RWBY Reloaded Volume 9 Chapter 10: Rebirth Part I
(Haven Academy, Mistral)
Reuben falls backwards out of the portal, Raven looks to be tired, she is using 100% of her Spring Maiden power. The portal closes as she powers down, her crimson eyes stare at the man before her.
Raven: What were you able to do?
Reuben: Well, I found out just why that place was hard to get to.
He muses as he stands up off the ground.
Reuben: It's a nexus between realities, a world the Brother gods abandoned.
Raven: I take it you were able to locate the kids?
He nods in affirmation.
Reuben: I wasn't able to do much in terms of helping them escape, I just had enough time to deal with Zod and his crew of cronies.
She raises an eyebrow, perplexed.
Raven: Who is Zod?
Reuben: Former Atlesian General, he went investigating a disturbance twenty years back, him and his crew never returned, but now he's alive.
Penny soon comes into the room.
Penny: Headmaster Clark, we are ready to head to the site of the door.
She muses as Raven and him exchange a look.
Reuben: I have to go back, can't put you in danger with opening another portal. I have to get them all back.
She kisses him, as he turns around and leaves.
(Ever After, Mansion)
Pyrrha stands there, her emerald eyes beaming with life.
Jaune: You're as beautiful as the day I lost you.
He says, tears staining his already rusted armor. He couldn't help but still feel guilty. He wasn't strong enough to protect her when she needed it most.
Pyrrha: You look tired, old friend.
She muses as her fingers run through his graying yellow hair.
Jaune: How long have you been down here? How did you get here?
She tilts her head, a bit confused.
Pyrrha: How long have I been down here, it's hard to say.
She looks up at the collapsed ceiling, then thought about Ruby. She really took part in breaking one of her old friends, didn't she? The red-haired beauty hums a bit, lamenting how she was promised a way out if she just got rid of Ruby Rose, that was why the Obsidian Knight had gathered all of them, and staged it all. In the back of her mind, she had doubts but was no match against someone of that power on her own, so, she reluctantly agreed.
Pyrrha: We should leave, if the cat gets out there is no telling what damage it could do to not only your world, but mine as well.
She extends her hand, smiling warmly as Jaune takes it. Jaune then saddles up on Juniper, as well as the four girls. The journey soon beings as the sky breaks open, water flowing freely onto the group. It started to seep into the cracks off the roof as Juniper leaped out of the broken hole in the ground. They couldn't find what happened to the Obsidian knight and weren't about to go looking. As fast as Juniper's legs could carry it, the mighty jackalope raced towards the village.
Jaune: I don't understand…Alyx, the pleasers, and now Ruby! What does this place want?!
He says outload, pondering the intentions of the strange realm. They gallop quickly until they reach the remains of the village. Juniper comes to a halt as Jaune and the gang dismount, the water still remained. His sapphire eyes scanned the bowl.
Jaune: I don't understand.
Inside he could see the various objects and scraps of paper that used to belong to the paper pleasers, all of it drifted aimlessly in the water.
Jaune: What did I do wrong?
He sighs, hanging his head in shame as Weiss goes to console him.
Weiss: We can figure this out, there's got to be a way to get to the tree.
They are then interrupted by something coming their way. Both of them hear a voice.
Red Rock: Hello there, you seem upset.
The red star shaped rock seemed to be carrying a wicker basket.
Red Rock: Would you be so kind as to tell me how I can help?
It reaches into the wicker basket and pulls out three purple berries.
Red Rock: Perhaps you are hungry?
It offers food to the group.
Jaune: Huh? No, that's okay.
The rock comes closer.
Red Rock: If can get you anything else, please don't hesitate to ask. That's what I'm here for.
Jaune looks a little bit confused.
Jaune: What…What are you?
Red Rock: We are the genial gems! We have arrived here to clean up this wonderful land to make something wonderful and pleasing.
Jaune looked flabbergasted as various genial gems continued to clean up the various remains of the paper pleasers, easily entering the water to do so.
Pyrrha: How lovely, the creatures of this place never cease to amaze me.
