Old Mine Shaft, Unknown Time, Large Area
Ruby had lied on the ground... to most, she'd be dead... however, being she's a vampire... she's in a state of stasis, though if that knife isn't removed from her heart... she will die.
A sudden burst of energy had occurred from Ruby... a shining silver light... that poured from her eyes... she had gained a burst of energy... the first thing she did, was remove the knife from her chest. She struggled to pull it out, and then throw it aside. Her vampiric blood, leaking everywhere from her chest...
Ruby then began to get up slowly... however, the burst of energy had died down as fast as it showed up... she had then collapsed on the mine floor on her stomach... her eyes closed again... guess... this really is the end...
Author's Headnote: Well, the beginning part of this chapter was originally going to be part of the end of the last chapter. I figured Ruby's recovery and psuedo-death in the same chapter would be too much of a whiplash for you, you're welcome. And yes, it's supposed to be above the headnote.
RWBY: Festival of Blood: Big Bomb of News
Character_Ruby_Rose:
Status_Aura: ERROR
Status_Thirst: ERROR
Status_Semblance: ERROR
Status_Weapons: ERROR
Status_Licensing: ERROR
Status_Relations: ERROR
ERROR: CHARACTER NOT FOUND. DATA FILE CORRUPTED. INITIATING RESET
RESET IN 3...
2...
MANUAL OVERRIDE! SYSTEM RESTART INITIATED...
REBOOTING...
REBOOTING...
REBOOTING...
REBOOT COMPLETE! ERROR: DATA NOT FOUND! VERIFYING INTEGRITY OF FILES...
VERIFYING...
VERIFYING...
VERIFYING...
VERIFICATION COMPLETE! 412 EXABYTES OF DATA WERE MISSING AND WERE RECOVERED. LOADING RWBY FROM PREVIOUS SAVE.
Don't worry readers, everything is fine.
City of Mistral, April 19, Tuesday, 10:11 AM (Daytime Warning), Undercity Hotel Room
Ruby had woken up... is she... dead? Is this? The afterlife? No, she's in Mistral, Raven's there...
"Oh good, you're finally awake, I thought I'd had to give you more of my blood." Raven retorted.
"You... gave me your blood?" Ruby/Roxy asked.
"Oh, and for some reason, next to you, was volume 2 of this book. Well, it's useless unless you read the first one."
"Oh, I have..."
"Fully?"
"Yep."
"Well, if you didn't, I would have hocked it. These things are rare."
"How rare?"
"Volume 1 is commonplace, just about every vampire lair has at least one. Volume 2, is much more rare... and not to mentions volumes 3 and 4."
"So...? What about Volumes 3 and 4?"
"3 is pretty much owned by some of the older vampires, including my father. Though, not every single elder vampire owns one. As for number 4, only three copies of that book exist."
"Guess vampire knowledge is a treasure."
"It is quite so. Before you read... I need to ask you one thing?"
"What?"
"How the hell did you lose to a mortal? And not to mention that Pizza cutter of yours is broke. We'll have to break into Haven Academy Forge tonight to fix your junk."
"Oh, you mean Blake?"
"Ah, the girl who took your heart."
"Yes... Blake."
Ruby paused... she remembered that moment... she was actually relieved that Blake chose to kill her rather than let her go... Ruby actually wanted her to be happy... though, it would pain her having to stay away from the one she loved the most... forever. She wouldn't know how long the pain would have lasted... but now... Blake can finally be happy... that's all that Ruby wants, anyway.
"Anyways, it's daytime, so go rest up, I'll find some more blood for you." Raven said... "You're lucky she didn't go for the head."
Ruby had closed her eyes and began to sleep. Perhaps some rest would help her.
Character Change: Ruby Rose - Blake Belladonna
City of Mistral, April 19, Tuesday, 11:100 AM, Lower-Mid City Hotel Room
Blake is staying in a hotel in the lower-mid city... though, they're roughly around as in good condition as the mid-city ones... but these ones have more bloodstains on them. Blake can have a good guess to why.
However, she doesn't really have any reason to stay at Mistral, so she began packing.
Ilia is looking at Blake packing.
"So... now what?" Ilia asked.
"I'm heading to Atlas." Blake stated.
"You can't."
"Why not?"
