, like a hole in the body or a severe burn. Everything below the neck can be healed, the head and neck, much like mortals is not so fortunate. A vampire cannot recover from decapitation, it is not a commonly known fact. Yet again, separating the head from the body is often fatal, even for the undead.
Likewise, vampires can re-attach their limbs, whether by the previously mentioned methods, or by simply re-attaching the severed limb. The latter heals notably faster. Although one may be quick about it and careful, if severed with fire, the limb disintegrates. And a vampire's limb disintegrates instantly after ten minutes.
And for any rumors involving using vampire blood to heal mortals has been debunked. All that a mortal drinking vampire would do would range from vomiting to insanity. Depending on the mortal. There is no way to use vampire blood to magically cure ailments. That's not how that works. Although in Volume 2, it can cover how vampires can heal others, assuming if you can find it.
Huh. Well, this is just an over-all summary of what Ruby already knows. And there is a way for her to heal mortal folk? Just, she'll have to find Volume 2 to figure out how exactly she'll do that. She was lucky enough to find this one, how can she find part two? Well, it's not like the ability is necessary, aura can basically cover for Weiss and Yang. Well, if worst comes to worse... well, Ruby wouldn't want to think about that.
"Hey, Rubes, want to catch on the match?" Yang offered.
"Okay, sure. Whynot. Hey, Weiss care to join?" Ruby asked.
"Eeehhh..." Weiss responded.
"Eh?"
"I wouldn't care either way."
"Well, It's just going to be us three for the time."
"What if Blake doesn't come back by the end of the first year?" Yang asked.
"She will. I can assure you." Ruby re-assured.
"Well, she's got until April to come back to Beacon."
"That's plenty of time for a knee to heal."
The rest of the team remained silent to what is to occur.
Back to Present
Well, that was an incredibly pointless flashback. Not sure why Ruby had it in mind, oh ya... Yang lost her entire left arm. Well, when it comes to desperation, Ruby had placed her right arm on Yang's stump, and tried to concentrate her vampiric magic onto Yang... aaannd...
Nothing worked. Well, it was worth a shot, even though Ruby feels drained from her ritual.
"What were you doing?" Sun asked.
"I don't know." Ruby stated.
"Well, stop it, unless you want to cover your hands in your sister's blood."
"What is Jaune doing?"
"I don't know, but it is helping Weiss."
"Maybe it's his semblance?"
"Can you two knock it off! I'm trying to heal Weiss!" Jaune stated.
"Healing? I think it looks like you're boosting her aura." Ren commented.
"I don't know how I'm doing it, but I think I'm helping."
"Jaune, that's your semblance, how else do you think you're doing it."
"Oh. Well, glad I unlocked my semblance than."
"Well, I don't think we should leave two unconscious women at the mercy of the grimm and those Atlas robots." Neptune stated.
"Good Idea. Sun, Neptune, take my teammates to the Island of Patch. Specifically, this residence." Ruby said, giving Sun the address of her father's house.
"Shouldn't you do it instead?" Sun objected.
"No, I am needed elsewhere. Infact, I don't expect to come back from it." Ruby said, solemnly.
"Oh, I see. Scarlet, Sage, keep them off us while we get Weiss and Yang out of here!" Sun ordered.
"On it!" Scarlet said, with Sage following behind him. Sun and Neptune are seen carrying Yang and Weiss respectively. They had headed out of the school grounds by taking one of the evacuation bullheads. Ruby is relieved, knowing that Weiss and Yang are safe.
She than looked at Jaune and Arslan. "Jaune, Arslan, can I borrow you two, I need to get up the old CCT tower." Ruby stated.
"Why?" Jaune asked.
"Ya, that's an odd request." Arslan stated.
"Just trust me on this. Jaune, boost Arslan's aura, and Arslan, use your semblance to throw me up to the top of the old CCT." Ruby ordered.
"After that?"
"Do your best to get everyone else out of Beacon."
"What about you?"
Ruby stayed silent. Everyone else in the area looked shocked. "You can wait a bit though; I'll need to get myself ready." Ruby said.
"Don't take up too much time!" Jaune yelled.
"I know, Jaune!" Ruby yelled, finding one of those White Fang mooks defeated by Weiss or Yang so she can discreetly feed from them, and get ready for the fight. She needs to fight at full strength, she won't let Cinder have an easy victory.
