Hello everybody! The following message is here to let followers of my writing know that the first manuscript of Volume 1 of my new series, Twin Souls, is complete. It has nothing to do with RWBY nor is it a fanfiction, but an original full-length novel that should be released once I get the marketing particulars worked out. This occasion is momentous enough for me to spread through every source of media I have, hence my doing so through a fanfiction chapter. Those that want to follow me through my Facebook or WordPress accounts for more information can do so my profile page.
Without further ado…
From an outsider's perspective, watching someone walk so calmly across the ruined streets of Mantle in the midst of a Grimm attack would be unsettling. Even Penny, who had flew ahead to fight the rest of the Grimm, kept a watchful eye on this unusually serene individual. In truth, however, Grimm Ruby was far from serene. Having been too late to save an innocent; yet another from the original Ruby's memories, and a child, no less, locked her Grimm self in a state of constant anguish and hatred.
Only the personality copied within the sentient Grimm's mind kept such venomous negativity from leaking out; from engulfing everything around it in an fiery eruption. Its face was unexpressive and its movements casual; every ounce of festering rancor it possessed for its fellow Grimm was confined underneath an unimpeachable voice of self-control. It need no longer run nor leave the streets it walked upon in flames. Not anymore.
Even as Penny rained down beams of emerald from the skies, striking down the vile creatures like an angel in the skies, she would occasionally miss a few and watch as they, without exception, sought Grimm Ruby over all others. Its negativity was so great now that the Grimm would invariably be attracted to it over any terrified civilians. Seeing an Ice Sabyr sprint across the rooftops of Mantle, she reacted immediately.
"Eighty degrees to your right!" she yelled. "An Ice Sab—"
That was all the time she had to warn Grimm Ruby of the charging Sabyr before it leaped from the roof, claws out and fangs open wide enough to clamp down on its skull…only for it to be impaled on the scythe that Grimm Ruby preemptively held out before it could even touch it. Even as the Sabyr's body slid down the scythe toward Grimm Ruby's claw and tried to bite its face off, the latter made no forceful movements against it; nothing quick enough to spark a flame.
Without outward emotion, Grimm Ruby sank its claw deep in the Sabyr's jaw, snapped it off, and dropped it to the ground. This was followed by lifting the rest of the Sabyr over its head, tearing its ribcage open, wrenching its scythe through its body, and finally tossing the remains away like little more than pointless trash.
And it did all of this without a break in its casual stride, like butchering a Grimm with such cruelty was as ordinary for it as breathing was for a normal person. And why wouldn't it be? It could sense the Sabyr's coming with or without Penny's warnings. For once, the consistent desire to "be a hero, like in storybooks" and the destructive impulses of being a Grimm could finally cooperate. Something must die to make the world better.
No longer holding its innate negativity back out of fear, it chose to use it, turning their own attraction toward negativity against them. It's very presence may have already drawn Grimm in the past, but actively using it to such an extent could beckon them toward it like a siren's call, both spelling their doom and sparing innocents. It was just like Aisufurawa all over again with the Apathy with the way it kept its emotions bottled up like that, only to let it loose upon the zombie-like Grimm. That short one-sided fight ended with Apathy and humans alike terrified, but at least the latter were saved. Now, that fear may extend to the collective opinion of Mantle's remnants by the end.
This, Grimm Ruby, concluded was a small price to pay. If it meant no more innocents had to die, Grimm Ruby could make its righteous hatred of its own species absolute. It turned around the corner where the street led toward the northern end of Mantle and the now grounded remains of Atlas lied in view. It made sense. Even if the people there were already dead, much anguish revolved around these old homes long after their inhabitants have passed; homes that were now literally crushed under the "might of Atlas." The sight of it was painful, but no matter where the Grimm were coming from, Grimm Ruby would follow, always using the negativity as a guide.
Like before, more Sabyrs were drawn in by Grimm Ruby's animosity; a whole pack this time. One of them closed in on it from behind, but just like the last one, its inherent negativity gave away its presence. It was promptly bisected by Grimm Ruby's scythe mid-leap, with both scalding halves landing on the pavement on its left and right. Two more followed, both from each side, and sank their fangs into Grimm Ruby's shoulders to restrain its arms.