"They closed their borders and seized any coastal city with an Atlas port. They won't let anyone in."
"Well, damn. Guess I'll stay here, then." Blake said, with disappointment. Blake took a random ribbon and formed a bow to conceal her cat ears. What? Blake always carries a backup bow in case something bad happens to the first one... she just didn't need it until now.
"Blake? Why are you hiding your cat ears?" Ilia asked.
"Legally, I'm a human. If I go out with cat ears, I'd be committing identity fraud."
"Wait, you mean to tell me that you're a human on paper?"
"Yep. I don't want people to see my cat ears, I want them to see me as a person."
"Even if it means you'll have to-"
"You don't have to pretend to hate faunas to be human. Not sure where you got that idea. I dated a human..." Blake said, before pausing.
There was some awkward silence. Though, with those memories of Ruby... and the rumors regarding 'Roxy Tudor'. It gives out conflicting feelings toward Blake. The fact that those two were one and the same... it gives Blake some conflicting feelings, grief for the death of Ruby... regret for killing her... and relief for knowing she can't harm anyone innocent anymore... the worst part was... she actually wanted this... to die at the hands of her girlfriend... when she plunged the knife in her chest, she was smiling... the Ruby she knew and loved was still in front of her, as well as a monster she created... much like Adam...
In both occurrences... she's managed to create a monster out of a person through her love. In both cases, by simply not being there for when they're needed the most. Though, in the case of Adam, she really doesn't know what exactly he thinks of Blake... but she knows what he did. Vale, splitting up the White Fang, causing unwarranted chaos... chances are, Ruby could have ended up exactly like him if she did not intervene.
After all of that, it's simply best if she just focused on herself for now... the more she thinks about her love life, the more miserable she's gonna make herself.
Blake sighed...
"What?" Ilia asked.
"Nothing..." Blake said, after hesitating for a bit.
"So... now what you will do?"
"Apply to join Haven, I suggest you do the same. You can't go back to the White Fang anymore, and I just want to finish my huntress education and be done with it."
"Fair point."
"Anyways, I'm going to go do some part-time work... save up some money and buy myself a new weapon. The weapons I've gotten were all lost when I killed Roxy."
"Must have been a tough fight."
"Yes... it was..."
Character Change: Blake Belladonna - Jaune Arc
Qrow's Villa, April 19, Tuesday, 12:00 PM, Living Room
Jaune was sitting on the couch lamenting on what he needs to find... Salem wants something from Haven... but what?
And then suddenly, Violet shows up. He seems to be carrying a duffle bag and some documents.
"Violet? What are..." Jaune said, before being interrupted.
"Headmaster Lionheart is collaborating with the enemy." Violet said, setting the duffle bag down. Along with the duffle bag. "Call everyone here, they need to know before I open the duffle bag."
Jaune nodded. He got up and texted everyone to meet up in the living room. Not sure why he got up, so he sat back down. He had waited, whilst Violet was just standing there... 12 minutes have passed before the rest of his team, SSSN and Mr. Branwen show up.
All of them have gathered around Violet. And the duffle bag.
"Where did you get this stuff?" Mr. Branwen asked.
"Headmaster Lionheart's office." Violet answered bluntly, opening it up... a seer is seen as it awakens and tries to attack Yang by striking her in a lower part of her body, which Mr. Branwen deflects with his bare fists, only to get stabbed in the torso, specifically in the lower abdomen. Out of reflex, Violet gets a gun and shoots the seer, killing it.
Mr. Branwen gasped and panted with the pain. Though, his wound quickly recovered due to his aura. A scar where the stab wound is where the wound was...
"Intriguing, the seer attacked Yang. And she has physically recovered from her dismemberment. Yet seers specifically attack the most vulnerable of targets due to their weakness." Violet stated.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang asked, her eyes turning red with anger.
"He's saying you've gone soft, silly!" Nora said, poking Yang. "Oh... maybe not."
"Please don't poke Yang." Sun warned.
"Yang's not week, not from what I've seen. And that remains true." Neptune said, out of fear.
"I was worried that the lack of combat would have weakened her, guess I'm wrong." Scarlet added.
"From what I've known, she's rather strong... at least that's what Ozpin's saying..." Oscar said.
"And you'd be right." Jaune stated.
"Then maybe the seer wasn't targeting Yang." Ren said.
