I am in my seventh term at VTI (Vet Tech Institute), and right now it is sort of kicking my butt. I will try to keep up with this story as much as I can though. I love this series (as heart wrenching as it can be) and I do have a few ideas. I too have read these time-travel fics and absolutely loved them, but I will try to also keep mine as original as possible.
So to address a few concerns that are similar in nature. I do not purposely abandon stories. It is sort of unintentional. Life gets in the way, new ideas come to mind…I am guilty of 'forgetting' about stories (as could be seen on my profile page *insert guilty awkward side eyed look here with kicking imaginary rock*).
Anyway that being said, I will try to update as often as I can. Tonight, I am taking a mental health night from studying as I had a test every bloody day this week (one coming up on Monday), so without further ado thank you all for your support and now on with the chapter!
New Divide
Ruby was sitting next to Weiss, head resting on her hand. Professor Port was in his usual revere of reminiscing of times past as he discussed his current lecture. She had been paying attention in the beginning, finding his stories comforting; knowing that she could now relate on some level. However as the minutes dragged on, she became less focused and more wondering if this is how she would have been had things gone right. Would she have become a teacher when hunting Grimm was no longer relevant? Or would the 'those that cannot do, teach' come into play? Growing old and letting the 'future/younger' generation take over the mantel? Would she have helped Oscar/Ozpin rebuild Beacon? So many of these thoughts crossed her mind, but internally a real selfish part of her knew that if she didn't have her team, those things have been not been worth it or really mattered.
Hell she had made some 'questionable' and reckless decisions when she had loss Yang. Those things escalated when Blake was considered 'MIA' and presumed gone, and Weiss…Ruby shook her head not wanting to think about what happened to her partner and best friend. So sighing, and making it look like she was still focused, she began drawing in her notebook.
She wasn't a master artist or anything of the sort, but it did bring some type of comfort to her when she had been out in the field. It brought memories to her of a simpler time with her team. It was one such memory she was drawing now, the last moment when she remembered how happy and at peace they all were. She had forgotten the city they were in, having been just started on a mission after the fall of Atlas.
Salem had sent a new kind of Grimm, a winged Beringel. It had wings and there was no warning that had come. It was a blitz attack, and there was barely anytime for evacuations. A lot of people had lost their lives, and there was barely anytime for them to react. In the end, they did the best they could to get the woman and child out of the city.
Ruby nearly flinches as she recalls Ironwood's last stand. He had forced Winter to leave with them; of course the Specialist refused, but an order was an order, and Qrow took it upon himself to make Winter go. As Ruby thought about it, she knew that Winter never truly forgave herself for abandoning the military like she had; however it had been worth it later when Winter had started to rebuild the military with the help of Qrow, Oscar, Maria, and the combined teams of RWBY and JNR. Even the survivors of Atlas had joined in, wanting to seek revenge for their fallen friends and home.
That is not going to happen again, Ruby glared hard at her paper; but then remembered where she was and what she was doing. Looking at the beginnings of her drawing, she silently sighed; it was in this seemingly untouched city on this overlook by the canal that made it a bitter happiness for her team. It was bitter because of the events she had just remembered that led to the moments, but happiness because of the hope she felt seeing that her team…her family was alive and safe.
She started on the marbled stone buildings, shading in where the sun had hit them just right before moving on to the water before drawing her partner standing near the railing. Ruby knew that despite Weiss hating her home with a passion, the former (she supposed now current) heiress did not wish to see it destroyed. She stole a glance as her partner next to her. As per usual, Weiss was paying rampant attention to the lecture, taking notes as Professor Port rambled on about King Taijitu. Ruby looked back towards her paper and mentally sighed; that was something else she would have to think about. Weiss, Winter, and Whitely loss their father that day during the blitz attack. Weiss had confided in her that there was some part of her that regretted not having reconciled with the man that had locked her away. Should she ask Weiss about her father now? In fact when is Winter due to come visit and Qrow…? Closing her eyes she refocused and looked at her drawing, deciding to now draw Blake.