The gems walk into the water, rubbing the surface with their hands as they cause it to glow. The water bubbles, and soon splashes, as something forms in the center. Soon they all raise their hands, seemingly controlling the water as a large stream jets upwards, twirls in circles, and soon solidifies, creating an impressive crystal structure, the leaves blow past from the tree as Jaune stands amazed. Pyrrha looks at the crystal that has been formed. She swears she has seen something like it before.
Blake: This is them, isn't it? they're back.
Blake looks at Jaune with a smile.
Weiss: It's just like they said, they came back from the tree better.
She puts her hands on her hips.
Weiss: No flood or fire will ever hurt them again.
Jaune: By trying so hard to save them, I stopped them from becoming what they needed to be. I was being selfish because…I wanted the rush of rescuing someone, to be a hero. To make up for…
He looks at Pyrrha.
Jaune: When I couldn't be.
She had surmised what happened in their world. She was one of the many casualties in the war against Salem. This was a sobering realization; her death had been a catalyst to change Jaune.
Weiss: I think you're asking too much of yourself.
She walks closer to the body of water.
Weiss: We have been telling ourselves that failing means we're no good.
Her icy blue eyes looked at the snowy ground, it reminded her of home.
Weiss: But I can guarantee, the best huntsmen in history, they've all lost. You told us yourself that you saw Cinder beaten by Superman, we've even seen him lose to Cinder back at Haven, and all of us were beaten by Cinder before we got here. Heck this place probably has some even more powerful huntsmen or huntresses that we don't even know about.
She turns to Jaune.
Weiss: We, like them, are incredibly brave, and good. Remember, we never asked for our lives to be disrupted, but we all did take an oath to be the best we can be.
Jaune tears up.
Jaune: Weiss
She places a hand on his shoulder as the two of them share a hug, Blake, Yang and Pyrrha join in.
Jaune: Maybe that cat was right. Maybe, I just needed to accept it.
The leaves from the tree start surrounding the group.
Jaune: It's not a place you go….
They all block their faces from the incoming leaves, soon, the storm subsides as they are transported to the top.
(Ever After, treetop)
Blake looks around, completely in awe.
Blake: What?
The group starts to investigate, walking along the hefty, oversized branches of the tree, moving leaves out of their way.
Weiss: It's a place you know.
She continues to do so until they reach a large clearing illuminated with the light of the sun. Vast leaves fill the tree. The group looks around the place very curiously. Weiss pulls at a branch, and it snaps. Soon, they come across the herbalist who is frozen in a wood-statue-like state. Yang looks around concerned. Then she sees something.
Yang: R-Ruby?!
Yang runs towards her sister, also in a petrified state, she goes and hugs the statue. Yang then sets about trying to free her sister from the tree, yanking away the leaves and the branches that have grown over her.
(Launch site)
Reuben looks down at the doorway, or what will be the doorway if it opens. Penny and Reuben are aboard a small airship, Penny opens the side door as the wind sweeps inside.
Penny: I was able to ask around for an ancient looking doorway that related to the book.
Reuben: I'm not surprised to find it here of all places.
He muses as he is given ammunition for himself and the five down there, but he couldn't take a whole lot, so he took 12. Two rounds of dust for each. This was an extraction, but he knew it could devolve into a fight.
Penny: Reuben, it is said that the Ever After changes all who enter it.
He looks down at it, fearing the worse with Zod down there.
Reuben: I'll take the risk to help fix the Justice League.
He then jumps off the airship.
(Ever After, Inside tree)
Ruby wakes up, she looks around, everything is so fuzzy. She was alive though; she could tell that. She wasn't in pain anymore, well, physical pain. She walks the starry floor of the realm. She looked around, bountiful green lights, and the only sound she could hear were the sounds of her footsteps moving forward. Ruby continues to walk as she heard metal banging on metal, it was the blacksmith again. She squints her eyes as she looks forward, watching them hammer something. They held something up that was glowing bright orange.
Blacksmith: I didn't expect you just yet
Ruby steps forward.
Ruby: I wasn't expecting to be here
She looks as the blacksmith sets down the bright orange mask.
Ruby: Are you the tree?