At this precise moment, a single angry growl left Grimm Ruby's lips. A quick burst of the dark flame that it constantly kept within coursed through its body, for it had chosen that specific moment to let out a single spark of its rancor. This loosened their grip over Grimm Ruby's shoulders immediately; their lean bodies being far weaker than the Megoliath Alphas before them. Sinking its claws into both their skulls, Grimm Ruby finished them off by smashing them through each other with their fangs penetrating the insides of their mouths and through their eyes.
Penny was still present in the fight, slaying Sabyr after Sabyr with her Floating Array alongside Grimm Ruby. One died with a sickening howl when the wires around Penny's swords squeezed it to pieces right in front of Grimm Ruby. It was a cruel reminder of what happened to Penny's old body back in Amity Colosseum. It couldn't bear to think of it; to have its burning hatred for the Grimm turn into a gentle sorrow for Penny. That wouldn't help in the middle of battle, plus it was all in the past.
Speaking of which, numerous airships soon entered the battle from the skies above. Their searchlights were focused on one Sabyr in particular. It stood at least a foot taller than the others, with four top fangs instead of two, and its sleek body encased in bone. This was undoubtedly a Sabyr Alpha. The original Ruby never saw one before, as her Grimm self couldn't recall ever encountering one. It didn't quite know what to expect, aside from being larger and stronger than other Sabyrs, but the way they followed its lead suggested that it possessed leadership capabilities.
"Ruby Grimm, you must exercise caution," Penny warned. "Those Sabyrs have specifically targeted you over anyone else."
"Must…kill," Grimm Ruby muttered without so much as glancing in Penny's general direction. Its anger remained unabated by her words. More Sabyrs charged toward Grimm Ruby; too many to count.
"Did you hear me?" Penny exclaimed. "You're letting your pain consume you! I know seeing that child die was painful, but the Grimm are drawn to your anger!"
There was a part of Grimm Ruby that was consciously aware of the worry it imposed upon Penny. Even though luring the Grimm was the point, the original Ruby still valued her deeply. However, there was another part of it; a more deranged and monstrous side that simply didn't care how Penny or anyone else felt. If it had nothing to do with protecting innocents and killing Grimm as efficiently as possible, it didn't matter.
Ironically, Penny's warning sounded like one of the old stories that the original Ruby heard from her sister when she was little. It was said that if you let your heart be consumed by hate, then a monster would eat you from the inside out until you became one yourself. The moral of the story was to never hold a grudge, lest it consume you, so the very idea that a toxic and unrelenting hatred could actually protect others is self-contradictory. Then again, there was a twisted logic to it all for Grimm Ruby.
It was built by Salem to be a monster, it was commanded by the God of Darkness to be an engine of destruction, and it was given little trust by those the original Ruby deemed friends and family. Yet despite it all, it chose to behave more like a Huntress. From the very moment it rose from that pool and chose the original Ruby's well-being over any attempt to destroy Salem, it stood in contrast to anything a Creature of Grimm would ever expect to be. It was, and has always been, a walking contradiction.
Seven more Sabyrs swarmed Grimm Ruby's position from all sides. Penny did her best to defend it, but her green beams of light only struck down three of them before the other four clung to Grimm Ruby, biting and clawing its body even as dark flames continued to pulsate from it. Agonized howls left the jaws of each Sabyr as each one was cruelly ripped apart by claw and scythe, one by one. Though the Sabyrs clawed and bit back, the sounds of scraped metal from of such attacks suggested they were attacking a suit of armor instead of flesh. Even as more and more Sabyrs joined the growing pile of black skin, white bones, and red markings, the sentient Grimm stood firm, silent and unrelenting.
Penny struck down as many Sabyrs as possible. She tried to quell the result of Grimm Ruby's rage; to stop the relentless tidal wave of vile creatures that came for it. Soon, however, the sounds of scraped metal was engulfed by more Sabyr howls, and eventually the gruesome sound of torn flesh. Fearing the worst, Penny worked on freeing Grimm Ruby from the ever-growing pile of burning Sabyrs. She used her swords, prying each of them one by one with the wires, and tearing them apart. She dared not use her stronger green energy beams or Maiden powers as she felt that would harm her unusual ally.