"What do you mean, Ren? We all saw it went straight for her." Sun retorted.
"I have a theory... Violet, you said that Seers attacked the weakest thing it sees?"
"Not just see, sense. Grimm don't exactly 'see' like humans or faunas." Violet stated.
"And notice where the seer was attacking Yang. It was in the lower part of her torso..." Ren stated.
"Oh, I get it..." Nora said... with embarrassment... and awkwardly took two steps back from Yang.
"Seers are week, but they pretty can stab through the soft part of the human body quite effectively, as seen..." Ren stated.
"You can say that again..." Mr. Branwen retorted.
"Hey, uncle Qrow? How are you still alive?" Yang asked.
"I'll tell you later... I'll just have to bring someone over..." Mr. Branwen said, getting out his scroll.
"What are you getting that out for?" Jaune asked.
"I'm texting someone important." Mr. Branwen stated.
"You mean Mom?" Yang asked.
"Gurgh... hold on... I'll have to step out a bit." Mr. Branwen said, leaving.
"Wait! Uncle Qrow! You didn't even answer my question!" Yang yelled.
Sun and the rest of team SSSN stayed quiet... for some reason. It seems they know something that Jaune does not. And from the looks of it... just about everyone except Jaune and Yang know what's going on... and Sun looks a bit... embarrassed.
Time passed, and Mr. Branwen had come in with a woman... wearing a red outfit... that looks like Yang... well, this will be interesting.
Character Change: Jaune Arc - Blake Belladonna
City of Mistral, April 19, Tuesday, 12:05 PM, Upper City
The uppercity... crime and problems here are non-existent, the builds are more well-designed and beautiful than the lower parts of the city and being this and the palace district are the only parts of Mistral with trees... it just adds further to the part of the beauty.
Which actually repels Blake ironically, being that this just shows how separated the people of Mistral are. Being that it's literally separated from top-to-bottom. With the exception being the very top, for that's a very large military base and a dock.
However, Blake's on her way there to apply to haven academy, and then she plans on getting a part time job to buy a replacement weapon. Gambrol shroud was a good weapon, but she can't use something that's broken to pieces... she needs a new weapon.
She does, however... see that Nora and Ren are here... and she comes by and meets them.
"Nora, Ren? What are you doing here?" Blake asked.
"Err... long story, Blake." Nora said... "Wait a minute, what are you doing here?"
"I recovered... and then came here to resolve a personal issue..."
"I won't budge, anyways... Jaune called us over, we'll talk again later."
She doesn't know what that was about...
Blake continued to travel to the palace district to get to Haven... when she was approached by the figure of red from last night, the one asking for 'Roxy Tudor'. She seems to have Crescent Rose on her.
"Oh hey, it's you." the figure said.
"So... what you got there?" Blake asked.
"Oh, this? Well... I'd figured someone the original owner's family would want to see it one last time."
"Then what?"
"Keep it, I'm just like that."
"Very well, fine... just make sure you don't show it near me..."
"So be it."
Blake turned around and headed the other way... as much as she wanted a weapon... she wouldn't want to take Crescent Rose... it was Ruby's weapon. She valued that thing like a child. At the very least, Blake could respect that. Otherwise, she'd be no better than who she claimed herself as... or what she became...
Though, at the very least Yang's not here, otherwise... she'd have to head to Vacuo. Or perhaps back to Menagerie... Yang would certainly never forgive Blake for something like this.
She just needs to apply to Haven, get some money... and spend the next three to four years at Mistral, and then she can finally set off what she intended to do back at Beacon...
Character Change: Blake Belladonna - Jaune Arc
Qrow's Villa, April 19, Tuesday, 12:52 PM, Living Room
Back to where this segment left off, Violet brought duffle, duffle has seer, seer attacked Yang. Ren was curious about it, Mr. Branwen stepped out for a bit, in which he came back with a woman who looks like Yang. Speaking of... what's with the veins on her face?
"Hey, I didn't know you have a twin sister, Yang." Nora commented.
"I'm flattered, but I'm not her sister." the woman said.
"Err... mom?" Yang said, confused.
"Please don't call me 'mom', makes me feel old." Yang's mom said, who is the woman who responded to Nora.
"Where have you been all this time?" Yang asked.
