"Speech"

'thought'

"Singing"

'Telepathy'

"On screen"

"On screen singing"

'On screen telepathy'

AN: If Teams RWBY and JNPR seem OoC please tell me, this is my first time writing these characters.

"Let's move on to the next universe," Dark said, "Oh, and if you want any refreshments just ask."

As it turned out, they did want refreshments. After handing out popcorn, cookies and pancakes (give you 1 guess who those were for), milk, soda, and some water bottles. They were ready to begin.

"This universe is going to be presented like someone telling a story, but we will see the events happening, if that makes any sense."

I got to the sword-fighters arena and found that Cinder had had the same idea. Her gym bag was plopped at the edge of the stage. She was working solo, whaling on battle dummies with a sword I'd never seen before. It must've been a regular steel blade, because he was slashing the dummies' heads right off, stabbing through their straw stuffed guts. Her orange counselor's shirt was dripping with sweat. Her expression was so intense; her life might have really been in danger. I watched, fascinated, as she disemboweled the whole row of dummies, hacking off limbs and basically reducing them to a pile of straw and armor.

"Wow" Jaune said, "She's very skilled."

"Indeed," Pyrrha said, "I think I would like to face her in a sparring match if it's possible."

Blake raised her eyebrows at the descriptions, as though they seemed familiar. Which was only noticed by Dark.

They were only dummies, but I couldn't help being awed by Cinder's skill. She was an incredible fighter. It made me wonder, again, how she could have possibly failed at her quest.

Finally, she saw me, and stopped mid-swing. "Pyrrha."

"So this is from Pyrrha's point of view?" Ruby asked.

"It appears so," Blake answered

"I'm, sorry," I said embarrassed. "I just-"

"It's okay," she said, lowering her sword. "Just doing some last-minute practice."

"Those dummies won't be bothering anybody anymore."

Cinder shrugged. "We build new ones every summer."

Now that her sword wasn't swirling around, I could see something odd about it. The blade was two types of metal—one edge bronze, the other steel.

Cinder noticed me looking at it. "Oh, this? New toy. This is Backbiter."

Blake, who had been taking a drink from her water bottle, did a spit take, "Wait, is this-?!"

"No spoilers, Blake," Dark interrupted.

"That sword's name sounds familiar," Ruby admitted.

"Backbiter?"

Cinder turned the blade in the light so it glinted wickedly. "One side is celestial bronze. The other is tempered steel. Works on mortals and immortals both."

"Wait," Weiss questioned, "why would it matter what metals the blade is made of."

"Because in this universe monsters can only be slain by a metal called Celestial Bronze and all other metals pass through them like they aren't even there, but Celestial Bronze does not work on normal people."

"I know what this is!" Ruby realized.

"No spoilers from you either, Ruby," Dark said.

I thought about what Ozpin had told me when I started my quest—that a hero should never harm mortals unless absolutely necessary.

"I didn't know they could make a weapon like that."

"They probably can't," Cinder agreed. "It's one of a kind."

She gave me a tiny smile, then slid the sword into its scabbard. "Listen, I was going to come looking for you. What do you say we go down to the woods one last time, look for something to fight?"

I don't know why I hesitated. I should've felt relieved that Cinder was being so friendly. Ever since I'd gotten back from the quest, she'd been acting a little distant. I was afraid she might resent me for all the attention I'd gotten.

"You think that's a good idea?" I asked, "I mean—"

"Aw come on." He rummaged in his gym bag and pulled out a six pack of Cokes. "Drinks are on me."

I stared at the Cokes, wondering where she had gotten them. There were no regular mortal sodas at the camp store. No way to smuggle them in unless you talked to a satyr, maybe.

Of course, the magic dinner goblets would fill with anything you want, but it just didn't taste the same as a real Coke straight out of the can.

"Sure," I decided, "Why not?"

We walked down to the woods and kicked around for some kind of monster to fight, but it was too hot. All the monsters with any sense must have been taking siestas in their nice cool caves.

We found a shady spot by the creek where I'd broken Cardin's spear during my first capture the flag game. We sat on a big rock, drank our Cokes, and watched the sunlight for the woods.

After a while Cinder asked, "You miss being on a quest?"

"With monsters attacking me every three feet? Are you kidding?"

"Is she being serious about the monsters," Jaune asked.

"No," Dark answered, "she's being sarcastic, though she did end up being attacked quite often."

Cinder raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I miss it," I admitted, "You?"

A shadow passed over her face.

I was used to hearing from the girls how good-looking Cinder was, but at the moment, she looked weary, and angry, and not at all beautiful. Her silky black hair looked grey in the sunlight. The scar on her face looked deeper than usual. I could imagine as an old woman.