After entire minutes of constant savagery, the pile grew smaller and Grimm Ruby's seething face became visible. Penny could see it, unyielding from the horde, tearing and flaying each and every Sabyr before tossing them aside and moving on to the next one. As the last one died with its neck torn from its body, the Alpha overseeing the attack howled, and the remaining Sabyrs stop in their tracks. Grimm Ruby could sense it beyond the usual negativity. Beyond their usual desire to destroy, there was a quiet fear in nearly every remaining Sabyr. Even their legs quivered; their attraction toward hatred was in conflict with their fear of the heretic before them. Only the Alpha remained relatively composed.
"Is that the leader?" Penny asked, briefly glancing at the Alpha while she was still preoccupied with striking down nearby stragglers.
Undeterred by the Sabyr assault, Grimm Ruby's eyes glared at the Alpha's, which glared back. The same silent language that they shared revealed that the Alpha, too, possessed a modicum of both restraint and valor underneath its hunger for destruction. While Grimm Ruby restrained itself to avoid innocent casualties and minimize collateral damage, however, the Sabyr Alpha restrained itself to avoid fruitless battles that it couldn't win. Moreover, the way that Grimm Ruby felt its specific thought come from every remaining Sabyr suggested that it could also project its will upon what was left of its pack; further proof that it could lead such savage creatures.
As the airships drew close enough to accurate fire upon the pack, the Alpha howled once more. This time, the remaining Sabyrs were fleeing. From an outsider's perspective, they appeared to simply be running for their lives. Like any intent that Grimm Ruby felt from an Alpha, however, its ferocious appearance belied a proper understanding of battle tactics. They weren't fleeing in terror; the Alpha's calmer mental state reflected that. In fact, the Alpha's method of silent communication among its fellow Sabyrs allowed Grimm Ruby to get a glimpse of a greater strategy at work. Only a glimpse…
"Are you okay?" Penny asked, both worried and in awe. She wasted no time in putting out the flames with her Maiden powers. "I have calculated at least twenty. You were attacked by so many. How do you still stand?"
"Penny," Grimm Ruby said with a strained voice that was more distorted than usual. Its hunger for destruction was briefly sated after killing so many Sabyrs, giving it an opportunity to speak. Penny gasped upon hearing Grimm Ruby suddenly say something coherent. "Protect…Mantle…and…its people. I…will keep…killing."
After a brief glance, Grimm Ruby walked away without another word. Penny stared silently, not knowing what to say. It walked slowly, being careful not to burn anything more than it did. Once more, it went in the direction of the negativity, where the other pack of Grimm were sure to be found. The unusual thing about it was that the strongest feeling of negativity came from the direction opposite of where the Sabyrs ran.
"You did not answer me," Penny said, suspicious of Grimm Ruby. "And you are walking the wrong direction. The Sabyrs—"
"Something's…wrong," Grimm Ruby interrupted. "Grimm…everywhere…but…"
"You are not making any sense!"
"Feel…them…that way. Much…stronger. They're…coming. So…many. Must…kill."
"Stronger? Are you referring to more Grimm? I do not detect any in the city, except for the Sabyrs…oh, and you."
"This…way. Must…go…this way."
The two reached an awkward silence as Grimm Ruby followed where its senses compelled it to go, with Penny overseeing it and the rest of the city from the air. The occasional Grimm would still be drawn in by Grimm Ruby's festering rancor; likely stragglers that didn't belong to the Alpha's pack. They were, of course, slain without a break in its stride. Along the way, Grimm Ruby passed by the fighting Huntsmen of Ruby's group. Naturally, they joined the fight for what was left of the city.
A brief glance revealed Blake and Yang fighting alongside one another against a Sphinx. They used the usual tactics from the original Ruby's memories. Blake used hit and run tactics while Yang pummeled the Sphinx directly. There wasn't any panic or fear in their hearts, so they didn't seem to need more help. Also, Penny would rain down more beams of light from the air upon any more Grimm she saw if things got out of hand. Everything seemed to be under control, so Grimm Ruby turned back to follow the negativity without a word. That is, until Yang noticed it just after slaying the Sphinx with a Semblance boosted punch.
"Ruby? I thought you were with Wei—" Yang exclaimed. "Oh, hang on. You're the other Ruby. The Grimm one."
Yang said those last three words with a scowl. It was clear to Grimm Ruby that she was still upset about it having burned her little sister; her real sister. Even so, the fact that she wasn't immediately attacking it like any other Grimm was noteworthy.