That day she had been standing more off to the side, but she had been relaxed. Ruby included her cat ears instead of the bow. It was almost as if she too had committed this moment to memory, just as Ruby had. Sneaking a glance over her shoulder, she sees that Blake is paying attention as well. Granted not as focused as Weiss was, but definitely more focused that she was being. Turning back, Ruby bit her lip and looked down once more. She had always been supportive of Blake, even after she had left when Beacon fell, she had eventually came back and had been a loyal teammate ever since. Ruby hated the fact that Blake felt she didn't belong, or that they would abandon her. She cursed Adam for his obsession and wanted the bastard to pay for his crimes sooner for turning the White Fang into some terrorist group, and for causing all the hurt and suffering. After learning what the 'Fang was supposed to be, she had wished Blake could have been freed from his control sooner. Another monkey wrench, she supposed. The thoughts she was having about this dilemma though would cross her morals and boundaries. Granted it was a line that she crossed many times, but not as the innocent fifteen year old. Weighing the options she knew that the needs of the many would outweigh the needs of the few. Adam was a problem, both for the humans and for the faunus. He was the reason for Cinder and Torchwick's successes thus far (that she knew of), and of course for Blake and Yang's strained friendship, and ultimately her sister's death. Ruby gripped her pencil hard, wanting to hit something, but she closed her eyes and refocused knowing this was not the time nor place.
Then of course there was Yang. Ruby smiled sadly as she drew her sister leaning against the lamppost almost having a protective watch of Weiss by the railing and being able to keep her friend and partner in sight. Ruby made the shading just right so that the sunlight touched her sister's hair, it almost glowed. Ruby sighed, as she thought about the gut wrenching pain of losing her sister, her protector, her rock. Yang was her biggest cheerleader, never once telling her she couldn't do something. Yes it had hurt in the beginning when they were separated, but once they had gotten back together, it was almost like nothing happened. If it was one thing she was sure of, she was never letting her sister go again. Hell she would die again, if it meant that her sister was safe, that her team was safe.
Ruby finished her little sketch just as the bell rang. Still lost in her thoughts, she gathered her books and started to place them in her bag, "Since when can you draw?" Ruby was startled as she watched as her paper was quickly snatched from the pile. Looking at who took it, she saw that it was in Weiss's hands and both Blake and Yang were looking at it.
Laughing nervously, Ruby rubbed the back of her head, "You've seen my weapons drawings. It isn't much different."
"Yes it is. Those are blueprints, this is like real artwork." Yang said titling her head to the side, "I mean those I guess could be considered art, but I never pictured you being able to draw landscape, much less people and architecture."
"Where is this at anyway? I've never seen this place." Blake asked curiously, not failing to notice that Ruby had drawn her ears, but couldn't get herself to be scared of someone seeing this. Looking at herself in the picture, she wishes she could be that person, comfortable and unafraid.
Ruby took the picture back and placed it in one of her books, before putting the rest of her stuff away, "I really do not know. It was just a place that came to mind. Let's get out of here before we are late for Goodwitch's class shall we?" They shrugged, followed her out the door to quickly get their weapons from the locker holding area.
Arriving and sitting in their seats just as the bell rang, Goodwitch started the class, "Alright for further preparation for the Vytal Festival, we are going to continue our battle training."
This brought Ruby up short, "The Vytal Festival?" She whispered out loud. No, this couldn't be right. Not yet, it was much too soon…wasn't it?
"Yea, where have you been?" Weiss asked next to her, "We've started training for this nearly over a month now."
Goodwitch started to explain what her lesson would include for the day, but Ruby's mind was in overdrive, "Have any other students arrived yet?"
"What?" Yang asked looking at her sister.
"Students Yang." Ruby answered shortly, "Have there been any new students on campus?"
Before any of her team could give her a response to her weird questions, Goodwitch interrupted them, "Ms. Rose thank you for volunteering."
"Wait what?" Ruby asked looking at her instructor, who was motioning for her to come up on the stage.
As Ruby started to go down, Goodwitch also said, "And since you and your sister were having a lovely conversation, Ms. Xiao-Long can be your sparring partner as well."
It was like a train wreck in Ruby's mind, "What? No really Professor, I-"
"Not another word Ms. Rose." Goodwitch said as Yang stood at the opposite end of the stage. Turning her back towards them, she addressed the class, "Now even though I am starting to prepare you for the tournament, in real life your opponent could be anyone." Ain't that the truth, Ruby thought bitterly not wanting to do this.
Yang was preparing herself while also looking at her sister. She could see that Ruby was visibly uncomfortable with this. She tried to shoot Ruby a reassuring smile, but Ruby wasn't looking at her; instead she was looking at her sniper-scythe rifle in her hands with a haunted look to her eyes, "Now Ms. Rose, Ms. Xiao-Long, for your fight it will be the tournament style rules of single combat. The loser will be considered knocked out if your aura falls below the fifteen percent threshold. Anything goes; aside from deadly force which is obviously prohibited. Questions?"