"I've lived at Half-Blood Hill year-round since I was fourteen," she told me. "Ever since Yang… well, you know."

"No we don't know," Yang responded, "What happened to me in this universe?"

"It'll explain later," Dark said.

I trained and trained, and trained. I never got to be a normal teenager, out there in the real world. Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back, it was like, 'Okay, ride's over. Have a nice live'."

She crumpled her Coke can and threw it into the creek, which really shocked me. One of the first things you learn at Camp Half-Blood is: Don't litter. You'll hear from the nymphs and naiads. They'll get even. You'll crawl into bed one night and find your sheets filled with centipedes and mud.

Weiss shivered at the thought of that.

"Screw laurel wreaths," Cinder said. "I'm not going to end up like those dusty trophies in the Big House attic."

"You make it sound like you're leaving."

Cinder gave me a twisted smile. "Oh I'm leaving all right, Pyrrha. I brought you down here to say good-bye."

"That doesn't sound good," Jaune stated.

She snapped her fingers. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at my feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of my hand. A scorpion.

"How did she do that?" Yang asked.

"Magic," Dark stated.

"No seriously," Yang said.

"He's telling the truth," Blake said, "the universe we're watching is also a book back home, though the names and even genders of the characters at least the ones we've seen so far, are different."

"Yeah, I've read those books too," Ruby said.

I started to go for my pen.

"I wouldn't," Cinder cautioned. "Pit scorpions can jump up to fifteen feet. It's stinger can pierce right through your clothes. It's also extremely venomous, you'll be dead within sixty seconds after it stings you."

"Cinder what—"

Then it hit me.

You will be betrayed by one who calls you friend.

"I'm assuming there's some backstory behind that line," Pyrrha guessed.

"You'd be assuming right," Dark answered, "It was part of a prophecy that this version of you received a few months ago in that universe."

"You," I said.

She stood calmly and brushed off his jeans.

The scorpion paid him no attention. I kept its beady black eyes on me, clamping its pincers as it crawled onto my shoe.

"I saw a lot out there in the world, Pyrrha," Cinder said, "Didn't you feel it—the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics—being pawns of the gods. They should've been overthrown thousands of years ago, but they've held on, thanks to us half-bloods."

I couldn't believe this was happening.

"Cinder, you're talking about our parents," I said.

She laughed. "That's supposed to make me love them? Their precious 'Western civilization' is a disease, Pyrrha. It's killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground, start over with something more honest."

"That's ridiculous," Weiss stated.

"Is it though?" Dark questioned, "I mean there is a lot wrong with modern civilization in the vast majority of universes. Haven't you ever thought the world would be a better place if you were in charge? While this Cinder's ideas of what the world should be like are a bit warped, she's not entirely in the wrong."

"That's… I," Weiss seemed at a loss for words. And the others seemed to be lost in thought as well.

"Personally I think that there isn't ever going to be a perfect government system ruled by anyone who isn't omniscient, which I am not nor am I claiming to be, and a universe should definitely not be ruled by a single person. But I think that's enough moral debate for now, let's continue."

"You're as crazy as Ares"

Her eyes flared. "Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time, Pyrrha, I could explain, But I'm afraid you won't live that long.

The scorpion crawled onto my pants leg.

There had to be a way out of this. I needed time to think.

"Kronos," I said, "that's who you serve."

The air grew colder.

"You should be careful with names," Cinder warned.

"Kronos got you to steal the master bolt and the helm. He spoke to you in your dreams."

Cinder's eye twitched, "He spoke to you too, Pyrrha. You should have listened."

"He's brainwashing you, Cinder!"

"You're wrong. He showed me what my quest was two years ago, Pyrrha? My father, Hermes, wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I'd done, that was the best he could think up."

"That's not an easy quest," I said, "Hercules did it."

"Exactly," Cinder said, "Where's the glory in repeating what others have done? All the gods know how to do is replay their past. My heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this"—she pointed angrily at her scar—"and when I came back, all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something worthwhile, something no hero had ever had the courage to take. When we were on that winter-solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, I snuck into the room and took Zeus's master bolt right from his chair. Hades's helm of darkness, too. You wouldn't believe how easy it was. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storm clouds rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft."

The scorpion was now on my knee, staring at me with its glittering eyes. I tried my best to keep my voice level. "So why didn't you bring the items to Kronos?"

Cinder's smile wavered. "I… I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt—Artemis, Apollo, my father, Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could have beaten him, but I wasn't careful enough. He disarmed me, took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Then Kronos's voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea into Ares's head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes and I knew he was hooked. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence." Cinder drew her new sword. She ran her thumb down the flat of the blade, as if she were hypnotized. "Afterwards, the Lord of the Titans… h-he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half-Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a hero would arrive, one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helm the rest of the way—from Ares to Tartarus."

