Happy holidays! Y'all ready for some angst? I saw someone on tumblr talking about this idea, and although I'm usually more of a light and fluffy type, I couldn't get it out of my head. Warning that this could be considered spoilers for episode 7 of volume 8. Content warning for character death.
Enjoy!
The power of the Winter Maiden is incredible. Every time Ruby tries to tap into it, she's overwhelmed by the sheer amount of magical energy she now has access to. A powerful force that can only be wielded by those deemed worthy of its might.
She hates it.
Ruby never wanted this.
Using her new powers feels wrong. Every time the silver flames appear around her eyes and she summons sheets of ice, guilt threatens to overwhelm her and she's left with a bad taste in her mouth. Penny should be the Winter Maiden, not Ruby.
But Penny is gone now. Again. And this time, she's not coming back.
Losing her a second time feels even more painful, the glow of happiness from seeing her alive again drowned out by grief and heartbreak. But as much as Ruby would like to just break down and cry, she's the leader. They don't have time for her to fall apart, not with Salem's forces advancing on Atlas as they speak. And Penny had decided on Ruby as her successor. She'd been the one on her mind when she died, the one she had considered worthy of inheriting the maiden's powers. For everyone's sake, she needs to pull herself together, buckle down, and teach herself how to use her new abilities. They could be the key to defeating Salem, and saving Remnant.
She just wishes that it didn't have to be so hard. Or so lonely.
Shaking her head to clear her mind, Ruby summons the powers of the Winter Maiden. Silver flames surround her eyes, and she raises her arms as she grits her teeth. Concentrate! Far too slowly, a pillar of ice forms in front of her, ice crystals swirling until the freezing tower is slightly taller than she is.
Panting, Ruby lets her concentration break. The flames disappear. She falls to one knee in exhaustion. How can such little progress take so much effort?
She doesn't understand what she's doing wrong.
Trying to harness the powers of the Winter Maiden is nothing like practicing with a Semblance. No amount of meditation or concentration seems to make them any easier to use.
"It's never going to work if you keep doing that," a voice says. "Trying to force it isn't going to get you anywhere."
Ruby whirls around, looking for the source of the words. The courtyard is empty. No one is there.
Did she just imagine it?
"If you want to use the powers of the Winter Maiden properly, you have to stop fighting them."
This time, the voice is a bit clearer. It's a girl's voice. She sounds familiar. Painfully so. "Penny?"
"Yes, Ruby, it's me."
Ruby's first thought is that she's gone crazy. Her second thought is that she really doesn't mind if it means she can hear Penny again. "I miss you so much," she admits, her voice breaking.
"I miss you too," Penny says softly. "I'm sorry."
"How are you here?" Ruby asks, dizzy with disbelief. "I mean, how can I hear you?"
"Well, as your predecessor, I am a part of you now. Our souls are intertwined. That's what happens when the powers of the maidens are transferred from one person to the next."
Right. Well, Ruby isn't sure what the word 'predecessor' means, exactly, but she thinks that she remembers Weiss' sister Winter saying something along those lines to Penny when she had inherited her powers. "So that means that I can still talk to you?" Ruby asks hopefully.
"Yes," Penny replies. Ruby can hear the smile in her voice. "As your predecessor, I'm here to guide you and help you learn how to use the powers of the Winter Maiden. If that's okay with you, of course."
Ruby is nodding before Penny even finishes talking. "Of course! I'd be so happy for your advice. I'm not sure if you noticed, but I have no idea what I'm doing."
Penny giggles. "I'm more than happy to help! It's definitely not something you can learn on your own." She sighs, so softly that Ruby can barely hear it. Her tone turns more serious. "I'm so sorry, Ruby."
Ruby blinks, confused. Penny had basically just come back from the dead to help Ruby master her new powers. What on Remnant could she possibly be apologizing for?" "What do you mean?" she asks.
"Well," Penny hesitates for a moment. "It's just, I know that being the Winter Maiden is a huge burden for anyone to deal with. I'm sorry to make you take on that responsibility, especially when you're already dealing with so much already."
"It's not your fault," Ruby says firmly. "So, there's no need to apologize. I'm actually honored that I was the one in your last thoughts, the one that you thought was the right person to become the next Winter Maiden."
"Thank you, Ruby." Penny sounds relieved. "Now, let's give it another try. Don't think about it so much, just let the magic flow through you." Ruby pushes herself to her feet. Silver flames burn. Ice crystals dance through the air, swirling around Ruby. "That's it! Now keep going. I promise I'll have you combat ready in no time!"
Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you liked it.