Dimension Travelers RWBY
Ruby's POV
Things got pretty wild for a while there, but I'm told that's to be expected when David gets in the mix. I can't say it hasn't been fun, but also kinda scary. But I made it to the end and now I get to go on even grander adventures and see all kinds of new weapons all across the multiverse! I'm getting ahead of myself. It all started when I wanted to give Crescent Rose a live combat trial.
I had just finished my latest modifications to Crescent Rose. Uncle Qrow may or may not have tipped me off to a potential burglary so I could test them out. The modification in question? I had reforged Crescent Rose's blade with the ability to shatter aura much easier. At the time, neither Uncle Qrow nor I knew how I had managed it, just that it made sense in my head when I forged it.
This wasn't an uncommon occurrence. Ever since I could remember, I've been able to look at weapons or machinery or the like and know how they tick and sometimes even get insight on how to improve them. Even if those improvements sometimes broke the laws of physics as we knew them at the time. Because of this, I had become something of living legend. I remember Atlas' army had tried to recruit me at a young age, but Dad and Uncle Qrow had put their foot down. I did still help create things for them at home, but I wasn't inducted into the army.
As I grew up, my fascination with weapons and mechanical things led me to a profession where I'd be around those things all the time: being a Huntress. I may have also been a little bit inspired by Yang wanting to be a Huntress too. Still, no other job would let me meet all the weapons people make like being a Huntress. Yang and especially Dad were against it at first, but thankfully Uncle Qrow talked them around.
Anyway, I was 15 and attending Signal Academy at the time. Uncle Qrow was a teacher there and also the one who helped me build what would eventually become Crescent Rose and taught me to fight with it. Oh! I should probably describe Crescent Rose.
The original concept was a scythe/gun combo not unlike Uncle Qrow uses. The first changes were the design of the blade and making my blade extend a little bit behind the handle as well. I also knew I'd rather have a semi-long range option as opposed to Uncle Qrow who doubles down on close range with his shotgun attachment. So I modified the barrel into a DMR. I considered making it a true sniper rifle, but as I learned my own battle style and came into my Semblance, it became clear that a true sniper rifle would be impractical. Since creating the basic design, I'd been tweaking it here and there over the years. Better muzzle velocity, easier removal and maintenance of the blade, amplification of Dust infused bullets, things like that. Crescent Rose was and still is my baby.
As I said, Uncle Qrow kinda told me a robbery might be going down at a Dust store in Vale called From Dust Till Dawn. I will always maintain that it's a cute name, no matter how much Blake complains that I only think that because Yang's sense of humor has corrupted me. It's clearly because David's sense of humor has corrupted me.
Right, focus. I was running low on Fire Dust anyway, so it was pretty convenient for me to swing by, buy my Dust, and loiter around for a bit until Torchwick and his goons tried to rob the place. Of course, I didn't know who Torchwick was at the time or that he had ambitions beyond selling the Dust on the black market, but that all came later. The creeps entered the store and held the shopkeeper at gunpoint and my heart was beating wildly. This was it, my chance to both test my improved Crescent Rose and prove to Yang and Dad that I wasn't a little kid anymore.
I would later realize that attempting to stop a robbery in progress with no backup of any kind was childish and foolhardy, no matter how well Uncle Qrow had taught me to fight. It was even more childish and foolhardy to announce my presence before the fight. At the time I was nowhere near strong enough to think I could get away with just tossing an advantage like that out the window, yet think it I did. David likes to call me an idiot savant and looking back at some of my decisions, I can't exactly argue with him.
"Hey, leave the old man alone!" I shouted, leveling Crescent Rose at the criminals.
"What's a Huntress doin' here?!" One of the goons exclaimed in fear.
"You idiot!" Torchwick snapped, "Look at her, she's a child. Take care of her while I finish acquiring the Dust."
The goons broke off from Torchwick and advanced on me. Before they could surround me, I sprang forward, catching one of them in the crook of my blade and flung him out the window. With that opening, I followed the grunt out the window. It was better fighting them outside than run the risk of setting off any of the Dust and the more open space was complementary to my fighting style anyway.
I am pleased to report my anti-aura upgrade to Crescent Rose worked as intended. A few strikes and all the grunts were on the ground, some bleeding more than others, but none in critical condition. I'd have to learn how much punishment people could take with the upgrade. I also considered looking into if I could toggle the function on and off, but that idea wouldn't become relevant until later. For the moment, I was overjoyed with my success.