"You summoned the hellhound, that night in the forest."

"We had to make Ozpin think the camp wasn't safe for you, so he would start you on your quest. We had confirmed his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked."

"The flying shoes were cursed," I said. "They were supposed to drag me and the backpack into Tartarus."

"And they would have, if you'd been wearing them. But you gave them to the satyr, which wasn't part of the plan. Sun messes up everything he touches. He even confused the curse."

"While Sun is a trouble maker," Weiss said, "I would hardly say he messes up everything."

Cinder looked down at the scorpion, which was now sitting on my thigh. "You should have died in Tartarus, Pyrrha. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friend to set things right."

"Yang gave her life to save you," I said, gritting my teeth. "And this is how you repay her?"

"Don't speak of Yang!" he shouted. "The gods let her die! That's one of the many things they will pay for."

"Oh," Yang said, "I'm dead in this universe."

"Yes and no," Dark said, "It's more or less you're in a coma with no chance of ever being healed, but that's beside the point."

Yang shot him a weird look.

"You're being used, Cinder. You and Ares both. Don't listen to Kronos."

"I've been used?" Cinder's voice turned shrill. "Look at yourself. What has your dad ever done for you? Kronos will rise. You've only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest-the ones who serve him."

"Call off the bug," I said. "If you're so strong, fight me yourself"

Cinder smiled. "Nice try, Pyrrha. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."

"Cinder-"

"Good-bye, Pyrrha. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it."

She slashed her sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness.

The scorpion lunged.

I swatted it away with my hand and uncapped my sword. The thing jumped at me and I cut it in half in midair.

Everyone, minus Blake, Ruby, and Dark cheered.

"It's so cool to see Riptide's transformation," Ruby said though.

"Riptide?" Pyrrha asked.

"It's the English name of the sword your alternate self is using," Blake answered.

I was about to congratulate myself until I looked down at my hand. My palm had a huge red welt, oozing and smoking with yellow guck. The thing had gotten me after all.

"No!" Jaune cried out. The others, besides those who knew how this ended, gasped.

My ears pounded. My vision went foggy. The water, I thought. It healed me before.

I stumbled to the creek and submerged my hand, but nothing seemed to happen. The poison was too strong. My vision was getting dark. I could barely stand up.

Sixty seconds, Luke had told me.

I had to get back to camp. If I collapsed out here, my body would be dinner for a monster. Nobody would ever know what had happened.

My legs felt like lead. My forehead was burning. I stumbled toward the camp, and the nymphs stirred from their trees.

"Help," I croaked. "Please ..."

Two of them took my arms, pulling me along. I remember making it to the clearing, a counselor shouting for help, a centaur blowing a conch horn.

Then everything went black.

"No, no, no, no, no," Jaune started to cry, though he wasn't entirely sure why. Sure he just saw his partner likely die, but it wasn't actually her. That didn't make him feel any better.

I woke with a drinking straw in my mouth. I was sipping something that tasted like liquid chocolate-chip cookies. Nectar.

The viewers sighed in relief.

I opened my eyes.

I was propped up in bed in the sickroom of the Big House, my right hand bandaged like a club. Argus stood guard in the corner. Jaune sat next to me, holding my nectar glass and dabbing a washcloth on my forehead.

"Wait, why are my eyes gray in this?" Jaune asked.

"It's just a genetic thing in this case," Dark answered, "In most universes you'll retain your physical appearance with a few changes in age of something, though there are some where you will look completely diferrent."

"Here we are again," I said.

"You idiot," Jaune said, which is how I knew he was overjoyed to see me conscious. "You were green and turning gray when we found you. If it weren't for Ozpin's healing ..."

"Now, now," Ozpin's voice said. "Pyrrha's constitution deserves some of the credit."

He was sitting near the foot of my bed in human form, which was why I hadn't noticed him yet. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night grading Latin papers.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved."

"Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."

Between sips of nectar, I told them the story.

The room was quiet for a long time.

"I can't believe that Cinder..." Jaune's voice faltered. His expression turned angry and sad. "Yes. Yes, I can believe it. May the gods curse her... She was never the same after her quest."

"This must be reported to Olympus," Ozpin murmured. "I will go at once."

"Cinder is out there right now," I said. "I have to go after her."

Ozpin shook his head. "No, Pyrrha. The gods-"

"Won't even talk about Kronos," I snapped. "Zeus declared the matter closed!"

"I always thought that was ridiculous," Ruby claimed, "I mean they have some pretty solid evidence that an enemy is rising and they completely ignore it."

"Yeah," Dark agreed, "I have to agree with you there, but you also have to remember that the main reason they decided to ignore it was because they were too afraid of what it would mean if Kronos was rising."