"I'm not here to talk about me, I hate talking about myself. This conversation is about Leo and You."
"Leo?" Sun asked.
"Ray, the two topics are separate... but let's focused on him before we discuss Yang." Mr. Branwen stated.
"So... before we continue, what do we call you?" Jaune asked.
"Call me Raven, that goes to you too, Yang Jr." Raven said.
"Yang Jr.?" Sun asked.
"Ray, I told you just call her Yang." Mr. Branwen scolded.
"Anyways, enough about the names of me and the woman I gave birth to. What is it about Leonardo Lionheart that I need to know?" Raven interrupted.
"Thought you'd never asked. We found a Seer in a duffle bag, along with forged documents of the suspected students who attacked Beacon Academy. I cross-analyzed the documents, and very few results were found. They were either empty or talked about someone else." Violet stated.
"Qrow, did you tell them about 'the witch'?" Raven asked.
"Yes, I did." Mr. Branwen stated.
"So... Leonardo sold out to Salem. How pathetic."
Oscar started to glow. it appears Ozpin has taken control of his body.
"I can't think of any reason why he would do that... He knows what she'd do with him afterward." Ozpin said.
Raven looked shocked, and then immediately calmed down. "Because he's a coward. Afraid of her. Just like you are." Raven lamented. "Qrow should have told me you reincarnated, though. Caught me off-guard."
"Raven, there's no need to hold up old beef, but I'm glad you're willing to help us. If Leo really has betrayed us, then that means the Spring Relic is compromised."
"That means you need to find the Spring Maiden. Well, good luck. It's not me."
"Well, do you have any ideas?" Jaune asked.
"Well... one, my father may have her... but it's just a theory." Raven said.
"Ray, why exactly would you think he'd have Spring?" Mr. Branwen asked.
"It's a power move, Qrow. You know father would take advantage of the Spring Maiden, even if Maidens can't be turned."
"'Can't be turned?' What are you talking about?" Yang asked.
Violet sighs, but remains silent after that, most of the people here also remain silent out of awkwardness or politeness. Mr. Branwen then whispered something to Raven's ear, and then she nodded.
"I would have figured you wouldn't have known, Yang. Although Summer insisted to tell you who your mother really was. She kept her heritage a secret. Your grandfather, Odin Branwen is a vampire. He was turned sometime during the great war, and wreaked havoc. He was defeated and fled to Mistral, where he made a name for himself as an infamous Bandit chief." Ozpin stated.
"Wait, so... if Yang's grandpa is a vampire... what does that make you two?" Nora asked.
"It makes us half vampires." Raven answered. "We can drink blood, but given we're twins, I got more of the vampire traits, and Qrow here's more human. None of us are affected by sunlight. Nor can we do any of the vampire grimm tricks."
"Which makes Yang part vampire!"
"I'm... part vampire?" Yang asked... "You're telling me, that just about almost every part of my living family is either a vampire or part vampire?"
"Eh, your father is human, and vampire traits only pass down paternally. So... you're basically human." Raven said.
"Still... gonna need time to process this." Yang stated.
"Oh, while we're at it. I may as well tell you that your sister's dead." Raven said, holding up Crescent Rose.
Just about the entire room looked surprised, shocked, concerned, grieving, and sad at the same time. Though, Violet looks unbroken by the news... And hold up, wait a second.
"Why is Crescent Rose a different color?" Violet asked.
"I dunno. Found it like this." Raven answered.
"Well, there's no mistaking it. It's Crescent Rose. Got the rose mark on it." Yang said, with a solemn tone...
Everyone else also feels solemn about this news.
"Well, since you have Crescent Rose, you may as well return it to her father." Mr. Branwen stated.
"I'll hold on to it for now. I don't know the girl well, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't want the scythe to be buried in the dirt." Raven stated.
Everyone paused for a bit.
"She's... right... Ruby cared about that thing..." Yang said, tearing up... "First I found out I'm part vampire, now this?"
"Those emotions must not be good for the baby." Raven said.
"The... Baby?" Yang and Jaune asked.
"Are you two really that dull?" Raven asked.
"Yes, yes they are..." Ren stated.
"Yep. Sun here is gonna be a daddy." Scarlet announced.
And then Yang paused for a moment, and then proceeded to get up.