"Good help is so hard to find these days," I looked to the door of the store and saw Torchwick carrying a briefcase and sneering at me. He lifted that cane of his at me and I realized a moment too late it was actually a weapon. Thankfully my aura protected me from any real damage, but it dazed me long enough for Torchwick to be halfway up a ladder by the time my vision cleared.
I could have probably ended it there. I had what I wanted, a successful live test of my new blade. Some would probably argue I should have waited for the police or one of the local Huntsmen to show up and maybe catch Torchwick. I was riding the badass action hero high and naturally gave chase. Unsurprisingly, Torchwick had been trying to escape to a getaway vehicle, a Bullhead. I got to the roof just as he was climbing inside.
"End of the line, Red!" He shouted and hurled a fire Dust crystal at my feet. It was an effective flash bang, but I wasn't the only one prowling the streets that night. When my vision cleared, a Huntress stood in front of me. She immediately went on the offensive, using her Semblance to pick up small stones and debris from the rooftops and hurl them and great speed at the Bullhead. Then, using ice and lightning Dust, created a hailstorm to try and bring down the Bullhead.
Torchwick slipped into the cockpit of the Bullhead and what looked like a young woman stepped out. I say looked like because at the time she was shrouded in shadow and I could only see her legs and Dust infused in her dress glowing slightly. She seemed to possess a powerful fire based Semblance, because she caused eruptions and threw fireballs in a way Dust simply couldn't replicate. The Huntress, who I would soon learn was Goodwitch, captured the rubble of the rooftop in her Semblance and sent it flying at the Bullhead. I was deeply impressed by her fine control, but the woman in the Bullhead was able to incinerate the rubble.
I tried to provide backup with Crescent Rose's DMR, but the woman seemingly blocked my shots with her bare hands. I still haven't convinced Cinder to tell me how she managed that trick. Anyway, I was about to swap to some Dust enhanced bullets when Cinder set a chain eruption under Goodwitch and I. We were able to dodge out of the way, but it was the opening Torchwick and Cinder needed to escape with the Dust in tow.
Goodwitch leveled a glare at me, but I was impervious to such things! I was looking at a real live Huntress! Sure, Uncle Qrow is a Huntsman, but family just isn't the same, you know? So I did my stereotype proud.
"Can I have your autograph?!" I begged. Goodwitch's glare intensified.
"Follow me," She ordered and I saw no reason to disobey. That's how I wound up with a criminal record.
"I'm sorry! Don't tell my Dad and Yang!" I begged. I was sure they'd never let me out of the house again if they heard I had a criminal record. They both babied me enough as it was, I might have lost it if they smothered me any more than that.
"That, Ms. Xiao Long, has yet to be determined," Goodwitch informed me.
"Uh, it's Rose, actually," Goodwitch studied me.
"Not according to the documentation it isn't. I'd think I'd remember the last name of one of the most gifted inventors of the modern day. Rose was your mother's maiden name, wasn't it? You're the daughter of Taiyang Xiao Long, correct?" Goodwitch asked.
"I am…" This had always been a thorny subject for me. Dad and Yang wanted me to carry on the Xiao Long name. They were never demanding about it, but they had made their preference clear. It wasn't like I was opposed to using the Xiao Long name. That was the name that appeared on all my patents, after all. As much as they might frustrate me, I did and always will love Dad and Yang. Even if Yang still hasn't fully forgiven Dad for what he did and didn't do. It was simply that I wanted to keep my mother's memory alive in some small way. So when I was about 9, I told everyone I wanted to be known as Ruby Rose and didn't look back until…well, that's something for a little later.
"Regardless of what you choose to call yourself; your actions tonight were reckless, endangering yourself and others. You could have been killed, you could have gotten the shopkeeper killed, and you could have set off all the Dust in that store! Instead of going to the police or a Huntsman with the tipoff about the robbery, you decided to handle it alone! Not that I expected anything else from Qrow, but I would have thought he'd at least care enough about his niece to-"
"Uncle Qrow knows what I'm capable of! He wouldn't have told me if he didn't think I could handle myself! He cares enough about me to let me test my limits and make my own mistakes!" I shouted angrily. Goodwitch gazed at me with something unreadable in her eyes.