Character Change: Ruby Rose - Penny Poledenia
Beacon Academy, 8:18 PM, Sunday, Old CCT Tower Top
Running Personality: Penny_Poledenia (SOUL file)
Combat Functions: ENABLED, NO KILL COMMAND OVERRIDDEN
Aura Percentage: 96%
Battery Life: 81%
Hardware status: 84% Integrity, repairs suggested.
Grimm Prescence: 100+
Penny had to do some quick maneuvering to get her up the broken elevator shaft. Which mostly involved using her blades and lasers to thrust her way up the top, although without lasers. It mostly involved using her blades as grappling hooks and moving towards up them...
She eventually made it up toward the CCT Tower Top. It was a Circular Platform with some destroyed debris on it. Most of it is from crashed bullheads and Atlas ships. The platform itself is green. The Wyvern there has fallen asleep, so it won't get involved in the fight coming ahead.
Speaking of the fight. This will be, no doubt a fight to the death, given Cinder's methods. Given if Ozpin is right, she's too powerful to simply be knocked out and tossed in a cell. She has the full power of the Fall Maiden, and the power to end Ruby's life with ease. She's going to do something unforgivable, but for the right reason. Taking the life of someone or die trying. Penny hopes Ruby shows up soon, this is going to be a hopeless battle if Penny fights her one on one.
Penny walked towards Cinder while soothing the Wyvern and used her blades to fire a laser at her. This has attracted Cinder's attention.
"So... Ironwood's Toy still wants to take hold of the Fall Maiden's power?" Cinder asked rhetorically.
"This isn't about the power of the Maiden. It's about stopping you!" Penny responded.
"And how are you going to do that? Kill me?"
"I don't feel like you'll give me a choice."
"And you're right about that. I'm not going to let myself get captured."
"Then you leave me no choice."
"You see, killing me would upset someone powerful, even more than I. and you'll be on the run for the rest of your existence."
"From whom?"
"That's not important. We're done talking here." Cinder said, casting a fireball at Penny, in which Penny quickly dodged.
Penny Poledenia vs Cinder Fall
Penny was focusing on keeping Cinder distracted until Ruby shows up. In which she started by sweeping her blades towards Cinder, who which parried every single one of them with her flame swords. This is not a good sign for Penny. She really can't get a hit on her with melee attacks. So, she's trying ranged, using her swords to form lasers to attack Cinder, in which she had only been grazed by them. This has proven to be harder than expected.
Cinder however, broke Penny's offensive and went out casting large beams from her palms, burning down the debris around Penny, and causing explosions. In which Penny thankfully dodged in time. She was not dodged as an array of swords and fireballs are being hurled at towards Penny, compromising her, she'll have to stay mobile, being in one place is suicidal. And Penny really doesn't want to die. She keeps dodging the attacks. Until she gets behind Cinder and landed an opening on her.
Penny used this time to Jump and pounce on Cinder and using Penny's blades to deal a surge of strikes. Cinder than regained focus and ripped off and crushed one of Penny's blades. Which caused Penny to fall off, she quickly rolled and got up in response... that is not good. Those blades are connected to Penny's core, destroying one would cause an amount of glitch. Likewise, her visual interface is glitching out. She'll have to focus to get a hit on Cinder now.
Even setting it to alternate vision modes would cause glitches, more so than standard vision. To compensate, she would have to disable some of her unessential UI until she can get back to Atlas and get a new blade built. Sure, it makes fighting harder, but she needs to see her target before landing a blow on her. And before Penny could come up with something, Cinder went towards the melee and went to strike Penny down. Thankfully, she dodged and was only grazed by the attack. In which Penny went towards a counter-attack. Only for it to be parried completley by Cinder's own blades. She's not making this easy, especially since she can use her flames to fly up, which puts Penny at a disadvantage since Cinder can easily dodge any attack Penny throws at her.
Speaking of... she's been dodging every single attack that Penny's been throwing at her since she started to take to flying up, albeit not very high in the air. Which was after Penny did her blow that was stopped after Cinder crushed one of Penny's blades.