They laugh.
Blacksmith: You could say that, but that is a simplistic understanding of the tree and what it does.
Ruby looks down, distraught.
Ruby: What's going to happen to me?
She then looks back at the blacksmith.
Ruby: Am I gonna die?
Blacksmith moves forward.
Blacksmith: The only thing that happens here is what you want to happen.
Ruby looks back at the imposing figure.
Blacksmith: The choice of who you are and where you end up is yours to make.
Ruby looks down, then looks back.
Blacksmith: You don't know what you want, do you?
Ruby then looks down again, shaking her head no.
(Ever After, Tree)
BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!
The noise startles the others.
Jaune: What's that?
They all walk cautiously towards the sound. Soon, their eyes are set on the golden doorway, affixed with two golden dragons on the exterior. This was the way back.
Blake: Is that?
Jaune smiled, he couldn't believe it.
Jaune: Our way home.
Suddenly they see the cat in Neo's body get repulsed, they stumble backwards in pain and lunge again at the door. For another time, the door refuses entry, knocking the curious cat back onto the ground.
Neo (Cat Possessed): Oh good, I was wondering when you'd get here~
Weiss: Guess your little plan to get out isn't working?
The cat the stands up and glares at Weiss.
Neo (Cat Possessed): You've always been the worst of the bunch.
Jaune: So, Neo can't go through the door.
Pyrrha thinks to herself.
Pyrrha: Perhaps because she is not from your world?
The cat growls in affirmation.
Neo (Cat Possessed): She has no attachment to that world!
The cat looks down.
Neo (Cat Possessed): She has failed me, just like Alyx did.
The group then suddenly realized what happened.
Blake: Like Alyx?
The cat hisses in reply, pacing back and forth between the gate.
Neo (Cat Possessed): That wretched coward girl whose story you've all been foolishly following all along.
It feigns despair.
Neo (Cat Possessed): The same girl that I followed too.
It casts an illusory flashback much like the ponderstorm.
Alyx, her brother Lewis and Jaune were all walking with the cat, showing various scenes from the book.
Neo (Cat Possessed): Because she promised to bring me back to Remnant with her.
The cat then gets aggressive.
Neo (Cat Possessed): But in truth she had no intention of taking me.
The scene changes to one similar to the doorway.
Neo (Cat Possessed): No, after talking to the tree she had a sudden crisis of consciousness.
The cat started getting more agitated in its voice.
Neo (Cat Possessed): Decided she wanted to fix everything she'd broken in the Ever After.
It shows an image of Jaune laying on his back from the poison.
Neo (Cat Possessed): Including poor Jaune.
It then changed back to the treetop.
Neo (Cat Possessed): And so Lewis went!
It shows Lewis going though the portal and then the cat looking at Alyx.
Neo (Cat Possessed): But at the very last moment, Alyx didn't.
It showed the cat attacking Alyx as it ends.
Blake: What did you do to her?
The cat erupts with laughter. It then jumps from the doorway, somersaults, and strikes a pose identical to Superman. The bark split underneath the impact of its fist. It then picks up some of the bark. And shows it to the group.
Neo (Cat Possessed): What anyone would do with a broken, useless thing.
It then crushed the bark in its hands, letting it crumble to the ground as the team gets in their stance. Jaune was the angriest.
Jaune: Y-You?! You didn't?! You monster!
He roared as the cat sneered. The door then made a noise as Superman came through, the leaves passed by him, the cat crooks its head backwards and grins.
Neo (Cat Possessed): If it isn't Reuben Clark. I've heard everything about you.
The wind flows between the two of them moving Reuben's hair a bit. A leaf from the tree gently falls on his head. He stares at the cat a bit.
Reuben: Neopolitan? You can speak?!
The cat rolls its blue eyes.
Neo (Cat Possessed): No, I am not Neopolitan, I am simply a cat most curious.
It grins as it figures out a way to get his body. The cat walks towards him, hissing, then lunges at Reuben. It had transformed its arms into blue claws. The huntsman narrowly dodges as the cat lands on its feet. Reuben then rushes to give dust to the rest of them here.