"Yes, can I forfeit now?" Ruby asked.
"No Ms. Rose."
"Come on Rubes. It'll be like the times we sparred at home when I tried to teach you hand to hand combat." Yang said encouragingly, "This will be fun, but I won't go easy on you oh mighty leader."
"She'll freeze up like she did with the Ursa." Cardin called out, his team laughing.
"Enough!" Goodwitch yelled before any fighting that were not the two students she called down could start, "Another word out of you Mr. Winchester and I'll double your detentions." She had given the leaders that were apart of Cardin's team yesterday a week's worth of detention for the phony distress call that had led to Ruby and Jaune's predicament with the Ursa.
She then faced Ruby and Yang, "Ms. Rose your fight starts now." The screens above the stage show Ruby and Yang's picture with their aura levels.
Yang looked at her sister, "Hey come on Rubes. One of us has to move." Seeing that Ruby was still apprehensive, she sighs, "Well I guess it'll have to be me." Yang lunges forward, aimed to deliver a punch.
Sensing this, Ruby swiftly turns and dodges the punch causing Yang to blow right by her. Ruby acted on instinct and released Crescent Rose from its compact form, wielding the massive weapon. Yang turned around and saw her sister's fighting stance. There was still apprehension, almost as if she was fighting an inner battle as well as the physical one in front of her. None the less, Yang put her hands on her hips and smiled, "Wow that was awesome. Nice dodge."
"Thanks." Ruby stated trying to ease the inner waves of nausea she was feeling.
"Ruby you cannot just stand there. You are going to have to fight." Yang said encouragingly, "Come on. Come at me."
"Ms. Rose, if you do not fight then you will fail for the day." Goodwitch said as the class looked at her.
Ruby looked at her and at Yang. She could take the mark for the day, all honesty she really did not want to fight. This was her sister. How could she fight her sister? You did fight her, a dark voice said inside of her mind. Flashes of the horrors of multiple illusions crossed her mind that she had been trapped in, "Does it feel good? Knowing you tried?" She straightened now hearing her voice, "Knowing that all that remains is the slow cold brutal death of the fools that will all die in vain?"
"Something is not right." Weiss said looking between the sisters, but her sights mainly on her partner.
Blake nods, "I know, and so does Yang I think."
Glynda straightened herself and watched closely. Yang saw this and said, "Come on Ruby. I know you do not want to fail for the day. Just fight me."
"Yang-" Ruby growled out trying to stop the ranging thoughts, "It was your fault, you caused their deaths." Salem's haunting echoing voice coming to her.
"No! No more Ruby. Fight me. Now!" Yang lunged, and delivered a punch to an unsuspecting Ruby.
Crescent Rose went flying out of Ruby's hands, and Ruby took a hit towards the wall of the stage. Weiss's eyes went to the screen, and saw that Yang's hit barely made a dent in Ruby's aura.
Ruby was dazed momentarily with the wind knocked out of her, "It was your fault. I was your sister, I protected you all the time. Where the hell were you when I needed you?" I'm sorry, I tried, I really did.
"How does it feel, knowing your efforts will fail?" Ruby growled and shook her head once again hearing Salem's taunt. Why was she getting these damned things now? She didn't have time to process this as she once again saw Yang coming at her. Thinking quickly, she used her semblance and vanished in a shower of petals just as Yang's fist again collides with floor.
Ruby grabs Crescent Rose and has the first coherent thought she could have. Clearly Yang isn't going to let her fail, and Goodwitch wants a fight. She is stuck…and it was suffocating. She closes her eyes for one brief moment, "You let us down. We trusted you." Weiss…that was Weiss's voice, Idid the things I thought I should, Ruby pleaded internally.
"Bullshit." Ruby tried to avoid looking at Blake and Weiss having her both their voices in that moment, "You should have done more like we did for you." This was Blake's voice that got to her.
Yang now sensed a change in her sister and changed tactics, aiming Ember Celica right at her and fired. Ruby was quick and used Crescent Rose to deflect the bullets that her sister aimed at her. This brought up more memories, these more tactile as she could feel the blood on her skin, and could smell the smoke and death in the air. Slowly she was losing herself, and in this moment she saw her sister as an enemy.