But enough about the past, Penny needs to focus on dealing with Cinder, and that is a task on it's own, as soon as Cinder went in and for another attack by swooping down on Penny... she tried to dodge, but Cinder grabbed a hold of her and pinned her to the wall. Penny responded by using her blades to cut the binding arm, the left arm off, whilst the right arm is draining her aura with her flames. So, she used one of her blades to dismember the limb, which breaks Penny free and allows her to sucker punch Cinder and proceeded to swarm her with her blades. Cinder than yanked another one of Penny's blades aaaand...
ERROR: GRIMM DETECTION SENSES DISABLED
That's not good. Another blade broken, this time it disabled her grimm detection. With every blade destroyed by Cinder, not only does Penny's offensive capabilities decrease, but given the blade's connection to Penny's AI, destroying them would end up causing her to lose functions. But with only one arm, her offensive capabilities are reduced... only for it to grow back and revealed to be a grimm arm.
"Grimm?" Penny said out of shock.
"Of course. How else do you think I was able to usurp the Maiden's power in the first place?" Cinder responded.
"You're a..."
"A vampire? No. A vampire can't be a maiden. Well, without drinking the maiden's blood."
"But... but... how did you get by the?"
"That's not important. You will be singing your swan song soon enough." Cinder responded. By using conjuring a flame sword wielding in her left arm to attack Penny. In which she parried. After that Cinder went back and started using her finger to display a ring of fire-balls, and than casted a lightning bolt at Penny, followed by all the fireballs hitting her.
"You actually think you have a chance against me? You were only built to hold a power that was never meant to be inside a machine. You are nothing more than a super-soldier, made for conquest." Cinder yelled.
"Actually, I was offered to be transferred to Beacon." Penny objected.
"They could implement some sort of AI override code."
"Pretty sure my father wouldn't let General Ironwood do that."
"Father?"
"The one who built me."
"He is nothing more than a fabricator, an engineer, not a father, you are cold, hard, steel, and if you die, he'll just build another one. You can be easily replaced with someone exactly Identical to you."
"You're wrong. I'm not just some mass-produced machine, I am my own person, with my own purpose."
"And that is?"
"Stopping you."
Cinder laughed, and than proceeded to fire an array of flame swords towards Penny, in which Penny proceeded to parry all of them except one, the wave of swords kept happening, and soon she went and shot another bolt of lightning which stunned Penny, and she than used her fire magic to cut the strings from the blades on the ground and shatter them with conjured swords.
ERROR: NEAR-ALL COMPLEX COMMANDS AND FUNCTIONS MALFUNCTIONED!
Hard... to... think...
Can't... see... well...
Only... one... blade... left...
And just like that, Penny was being reduced to a simply mindless robot. The only thing keeping her from being so is the one blade. Which even than, she can't use her aura to move it around because the destroyed blades had caused her aura to be shut off until new ones are made. Even than, she can't really focus well with her vision being utterly glitched out, and sound being constantly filled with static that she really can't do anything with out disabling her personality, which is something she can't do... So, she is only protected at the physical... She is at the mercy, or lack thereof of Cinder Fall, things were looking to be a crushing defeat for Penny, with no hope of defeating Cinder... well that is until Ruby swept down and tackled Cinder.
"Penny! …... was ….. I had …... care..." Ruby responded. Albeit Penny can't pick up what Ruby was trying to say.
"Ruby..." Penny said, or trying to speak, her eyes glitching out.
Cinder was speaking, she could only tell the two apart by their color schemes. But it seems Ruby was her grimm powers to fight Cinder, but it looks like a hopeless fight. Given that Ruby can't get into close range, in which most of her move set revolved around. Ruby, despite having a sniper rifle, doesn't have a good, ranged strategy... well compared to Penny's. And quite lack that. Penny heard Ruby's staticized screaming.
"You …... a problem …... leech!" Cinder said.
Penny knew what Cinder was doing to Ruby, she couldn't describe it, nor does she see it well, but Penny had to do something. She doesn't stand a chance, but she doesn't have to. Penny ran up to Cinder's colors and had her main power core overload to high levels. She had no choice, if this is what it takes to stop Cinder, so be it... she won't let her friend die. She than grabbed her last blade and went to stab Cinder in the arm. And she constricted herself around Cinder, and she had begun to self destruct.