Reuben: We'll lose if we don't fight them all at once!
The cat looked agitated. It made a wide stance as it powered up, black lightning streaks across the sky.
Neo (Cat Possessed): I will make it back to Remnant, Superman and once there.
It chuckles deceitfully.
Neo (Cat Possessed): Not even my makers will be able to stop me.
Reuben fires his shotgun blast at the cat, upon dodging it is uppercutted by an angry Yang.
Yang: You helped cast away my baby sister.
The cat then lands on its feet again.
Neo (Cat Possessed): You did as well, blondie, never taking the time to check in on her!
It goes to use Neo's semblance, multiplying instantly. Now, every member of the league there was fighting one version of the cat. It smirks as it claws at Pyrrha's shield.
Neo (Cat Possessed): The invincible Pyrrha Nikos, oh it will pain Jaune to see you die again~
It then looks like it's about to blast Pyrrha before Jaune appears, stabbing the cat in the back, drawing blood.
Jaune: I won't allow that to happen, not twice!
She smiles as the cat writhes in pain, it then gets an idea, steal her body. But before the cat can gain the time to do that it is launched into the air. It looks scared for its life as soon Superman punches it back down to the tree, making the cat splat onto the ground. It wasn't a trained fighter, just an animal relying on pure instinct. A cornered animal against trained fighters. It writhes in pain on the ground twitching as Jaune puts his sword to the cat's neck.
Pyrrha: Jaune…
She murmurs for him to not kill the cat, to not succumb to his bloodlust. Soon, the sky changes at od lands on the tree, smirking as he sees the gang.
Zod: Oh good, you're all here…
He says as he walks towards Superman, boots echoing on the ground.
Zod: Especially you.
He smiles and strokes his goatee.
Reuben: General.
He flashes a cocky grin as Jaune gets off of the cat.
Zod: Clark, it's been too long.
The cat sputters a bit.
Neo (Cat Possessed): It's not everyday you get to see two Kryptonians.
It grins, things were about to get very interesting.
(Ever After, Inside the tree)
Ruby walks with the Blacksmith as green lights pass by the two of them, fading off into the distance.
Ruby: What are these lights?
Blacksmith: They are souls, moving onto whatever they become next.
Ruby looks at a few of them.
Ruby: Do they choose?
She continues to watch them pass by.
Ruby: What their next life will be like?
The Blacksmith seemed intrigued.
Blacksmith: Such concern for souls you don't know.
The green lights soon pass for a final time.
Blacksmith: Or is it for yourself?
(Ever After, Tree)
Reuben: What do you mean, Kryptonian?
The cat joyously laughs.
Neo (Cat Possessed): You're not from Remnant, Reuben, you are from one of the planets that our makers seeded with life.
It seemed to take great pride in dispensing that wisdom.
Neo (Cat Possessed): With the planet gone, you are their last. Well, that we know of~
Zod smirks as well.
Zod: You don't remember me? Your father did.
He grimaces.
Zod: He banished me here, to this wretched place, before Krypton's destruction. Unfortunately, my crew is long gone, but together, we can conquer Remnant, all of the planets will know the might of a new Krypton. Our glorious race will be restored once more.
Reuben was never going to go through with this, but the cat didn't know. Zod could feel the remnants of his armor constrict around him. Pyrrha seemed to be using her semblance on him.
Pyrrha: I cannot allow you to escape, then.
He struggles but her grip remains strong. The cat lunges at her again kicking her in the shins. She falls down onto the ground. The cat then uses Neo's illusion powers to transform into Cinder fall. Jaune's eyes widened as he knew what the cat was about to do.
Cinder (Cat Illusion): Do the rest of the world a favor, and stay dead this time~
(Ever After, inside the tree)
Ruby looks down, then back at the blacksmith.
Ruby: I wanted to be the hero.
Her voice then cracks.
Ruby: Like the stories that my mom read to me.
She says as she folds her arms over her chest.
Ruby: I just wanted to do the right thing but every step of the way…it's like there is no right thing
She looks down again, tears in her eyes, pain in her voice.
Ruby: I've tried so hard.