"Is she here to help?" Blake asked. Another Sabyr came out of nowhere, sprinting toward Grimm Ruby like all the others. Neither Yang or Blake seemed to notice it.
"I don't know," Yang said, putting her fists and her guard up. "Well, are you with us or against us?"
Without words, Grimm Ruby caught the pursuing Sabyr in midair and sank its fangs into its throat. It only had time to give a weak howl before its would-be killer tore its head off from the neck down with its fangs. Yang and Blake both watched with their mouths wide open when it casually tossed the Sabyr's headless remains at their feet, just a second before its body dissolved into smoke.
"Oooookaaaaay?" Yang muttered, unnerved by the ghastly sight of something resembling her sister biting a monster's head off. It left without further interaction with the two. The negativity it sensed was growing more and more compelling with each second.
Speaking of which, Grimm Ruby's strategy of using its own hatred to attract its prey wasn't as effective as it wanted it to be. The whole point was to attract all Grimm and end the attack without having to move around and burn things, but the only Grimm that actually took the bait were Sabyrs, not including the Alpha. No Sphinxes or Megoliaths fell for this trick yet, which suggests that this works only on the weaker varieties of Grimm.
The walk seemed to go on for at least a half hour, with the attention consuming source of negativity yet unexplained. Just what could be so potent to demand its undivided attention for so long, even over Blake and Yang? It had to find out. Something in Grimm Ruby's heroic personality had that gut feeling that it mustn't be ignored, even as its monstrous side compelled it to leave the city altogether.
The negativity was strongest in the frigid snow beyond the great wall that leads outside the city. It didn't make sense. If the Grimm were attacking Mantle, why was the negativity more potent outside? And so, it sank its claws in the metal walls that separated a snowy wasteland from a poor man's substitute of civilization. Upon reaching the top, everything became clear.
With a clear line of sight, Grimm Ruby could make out the negativity of over fifty Creatures of Grimm in the snowy field just outside, even though the night sky was too dark to actually see them. With little electricity for the few homes left in Mantle and even fewer people actually patrolling the borders, there were barely any security measures around them at all. Even Penny didn't notice them. Under the cloak of night, these Grimm chose now to approach the city.
The strategy it glimpsed from the Saber Alpha was now clear. The Sabyr pack was used as a decoy, with Megoliaths and Sphinxes taking advantage of the chaos to punch holes in the city. With the attention and energy of the few remaining Huntsmen spent on the Sabyr pack, this much larger force was meant to move in undetected and make the final strike against the city from the other side. Seething with rage once more, Grimm Ruby felt the singular wish of senseless murder that every single desired upon the people of Mantle. No, of all people.
It remembered the little girl that just died in front of it. Even in agony, the Megoliath's last act wasn't one of defiance or even vengeance. It was cold-blooded murder against someone that had nothing to do with its pain. It killed someone who had never had any chance of harming it. These Grimm were no different. Grimm Ruby could feel it, both from the other Grimm and its own monstrous side. They were willing to sacrifice their own to get to the heart of a city. All that mattered now was halting this invasion…and ripping every single monster apart, one by one.
Falling freely from the wall into the snow below, the feeling of cold powder on its black skin meant one thing. It was out of town, far from the Huntsmen, far from the homes, and most importantly, far from the people; far enough, at least. There was nothing worth preserving in this snowy wasteland just outside Mantle. No wildlife, no plants, nothing. There was no reason to hold back even an ounce of these cursed flames.
And so, Grimm Ruby dashed through the snow with a speed rivaling its original self, letting the flames flow from its body freely without worry. Far from the rose petals it knew from the original Ruby's memories, the trail of burnt ashes and melted snow left behind from its speed was not granted by any Semblance. Rather, it was simply a byproduct of Salem's attempt to create the ultimate Grimm. Its own body could simply handle the velocity without the need of Aura.
In mere seconds, the first of the red eyes appeared in the darkness, and Grimm Ruby extended its scythe. Upon taking a single leap, it slammed its scythe to the ground, using the recoil to propel itself much higher. At the top of its height, it twirled its scythe and released every single ounce of animosity it carried within all at once, before finally striking the ground like a meteor.
Humanity gone, a monster remains;
An abhorrent spite coursing through my veins.