Character Change: Penny Poledenia - Ruby Rose
Beacon Academy, 8:26 PM, Sunday, Old CCT Tower Top
Ruby was thrown up by an aura boosted Arslan, in which she than clashed with Cinder. She safely landed on the tower-top next to a very beaten down Penny.
"Penny! Sorry I was late, I had to take care of my team!" Ruby said in a concerned tone.
Penny was trying to speak, but Ruby cannot understand what she was trying to say, she looked like she was glitching out.
"What did you do?" Ruby asked Cinder.
"You're worrying about Ironwood's toy? Don't make me laugh, chances are you only care for her since she's the only person here you don't see as a source of nourishment. Yes, I know about your vampirism, and I must say you do a good job keeping it under the radar. But holding back will only getting you killed." Cinder stated.
"I will stop you!"
"I'm afraid you may need to do more than that." Cinder said, showing off her grimm arm.
"Wait... you're a-" Ruby said, before being interrupted.
"No. I'm not like you. But what this arm does won't be your concern." Cinder responded.
Ruby Rose vs Cinder Fall
Ruby made the first strike, using Crescent Rose only for Cinder to block it with her hand. And threw it across. If any damage happened to her baby, she would get furious. So, for the sake of the fight, she sheathed Crescent Rose and used drew out the grimm claws.
"Using your vampire powers? You're clever for not trying to use metal against me." Cinder taunted, followed by casting a beam of fire around Ruby.
The fact that Cinder would outright melt Crescent Rose, it made her blood boil... would boiled blood be like carbonated soda? No no, now's not the time to be sidetracked! She launched in with her claws out ready to strike Cinder, she even used her semblance to give out an edge, it hit of course, but Cinder wasn't having it. She went in to attack Ruby with her swords, which Ruby was parrying with her claws. Keep in mind, Ruby really doesn't do much training with her vampiric powers, and that she's especially unskilled in hand-to-hand, despite being raised by a specialist in it, and her sister prefering hand-to-hand. Although she is known to be skilled in swordplay.
So, which means Ruby, despite parrying with the claws would soon be undertaken by Cinder's attack so Ruby had tried flipping her bird mode to set Cinder off. Taking potshots with Crescent Rose in rifle mode. And than followed by some kicks.
After that Cinder let a flash wave of heat towards Ruby knocking her back. Cinder is a tough opponent, but it seems she's too caught up in hubris to take Ruby seriously. She could use that for her advantage. She took some time to analyze Cinder's attack patterns, noticing she almost always uses some sort of fire-magic, with the occasional lightning magic. Cinder had casted various fire-balls, in which she managed to dodge without her semblance. She's got to reserve her aura after-all. And than after that, Cinder shot two bolts of lightning from her fingers, in which Ruby had dodged.
After that she had gotten angry stopped focusing Ruby than charged in and dealt damage to Crescent Rose in scythe mode and quickly folded it back. And than fired slice of life encoded with Ice dust. And to finish it off, she fired a quick round with Crescent Rose in rifle mode with ice dust and folded it back up.
Cinder than regained her cool and made a bow to fire an arrow at Ruby's knee. It did not stun her, and she ripped it out, but the next attack did, Cinder had used her grimm arm to imaple Ruby in the chest, this had felt more pain than any othe stabbing she had there. The arrow was just a distraction. Ruby had screamed in the reaction and is inhibited in combat drastically. Only being able to fire her gun, which may not be a good time to do that.
"I had enough fun playing with her mechanical friend. But you, you've actually managed to take a hit on me. So, I won't be playing with you. You aren't even a problem to me; you are nothing more than a leech. And like all leaches, they need to be squished." Cinder said, pulling her arm... she felt the grimm being yanked from Ruby, but her soul as well, she was doing her best to resist and keep her soul in, and to the extent, the grimm. She won't let Cinder win, much less kill her. She's got to resist, but she's struggling... as it's too much.
Got to keep... fighting... I... won't... let her win...
And just like that, Cinder's focused was interrupted by Penny... who was wrapping herself around Cinder. And she's glowing brightly.
"Penny... what are you... doing?" Ruby said, feeling drained from Cinder pulling on her aura.
"Being... a good... friend." Penny said in a highly glitched-out voice. Followed by the rest of her body glowing an extremely bright green.
"Penny! Stop! Don't do this!" Ruby yelled in vain. It was too late when Ruby realized what Penny was doing.
