Prompt: Goddesses AU
Of the many Gods and Goddesses which roam the earth, there was but one which does not partake in the godly tradition of choosing their closest followers and begetting sub-divine children. While many Gods and Goddesses have temples of marble, sandstone or brick constructed and dedicated to their worship, there is but one who does not allow for Her followers to construct palaces for Her worship. Of the many Gods and Goddesses who cast down divine punishment on those who taint their name or blaspheme, there is but one who allows those sinners chances of redemption.
Weiss was a lonely Goddess. Powerful and in command of many seemingly diverse things. She commanded the great snowstorms and showers of ice, but only the first snows of the season. She ruled the realm of luck and good fortune, but only those of people who worked hard and struggled to reach their goals. She was the Goddess of beauty, but only the inner beauty which does not change with age. Weiss was the Goddess of purity, innocence, and goodness. But she never once allowed anyone to call her as such.
In Weiss's eyes, there was only one Goddess of purity, innocence, and goodness. But She was no longer around.
For Weiss was a lonely Goddess. She had Her followers, many and far reaching were Her domains and Her powers. But She cared little for the offerings bestowed upon Her at the small sanctuaries She allowed to be constructed in Her name and visage.
Many a time, She was asked. By kings and queens and wealthy nobility if they could construct a palace for Her. A temple by which to show their devotion to Her, with gold and silver adorning the walls. Tended by the most beautiful in their lands, the purist souls. She always declined. And when one was built in Her stead, with a tall statue painting Her in all Her glory, she asked Her most dear of friends and family to rain down hellfire on it.
Yang, the Goddess of war and honour sent her legions against the kingdom.
Blake, the Goddess of the night cast the kingdom in Her shadow.
Nora, the Goddess of storms and lightning tore her way through the temple, lighting it aflame.
Qrow, the bringer of misfortune and ill luck, to wash away the king's great wealth and power.
Weiss's dear sister, Winter, the Goddess by which the season was named for, brought the kingdom to its knees.
The temple was destroyed and the statue of Her image in ruins. And on the rubble, a single red rose.
For the red rose was Weiss's prized flower. Though She wore only white, and Her followers dressed in pure white, it was red that She preferred over all. When her followers asked why She favoured red so, She would but sigh and look towards the heavens. To the stars and the realms of the dead where even Gods and Goddesses could not go.
Because living among the stars was a Goddess. A most ancient Goddess. One that has oft been forgotten, misrepresented by the many decades and centuries since Her decided demise. The Goddess Weiss loved more than life itself.
Ruby of the Rose was a dead Goddess, though still one praised and revered. After all, She was the Goddess of wealth. Of gems and gemstones and all the luxuries of this world. She commanded coins and coinage as well as the metals of the deep earth. She was the chosen Goddess for merchants and traders, young peasants hoping to become rich, and old nobles desperate to keep their prized horde.
The reason for Her death was all but forgotten by those humans who worshipped and praised Her. But Her death was not forgotten by Weiss.
Ruby of the Rose, who could only be described as the purest of the Gods. The most good of the Gods. She gave Her life, not to defeat a mighty foe, nor to protect Her one true love, but to release Her wealth to the world itself. For Ruby was not the Goddess of gems and gemstones, but the Goddess of wealth. No, She did not just rule over great fortunes of gold and silver, nor command the luxuries buried in the earth. For Her wealth, was all wealth. True wealth. The wealth that comes in family and security and peace and love and memory. She was the Goddess of many things too abstract for people to think of, but all come together in the true meaning of what it means to be wealthy. And little of it has to do with gold or gemstones.
Yes, Weiss did not have chosen followers or offspring of divine power, because there was only one ever to be truly chosen by Her. There was only one which reflected the true inner beauty for which She represented. The red rose was the final gift granted to Her by the one she loved most. For in death, Ruby could share her true wealth with the world. But Weiss was forced to lose Her own.
Weiss remained in this world, with the many Gods and Goddesses. Roaming by foot rather than soaring through the heavens. Because that was what Ruby loved to do. Weiss forgave the sinners and the blasphemers. Because that was what Ruby had done. But Weiss would never allow a temple or palace to be built in Her honour. Because there was but one palace Weiss would ever reside. It would be the palace in the stars, when the end of times brings the world of men to an end and all that remained on earth would be ground to dust.
Because in that end of times, Her Rose was waiting for Her. Up in the stars, Ruby was there, ready to shower Her with the love and affection She had when She was alive. Above all else, love was the real wealth that Ruby stood for.
But Weiss would wait.
Because that was what Ruby would have wanted. Weiss would refrain from the many aspects so captured by the Gods and Goddesses of the world, but never leave her earthly bounds to be with Her love. She would forgive because Ruby forgave. She would smile because Ruby smiled. And She would keep Her promise to bring the first snows of the season and good luck to those who worked for it. Because Ruby loved to watch Her. Ruby loved to play in Her first snows and to see the joy on the faces of those blessed with Her luck.
Because even without Ruby's presence, She would always feel Her love.
And Weiss was all the more wealthy for it.
This one is actually taking from some notes for a potential future RWBY fanfic. I didn't have much planned out aside from what everyone was a goddess in, so might as well use it for a Whiterose week one-shot!