"Whether you leave here tonight with a criminal record is not up for debate. Vigilantism is against the law. However, there is someone willing to make you an offer that would see your criminal record…buried," With that ominous introduction, Ozpin entered the room with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk.
"Ruby…Rose," He must have overheard my conversation with Goodwitch, "You have…silver eyes." Oh boy did I have silver eyes. Of course I didn't realize what that meant at the time and Ozpin, the manipulative prick, didn't bother to explain why he found my eyes worthy of comment.
"So, where did you learn to do this?" He motioned to a scroll Goodwitch was holding that was playing security footage from my fight with the goons, "Unless I miss my guess, your uncle has taught you personally." If you already knew the answer, why ask?! Sorry, hindsight anger, I was too nervous at the time thinking about my new criminal record to register any implications of Ozpin's words or actions that night.
"Yeah, he taught me just about everything I know. I'm studying at Signal, the school he teaches at," I answered.
"Qrow always did have a thing for that scythe of his. But you, that scythe you swung around tonight was no ordinary weapon. Unless I miss my guess, it was able to break these people's aura with little to no extra effort. I daresay that makes your weapon one of the most dangerous ever designed. Not that I would expect any less from a genius such as yourself," Laying it on a bit thick there, aren't we Ozpin? Unfortunately, I fell for his flattery.
"I mean, I've put years and years into Crescent Rose. I love my scythe more than life itself! Of course I'd put my best work into it!" I boasted proudly. Ozpin finally set the plate of cookies before me and I attacked with my usual hunger for best food.
"So how is that dusty old bird these days?" Ozpin asked. Oh how naive I was at the time to think Ozpin was merely poking fun at the way my uncle's name was pronounced.
"He's the best teacher I could have asked for!" I praised, "He's been training me since I was pretty young but he's always let me figure out what style was best for me!"
"So what's a girl like you doing studying to become a Huntress? Surely someone of your talent could be running a multi-million Lien research and design company with no issue. Certainly a much safer occupation," Oh how I wish I could go back in time and throttle Ozpin or myself for listening to Ozpin.
"Being a Huntress won't stop me from inventing. I just think I can do some good while enjoying something I love. I can fight monsters and protect people while studying the weapons everyone else makes for themselves. Sure, I could just stay cooped up in a lab all day, but I want to live! Does that make sense?" I asked.
"More than you realize," Ozpin replied.
"So in two more years I'll be done with Signal and then hopefully move on to Beacon. My sister, Yang, is starting there this year," I rambled a bit.
"Do you know who I am?" He asked.
"You're Headmaster Ozpin, the guy in charge of Beacon," I answered readily.
"And you want to come to my school?" He questioned.
"More than anything," I replied.
"Miss Goodwitch already mentioned an offer. I think you'll find it very agreeable…" And that's how I found myself on an airship with Yang headed to my first day of Beacon.
"I can't believe you got advanced two whole years! That's my genius baby sister for you!" Yang had been going on about it since she found out yesterday. True to his word, Ozpin had covered up the actual reason I had been at the From Dust Till Dawn with Crescent Rose ready to go. No one would think it too strange if I, self proclaimed weapons nut, just so happened to be carrying around my newly upgraded weapon when the store I just so happened to be shopping at got robbed. Crazy coincidences happen every day, right?
"It was nothing, just me getting a little lucky," I lied.
"What are you talking about?! I saw the fight footage! Everyone at Beacon is gonna think you're the bee's knees!" Yang squealed.
"Really, I just want to observe everyone's weapons and build in peace. I don't want to draw any more attention than I already do," I grumbled. As much as I enjoyed having an adoring public as much as the next person, as an introvert, I preferred a few degrees of separation from people, especially large crowds.
"Too late for that, Rubes, getting bumped ahead two years is gonna get people to be interested, regardless of who you are or the reasons you got advanced," Yang pointed out.
Just then a news report came on one of the holographic screens. That's when I heard Torchwick's name for the first time. To the shock of no one, the man already had a criminal record thicker than some novels. The news also started to cover a Faunus protest gone violent when Goodwitch shut it off to make an announcement.
"Hello and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glenda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. The world is a dangers place and we need Huntsman and Huntresses to help protect the citizenry. You are the future Huntsman and Huntresses. Such an occupation will require courage and skill. It will be our duty at Beacon to refine what you have already learned in your combat schools and help you blossom into the Huntsman and Huntresses you are destined to become," With that speech finished, the hologram faded.