"I have so much to take in right now, I need time to take it all in... I'll be in my room." Yang said, leaving.
"Tomorow?" Ozpin asked.
Everyone nodded. The meeting would continue on tomorrow... or whenever Yang is ready. Sun may need some time to take that in too. Yang being... pregnant... finding out she's part vampire, and the fact that her sister is dead... well, it must be too much for her to take in on one day...
Still can't believe Ruby died... but Crescent Rose is quite proof enough. Ruby wouldn't leave without it.
Oscar quickly regained control of his body and then headed out.
"Anyways, I'm gonna go tell Yang Jr.'s father about this." Raven said, opening a portal with her sword, and then walking into it.
"If she can make portals, then why doesn't she always-" Nora asked, before being interrupted.
"It doesn't work that way." Mr. Branwen bluntly answered.
Character Change: Jaune Arc - Blake Belladonna
City of Mistral, April 19, Tuesday, 10:00 PM, Lower-Mid-City
Blake was on her way back to the hotel where she's staying... after doing some odd-jobs and getting just scrap change. Not sure where Ilia went, likely went to apply to Haven sometime after Blake did.
She was walking down the rocky path... though, she began to hear something. When she turned around... nothing was there. Blake continued to look around and kept walking faster... she felt like she was being followed.
Blake saw a nearby crowbar and picked it up for self-defense. She'll need anything as a weapon going through the streets at night. When she was about halfway to the hotel, she heard the noises again... she turned around and they gotten closer.
Blake turned around again and saw a mix of White Fang and Moon Dragon mooks ambushing Blake. The mooks, all of which carry melee weapons. Blunt ones at that, baseball bats, batons, etc.
Blake managed to get her crowbar and ready to attack.
However, they did not attack... instead, they stepped out of the way, and a figure wearing a full grimm mask appeared. Looked male. His outfit seems to be more emphasized on his left arm. The right arm has a detachable sleeve. The outfit was black... with a red zigzag on it. He is wearing a glove on his right hand, which is red. Though, Blake recognized it was Adam from one detail... Wilt and Blush. But he also is bearing Ember Celicia's left gauntlet.
"Adam? What are you doing with the Moon Dragon?" Blake asked.
"Siding with the winning team." Adam answered, slowly clapping.
"What do you mean?" Blake asked.
"A long time ago, I thought the faunas were the master race, being that they were able to do what humans can, and much more... but then I learned that both humans and faunas were a peg lower on the pecking order, and I was offered a spot on the top..." Adam answered, removing his mask.
His jaw is not made of meat, rather it's from an Atlassian grade prosthetic jaw, with flexible plastics connecting his facial skin, and making up the lower part of his face that seemed to be destroyed. There were veins on his upper lips, clearly signaling that he is a vampire. It also reveals the SDC brand on his face.
Blake looked shocked and disgusted from this...
"My jaw wasn't the only cost for my ascension." Adam said, removing his right sleeve, revealing a robotic right arm, Atlassian grade, with a gun attachment, which matches Ember Celicia's caliber. He also took off the glove from his hand. Which shows that every single part of his right arm is cybernetic...
"I had to dismember a limb from a certain someone for my new status on the pecking order... I didn't know it at the time... but I was determined for that reward, even if it costed me my life." Adam stated. "I had cut off her arm, at the cost of her breaking my jaw. And as a means of desperation, her schnee friend cut off my right arm. Though, even with my critical state, I was still able to win the fight and disable both of them... rendering them a non-problem."
"How?" Blake asked.
"You already know the answer to that question, you know how my semblance works. Whether I take damage or block it, I can still dish it back. And they just gave me enough to render them incapable, with the addition of a special dust formula." Adam answered. "After I had brought the arm, he revealed to me the truth, the path to ascension. That humans and faunas are nothing more than cattle to be fed on. I, willingly accepted to be the apex predator, and not just be dead cattle. After which, he gave me these prosthetics." Adam said, putting his mask back on. And putting on his right sleeve and glove.
"You're disgusting." Blake yelled.
"I know you know what I am. After all, your lover was one, too."
Blake, for some reason... was furious at the mention of Ruby...
"DON'T BRING HER INTO THIS!" Blake yelled. Blake may have killed Ruby, but it was to make sure she didn't fully become like him.