"PENNNNNNNNNYYYYYY!" Ruby screamed.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A large green explosion had occurred. There wasn't anything left of Penny but ash and her blades, all scattered around the battlefield and broken. The explosion staggered Cinder, causing her to let go of Ruby.
If it weren't for Cinder, Penny would still be alive. Ruby would be shedding tears, but she can't, instead... she was feeling something she was suppressing her entire life since her mother never came back, Grief. She was in grief, seeing her friend die. People have died, innocent people who have done nothing wrong... because of her. What's worse, is that Cinder was still alive, Penny's sacrifice has been in vain.
"That explosion tore off half my aura, I should be more careful." Cinder commented, brushing off ash from her clothes.
Ruby had gotten up... not even looking her opponent in the eye.
"Oh, what's this? You still want to die?" Cinder said, as she stretched her grimm arm toward Ruby, only for the young vampire to grab onto it and crush it.
"She died, so I wouldn't." Ruby said.
"And now you're going to say that you won't die in vain? Oh, give me a break, that cliché's overdone." Cinder said, rolling her eyes, followed by her casting a lightning bolt towards Ruby. She didn't as much as flinch.
"These people, they have done nothing wrong. And you kill them. Why?" Ruby said.
"It's all part of something bigger." Cinder said, retracting her grimm arm and forming a bow, in which is shot toward Ruby toward the head. Ruby caught it and crushed it. At that point Cinder had looked a bit concerned.
"THEN I WON'T LET YOU KILL ANYONE ELSE AGAIN!" Ruby yelled, with a grimm echo behind her with her silver eyes glowing, with a small silver shockwave around her.
And just like that, with the signs of going feral, except she didn't. Instead, her eyes went and glowed a bright silver with her pupil turning a bright white. Along with her skin turning a pitch black, with the veins around her lip turning from purple to red, and have grown in size, covering her cheeks and even have formed around her eyes. The veins around her hands have also gotten expressive. In which Ruby had lowered her bandana, by the way. Her finger nails formed into something more sharp and claw-like, whilst her hair went from black to silver. And as for her teeth, the upper teeth have gotten sharper. This can be compared to like some super form from a videogame. Her clothes remained unaffected.
Character Change: Ruby Rose - Silvergrimm Ruby
Beacon Academy, 8:30 PM, Sunday, Old CCT Tower Top
She is enraged. She screams. The sadness, the anger, the guilt, the fear, and currently the strongest being grief. It had all been converted to pure hatred and rage. She feels nothing but rage and hatred, her pure desire for vengeance for her friends, her team, pointed towards Cinder. She feels the desire to end Cinder's life, for the sake of avenging her friend's life. And she will submit to that desire.
She conjured a scythe made of pure silver light and began to lunge toward Cinder to strike, in which Cinder had parried. Cinder is good, but Ruby will make sure that Cinder won't survive. After that Cinder had took to the skies. Ruby had sprouted grimm wings on her back, they were large enough to support flight, roughly around twenty-eight feet in length. She flew up to attack Cinder in which she flaps her wings to keep her in the air to attack Cinder. The Wyvern had woken up and flew off to another building. But in time, Cinder was on the defensive, using her flame swords to parry Ruby's silver-scythes.
Ruby then broke Cinder's complacent defensive stance by using a grimm claw infused with silver-light. And than followed by striking her down with a silver scythe, which knocks her to the ground. Ruby than slammed the ground and retracted the wings. Cinder, with only one arm and a slashed-out eye, fired bolts of fire to keep Ruby at range. In which Ruby responded with lunging at Cinder with grimm claws. She than drew Crescent Rose, it is glowing with a silver energy, and has essence of grimm blades on it.
"Even at 37% Aura, I should still be able to take you." Cinder stated, using earth magic to form a placeholder arm.
She then proceeded to punch Ruby back with the earth-arm. And than proceeded to use her fireballs to knock-her off the tower. Cinder than jumped down to use blades to stab her down. And than used her earth-arm to uppercut Ruby and then she proceeded to fly up and press Ruby against the tower, using the tower to further damage Ruby. And ended up back on the tower.