Yang once again lunged right for her, to deliver another punch; but Ruby was ready, using her semblance, she lunged towards Yang and then surprised the brawler by the petals splitting in half. Yang didn't even have time to turn before she felt the blunt end of Crescent Rose on her back, sending her flying into the wall.
Blake was watching Yang's screen and saw that Yang had taken a major hit in aura from Ruby's one blow. She looked at the young leader and something immediately had her on edge as Ruby stood there. Then she did something that no one had ever seen her do, she puts her hood up and fixes her grip on her scythe making it look absolutely lethal in nature and the wielder looking like an apex predator, "It was you who ended their lives, made them to dig their own graves." Enough was enough, Ruby was going to end this. One way or another it was going to end.
Yang got up, lavender eyes glowing red. Clenching her fists, she ponded them together and launched herself at her sister. Ruby twirled her weapon and leaps straight up into the air by several feet, leaving a column of falling rose petals as Yang completely misses her. Ruby comes back down in the same spot facing her sister and there is a pause. Yang's eyes are still red, but are missing the ferocity that is normally shining in them as she stares at her sister. Ruby remains posed, Crescent Rose in her left hand. Her hood came off, and everyone could see the dangerous look in her eyes. Her head moves forward and she crouches. Her cloaks arches upward toward her body and Ruby transforms into a swirl of rose petals. The swirl propels itself forward through the air towards Yang.
Yang tries to dodge, but it doesn't work as her sister lands blow after blow, before finishing with a tornado of roses around her. Yang feels herself being lifted and then suddenly stopping a very brief pause before feeling the blunt end of Crescent Rose land to her stomach, shattering her aura, and being plowed into the floor of the stage, "Enough! Yang Xiao-Long has depleted her aura!"
Ruby didn't hear a word though as she had Yang pinned. She switched her weapon and had Crescent Rose's sharp end on Yang's throat. Blood was pounding in her ears, she could feel her eyes lighting up as she looked down at her prey, "Take the lives of those you need. Sow the death then reap the seed. Born an angel, heaven sent, falls from grace are never elegant." An echo from her mind, one that wasn't Salem or Cinder's voice that haunted her for ten years. This was a new one, it was her own. It was a vow that she had taken, one she made after the deaths of her team.
"Ruby you won. Let me up!" Yang gasped out, realizing that her aura was beyond the fifteen percent depletion.
"Ms. Rose!" Glynda yelled.
Blake moved first followed by Weiss. They jumped to the stage and surrounded their partners, "Ruby it's over. Retract your scythe." Weiss said calmly as she held a hand up to Blake.
"Girls move now." Glynda ordered about to intervene.
"No. We've handled this before." Blake stated, "Just stay away."
Glynda paused and watched them, she saw team JNPR get up now and slowly make their way towards the stage, "What do you want us to do?" Pyrrha asked.
Weiss looked at them and answered, "Nothing, just stay back." Team JNPR looked at one another and a silent exchange was made. They stayed back, but was ready in case something happened. After watching the fight however, they weren't too sure if they would be much help. The way Ruby had fought, it was like she had done it for years.
Weiss and Blake exchanged looks and focused back on Ruby she said, "Ruby whatever you are seeing, it's not real."
"It was." Ruby responded her voice sounding older than it should have been, "Everything was real." Then in a quieter voice she added, "It just hasn't happened yet. It was my fault…"
Yang felt Ruby's grip slack and she saw something she did not like. It reminded her of their father's look when they received the news that Summer wasn't coming home, "Ruby please, it's me. Let me up and we can talk."
Ruby looked down and suddenly the moment slammed into her and she stumbled back, Crescent Rose retracting, "Oh my gods. I'm sorry, Yang I am-"
"It's alright. I'm-ow!" Yang groaned as Blake ran forward and helped stabilize her partner.
Ruby was slowly backing away from them. Seeing this Weiss came forward, "Ruby-"
Ruby looked around and saw the looks on everyone's faces including Glynda's. She shook her head and called the remains of her semblance. Before they could even blink Ruby's form was a scattering of petals and then they vanished suddenly, "Ok since when can she do that?" Yang asked in a strained voice.
"Class is dismissed, you two get her to the hospital wing." Glynda ordered and she stormed out of the room. Ozpin clearly knew something was wrong and she was going to make him tell her what the hell is going on.