Out the window, I spotted Signal, my old school. I could almost see Uncle Qrow preparing to greet the latest batch of students. I could almost hear the voices of my friends I was leaving behind. It was definitely a bittersweet feeling. Over the course of my time at Signal, I had only managed to make two real friends. Calista and Mimi… I had hopes of them joining me in Beacon in two year's time and I would be able to show them the ropes and get to play the cool upperclassman and we could all laugh at my pretentious act. Dammit, I wish they were still here…
My thoughts were interrupted by a boy who was clearly having some pretty bad motion sickness groaning in misery. Thankfully, before he could toss his cookies, another boy walked up to him and had him take something. A few moments later and the blonde boy looked to be right as rain. I admit I was curious as to how anyone could cure motion sickness that fast, but I put that on hold as Beacon came into view and our airship started to make preparations for docking.
A few minutes later and Yang and I were taking our first steps at Beacon Academy. It was amazing, seeing all those students with all those unique and interesting weapons. I felt that this was exactly why I had chosen to become a Huntress in the first place. I admit I went fully geek mode.
"Relax, sis, they're just weapons," Yang knew full well how much that line annoyed me.
"I guess I won't upgrade your Ember Celica anymore, it is just a weapon, after all," I said haughtily.
"Wait! No! I'm sorry Ruby! Anything but that!" Yang begged.
"Well, I guess I could be merciful today. It is our first day as students at Beacon, after all," I said with a smirk.
"Alright, well now that that's settled, why don't you go meet some of the owners of those weapons? Try and make a few friends?" Yang suggested.
"Why would I need to make friends when I have you?" I asked blankly.
"Ruby, you can't cling to me like that. I have my friends and you should have yours. I worry about you, especially about things like this. Please, at least try?" Yang requested.
"I...guess…I can try," I admitted defeat. I didn't intend to try very hard, but I would at least try.
"Good, now I'm sure you don't want your stuffy older sister cramping your style and I see my friends, so talk to you later!" Yang left before I could get another word in edgewise. Like a prisoner on death row, I turned lifelessly to what I thought was my execution. I immediately crashed into Weiss' luggage trolley, sending the suitcases of Dust scattering on the ground.
"Watch where you're going! Are you completely brain dead?! You could have set off all this Dust and killed someone!" Weiss picked up a case and started to inspect the contents for damage, "Honestly, what kind of idiot doesn't even look where they're going?! What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Uh, some of the Dust is leaking?" I pointed at one of the bottles Weiss had picked up while yelling at me.
"Dang it!" It shouldn't have, but it did and still does amuse me that Weiss swears like a little kid. I know these days she's fully capable of going full sailor mouth, but I think back then she was physically incapable of saying anything worse than 'poop head'.
"I'm sorry. Do you want my help cleaning up?" I asked hesitantly.
"NO! You've caused quite enough damage!" Weiss sneered, "What's a child like you even doing here? There's no way you're old enough to be at Beacon. Unbelievable, not only are you a clumsy clod, but you're not even supposed to be here!"
"I already said I'm sorry, Princess!" I was getting upset at being yelled at.
"Heiress, actually," Blake walked into our argument like she had been a part of it all along, "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. What's a spoiled rich girl like you doing in a place like this? Tired of being waited on hand and foot by your Faunus slaves?"
"They are not slaves! We pay them same as any other employee!" Weiss protested.
"OK, I believe you," Blake's body language betrayed how truthful her words were.
"I don't have to stand here and take this!" With that Weiss stormed off.
"Sorry again about the Dust, I'll make it up to you!" I called after Weiss' retreating form, "What a way to start my first day…So, what-" then I noticed Blake was walking away too. So much for trying to make friends, or so I thought.
"You're looking a bit down, kiddo. Wanna talk about it?" I looked to see the two boys from the airship.
"Hi, I'm Juane," The blonde one introduced himself.
"I'm David," The raven haired boy greeted.
"Ruby," I replied.
"The Ruby Xiao Long?" Juane asked in surprise.
"Yes, but please call me Ruby Rose," I requested.
"Uh, sure," Juane readily agreed.
"So, Miss Rose, tell us what weighs upon you," David requested.
"It's nothing, it's silly," I tried to brush it off.
"That look on your face didn't look silly," Juane noted.