"Pyrrha, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready."

I didn't like it, but part of me suspected Ozpin was right. One look at my hand, and I knew I wasn't going to be sword fighting any time soon. "Ozpin ... your prophecy from the Oracle ... it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Was I in it? And Jaune?"

Ozpin glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Pyrrha, it isn't my place-"

"You've been ordered not to talk to me about it, haven't you?"

His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great hero, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you ..."

Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.

"All right!" Ozpin shouted. "Fine!"

He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons, Pyrrha. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing."

"We can't just sit back and do nothing," I said.

"We will not sit back," Ozpin promised. "But you must be careful. Kronos wants you to come unraveled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come."

"Assuming I live that long."

Ozpin put his hand on my ankle. "You'll have to trust me, Pyrrha. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice..." I got the feeling that he had a very definite opinion, and it was taking all his willpower not to advise me. "But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision."

I wanted to protest. I wanted to ask him more questions. But his expression told me there could be no more discussion; he had said as much as he could.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Ozpin promised. "Argus will watch over you."

He glanced at Jaune. "Oh, and, my boy ... whenever you're ready, they're here."

"Who's here?" I asked.

Nobody answered.

Ozpin rolled himself out of the room. I heard the wheels of his chair clunk carefully down the front steps, two at a time.

Jaune studied the ice in my drink.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Nothing." He set the glass on the table. "I ... just took your advice about something. You ... um ... need anything?"

"Yeah. Help me up. I want to go outside."

"Pyrrha, that isn't a good idea."

I slid my legs out of bed. Jaune caught me before I could crumple to the floor. A wave of nausea rolled over me.

Jaune said, "I told you ..."

"I'm fine," I insisted. I didn't want to lie in bed like an invalid while Cinder was out there planning to destroy the Western world.

I managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on Jaune. Argus followed us outside, but he kept his distance.

By the time we reached the porch, my face was beaded with sweat. My stomach had twisted into knots. But I had managed to make it all the way to the railing.

It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.

"What are you going to do?" Jaune asked me.

"I don't know."

I told her I got the feeling Ozpin wanted me to stay year-round, to put in more individual training time, but I wasn't sure that's what I wanted. I admitted I'd feel bad about leaving her alone, though, with only Cardin for company...

Jaune pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I'm going home for the year, Pyrrha."

I stared at him. "You mean, to your dad's?"

He pointed toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Yang's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted-two little children, a woman, and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Jaune had gotten from Waterland in Denver.

"I wrote him a letter when we got back," Jaune said. "Just like you suggested. I told him... I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided... we'd give it another try."

"That took guts."

He pursed her lips. "You won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least ... not without sending me an Iris-message?"

I managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."

"When I get back next summer," he said, "we'll hunt down Cinder. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?"

"Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."

He held out his hand. I shook it.

"Take care, Seaweed Brain," Jaune told me. "Keep your eyes open."

"You too, Wise Guy."

"And there's the nicknames," Ruby said.

"Nicknames?" Jaune asked.

"Well the two characters you two have replaced in this universe had nicknames for each other that stuck throughout the whole series," Blake answered, "Though since the character Jaune replaced is female the original nickname was Wise Girl, but that just wouldn't make sense in this case."

I watched him walk up the hill and join her family. He gave his father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time. He touched Yang's pine tree, then allowed himself to be lead over the crest and into the mortal world.

For the first time at camp, I felt truly alone. I looked out at Long Island Sound and I remembered my father saying, The Sea does not like to be restrained.

I made my decision.

I wondered, if Poseidon were watching, would he approve of my choice?

"I'll be back next summer," I promised him. "I'll survive until then. After all, I am your daughter." I asked Argus to take me down to cabin three, so I could pack my bags for home.

"And that's the end of this one," Dark announced.

"Blake," Weiss asked, "you mentioned that this had the same events as a book series back in Remnant?"

"Yes," Blake confirmed, "It's five books long, though it does have two sequel series, this was the ending to the first book."

Weiss turned to Dark, "Will we see any more universes that might be in media of some form?"

"We will," Dark confirmed, "the one we watched last is a musical from my world called Newsies the one we watched now is a book series in my world as well, known as Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I hope you don't have a problem with this."

"Not necessarily," Weiss stated.

"Good, though that won't be the only kind of thing we'll be watching. I have some ideas that I know you won't have seen before. Now, shall we continue?"

AN: Wow, that was a lot longer than I expected it to be. This has crushed my previous record for longest chapter (which was somewhere along the lines of 2.5 thousand words). I don't know how long each chapter is going to be until I start writing so yeah, expect some chapters to be long, and for others to be short.

Keep it simple.