Upon impact, the dark flames burst in such an extent that everything within twenty-five feet of its landing zone was instantly engulfed. Though they didn't illuminate their surroundings as well as normal fire, the dark flames still allowed Grimm Ruby to actually see its prey. At least half of them were still Sabyrs, but the other half composed of Megoliaths and Sphinxes. None of them seemed to be Alphas, but there were still far more Grimm here than the original Ruby had ever seen at a single place. From their point of view, they saw not a warrior, but a demon that spewed vitriol far worse than their own.
Where does anger lead? Only time will tell;
You're all no better than demons from hell!
The flames alone were already harmful to the cold-adapted Grimm; their pain reverberated in the air like a tidal wave that flooded Grimm Ruby with strength. Taking two of the Sabyrs caught by surprise, it grabbed their heads and crushed them together into paste. This was quickly followed up by a slice through one of the Sphinxes wings with its scythe, then bisecting its head from its body from above.
My heart now burns clear, my will's absolute;
No matter the odds, I stand resolute.
By now, the rest of the horde no longer had a single thought about the prey that lay in the remnants of man's creation. Their attention was now focused entirely on the heretic that dared disrespect their one true god with its continued defiance. The Grimm fought back with a fury of a legion. Fangs and tusks, fireballs and ice; they disregarded any kind of one-on-one chivalry for the sake of ganging up on a single opponent.
I'm above your temptation,
All I see's mutilation,
I'll never be one of yooooou!
The battlefield felt more like a bullet hell video game than any of the awe-inspiring fights from the original Ruby's memories. Wherever in the flaming landscape that Grimm Ruby would dash across, a Grimm was there to impede it. This blazing field of ice offered nothing to hide under and no chance of respite. Even the original Ruby with her Semblance would be hard-pressed to evade every single attack thrown at it, yet her Grimm self fought on, uncaring of the wounds that its body, unshielded by Aura, would constantly suffer.
So long as I stand, my scythe is unfurled;
The dark creatures will never claim this world.
The dark flames covering the entire battlefield gave it an advantage over any other Grimm. Where others, enemy and ally alike, would be hard pressed to even linger in the flames for very long, Grimm Ruby felt no discomfort from them. Its rage and its will were the two factors that controlled the fight. Pain was the respite that it could take by force. Every Megoliath that spent a second channeling ice from its legs to put out the dark flames and every Sphinx that flew to avoid them entirely was a second they couldn't spend attacking.
Such fear and despair, all evil beware;
You now stand before your greatest nightmare!
And the unfortunate Sabyrs, who had neither ice nor wings, wouldn't dare to disobey their larger brethren and abandon the fight. They could only linger in the flames, throwing themselves at the heretic with a fight or die mentality that didn't suit the swift and evasive creatures. Their presence, more than anything, was what contributed to Grimm Ruby's survival. They were weak, plentiful, and comparatively easier to kill than a larger Grimm. When the fight turned against it, tearing a Sabyr apart in a pinch would cause its suffering to rejuvenate Grimm Ruby's body.
The tears and the blood, I shall not abide;
This world's salvation is my one true guide.
The Sabyrs were otherwise treated like a "trash mob." It focused primarily and the Sphinxes and Megoliaths, remaining constantly on the move to avoid the Sabyrs until needed. A Sphinx' wing torn off here, a Megoliath's eye ripped out there; every act of sadistic cruelty inflicted upon the Grimm would renew its fervor, undoing whatever damage it suffered, again and again. Over time, Grimm Ruby got creative. Sometimes, it would slice a Sphinx's hind legs off and throw the rest of it into a conveniently placed Megoliath's tusk like a shish kabob. Other times, it would leave a Megoliath with its eye ripped out alive and trick it into trampling over its own allies. Drawing out their pain would make its regenerative ability more effective. Whatever it could do to keep control of the fight, it did.
Witch's scourge on man endures,
How fitting that I be yours,
I'll never be one of yooooou!
And when the number of Grimm went from fifty to less than a dozen, the terror beneath their growls and roars were palpable. Some of the larger Grimm even considered fleeing to kill another day; an unprecedented act for non-Alpha Grimm. It was only their will to honor their true god that they remained to fight the heretic at all, for cowardice was a sin deserving worse than death to the Grimm. Their fewer numbers also gave Grimm Ruby some much needed space to maneuver. Its prey could barely hit it at all now.