"My sister wants me to make friends and so far all I've managed is to spill some Dust and start a racially charged argument," I groaned.
"Sounds rough," David said sympathetically.
"I just want to look at people's weapons and invent in peace, but I promised my sister so here I am," I sighed.
"Does your sister attend Beacon? You're a little young to be here otherwise," Juane wondered.
"I skipped two years, so I'm now in the same freshman class as her," I explained.
"That's impressive," Juane said appreciatively.
"Yeah, and I owe it all to this!" I pulled out Crescent Rose and had it fold out into its full scythe form.
"I had heard your personal weapon was a scythe, but to see it in person is pretty impressive," Juane complimented. David, on the other hand, was content to just look Crescent Rose over with a look I had seen before on my own face.
"Does it fold into a war scythe as well?" He eventually asked. I showed off the feature to him and he looked appreciative, "Full sniper or DMR?" Almost no one asked me that question.
"Fully automatic DMR that I can pump action to infuse extra Dust into the bullets," I answered proudly.
"How do you handle recoil? You look strong, but not that strong," David inquired.
"I use a gravity Dust injection to kinda…eat the recoil? I'm not sure how to explain it. I can turn it off and let the recoil propel me around a fight too," I explained, "So, what have you two got?"
"Uh, I've got this sword," Juane unsheathed his blade, "And a shield too," It was one of those collapsible models that served as both sheath and shield. Fairly standard, but useful too. I assumed he must have just gotten it because he fumbled with it as it opened and closed randomly. A quick look at his sword with my special talent and I suspected he had just picked up both sword and shield in the last week, if that. Of course, I'd later learn the sword was a family heirloom that was almost 200 years old, but the point stands. Everyone who goes to combat school builds at least some kind of prototype weapon, even if they ultimately decide to have someone else make their weapon for them. Why come to Beacon with what could be confused for a store bought basic sword and shield?
"As for me, I have more weapons than I know what to do with. But I do have one tried and true, my very first weapon," With those words, a strange blade suddenly appeared in his hands! It had black and purple seemingly clashing along its blade, but it had some kind of heart-like symbol sticking out the side of the blade. It had a red outline and a single red, jagged line across a black interior. The weapon also had a hand guard that again looked like a black outline of a heart. Finally at the end was what looked to be a keychain in the shape of a black Penrose Triangle.
"WHAT?!" Juane and I shouted for different reasons. The weapon looked pretty cool and it had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, but that wasn't what grabbed my attention.
"What is that thing? It's there and not there? Metal but not metal? I've never seen anything like it!" My talent was going wild trying to make sense of what I was seeing. It was like staring at a contradiction of everything I had ever known about physics and the way the world worked. Sure, I had made things that had no explanation as far as our current understanding of physics went, but this weapon was like that multiplied by a hundred in my sight.
David, for his part, seemed just as surprised as I was. Looking back, it's almost hard to believe how much of the world around me had been hidden, just slightly out of sight. I had briefly pulled back the curtain once or twice, but thanks to seeing a Keyblade for the first time and later on David's tutelage, the curtain was torn down and set on fire.
"When did you make that? How did you make that? What is it called?! Tell me everything!" I begged.
"That's going to have to wait. Aren't we supposed to be at some kind of orientation?" David wondered.
"Uh…" Juane said.
"Uh…" I agreed.
And that's how everything got started. I think it's Yang's turn to go from here! So, uh, have fun with her being narrator for a bit!
Psychicshipping: So this is all pretty rough draft stuff. Right now I don't even fully have an end goal in mind other than having someone kick the shit outta the gods of Light and Darkness. Most of the idea of this is to take certain elements from the first few episodes and run with them for the rest of the series. The most out there change I've made is Ruby being what basically amounts to a technopath. I figured I'd just take Ozpin's comment about Ruby's weapon being the most dangerous and Ruby saying she made it herself and go to a bit of a logical extreme. Is her technopathy related to her Silver Eyes? Her Semblance? Is it some manifestation of Magic? Or a combo of two or more of those things? Honestly not sure yet.
Note for my regular readers: For anyone who has read some of my Dimension Travelers 1 crud that I still haven't edited on this site and/or is one of my followers who is wondering what I've posted, David is about 7 million years old at this point. PM me if you have any further questions but given fanfiction STILL can't notify me when someone PMs me, don't expect a fast response.