Ruby screamed in rage. She had enough of this. Ruby had used her magic to re-acquire Crescent Rose and lunged toward Cinder, who went and stabbed her in the chest with a flame sword. In which Ruby than ignored the damage And proceeded to dismember her entire left arm, causing her to scream in pain. She than went to slicing her down with Crescent Rose until her aura broke, after that she was knocked down on the otherside. Of the arena.
Cinder had tried to fight back, but in vain. She was tired, and tried to shoot fireballs at her, in which Ruby had dodged. Because they were shot too slow. After walking toward her, Ruby had than sliced off Cinder's left leg. The blood was scattered around.
She then picked up Cinder and threw her down to the floor. She then placed her boot on her neck.
"How? How did you defeat me!?" Cinder demanded, with pain in her voice.
"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" Ruby yelled, with the grimm echo in her voice.
"I am the Fall Maiden! Killing you shouldn't be a problem!" Cinder said, grabbing on Ruby's leg, and pulling.
Ruby then stomped on Cinder's arm. An audible crack can be heard.
"AND YOU WON'T BE A PROBLEM ANYMORE!" Ruby yelled, stabbing Cinder in the chest, 2 inches from the heart with the spike of Crescent Rose.
"You better start... running." Cinder said, coughing blood.
"I AM NOT RUNNING AWAY!" Ruby yelled.
"But... that's all... you'll do..." Cinder said coughing blood, followed by a small chuckle. Her eyes then widened as she died out from the blood-loss.
Ruby then breathed heavily, followed by her breathing to slow down. As she reverted back to her normal appearance, and Crescent Rose going back to it's normal shape.
Character Change: Silvergrimm Ruby - Ruby Rose
Beacon Academy, 8:35 PM, Sunday, Old CCT Tower Top
Ruby had felt like she was clouded instead of outright blacked out, and tired, physically no less... she had forgotten this feeling and she didn't want to remember it now of all places, Cinder could pop up at any time. she doesn't quite remember what happened... let's see, she was fighting Cinder, she was having her aura and grimm ripped out, then Penny exploded and then... she ended up getting up and into some sort of emo mood, and then screamed... and then... she went and lashed out on Cinder... everything else is greyed out. Then she noticed the blood on Crescent Rose, and on her body. Blood? That means... no.
"No no nonononononononooo." Ruby said to herself.
She had looked down seeing a dead Cinder. She... killed someone. She went against her moral code, and she has the memories too. She... killed someone she had collapsed on her knees in the severity of her mistake. She then screamed. She... did this... to someone. Not Feral Ruby, Ruby did... she... did this... to someone.
She looked at Crescent Rose. She couldn't just leave it. Leaving Crescent Rose would only make it easier for people to catch her. She's a murderer, no matter what the cause was for, she killed someone. And she can't turn herself in, she would ruin her team's reputation, she would be disowned by her family, her sister... Blake would hate her...
Out of hesitation and panic, she grabbed any physical parts left of Penny, that being the blades. And placed them somewhere on her person... she had expected to die to fighting Cinder, die a hero. She would be a martyr, and now she's a murderer, a killer. Cinder's blood is on Ruby's hands. Out of panic, she had ditched her cloak and buckle on the tower top. She then transformed to her bird shape, flying down from the tower. Although due to her exausted state, she only managed to get off the tower barely, and was forced to transformed back to her human shape and to start running. and running she did. She had no plans to return to Vale, to Beacon no less... she doesn't feel she'd deserve to become huntress anymore...
Author's Footnote: And that's the end of Volume 3. But the Vale Arc isn't quite done yet. There's still the intermission, and the chapters between 3 and 4. You may be wondering why Silvergrimm Ruby is so powerful... well, if you take vampire grimm magic, and silver eyes powers... the silver eyes have focused inward toward Ruby, making her super-strong and powerful, the drawback is that she'll become exhausted from it. So, when she's running, she's actually not getting that far. This is because this form tends to consume her aura down to 20% or once her target is dead, whichever one comes first. So, it would be exhausting to use for her. With great power comes great drawbacks. She also can't use her eyes in the canonical, turning grimm to stone way... which means the Wyvern remains perfectly unharmed, which will not be a good thing for the people of Vale.
Will Yang's arm would actually regenerate from Ruby's attempt? Well, that honestly depends on me, honestly, but I'd like to hear your thoughts. And as for the flashback, I've elected I'll throw them in at any order I'd like.
See you next chapter.