Despite the pain I go throoooough,
I'll never beeeee…one of yooooou!
And when it sank its claws into the last Grimm, a Sphinx whose wings were previously torn off, it extended its scythe and sliced through its forehead down to its stomach with a single strike. It was in contrast with the previous cruelty it inflicted upon the other Grimm, but also a clear indicator that it was a Huntress at heart. It inflicted agonizing deaths upon its prey solely to keep its body in peak condition, but make their deaths quick when it wasn't necessary.
The fight lasted for what seemed like ten, or even twenty minutes; far longer than any fight that the original Ruby would have endured before exhaustion set in. Yet her Grimm self wasn't tired, not even a little bit, for each Grimm's death served to rejuvenate its stamina as well as its body. With no Grimm left to kill, it coiled its scythe around its arm, ready to head back to Mantle. It stopped after a few steps when it saw the devastation left behind, and finally faltered when it realized how horrible it could have been had the battlefield been Mantle itself.
The rising sun now shining upon the ruined landscape made the ground look more like glass now. Had there been any kind of life at all, even a plant or a bird, they would certainly have died in the crossfire. Contending with the worrying thoughts, it looked back at Mantle. It was unable to sense anything resembling a Grimm's presence from the city, which suggested that Penny and the other Huntsmen slew the rest while it was gone. Coming to the idea that the fight was now over, Grimm Ruby buried its monstrous side deep beneath its subconscious, leaving its copied personality dominant once more.
"Ruby?" it asked itself, half-wondering if the original could somehow hear it. "What would you think of me…if you saw me just now?"
We've all lost something, and I've seen what loss can do to people. But if we gave up every time we lost, then we'd never be able to move forward. We'd never have a chance to see what beautiful things the future might have waiting for us. We'd never have the strength to change; whether it's ourselves, or the world around us. And we'd never be there for other people who might one day be lost without us.
"You saw it before…when we first met," it asked, looking up at the sky. "You saw the anger, the flames, the power; I was just like you, but I was also not like you at all. But it didn't matter. You still accepted me as my own person. What about now? How would you see me right now?"
This is what we were training for; to become Huntresses, to be the ones to stand up and do something about all the bad in the world. Because there are plenty of people out there who are still lost and even more who will try to gain everything they can from their sorrow.
Grimm Ruby glanced down at its claws as a final memory flashed through its mind.
Believe me when I say, I know it can feel impossible, like every single day is a struggle against some unstoppable monster we can never hope to beat.
A miserable smile crept across its face as it closed its eyes to the destruction around it.
"An unstoppable monster? Huh. The important thing to do when fighting one was to try for the people we haven't lost yet. You would have to hope that maybe others could continue the fight from your example and succeed if you fail. But what happens when you have an unstoppable monster of your own? What happens if those that choose to do evil could be just as terrified as those who choose to do good? Does the fight still feel impossible? Does it even the playing field and make things one step closer to being right? Or does it just force the world to contend with two monsters?"
There was no response, not even in its mind. None, especially the original Ruby, were in earshot of its questions.
"Nothing good can come from both monsters fighting each other if the whole world ends up reduced to ashes. It's just pointless destruction. That's right. Destruction; that what that god wants from me. He said that was my purpose. That's what scares me. It's so much different from not being strong enough. But how do I know when to stop?"
No response. The whole world was silent around it. Even with the original's memories and way of thinking, it was missing that spark of hope. In its place was an empty void, where its pent up anguish was buried until it cut loose in that one pivotal moment.
"How do I know when to fight for what's right and risk everything around me and when to let others do the fighting and let them risk their own lives? What if the difference I make is actually worse than just staying out of the fight altogether?"
Now mystified by the inner workings of its own mind with its negativity momentarily spent, Grimm Ruby spent second after agonizing second trying to recall something that it was never meant to possess. Hope; the very quality that the original Ruby had in abundance. When it tried to remember the little pep talks she would give to her friends or the brave speeches she would give in the face of adversity, it could never recall the meaning behind them, no matter how hard it tried. This emptiness gnawed at Grimm Ruby more than the destructive urges ever could.
"Ruby, these are the words you left me. Please help me to understand them."