She says as tears flow freely down her face, she opens her palms to catch them.
Ruby: And I may have just done more harm than good..
She laments.. as she continues to cry uncontrollably, her voice remains firm.
Ruby: I don't understand who I need to be.
She says as she looks downwards.
She closes her eyes, stopping crying.
Ruby: Because who I am right now…
She looks to the side.
Ruby: She's not cutting it.
The blacksmith pondered this.
Blacksmith: What if you could be, anyone?
Leaves start to flow in her direction as the room changes, dozens of weapons in glass cases appear. Ruby takes a step forwards.
(Ever After, tree)
Reuben smashes the cat effortlessly, yanking it by its heel and smashing it on the ground, breaking the Cinder illusion.
Jaune: This whole time I thought Alyx made it back home and lied about everything that happened here.
The cat pounces again but Jaune uses his shield's power to project a forcefield that instantly repels the cat.
Jaune: But you were the one who killed! Who lied!
The cat seemed unaffected, spin kicking and dashing at Jaune, scratching his rusted armor. He was aiming to kill the Rusted Knight and end the tale of the great hero once and for all. It chuckles with mania as it charges up an energy blast.
Neo (Cat Possessed): You were never a brave knight either!
Reuben has his hands full with Zod as Yang, Blake and Weiss continue to fight copies of the Cat that kept appearing. Yang punches one, instantly shattering it into colorful blocks. The cat couldn't win, its goal was to confuse and wear them down. However, the cat seemed to still have plenty of energy, as they promptly blasted some at Jaune. Weiss and Blake then rush together and destroy two more illusionary clones which shatter like glass upon impact. Neo's evolved Semblance seemed to be aiding the cat too much in this battle. They couldn't keep up with this…
Neo (Cat Possessed): Just more fairytale nonsense!
The cat rushes at Jaune, trying to kill him. Pyrrha then tosses her shield at the Cat which knocks it back. She then calls back her shield as she goes in for another attack, but the cat formed an illusion on the spot, transforming into Jaune. This confused her for just long enough for the cat to slash her armor. In one go, her armor clatters to the ground as she bleeds from the scar. But this was different…this was not Beacon. Jaune could feel something inside of him snap once he saw her helplessly before the cat.
Neo (Cat Possessed): Not everyone gets a happy ending, Jaune. Sometimes the heroine must die no matter how long its avoided.
(Ever After, inside the tree)
Ruby walks forwards and touches one of the weapons encased in the glass, she runs her delicate fingers along the cases as she goes about admiring the weapons. She always did have a thing for weaponry, but with how face pace her life has gotten, she hadn't had the chance to enjoy the finer things in life. She reaches a hammer and pauses, palm resting against the case.
Ruby: Who did this belong to?
She says as she looks at the weapon, a cloud of smoke soon manifesting back into the blacksmith.
Blacksmith: it's not about who did, but who could.
She thinks about those words.
Blacksmith: Can you feel the woman who might hold it?
She closes her eyes.
Blacksmith: The weight of who she is. She could be you.
She doesn't answer as the weapons light up in the background, the blacksmith twirls, showing them off.
Blacksmith: You could put any one of them on, and leave Ruby Rose, behind.
She then is bombarded with leaves again; she uses her cape to shield herself. She then walks over to a pair of swords and places her hand on the glass.
Ruby: It's all so heavy.
She murmurs as she looks down at the weapon.
Ruby: It's the only thing I can feel anymore.
She says as she closes her eyes.
Ruby: And it never. Ever. Goes away.
She contemplates her feelings, the very feelings that led her to drink the tea. To rid herself of Ruby Rose.
Ruby: The feeling of not being enough.
She then feels the wind blow as she walks towards a familiar axe.
Blacksmith: And how would you measure enough?
She could hear her mother's voice, that was her axe.
Summer (Ruby's mind): Before she went back home…
Ruby: Mom.
Her cape moves in the breeze.
Summer (Ruby's mind): The girl had a great many questions to ponder.
She reaches out to select the weapon.
Summer (Ruby's mind): What are you?
(End of Volume 9 Chapter 10)