"Yes, Ruby Rose. The young prodigy that faded as quick as her spotlight." Adam lamented. "And I was tasked to find her would be killer... Roxy Tudor."
"What would you want with her?" Blake asked.
"Why, to simply... convince her to align with the Yakuza. They may not be fond of outsiders, but they are fond of assets. And she seemed like a very, very useful asset. However, things get complicated. I got to where she was last seen, and saw blood splatters, broken weapon parts... ash and dust... her remains... You've made my task from the Yakuza complicated. I still have to overthrow Sienna Kahn. But for now, I'll just settle with bringing you to Beulleodeu." Adam said, leaving. "Rough her up, but don't kill her... we need her alive." Adam ordered the mooks.
As soon as Adam had left. The mooks began to sic at Blake, attacking all at once with the various blunt weapons. However, it seems Adam seemed forget how Blake learned how to fight.
Blake used her semblance to escape the situation, and one of the White Fang mooks attacked a moon dragon mook, causing the two factions to fight eachother. In the chaos, Blake decided to flee the and head to the hotel as soon as possible by running there.
Blake managed to escape the mooks, and from there, she looked around. Blake then, sighed as she finally reached the hotel. And apon approaching it...
She was caught by someone, and a rag placed over her face... she had tried to struggle... but the rag... had made her... sleepy... Blake had fallen unconscious.
Character Change: Blake Belladonna - Ruby Rose
Haven Academy, April 20, Wednesday, 12:00 AM, Forge
Ruby had partially recovered; however, she refuses to have her weapons break down as she recovers. So, she's fixing up her weapons, and then heading back to bed. she's also trying to keep a low profile since both Ruby Rose and Roxy Tudor are technically dead...
Mistral's weapon forge is quite similar to Vale's it seems. Same old plain manual tools. Ruby's accustomed to this, so she can handle not using the fancy Atlas tech. She starts by repairing Slice of Life, Blake damaged that thing badly...
She took the pizza cutter apart and discarded the broken parts. She then spent a whole hour building new parts of the weapon. Ruby had then tested it. It works. Blake managed to destroy the dust storage and power drives, which basically disabled the Pizza cutter from actually being a threat. Thankfully, Ruby's managed to fix that.
Now for Crescent Ro- wait where it is... and when Ruby went to go looking for it... Raven, in bird mode managed to fly over and then switched back to person form. Raven had then handed Crescent Rose back to Ruby.
"Thanks, I was gonna go look for it." Ruby said. "What were you doing with it, anyway?"
"Not your concern. Anyways, while you're fixing up your weapons. I'm gonna go tell you about the relics."
"Can you remind me on the Relics?" Ruby said, starting to tune up Crescent Rose.
"Knowledge, Creation, Destruction, and Choice. Four of them are guarded in each of the kingdom capitals."
"Where's Knowledge?"
"Here, unlocked by a secret elevator activated by a statue. However, it requires the spring maiden to unlock it."
"And Creation?"
"Atlas Academy, secret elevator, unlocked with the Winter Maiden."
"Destruction?"
"Unknown, either someone managed to crack open the vault or a new summer maiden wants to play with fire."
"That's concerning."
"That, it is."
"And choice?"
"Unknown. Though, Ozpin put a bunch of fakes around various hiding places. I would pay to see Salem's face every time one of her minions brings a fake choice relic."
"a Fake relic?"
"Ya, he's got replicas made to keep the real one safe. He really doesn't want the real relic of choice to be found."
"Right, now that I'm up to speed. How are we gonna keep Salem from getting the relic?"
"One way is to keep the spring maiden from opening it, but we just need to know who that is."
"Do you have any clues?"
"Well, I think my father has the spring maiden, though that's a guess in the dark."
"Well... we can't go on guesses alone... Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens."
There was a long pause... and then Raven jumped in surprise like she remembered something important. "Ah, forgot to deliver something to Mistral's council." Raven said, turning into Raven's bird form and leaving.
Well... that was educational, but now Ruby can work on fixing her weapons in peace.
Author's footnote: Well... I had a surge of inspiration, just like that. Seriously, I think something had me come up with more ideas for the story that quickly. Anyways, I hope you like the sudden boom here. Because I think those are gonna be much rarer and more given it's a month where vampires are more popular, I'm gonna try and update more frequently.